News

Steve's Corner

On Saturday, OPDS Race 9 at Mason Dixon completed our 2024 season. It was a great day—great weather, a great track, and great Pontiacs in attendance. Car count was one of our best in recent history including two members of Team Outlaw- Tracey Greshaw and Eric Erman both who made the trip from Michigan to race with us on Saturday. Great to see these guys!

On the track - for the Race 9 final Jim Berry (81 Pontiac wagon) turned on the Win light, defeating Race 8 Winner Wayne Skelly in his 73 Ventura. Stats for the final: Jim- 11.730(11.72dial) 111.28mph and Wayne- 11.128(11.06dial) 101.76mph. Congratulations to Jim Berry for the WIN and Wayne for the Runner-up spot on Saturday.

Lester Holtzapple closed the deal and finished the season in the top position in the points race for 2024. As in other seasons, first place in points for the season came down to the final race of the year. Chuck Hutzler came close but Lester prevailed and is this year's CHAMPION for 2024. Congratulations to Lester Holtzapple (and Mike Bassin, car owner) as the OPDS Champion for the 2024 season ! Top 5 finalists included Mike Clay in 3rd, Jeff Raff 4th, and Bruce Garber in 5th place. You can check out all the point standings on our web page (RESULTS tab)

Waking up this past Saturday morning it seemed there was no way we would be able to complete our race 8 at Mason Dixon. However, with a surprising shift in the weather we were looking at a mostly sunny, but humid day. After a necessary extra time to dry the track the great crew at Mason Dixon got us to the lanes a little later than usual but we were able to get onto Race 8. We were, however, limited to running the 1/8 mi instead of our usual 1/4 mi. A move that we expected considering the weather conditions.

On the track - The final found the current points leader, Lester Holtzapple in Mike Bassin's 68 Firebird, up against the 73 Pontiac Ventura of Wayne Skelly. In a double break-out run Wayne took the 350 Pontiac powered Ventura to the Winners circle for the second time this season. Here's the stats: Wayne- 6.920(6.93dial) 95.58mph to Lester's 7.293(7.33dial) 94.54mph. Congratulations to Wayne for his Win on Saturday!

Other finalists were Mike Clay ( 62 Catalina) and Rodney Eichelberger (70 Firebird) as the Semifinalists. Quarterfinalists were Dave Roarty (69 Firebird), Annette Peer (68 Firebird), Paul Beard (72 Firebird) and Steve Dress (68 Firebird). Congratulations to all our finalists!

Thanks to Bill Bolin for his usual great picts on the Outlaw Pontiac Facebook page. Also, thanks to everyone who helped in getting this race in the books: Jim Staub, Tom Bunty, Al Leese and anyone who I may have, regretfully, forgotten. You all make the day go so much easier.

Points race- Lester Holtzapple's Runner-up finish increased his lead slightly over second place Mike Clay who moved past Chuck Hutzler, now in 3rd place. Jeff Raff holds down the 4th spot and Bruce Garber remains in 5th. Get all the standings on our webpage : outlawpontiacdragseries.com

Our next race is the last in our series this year. We'll meet again on October 12 at Mason Dixon. We hope to see you all there.

Other finalists included semifinalists Jeff Raff (64 GTO) and Steve Dress (68 Firebird). Bruce Garber (00 T/A), Lester Holtzapple (68 Firebird) and Annette Peer (68 Firebird) took the honors as Quarterfinalists. Congrats to all our finalists!

Sunday’s race resulted in a change at the top of the points when point leader, Chuck Hutzler(82 Firebird) went out after getting the Win light in the first round but experiencing brake failure and couldn’t move to the 2nd round. Second place Lester Holtzapple(68 Firebird) took advantage by going some rounds and moved into the Top spot, just a single round-win ahead of Chuck. Mike Clay, taking the Win on Sunday, moved to just a few rounds behind Lester and Chuck. The last two races coming up will be really interesting! The remaining top five in points include Jeff Raff(64 GTO) in fourth and Bruck Garber(00T/A) coming in at 5th. Be sure to check out the point listing on our RESULTS page.

Thanks go out to all who showed up to endure the heat and to help, including Jim Staub, Tom Bunty, Bill Bolin, and anyone I may have forgotten.

