Shadyside spark

        It was a lonnnnnng Memorial Day weekend at Shadyside, thanks to the weather, but the trip proved to be a useful one even though the Beast didn't make the field, qualifying 13th out of 20 or so cars with a 4.32. The big discovery, Paul said, was that the magneto was faulty, which means all the tuneup adjustments basically "never made any difference" because it wasn't firing correctly.
     Paul said he suspects the problem may have begun while the car still ran a clutch, and when it ran its best times. Since the switch to the automatic, the Beast has come within about a tenth of its best clutch performances, and has been wildly inconsistent. "You could have a good run, but it wouldn't repeat," Paul said.
   So, the magneto was sent back to MSD for a thorough refurb, is recertified and back in the car. Confident now that any tuneup changes will be reflected on the track, Paul said he's going back to the fast tuneups when the car had a clutch for his new baseline.  The first chance to run again could be July 9-10 at Huntsville at a Southern Outlaw Tour event. Paul sees it as a test session, since the SOT is a screw-blower series. If the weather isn't too hot, he said, the Beast likely will be there.
    As for the quirky Shadyside track, Paul said the racing surface was great, an uphill shutdown area a la Holiday Beach, and even the hairpin at the end wasn't a problem.

   He said there was plenty of stopping room, but you had to get on the chutes "real quick. If your chutes failed, you'd be in trouble." The difficulty came at the other end of the track, Paul said, as the car had to be pushed back and forth to get it into the staging /burnout area. He couldn't fire the car and pull right into staging  But he likes the series, so it's likely the Beast will be back at Shadyside, and at other tracks in the Carolinas.
   We'll update closer to the Huntsville race.

Rods and custom

    Paul and the Beast team did not travel to the NMCA Bowling Green race this past weekend, as the customary pre-race run-through of the engine revealed that the rods needed replacing. Paul said he was planning to replace them after Bowling Green, but what he found during the hemi's checkup indicated that now was the time. So, instead of racing last Saturday, he was in the shop working on the engine.
    He does have the next race circled on the calendar, and it's as outlaw as it gets, speaking specifically of the track -- Shadyside in Shelby, N.C., and the Carolina Xtreme Promods.  I enjoy seeing pictures of and watching video from small tracks in the South, and outside of George Ray's, which couldn't handle promods anyway (track record last I knew was 4.84 by a dragster), Shadyside is the most primitive I've seen. There is plenty of youtube video from events at the track, really professionally done, that gives some of the flavor of the racing there. It's hard to believe they go that fast there. Simply riveting to watch.
    The race is Memorial Day weekend. I'll be sure to preview it.

Let's crank this season up

   It's a big weekend for promod racing, with a PDRA event at Rockingham and the Southern Shootout opener at the Super Chevy Show in Memphis, but rather than travel hundreds of miles, Paul and the Beast team are staying closer to home for this NMCA event that is basically just down the road -- at Atlanta Dragway at Commerce, Ga.
   Paul has run well at Atlanta, and also experienced a crazy mishap a couple of years ago when his competition ran into him in the shutdown area. The race is an easy decision -- proximity, good payout and a level field. It's an all-run race -- but there are rules to make it even for blowers (no screws), nitrous, and I guess turbos.
   The team will get set up today for two rounds of qualifying on Friday and Saturday, one round of racing on Saturday, and the conclusion on Sunday.
   The Beast made just one of two test sessions that were on the calendar last month -- at Montgomery Motorsports Park. The track was hosting an Edmund Hall event, but Paul said track prep wasn't minimal, so the team didn't learn much from a couple of test passes. He said they took about 500 horsepower out of the motor, but the Beast still lost traction about 60 feet out. "If the track had been prepped, it might have held the car," Paul said. The team did not go to a test session at U.S. 43 the following week.
   As noted, it's a busy week for racing. I'm sure promodifieds.us will be covering Memphis, and there will be plenty of links to the PDRA event, but I'll keep an eye out for any Atlanta news.
   All racers: Be fast and be safe.

