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2006 POCI Drag Day
June 30thBoy was it hot...I mean really hot! The temperature was over 100 degrees, a good 15 degrees hotter than normal. It was downright miserable but..that did not run away the Pontiac racers or fans.
The 2006 POCI Drag Day, Gettin' Your Kicks In 2006 was the biggest POCI drag day yet! When all was said and done, 107 racers competed for nearly $15,000 in Cash, Trophies and Prizes. This was all witness by nearly 400 Pontiac loyalists. A tremendous turn-out of Pontiyakers!
The gates to the Auto Club Dragway at California Speedway opened at 7 AM and it was near 5 PM by the time all of the cash, trophies and sponsor gift certificates were awarded.
Racers competed in six brackets; three (3) money brackets and three (3) trophy brackets.
Money Brackets
The Super Chief bracket was a Quick 8 program. Ron Weems of Riverside, CA was the number one qualifier with a 7.380 ET at 192.06 MPH. AllPontiac.com's Frank Gostyla was number two qualifier at 8.064 at 170.41 MPH. Remarkably for a West Coast Pontiac drag day, eleven (11) Pontiacs qualified quicker than 10 seconds.
Longtime bracket racer Richard McFarland took the win over Jack Gaydosh. McFarland ran a 9.301 ET on a 9.18 dail while Jack ran a 8.245 ET on 8.18 dail. The win for McFarland came at the tree. McFarland cut a .027 light to Gaydosh's slower .361 light. Bill Takanabe and Chris New were Semi-Finalists. In addition to a modest cash purse, AllPontiac.com awarded certificates of $1000 for 1st Place, $500 for 2nd Place and $350 for Semi-Finalist position. Kaufman Racing Equipment awarded certificates of $150 for 1st Place and $100 for 2nd Place.
In the Chief bracket it was an all Arizona final. Mark Pelkey took the win when good buddy Tim Corcoran turned on the Red Light. Robert Johnson rounded out the field as Semi-Finalist. Once again, AllPontiac.com awarded certificates of $1000 for 1st Place, $500 for 2nd Place and $350 for Semi-Finalist position. Kaufman Racing Equipment awarded certificates of $150 for 1st Place and $100 for 2nd Place. Butler Performance awarded a $200 certificate to the winner and $100 certificate to the runner up.
In the Warrior bracket the win went to Ron Hildreth over Ray Baumgardner. Recovering from two heart surgeries, this was Hildreth's first time back racing. What a way to come back. It was a close race with Baumgardner giving Hildreth the the stripe. Hildreth had his worse light of the day at .299. With Baumgardner dialing soft he was way ahead and fearing a breakout dumped it as he approach the stripe with Hildreth taking the stripe and the win. Don Lutz was the Semi-Finalist. AllPontiac.com again awarded certificates of $1000 for 1st Place, $500 for 2nd Place and $350 for Semi-Finalist position. Kaufman Racing Equipment awarded certificates of $150 for 1st Place and $100 for 2nd Place. Butler Performance awarded a $250 certificate to the winner and $100 certificate to the runner up.
Trophy Brackets
Don Lutz bettered his chances of winning by competing in multiple brackets. It paid off for Lutz with a win in the Stock bracket over Ed Drucker. It was a very close race from the start with Lutz cutting a .024 light to Drucker's .099 light. Drucker could not run his number and Lutz took the win with a 13.399 on a 13.37 dial. Lynn Facer and Michael Curran were Semi-Finalists. Year One awarded certificates of $200 for 1st Place, $100 for 2nd Place and $50 for Semi-Finalist position. Kaufman Racing Equipment awarded certificates of $150 for 1st Place and $100 for 2nd Place.In the FWD class it was Keith Edelen over Dick Yaeger in the batter of Grand Prix GTPs. Edelen dialed a 13.10, cut a .426 light and ran a 13.254 ET to Yeager's 13.619 ET on a 13.52 dial. Hard to believe but Yaeger snoozed more at the light than Edelen. Danny Brown and Chris Allodoli were the Semi-Finalists. These Grand Prix guys know how to have fun! SLP awarded a $200 certificate for 1st Place and a $100 certificate for 2nd.
Arcadio Vasquez came to play in the TOW bracket. There was no one else at the dance so Arcadio took and easy win.
Racer Rewards & Fan Appreciation
You did not need to be a bracket winner...or even a racer to go home with a prize. With each paid admission, an entry into the Fan Appreciation drawing. As the race day drew to a close the Fan Appreciation drawing took place. Certificates from Year One, SLP, Pacific Performance Racing, and Butler Performance were awarded to lucky race fans.Next up was the Racer Rewards drawing. Each POCI Drag Day participant was entered to win any one of the prizes and certificates provided by Hubbes Performance, RSB Motorsports, Tin Indian Performance, Butler Performance, Ram Air Restoration Enterprises, Stelka Built, and Pacific Performance Racing. Many a racer went home rewarded.
Jim Wangers...Still Running at 80!
As part of the opening ceremonies prior to the launch of our race day both fans and racers were treated to a special exhibition. In honor of Jim Wangers' 80th birthday, Bobby Knudsen brought out the original 1961 ROYAL "Hot Chief" race car that Jim Wangers drove for Royal Pontiac. This "Hot Chief" has been restored to its original splendor and sports the 389 Super Duty engine package with dual 4-barrel carburetors. With Bobby Knudsen riding shotgun, Jim Wangers climbed behind the wheel, fired up the ole racer like it was only yesterday and staged the car for some great photo opportunities. Finally when one could stand no more shutter bugs, Dave Anderson dropped the flag and Wangers launched to ROYAL race car, a little gentler than back in 1961, but he took this "Hot Chief" for a nice run through the gears.Next Year...
If you missed the 2006 POCI Drag Day there will be another one coming at the 2007 POCI Convention in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Event T-Shirts
A limited number of event t-shirts are still available for purchase. This 10-color art is screened on the back of a high quality heavy weight cotton t-shirt. Available in sizes 2XL, 3XL & 4XL for $15 plus shipping.
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T-Shirt Size |
POCI Drags T-Shirt - $15 plus S&H