We are going into a 5-week break, hopefully from the heat that seems to be never-ending this year, and will meet again at Mason Dixon on September 7th. Please visit our webpage and check us out, then bring those Pontiacs to Mason Dixon for the next race and enjoy the day with us. Til then…

Saturday welcomed us to Mason Dixon with great weather for our 6th race of the season. Thanks to all those racers who attended after coming home form a very long weekend of racing in Norwalk at the Ames Performance Pontiac nationals.

On the track-The final round on Saturday found Wayne Skelly’s 73 Ventura up against Lester Holtzapple in Mike Bassin’s 68 Firebird. With Lester having the better reaction but Wayne dialing quicker both cars broke out when Wayne forced Lester to take the strip but breaking out by a larger margin than Wayne. Wayne took the Win. Here’s the stats for the final: Wayne Skelly (73 Ventura) 11.039 (11.04dial) 108.72mph; Lester Holtzapple (68 Firebird) 11.432 (11.46dial)117.16mph. Congratulations to Wayne Skelly for his Win on Saturday.

Race 6 Winner - Wayne Skelly (& Crew)

Other finalists included Jeff Mason(73 Firebird) and Dave Roarty (69 Firebird) taking the cash for the Semis and Mike Clay (62 Catalina), Bruce Garber (2000T/A), Chuck Hutzler (82 Firebird) and Chad Ely (70 GTO) taking the winnings as Quarterfinalists. Congratulations to all our Finalists on Saturday.

In the run for the Points, It’s still Chuck Hutzler on the top but Lester Holtzapple is now close behind in second. Mike Clay, Jeff Raff, and Bruce Garber round out the top 5 with only two round-wins separating them. The final 3 races could be interesting! Catch all the point standings on our RESULTS page.

Thanks go out to those who helped on Saturday- the usual great job from Carl Hazenstab as well as Tom Bunty and Al Leese – all who made my life easier on race day. Thank you!

Our next race is next weekend at Mason Dixon- SUNDAY, August 4. We hope to see you then.

Saturday's breathtaking high temperatures and humidity didn't stop our racers from getting together for the 5th race of the season. Hats off to those who braved the extremes to come out and join us. The Rocking Chair Nationals is a great race/show of several eras and genres of race cars. Even though it was a regular points race for us, our Pontiacs fit well into the show.

Special thanks to Carl Hazenstab and Jim Staub for enduring the heat, keeping things running, and doing a great job on Saturday despite the weather.

Because of the heat and size of the event we ran 1/8mi which helped speed up the running of the show and less time for the drivers to be in the 100+ degree car.

On the track- Ryan Ely (70 GTO) took home the trophy on Saturday with a Win over Geoff Sotak (65 Tempest). He also gathered up the Bounty from Points leader Chuck Hutzler and his Dad, Chad, won the 50/50! A good day for the Ely race family! A note here to the Elys also for the sportsmanship they showed in the final. Their opponent, Geoff Sotak (65 Tempest) had a dead battery in the lanes as the final was about to be run. Chad ran back to his trailer and came back with a battery pack to start Geoff's Tempest. Great job!

Here's the stats on the final- Ryan's 70 GTO ran 6.374 at 106.03mph on a 6.35 dial and Geoff, unfortunately, left a little too quick but ran it out to a 6.746 at 100.42mph on his 6.73 dial. Congratulations to Ryan for his WIN on Saturday!

Jeff Raff (64 GTO) and Shawn Miller (79 T/A) finished as the Semifinalists and Quarterfinalists included Annette Peer (68 Firebird), Chuck Hutzler (82 Firebird), Lester Holtzapple (68 Firebird) and Mike Clay (62 Catalina). Congratulations to all our finalists on Saturday!

Our next race is scheduled for July 27. We hope to see you all there and to those heading to Norwalk between now and our next race, have a great race and make us proud!;

Race 4 for OPDS, originally scheduled for June 8, was run instead this past Sunday, June 2nd due to a scheduling conflict. Having canceled our race 3 due to the weather and every weekend seeming to be a washout at MD, we were glad to get back at it this past weekend.

