Most of the members have been around long enough to know Gene & Tommy Platt. They have donated hundreds of hours of their time to the TPSA and wouldn't take a nickel for it. Gene and his wife Sue, went on their dream vacation, a motorcyle trip that began in Washington State, through Canada, and into Alaska. Everything went smoothly until the return trip last Friday (June 5th) when, just south of the Alaskan/Canada border a car pulled out in front of them. Gene swerved to miss the car and his bike ended up in the ditch and threw Gene over the bars. The result of the accident was a broken pelvis that had to be pinned, but thankfully, no life threatening injuries. Sue escaped injury. Gene is in a Canadian Hospital but expects to return home in about a week. Please keep the Platt family in your thoughts & prayers.
Gene, if you're readin' this, get well soon ya ol' coot! -- DH, 06/ 9/09 5:05pm
looking for Jeff mitchill -- ricky, 07/ 1/09 3:31pm
looking for jeff mitchill, My name is Ricky call me at 956 459 5768 oe E-mail @ temexmoney@sbcglobal.net
The TPSA troupe started rollin' in to Edinburg International Racetrack early Friday evening. Yep, it was hot, but when the sun went down an amazing transformation occured, and it was actually comfortable outside. Mid 80's and as promised by the track manager, Isaac Ebrom, a nice breeze helped cool things off. We all hoped it would be the same for Saturday.
Team "Pigpen" was out in full force Friday nite and made 4 hits in the Grand Am, driven by Joe Pigford, and Roy made 2 hits in the GXP. The last pass in the GXP resulting in a broken stator support for Roy. Team NRC/Slick Rick arrived a bit later with their 3 cars (Pearce, Otwell, Cowger/Wood) and Jeff Naiser made a couple of hits in Larry Pearce's ride. Larry had other commitments and was unable to make this race so Naiser was there to represent. The Cavalier broke a planetary on it's last TT and that sent the Naiser Nation scramblin' for parts to be able to make Saturday's event.
Saturday's qualifying and all the broken cars were repaired. Team "Pig" installed a spare gearbox in Roy's entry, and in a philanthropic gesture, loaned their #1 rival, Team NRC, a planetary that would allow Jeff (in Pearce's car) to make eliminations. The Naiser team had one more gremlin as Jeff broke a rocker arm on the Cavalier in the first qualifying session, but the team had that quickly repaired before the next hit. When the smoke cleared, it was Joe Pigford's 4.740 @ a booming 149.26 (top mph of the event) at the top of the heap. Just behind was Jeff Naiser's 4.747 @ 147.22. The weather conditions had all of the teams checking their summer tuneups and the "super" tuners, Billy Stocklin of Team Pig, and Kenny Hubbard of Team NRC were workin' overtime.
1st round...The sun had set and the conditions were temp's in the mid 80's and 60% humidity...quite pleasant compared to what feels like a blast furnace in the mid afternoon in the Valley. First pair out was the Conrad/Winscott GTO vs. the Roy Pigford GXP. Eddie was just a tad too quick and redlit with a -.004 and Roy eased 'er down into round 2. Donald the "Boxman" Hughes and David Hubbard are Hill Country Boyz teammates, and often travel together, but the draw pitted them against each other in the opening stanza. As expected, the "Boxman" was out first, but DH had enough to move by and into the next round. The next pair saw Jeff Naiser in the Pearce Cavalier line up with Ben Worley in his Grand Am that is usually driven by Richard Otwell. Ben had flown in from the left coast to make his 2nd TPSA event of the year while Richard was celebrating his anniversary at the lake. When the tree came down, Naiser gave Ben the move and that would cost him, as his best pass of the event, a 4.726, crossed the stripe behind Ben's 4.82. The black 'Vette of the Hanson family, once again with Chad in the chair, came around the corner of the staging lanes. He had the unenviable chore of facing the #1 qualifying J. Pig. Pig showed the field the way to do it with his first 4.69(5) low et of the nite, that sent Chad back to the trailer.The Cowger/Wood team drew the bye and would move on.
2nd round...The luck of the draw, or lack of it... The "Pigpen" was empty as J Pig drew R Pig and they rolled up to stage. Roy won the last event @ HMP and had to go through Joe to do it. He would not be able to duplicate that result this time as Joe's 4.71 easily parked Roy's out of shape 4.94. The random draw continued and teammates Rick Cowger and Ben Worley brought 'em to the waterbox. Ben would use his best pass of the nite, a 4.75 to cover Rick's 4.79. DH drew the bye and moved into the semi's.
Semi's...Joe Pigford drew the bye so DH and Worley would be first up. DH pre-staged first and waited for Ben. Ben lit the pre-stage and neither could find low gear to finish staging...LOL. Word was DH's crew got tired of standing behind the car, flipped the data recorder on, and stepped away. The crowd was into it but finally DH rolled in, followed quickly by Ben. Great rt's by both, advantage DH, but Ben's 4.75 was too much for him to hold off. Back at the trailer, both racers were having a laugh about the staging battle and DH's racpak showed he sat there 26 seconds before staging...remember they sat there awhile before the crewman activated the recorder. It was a hoot for everyone involved. Meanwhile, back at the tree, the "Pigman" calmly lays down his second 4.69 of the event, this time with a "7" and waits for the crew to come pick him up.
Final...Reher-Morrison vs. NRC/Slick Rick power. Burnouts complete, both prestaged and.... would there be another "staging duel"? Nope, the "Pigman" says "I'm #1 qualifier come get ya sum" and rolls into the stage beam. Ben follows him in and when the tree comes down, J Pig is headed to the Winner's Circle on the basis of Ben's redlite. Ben was just .009 too early but Pig's 4.71 would have been a tough row to hoe. Another great outing for "Big" Ben and maybe we'll see him again before the end of the season. Congratulations to both Teams and to all of the TPSA competitors that made the trip.
Gracias to the Cantu family, Mr. Isaac Ebrom, the entire staff @ Edinburg, and especially the South Texas fans for their warm hospitality. The TPSA will be back @ Edinburg September 12...mark your calendars now.
PS...thanks to the Hanson family for their work @ the scales and also to Randy Elliott and his family for taking some time out of their trip to the beach to give us a hand!
Gene Platt -- Mark Bramhall (Happy), 06/23/09 7:29pm
Gene, I am so glad that you and Sue are alright. Well, baring the fact that you are in the hospital. Take care, and "Get Well Soon" mb
***Well, I see we're back***.......apparently the "voy forums" server has been down the last couple of days. Isaac said he ordered some cool breeze for Saturday so come on down to the Valley and show us what ya got! -- DH, 06/25/09 12:38pm
I got Robin's pictures posted up today stop by and check them out. If you want a full size copy of the file just email me the jpg number and I'll send it over. I didn't edit out the bad ones this time, just busy, so they are quite a few up -- Dave Donalson, 06/10/09 3:59pm
This event at HMP marks the mid-point of the 2009 Season and the beginning of the summer weather conditions that the teams will have to contend with for the next few months. The weather forecast was as good as we could hope for this time of year in Houston...temps in the mid 90's, humidity around 50%, low barometer, but no precipitation. As most of the TPSA troupe rolled in Friday nite the forecast appeared to be spot on. Saturday we were greeted with clear skies and it was hot & humid.
The track temp was 140* for the first time trial and cooled a bit for the second lap. When the qualifying sheet was posted, Joe Pigford was #1 with a 4.756 @148.71, Richard Otwell and Roy Pigford both ran .77's, the Cowger/Wood entry was in with a 4.782, and the Talley/Nickens team rounded out the top five @ 4.799. Pearce, DH, Donald Hughes, Eddie Conrad in the Winscott family GTO, Chad Hanson, and the "Ford Guys" Mitchell/Beck completed the field.
