2019 Mod Nationals Coverage Including Gallery
/Written by Jennifer Legg
Photos by Chris and Jennifer Legg / Hard Target Images
Mod Nationals 2019 at South Georgia Motorsports Park got off to a damp start Thursday. They got a few cars down the track before the precipitation took over. Event creator, Justin Young, kept hope alive with constant communication to the racers and fans. Track managers Nelson and Marla Hoyos along with the track crew lead by Wade Rich pushed thru the rain and made the best of the weekend finishing with a grand show on Sunday.
With energy and excitement high for a Modular Motor filled race weekend everyone found a way to enjoy the time. A huge group of participants banned together and headed to the theater to watch the latest greatest race movie. Can’t race? Go watch the racing! While others bonded over food, fire, and spirits doing their best to enjoy the moment.
When Saturday arrived everyone was anxious to get some racing in. A small window allowed the SGMP track crew to get the track-prepped for some True Street racing. After a 30 mile cruise through the south Georgia countryside, they made their way back to battle it out and see who would be the fastest of the True Street cars. With a field of 47 eager racers, everyone was ready to watch some mod motor Fords put down some power.
There were 8 big winners in True Street, starting with the 15 sec. winner Russell Haskins in his 18’ Mustang with a 15.196 sec. average pass. Matias Perez took the 14 sec. group with an average pass of 14.361 in his 18’ F150. Merlin Moyer topped the 13 sec. group with an average pass of 13.078 in his 14’ Mustang. Jimmy Warner with an average pass of 12.051 came out on top of the 12 sec. group in his 00’ Mustang.
Speeding things up a bit the 11 sec. The winner was Leticia Huges ran an average of 11.012 sec. in her 18’ Mustang. At almost a second faster in his 18’ Mustang, Daniel Jimenez ran an average of 10.066 sec. to top the 10 sec. group. Collin Ettiene had the most competition to beat in the 9 sec. group averaging 9.117 sec in his 17’ Mustang earning him a trophy. The winner of the 8 sec. group was Jeff Chandler, in his 03’ Cobra, ran a quick lap of 8.845. Not fast enough to take the top True Street position though. Kurtis Forseberg was the 2019 Mod Nationals True Street overall winner. Foresberg in, Goldust, his 97’ Mustang ran an average of 8.330 beating all 46 other drivers.
True Street was cut a pass short due to the very heavy mist that rolled in over saturating the track. It was very nice to see all those beautiful street cars safely going from point A to B. Will you bring the fastest street car next year? Who will be the next True Street Winner?
Sunday morning was greeted with brisk blue sunny skies accompanied by the screeching of the tractor dragging the track and the sound of racecars warming up. Promising sounds and weather for a full day of racing. Racers were chomping at the bit to get in the seat, buckle up and down the track! As racer, Justin Jordan, put it “It was the biggest case of racing blue balls ever!” Everyone was ready to race.
The day started with the Driver Mod class. DM was split into two classes, DM Pro and DM Street. DM Pro was a field of 14 cars. Yandro Ulloa made it to round 3 with a by run due to a broken competitor in round 1 and another bye run in round 2. In round 3 Taylor Hedrick in his 02’ Mustang faced off against Gary Wogaman in his 04’ Mustang. Hendrick making it to the stripe the fastest moving him on to the finals to face Ulloa in his 98’ Cobra, after his win over a 03’ Cobra driven by Stephen Floyd. In the finals Hendricks 8.866 sec. at 163.61 mph pass was not enough to beat the Minion. Ulloa in the, TT Minion, won Driver Mod Pro with an 8.367 sec. pass at 144.26 mph.
Driver Mod Street was also a class of 14 beautiful streetcars. S550’s, GT 500’s, Cobras, Shelbys and a couple of fox bodies. In round three semis Tanner Basye was a bit faster and beat Peter Martinez, and his 12’ Mustang GT, with a 10.587 sec. pass at 133.35 mph. Sending Basye to the finals to face Joel Nystrom after he triumphed over Haycha Salazar by running 10.768 sec. at 137.76 mph. It was a close final round. Basye was the victor in his 03’ Cobra with a 10.387-sec pass at 138.87 mph over Nystroms 10.396 sec at 139.72 mph pass, in his 04’ Cobra.
Outlaw All Motor class was a small but mighty class of 7 cars. Drew Lyons, in his 88’ Mustang, came out on top with a 9.776 sec. at 135.21 mph pass over competitor Darin Hendricks, 93’ Cobra, running 9.811 sec. at 136.14 mph.
