Stites Imposes Cavalier Rule on MMP

(Aug. 7, 2007) -- "Stone Cold" Steve Stites of Faulkner, Mississippi's claims to fame are an eye that doesn't work, four Chevy Cavaliers and a huge list of race wins.  Impossibly slow by today's standards of the Comp Cams/TCI Racer Appreciation Series, Stites's  Cavalier won two of three days' racing in a thoroughly dominating performance.  To rub it in a bit more, Stites drove himself to the race from Mississippi in the winning race car.

Stites typically dials an 1/8 mile of 10.80-something, getting head starts of three or four seconds.  On Friday, he used consistent ET's and other-worldly reaction times  to move through the field and meet fellow Footbrake hitter Adam Davis of Cullman in the finals.  Stites and Davis both notched .036 reaction times....Stites ran a 10.889 on his 10. 87 dial at 63.34 miles per hour.  Davis ran a breakout 6.492 on a 6.50 dial at 100.31 miles per hour. Lucas Bendall was the lone semi-finalist.

In the Saturday Footbrake competition, Stites went out at five cars and Adam Davis found himself in the finals against "Bad" Brad Ford of Gardendale.  When the dust cleared, Ford forced Adam into another runner-up check with a 6.422 run on his 6.42 dial at 104.13 miles per hour and a .032 reaction time.  Davis dialed a 6.55 and ran a 6.562 at 103.21 miles per hour.  Columbia, Mississippi racer James Brewer was the lone semi-finalist.

On Sunday, Stites showed up ready to rumble.  When it was down to three cars, Steve  had two of those three entries.  In the semis, he faced James Brewer.  Stites punched an .021 reaction time and ran a 10.909 on his 10.89 dial at 62.14 miles per hour.  Brewer gave Stites too much room and ran a 6.468 at 106.57 with a .013 reaction time, giving Stites the win and ending the contest a round early.  Stites posed happily with his winner and runner-up checks, then heaved them in the back seat of his Cavalier and headed back to Mississippi like the cowboy hero who rode into town, tamed it, and rode off into the sunset.

In the Super Pro wars, a field of over 120 cars each day made life exciting.  On Friday, heavy hitter Jason Folk of Bradenton, Florida won a duel with hometown hero Kevin Pruett of Millbrook in the Pro final.  Folk's .007 reaction time was matched by a 4.85 second run on his 4.82 dial at 131.98 miles per hour.  Pruett's Chevy wagon ran a 5.939 on a 5.88 dial at 116.74 miles per hour with a .012 reaction time.  Mike Smith of Roanoke, AL was the lone semi-finalist.

Saturday's Racers Appreciation Event was run in conjunction with a Comp Cams/TCI Heads Up Series.  In the Pro class on Saturday, Lucedale, Mississippi racer Gene Tanner was the last man standing after a final-round battle with Mobile, AL racer James Perry.  Tanner had a .038 reaction time and a 5.941 on his 5.95 dial  at 113.39 mph but won when Perry turned on the red lights.  He ended with a 5.037 breakout on his 5.04 dial at 136.92 mph.  Cottondale, AL racer Richard Larrimore was the semi-finalist.

The heat Sunday was perhaps even more brutal and racing began early to give contestants a break.   Tony Banks of Titusville, Florida turned his first MMP event into a win Sunday as he edged Sparta, Tennessee racer Larry Ericksmoen in the finals.  Tony notched an .015 light and a 5.009 on his 4.99 dial at 139.55 miles per hour. Ericksmoen's .038 reaction time sealed his fate as he too had dialed 4.99 and ran a 5.002 at 139.83 mph.

The Saturday heads-up classes had their own drama.  The 4.70 final was an all '73 Vette affair with Danny McGee of Bessemer, AL taking down Randy "Rat" Alexander of Huntsville in the finals.  McGee notched  a .013 reaction time on the way to a 4.792 at 135.58.  Alexander kept pace with a .014 light but fell short with a 4.935 at 127.78.