who went to world ford challenge 5?
 

just wondering if anyone from here went to St, Louis this past weekend for the world ford challenge.

if you didnt go you really didnt miss much, EVERYTHING started WAYYYYYYYY late(thanks to the wonderful midwestern weather!!!!), nothing happend friday at all(rain), saturday cars were running from approx. 9am to 1am, then on sunday eliminations were to have started at 12pm but they didnt get underway til almost 1:15pm. needless to say it felt great to be there and se alot of familiar faces and fast cars/trucks, but it wasnt anything to write home about.

for those of you that did go, did you see this guy on sunday?

The weather did suck on Friday, but I have to disagree on the racing part. There was some awesome racing! I think everyone who didnt go missed alot!

Lee Howie running 8.30's@170+ in a car that he drove 30 miles the day before was truely awesome!

Mike Smith, Dan Millen, and Bob Glidden all had excellent weekends in Pro Street Outlaw.

Don Walsh Jr. ran in the 6.80's in Pro-Mod 5.0.

In Real Street, Mike Wesley had a good weekend. As well as Bruce Hemminger who set the record with a 10.18!

I didnt see much of the Hot Street or Renegade guys. Though we were pitted next to Syd Wilcox.

The Pure Street action was pretty good too! Ron Anderson, Gene Hindman, and Duane Barbaree were all fun to watch!

I didnt watch the Lighting classes, diesel classes, or any of the bracket racers.

andy

i didnt go, but i have seen Lee Howie's car in person! i have it on video tape and on my computer! he came to Rochester International Raceway last year. WOW! talk about a SLEEPER! that car is VERY quiet!

dont get me wrong, i agree with the racing part. i mean seeing Bob Glidden run a 7.70@180 on a 10" tire nitrous car was completely mind blowing, seeing Pande Tavleski turn the car 90 degrees twice and still manage to keep it off the wall, abd to see Dan Millen come there with a completely brand spankin new car, only make 1 good pass in qualifying, and then go on to win the race, it couldnt've been better.

the only real complaint i had as far as "nothing to write home about" i was there with my car club and we had 8 cars racing there, and the problem was the way the racing was being handled. for the cars we had running in the mod motor class, they didnt get their first round qualifier until 4:45pm sat afternoon, second round was at almost 8pm, and 3rd round was at 12:15am, and that was just the mod motor class. now if you get into sunday, i dont know if you caught the way they were stalling because they couldnt keep things running smoothly. now i urderstand the weather played a big part in the whole ordeal but these guys have been doing this for several years, and they also have several people working for them that formerly worked for NHRA , instead of calling just 1 class at a time what they should have been was calling at 2 or 3 classes at a time. this way they could have still run the race in a timely manner and not had to try to rush things so much sat and sun. if you think about it, they were still in the middle of 2nd round of Hot Street at 6:15 sundayand they still had to finish the rest of the race, and there were many people(such as myself, and i'm also assuming you as well) that still had to drive home "and" be at work on monday morning.

now dont get me wrong i still had a great weekend watching the BADDEST CARS ON THE PLANET and had fun as well, i just think that they could have done a better job for the fans and racers as well. but who knows, maybe its just me.

not "trying" to *****, just my $.02

I agree! The weather did get things started later, but the people running things sure did take their time. There was alot of down time that could have been avoided. The racers themselves were great! The racing organization left alot to be desired though.

I couldnt even stay for the finals Sunday night :( I left about 9:30 and barely made it home at that.

andy

I attended, running in Wild Street. Although I agree that the weather on Friday left much to be desired, I do think that George Gonzales and his staff put together another amazing event. It is quite a feat to organize an event of this magnitude and to oversee that it operates smoothly. I have attended the World Ford Challenge for the last 4 years, and am amazed at its growing success each year. The World Race Events team has organized a remarkable event and I can't wait for next year's to roll around!!!

Erica Lugo

I live about 10 miles from the track but I had to work all weekend. I was out there Wednesday night for test and tune and saw Bob Glidden, alot of cars were there already. Don't know who it was, but saw a 6.77 run. there was a tailwind.

I was there. I l;oved it. I had never been to a WFC before, only to a few NMRA events and the local track. Gotta love those Pro 50 cars huh. Erica's car aint to bad either hehe. I enjoyed watching hte slower cars that were there than watching all the Pro cars though. I guess since these cars are closer to what my car is it makes it more interesting.

Brad

I enjoyed the racing, as well. The Wild Street is what I've been trying to get my car ready for. The Diesel, Open Comp classes and trucks usually get me out the Manufacturers Midway. To my disappoint, that sucked this year. Weld Racing didn't bring ANY four lug Draglites!!! WTF is that? The intelligent answer from employee was, and I quote, "That's not my job"! I liked that. I was looking for a Vortech, didn't see any. That's O.K....I'm sticking with the spray and getting bigger. See you all next year. I sure wish they'd bring that back up north to Joliet. Much nicer than the 4 hour ride from Chi-town area..

Yeah I went by the weld place to price some wheels. I didnt wanna give what he wanted so I bought the only used set of Draglites I could find. I was needing 5 lug and the only set that I found I bought. They were sitting underthe tent with the hoods as you entered the grandstands on the pit side. They had tires mounted on them saturday and sunday they didnt so I bought em. Are they gonan have the street machine nats in Joliet this year???? Its been a few years since Ive been, when they moved it from DuQuion I havent been since, I'd like to go back it, it always was a fun show.

Brad

I'll check on the Street Nats. As far as the wheels, in the July MM&FF I found a company's ad in the back that has all the Weld cheaper than any show and the deliver is only $1.50 per rim!!! $500.00 to my door. That beat the show, because now I don't have to lug them 400 miles or whatever. I'm glad that jass didn't bring any. If they're not smart enough to bring their "best selling" product to the Super Bowl of Ford drag racing, they're not good enough for my $$$. I'd rather sit in the stands and drool over sweet turbo fox bodied coupes.....

I DIDNT GET TO GO *SOB* I had to work even though I requested off for that saturday and sunday 4 weeks in advance!!!!! GGrrrrr:mad:

I heard that it wasnt very good and they tried to cram everything into two days but still I wanted to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

man, you aint lying!!!!!!!!!!!!! when it was here in '99 it only took me 1/2 hr to get there. the ride there wasnt that bad this year(only took 3 hrs, 95-10 the whole way there, SHHHHHHH!). the 1 big thing i really miss i there arent as many Pro 5.0 cars anymore. if memory serves me, in 2000 im pretty sure that there was like 30 pro 50 cars and now theres only a handful. but in retrospect i love seein all the SSO cars. you cant beat 7.70-7.90's on a 10.5" tire. who knows they still have 2 more years under contract with Gateway for the race, so hopefully it comes back to Joliet i 2005.

btw,for those that maybe wondering, the guy in the wig in the pic i attached, that would be me. i was also told that it will be in both MM&FF and 5.0 magazines. i figured i had to get in a magazine somehow and i figured why not wear the wig on the starting line during eliinations! (alcohol makes you do many weird things!)