1st round...Richard Otwell used a 4.763 to advance over the "Budman's" 4.789 after nearly identical rt's, "Boxman" Hughes automatically went to round 2 when Conrad experienced a shifter malfunction and rolled the beams before the 'tree was activated, and once again the draw pitted #1 in the points chase, Larry Pearce vs #2, Joe Pigford. Larry has been gettin' by the "Pigman" here lately but tonite would be a different story. Joe's 4.707 (low et of the race) @ 149.15 was never headed by Larry's 4.763 @ 147.30, again after nearly identical rt's. Roy the "Rookie" Pigford was up next against "Ricky Bobby" in the Wood/Cowger entry. In arguably the best race of the event, the Rookie moves on after both cars run 4.75...Pigford with a 6, and Cowger with a 9...reaction time advantage to the "Rookie" by .0283..awesome race to watch! Chad Hanson rolled the family 'Vette into the water box to face DH in the Cavalier. Once again, the rt's were virtually identical but Hubbard was able to notch the win with a 4.82 @ 145.49. The most fun team on the tour (and the best cooks too!) the Ford Guys drew the bye and eased into round 2 after loosing a head gasket on the hit.
2nd round...The sunset brought cooler temps and the track temp reflected the change...it was almost pleasant outside! The reigning 2x defending Champ, J Pigford drew DH. Joe's 4.717 @ 147.54 got there first by a little over .02 after Hubbard's holeshot aided 4.805 @ 145.82, just couldn't hold him off. Another of the "Hill Country Boyz", Donald Hughes, faced off with the Ben Worley owned Grand AM (powered by RO's NRC/Slick Rick bullet), driven by Richard Otwell. Remember Otwell was #2 qualifier and the "Boxman" was #8. Well, (all together now..LOL) we don't race time slips or qualifying #'s and Donald's .0684 rt advantage held off Team 0's troubled 4.843 @ 146.82. Hughes slip read 4.898 @ 143.27. A transmission gremlin was the early report from the Team O pits. The youngest "Pig" drew the "Ford Guys" and proved he was ready with a solo 4.722 @ 147.88 when the Mitchell/Beck team couldn't make the call.
Semi's...It's mano a mano, brother against brother for a spot in the final and family braggin' rights. Burnouts complete and it was evident "Animal" Jack, Merv Davis, Billy Stocklin & the crew had both cars more than ready to rumble. Stage lites on cleanly with no drama's, and the GXP driven by Roy is out first by .0267, clearly no "Team Orders" here, but would it be enough to trailer brother Joe's #1 qualifying Grand Am? Both cars through the shift point and into high gear and motorin' with their Reher Morrison power...looks like Joe is pullin' him pretty hard but the win lite flashes for Roy's 4.726 @ 147.78. Joe's 4.709 @ 149.65 (top mph of the race) needed just a few more feet of racetrack. Great race by the "Pigpen" and a special tip of the cap to the team for displaying true sportsmanship and the spirit of the TPSA by running 'em all out. Hughes drew the bye and was headed for his first final of the year, after missing most of last year.
Final...Roy Pigford was definitely the favorite based on et but it was a full moon and strange things happen from time to time in TPSA action. After the burnouts both cars moved to pre stage. The crowd held their collective breath as Roy rolled into the stage bulb and it flickered....but stayed on, and the 'tree flashed green on both sides. The "Rookie" managed to do what few drivers do...leave on the "Boxman" but Roy's .413 (best rt of the event) did just that and started to pull away. Hughes clicked it early and watched Roy's 4.739 @ 148.17 propel him into the Winner's Circle for the first time in TPSA.
In the Colony One Consolation Race, which featured the Cowger/Wood team vs Chad Hanson, Lidiak Motorsports and Richard Otwell's, All in Motorsports, added some cash to the purse which Rick Cowger pocketed with the win.
In addition to the on track action we had some special guests in the crowd. Lee Staiger, AD Rigmaiden & family, AJ "Killer" Richnow, Tommy Costales, Richard Otwell's daughter and family, Randy the "Dandy" Elliott, Donny Williams, Miranda (the punkin' bread was awesome!) and others I'm sure I forgot(sorry!), all came out for some TPSA racin'. Come on back soon, ya'll.
A very special thanks to Gary Lidiak and his lovely bride Creigh, who volunteered for the unenviable task of running the scales. Gary, both personally, and through his company, Lidiak motorsports, continues to be one of the most staunch supporters of the TPSA. Thanks again guys!
By the way, having the scales at every event is the most requested addition to a TPSA event, but to date, no-one has stepped up with a solution or volunteered to take it on full time. Any takers out there?
Finally, our thanks to the Baker family, John Mandabach, the crew @ HMP, and the fans who came out in the Houston heat. See ya again on August 8th.
Roy "Rookie" Pigford roots up 1st win Donald "Boxman" Hughes runner-up Joe Pigford #1 Qualifier
-- ., 06/ 7/09 9:39pm
No, it's not a bad sequel to a Tim Allen movie....LOL, the headline refers to the Pigford brothers domination of the action @ HMP with Joe the #1 qualifier and a semi-final finish, and Roy the "Rookie" gathered his first TPSA win with some great driving. Donald and HR Hughes finished as the runner-up after a very long day filled with a generator failure among other things. Congratulations to them and all of the teams that endured the Gulf Coast weather.
Winner... Roy Pigford
Runner Up... Donald Hughes
It was hot, humid and the track temp was 140*, but Dean Baker and the crew had the track in very good shape. As the sun went down, the track tightened up considerably and probably fooled a few crew chiefs..including this reporter. Our thanks to the Baker family, the entire crew at HMP, and all of the fans that came out in the heat. Full race report and more pics to follow.
hotrodgossip.net has some really good pictures of this event so check 'em out.
***IMPORTANT NOTICE*** The TPSA message board is always "G" rated, the hotrodgossip.net board is more hardcore and would probably be rated "R". Please use discretion if you have young children or if you are offended by "adult" language and material.
***It's tomorrow, June 6th @ Houston Motorsports Park...Race #6 of the 2009 TPSA Season*** -- DH, 06/ 5/09 3:55pm
It's our first trip of the season to HMP and the weather forecast is what you'd expect for Houston in the summer...90's, clear, and most importantly, DRY. You know Dean Baker and the crew will have the track in primo condition and everyone is ready for some action. This race marks the mid point of the season...can anyone stop the Pearce Express? You know Cowger/Wood, Otwell, the "Pigpen" (Joe & Roy Pigford), and the "Budman" Nickens in the Talley entry all are lookin' for a trip to the Winner's Circle and to establish some momentum goin' into the last half of the season. Will the hot track & temperatures be an equalizer for the Winscott/Conrad team, fresh from testing, or DH, the "Boxman", C3, the Hanson's, and the Ford Guys (Mitchell/Beck)? Be there tomorrow, June 6th to see for yourself...Gates open @ 2pm. Click on the links above for schedule info and/or HMP's website.
Ok, so you want a set of custom headers to maximize the potential of your bullet but you don't want to load the car up and take a road trip or leave your ride somewhere while the headers are made? Well, Tim @ The Fab Shop has come up with a solution that allows your car to be perfectly fit with those new pipes without ever leaving your shop. The press release that follows has more info:
***Tim will be at our event July 18th @ Denton (all the way from Indiana) with a small display and to answer any questions you might have regarding exhaust systems. Thanks to Tim & the Fab Shop for their interest of the TPSA!*** -- DH (I love my Fab Shop pipes), 05/29/09 9:46pm
The Fab Shop provides solution with "Adjustable Headers"
5/29/2009
New Palestine, IN
The Fab Shop LLC has the solution for tube chassis/door car headers. We simply send you our new “adjustable header”. You bolt them on, adjust the height and angle of the lower half of the header to fit your car perfectly then lock them in place and ship them back to us. We'll then use them to create a custom set of headers that will fit your car as if they were built right on it. And the adjustable header can accommodate nearly all of the popular heads (even angle-milled), chassis, deck heights and bore spacings. This new system will eliminate the wasted time, effort and poor results that typically accompany an off-the-shelf header. Benefits include: perfect alignment of the collector in the collector box. No ground or floor clearance issues. No collectors dragging the ground when loading in the trailer. No loss of turning radius. Consumes only a fraction of the time and money normally associated with custom headers. And of course you get the unbeatable performance of a Fab Shop header. To speak with an expert, call 317 294 4323 or check out fabshopheaders.com.
