Rocky Mountain Race Week 2.0 Competitors Get Their Final Chance at a Class Title in Louisiana on Day Five of Raceweek
After three race track dates, the competitors at Rocky Mountain Race Week (RMRW) 2.0 (Raceweek) stayed in Louisiana for a second day of racing action.
After making the trek from State Capitol Raceway in Port Allen to Monroe and Twin City Motorsports Park, participants would get their final chance to stake their claim for a class title. Then, it was merely surviving the trip back to Texas, to check the final box to determine class champions.
Route 66 + drag-and-drive = the ultimate event of 2024? Don’t miss Edelbrock Sick 66, October 10th-18th, 2024. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: Route 66, over 30 checkpoints and 6 different race tracks. Don’t miss your chance - CLICK HERE for more information.
Incoming Unlimited class leader Earl Schexnayder had over a second lead on the rest of the field entering day five, but the overall quickest average of the event was still in question.
Schexnayder would post his only run outside the 7-second range for the week, an 8.13 at just 127 mph, at Twin City Motorsports Park. But the 7.63 average was enough to secure the quickest average in the Unlimited class.
The quickest average of RMRW 2.0 belonged to Eric Kuhn in the Ultimate Radial class, and although his final pass of the week at Twin City was a 7.59, his 7.49925 average wouldn’t only hang on to defeat Brad Thessen, but also claim the quickest average of the event as well.
Multi-time RMRW winner Aaron Shaffer came into day five with a slim lead over Blaine Thiessen, and the ’98 Camaro was looking for 8.5-second performance to solidify the class lead. At the end of the day, Shaffer’s 8.545 was good enough to move his average to 8.5565, better than Thiessen’s 8.59025 and sending them back to Texas.
Walter Doyle is on his way to a second-straight Hot Rod class title, using all 8-second passes and a best-of-the-week 8.56 pass to arrive at a final average of 8.7672. Now he just needs to survive the drive back to Texas to claim the crown.
The twin-turbo ’69 Chevrolet Chevelle of Daryl Yost has owned the top spot in the Pro Street class since the first competition day, and Yost made sure to keep it on day four, posting the best time of the day at 8.79 to calculate a final average of 8.755475 and hold off the ’78 Isuzu of Dustyn Caudle.
Steve Willingham opened his week with a pair of 8.51-second passes in Limited Street, and although he slowed to an 8.69 and an 8.70 in Louisiana, it would be enough to calculate an 8.60575 average. Keith Fenstad clocked his best run of the week at 8.69, moving his final average to an 8.752025 and the second spot.
The small tire Rowdy Radial class has been all Josh Reich this week, and the 2006 Chevy Colorado delivered another 5.7-second pass to result in a 5.7835 average and get him one step to a class win.
The Gasser class ended with Joe Grier’s 1970 Chevrolet pick-up holding the best average, and thanks to his best run of the week on Thursday, it got lowered a little more to a 11.053675.
The lone pick-up in the Stick Shift class, William Hogan was also one of two competitors to run an 8-second pass in the class. Hogan took the class lead after State Capitol Raceway, and the 1996 GMC truck driver kept it with a 9.13 pass and a 9.25095 average. That held off Bill Armstrong and Richard Guido for the class title, if Hogan survives the trip back to Texas for the final day.
The Naturally Aspirated classes would remain in the hands of incoming leaders Robert Voss and Dave Berry, as both used low 10-second passes to secure a 10.149675 average for Voss in Big Block N/A, and a 10.099775 average for Small Block N/A king Berry.
In the Index classes, Jacoby Betts (9.035025 average), Travis Urbach (10.0119 average), Michael Hollis (11.026625 average), Travis Boltman (12.007875 average), and Anthony Watson (14.01315 average) continued to hold their respective class leads, while the 13-Second Index class had Ernie Raile’s 13.078675 average climb into the top spot.
Now the tour will return to Texas and Pine Valley Raceway for the final day to finalize class titles, and replace going for time only with side-by-side action for additional class victories.
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of RMRW – High Speed Media.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com