For the second consecutive season, the Painless Performance Outlaw Fuel Altered Series thundered into San Antonio Raceway to conclude their season headlining the Texas State Championships. Joined by the Southwest Junior Fuel and Texas Blown Fuel Associations, the State Championships culminates the best of modern day nostalgia drag racing in the southwest and also showcases the glory days of the sport with numerous cackle cars, tribute cars and living legends in attendance.

The 2011 edition of the TSC was dedicated to the life and memory of Bobby Langley, legendary wheelman of the “Scorpion” dragsters, who passed away the night before the event. Langley was also recognized at the Twilight Memorial Service at the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield, California which was held on the same weekend.

For the fuel altereds, a Championship was on the line and every round was crucial to positioning in the final 2011 Painless Performance points standings. Leading the hunt coming into San Antonio was Jimmy Jones and the “Texas Tremor” team. Just six points behind sat Terry Brian, enjoying the battle in his rookie season with the series. Bobby Marriott was nipping on their heels in third as Brad Rigler and Aaron Leyda rounded out the top five.

With the ambient air temperature reaching the high eighties, warm but comfortable conditions and plenty of sunshine welcomed the fuel altereds to the staging lanes for their first qualifying session. Opening the action was hometown competitor Nick Poloson, staging up along side Bobby Marriott. The cars blasted down the eighth mile side by side, Poloson posting a 4.06 at 174 mph to Marriott’s strong 4.01 at 187 mph.

(Bobby Marriott)

Jim Overly was out next and clicked off a 4.28 at 159 mph in the “Fuelish Habit” nitro burner with Raymond Dawson along side a 4.69 at 150 mph. Houston winner Donnie Massey was out next in the “Showtime” with championship contender Terry Brian’s “II N’Tense” machine along side. Massey lit the boards with a 4.04 at 187 mph to Brian’s 4.09 at 181 mph.

(Donnie Massey)

(Brad Rigler)

Brad Rigler and team “Toxic” were the first to dip into the threes with a stout 3.93 blast at 177 mph along side Chris Trussell who after two DNQ’s posted a near “perfect” 4.005 at 181 mph in the “Assassin” altered. Jimmy Jones followed up with a nice 3.94 at 166 mph and John Broussard wheeled the “Purple Haze” machine to a 3.96 at 181 mph. Mary Reep closed the session with the quickest pass of the round, proving to the boys she was ready to play for keeps, posting a career best 3.90 at 192 mph as the teams returned to the pits to prepare for the final session.

(Jimmy Jones)

(Chris Trussell)

(Mary Reep)

David Purifoy came into the final session on the bump spot with a 4.24 and improved to a solid 4.10 at 168 mph to qualify the “Thrill Factor” team in the tenth position. Howard Farris was shutoff after the burnout but his 4.16 at 176 mph pass from session one was enough to get the “War Wagon” nitro burner in the show from the twelfth and final qualifying position.

(David Purifoy)

Aaron Leyda and team “Hemi Hunter” shook the tires in his final qualifying attempt and his 4.17 came up just hundredths of a second short of making the field, but luck was on their side as Donnie Massey encountered mechanical issues and Leyda was put into the field as the first alternate and as the thirteenth qualifier, Leyda also earned the Lenco Transmissions “Outside Looking In” bonus.

(Aaron Leyda giving the thumbs up on the burnout! Hands on the wheel Aaron!)

Terry Brian stepped up to a 4.05 at 176 mph to secure his spot in the eighth qualifying position, right behind points rival Jimmy Jones who qualified seventh. John Broussard posted a “perfect” 4.000 pass in the final session to take the top spot from Chris Trussell, Broussard’s first number one qualifying effort of the season. For his efforts, Broussard and company took home the DFW Napa Auto Parts & Competition Sales of Dallas “Top Qualifier” bonuses.

(Mark Bowman)

Mark Bowman wheeled the “Blown Income” altered to a 4.14 at 170 mph to nab the number eleven qualifying position. DoDad Burton posted a best of 4.26 at 177 mph but fell short of the mark as did Jim Overly’s best of a 4.28. Keith Anglin struggled with shifting troubles in the “Texas Gold Rush” as he was joined by Terry Anglin, Roger Hennen and Raymond Dawson under the mark, as nineteen total cars battled for a spot in the top twelve.