Next up was the 6R80/10R80 Street class. Eight cars made up the field. A bit of bad luck for four of the drivers in round one who broke, gave some good luck to the others sending them straight to round two. Unfortunately, another broke leaving 3 cars to battle out in the class. Making it to the finals was Josh Flynt, in his 89’ Coyote powered Fox body, who lined up against Joe Glockner in his bagged S550 5.0. Glockner made it to the finish first running an 8.791 sec. at 162.82 mph.
Heavy Street started out with 13 lucky competitors. In the semi-finals, it was Jim Braun vs. Michael Franks. Braun took the round win with an 8.412 sec pat at 142.85 over Franks 8.613 sec pass at 156.94 mph. Sending Braun to the finals where he would face Paul Albino who beat out Tommy Falls, with a 7.935-sec pass at 176.10. Braun in Great White, his 12’ Mustang 5.0, beat Albino to the finish with an 8.129-sec pass at 136.91 mph.
The up and coming class of Modular Trucks had four F150’s, a Roush, a lightning and a Raptor who battled it out to be the fastest modular truck on the property. Dan Sutter to the top spot running 10.737 sed at 133.55 mph in his 17’ F150 5.0. Jim Roberts gave it all it had in his 17’ Roush cutting a .012 light to Sutters .200. Sutters truck hooked and came flying around Roberts for the win, with a margin of 1.618 seconds. The Trucks are fun to watch, looking forward to next year and more trucks!
King of the 4 Valve Pro was a well-fought battle. Kurtis Foresberg and his 92’ Mustang gave all they could conquering each competitor to move his way through all the rounds. Some may say Keith Ray, in his 04’ Cobra, had a lucky horseshoe to help him with his battles. Winning the war, being King, is what mattered most. Rhea conquered Forseberg in the finals round. Though Foresberg had the advantage at the start, by leaving .163 seconds before Rhea. Rhea charged down the track beating Foresberg by almost three-tenths of a second. Rhea’s winning pass was 7.33 sec at 188.44mph, to Foresberg’s 7.632-sec pass at 183.15mph.
King of the 4 Valve Street battle was won by Brian Devilbiss in his 19’ Mustang. His competitor wasn’t able to make the call, allowing Devil bliss to make a nice solo victory lap of 8.555 sec at 160.63mph. Mod Outlaw class won by Jim Lockwood running 6.015sec pass at 144.98. Battle of the Underdog class was won by Bryan Hanson in his 06’ Mustang with an 8.492-sec pass at 161.09 mph.
All Blower Street was a pretty good fight. In the semis Jason Wagoner, in his 13’ GT 500, beat Mike Swank by a holeshot in is 14’ Mustang, with a reaction time of .105 and a pass of 9.513 sec at 145.63. Over Swanks reaction of .382 and a pass of 9.409 sec at 149.15 mph. Rick Baum, in his 00’ Mustang faced Buck Pandolfi, in his 13’ GT 500. Baum was the faster car to the stripe with a 9.357 sec at 135.29 mph sending him to the finals. Baum won the class with a 9.316 sec pass at 146.08 mph over Wagoner’s 9.456 seconds at 146.34 mph.
All Blower Pro class Semi-Finals was a tough fight. Oscar Morin, in his ‘16 Mustang, ran 8.472 at 160.92 mph to move on to the finals over Randy Thomas. Thomas ran a close 8.477-sec pass, but Morins reaction time gave him the edge. Mike Ciborowski, in his 14’ Mustang lined up against Brian Devilbiss. Devilbiss ran 8.532 at 160.35 mph, but not fast enough to beat Ciborowski’s 8.021 at 169.8 mph, to the line. Putting Morin up against Ciborowski in the finals. Ciborowski took home the trophy with is 7.986-sec pass at 170.75 mph.
It may have been a tough weekend at South Georgia Motorsports Park for the Mod National participants. The constant moisture made it drab and seem hopeless at times. But with poise, perseverance, communication, and racer camaraderie we all made the best of the weekend. Bonding over car and race stories, BBQ, music, movies, laughter, and spirits. All punctuated by a fabulous sunny Sunday, that allowed the mean Modular Motors to run! Justin Young and everyone at the track put their all into this weekend. We are all looking forward to 2020 for a bigger better show, with even more cars and trucks, more racers and crews, more vendors and bigger Purses! See everyone in 2020.
