2007 Tucson Fuel Altereds & Show

The event had a big crowd this year, despite the 100 degree temps at 4PM when the gates opened.

The National T-Bucket Alliance hosted a car show, and the happenings on the track were many, with not only Fuel Altereds, but 2-3 times as many alcohol altereds, a "gambler race", Junior dragsters, and the Southwest Superchargers" series race, featuring blown dragsters, Altereds, and Pro Mod style cars. Lots of happenings!

This altered gave us our first case of "nitro eyes"!

The purple truck was called "Grape Nutz", and won people's choice in the show.

The black truck was called "Outlaw", and was running mid 8s. He had a best 2 out of 3 match race going with an AMX Pro Mod, but he blew it up bad at the 1000 foot mark (with the appropriate ball of fire) in the second round!

A few more...

The "Wild Thing" Alcohol Altered is a Tucson car, and runs real good!

The Datsun Z-car pulls the front wheels about 2 feet on every pass....Chevy power.

The Duece 3-window is one of many nice cars in the show area.

...and more..

A couple of the many Alky Altereds.

This pretty little '27 Roadster had a padded hardtop!

You don't see chopped Toyota race trucks too often......especially with 513 Chevy power!

...again...

Race cars aren't as simple as they used to be. The "Fast & Forty" Fuel Altered requires a degree in electronics, before you are allowed to work on it! :-)

A nice steel '32 coupe in the show.

Several of the cars there with the Southwest Superchargers had this hybrid chassis style. It looks like it's daddy was a dragster, and it's mommy was an Altered.

...some more....

The Alky Altered in the back is run by the famous "Blind Faith" team of Fuel Altered fame...Maroney & Day. The car in the foreground was obviously inspired by the old Mooneyham & Sharp coupe, with it's "334" number on the side.

This Tee, one of many in the car show, showed some individual creativity.

I rode out with a good friend of mine in his '50 Chevy pickup. He recently finished it with a 402 bigblock, 4-speed, 9 inch, 4-wheel discs, and A/C. That is a bunch of flaming chili peppers on the tailgate! (This IS Tucson, Arizona!) The car next to it is a '58 Ford "retractible".

....more qualifying.

I'm not sure, but this may be the famous roadster of Gary Cagle. It's been in Tucson in the past....though I don't remember his crew being dressed in high heels before. :-)

The second picture shows him facing a smallblock Chevy Fiat, very reminiscent of the early Altereds.

Some unusual graphics on one entry.

The parade before eliminations. This featured the Altereds, the Southwest Superchargers, and the National T-Bucket Alliance members hosting the show.

Here are a couple cars you will recognize.....Mike Sullivans Fiat, and the Winged Express. Both cars were flying, but it looked like the "taller" Marcellus & Borsch car was a hand full to drive! Willie would have been proud!

Here are a couple more action shots.

The winged Express "at speed".

And a blurry 255MPH pass by the Consolidated welding car, a flat black Tee, with the Fast & Forty Fiat in the far lane.....the best "fire & thunder show" of the night, at the point we left. If I can find out who met in the final, I'll add it later.

Bump! Don't want race fans to miss this. :-)

Nice pics.


Im still trying to decide if I like the digger/altered/hybrid/whatever that red car is. Driver sits on top of or just in front of the rear end with a slingshot front frame w/ higher cage than the altereds, wierd man, wierd.

If you check the pictures again, there is a green Bantam roadster bodied car, and yellow T-bucket bodied car with similar chassis.

I suppose it handles and hooks better than an altered might. With the engine having a larger setback percentage, there's more static weight on the rear tires, and a longer wheelbase would keep the front from rising as quickly.

Here is your winner, and also a car from Boyd & Sullivan that I didn't get a good shot of.

Results for the race and more photos can be seen at Drag Racing on line (where I got these photos). Click here.

http://www.dragracingonline.com/race...altered-1.html

Thanks for sharing, Hotrodpaint. Looks like a great event.

My pleasure. There are only a small number of events for these today. I knew some people would not be able to see them in person.