***Results from Race #5 Evadale...May 16th*** -- from the pits, 05/21/09 6:49pm
The weather forecast didn't paint a pretty picture for this event to happen on schedule. A phone call to "Sir Frederick", the Duke of Evadale (& the track manager) late Thursday nite confirmed that the East Texas fans, the Bruce family, and the staff @ Evadale was lookin' forward to some good ol' TPSA action and Fred said it "wasn't gonna rain". The Boxman, DH, and current points leader, Larry Pearce, rolled in after dark Friday nite, followed Saturday by "Quickdraw" Lance Abbott, the Cowger/Wood team, the Hanson's, Nickens/Talley, Joe & Roy Pigford, and fresh from the "left" coast, Mr. "Big" Ben Worley and wife, Donna.
It was overcast, hot, & humid for the first round of qualifying and looked like it would rain at any second. The first session was completed without incident but back to the North loomed the blackest cloud that's been seen in a long while. DH slid the Cavalier back in the "box", just in case, and Mr Bruce came by to tell him "it's not gonna rain us out!" Sure enough, a few minutes later, a brief shower cooled things off but Fred and the crew quickly had the track dry and we were ready for the second round of qualifying. The rain showers and resulting cooler temps netted some great times: Pearce @ 4.645, Worley, who hasn't been racing in over two years, #2 @4.668, Joe Pigford @ 4.680, Roy Pigford @4.712 to round out the top half of the field. Cowger, DH, and Nickens were bunched in the mid 70's, and Abbott, Hanson, and Hughes completed the ten car ladder. Randy the "Dandy" Elliott, the Conrad/Winscott team, and the "Ford Guys" would all miss this event due to their bullets not quite being ready to go, and Clint Crownover (C3) was literally "making hay while the sun shines".
1st round...Naiser/Slick Rick teammates Worley and Cowger roll into the waterbox. Ben raced regularly with the TPSA until a couple of years ago when a job in California offered more than he could refuse. Most fans may not know, but Worley owns the car that Richard Otwell has been driving this year and when RO was unavailable for Evadale, Big Ben took the opportunity to fly in and make some laps. In the other lane, the Cowger/Wood team is probably the most improved team for '09 in performance after purchasing a Naiser/Slick Rick combo over the winter. Burnouts complete, the cars stage and Big Ben looks like he's been racin' every weekend with a great .412 lite coupled with a 4.664 to send Rick Cowger's 4.709 to the Consi race. Next up Larry Pearce, the points leader and the most dominant car of '09 (so far) vs. the West Texas kid aka "Quickdraw" Lance Abbott from beautiful downtown Crane, Texas. Lance & his Dad, Kenneth would easily win a long distance tow award with a one way trip of 500 miles. The long tow musta' slowed the kid down some as his .455rt was far from his average but Pearce's 4.649 proved to be unbeatable and "Quickdraw" went to the Consi with a 4.807. Next pair and these guys just can't get away from each other. David Hubbard and Buddy "Budman" Nickens have drawn each other first round at two other races this season. Nickens qualified .02 better here and ran a 4.750 to a dead late DH's 4.744, but the Budman had left the redlite glowin' back on the tree and DH would advance. Joe Pigford and Chad Hanson were up next and Hanson's 4.898 would have advanced over "Pig's" troubled 5.464 but Chad had left the dreaded redlite on with a gut wrenching .3994! Back in the pits the Pigford team found a balky tranny that didn't shift into high gear. The final pair was to feature Roy Pigford against Donald Hughes. The Boxman had hurt a tranny himself in qualifying and was unable to make the call, giving R Pig a comp bye. Roy eased 'er on down with a 4.703.
2nd round...The classic showdown between #1 & #2 in the points, Pearce vs Pigford. Pearce has won 3 of the first 4 events this year and J Pig needed to stop the Naiser Nation momentum. Pig did his job on the tree, recording a solid .015rt advantage, but it was for naught as Pearce's 4.646 steamed by Pig's 4.697; headed for the semi's. In TPSA action it seems it's safe to expect the unusual and bizarre. In the next pair (Ben Worley vs Roy Pigford), both cars left the starting line before the Autostart sequence had started, resulting in no time slip, no win lite, and no data in the computer. In some organizations, and in sportsman racing, both cars would have been DQ'd, but TPSA uses the "Pro" rules which state if it can be determined that one car clearly left before the other, the last car to leave is the winner. Ben stepped up and said he left first and that was verified by the track starter and several competent bystanders; one of which was Jeff Naiser. Thanks to you all for your honesty and a special tip of the cap to both Ben and Jeff...as stated before the bullet in the Worley/Otwell ride is a Naiser piece and his honesty is appreciated. Meanwhile, back in the waterbox, DH was waiting to run his bye which would put him in the Semi's. DH made it down without incident with a 4.759.
Semi's...Pearce drew Hubbard (didja know DH is the only car to get a "w" against Pearce this year?) and Hubbard was hoping for a miracle. Not today....Larry would be in his 4th final of the year with a 4.658 to stop DH's 4.758. DH's .04rt advantage wasn't enough to derail the Pearce Express. Roy Pigford drew the bye and went to the final with a 4.691. Maybe he could stop Pearce with a holeshot.
Final...The burnouts were complete, the cars approached the tree, stage lites were on....and it was over just like that when R Pig's top lite went out, automatically sending Pearce to his 4th Winner's Circle of the Year. Larry's record is an amazing 15-1 for '09! Congrats to the Pearce's, Naiser/Slick Rick & "Naiser Nation", and the crew.
One other final oder of business was the running of the Consi race. Only 3 cars would contest this race as the "Boxman" was still buttonin' up the tranny swap. Cowger defeated Abbott, who was back on track with a .418 lite, with his best time of the event, a 4.687 to Lance's 4.81 and Hanson used a 4.895 on his bye run to secure a spot in the final. Team Cowger/Wood took the money home in the final with a 4.705 to Chad's 4.908. The final pair of cars went down the track around 11pm...even with the down time for the showers...
Both Fred and Mr Bruce had told us not to worry...it wasn't gonna rain this event out...and they were right. Wonder if they're available as weather consultants?? The track was in great condition and the cooler conditions that the showers brought were much appreciated. Thanks to the Bruce family, Fred and the staff @ Evadale, and the East Texas fans who always come and support us, no matter what the weather conditions or forecast. We hope to see the Worley's at another TPSA event before this season is done.
Steve Schmidt TPSA Motor for sale! -- Pro55, 05/20/09 6:50am
Steve Schmidt TPSA motor for sale! 1140 HP with 15 runs total. Best ET is 4.79 in the 1/8th. Don't need it, sold the car. Call Mike at 956-793-6092
TS/TD Points Race -- IsaacEbrom, 05/ 9/09 4:50pm
Edinburg International Racetrack will host a NHRA National Open event for Sunset Racecraft Top Sportsman (TS) and TCI/Comp Cams Top Dragster (TD) drivers on May 23 and 24. TS/TD drivers will compete for LODRS points, money, and a Wally. In addition to the TS/TD divisional points, all racers can earn NHRA grade points for National Event entry.
“The race down in Edinburg gives TS/TD drivers a total of 8 races they can claim within Division 4,” said Division Director Craig Hutchinson. “It offers the racers chasing points another option that may be closer for them.”
The race is currently the only 1/8th mile event for the TCI/Comp Cams Top Dragster and Sunset Racecraft Top Sportsman Series. The event will also have a Test & Tune session on Friday. Along with the TS/TD categories, the track will host their regular bracket program consisting of Super Pro, Sportsman, and Junior Dragsters. If a driver does not qualify in TS/TD…they may enter Super Pro at no extra charge.
“We are very excited about bringing an NHRA sanctioned event to South Texas,” proclaimed track manager Julio Cantu. “Memorial Day Weekend is the perfect time to take a trip to the Southern Tip of Texas.”
A bonus Quick Jackpot race will take place on Friday Night and a special Saturday Night Shootout is set for the fastest four qualifiers in both TS and TD. The heads-up shootout—which is free to enter—pays $500.00 to the winner and $200.00 to the runner up.