It's 2016, and almost time for racing

          It has been a long time away from the track, but Paul and the Cuda Beast team are getting fired up for their return after a 2015 season that was a tough one away from the racing. Crew member Keith Dockery, who spent most of last year in various hospitals, is getting better, "more like himself every day," Paul said.  This weekend, the team had a party at the shop to get things kicked off.
         The season will start next weekend with a test session at Montgomery Motorsports Park. Last year,  Paul had a conversation with a top pro-mod tuner who had run sub-4s with the same engine and setup that's in the Beast. The tuneup was radically different from what the team had been using, so Paul decided to tear down the motor and get the transmission refurbished so the car would be at peak readiness for the new tuneup. He didn't get to try it before the season ended, but will finally at MMP next weekend.
        It's a much more aggressive tuneup, which sounds counterintuitive for a car that's had problems getting launched. More power when you're blowing off the tires?  That's it. Paul said if they blow off the tires, they'll back down on the tuneup until the car launches. He said if the tuneup works out, he's expecting even better results than his tuner source got because the Beast is a couple of hundred pounds lighter.
       The MMP session will be followed the next weekend with more testing at U.S. 43 Dragway in Etheridge, Tenn.  The first weekend in April is the first big racing weekend, with the PDRA at Rockingham and a Southern Shootout event at the Memphis Super Chevy Show. Also that weekend, just 90 minutes or so down the road, will be a pro-mod event at the NMRA NMCA All-Star Nationals, and that's where Paul said he's planning to take the Beast.
      As far as the rest of the season is shaping up, PDRA events are definite possibilities. I'll post any test session results I learn. Round up your earplugs. The big noise is ready to return.

No racing

    Paul and the Cuda Beast team had hoped to return to the track these past two weekends, but were unable for a couple of reasons, the most serious being health problems for Paul's mother that have required her to be hospitalized. That occurred last week, between the Southern Shootout race at Montgomery and this past weekend's PDRA event in Richmond.
    Before the Montgomery race, Paul said the car was all set to go with a refurbished motor, and the only remaining task was to get the overhauled transmission back into his Dodge dually. The transmission has proved tough to get fixed, and Paul said he tried to borrow another truck to make the Montgomery race, to no avail. Then came his mother's hospitalization.
   Between  that and the long health struggle for Keith Dockery, the team's computer guru and Paul's brother-in-law, this year has been emotionally draining for everyone in the Gibbs family. They can certainly use all the prayers and good wishes you can send their way.
   Paul did mention the possibility of a race in Bradenton, Florida, but that's way off in December.  

It's race day!

     Paul and the Beast will be at Montgomery this weekend for the promodifieds.us Southern Shootout finale. That point series has already been decided, but it should be a terrific race nonetheless, as Montgomery and the Southern Outlaw Tour always put on a great show. It's a screw-blower series, but Paul is eager to try out the Beast's new tuneup at a track where he has run well before.
     Thursday, the Beast was all ready to be loaded up. Paul was in the process of putting the refurbed transmission back into his truck. That will mean he'll miss tonight's qualifying, but will have two shots and a test run or two Saturday. Since he was really busy, I didn't get into plans about next weekend's PDRA race. One at a time.
     Crew member/computer guru Keith Dockery is still having a tough go with medical issues, so keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
     As this is a promodifieds.us - affiliated race, the fantastic Brian C will be trackside to provide his peerless reporting and photography all day Saturday. Check the message board at promodifieds.us frequently. It's almost as good as being there.
    OK, everybody -- be fast and be safe. 