Hey Paint,
Great photos and a great group of racers. It was a surprise to see a very old friend that I raced with for years in the Arizona Thunder car. Mikie Hilsabeck has been running his hot rod in Arizona and division 7 for years in various configurations from flopper to altered. He ran with CIFCA and was a 4 time champion as an alky flopper then a body change allowed running with the blown Bad Boys and latter shortened her up and went with a little more nitro to go play with the altered group full time. Mike is a damn nice guy and a die hard racer who always makes time to chat with folks at the track. Stop by his trailer and do a little bench racing if you see him at the next race.
Jeff C

Hey Paint,
Great photos and a great group of racers. It was a surprise to see a very old friend that I raced with for years in the Arizona Thunder car. Mikie Hilsabeck has been running his hot rod in Arizona and division 7 for years in various configurations from flopper to altered. He ran with CIFCA and was a 4 time champion as an alky flopper then a body change allowed running with the blown Bad Boys and latter shortened her up and went with a little more nitro to go play with the altered group full time. Mike is a damn nice guy and a die hard racer who always makes time to chat with folks at the track. Stop by his trailer and do a little bench racing if you see him at the next race.
Jeff C

Vettestr, Nice to see the local boys do well. I think the Black Tee was the quickest of the weekend, but that doesn't always get you to the winners circle. Thanks for the info about Hilsabeck.

P.S. Nice Cobra replica. :-)

"Cobray C-3"

Southwestern International Raceway

Tucson, AZ

June 16, 2007

Father’s Day weekend was a huge celebration at SIR in Tucson. The day featured the AA/Fuel Altereds, Southwest Super Chargers, Alcohol Altereds, a Box / No Box Race and a capacity car show for the standing room only spectator crowd. Added to the mix was a grudge match between the slammed ’55 small block on nitro of Gary Glandon of Southwest Custom Trucks who took on the hemi powered ’69 AMX of Josh Metz. Both super quick race cars have hired guns behind the wheel. J D. St Cyr took the money and the bragging rights in Glandon’s truck from Tim O’Moore driving Josh’s AMX. St. Cyr ran a 7.105 at 198.35 MPH to Tim’s 7.760 at 174.66 MPH for the final in the best two out of three.

The AA /Altered ranks had names like Mike Hilsabeck from Phoenix, James Generalo from Las Vegas, Greg Daebellean from Chino Valley, AZ, and Mack McCord in the Gorilla from Phoenix and the winged Express from Los Alamitos, CA driven by Mike Boyd. Boyd had the fastest and quickest times of the event. The Wing, formerly driven by Wild Willy Borsch went 5.772 at 251.02 with the front wheels three feet off the ground at the 1000 foot mark.

The Southwest Superchargers ran on a 7.60 Index with most members living in Texas and New Mexico. The association came to Tucson in full force. Vying for the eight car field were fourteen beautiful race cars that made the tow. Two big block Chevy’s from Texas did battle for the pot, but unfortunately the race ended at the tree when the red light came on for Jacob Penner by .327. Jacob still ran an 8.306 at 177.60 MPH. The win went to Julian Moody from El Paso Texas who had a .063 light and ran a 7.690 on the 7.60 Index at 164.71 MPH. Julian has visited the winners circle several times at SIR.

The Alcohol Altered cars came from all over the Division 7 area to try for the eight car field. The California Rattler with Becky Sylvester from Utah, Leah Pruett from Redlands, CA, Tom Brown from Lakewood, CA and Chris Phelps from Litchfield Park, AZ were just a few of the sixteen car field trying to make the show. The final saw last year’s Tucson Dragway Reunion winner, Dave Ward in his ’48 Fiat face local hard charger Mike Boettcher. Boettcher got the win when Ward took too much stripe by almost 5 hundredths and went under the Index. Ward left first with a .027 light, but ran a 7.554 at 171.66 MPH. Boettcher also ran under the 7.50 Index, but only by three hundredths. Mike had a .033 reaction time and ran a 7.480 at 179.97 MPH