San Antonio Raceway lights it up with Night of Fire event

by Jay Hallas | Posted on Sunday, October 23rd, 2016

By JM Hallas

Marion, TX. – It was time again for another ‘Night of Fire’ event on the 1/8 mile, San Antonio Raceway surface. The action was high-lighted by the Texas Outlaw Pro Modified Association(TOPMA), Southwest Superchargers(SWSC) and the Outlaw Fuel Altered Association(OFAA) in some of the wildest, fire breathing racecars around. Also on the nights racing card were the Nogolitas Gear 5.80 and 7.00 index classes.

TOPMA is a ‘run what ya brung’ series featuring some of the baddest door slammers on the planet. Current points leader, Steve Wiley, had a rough outing in the Memorial weekend show at SAR when he crashed in the first qualifying session. Ed Hickl and Bob Alexander were scheduled to meet in the finals, but Mother Nature ended the night earlier than expected. Wiley, who also took a big 50k to win No-Prep race here in March, basically had to just show up to secure the TOPMA championship over Alexander.

The SWSC group is a mix of any fuel injected, blower car ranging from dragsters, to altereds to funny car bodies. They were also cut short in that early summer event with Don David slated to face off with points leader, Joe Navar before the rains came. Navar held a 48 point margin over David in the championship chase coming into the nights action. Christian Leffew and Jacob Penner were about 90 back, but separated by only one.

In the running for the OFAA title are it’s much closer with Raymond Dawson leading the way over Nick Poloson, by only eight markers. With bonus points and dropping a race, the decision came down to the final run of the night. The OFAA brings a nostalgia look to the racing circuit with all open bodied fuel altereds of the past.

TOPMA

Alexander Gets the Battle, Wiley Wins War

Well Steve Wiley(Burleson) showing up didn’t happen, which all but secured the 2016 TOPMA championship, but Bob Alexander(Weatherford) went down fighting. Even going out in the semi’s Wiley locked the championship, while Alexander advanced to the finals to meet Jay Ligon(Iowa Park).

Alexander, in his old school Camaro. killed Ligon, driving a 34 Chevy Pick up on the tree. Alexander was .078 to Ligon’s .417 for a huge advantage, pretty much giving him the win off the line. Couple that, with Alexander’s sub-four second pass and Ligon was just a spectator watching Alexander sail into the night for the win.

Alexander beat Chuck Poindexter in round one, then took a bye in the semi’s doing a stage and break the beams. Ligon bested Eric Clark, who went red, and Wiley in round 2.

Bob Alexander, 3.997 @ 185.19 defeats Jay Ligon, 6.028 @ 98.64

TOPMA winner Bob Alexander launching off the line. Photo by JM Hallas

TOPMA champion Steve Wiley wrinkles the tires on a qualifying pass. Photo by JM Hallas

SWSC(4.50 index)

Mears Motors to the Money, Navar Notches Title

Lubbock’s Andy Mears matched up with Buck Woolen jr.(Alamogorda, NM) in the finals for the Southwest Superchargers. Both left with nearly identical reaction times, but at the top end it was Mears with the better number, scoring the win.

Joe Navar(El Paso) lost in round one, but Don David(Midland) would go down in round two thereby giving the championship to Navar.

Mears got the better of Jacob Penner in round 1, then ousted Penner again in the rematch.(Penner got back into the ladder with the fastest losing time). Woolen was the giant killer beating both points contenders, Navar and David.

Andy Mears, 4.653 @ 131.20 defeats Buck Woolen jr., 4.844 @ 142.27

SWSC winner Andy Mears on a burnout. Photo by JM Hallas

SWSC champion Joe Navar wide-eyed on his burnout. Photo by JM Hallas

OFAA

Dawson Does Daily Double

Ok, it was night, but let’s not mess up a good headline. The Outlaw Fuel Altered Association runs a ‘Chicago Style’ elimination where the fastest two round one winners square off in the finals. That put points leader Raymond Dawson(Nevada) up against Eric Buchanan(Grapevine). Dawson(High Octane) in the Hemi powered, 29 Model A, Ace Chassis cut a better light for the edge. Buchanan(Nitro Relapse), in his Keith Black powered, 23 Model T ran him down and posted a career fastest ET. Unfortunately for Buchanan it was too quick, breaking out, handing the victory and championship to Dawson.

Dawson eked out the win in round one over Donny Massey with a holeshot. Buchanan trailered Donny McSwain advancing him to the finals.

Raymond Dawson, 4.031 @ 178.78 defeats Eric Buchanan, 3,751 @ 191.16

OFAA winner and class champ Raymond Dawson gets the wheels up on take off. Photo by JM Hallas

7.00 index

The 7.00 index finals had a pair of old school Camaros in the running for the win. John Albarado(Cedar Park) got 1/100th on the tree over Jesse Garza(Pflugerville) then inched out another couple hundredth at the finish to grab the victory,

Albarado defeated Dean Svatopolsky and Antony Montoya, with a round 2 bye. Garza got by David Bixler, Roy Trevino and Matt McInnis to get to the finals.

John Albarado, 7.046 @ 98.42 defeats Jesse Garza, 7.084 @ 90.29

**There weren’t enough 5.80 cars that wanted to compete so the few that showed ran an exhibition test-n-tune for the fans.