Edinburg International Racetrack is the only drag strip South of San Antonio, Texas. Located 3 hours South of San Antonio and 5 hours Southwest of Houston, the track serves the entire Rio Grande Valley, Corpus Christi, Laredo, and Northern Mexico. For more information visit www.edinburgracetrack.com or call (956) 318-0355.
Evadale -- Mark Bramhall, 05/18/09 4:16pm
Congrats to Larry on his 4th win. Great job. Also congrats to Roy on the runner up finish. You sure are getting used to your new ride. Keep up the good work. And, it looks like DH and team are fightin' for their first win. Keep up the good work David. Wish I had been there. All you guys are doing such a good job, and as a whole, the TPSA has been awesome. mb
If you were there Saturday you know we had a better chance of watchin' water come in like in the pic above than gettin' a pass in...much less the whole race. Although a couple of showers did pass through, Fred and the crew did an outstanding job and we got the race in.... and before midnite. Great job by Bruce family, Fred, and the crew @ Evadale. And for the record, if you weren't there (where were ya?...LOL) you missed a good one!
Winner...Larry(cuatro)Pearce
Runner up...Roy Pigford
Semi's...David Hubbard
Consi...Team Cowger/Wood
Complete race report, pics, and much more from Evadale coming soon..stay tuned.
***Attention in the Pits*** -- DH, 05/15/09 12:55pm
Just got off the phone with Sir Frederick, the Duke of Evadale, and he says they're ready for some TPSA action. As posted on the flyer above (click on it for the track's homepage), the gates open @ noon, open TT's @ 3pm, and Fred has TPSA qualifying @ 4pm & 5pm. First round should go off around 6pm. The schedule isn't exact and subject to change.
TPSA members will be allowed to park tonite and will also be allowed to park early tomorrow, so come on out for some East Texas action. See ya in the lanes...
Jeff Naiser -- Lidiak, 05/11/09 10:21am
Prayers are working well for Naiser, saw him at HMP on Saturday working his tail off on several cars. Todd Moyer drove the "Naiser / O team" car to a low 4 on a leisurely pass. Great to see him out there, by the way Jeff, you might want to clean some of the "grease" off of that bloody bandage. I love it!
Just like in the ol’ Clint Eastwood movies, the TPSA ‘guns started rolling into Abilene Dragstrip Friday, a little trail weary but strapped and ready for some action. The locals knew that come Saturday they would witness a shoot out… but this time it would take place on the track instead of a ol' dusty street.
Once again 12 teams made the tow and a couple of racers would make Abilene their first race for ’09. West Texas locals, Kenneth & Lance Abbott were on hand with the S-10 fresh from engine updates, Roy Pigford was in the GXP for the first time, and Pearce, Joe Pigford, the Cowger/Wood team, Richard Otwell, DH, Clint Crownover, Donald Hughes, the Mitchell/Beck team aka the “Ford Guys”, Chad Hanson in the saddle of the Hanson’s crowd pleasin’ black ‘Vette, and the Conrad/Winscott team rounded out the even “dirty” dozen. The Winscott team had just completed another major thrash and without the benefit of testing or dyno time, had loaded up and headed west.
Friday nite testing had shown Dean Kennedy and his staff had the track in optimum condition and even a strong crosswind Saturday couldn’t dampen the spirits of the drivers who were eager to get to it. After qualifying, the top half was Larry Pearce’s 4.778 @ 146.34, Joe Pigford’s 4.782 @ 146.39 (top mph of qualifying), Richard Otwell’s 4.792 @ 144.79, Roy Pigford’s 4.816 @144.60, Rick Cowger’s 4.847 @ 143.40, and David Hubbard’s 4.877 @ 144.00. Lance Abbott’s 4.946 @ 140.80 lead the tightly bunched remainder of the field.
1st round…Two of the Hill Country Boyz, DH and Crownover came to the water box first. They had just run each other in the last qualifier where Clint posted a fine .0069 rt…but old age and treachery prevailed as DH posted his own .0010! There had been some smack talk between the teammates and a soda water exchanged hands but now it was time to get down to business. Clint was just a smidgen too quick with a -.0082 red and Hubbard would advance into round 2 with a 4.862. The next pair to stage was Richard Otwell against the young gun, Lance Abbott. Lance would leave first by about .04 but Otwell’s power turned on the win lite with a 4.793. 3rd pair and the beautiful ’09 Stroupe GXP of Team Pigford, with Roy at the wheel, would square off with Donald the “Boxman” Hughes. True to his reputation, the Boxman would draw first but Roy would pick up his first round win of the year with a very nice 4.815. The Cowger/Wood team would be up next against Chad Hanson. The Hanson’s are still awaiting delivery of their new bullet and are sharing the driving duties. Ya gotta wonder if “Pops” (Rick) will be willin’ to share once the new HP is here…LOL. Anyway, back to the starting line and Chad enjoys nearly a .09rt advantage only to watch Rick come by to post the “W”. Unfortunately, the Mitchell/Beck team and the Conrad/Winscott team were unable to make the call for 1st round so Joe Pigford and Larry Pearce each would receive a competition bye. Just to keep it interestin’ and to keep things stirred up a bit they would run their bye’s side by side. It would have been a great pairing as Larry’s .434rt, 4.789 @ 146.34 just nipped Joe’s .428rt, 4.797 @ 145.91…whew, that’s a close one but they’d both be back for 2nd round.
2nd round…Roy Pigford drew Rick Cowger and on paper, enjoyed a slight performance advantage….but as we all know, we don’t run time slips and Roy hasn’t had the opportunity to get much seat time this year so it was anybody’s round. At the finish line Roy’s 4.795 would advance over Rick’s 4.917. The next pair was deja vue all over again as Pearce & Joe Pigford rolled into the water, only this time it’s for real and one will go back in the “box”. Pearce would go into the Semi’s with a 4.776 (low et of the event) after Pigford rolled through the beams before the ‘tree was activated. Richard Otwell drew DH and used a 4.795 to send DH packin’.
Semi’s…Richard Otwell got the bye and put down a 4.771 on his way to the final. Pearce and Roy Pigford were next and based on the prior round it was gonna get good. Pearce nearly duplicated his teammate’s (Otwell) performance with a 4.776 after leaving first and that would end Roy’s day. The new GXP was primo and Roy did a very respectable job by finishing as a semi-finalist.
Time for the shootout…The teammates squared off to see who would flinch first. Pearce was out with a .430 lite with Otwell’s .446 right behind and closing just past the 60’ mark. Shortly after the 330’ cone Richard’s mount made a move and he lifted while Larry collected his 3rd win of the season with another 4.77, this time with a 8 @ 146.20. Congratulations to them both, the NRC/Slick Rick team and all of the teams that made the trip.
As a bonus to the dedicated West Texas fans, Rick Hanson proposed a consolation race for all of the 1st round runner-ups. Only 3 teams would participate as Conrad, Beck, and Hughes were unable to make the call. Crownover would face Chad Hanson in the 1st pair and advanced into the final with a 4.94. Lance Abbott’s 4.98 set up the final. In the final, Lance "Quickdraw" would slap leather first and his 4.953 would trailer C3’s quicker but later 4.950.
Our thanks to Dean, Alva, and all of the Kennedy family, the entire staff @ Abilene Dragstrip, and the diehard West Texas fans for allowing the TPSA to be part of your 2009 program, we sincerely appreciate it.
This completes the first 1/3 of the 2009 season and it appears that the Championship will have to go through Team Pigford with Reher-Morrison power or Team Pearce/Otwell/Cowger with their Naiser/Slick Rick power to claim the jacket at the end of the year. Things are sure to heat up!
Next up is Evadale Raceway on May 16th. Make your plans now….
