Leaving Louisiana In The Broad Daylight - FFW Louisiana

4th Annual Cajun Fun Ford Nationals
Hot weather, good food, great racing, and a festive family holiday all combined for a great weekend at the 4th Annual Cajun Fun Ford Nationals at No Problem Raceway this year over Memorial Day weekend. Even so, there was some serious business at hand. With three events in the next five weekends, the points battle began in earnest with a lot at stake for both racers and sponsors. There will be a lot of wars waged and money paid out as the season picks up steam this time of year.

National record-holder Grant McCrary picked up his second consecutive series win and a cool $10,000 in Performance 2-Way Street Outlaw after qualifying number one. McCrary met Conrad Scarry in the finals and scored a come-from-behind win to establish himself as the early favorite for the '08 Class Championship.

In ProCharger Street Renegade, defending Class Champion Travis Franklin overcame the loss of a data recorder to make the right tuning calls to beat Angel Padilla in this all-out battle of true 10.5 cars. This was Franklin's first win of the year and a definite turning point for the season.

The Modified Mustangs & Fords True Street Quick 8 event on Saturday came down to the 10-second street cars of Grant Bundy and Doug Zemlik in the finals. Bundy used a huge 0.425 starting-line advantage to cruise to a 10.504 to 10.659 win.

Joe Marini made the 20-hour tow from Maryland more than worthwhile when he defeated defending Class Champion Mac Sibley in the finals of Borla Street Bandit, which runs heads-up off of a 10.60 index. Marini left the starting line with a better reaction, which forced Sibley into a 0.029 breakout in a vain effort to make up that ground. That win gave Marini the lead for the season championship after three events.

In other heads-up index racing, fellow Marylander Tom Conrad Jr. made up the 0.038 holeshot that Cliff Nelson laid on him at the start to grab the unlikely win in Saleen/Speedlab Street Stang. That victory notched his second class victory of the year to stretch his points lead over Nelson, who remained in Second Place after the event.

Jim Fitzgerald of Roswell, Georgia, came to Belle Rose with the points lead in Harland Sharp Mod Comp, but fell to a red light in the opening round of eliminations. This left the door open for the Pickering clan from Troy, Ohio, who were part of a three-way tie for Second Place with Curtis Catalon. After Catalon broke in the first round, the Pickerings both came out of the semifinals as winners. Jon H. Pickering picked up the win, however, after his son was unable to make the call, which left him with the points lead for the Class Championship going into the fourth of ten scheduled events.

Former RPM Outlet Ultra Stang champ S.D. Wheeler grabbed his second consecutive win with his potent turbocharged entry by defeating Thomas Quinn with the help of a 0.110 holeshot en route to an 11.43 victory to Quinn's 13.49.

Paul Gamino was undefeated in JDM Engineering Tough Truck coming into Belle Rose, but left for home early after his truck couldn't run the number against James O'Neal who ran a 10.549 on a 10.54. O'Neal continued on to the finals and the win after local driver John Jaccuzzo broke out by just 0.024 second.

E.T. Bracket Classes
Fast Ford
Saturday Eliminations
W--Fred Custodio, Marrero, LA
R/U--Jade Morvant, Thibodaux, LA

Fast Challenge (All Brands)
Sunday Eliminations
W--Peter Smith, Monroe, LA
R/U--Jade Morvant, Thibodaux, LA

Quick Ford
Saturday Eliminations
W--Wesley LaBlanc, Houma, LA
R/U--Justin Dunlap, Walker, LA

Quick Challenge (All Brands)
Sunday Eliminations
W--Josh Dunlop, Denham Springs, LA
R/U--Linton Cheramie, Cuttoff, LA

Street Ford
Saturday Eliminations
W--James Green, Cloveland, TX
R/U--Tom Conrad, Charlotte Hall, MD

Street Challenge (All Brands)
Sunday Eliminations
W--Tom Conrad, Charlotte Hall, MD
R/U--Cody Cutforth, Baton Rouge, LA