Raceweek Wrap – Rocky Mountain Race Week 2.0 Crowns Champions in Texas
Spanning two states, four tracks and just over 1100 miles on the road, the fifth edition of Rocky Mountain Race Week (RMRW) 2.0 (Raceweek) came to a close back where it started, Pine Valley Raceway in Lufkin, Texas.
Once four days of racing are completed, and time slips are turned in, competitors are required to make the drive back to the starting track to lock in their averages and positions. On that final day, the event offers up test and tune, grudge racing, three classes of heads-up racing, and a massive bracket race.
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From the first day, the Unlimited class looked to be a battle between Earl Schexnayder and multi-time class champion Jason Hurley. Schexnayder pulled out the early lead via a 7.18 to 8.00 difference on day one, but Hurley answered back at Texas Motorplex with the best run of the week, a 7.06 at 193 mph versus the 7.26 at 197 mph of Schexnayder.
‘The Meltdown Firebird’ of Hurley unfortunately destroyed the transmission before the next track date, ending his week earlier than expected. Schexnayder slowed a bit to a 7.96 at 170 mph at State Capitol Raceway, when he needed a footbrake style second-gear launch.
Twin City Motorsports Park returned an 8.13 at just 127 mph as the fourth stop, giving Schexnayder a 7.63 average and the class win.
Michael Boegler finished second with an 8.97 average from his ’62 Chevy Nova, and Corey Petska’s 9.47 average held off the close 9.49 average from Jon Wischmann for the number three spot.
Ultimate Radial was light on attendance, but had some killer rides with past contestants Danny Allen, Brad Thiessen and Eric Kuhn looking to put down some seven and eight second passes to battle it out.
Unfortunately, Allen’s new Cadillac CTS-V wagon gave him new car blues, and he was out after the first day. By the end of the second day of competition, Kuhn and Thiessen establish themselves as the top two, with Kuhn’s 1955 Chevy in front with both cars making 7-second runs in Texas.
Once they got to Louisiana, Thiessen’s 1970 Chevy Nova slowed into the 8-second range, while Kuhn continued to pound out 7-second passes at State Capitol Raceway and Twin City Motorsports Park. The best of the bunch would be 7.43 at 185 mph, giving Kuhn a 7.499 average for not only the class win, but also the overall quickest average at RMRW 2.0.
This also marked Kuhn’s second class win of the year, as he scored the 275 Tire class win at The Circuit earlier this year. Thiessen’s 8.17 average locked up his second runner-up finish for the year, and Anthony Salazar’s ’80 pick-up averaged out at 9.92 for the third spot.
The Outlaw Street class is based about stock-style rear suspension, and either a 29.5-inch-tall x 10.5-inch-wide and smaller slick tire, or 315 and smaller drag radial.
A trio of cars produced 8-second time slips on the first two track days in Texas, with the 1998 Chevrolet Camaro of Aaron Shaffer doing the best with an average of 8.546 just ahead of Blaine Thiessen’s 8.547.
When the tour made the swing to Louisiana, two things happened: the 8-second unique diesel Chevelle of Rick Fletes dropped out of competition. Shaffer also started to separate himself from Blaine Thiessen, when Shaffer stayed in the 8.5-second range while Blaine Thiessen slowed slightly to an 8.63.
That repeated at Twin City Motorsports Park, when Shaffer clocked a 8.545 compared to Blaine Thiessen’s 8.632, giving Shaffer, a multi-time Limited Street class winner, his first class victory in Outlaw Street. Blaine Thiessen’s 8.59 average scooped up the second spot, and the Monte Carlo of Randy Miller scored the third place spot.
Similar to the Outlaw Street class, Limited Street is all about stock-style rear suspension and a small tire for 8.50 and slower rides. After just falling short of the class top spot at RMRW 1.0 in June, Steve Willingham came into Raceweek with his 1986 Buick Grand National determined to switch second for first.
Willingham turned in a pair of 8.515 time slips at the two Texas tracks, giving him over a two-tenths of-a-second advantage on the field. Willingham slowed to an 8.69 and an 8.70, both at 159 mph, at the third and fourth tracks stops in Louisiana, giving him an 8.60 average and the class title.