Into the homestretch

       As you might have guessed by now, Paul and the Beast did not make it to last month's Open Outlaw race at Huntsville. The engine was still out of the car then, but should be back in and ready to go for a possible visit to Montgomery this coming weekend.  It's the final race of the promodifieds.us Southern Shootout series, which has already been decided by Dwayne Watkins' dominating performances this year. But it should be a strong field, and Paul is eager to try the Beast's new tuneup against the screw-blower cars.
     In this downtime from racing, Paul has also worked on his hauler and the transmission in his truck. Paul said he's also interested in the season closer for the PDRA, which would be in Virginia. Paul ran pretty well there last year in the tough pro boost class. The PDRA would mean back-to-back racing weekends for the team, so we'll see.
     Paul said crew member and computer guru Keith Dockery should be going back home this month, finally after months of medical issues.
    We'll have an update on the end-of-season races as Montgomery approches.  

Next race?

   Haven't been able to talk with Paul, but last time I did, he indicated this would be the next race. Open Outlaw Racing has a Facebook page that might have some information, and there's a slim chance the message board at promodifieds.us would have some. Hope the weather is good, and that everyone is fast and safe.

Refresher course

        The Cuda Beast will be at home in its shop this weekend, its engine out and apart. Even though it's a PDRA weekend, in Memphis, Paul says it's time for him to go through the 526 hemi and freshen things up, especially since he's going to reset the tuneup baseline and try some new things. "I'm going to need a good engine under me," he said.
      Based on a conversation with former top-team pro-mod tuner who is now working with the identical engine setup as the Beast's and is in the 3.90s, Paul says he has new strategy for programming the timing on the hemi to get it launched and fully powered all the way down the track.
     The Beast's best runs, a couple of 4.07s, came when the car ran a clutch. It has come close to those with the new automatic trans, but consistency and even lower ETs have been elusive. So, Paul is going back to the clutch tuneup that yielded the 4.0s, and starting from there with the automatic.
     The new engine plan involves starting out with less total timing than has been used, taking less of it out at the start and putting it all back in more quickly, after a second into the run. With the old clutch setup, Paul said the timing did not change during the run. From this new baseline, Paul said it will be a matter of adjusting until the car gets up on the tires and gets down the track -- and into the 3.90s.
     The Beast's computer tuning guru, Keith Dockery, has had a difficult recuperation from surgery. Paul said he will likely be in the hospital another week to 10 days, and then into a period of rehab.  Please keep Keith and Louise (Paul's sister) in your thoughts and prayers.
     With Memphis now off the calendar -- bummer, because I was looking forward to seeing the Beast in person as I did last year, but health, physical and mechanical, always comes first -- the next race will be another Open Outlaw Racing event, again at Huntsville on Sept. 12. At the last one, Paul qualified No. 8 with a 4.57 and smoked the tires in a first-round loss to top qualifier and eventual meet winner Rocky Flanagan, who had a 4.0 bracket car all day.
     The next PDRA event likely will be at Bradenton, Florida, the first weekend in October, and maybe the season closer at Richmond a couple of weeks later. If the Huntsville Open Outlaws race gets the tuneup nailed down, Paul said he might try another promodifieds.us Southern Shootout event, likely Sept. 26 at Atmore, Ala. 
    

