Singleton Scores First OFAA Win in San Antonio
The Outlaw Fuel Altered Association, presented by Good Vibrations Motorsports and Lone Star Forklift, charged into San Antonio Raceway on Saturday, June 3rd with twelve cars on the property set to rock the grandstands in the Alamo city. This was only the second points race of the season after a rainout in May and Donny McSwain's "Wild One" held the points lead coming in hot after his win at the season opener in April.
The Austin family with father Raymond and son Jody both had their nitro burning fuel altereds on hand as this was the debut event for Jody's "Bush Whacker" entry and first time both family cars were competing in the same event. Under very humid conditions and temperatures in the muggy 90's, the air was as thick as the nitro fumes as teams warmed up their cars in the pits prior to the first of two qualifying rounds. San Antonio Raceway owner Iain Grae experienced his first nitro warm up in the seat of Bobby Marriott's "Shockwave" which pegged the fun meter for Grae and the San Antonio Raceway staff. Dodging storm systems from all directions, not a drop had fallen at SAR and as the eager crowd found a spot in the stands the call went out for qualifying to begin.
(San Antonio Raceway Iain Grae prepares for his first nitro warm up!)
(Raymond Dawson)
Qualifying Highlights:
(Jody Austin)
It was a smooth two sessions of qualifying as the fuel altereds thundered down the eighth mile fighting for position. Multi-time series Champion Jimmy Jones scored the pole position with a 4.00 at 182 mph for the "Texas Tremor" team as the top six cars were separated by only four hundredths of a second. Bobby Marriott's 4.01 at 185 qualified second, Mark Hunter's 4.02 in the "Jail Break" secured the number three spot with Ken Singleton's "High Risk" and John Broussard's "Purple Haze" rounding out the top five.
(John Broussard)
(Mark Hunter)
(Clint Cross)
Final Qualifying Order:
1. Jimmy Jones (Cleburne, TX) - 4.00 @ 182
2. Bobby Marriott (Pilot Point, TX) - 4.01 @ 185
3. Mark Hunter (Tyler, TX) - 4.02 @ 155
4. Ken Singleton (Chickasha, OK) - 4.030 @ 168
5. John Broussard (Lake Charles, LA) - 4.038 @ 174
6. Nick Poloson (San Antonio, TX) - 4.04 @ 158
7. Mary Reep (Austin, TX) - 4.07 @ 152
8. Donny McSwain (Rockwall, TX) - 4.08 @ 185
9. Mark Billington (Prosper, TX) - 4.08 @ 155
10. Clint Cross (Crossroads, TX) - 4.13 @ 136
11. Raymond Dawson (Nevada, TX) - 4.76 @ 149
12. Jody Austin (Colleyville, TX) - 5.38 @ 91
(Mary Reep)
Eliminations:
First out was the hometown team of Nick Poloson and Tom Wood in the "Sundown" nitro burning Fiat on a solo shot after Jody Austin discovered a few burnt pistons and was unable to make the call. Poloson set the bar with a solid 3.87 at 191 mph to take the round win. The OFAA race format will advanced the two quickest winners to the final and Poloson's 87 was looking solid for a spot in the last dance, but plenty of stout competition sat waiting their turn in the staging lanes.
(Nick Poloson)
Mark Billington wheeled the Raymond Austin owned "Magic Dragon" to the line next set to take on Mark Hunter. In an ear piercing battle of nitro burners, Billington took the starting line advantage and never trailed with a 3.92 at 156 to Hunter's 4.27 at 126 mph. A pair of lean and mean blown alcohol entries took the stage next with John Broussard lining up with defending series Champion Raymond Dawson's "High Octane" entry. Broussard took a slight jump off the line and his 4.01 at 178 mph was enough to hold off Dawson's close 4.07 at 171 mph.
(Mark Billington)
Top qualifier Jimmy Jones was up next set to tango with the "Grim Reeper" driven by Mary Reep. This one was settled at the starting line as Jones used a 3.97 at 182 to holeshot a quicker 3.91 at 176 by Reep as Jones tallied the round win. At this point with two pair remaining, Poloson's 3.87 and Billington's 3.92 held tickets to the final round, yet neither were comfortable with four strong cars set to finish up the round.
(Jimmy Jones)
Bobby Marriott and Donny McSwain fired up next as eliminations continued. Another wicked holeshot win as Marriott's 3.96 at 191 defeated a quicker but losing 3.89 at 181 mph. To take all the icing off the cake for McSwain, his 3.89 would have advanced him to his second straight final and assured protected of his points lead, but Marriott got the win light and those precious points. In the final pair, Ken Singleton's "High Risk" staged up with Clint Cross in the "Crossways" entry and Singleton stole the last ticket to the final with a 3.91 at 196 mph in defeating Cross' nice 3.99 at 192 as Singleton and Poloson were final round bound as the two quickest winners.
(Bobby Marriott)
(Donny McSwain)
(Ken Singleton)
First Round Results:
(W) Nick Poloson (.066 rt) 3.87 @ 191 -vs- (L) Jody Austin (No Time - Broke)
(W) Mark Billington (.124 rt) 3.92 @ 156 -vs- (L) Mark Hunter (.166 rt) 4.27 @ 126
(W) John Broussard (.133 rt) 4.01 @ 178 -vs- (L) Raymond Dawson (.163 rt) 4.07 @ 171
(W) Jimmy Jones (.090 rt) 3.97 @ 182 -vs- (L) Mary Reep (.235 rt) 3.91 @ 176
(W) Bobby Marriott (.153 rt) 3.96 @ 191 -vs- (L) Donny McSwain (.275 rt) 3.89 @ 181
(W) Ken Singleton (.034 rt) 3.91 @ 196 -vs- (L) Clint Cross (.316 rt) 3.99 @ 192
Poloson and company had many friends and family in the house at their hometown race and were hoping to hoist the trophy on their own turf, while Singleton looked to finally secure his first OFAA series event win in his second career final round appearance. With nitro fumes fogging out the starting line from Poloson and rpm's screaming for the sky as Singleton staged his blown alcohol entry, it was on as the ambers flashed and Poloson took a slight starting line advantage. Singleton had to pedal as he drifted towards the wall and Poloson blasted through the traps with header flames high, but went under the cap with a 3.76 which gave Singleton the win with a 3.99 at 177 mph. Singleton and company secured their first ever OFAA event win and would be all smiles on their trek back to Chickasha, Oklahoma.
(Team "High Risk" - San Antonio Event Winner)
Final Round Results:
(W) Ken Singleton (.090 rt) 3.99 @ 177 -vs- (L) Nick Poloson (.063 rt) 3.76 @ 196
A huge points shake up resulted as points were tabulated after San Antonio. Finalists Singleton and Poloson are now tied for first place with Marriott just one point behind in third. A tie for fourth place between John Broussard and Jimmy Jones has the top five runners separated by only 13 points with the next points race set for North Star Dragway on August 19th to make up the May rainout. Many of the OFAA series racers will be competing in the 5th Annual Pro Mod -vs- Fuel Altered Showdown in Denton, Texas on June 30-July 1st. The OFAA would like to thank the staff at San Antonio Raceway for a very well-run event and great track conditions. Additional thanks goes out to series sponsors Good Vibrations Motorsports, Lone Star Forklift, Meyer Enterprises, Grim Reeper Racing and Shockwave Racing.
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