The unique turbocharged blow-through Ford Fairmont of Keith Fenstad also put together an all 8-second week, averaging out at 8.75 for the second spot. Although she originally planned to run the 9-Second Index class, Felicia Smith made the switch to Limited Street on day one, and her ‘4 Door Rocket’ Cadillac CTS-V came home with the third spot thanks to a 9.08 average.
The Rowdy Radial class, based around the 26-inch-tall x 8.5-inch-wide tire rule, was all Josh Reich. The 2006 Chevrolet Colorado was the only vehicle to produce 5-second time slips on the eighth-mile standard for the class, but Reich did run into some issues, including shearing all the studs on his right rear wheel at State Capitol Raceway.
But he persevered to finish, and a 5.78 average was enough to earn the title. Chris Patterson scored the second spot with a 7.45 average.
Attrition was the name of the game in Pro Street, as only four competitors survived out of the ten that started the week. The class bases its name around allowing back half modification (for modern 4 link or ladder bars as an example) while keeping the stock front frame and an all-steel body (except hood and trunk lid).
Several rides dipped into the single-digit range, with Daryl Yost’s 1969 Chevelle at the front with an opening day 8.81 at 160 mph run. Steve Farber and Eric Rizner stayed close to Yost with 8-second averages through the first two days, but by the time the tour rolled into Twin City Motorsports Park, the familiar ’78 Isuzu pick-up of Dustyn Caudle had put together a string of low 9-second runs to move into second.
Yost never strayed from the 8-second zone, using a best pass of 8.66 at 162 mph at State Capitol Raceway to result in an 8.75 average and the class title. Caudle’s 9.14 average snagged the second-place spot, and the ’69 Camaro of Justin Hesslen landed third with an average of 9.45.
The Stick Shift class is always a popular one at RMRW, and most would’ve looked at the field and assumed it would be a fight between Richard Guido and ‘Bangshift Billy’ Armstrong. But William Hogan inserted himself in the leader conversation on day one with an 8.87 pass, just behind Guido’s 8.84 lap.
The Pontiac GTO stayed in front until day three, when an off-pace 10.04 from Guido allowed the 9.79 of Hagan to slide around for the top spot by one hundredth of-a-second on the averages.
Hogan finished his mission with a 9.13 pass at Twin City Motorsports Park, locking up the top spot with a 9.25 average. This year’s RMRW 1.0 winner Armstrong slid into the second spot with a 9.36 average from his ’66 Fairlane, and Guido rounded out the top three with a 9.53 average.
The Hot Red class is based around vehicle models between 1928 and 1967, a maximum tire size of 12.5-inches wide, and no wings or wheelie bars. One of the incoming favorites would be Walter Doyle and his 8-second capable ’66 Chevrolet Chevelle, and Doyle opened with a pair of 8.6-second passes at Pine Valley Raceway and Texas Motorplex.
Although he slipped to a 9.24 at 155 mph at State Capitol Raceway, Doyle rebounded with a best-of-the-week 8.56 pass at Twin City Motorsports Park to earn an 8.76 average his second Hot Rod title of the year. Rod Bartholomew’s 1965 Ford Falcon put together a 9.06 average for second, and the 9.14 average from the ’58 Willys wagon of Richard Jones landed third.
For those that enjoy a drag-and-drive without power adders, RMRW offers a pair of Naturally-Aspirated classes, broken into N/A Small Block (engines under 435 cubic inches of displacement) and N/A Big Block (435 cubic inches and larger engines).
The N/A Small Block class had a trio of low 10-second rides vying for the title, but Dave Berry’s 1964 Chevy Nova would do the best of the bunch with a 10.09 average to lock up the title.
Britney Friesen debuted a recently acquired 2017 Camaro at RMRW 2.0, and a final day 10.000 pass helped her average to a 10.19 and the second place spot. Keith Norton’s ’66 Nova is a regular on RMRW, and his best average of the event, a 10.27, earned him his fourth-straight top three finish at RMRW.
The N/A Big Block side of things only had one competitor in the 9-second and 10-second range, and Robert Voss used that advantage to wheel his ’81 Buick Regal to a 10.14 average and the class victory.
Steve Smith put his ’68 Chevrolet Chevelle through the week with an 11.55 average for the second spot, and although we’ve seen it winning burnout contests, the ’94 Dodge van of Nick Latow showed it can hold its own on the drag-and-drive side, carding an 11.70 average for third in N/A Big Block.