(DoDad Burton)

(Keith Anglin)

(Raymond Dawson)

(Terry Anglin)

(Jim Overly)

(Roger Hennen)

Final Qualifying Order:

1) John Broussard (Lake Charles, Louisiana) – 4.000 @ 180
2) Chris Trussell (Canton, Texas) – 4.005 @ 181
3) Brad Rigler (Heath, Texas) – 4.013 @ 171
4) Bobby Marriott (Pilot Point, Texas) – 4.019 @ 187
5) Mary Reep (Austin, Texas) – 4.037 (3.962) @ 179
6) Donnie Massey (Little Elm, Texas) – 4.04 @ 187
7) Jimmy Jones (Cleburne, Texas) – 4.057 (3.942) @ 166
8) Terry Brian (New London, Texas) – 4.059 @ 176
9) Nick Poloson (San Antonio, Texas) – 4.06 @ 174
10) David Purifoy (Texarkana, Texas) – 4.10 @ 168
11) Mark Bowman (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) – 4.14 @ 170
12) Howard Farris (Tyler, Texas) – 4.16 @ 176
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13) Aaron Leyda (Bartlesville, Oklahoma) – 4.17 @ 176
14) DoDad Burton (Tyler, Texas) – 4.26 @ 177
15) Jim Overly (Oyster Creek, Texas) – 4.287 @ 159
16) Terry Anglin (Terrell, Texas) – 4.289 @ 168
17) Keith Anglin (Garland, Texas) – 4.65 @ 119
18) Roger Hennen (Denton, Texas) – 4.68 @ 157
19) Raymond Dawson (Nevada, Texas) – 4.69 @ 150

It was time for the final, first round of the season. Numerous points implications were on the line but all eyes were on the leaders, Jimmy Jones and Terry Brian. What better way to open the round than with Brian facing off with the higher qualified Chris Trussell.

(Terry Brian vs. Chris Trussell)

With an obviously wounded motor pumping white smoke from the headers, Brian and company were on needles as the cars crept into the stage beams. Brian blasted off the line first and posted his best pass of the night, a 4.03 at 179 mph to take the win over Chris Trussell’s very close 4.07 at 172 mph. Brian’s win put him tied for the points lead with Jimmy Jones, who just happened to be waiting in the water box lined up along side the higher qualified John Broussard.

(John Broussard vs. Jimmy Jones)

Jones had to win this round to regain his points lead, up against the young gun John Broussard, who plays a tough game on the starting line and recently had been living in the mid three second zone. After side by side burnouts, the cars crept into the beams, guided in by the crew chiefs. Broussard was off the line first and both cars were trucking hard, side by side through the 330’ mark. As they neared the stripe, Jones lit the scoreboards with a winning 3.94 at 181 mph to Broussard’s strong 3.97 at 185 mph. Jones got the nod by just one hundredth of a second (.010), in the closest race of the round.

Mary Reep rolled out next facing off with Mark Bowman. Reep had posted the quickest elapsed times of both qualifying sessions and was looking for her first final round appearance of the season. Reep was off the line with a .002 reaction time and blasted right down the groove to a strong 3.95 winning effort at 191 mph to take out Bowman’s 8.45. Reep’s quick light earned her the Good Vibrations “Quick Reaction Time” bonus and her strong 192.64 mph qualifying pass earned her the DFW Napa Auto Parts “Top Speed of the Meet” bonus as well.

(Howard Farris)

Aaron Leyda and Howard Farris rolled through the water box as eliminations continued. The mighty alcohol burning Chevrolet (Leyda) vs. the nitro powered Hemi (Farris) pulled into the beams and Leyda was out first by a big margin. Leyda immediately shook the tires but quickly regained traction with a nice pedal job. Farris blasted through the 330 mark header flames high but started easing to the centerline and was forced to lift. The cars swapped the lead three times as Leyda came blasting by to take the win with a 4.46 at a whopping 180 mph to Farris’ 4.40 at 126 mph.

Bobby Marriott’s nitro burning “Shockwave” rolled out next up against another mighty Chevrolet of David Purifoy in the “Thrill Factor”. Purifoy had taken out Marriott before, in the final round at Mo-Kan Dragway in Purifoy’s 2010 Championship winning season, but Marriott had his number in this one. Purifoy was off the line first but his 4.20 at 160 mph was no match for Marriott’s stout 3.94 at 187 mph to get the win light and secure a spot in the final round with just one pair to go.

(Nick Poloson vs. Brad Rigler)

Marriott and Jones held the two quickest elapsed times so far but with Brad Rigler and Nick Poloson doing their burnouts, Jones’ 3.94 wasn’t safe yet. Two heavy hitting blown alcohol burners came to the line as Rigler looked to continue his hot streak. Poloson was off the line first by over half a tenth and needed it as the cars were side by side as they came to the stripe. Rigler took the lead right at the lights winning with a 3.93 at 190 mph to Poloson’s 4.01 at 170 mph. Rigler bumped Jones from the final and would advance to his second final round in a row, this time to face Bobby Marriott to decide the winner of the 2011 Texas State Championships.

Although Jimmy Jones didn’t advance to the final, his .010 margin of victory in first round was enough to secure his points lead by just five points over Terry Brian, official making Jimmy Jones and the “Texas Tremor” team the 2011 Painless Performance Outlaw Fuel Altered Series Champions.

Jones posted six first round wins in the seven race season and advanced to two final rounds, winning them both. Those round wins coupled with consistency and excellent work from his crew added up to a dream season for the team. Jones never missed a round with parts failure nor did he oil the track a single time. Lots of hard work and passion went into a well deserved title for the “Texas Tremor” team.

