ET Drag Racing

South Texas Winter Shootout at San Antonio Raceway

Words and photos by JM Hallas

Cole Herbold competed in both Electronics and No-Electronics.

After a chilly Friday night on Nov. 18, racing action shifted to a day time start. A bit of a nip was still in the air during early time trials, but as the day progressed temperatures rose to the 60's, with a 75-degree track temperature at the start of eliminations. As the additional Electronics and Foot Brake Shootout took the track, temperatures were again headed down, cooling rapidly as night set in.

The big money was on the line plus half the purse from Friday nights cancellation. So it was now $6,000 for the Electronics bracket race winner, plus the extra money for the "Shootout." Foot Brake now had a winner’s share of $3,250 for the bracket race and another payday up for grabs in that "Shootout" race. That made between a potential of $6,000 or more available for Electronics racers and $3,250-plus in Foot Brake.

SATURDAY, Nov. 19:

Dialing for Dollars

The Foot Brakers led the way in 'Dialing for Dollars' with three cars running dead on their number, with a zero. It then came down to the best ten-thousandth of a second to determine the winner of the pot. Alberto Flores, driving his shoebox Chevy Nova took home the cash with a 7.4501 on his 7.45 dial in.

Electronics (bracket race)

With over 100 cars in the Electronics class it was a long day of racing, at the end, former track champ Brent Ritter (Cibolo) and Lewis Cleveland (Odessa) survived to the finals. Both opted to divvy up the first and second place monies among themselves and forego the run to avoid extra wear and tear on their equipment.

Ritter, in his Mission Auto Parts, Simpson Performance, ’07 Undercover Chassis got to the finals with a win over C. White, who broke out. Cleveland, in his 2010 American Chassis nailed his dial in to best Tanner Thorp in the other semi-final.

Electronics (Shootout)

The eight car Electronics Shootout saw "Peeps" Pennington and Hunter Patton square off in the finals. Pennington (Three Rivers) in Huntsville Engines, Miller Race Car saved his best for the final with an .0066 package making it mathematically impossible for Patton (Highlands), in a car borrowed from Michael Keylich, despite his .008 light. Pennington nailed a .002 light, then ran dead on with a three to beat Patton who was dead on with a six.

Peeps Pennington (4.52) 4.523 @ 145.30 defeats Hunter Patton (4.72) 4.726 @ 142.12