--- Home Page
--- What's New
--- Features
--- Features
--- E-mail

NOTE: Refresh this page each time you visit to ensure you see the latest updates


The latest update as of August 6, 2019


FUNNY CAR CHAOS #5 - Central Illinois Dragway (Havana, IL)


Central Illinois Dragway event header

It took a while, but we've finally got the photos and captions posted for eliminations at the FUNNY CAR CHAOS event at Havana, Illinois. After the final qualifying session in the early afternoon on Saturday, the two fields ("A" & "B") went into their respective elimination rounds, finishing up late in the evening, under the lights, as nitro funny cars should.

Jordan Ballew - 'Ballew Thunder' --- Chuck Loftin - 'Motivation'

Tod Barker - 'Back in Black' --- Mark McElwee - 'Buzzy's Nitro Bomber'

Jeff Cameron - 'Magnolia Missile' --- Mike Smith - 'Nor'Easter'

Steve Timoszyk - 'Detroit Tiger' --- Joey Haas - 'Nimrod' (left) - Allan Middendorf - 'American Outlaw' (right)

Allan Middendorf - 'American Outlaw' --- Mark McElwee - 'Buzzy's Nitro Bomber'

Chuck Loftin - 'Motivation' (left) - Steve Timoszyk - 'Detroit Tiger' (right) --- Fred Farndon - 'Play it Loud' (left) - Nancy Matter - 'Guardian for Heroes'

Joey Haas - 'Nimrod' --- Jeff Cameron - 'Magnolia Missile'

Robert Slaughter - 'Smokey the Bear' --- Jeff Cameron - 'Magnolia Missile' (left) vs Mike Smith - 'Nor'Easter' (right)

Tod Barker - 'Back in Black' (far lane) vs Joey Haas - 'Nimrod' (near lane) --- Tod Barker - 'Back in Black' (far lane) vs Joey Haas - 'Nimrod' (near lane)

Here's a pair of shots of the "B" field semi-finalists: burning out and launching. The race was over very quickly, as Tod Barker red-lighted in the "Back in Black" Corvette (-.115 light) and wasted his superior 4.31 - 166 effort as Joey Haas took the automatic win-light with a 4.53 - 154 pass to advance to the final round.

Jeff Cameron - 'Magnolia Missile' (far lane) vs Mike Smith - 'Nor'Easter' (near lane) --- Mark McElwee - 'Buzzy's Nitro Bomber' (far lane) vs Allan Middendorf - 'American Outlaw' (near lane)

(LEFT) In the other "B" field semi, Jeff Cameron in the "Magnolia Missile" laid a huge holeshot on Mike Smith in the "Nor'Easter". The reaction times were .041 for Cameron and .203 for a somewhat sleepy Smith. But the win went to Smith as his much quicker 4.22 at an early shutoff 134 mph erased the big starting line margin of Cameron, who could only manage a 4.63 - 150 in the loss.

(RIGHT)The first "A" field semi matched Mark McElwee in the very cool "Buzzy's Nitro Bomber" (far lane) against the BIG flame shooting "American Outlaw" of Allan Middendorf. What might have appeared to be a Bambi vs Godzilla battle went to McElwee as Middendorf was disqualified for hitting the wall before the finish line. The numbers were a solid 4.07 - 160 for McElwee and a very good 3.82 at 198 mph for Middendorf. Damage to the "Outlaw" was confined to a left front fender.

Nancy Matter - 'Guardian for Heroes' (far lane) vs Steve Timoszyk - 'Detroit Tiger' (near lane) --- Joey Haas - 'Nimrod' (far lane) vs Mike Smith - 'Nor'Easter' (near lane)

Joey Haas - 'Nimrod' (far lane) vs Mike Smith - 'Nor'Easter' (near lane) --- Steve Timoszyk - 'Detroit Tiger' (far lane) vs Mark McElwee - 'Buzzy's Nitro Bomber' (near lane)

Mike Smith & Bill Dee - 'Nor'Easter' --- Steve Timoszyk & Tony Tierney - 'Detroit Tiger'

(LEFT) The victory party started quickly for the "B" field winners as driver Mike Smith and car owner Bill Dee celebrated their first win of the FCC season via a series of good passes: 4.52 - 118; 4.13 - 141; 4.22 - 134; and 4.18 - 149 in the final round.

(RIGHT) Big winners on the night in the "A" field were the "Detroit Tiger" team of driver Steve Timoszyk and car owner TonyTierney