The quickest of the Index classes, 9-Second Index, would roll into the final day of competition with the top three spots separated by just .045 of-a-second.
Jacoby Betts and Vince Ruhe had traded the lead back and forth in Texas, and came into Twin City Motorsports Park with Betts in front via a 9.035 to 9.049 average difference. Betts would solidify the top spot with a 9.03 run, while Ruhe slowed a tick to a 9.15 final run.
That gave Betts a 9.035 final average for the class win in his 1973 Chevy Camaro, while Ruhe would settle for second with a 9.076 average. Third would go to Luna Tran with a 9.138 average.
The 10-Second Index had a healthy field of competitors, and five of them produced a run within a tenth of-a-second of the 10.00 threshold on day one. Only two of those five could stay in the 10.0-second range throughout the week, and 2023 winner Travis Urbach would do it the best.
Urbach’s 2000 Camaro put together a trio of 10.01 runs, and a best of 10.003 came at Twin City Motorsports Park to compile a 10.011 average for the class title.
Redhat Scotty turned a DNF from RMRW 1.0 this year into a solid performance at 2.0, as his ’91 Mustang turned out a 10.052 average for the second spot. Jesse Hazlett scored third with a 10.054 average from his 2002 Camaro.
Michael Hollis was one of nine competitors in the 11-Second Index class to clock an 11.10 or better on opening day, but his 11.088 pass was only good enough for sixth.
Hollis would make the right adjustments to clock not one, or two, but three-straight 11.00 pass at the next three tracks to compile an 11.026 average, earning Hollis and his 4-door Malibu the top spot.
Tony Hansen put together an 11.041 average from his 2008 Chevy Silverado for second, and fellow pick-up owner Christopher Powell was close behind in third with an 11.052 average.
The 12-Second Index field would be both the largest field of the event, as well as the closest to the index among the top three finishers, requiring a 12.042 average or better to earn those spots.
Travis Boltman’s 1996 GMC Sierra would be the fourth pick-up truck to score a class title at Raceweek, and Boltman used a pair of 12.00 passes with a pair of 12.01 time slips for a 12.007 average for the first place accolades.
Jason Elee was just 16-thousandths of-a-second behind on his 12.02 average, earning him and his 2013 Camaro the second slot. A 12.042 average put James Desrat and his classic 1972 El Camino in the third spot.
With half the field in the 13-Second Index class being pick-up trucks, some expected at least one to make a top three spot. Ernie Raile started the week with his ’48 Chevrolet at the front of the field, but by the conclusion of day three of competition, Eric Carroll and his 2016 Lexus pulled around to lead by .013 of-a-second heading into Twin City Motorsports Park.
But when Carroll slowed to a 13.15 final pass, Raile took advantage with a 13.07 lap, finishing with a 13.078 average and the class title. A 13.090 average gave Carroll second, while Martin Ranker picked up third with a 13.102 average.
The slowest Index class, 14-Second Index, had the second-largest turnout. Anthony Watson made his argument for the top spot with a 14.005 and a 14.007 from the first two track visits in Texas, putting his 2002 Camaro out front.
Bryan Brown tried to keep it close with a perfect 14.000 on day three, but Watson countered with a 14.024 at State Capitol Raceway, and a 14.015 at Twin City Motorsports Park.
That calculated out at a 14.013 average for Watson, earning him the winner spot. Brown’s Jeep secured second with a 14.090 average, and a 14.10 average from the 2005 Cadillac of Wade Sunderland locked down third
Jason King started the week at the front of the Gasser class in his ’50 Willys Jeep, but that lead would only last until day three. That’s when Joe Grier produced the first of a trio of 10-second runs to become the leader of the class.
His best run, a 10.58 at 126.5 mph at Twin City Motorsports Park, helped to get his average to an 11.05 for the week, getting Grier the class hardware. King’s 11.89 average landed second, and Steven Narx’s 1970 MG Midget rounded out the top three.
The Motorcycle class staged up the Suzuki Hayabusa of Chris Baker and Pat Cook for the title, and both motorcycles delivered 10-second runs on day one.
