Quarter-Mile Magic

The 16th Annual Run and Gun kit car triathlon was a showcase of speed, driving skill, and automotive technology, and last year, something special was added...production Mustangs.

Run and Gun is a wonderful stage for kit cars of all types and power setups, and for the drivers who own, build, and fine-tune them. The action pits the one person's driving skill, car setup, power, aerodynamics, and strategy against other combatants' from around North America.

Last year, 58 drivers took 56 kit cars to the fray and showed off their cars and talents. Not simply an event for Cobras, Run and Gun 16 attracted GT40s, Lotus 7s, Dragons, Lolas, an Ultima, a Manta, a Corvette, a Dio Tipo Maserati inspiration, and an Artero. Also, last year, for the first time, production Mustangs were invited to compete in their own class.

However, when it came down to the run for King of the Hill, the production Ponies were invited to test their best against the kit cars...and the final was an historic battle between a Mustang and a Cobra for the Run and Gun crown.

The event, held at Gateway International Raceway just outside of St. Louis, consists of time trials on the SCCA autocross, the CART/IRL road course, and the NHRA dragstrip. These muscular kit cars, which house up to 900 horses under the hood, really flexed their muscles on the dragstrip, the final venue in the competition.

Dragstip competition is held in time trials against class, for points toward Top Dog and 'strip trophies, the Quick 8 bracket race in each class, and final run-offs for King of the Hill--the best bracket racer at the event.

In terms of quickest times, Bill Bonadio added a nitrous bottle and blew away the competition in his Classic Antique Replicar Specialist Dio Tipo '61, with a blazing 10.045 e.t. Wayne Turpin posted the second-fastest time overall on the kit car side, smoking his Contemporary Cobra to 10.686 e.t. Pete Tork, the 69-year-old bracket racing expert, took his FFR Cobra down the 'strip in 10.774, and Bob Mustic, in his old faithful Johnex Cobra, beat the 11-second barrier at 10.923. Just missing the 11-second mark was steady Rich Pickles, at 11.088 in his Contemporary Snake.

In terms of top speed for the quarter-mile, Bonadio hit a best velocity of 139.65 mph. Wayne Turpin blasted his Contemporary to a 135.97 heat in the Quick 8. Chuck Nickloy, in his Premier Motorsports-prepared-and-built Kirkham Cobra, posted the third-highest speed at 132.35 mph, and Pete Tork topped the 130mph mark at 131.91 mph.

The ageless wonder, Tork, used his skill and mettle to defeat all kit car opponents in bracket racing. After winning his final kit car race against the ERA Cobra of Rick Lake to become Kit Car King of the Hill, it was on to the finals against the production ponycar of Jonathan Blevins.

In the showcase shootout, the King of the Hill Final veteran Tork took his 421ci Donavan-powered No. 69 Factory Five Cobra down the 'strip against the lone remaining Pony, No. M460, the silver '01 Mustang of Blevens which is propelled by a 4.6L Ford engine.

Tork was dialed-in at 11.80 and Blevins marked his windshield with 13.95. Blevins took off with a reaction time of .687. Tork took off 2.15 seconds later with a reaction time of a quick .579. Tork reached a top speed of 130.80 mph and finished in 11.143 seconds, but Blevins won it late, by reaching 101.47 mph and an e.t. of 13.983, closer to his dial-time than Tork and enough to win the King of the Hill showdown by 0.2024 seconds.

The King of the Hill was decided after a series of one-on-one duels in bracket racing, to whittle the field down to the top two--Blevins and Tork.

In Round One, bracket race winners were penciled in to compete against the top non-winners in the Quick 8 competition. No. 50, George Anderson (MidStates Cobra), took on Pete Tork's No. 69. Anderson red-lighted with a reaction time of .462 and wasted a great run of 11.819 against his dial-in time of 11.89. Tork's reaction time was a near-perfect .559, and he hit a top speed of 132.71 mph to finish in 10.941, close to his 10.80 dial-in. In other Round One action, Lake defeated the No. 6 Mustic's Buick-powered Snake when Mustic red-lighted with a reaction time of .492. Bonadio was upset by Blevins by a slim 0.0118 seconds, as both nearly hit their dial-ins (Bonadio: 11.555 e.t. to a dialed-in 11.40. Blevins: 14.035 to a dialed-in 13.90). Randy Schranz's (Shell Valley Cobra) won in a walk-over.

In one Semi-Final showdown, Blevins' M460 (13.90 dial-in) defeated No. 17 Schranz (10.20 dial-in) by 0.2064, though Schranz hit 126.05 mph and crossed the finish line in 10.306 to Blevins' 14.023. In the other Semi, Tork, dialed-in at 10.80, blasted by No. 29 Lake (12.95 dial-in) by 0.4303 seconds. Tork, with a reaction time of a cat-quick .564 seconds, reached a top speed of 128.87 and posted an 11.260 time to Lake's 12.95.

Then, all eyes were on the finals, with Tork the sentimental favorite and Blevins cheered on by the Mustang faithful. Smoked tires, Christmas Tree lights, thundering engines, and 14 seconds later, Blevins and his 'Stang emerged victorious.

