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Oxford,
PA H&J Motorsports Warehouse and
Nickerson Performance combined together to sponsor the “Super Sunday
Shootout” which included other local racing organizations to put together
one spectacular day of racing at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading
Pennsylvania! Coming off the rainout at Beaver Springs created a bit of
apprehension going in knowing twice as much work lay ahead to get it all
done. The return to Maple Grove Raceway was just what the doctor ordered.
Pleasant weather and equally pleasant staff made racing at “The Grove” an
exciting mid-season spectacular.
 The N/A Shootout racers kept
the fans on the edge of their seats as the 49-car field of Purnell Body
Shop’s AMI came to the line. With a majority of the racers campaigning in
the 9.50 and 10.0 index, it was hard to tell this was not a heads up
racing class. AMI would crown a new top qualifier with Jeff Reynolds
setting the bar with a 10.000 in his ’70 LeMans followed by Marc McCloud’s
9.504, and a 9.507 by Frank Peacock. To round out the top four would be
Jeff Hughes in his ’80 Mustang with 10.008. That’s some
 tight racing
folks! It would be the number 16 qualifier Steve Romeo that would conquer
the giant field with his gorgeous Yenko shrouded Chevelle as he fought his
way round by round to finally take out Mark Plucinski in the final by a
.002 margin. Super close racing all day is what makes and keep this class
so exciting.
AMI qualifying
Run sheet 1
Run sheet 2
Run sheet 3
 RAM Racing’s Drag Radial class fell a little
short when 5 cars arrived to the lanes for the start of
qualifying with unfortunately, 4 would be left to survive for
eliminations. Ron Rhodes would enter eliminations in number one spot
followed by Jeff Kinsler with only .004 separating the two, Rhodes 9.206
to Kinslers 9.210. Eliminations would start with the Chevelle of Tony
Manizza making his way past Joe Boywitt’s Pinto with a 10.14 over Joe’s
10.83, leaving a pair of bye runs for Jeff Kinsler and Ron Rhodes. Both
would make
 impressive 9.20 passes that woke up the crowd as Drag Radial
would move on to the next round where Ron Rhodes would get by Manizza
leaving Kinsler and Rhodes to battle it out in the finals. Rhodes’ Camaro
would come out on top as he takes the stripe with a 9.201 to Kinsler’s
Firebird’s 9.258.
 G-Force 10.5 always packs the lanes with top
names from all over the heads up world. Maple Grove would be no different,
and the qualifying would prove that these guys meant business. Class
sponsor Leonard Long would finally get by Charlie Booze for the top
qualifying position, a Mustang vs. Mustang battle every event. Long’s
8.735 was followed by Booze’s 8.757 along with John Langer, Bob Hanlon and
Larry Rhodes’ finishing in the 8.80s after 3 rounds of qualifying.
Intense eliminations would take out Jay
Schonberger’s beautiful T-Type as the battle of the small block would come
out with Larry Rhode’s as victor. The return of Henry Jackson driving Rick
Meredith’s ’67 Chevelle would show potential running a strong 8.80 as they
put Brian Morrison on the trailer first round. Andrews would chase John
Langer, a 9.25 to Langer’s 8.98. The Mopar of Adam Smith would also fall
victim to Bangin’ Bob Hanlon. Ann Erb and Andre McCamey would not make the
call first round to allow Booze and Long to advance. Final round pairing
would end up being Leonard Long versus Charlie Booze in another familiar
pairing of this 12-car field. Booze would get the win on a holeshot and
further his points lead with a final 8.77 to a losing 8.73 of Long.
 Liberty’s Gears PRO N/A, being the baddest of
the bad, would see 6 of the fastest all motor cars in the area as the
Martino powered former Jim Yates Pro Stock of Jack Gaydosh would top the
qualifying field with an impressive 7.135 as followers Lonnie Johnson
7.227 and Randy Harshman’s 7.595 would make up the top half of the field.
First round of eliminations would take the smallest motor in the field out
as a 7.66 from Tom Miller’s S10 truck would get squeezed out by a 7.63
from Randy Harshman’s Corvette. The brutal force of Richard Scioscia’s
overweight ‘Cuda would be thwarted by Lonnie Johnson’s former Mopar Pro
Stocker 7.842 to LJ’s super fast 7.344. The final pairing for first round
would allow Jack Gaydosh to ease it on down the road when Brian Conrey
would fail to make first round with a broken Chevy Barretta. Second round
Johnson would give up his chances of advancing when he red lights to
Harshman, and Gaydosh getting a competition bye to the finals would make
up the final pairing of the day but unfortunately Harshman’s ‘Vette would
not start as they rolled in and gave way to an easy day for Jack Gaydosh
to take home with winnings in PRO N/A.
PRO N/A qualifying
Run sheets
We would also like to congratulate the
winners of Ralph’s Towing “Best Light of the Day Award” which went to
George Walleigh for the index side and Jack Gaydosh for the Heads-Up part
of the program. Congrats also go out to Henry Jackson, the winner of the
Rocket Brand Race Fuels wheelstand of the event! A giant thanks to the
N/A Shootout staff and all of the sponsors that made this event one of the
best all season.
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