As the SuperCar Shootout Racers coverage at Atco Dragway for what the schedule makers planned as the final race weekend the weather gods made it the last race. The Fall Finale fills the Atco pits with 18 classic and quick musclecars. Among that group are three new cars all with drivers you've seen in other cars this season. The sinister black 1968 Chevy II brought out by Ted Daros is notable because of the absence of his brutal green 69 Nova SS. Thomas Rightler is back and again with a ,1970 Chevelle SS454 only this time it's a hardtop and an Automatic. Finally Tom Cannon brought a pure stock 1970 Duster 340 4 speed.
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On the last race of the year the championship is still open to three racers and cars. The Atwood's GTX enters the last race up by 2 over Ralph Barbagallo's AAR 'Cuda and 3 over the 68 Road Runner of Bill DiCicco. But due to family plans Atwood isn't able to be at the last race so another former SuperCar champion is drafted to take the driver's seat. Tom Tarzwell will have the pressure of driving an unfamiliar car to either sin the championship or lose it.
Morning qualifying finds all three championship contenders making the Quick 8 with the Atwood GTX and the Barbagallo AAR gaining 25 points each and DiCicco getting 26. At the top looking down at the feild though is Bryan Doyle piloting his 1971 440/6 four speed Challenger R/T. The rest of the Quick 8 consist of Rhett Moody's 68 Barracuda, Kevin Josie's 71 340 'Cuda, Anthony Mauro's 67 Firebird 400 and Ray Garrison's 440 four speed 69 GTX.
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There are no slouches in the Second 8 either as every one qualifed posted times better than 14.00. With even our match race cars being quick and closely matched.
The first round of match races between Danielle Doyle and Dave Engstrand goes to the 1979 Mustang Cobra of Danielle as she shifted her Ford to a qualifying bettering 13.6 to Dave's 14.3. Round two finds Dave's Challenger equalling his time from round one and Danielle slowing slightly to 14.1 but going up 2 nil. The final round went the same as the first two giving the Cobra of Doyle the sweep win.
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The first round of the Second 8 pair up in the staging lanes and head to the tree with the firsts up being the 68 Firebird of Dave Marquis and the 70 Chevelle SS of Thomas Rightler. Thomas and his Chevy show a lot of potential but Marquis comes in with all the experience getting the most from his Pontiac posting a 12.78 to the Chevrolet's close but losing 12.95.
When it comes to experience few have more than Tom Cannon. Tom passed on bringing his 11.3 running T/A Challenger and instead brought his pure stock 340 Duster. Facing the A body will be the 72 Charger of Adam Witkowski. Adams Dodge wraps a similar 340 in a heavier B body and at the finish line it's the lighter Duster with the win, 12.99 to 13.91.
John Kiger staged up his small block Ford against the 63 Impala of Dom D'Alonzo. Dom dropped the clutch behind his 327 and watched the Ford streak away while listening to tire squeal.
Ted Daros' 68 Chevy II had problems during qualifying and gifted Jack Anderson and his Pontiac 2+2 a bye run. Jack not looking a free pass down track in the mouth used all the air his Tri-Power could swallow running a 13.95.
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The Second 8 consolation begins with a matchup of Adam Witkowski in his 72 340 Charger and the 454 Chevelle of Thomas Rightler. Adams Charger runs very well but the small block is just outmatched by the rat motored Chevy losing 12.97 to 13.85.
Dom D'Alonzo gets the bye to the finals but shows Rightler that he's not going to be a pushover by going 13.11.
The Rightler Chevelle did exactly what D'Alonzo needed slowing to a 13.17 and the Impala returned the favor by doing what Rightler wanted by also slowing to a 13.41 giving the win to Thomas.
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Battling for the Second 8 trophy begins with the Duster of Tom Cannon and the Firebird of Dave Marquis. Dave is favored by previous times and a by being a Stock Appearing car going up against the Pure stock Plymouth. Dave's Indian continues it's win streak going back three races recording a 12.83 to Tom's slower 14 second run.
Jack Anderson brings his large Pontiac to the stripe to face the Ford of John Kiger. The 2+2 makes bobs of power but the extra weight it carries cost it against the much smaller Ford with John going 13.17 to Jack's 13.95.
The Second 8 Finals brings the convertible Pontiac of Dave Marquis to face the Windsor powered racer of John Kiger. Johns been fast thru the traps all day but hasn't gotten to grips with the tires yet. Dave is always on his game, especially this season again running in the 12's this time with a .89 while Kiger put up a closing but losing 13.39 giving Dave yet another win.
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The Quick 8 and the SuperCar Shootout season championship will be decided in the next three rounds. Atwood up 2 over Barbagallo and DiCicco but is using a driver unfamiliar with the GTX. To add more to the drama Ralph Barbagallo's AAR 'Cuda is done for the day with transmission issues in his 4 speed essentially making it a two car race.
First up is too qualifier Bryan Doyle in the B7 R/T Challenger and the light green Plymouth of Bill DiCicco. DiCicco needs to win this round to stay in the championship hunt. Posting a RT of .015 and an ET of 11.95 he gave it all his Plymouth had but it wasn't enough as Doyle's Dodge streaked to an 11.29, a personal best and into the second round. This round gives the season championship to Team Atwood!
Kevin Josey pulls up to the tree with a bye run granted by the ailing 'Cuda of Barbagallo, Kevin goes hard running a 12.31
Tom Tarzwell pulls the newly crowned champion GTX into the prestage beam next to the 67 Firebird 400 of Anthony Mauro. Anthony continues to improve going a new personal best of 12.22 while in the other lane the GTX failed to turn on the stage beams sending Anthony into round two.
Rhett Moody and Ray Garrison pull their respective Plymouths to the tree to finish round one. Both cars have trapped in the 116's today so it could go either way. Getting out first wiil be the deciding factor and few get out ahead of Moody. They're Barracuda leads the way to the stripe winning with an 11.95 the GTX just a couple tenths behind.
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To start the Quick 8 consolation DiCicco runs an 11.91 in the bye gotten from the broken Barbagallo Plymouth.
To meet the Road Runner in the finals Ray Garrison takes on Tom Tarzwell driving the Atwood GTX. Tom is quickly getting the handle on the 6 Bbl Plymouth running a respectable 11.33 outdistancing the 69 GTX of Garrison by a full second.
In the Quick 8 consolation finals Tarzwell slows slightly to an 11.66 not nearly enough for the 11.99 of DiCicco to have a hope. Winner Tarzwell
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The two E bodies of Bryan Doyle and Kevin Josey are next to break the staging beams. Both cars have been getting quicker each round but Bryan's a whole bunch ahead coming in. At the big end of the track Doyle's 71 set a new personal best with an 12.27 and though Josey cut a .007 light his 12.27 ET was just going to come up short.
Rhett Moody and Anthony Mauro pull in next and both went out and set personal bests. Anthony dropping his best to a 12.17 while Moody responded with a best of 11.80.
In the final pair of 2019 the two B7 Mopars of Rhett Moody and Bryan Doyle pull to the line. Both the 440/6 of Doyle and the 340 of Moody are running their absolute best and both ran within hundreths of their respective bests. But while Moodys was11.83 Doyle's was 11.36 letting Bryan finish the season with back to back wins.
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