Racing this weekend: Huntsville Open Outlaw

    Paul and the Cuda Beast return to the track this weekend after almost two months, heading to Huntsville for an Open Outlaw Racing series event Saturday. It is described as a series "for 3.90-4.60 race cars to run heads-up at two great tracks in Tennessee and Alabama." U.S. 43 is the Tennessee track. The series has a Facebook page.
     The purse is small, so the race will be basically a test session for the Beast as Paul looks to get dialed in upcoming PDRA races. At of this writing, more than 16 cars, from promods to dragsters to fuel altereds, have indicated they'll be on hand. Not sure if there will be any online news from the track, though the Cruzin-USA reality TV show will be filming the event for an upcoming show.
     While the team will be focused on racing, they'll also be thinking about team member Keith Dockery, the Beast's computer guru and Paul's brother-in-law, who had surgery this week in Chattanooga and will be in the hospital into next week. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Paul said crew member Gregg Cash is past his medical problems and should be at the track this weekend.
     Paul said he has added two new crew members -- Greg Parker and Toby Collins, a Top Sportsman racer from nearby Blairsville, Ga.-- to help on race weekends. Paul said he's hoping to make the remaining PDRA events this year. First up will be Memphis, in my neck of the woods, Aug. 20-22, so I'm looking forward to seeing the car in action again. Then it's Rockingham (Sept. 10-12), Bradenton, Florida (Oct. 1-3) and the world finals in Richmond (Oct. 22-24), where the Beast ran well last year. The Beast's class, Pro Boost, is the most competitive at PDRA events; the last one had some 30 cars vying for 16 spots. At the last event, in Maryland, the field was all sub-4 seconds, separated by less than a tenth of a second.
    I'll have a Huntsville recap next week. Be fast and be safe, everyone.   

Steele-ing away today

   Just found out online that Paul and the Beast are at Steele, Ala., today for the Shoot Out at Steele, part of the promodifieds.us Southern Shootout series. It's not an series Paul was planning to run, as it allows screw blower cars. The focus this year is the PDRA pro boost class, which ran last weekend at St. Louis. Paul had that date on the calendar, but did not go.
  Health issues have left the Beast team short of crew members, but Paul has added some equipment -- a starter device and a backup camera -- to enable him to be more or less self-sufficient on the starting line.
Since I just found this news by accident, I don't know who is with him or have any updates on crew members Keith Dockery and Gregg Cash.
   There will be racing updates, however, on the message board at promodifieds.us, so check there. Brian C. is at the track, and will be providing his peerless analysis and photography to the finish. Qualifying is supposed to start at 1 p.m., probably two rounds, and then racing. It's an eight-car field, and lots of heavy hitters are there. Let's hope the Beast is among them. Fast and safe racing, everyone.  

No Ohio Valley this weekend

    Paul and the Cuda Beast will be at home this weekend, as team personnel are still trying to get on the mend from health issues. Paul says the news from that front is encouraging for Gregg Cash and engine computer guru Keith Dockery, who is feeliing better, and will start cancer treatments soon.
   After forgoing the PDRA race in Louisiana, Paul had penciled in a race at Ohio Valley, near Louisville, Ky., this weekend, but various factors, including the availability of crew members, nixed it. Ohio Valley would have been a new track for Paul, and an interesting race. Though open to screw blower cars, the field might have been a tad more accessible with a big event at Huntsville this weekend expected to draw a lot of the South's heavy hitters.  Hard to say what the purse difference might make -- $5k vs. $3k at Huntsville to win. Huntsville is a Southern Shootout event for points, so participants in that series will likely take the longer view of things.
     Activity at the shop has been busy, despite the lack of racing. To try to make the starting line routine more efficient and more self-sufficient, Paul is installing a rear-view camera in the Beast, which should let him back up correctly after a burnout without needing someone to guide him back. It's a slick, hi-def setup that comes in at 10 pounds, Paul said. It points at the wheelie bar and can see 35 feet back. It would be great if it has any recording capability.
   Also new will be a self-primer for the motor, so the car can be started without needing anyone to squirt stuff into the injector. With these additions, the only thing that an extra person will have to do is remove the throttle stop after the burnout. For safety and performance, the Beast is also getting a carbon-fiber driveshaft..
    The other parts of the Beast convoy have also been getting attention. The fan clutch on the Dodge dually needed replacing, as did the six sets of brakes on the 50-foot trailer that hauls the Beast. You definitely want to keep that under control.
   The next race on the schedule is the PDRA in St. Louis at the end of the month. See you back here then.

