Mid-Way Through The 2008 Season The ORSCA 7.0 Index Class Has A New Sponsor And New Winners    

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  The  season opener in Huntsville was plaqued by rain and eliminations remain incomplete. Only one round of qualifying was completed for all classes. Local racer Scott Johnson qualified # 1 with a 7.0020. Even with only the single round the top five qualifiers still averaged a 7.015. We did manage to get two complete rounds of eliminations on Sunday, so this race will be finished at the Huntsville event this fall

  In Atlanta, the weather was awesome and the racing was as well. Wood Electric put up a $ 100 Cash Bonus for the # 1 qualifier and Ed Bendall claimed it with a perfect 7.000. The top 5 qualifiers ranged from Bendall's 7.000 to a 7.003, an unbelievable 7.0018 average. Brock Taylor took the win after David Brand redlighted in the final.

Newsham Repeats And Extends Points Lead

 Joe Newsham wasn't as consistent in the Carolina heat as he was in Commerce, but he still managed to pull out the win in Mickey Thompson Outlaw 10.5. Newsham became the first back-to-back winner of ORSCA's fastest class in quite sometime, by using a .001 reaction time to defeat Tim Lynch in all turbo powered Mustang final. Lynch ran quicker with a 4.631 to Newsham's 4.712, but his .104 light proved to be the difference. Lynch, the #1 qualifier with a 4.49, defeated Jimmy Blackmon in the semi-finals and Newsham defeated "The Rock" Gilbert Jacobs. 

David Waits took his first ever Sheppard Race Cars / Berry Plumbing & Equipment Limited Street win in his Proline Powered Camaro. David has been improving every race and qualified #1 in route to victory. Waits defeated fellow turbo powered competitor Keith Szabo, 4.987 to 5.081. The race was tighter than the ET's showed as Szabo had a .023 reaction to Waits' .076. Waits used a strong 4.942 to beat Carlton Thompson's 4.994 and Szabo used a holeshot aided 5.031 to defeat defending champ Darrin Hoyle's 5.004. The starting line advantage was .021 to .057.

Joe Newsham of Sicklerville, NJ and Nick Yarber from Meadview, VA invade the south, with wins in Mickey Thompson Outlaw 10.5 and TCI EZ Street.

 Newsham in his turbocharged Mustang was the model of consistency with ET’s of 4.465, 4.466, 4.464 and a final round 4.482 to defeat Kimberly AL racer Ken “Big Chief” Rainwater’s 4.581. Carlos Zaldivar of Miami Fl was the #1 qualifier in his beautiful 2004 Corvette with a strong 4.422. Bryan Markiewice and “Outlaw” Jack Barfield were the semi finalists.

 Jeff Paulk of Social Circle, GA kept the Sheppard Race Cars/ Berry Plumbing & Equipment Limited Street Class money in the south, nearly pulling off a clean sweep. Paulk, driving his beautiful 2000 S-10 qualified #1 with a 4.835, set low ET of the meet with a 4.818 and defeated defending champion Darrin Hoyle with a 4.842 to a losing 4.885. Mike Davis and Alan Halbert were the semi finalists.

Carolina Dragway - Outlaw Racing Street Car Association's Media Director, Karen Bryant, talks with the current points leaders prior to 1^st round eliminations at the ORSCA 2006 World Finals.