If you're looking for a racing holiday over the Memorial Day Weekend (TPSA takes a break that weekend) check out Isaac and the crew down @ Edinburg Racetrack. They're having an NHRA National Open for Top Sportsman and Top Dragster and it's all 1/8 mile racing. All NHRA rules will apply. If you need more info or have any questions, give Isaac a ring or visit the track's homepage. -- DH, 04/30/09 12:37pm
Notice the bright orange object above? Some of you may know it as a reflector, cone, or foam box and you may also know that they're used at intervals down the track to record et's and mph's. Well, the behind the scenes story from Abilene was kept quiet until after the races and most of the fans & racers had gone home or to the motel. -- ., 04/29/09 11:08pm
Those that stayed behind dined on steak and grilled veggies down at the Ford Guys and after that we followed our noses and drifted over to the Team POW (Pearce, Otwell, Cowger/Wood) enclave where we stuffed ourselves on shrimp gumbo and other delicacies. I can't reveal who all was there....let's just say the usual suspects and that's where the cone tale and "the rest of this story" developed. According to a teammate, a certain driver never made a full pass during time trials or the early rounds of eliminations. In fact, DH (a career Super Gas shoe) was overheard saying (jokingly) "that sonofagun was 'whopping' me down there or front dumped me at the mph cone! Maybe he thought he was breakin' out...LOL" Anyway, while we had a mouthful of gumbo, said crew member confessed that his driver "didn't find the finish line until the round against the 'Boxman'...he was shuttin' off at the mile an hour cone". Naturally we agreed it would be best if we kept this our little secret as we are sensitive to how these matters get out and how delicate our driver's psyches are.....LOL. So to that unnamed driver, look at the pic above.....the last one that you see that looks like this on the race track is the finish line and that's where you start stoppin'.......LOL
That's this week's insider info and now you know the inside story! See ya next time.
***ABILENE***(not so) INSTANT RESULTS from the....
Larry Pearce wins his 3rd race of '09 and extends his points lead
Richard Otwell, runner up, made it an all NRC/Slick Rick final
In his first ride in the new GXP, Roy Pigford semi'd
just some of the fans that lined the fences
Taylor was one of the "officials" that helped us out with the drawings/pairings
-- ., 04/27/09 7:30pm
You missed a great event if you weren't there! The Kennedy family & the staff @ Abilene Dragstrip proved once again that the hospitality you receive from West Texans is second to none. Our thanks to them and to all of the fans that came out for the show.
Working on the complete race report and more pics...stay tuned for more...
***Important Note: All of the images above are courtesy of raceabilene.com and can be viewed there. Pay them a visit and purchase a couple of your favorites***
Uh oh, I just checked the gate and the "PigPen" is empty! That can only mean one thing....both the "Piglets" are on the loose and heading for Abilene already. Looks like it's gonna be a war....don't miss this one! Remember the gates open early Saturday (tomorrow) and more info and a hot link is listed below. See you in the lanes. -- westbound & down, 04/24/09 11:56am
It's just a little over a week away...TPSA returns to West Texas and Abilene Dragstrip! The Kennedy family has put together a schedule that will have us runnin' the finals around 10pm, baring any unexpected delays, oil downs, etc. TPSA members can stay overnite @ the track beginning Friday.
Friday Schedule...Gates open @ 6:30pm TT's from 7-11pm. Saturday....Gates open @ 10am, open TT's from 12-2pm. TPSA qualifiers.... @ 2pm and 4pm.
**Be sure to make note of the early starting times...to finish early ya gotta start early. Abilene's a great facility run by a very hospitable family....hope to see ya there! -- DH, 04/15/09 9:30pm
Guys, I have HMP rented on Thurs./23rd. Can accomodate up to 8 cars. If you are interested call Pigman @ 713-799-9380 for details. -- PIGMAN, 04/21/09 10:45am
david h -- pro stock fan, 04/19/09 10:56pm
hay man think u should try and get a race next year at the old track in angleton texas.you no who this is david you do not have to guess ok man love to see yall there next year good luck
calculater -- mitchell, 04/10/09 6:11pm
I found a desk top horsepoer and race calculater, called EVABTWIN.com. anyone ever used it? I wonder how acurate you find it with your motors? Anyone have a better web site?
***Race Report from Little River, April 4th*** <(better late than never...LOL!) -- pit pundit, 04/ 8/09 9:52pm
The TPSA had 12 teams roll into Little River for the first event held @ Temple in several years. Robert "Hutch" Hutchison took over the historic ol' track last year and has spent many hours and $$$ bringing it back to life and gettin' it in racing shape.
Gary, and Jason Winscott with new teammate Eddie Conrad have been burning the midnite oil trying to get the GTO ready for some action. They spent many late nites the week prior to the Temple race, and in fact did make it to the track just before time trials started, but concern over a small engine gremlin would prevent them from making the show. They definitely get both the "bustin' hump" award and the "hard luck" award this week! Thanks guys for giving it such a valiant effort and we hope to see ya @ Abilene. Rick & Chad Hanson made the tow with Rick slated to shoe the familiar black Vette this time. Randy Elliott would make his first start of the year with Cowger/Wood, Crownover, D Hubbard, Hughes, Pearce, Pigford, Otwell, Mitchell/Beck, and Talley/Nickens rounding out the field.
There were two notable vacancies in the Team P.O.W. camp. The chiefs of the "Naiser Nation" were not in attendance. Ricky McConathy was dealing with a death in the family and Jeff Naiser had other commitments. Our condolences to Ricky and his family for their loss.
The qualifying sheet was interesting...A familiar face (Pearce) led the way with a 4.729, followed by teammates Otwell @ 4.764, and Cowger @ 4.812. DH was next @ 4.852, Nickens/Talley carded a 4.855 and Donald "Boxman" Hughes rounded out the top half @ 4.884. The surprise of qualifying was Joe Pigford having issues with the tree and posting a very off pace 5.220 @ 148.81 which was the top MPH of qualifying.
Round 1 and there would be ll teams. Winscott/Conrad did withdraw. 1st pair saw the "Budman" Nickens advance over the "Dandy", Randy Elliott. This was Randy's first event of the '09 season and it's great to have him back. The first two races of '09 have seen Otwell vs Pigford in the first round. Determined that there was somethin' fishy going on,(LOL) Otwell wanted to be in charge of the drawing. Richard watched as, shur 'nuff, Pigford's name was drawn followed by Otwell's. Truth is stranger than fiction! Anyway, Pig found his groove again and moved on with a 4.718 while Richard shook, shut off, and coasted through. The Wood/Cowger team used a 4.797 to advance over the long distance award winning "Ford Guys" Team of Mitchell/Beck. As always, they had a smile on their face and the buffet was open soon afterward. David Hubbard drew the current points leader and undefeated powerhouse of Larry Pearce. When Larry shook and had to lift, it allowed DH's 4.84 to go to Round 2. Next pair and Crownover was first out of the gate and his 4.91 would also advance over the Hanson family's Vette. The third member of the "Hill Country Boyz" Donald Hughes drew the bye.
Round 2 and Team Wood/Cowger were at it again. They had performed one of their patented 30 minute converter changes in between round and improved to a 4.769 to cover Hughes, who had also improved to a 4.858. The "Boxman", livin' up to his rep did have a .024rt advantage. Pigford rolled up against DH, gave him the "move" and drove around on the big end to low et of the event 4.696. Hubbard recorded a 4.842. Nickens was up next and would put the last remaining "Hill Country Boy" on the trailer as his 4.816 ended Crownover's nite. Clint was out first but his 4.903 couldn't hold off "Budman's" top end charge.
Semi's and three cars remain. Pigford draws the bye and sets the stage for a good match up between Cowger and Nickens. Budman left first but had to lift and Rick's 4.873 was good enough to advance him to his second consecutive final of the year.
Final round, Pig in the left lane, Cowger in the right. With the burnouts completed the drivers approach the tree. Pre stage lites are on and Pigford goes in to lite the stage bulb. Cowger appears to be "bumping" in but he is "timed out" by Autostart before he is fully staged sending the defending Champion, Pigford, down for his first victory of the year. Hats off to both of the finalists for a job well done and to all of the Teams, Crews, and families that made the trip.
Our thanks to Hutch, Bobby, Stanley, and the staff of Little River, and to the Central Texas fans that came out for some TPSA action. Next up will be Abilene Dragstrip, April 25th.