No racing this weekend

   Paul and the Cuda Beast will be idle this weekend as key crew members face health issues. The PDRA race in Louisiana had been penciled in for this weekend, but not enough hands are available to do all the work that is required during a race weekend.
   Team member Gregg Cash had stents put in his legs this week, and computer guru Keith Dockery continues to deal with a cancer diagnosis. Paul said Gregg hopes to be back at work at his body shop in a week or so, while Keith's doctors have advised him to put this racing season on hold.
    If Gregg recovers on schedule, Paul said the next race will likely be May 15-16 at Ohio Valley Raceway near Louisville, Ky. It's a true outlaw race, open to screw cars, but it's also the same weekend as the Southern outlaw series race at Huntsville, which will draw the bulk of the South's heavy screw hitters. Ohio Valley will be a new track for the team, but Paul said he has heard good things about it, and that Brandon Snider ran 3.66 there last year for the track record.
   In the previous post, Paul said he's looking for people interested in volunteering to help on race weekends. There is no pay -- food at the track is it. It's a long, hard couple of days, but a good opportunity to get some up-close, hand's on experience if you are interested in getting into promod racing. Don't expect to be hanging out at the fence watching races. The only cars you'll see racing will be the Beast and whoever is in the other lane. Call Paul at 706-258-8241 if you are interested.
    We'll be back as the Ohio Valley race gets closer. Keep Keith and Gregg in your thoughts.

Rockingham, other updates

   Paul and the Cuda Beast team had a fairly frustrating time at Rockingham last weekend. Paul had originally planned to leave on Wednesday, test Thursday, and go racing Friday and on the weekend. Instead, he didn't get away until Friday, and a flat tire and wrong turn made for a long, late travel day. Two qualifying attempts didn't get out of the fives, as launches remained a problem. Here's a photo, taken immediately after the one above, in Paul's last qualifying bid.

   The left rear slick appears to be off the surface; it is not wrinkled, as it is in the top photo. Paul said that particular qualifying session was troublesome for the vast majority of cars as the track really heated up when the sun came out. In his first qualifier, Paul said he had too much power in the car. The right balance of tuneup and the timing management of that power remains elusive.
   Paul also had information about crew member Keith Dockery, his brother-in-law and engine computer guy, who is facing a serious health issue. The bad news is that a malignancy was found, as doctors likely suspected, but further tests did not find that the cancer had spread. That bit of good news means that his chemotherapy will be directed right at the site, avoiding an overall chemo regimen and the side effects that causes. Any return to races this season is uncertain, and unlikely; Paul said Keith asked his doctors about that possibility, and they told him to forget it.
   Also, team member Gregg Cash is also having some health issues, and his status could be up in the air as well.
   So, Paul said he is seeking volunteers to help the team at races this season. There is no pay; Paul said all he can guarantee is that people will be fed at the track, and that there will be plenty of hard work to be done (I'll vouch for that; I was around the team a few hours at a race last year, and I got tired just photographing them). It will also be an opportunity for people who are interested in pro mod racing to learn firsthand what is involved.
   Paul said he had good help at Rockingham from father and son Blaine and Charles Silver, and has put out a request for other volunteers on Facebook. He has received some responses; running at the next PDRA event, in Shreveport, La., in about three weeks, is contingent on having sufficient help. If you are interested in assisting Paul and the Beast team, call Paul at 706-258-8241.
   We'll be back with a Shreveport update. Keep the Beast team in your thoughts as they work through these difficult times.

