CLASS RACER FORUM - 10 years ago today--U.S. Class Nationals

It doesn't seem that long ago! Wow! This post by Mike deserves to be seen by all:

The Inagural US Class Nationals

By the summer of 2000, most, if not all, Stock and Super Stock racers had realized that we were, to quote S/S racer Alex Denysenko, "relegated to the back of the bus", when it came to competing at National Events. Stuck running at absurd times of the morning and late evenings, if they even got to run at all. While I was at the IHRA World Nationals in Norwalk Ohio in August 2000, I was talking to Alex, who told me of an idea to promote and put on a big-time race, featuring the Super Stock and Stock classes, with special races, contigency and big payouts.

The race occured July 20-22, at Byron Dragway in Byron IL, the Inagural GM Performance Parts US Class Nationals. It was a very hot weekend, with temperatures in the high 80's to low 90's, with a lot of sun. Classes to be contested were Super Stock, Stock (with both NHRA and IHRA-legal cars eligible to compete), Top Stock (heads-up, no breakout class for legal A, B and C Stockers at 8.3 pounds per horsepower), Nostalgia/Super Stock, Outlaw S/S, Class Eliminations for S and S/S, as well as a Quick 32, two races sponsored by Kendall, for the 32 quickest qualifiers, one for Stock and one for S/S. Friday started out with time trials and qualifying, as well as the Q-32's. The 32's were run like Comp Eliminator, handicapped off the Class Index, first to the finish line wins. The #'s 1 and 2 qualifiers made the final of each. Stock was won by Dayton OH's Don Holmes, in his K/SA 400-powered '78 Firebird won from the pole, defeating Kentucky's Jonathan Terrance's V/SA V-6 '82 Monte Carlo. S/S was won by second qualifier Mike Mans, in his Minnesota-based GT/JA '00 Firebird, in an upset over the polesitter Richard Oakes. New Jersey resident Oakes was crushing the field in his V6 modified SS/DS four speed '87 Camaro, having a near four tenths cushion on everyone. The track had a 6 pm curfew daily, so the hotlapping on such a warm day was Oakes undoing, as the car never got off the starting line past 60', and the starting line bog handed the win to Mans. At the conclusion of the track's activities, racers made their way to a local country club for a cookout.

Saturday brought Class Eliminations on. All cars raced against the others in their own class, to determine bragging rights and Class superiority, and of course, the contigency money. Many great runs were made, and the track, overseen by NHRA Division 3 starter Bill "Redman" Flloyd hooked great, even in the cruel summer heat. There was an auction to benefit D.R.A.W. that evening, and many racers stayed even after that, to socialize at what may have been the first major meet in many, many years to bring NHRA and IHRA Class racers together at such an event of this magnitude.

By the time Saturday's qualifying was over, nearly the largest field of Stockers in a long time was assembled. 187 Stockers had made the trip to Byron to compete, from all seven NHRA geographical Divisions. With the Class Nationals being an all-run field (Indy only takes the 128 best cars), it became an eight-round race to take home the money. Add in nearly 100 S/S cars, 20+ Top Stockers and a pretty good field of O/SS and N/SS, the race had over 300 cars in just five eliminators contested that weekend (four, if you count the fact that T/Stk competes within Stock and were part of the 187 Stocker field).

Sunday brought about more great racing. Racers were thrown a curve later in the day, as a cold front rolled in with clouds and a pretty good tailwind, which made dialing the cars a handful. The best persevered, and shortly after 5 pm, the winners were crowned, and the Inagural US Class Nationals was deemed an overwhelming success. The event received TV coverage on Inside Drag Racing, with stories, coverage and interviews by the great Bret Kepner, and VHS copies of the race were later sold, done by Stock racer Bill Bureski. Willie Devore (S/S), Jeff Tueton (Stock), and Matt Morgan (T/Stk) were the big winners. Plans were already rolling on a second race, and possibly more. Sadly, it never panned out, for whatever reasons. But, those of us that were there, we will ALWAYS have fond memories of maybe the greatest Class Racing event ever take place. I even gave up bracket racing at an IHRA Divisional at my home track to make the 400+ mile trip to spectate (didn't have a Stocker yet). Every so often, there is discussion and thoughts on messageboards about "We need to have another Class Nationals...", and who knows, maybe in the future, we will see a part 2 of this awesome event.

S/S
Winner, Willie Devore, Rock Island IL, GT/H '87 Camaro
R/U, Denny Steward, Dover PA, GT/EA '87 Daytona

Stock
Winner, Jeff Teuton, Houma LA, FT/SA '97 Ram
R/U, MJ Quinn, Louisville KY, K/SA '85 Camaro

T/Stk
Winner, Matt Morgan, La PLata MD, '69 Mustang
R/U, Al Corda, Elk Mound WI, '00 Firebird
__________________
Mike Carr, BuffDaddy Motorsports Enon Valley PA
Tri-State Stock/Super Stock Association President
buffdaddy_1302@hotmail.com
www.facebook.com/buffdaddy1302

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