Little River -- Mark Bramhall (Happy), 04/ 7/09 7:13pm
Congrats to the "Pigman", and crew. Good Job! I guess you and Larry are showing 'em that us old guys still have in in us. Well, at least you guys are. Congrats also to Rick and crew. You guys are looking good. Wish I could have been there.
***Attn: all TPSA owners, drivers, & crew*** Just got off the phone with Hutch from Little River Dragway and he asked me to post that he wants to"personally thank everyone associated with the TPSA race held last Saturday and I want to make sure each one of them knows how much we appreciated the show, and we look forward to having them back next year!"
Thank you to all the fans that came out, Hutch, Bobby, Stanley, and the entire crew @Little River Dragway...we had a blast. Hope to get a race report put together by tomorrow... -- DH, 04/ 7/09 6:23pm
***TEMPLE (LITTLE RIVER) UPDATE*** -- DH, 04/ 3/09 11:56am
The weather looks perfect for some TPSA action, and Hutch, Bobby, Stanley and the crew say the track will be too! They have a Friday nite program that runs 'till around midnite, but the gates will be open after that. Also, the gates will be open for TPSA members all day Saturday. I plan to be there about 9pm tonite so give me a ring with any questions.
Denton Pictures -- Mitchell, 03/24/09 5:35pm
The guy we had taking some pictures for us Saturday posted a bunch of open stuff at no charge. Some good shots of TPSA cars, including a good hole shot by Joe. You can download any shot by clicking on it. No charge Enjoy
***Race Report from NorthStar Dragway, March 21st***
WINNER & STILL UNDEFEATED IN '09...Larry Pearce
Runner Up...the Cowger/Wood team
The Chiefs of the "Naiser Nation"...
-- ., 03/23/09 4:54pm
The TPSA Troupe rolled into North Star Dragway for the first event in North Texas of the '09 Season. Rich, Nick, and Larry were the first to greet us and and you could already smell the VHT in the air. A quick look at the track was all that was needed to know the "hook" would be there.
The first time trial session would provide the #1 Qualifying time from defending Champ, Joe Pigford with his Reher-Morrison powered, beautifully repainted Grand Am (formerly known as the Green Mamba). The "Pigman" stopped the clocks @ 4.622 151.41. Larry Pearce @ 4.655 150.50, Rick Cowger @ 4.674 148.47, and Richard Otwell @ 4.677 149.20 (all with NRC/Slick Rick under the hood) rounded out the top half. Otwell would begin a barrage of telepathic reaction times with a .410, followed by Pigford's .409, Cowger's .407, Crownover's .401, and DH laid down a .0000! Bill Beck in the Ford just missed the party with a .0008 red.
First round and it's deja vu all over again. 1st pair out is Pigford and Otwell. What would have been another incredibly close race (just like the race @ Evadale) as Pigford posted a 4.641 151.46 to Otwell's 4.637 150.40... but the race had been decided back on the starting line as BOTH drivers had gone red, but Otwell's -.0093 was worse than Pig's -.0023 and Pig would move on. 2nd pair and Clint Crownover would face the Team Mitchell Ford with Bill Beck at the controls. C3 would advance into the semi's with a 4.84 143.91. More on the "Ford Guys" later! 3rd pair featured the Wood/Cowger team against David Hubbard. DH's .007 4.754 147.35 wasn't enough to hold off Cowger's .454 4.658 148.61. The final pair of the round had Larry Pearce facing off with the Talley Camaro driven by Buddy Nickens. This was only the second race out for the Talley/Nickens entry and they continue to improve with a 4.758 144.28 but would fall to points leader Pearce's 4.64 151.31.
Semi's and Pearce drew Pigford. Pig has experienced some intermittent electrical gremlins during the young season and they would bite him again as the trans brake didn't hold, redlighting him, while Pearce ran the low et of the event 4.612 to advance into the final. Mr. Consistency, Crownover would try to stop an all NRC final but even a clutch .411 lite couldn't de-rail the Cowger Express (4.67) run to the final.
It would be an all NRC/Slick Rick powered final for the 2nd race in a row. The "NRC Nation" was out in full force as Pearce and Cowger completed their burnouts and staged. Two very solid rt's...Pearce .420 & Rick .425 and they looked at each other all the way down. The scoreboard lit up and it was Pearce 4.621 151.06 with his 2nd victory of the year. Team Wood/Cowger were right there with a 4.668 148.56. Congrats to these guys and to all of the teams that made the tow.
Thanks again to Rich, Larry, Nick and the staff of North Star for allowing us to be part of their 2009 Season and to the North Texas fans for a great event. The track was flawless and we had a great time.
As promised: More on Team Mitchell and the "Ford Guys":
In this pic are the infamous "Ford Guys" and their families and friends along with some others you'll recognize. They are the only TPSA team that has fans that will drive 800 miles just to be there! Some say it's the food, beverage, and entertainment they provide...at North Star, Spaghetti, Burgers, Hotdogs, something called Eh 2 Fay? and more were on the menu. They tried to give this reporter some of that Eh 2 Fay and I said "you boys ain't from around here, huh? No self respectin' Texas boy would eat something he don't know what is, can't spell, and sure can't pronounce!" Anyway, I understand a rather large time was had by all...it seems that by hittin' the sack around 2 am I was branded a light weight..LOL. See ya'll @ Temple, April 4th.......
North Star -- Mark Bramhall, 03/23/09 6:44pm
Congrats to Larry on, yet another win. Way to go. Also congrats to the Cowgar/Wood team on their runner up finish.
Sorry I missed this one. Especially with it right in my back door. But I had something come up at the last minute.
Looking for a new set of headers, an alternative to the "off the shelf" heavy units, or just want to save some weight? Call Tim @ The Fab Shop. Tim told me I can save around 10#'s per side AND get a custom built header for about the same price as the "off the shelf's" I've been using. Tim builds any header, collector combo you can imagine: stainless (natural or polished) steel (natural, ceramic coated, even black!) merge collectors, straight....you name it he'll build it for your combo. Super nice guy with a ton of knowledge and ez to work with. I hope to have my new FAB SHOPS for Denton. Click on the link or give Tim a call....
Otwell has been secretly training all winter so he could go after that championship that has eluded him so far. He says No More!! -- look out he might go Ninja on ya, 03/18/09 7:58am
TPSA EVADALE -- Naiser's, 03/ 8/09 8:51pm
CONGRATS to Larry Pierce and crew for your win at the season opener !!
And CONGRATS to Richard & Team "O" on your runner up finish !
***Members*** Please check your email. If you didn't receive an email from me click the address below and send me your info. Crewmembers, fans, or non-members are also welcome to contact me via the email below. Thanks...DH -- info@texasprostock.com, 03/15/09 9:44pm
Race Report from the Season Opener @ Evadale, March 7th.... -- ., 03/11/09 12:23pm
The long winter break was over and it was time for some TPSA action. This event would kick off the '09 Season and maybe provide a glimpse as what to expect this year. Nine teams made the tow to the "little track in the woods" and were greeted by warm temps, relatively high humidity, and a head wind of 10-12 steady with gusts to 25mph.
Fred and the crew had the track groomed to perfection and everyone was anxious to see what they could do after some impressive pre-season testing with the mandated C-25 fuel. After two rounds of qualifying, Larry Pearce, with his NRC/Tricky Rick power led the pack with a 4.645 @ 150.45. #2 was defending 2x Champ, Joe Pigford with his R-M power, at 4.657 @ 148.12. Richard Otwell stood @ #3 with a 4.672 @ 149.80. The Cowger/Wood team checked in @ #4 sportin' their new NRC/Tricky Rick combo @ 4.701, 148.76. The crowd favorite, Donny Williams was back with his "Stripteaser" Chevelle but broke a rearend on the starting line in the first session and would not be able to return. This would result in an eight car field for eliminations.