Baker made a move on days two and three, dipping into the 9-second zone with a 9.15 at Texas Motorplex and a 9.13 at State Capitol Raceway. Even though he slowed to a 10.86 on the final stop in Louisiana at Twin City Motorsports Park, Baker’s 9.86 average would be enough for the top spot, redemption for dropping out of RMRW 1.0 after day one this year. Cook’s 10.70 average grabbed the runner-up spot in class.
The Junior Street class had Lydia Walden leading the entire week with her 1986 Mustang, and it was also the most consistent car, clocking 9.2-second runs at each track stop.
Returning to Pine Valley Raceway, the four participants in Junior Street were matched up in a handicap dial-in format to determine the finalists, and it would be Walden versus the Ford pick-up truck of Isabella Holt in the title match. The pick-up truck went first on the dial-in difference, but Walden caught Holt before the finish line for the class win.
The final day of Motion Raceworks Raceweek Presented by Sick the Magazine brings some unique twists for the final day of competition, as well as four classes of heads-up and bracket racing action, and that awaited the souls that made it back to the start of their week-long journey. Heads-up competition was run on a pro-tree, and no times would be shown; only a win light would designate a winner in each pair.
The quickest eights rides on the property comprise the Fast As F*** 8 class, and round one started with Earl Schexnayder taking out Hot Rod class winner Walter Doyle. Steve Willingham’s Grand National took the measure of tire spin from Brad Thiessen’s Nova, Eric Kuhn dismissed Outlaw Street champ Aaron Shaffer, and Blaine Thiessen defeated Daryl Yost.
The first semifinal round pairing would be Kuhn versus Willingham, and it was a wire-to-wire win for Kuhn. Blaine Thiessen faced Schexnayder in the other pair of the round, and the Isuzu pick-up of Thiessen was out first while Schexnayder spun the tires. But Schexnayder recovered in time to edge out the pick-up by about a car length at the finish fine.
The two quickest cars on the property, Schexnayder and Kuhn would face each other for the FAF8 title, and Kuhn took the starting line lead and never looked back to sweep the top three prizes (overall quickest average, class winner, and FAF8 winner).
The second-quickest eight rides in RMRW is the Bad Mother F****** 8 class, and those eight rides saw the first pair out become a single for Jacoby Betts. Richard Jones faced Michael Boegler in the next match-up, with Boegler’s Nova getting a close win over the Willys of Jones.
Richard Guido would stage the Cadillac of Felicia Smith, and the CTS-V notched a multi-car length victory. Keith Fenstad and Luna Tran were the final match of round one, and an interesting pairing where both cars experienced problems had Fenstad getting the win.
The final four pitted Betts opposite Smith, and the all-orange car pairing had Betts earning the win. Fenstad would battle Boegler for the other final round spot, and the ‘Jack Wagon’ Nova of Boegler got the win light.
So a pair of classic Chevrolets would stage in the final, and the 9-second class winner Betts would get the final win light in the BMF8 class.
The Quick 16 class would be the final group of the top 32 quickest rides, and in round two, eight rides remained. Vince Ruhe’s ’62 Nova got a win over Corey Petska, Josh Reich took out David Black, Dustyn Caudle took the measure of Chris Atkinson’s Caddy wagon, and Chris Baker kept his bike in front of Michael Austin’s Corvette.
With four competitors remaining in round three, Reich lined up with Baker’s Hayabusa in the first semifinal pairing. Reich’s Colorado spun, giving the bike the early lead, but Reich caught him in time for the win light and a final round berth. Ruhe face Caudle for the other final round spot, and the Chevy Luv pick-up left the starting line just a tick too soon for a red light start.
Ruhe staged opposite Reich for the final win light of the Quick 16 class, and at the green light, Reich was out first. Ruhe’s Nova came around in the middle of the track, but the Colorado would edge back around at the stripe for a razor-thin win.
The bracket class would take five win lights to make it to the final round, and it would be an all-Chevrolet Camaro battle. 12-Second Index class competitors Jason Elee and Cesar Campos would stage opposite each other for the title, and a close double-break out result found the 2010 model Camaro of Campos edging out the 2013 model of Elee by a scant three thousandths of-a-second.
1320 Video and BANGShift covered the event as well; check out the final day below:
Written by Derek Putnam. Media courtesy of 1320 Video, RMRW – High Speed Media and BANGShift.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com