(Jimmy Jones & the "Texas Tremor" Team - 2011 OFAA Champions)

First Round Eliminations:

(W) Terry Brian (.056 rt) 4.03 @ 179 mph vs. (L) Chris Trussell (.095 rt) 4.07 @ 172 mph
(W) Jimmy Jones (.059 rt) 3.944 @ 181 mph vs. (L) John Broussard (.036 rt) 3.97 @ 185 mph
(W) Mary Reep (.002 rt) 3.95 @ 191 mph vs. (L) Mark Bowman (.168 rt) 8.45 @ 70 mph
(W) Aaron Leyda (.063 rt) 4.46 @ 180 mph vs. (L) Howard Farris (.451 rt) 4.40 @ 126 mph
(W) Bobby Marriott (.108 rt) 3.941 @ 187 mph vs. (L) David Purifoy (.092 rt) 4.20 @ 160 mph
(W) Brad Rigler (.086 rt) 3.93 @ 190 mph vs. (L) Nick Poloson (.024 rt) 4.01 @ 170 mph

Marriott and team “Shockwave” were making their third final round appearance of the season, Rigler and the “Toxic” gang making their second. Two of the best in the business returned to the water box for the final time of the night as the call went out to fire them up in a classic blown alcohol vs. nitro fueled battle.

(Bobby Marriott "Near" vs. Brad Rigler "Far" - Final Round)

The cars were off the line almost dead even and remained side by side through the 330 mark. Rigler’s front end was floating and he made a move for the wall and had to ease off the throttle to keep control. That was enough for Marriott to pull ahead to take the win with low elapsed time of the meet, a 3.89 at 192 mph blast which added his name to the list of winners of the Texas State Championships.

Final Round Results:

(W) Bobby Marriott (.096 rt) 3.89 @ 192 mph vs. (L) Brad Rigler (.094 rt) 3.98 @ 166 mph

For Marriott and company, the win put an end to a successful season, posting two wins in the last three races after debuting a brand new car in September. Marriott’s win tied him with Terry Brian for second place and since Marriott had more round wins, more finals and more event wins, Marriott took second place overall with Terry Brian finishing third. The top three finishers in the standings were separated by only five points.

(Team "Shockwave" - 2011 Texas State Championships Winners)

"What a season this has been, the competition has been intense and the camaraderie simply unbeatable. To have the points battle go down to the last rounds of the last event was great. Having to go back and count round wins to break a tie, proves how tough these guys are. Having our group being a part of the Texas State Championships is the perfect way to end the season and being able to win it really made our year. To have my name listed in the history of this event is definitely a career highlight. One of my crew guys, Allen Friar lost his dad right after the Houston event and I would like to dedicate this event and this race win to Allen and his father," said Marriott.

Marriott got the win all under the watchful eyes and lens of friend and prolific automotive and motorsports photographer, the legendary Bob McClurg, who was in attendance all the way from Hawaii. Brad Rigler ended his season with career best numbers and two straight runner-up efforts as the “Toxic” team can hold their heads high and plan their assault in 2012.

Jimmy Jones could now enjoy seeing his name atop the points standings until next year and big congratulations goes out to the “Texas Tremor” team for their Painless Performance Outlaw Fuel Altered Association Championship winning effort!

Brad Rigler and Chris Trussell finished number four and five in the final points standings. Just twenty one points separated sixth through tenth place which includes Aaron Leyda, John Broussard, Mary Reep, David Purifoy and Nick Poloson. Twenty six teams made appearances with the OFAA series in 2011, matching last year’s record mark in total car count.

Teams can confirm two race weekends for next season, May 4th & 5th and October 19th & 20th, both two day events at San Antonio Raceway. Ed Miller and the Texas Timing Association present Texas Nostalgia Thunder in May and the Texas State Championships in October, mark your calendars!

The OFAA series would like to thank the following companies for their support of the 2011 racing season: Painless Performance Products, Good Vibrations, DFW Napa Auto Parts Stores, Lenco Transmissions, Wizard’s Warehouse, Competition Sales of Dallas, Robert Reehl Equipment, Littlefield Blowers, Taylor Safety Equipment, Texas Diesel Power and also to Walt Meger for the special trophies for the winners. The fifteenth OFAA season is a wrap and Jimmy Jones is your Painless Performance Products Points Champion. Congratulations to all the participants and thank you to all the fans, tracks and sponsors who support the Outlaw Fuel Altered Association. We’ll see you next year!

Click Here to see photos from this event!!!

Texas State Championships Video by Jake Simmons

Tulsa Bonus Winners:

Good Vibrations Quick Reaction Time - Mary Reep (.002)

DFW Napa Auto Parts Top Speed - Mary Reep (182.64)

DFW Napa Auto Parts #1 Qualifier - John Broussard (4.00)

Competition Sales of Dallas #1 Qualifier - John Broussard

Lenco Transmissions Outside Looking In - Aaron Leyda

Wizards Warehouse Finalists - Bobby Marriott & Brad Rigler