1st round featured some very interesting pairings...a script straight out of Hollywood! The random draw provided high drama right from the get go. The 1st pair rolled under the grandstands and it was last year's record holder, Richard Otwell in Ben Worley's Grand Am. Richard's new Ness GXP isn't ready and Worley made his car available to Team O. It was hard to get used to seeing Richard in the twin to the "Green Mamba"! That's right, Worley bought one of Mike Edwards old rides and it's the spittin' image of Joe Pigford's 2x Champ "Mamba". Anyway, Team O's opponent rolls under the stands and it's the newly painted Grand Am of Pigford. It's painted like his new GXP only "flopped". Joe hopes to have the GXP back in action by the race @ Temple. Back to the race, Pig leaves first by an eyelash but his 4.670, 149.35 would not hold off Team O's 4.668, 149.60! How about a .0011 margin at the stripe...it was a great round to start the action. The 2nd pair up saw Larry Pearce face off with the Rick Cowger/Darryl Wood entry. Larry had been the star of pre season testing posting an unreal 4.59 and Cowger had run a .67 with his new power. At the green Pearce was out first and his 4.671, 150.10 would stop Rick's 4.698, 146.15. #3rd pair and Donald the "Boxman" Hughes would take on the Corvette of Rick and Chad Hanson. This was the first race back for Donald & HR since early last year and Chad would be at the controls of the family 'Vette for the first time in two years. At the hit, Chad got out on the "Boxman" but Donald's 4.820 got by him at the stripe and would move on into the semi's. The final pair pitted David Hubbard in the Cavalier against James Talley's Camaro with Buddy Nickens at the wheel. The fans were treated to another great race with DH gettin' the nod with a 4.787, 147.11 to 4.812, 144.74 for Nickens. Welcome back to the Talley's, and it's great to have Robert and Buddy Nickens join us for some TPSA action.
Semi's and Pearce would continue his march to the finals with a 4.664 lap over Hughes' 4.81. The "Boxman" left first with a .412 but Pearce would roll by for the "W". Otwell would face Hubbard in the other pair. DH carded a .407 but Team O would make it an all NRC/Tricky Rick final when Richard stopped the clocks with a 4.676. Hubbard lost a collector about 350 feet out and slowed to a 4.80 @ 145.91. Probably didn't change the outcome of the race but the shower of sparks gave the fans a good show.
Time for the finals.... could anyone stop the Pearce Express? Larry's parents were in the house watching and he had his race face on. In the other lane, his teammate, Otwell awaited. The 'tree flashed, Pearce was out with a .416 and would not be headed. His 4.676 @ 149.95 closed out the show and ended Otwell's bid for a win. Richard's slip read .443, 4.681 @ 147.93. Congrats to Larry and Richard and to all of the teams for a super entertaining event.
Thanks to Fred and the track crew...the prep was great even after a brief shower and a fairly spectacular tranny failure on the starting line in the left lane. DH was the 2nd car down after the clean up and he said it was just as good if not better than it was before. Our thanks also to the Bruce family, Donna, Nikki, Bill and the entire staff @ Evadale. As always the East Texas fans were out in force and we appreciate your support.
A special thanks to Randy Elliott and his daughter Maggie. Randy's ride wasn't quite ready for this event and he was the "Race Director" for the day as well as the official fuel checker. Maggie handled the TPSA "Cash for Kids" drawing and did a great job.
Next up is Denton on March 21st and hopefully, the Winscott/Conrad, Crownover, Leibham, Abbott, the "Ford Guys", and Elliott teams can join the tour.
-- DH, 03/ 6/09 3:01pm
Parking is available tonite for TPSA members. Gates open Saturday @ noon, TT's start @ 2pm and bracket elims start @ 5pm. See ya in the lanes...
5 Stage Dry Sump -- SFR, 03/ 3/09 3:50pm
Does any one of you TPSAers have a 5 Stage Dry Sump system that you are looking to part with that is in really good to almost new condition? If so i would love to talk to ya about it! Thanks.
Baytown "Stampede". -- Lidiak, 02/26/09 10:22am
Is anybody going to be testing this weekend at the "Stampede" at Baytown? I was going and would like to get some early season pictures. Hope to see some of you guys. New Season, here we go!
Who do you guys use for transmission work? I need to get my powerglide serviced. I have the same basic setup as some of you. Looking for local guy in Houston area. -- Need a good tranny guy!, 02/24/09 10:22am
***End of an Era*** Crane Cams closed the doors today after over 50 years in business. Way back there as a teenager, I bought my first performance cam from them. Word on the street is Holley's hangin' on by a thread and may be next. Sad days indeed... -- DH, 02/24/09 7:26pm
Still waiting:( -- Jim, 02/24/09 8:45am
Sure do miss the guys and the competition.Hope this season is better than ever.Still waiting on my bailout check,even sent Obama a self addressed envelope.lol
TPSA returns to Little River Dragway (Temple) April 4th. Robert "Hutch" Hutchison purchased Little River late last year and has been working on the historic track nonstop. The entire 1/8th mile was ground and polished and the bumps and humps are gone! The picture below shows the track surface shortly after the grinding was complete... before the polishing.
The picture below shows some on track action on 2/14 and you can see the groove settin' up. With events scheduled twice a week, it should be in great shape for our event.
In other news, the official TPSA scales are in and the ramps and bridges are scheduled to arrive mid week. We still need volunteers for scale duty. If you can help or know anyone that would like to get involved please let me know.
Also, the salute to the "top ten" on the homepage has been updated to feature #7 Eddie "the Dude" Conrad. The remaining teams will each be featured so be sure to check the homepage for your favorite...
John Force must be a TPSA fan and read our message board! He's named his 2009 Tour "No Excuses". Shoot, we had that back in '07 but John's welcome to it...LOL. -- ., 02/ 6/09 5:58pm
Yeah, I wrecked my new car, DAMNIT !!! You know there's a saying that goes something like "There's NO FOOL Like an OLD FOOL" and this "OLD FOOL" is feeling the part today. I know it wasn't a good day to be testing and I know that the track had just been ground and didn't have much, if any, new rubber down and etc. etc. etc. but at the end of the day "driver error" caused me to wreck that car. We'll get her fixed and we'll be running both cars as quick as we can but probably not by Mar. 7th.. I'm glad I didn't get hurt and I was lucky the car didn't get hurt any wose than it did but that still doesn't make it taste any better. See you guy's at Evadale. -- PIGMAN, 01/26/09 10:00am
Testing this Weekend? -- Lidiak, 02/ 3/09 11:44pm
Hey guys anybody going testing this weekend? Where and what day. I'd like to get some pic's for some stuff were gonna do later.
'69 Camaro SS for sale -- Polly, 01/31/09 9:38pm
Race ready for Super Gas, Super Street, or Bracket, 1969 Camaro SS Drag Car. This is a beautiful car, brilliant color "Lemon Ice Yellow" a must see. It has won "Best Appearing full Bodied Car", 4 years in a row at IHRA Divisional meets. Competed in "Pinks All Out" wheelie contest. This car is fully loaded with great parts. 2800 lbs, without driver, fiberglass Cowl Hood, fiberglass trunk lid, full cage "certified in 2008", narrowed 9" rearend, 456 Gear, Strange components, 14 x 31 Hoosier Tires, 4 wheel disk Wilwood, fresh 509 BBC, Brodix 2x fully ported, Lunati Crank, Comp Roller, Jesel Rockers and belt drive, Dominator, Alternator, Coated Headers, Aerospace Vacuum Pump, Dedenbear Case 180 straight cut Power Glide, Pro brake, Air Shifter, Dedenbear command center, 2 Optima batteries, much more, to much to list. 5.97 in 1/8th mile, 9.37 in 1/4 mile @ 150mph. $28,000, Firm. Don't let this opportunity pass you by, Contact Polly or Jimmy Pilgram (318) 687-2498 or (318) 422-3229, Shreveport, Louisiana.
If any members of TPSA and crew would like a copy of the banquet pictures please email your mailing address and i will send you a copy randallelliott@sbcglobal.net -- Randy, 01/28/09 6:55pm
Banquet Pictures
As you can see the message board has been updated along with the homepage and gallery pages. For the next few weeks we'll be featuring a salute to the 2008 Top Ten. Check it out on the homepage! -- DH, 01/27/09 2:10am
TPSA welcome at HRP Test -- Will Hanna, 01/26/09 1:59pm
Just letting yall know that TPSA cars are welcome at the Goodridge Spring Stampede Test Session at HRP, Feb. 27-Mar. 1.