In the Pro Quick 8, Bonadio came out on top after defeating No. 3 John Gyann's CanAm Exotics Lola T-70, Tony Martin's '00 Backdraft Cobra, and Clois Harlan's No. 21 B&B Snake. Martin defeated No. 9 David Serchuk (Shell Valley), and Harlan blazed to the finals by beating No. 17 Schranz and No. 39 Rich Anderson (Shell Valley), who moved on to the second round when he edged George Anderson in an all-Nebraska heat, 11.514 to 11.716.

In Street competition, the ever-present Tork blew away all foes, beating No. 65 Keith Williams (Everett-Morrison Cobra) and No. 177 Dave Koepp (FFR) as well as taking a tight final from No. 7 Bill Belcher (Superformance). Belcher got to the finals by besting No. 73 Rick Merz's GTD GT40 and No. 19 Chuck Nickloy's Premiere-built Kirkham. Koepp eased past the No. 63 Pass Vette of Jim Pass, and Nickloy defeated No. 10 David Demangone's Shelby Cobra.

In the Prepared Class Quick 8 results, Bob Mustic's V-6-powered Johnex won the title by beating No. 05 Michael Hall (FFR), the tough-to-beat Rich Pickles (No. 12 Contemporary), and Dennis Warden (No. 16 FFR). Warden reached the finals by edging No. 18 Scott Johnson (Everett-Morrison) and the always-competitive Wayne Turpin (No. 98 Contemporary). Turpin topped 135 mph and beat No. 31 Gary McDaniel (FFR). Pickles won over No. 66 Bill Scholl (FFR).

All told, the Cobras blew away other kit cars models with only Bonadio's Dio, Pass' Vette, and Merz's GT40 posting Top 8 finishes in any of the three classes.

After three days of safe, exciting racing, the climactic King of the Hill final and subsequent trophy presentations left the crowd feeling satisfied and a bit drained. However, the 58 kit car drivers and half-dozen Mustangers chorused that they'll be back this year for Run and Gun 17, which promises to be an even bigger, better, more fun event, with a cruise to St. Louis, driving school, and other surprises planned.

We can't wait...and we hope you'll be there with your car. We'll cover it all here in KIT CAR and on our Web site, www.kitcarmag.com, where expanded coverage and more photos are posted.

Run and Gun 17 will be held September 21-25. If you like cars, kit cars, Mustangs, racing, dragstrip action, an autocross, a road course, and four days of fun, it's the can't-miss racing event of 2004. KC

For information on Run and Gun '04, Sept. 21-25, and for entry forms, check with:
Gale Nungesser
Gateway International Raceway
700 Raceway Blvd.
P.O. Box 200
Madison, IL 62060
(618) 875-7540
gnungesser@dovermotorsportsinc.com

Wayne Turpin
(812) 464-3966
wtcobra@insightbb.com

Rich Pickles
(815) 942-4447
rcp427@uti.com

For room reservation at our host hotel, contact:
Holiday Inn Collinsville
1000 Eastport Plaza Dr.
Collinsville, IL 62234
(618) 345-2800

And be sure you tell them you are reserving your room for Run and Gun to get that extra discount.

DRAGSTRIP DOMINATORS
Run and Gun '03
King of the Hill
Jonathon Blevins (Factory Mustang): King of the Hill
Pete Tork (FFR Cobra): King of the Kit Car Hill

Top Times
Bill Bonadio (CARS Dio), 10.045
Wayne Turpin (Contemporary Cobra), 10.686
Pete Tork (FFR Cobra), 10.774 (FFR Cobra)
Bob Mustic (Johnex Cobra), 10.923

Top Speeds
Bill Bonadio (CARS Dio), 139.65mph
Wayne Turpin (Contemporary Cobra), 135.97
Chuck Nickloy (Kirkham Cobra, prepared and built by Premier Motor Sports),132.35 mph
Pete Tork (FFR Cobra), 131.91 mph

TOP DOGS
Pro
Bill Bonadio
Randy Schranz
Street
Pete Tork
Chuck Nickloy
Prepared
Wayne Turpin
Bob Mustic

Quick 8 Bracket Race
Pro Finals: Bill Bonadio over Clois Harlan
Street Finals: Pete Tork over Bill Belcher
Prepared Finals: Bob Mustic over Dennis Warden

CLASS CHAMPIONS
Pro Class
Big-Block: Rich Anderson, Tony Martin, George Anderson
Small-Block: Randy Schranz, Dave Serchuck, John Gyann
Power-Adder: Bill Bonadio

Street Class
Big-Block: Pete Tork, Bill Belcher, David Demangone
Small-Block: Jim Pass, Dave Koepp, Rick Merz
Power-Adder: Chuck Nickloy, Jay Nordstrom

Prepared Class
Big-Block: Wayne Turpin, Rich Pickles, Scott Johnson
Small-Block: Bill Scholl, Gary McDaniel, Pat Cleve
Power-Adder: Dennis Warden, Michael Hall, Bob Lightsey
Four- and Six-Cylinder: Bob Mustic, Charles Spera, Steve Brinkerhoff