Let's Rock

     This weekend, Paul and the Cuda Beast team will be in Rockingham, N.C., in the Pro Boost class of the PDRA's Spring Nationals. If Mother Nature cooperates, it will be the start of the team's 2015 race season that will consist almost entirely of PDRA events.
     Paul said last week the team will travel Wednesday to be able to test on Thursday. A race last month at Montgomery had been eyed as primarily a test session, but it was rained out. A car show commitment in Blue Ridge, Ga., last weekend (Paul had the Beast and his pro street Dart there) ruled out Huntsville as another possible test opportunity, so Paul decided the best thing was to go to The Rock early, pay the testing fee, and get information that could be applied directly to the weekend's racing.
    The team likely will be without the services of its computer guru, Keith Dockery, who is facing a serious health issue. Paul said the team is asking for your prayers for Keith during this uncertain period.
    The Beast will roll into the staging lanes with a new timing box to manage the Hemi's power, which has received a big shot from a refurbished blower.  Paul said he's backing down the boost and tweaking the timing to get the car launched. "After two seconds, we'll have all the power it needs all back in to the finish line," Paul said.
    The PDRA events on the team's schedule are Shreveport, La., at the end of this month; St. Louis at the end of May; Memphis in August (I should be able to make that race); Benson, N.C., in September; and Bradenton, Fla., and Richmond, Va., in October. The PDRA website has all the specific dates.
   Looking at the PDRA site, I was struck by this promo shot for the Rockingham race, and how close spectators are to the racing surface. It's not George Ray's, but it seems amazing to me despite the concrete wall and catch fencing.

 
    We'll pass along any news we learn, and you can always check the message board at promodifieds.us for any updates. Race reporter extraordinaire Brian C. will be reporting from the Southern Shootout series race in Memphis, so that will also be of interest to pro mod fans. Keep Keith and the team in your prayers.
     

2015 season: Montgomery called off

    Dang.
    The weather hex that bedeviled the season at Montgomery Motorsports Park last year is still around, as this weekend's 2015 opener has been called off because of an iffy forecast. It was going to be the first race for Paul and the Cuda Beast this year -- basically a test opportunity to check out tweaks to the tuneup that hopefully will get the car launching better off the line as the team looks to its first real race -- the PDRA event at Rockingham, N.C., April 9-12.
   Not sure what the team's plans are now leading up to Rockingham; a race the weekend before at Huntsville could serve as a test session, but back-to-back weekends are tough for them. We'll let you know.

2015 season: Ready to race

    The 2015 season for Paul Gibbs and the Cuda Beast team got off to this neat start, courtesy of the PDRA featuring the Beast in its promotion for its opening race of the year in Texas. The pic is early in the 2014 season, maybe from the PDRA event in Memphis (looks like his huge holeshot race against Joe Baker; you can go back a few posts and see pictures from that event), as the car has its double wheelie bar setup.
   The Texas event is a long shot, basically a couple of days on the road each way; Paul said the team is pursuing possible monetary sponsorship from a source that has connections that go back to the racing days of his father, Reece Gibbs. Should that materialize, the Texas race would be in play. Still, it's a kick to see the Beast get national notice. Hard to go wrong with one of the best-looking PM cars out there.
    There is a real first race on the calendar -- the Southern Shootout opener at Montgomery Motorsports Park March 13-14. The series is the South's prime screw-blower hangout; Paul didn't run the Beast in that series last year for that reason, preferring the PDRA's popular Pro Boost class and some EOPM events. He says he's certainly ready to race at Montgomery, but is really viewing the weekend as a test session for the team's first PDRA race, in April at Rockingham (unless the Texas longshot comes through). Hope its a warm weekend for a change. A brine solution could be part of track prep.
    As far as the car goes, Paul says DJ Safety (see this page's masthead) has updated all of his equipment, including a state-of-the-art engine containment "diaper" (which we hope will never see use). Paul is promising a picture, which we'll post when it arrives.
   We'll be back to set up the Montgomery race/test session.