A fan sent these pics in from some early '80's TPSA action. How many teams and drivers can you name and for bonus points, name the tracks! -- DH, 01/25/09 9:53pm
Look what our ol' buddy Jeff Benham has been up to! He's been working on this project for a long time...
Jeff's quote "Here is a pic of my new car I just painted. It is House of Kolors Passion Pearl with a Silverwhite Pearl on the inset. I know it is not perfect but I thought I didnt do bad for my first time especially with a cheap a** gun from harbor frieght plus the price was right too. I plan on running IHRA Div 4 Top Sportsman and some local heads up events." Looks good Jeff, and if you need someone to color sand & buff that bad boy call Donald or me. There's a guy in Austin that does great work for a very reasonable price....and he's quick too. -- DH, 01/21/09 1:00am
OH Well... -- GW, 01/23/09 12:16pm
Looks like we will start the season with the old motor combination(565). Can't take the chance the new parts will be here on time,sooo we will freshen up and reassemble the old motor till everything is here for the new.Don't want to miss a single race.
We'll find out if we improve on our '70's with C25 and the old combo. Gary
Originally posted by Ed. "QUESTIONS TO PONDER : (1) WILL NAISER/OTWELL BE FIRST IN THE 50'S ?? WILL IT BE "THE PIGMAN" ?? WILL IT BE PEARCE ?? OR MAYBE A NEW "POWER PLAYA" ?? (2) WILL C-25 SLOW 'EM ALL DOWN TOO MUCH ?? (3) WHAT'S DH REALLY UP TO ?? DON'T BELIEVE HE'S SITTIN' ON HIS HANDS ?? (4) "BOXMAN"S READY TO TEST, MAYBE A SURPRISE IN STORE THERE ?? (5) ROY PIGFORD IN THE FRESHLY PAINTED "GREEN MAMBA" ?? CAN HE STEP UP ?? (6) CAN TALLEY/NICKENS BRING THE HEAT ?? WOULDN'T BET AGAINST IT.(6) CAN 'THE PIGMAN" DUPLICATE DH'S FEAT AND "THREEPETE" ??? SURELY SOMEBODY OUT THERE HAS AN OPINION ON AT LEAST ONE OF THESE "TASTY TOPICS" !!! LET'S HEAR IT FOLKS !!!" -- fly on the wall, 01/21/09 5:40pm
What I herd at the banquet & other bs
The Abbotts are building 2 sets of heads they think will get there. If they get close the kids driving will do the rest.
Conrads driving Winscotts GTO and will have a different combo. Conrads motor in Lebhams car. another 2 car team
Crownovers new business will keep him from changing much. Which car hes in is the question.
Randy Elliott will run his combo harder, et should improve.
Rick Hanson is working on a new engine, will start season with old combo.
Aaron Hubbards work and school hours will keep him out of the picture. David Hubbard said he won't race without Kay. If he does race he'll drive the car that Crownover dont.
Donald Hughes is back and will make up some et on the starting line.
The Ford team of Mitchell & BEck are building more hp and expect to see the ets drop.
Team O, PO or OP, Otwell's the hp king but how many drivers will be in his car this year. Could be the champ if he stays with 1 shoe all year. Pearce is my choice for champ. Driving has improved and has same NRC power with the huge crew that makes NHRA look small. The Wood & Cowger team will improve with Naiser hp but the big deal is if they get the setup & help that goes with it.
Billie Peters is working on updating with some new heads and shortblock mods. Another one that can 00 the tree.
Joe & Roy Pigford will run 2 cars. RM has been looking for more hp to put them at the front. Look for the repeat champ to be tough. Merv Davis rejoins the team as a 2nd crewmember.
The Talley & Nickens team should make some serious hp. Should run near the front and be a factor.
RJ Dorsett is waiting on his TRE engine, and Donny Williams said he'll be back with the chevelle.
Don't know about the 50's with c25. Testing should be coming up and give us a clue. That's all I herd, what about you?
We're working on a special program for Bryan to sponsor during the course of the 2009 TPSA tour and the details will be announced shortly.
For those who may not be familiar with Bryan, he began building race cars in 1984. Widely known primarily for his "Tin Man" Dragster line, he built many championship rides over the years. In 1991 Edmond Richardson won the NHRA Super Comp World Championship in a Tin Man Dragster. In 1992 Scotty Richardson followed his brother and won his own NHRA Super Comp World Championship...also in a Tin Man Dragster. Bryan built winning rides for Steve Dallas, Greg and Jeff Brotherton (of Brodix), and Ricky Hughes to mention a few. Bryan builds a killer door car as well and many competitive doorslammers came from the Tin Man Race Car shop such as the Herzog Brothers Outlaw 10.5 car and Bob Mungles blown truck. Bryan has also restored several cars that were sold at the world famous Barrett-Jackson Auction and his creations have won many car shows around the country. The term "automotive artist" doesn't fit anyone better than Bryan Arriola. The fit, finish, and detail work simply has to be seen to be believed.
His shop is located near Columbus, Texas and is open M-F from 9-5. If you get up that way give Bryan a call @ 979 251-1521. Welcome Bryan, and thanks for choosing the TPSA!
why is everyone so quite. lets here some smack talk. who is going to be the fastest car this year. its to quite on here -- fan, 01/19/09 10:46am
smack talk
Trophy's -- Gary, 01/14/09 9:02am
Individual race plaques or trophies are fine with us.We have been racing in TPSA since 2004,and what we really want is our FIRST WIN.(COMING IN '09)
Sneaking up on it, Gary Winscott
found the results from the very 1st TPSA race -- its come a long way in a short time, 01/14/09 1:29am
TPSA inaugural race -- John Harrison, 08:09:10 09/29/02 Sun [2]
Well, the inaugural TPSA race at Lone Star Raceway in Sealy is in the books. We would like to thank those of you who came to race and those who made the trip to see what we are all about. We had a good show with some quality cars. Would have liked a few more cars for the first race, but the cars that made the trip put on a good showing.
The times ranged between 5.38 and 5.54 for each car's best ET. This made for good, close racing and at least two races were won on hole shots.
The final came down to Danny Liebham and Bucky Allison and was won by Danny with a 5.42. Bucky ran a faster but later 5.38.
We hope this event will display our intent to further heads-up racing in the South Texas area, and show the others with our type cars that they can come and compete with us.
The next event is the weekend ofOctober 26th, and will run in conjunction with the Texas Pro Mod Championship race at Sealy.
Anyone who is interested in racing, watching or our rules is invited to see our web site at www.texasprostocks.com. Don't forget the "s" or you won't find us.
"Congratulations" -- Mark Bramhall (Happy), 01/13/09 3:06pm
Congratulations to "The Pig", Larry and all the other top ten winners. I didn't get to make all the races, but when I was there, I was very impressed. I think all you guys are winners. I miss the driving, but you guys help keep the fire going. I think "DH" and family have done a great job keeping this club going. Keep up the good work! See you at the races. mb
Quiet -- GWW, 06/18/09 8:25am 
God what a dead website !! Are we really this BORING ??? -- PIGMAN, 05/28/09 8:45am 
Happy Mother's Day to all you Mom's out there....
***End of an Era*** Crane Cams closed the doors today after over 50 years in business. Way back there as a teenager, I bought my first performance cam from them. Word on the street is Holley's hangin' on by a thread and may be next. Sad days indeed... -- DH, 02/24/09 7:26pm 
Yeah, I wrecked my new car, DAMNIT !!! You know there's a saying that goes something like "There's NO FOOL Like an OLD FOOL" and this "OLD FOOL" is feeling the part today. I know it wasn't a good day to be testing and I know that the track had just been ground and didn't have much, if any, new rubber down and etc. etc. etc. but at the end of the day "driver error" caused me to wreck that car. We'll get her fixed and we'll be running both cars as quick as we can but probably not by Mar. 7th.. I'm glad I didn't get hurt and I was lucky the car didn't get hurt any wose than it did but that still doesn't make it taste any better. See you guy's at Evadale. -- PIGMAN, 01/26/09 10:00am 
