OFAA Finals at Ferris, Texas

Reep Clinches OFAA Championship, McSwain Ends Season with Win

Words by Chris Graves

Photos by Wes Ramsey and Chris Graves

(Wes Ramsey photo)

The 2019 Good Vibrations Motorsports Outlaw Fuel Altered Association presented by Lone Star Forklift thundered into Xtreme Raceway Park in Ferris, TX, for the final points race of the season. It was a pressure filled evening of racing for the championship contenders who were led by Mary Reep and Jody Austin. Bobby Marriott and Jimmy Jones were in the hunt as well, but with fourteen fuel altereds on the property, the competition was stiff and every run would prove vital in the points battle.

Marriott and Jones had a combined nine OFAA series championships, while Reep and Austin combined for zero. Mary Reep hoped to become the first female champion in history, while also becoming the first team to feature a husband and wife championship winning combo if she could join her husband, Larry, who won in 2001. Austin has a lengthy history in the sport of drag racing, dating back to front-motor Top Fuel racing with his dad, Raymond. A title run here would be a big feather in the cap in his second full season of racing in the OFAA series. Austin and Reep met in the final round of the previous event just two weeks previously in San Antonio, with Reep taking an impressive holeshot win.

Clint Cross  (Wes Ramsey photo)

The heat was on both on and off the track as unusually warm mid 90-degree weather still lingered in the Lone Star State. After two rounds of qualifying, Clint Cross led the field with a 4.00 followed by Mark Hunter, Jody Austin and Jimmy Jones. Points leader Mary Reep struggled to a 4.38 which qualified her eleventh.

FINAL QUALIFYING ORDER

1. Clint Cross – 4.00

2. Mark Hunter – 4.01

3. Jody Austin – 4.05

4. Jimmy Jones – 4.06

5. Donny McSwain – 4.08

6. John Broussard – 4.13

7. Aaron Morrow – 4.18

8. Bobby Marriott – 4.21

9. Mark Billington – 4.32

10. Donnie Massey – 4.35

11. Mary Reep – 4.38

12. George Gallimore – 4.49

13. Raymond Dawson – 4.51

14. Dustin Bradford – 9.18

The two quickest winners would advance to the final round as Mary Reep was first out in eliminations taking on Clint Cross. A win here for Reep would do big things for her title hopes. Unfortunately, Reep dipped below the elapsed time cap with a 3.79 at 192 resulting in a first-round loss to Cross’s 3.93 at 188 mph.

The door was officially open for Austin, who was coming up later in the round, and Marriott who was up next. Marriott’s “Shockwave” nitro burner came to life alongside defending series Champion John Broussard’s “Purple Haze” from Louisiana. Marriott ended his chances with a -.071 red light while Broussard clicked off a strong 3.85 at 185 mph to set the pace.

Donnie Massey  (Wes Ramsey photo)

Mark Hunter’s “Jailbreak” fueler was up next paired with fellow nitro burner Donnie Massey in “Showtime” and Hunter posted a clean 4.07 at 133 mph to take the round win, but his elapsed time was not in the discussion for a ticket to the final round. Jimmy Jones had seen both Reep and Marriott suffer first round loses and his alcohol burning “Texas Tremor” pulled to the line with Raymond Austin’s “Magic Dragon” in the other lane driven by Mark Billington. Jones had this one from start to finish and his 3.92 at 189 mph temporarily held a ticket to the final round with two pairs remaining, things are getting interesting! Could Jones hold his spot in the final, then win the race and come from fourth to first by the end of the night?

Jody Austin  (Wes Ramsey photo)

Donny McSwain’s “Wild One” and Jody Austin’s “Bushwhacker” fired up next in a pivotal round and jaws hit the ground when Austin’s entry blazed the tires at sixty feet while McSwain ripped off a very nice 3.87 at 188 mph to bump Jones from the final round with one pair remaining. WOW! The mathematicians in the house could rest their calculators at this point. Reep, Austin and Marriott were out and Jones was not advancing to the final, thus his points-earning window was closed. Add, subtract, divide, multiply, whatever you want to do, you’ll find Mary Reep on top of the charts regardless of the final round outcome!

Congratulations to team “Grim Reeper” who officially clinched the 2019 Good Vibrations Motorsports Championship presented by Lone Star Forklift.  (chris Graves photo)

Meanwhile, one pair remained in first round eliminations as Raymond Dawson and Aaron Morrow were given the signal to fire. It was a picture perfect big power header flaming run for Morrow, but under the cap he went with a 3.77 at 195, giving the win to Dawson’s off pace 4.60 at 117 mph.

John Broussard (Wes Ramsey photo)

John Broussard and Donny McSwain were final round bound to put a cap on a thrilling season finale at Xtreme Raceway Park. The celebration was on in the “Grim Reeper” pits and only one race remained in the 2019 season.

A quick turnaround for the “Purple Haze” and “Wild One” teams brought the cars back to the line for the final, final of the season. Broussard’s car struggled to keep fire and shut-off after the burnout, meanwhile McSwain sat at idle waiting patiently while his opponent’s crew franticly got the car re-fired successfully and sent Broussard into the stage position. The ambers dropped and silence again from Broussard, while McSwain blasted right down the groove to a 4.09 at 177 mph to notch a big win for the team in this final event of the season.