     

PDRA weekend/ update Saturday

    Saturday update: Paul called from the track while the crews work to dry and re-prep the surface after a lot of rain. He's still hoping for three rounds of qualifying -- at least one shot today, maybe a couple of hours from now. PDRA is committed to getting the race in, going Sunday for sure, and even into Monday if that's what it takes. The best thing is to tune in Motor Mania TV, MMTV 1, which is live-streaming, and it's excellent.
    Happened to catch round 1 of pro boost qualifying Friday, and saw the Beast fail to leave the line. One account said used the word "broke," which usually connotes bad stuff, but Paul said the Beast tossed a blower belt at the hit. He said that's unusual for a roots blower car, unlike the screw cars that go through them like candy, so he decided to look for a cause. The bottom crank pulley was loose, basically held on with bolts at finger-tight, and ready to come off. Anyway, all is well.
    The pro boost class has the biggest field, 27-28 cars, and right now the cutoff at #16 is about 4.05. That's tough; the Beast could run a career best and not get in. Paul said he's not expecting much movement, maybe to a 3.99, so he's going with a 4.0 tuneup for today. The track is being prepped by the best in the business, so it should hold just about anything.
    Tune in Motor Mania TV; it's a great show.
  
     Friday morning: The racers are gathering in Richmond, and Paul and the Beast should be among them. Early tests indicate the track is super fast, so the competition will be great. The team is looking to build on its PDRA experience in Memphis earlier this year.
    Richmond is hours and hundreds of miles away? Not to worry. On the promodifieds.us message board, click on the PDRA championship thread and you will find a link to Motor Mania TV live-streaming all the action. It's excellent, even with an Internet connection as lousy as mine.
    Also, this site

will have info on qualifying and elimination ladders. Let's hope the weather cooperates, and everybody gets down the track swiftly and safely.

PDRA up next

  
     The Beast remained in its garage last weekend, forgoing the race at 710 Dragway in Rowland, N.C., after the team earlier indicated interest in it. Paul was also interested in the PDRA race in Richmond, having enjoyed the Memphis PDRA race earlier this year. So efforts have been directed toward that race, which could be the last one of the season.
    Though the EOPM race in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago was challenging, Paul said they learned a lot. He thinks the torque converter setup is finally where it needs to be, and is planning a fluid change to loosen it up just a bit. Also, the race tuneups have been based on info before the blower was refurbished. The revitalized huffer is really helping to churn out the power, so the team is paying special attention to it. The car is doing well in the first 60 feet, and then blowing the tires. On the back end, the team is running more air in the Mickey Thompsons, and Paul is pleased with the new wheelie bar.
    If the weather stays warm, Paul said he'll look at the calendar for maybe one more race after Richmond. He said the engine rods are getting near their limit.
    Richmond should be a good race.The PDRA Pro Boost class the Beast will run in has proved very popular with racers, so there should be a ton of them vying for one of the 16 slots.

Weekend update: Rained out

   
It was Scenic City Thunder storms (probably an embellishment) Saturday at Brainerd Optimist Drag Strip, washing out what could be the last event of the series. A big screw-blower race at Woodstock, Ala., was also doused.
    Four cars showed -- the Cuda Beast, Jimmy Sandefur, previous SCT winner Rick Murray, and one car that isn't a pure promod. The dismal forecast no doubt kept a lot of Dixie Pro-Mod nitrous racers, who live 4-6 hours away, at home.  It also kept spectators away -- bad for an event that has no sponsors and depends on the gate to fund the purse. Paul said the track was going to cut the already slim purse, so it was probably for the best that the rain came.
    The future of the series next year is murky at best. If the track is truly committed to a promod program, then it will need sponsors to draw racers -- and spectators. Paul said he's willing to hit trade shows to line up sponsors if the commitment is there.
    Otherwise, the Beast is back in top shape, with a new nose and wheelie bar. Paul said he worked until 4 a.m. Saturday to get the car ready. Good thing the tow was not much over an hour away. The team won't make this weekend's PDRA race, but will return to Commerce, Georgia -- scene of this season's bizarre shutdown area collision that necessitated the new front end -- Sept. 19-21 for an Extreme Outlaw Pro Modifieds race as part of the NOPI Nationals. Paul said he's also looking at another four or five races in the fall -- all no-screw events in the Carolinas.
   Stay tuned.