On the track, Lester Holtzapple in Mike Bassin’s 68 Firebird took the Win over the current points leader Chuck Hutzler in his 82 Firebird. Lester’s better reaction accounted for the Win, cutting the beams at 11.48 (11.47dial) at 115mph to Chuck’s dead-on 8.67 (8.67dial) at 145 mph. Lester’s Win moved him into 2nd place in the points race behind Chuck.

Other finalists on Sunday saw Bruce Garber (2000 T/A) taking the cash for a Semifinal finish and Jeff Raff (64 GTO), George Walker (74 GTO), and Tom Bunty (85 Firebird) finishing as the quarterfinalists.

Congratulations to Lester for his Win and to all our finalists on Sunday.

The top of the Points program is held by Chuck Hutzler, followed by Lester Holtzapple in second, with Mike Clay, Jeff Raff, and Bruce Garber making it the Top 5. A complete listing of the points can be found on our website- outlawpontiacdragseries.com – in the “results” tab.

Thanks to everyone for the help and support on Sunday, especially to Carl, Jim, and Tom – great job guys.

Our next race is again at Mason Dixon- the Rocking Chair Nationals on Saturday, June 22. We do not have a rain date for that event. In recent years the MD staff has reworked how the event is run and the day moves along quicker than in past years. The event managers usually give out participant plaques and I will be forwarding the names of our Points participants to them. If you are not a regular racer with us but plan to attend, send a PM to me so I can get your name on the list.

Scheduling note- At the drivers meeting we noted that MD’s schedule didn’t have OPDS listed for our August 4 race. It does appear on the printed schedule but not on their calendar. We are working to get that fixed, so we ARE planning to have our event on August 4 as scheduled.

We hope to see you on the 22nd at Mason Dixon.

…til then!

Due to high winds, Mason Dixon wisely moved the event scheduled for Saturday, April 13th to the next day, and although there was still a steady breeze on Sunday we got off to a good start for our 26th year of The Outlaw Pontiac Drag Series. Lots of action at the track as we shared the day with Mason Dixon’s Summit Series racers and 45 of the Southern Outlaw Top Sportsman cars, many who ran deep into the 4’s in the 1/8.

For our Pontiac class, last season’s Points Champ, Chuck Hutzler took little time to let his presence known, finishing the day at the top, taking the Win in his 82 Firebird over Chad Ely’s 70 GTO. Sorry that I don’t have the stats for this final. Finishing in the Semifinals on Sunday were Jeff Raff (64 GTO) and Paul Beard (72 Firebird) and in the Quarterfinals it was Lester Holtzapple (68 Firebird), Bruce Garber (2000T/A), and Mike Clay (62 Catalina).

Congratulations to Chuck for his Win on Sunday and to all our finalists on our first race of the season.

Getting right back at it the next weekend on Saturday, April 20th, we again met at MD for the second race of our 2024 season. As with our first race last week, several of our racers and fans of the series showed up to help, race, or watch. Thanks to those who helped run the program- Jim Staub, Carl Hazenstab, Bill Bolin, and anyone who helped on that day that I failed to mention.

On the track, it was former Champ Mike Clay taking the Win in his 62 Catalina over Jeff Mason in his 73 Firebird. Again, I fail to have the stats for the final. I will work on correcting that for the next race! In the Semis it was Bruce Garber (2000 T/A) and Chuck Hutzler (82 Firebird). Lester Holtzapple (68 Firebird), Jeff Raff (64 GTO), and Steve Dress (68 Firebird) all took home the cash for finishing as the Quarterfinalists. Congratulations to Mike for his Win and to all the Finalists on Saturday.

After two races this season, Chuck Hutzler leads the Points series, with Mike Clay, Jeff Raff, Bruce Garber, and Lester Holtzapple finishing out the top 5 positions respectively.

Note: a couple of racers new to us asked if they had to run the points to race with us. ENTRY IN THE POINTS PROGRAM IS NOT REQUIRED. You can race one, or all our races without being in our points program. However, in the points program we pay down 10 places which pays back your one-time entry of $45. Definitely a good deal! For a complete listing of our rules and procedures, check the “Rules” tab on our website: outlawpontiacdragseries.com

Our next race, again at Mason Dixon, is set for Saturday, May 4th (RD of Sunday 5/5). Let’s get those Pontiacs out and show us what you got! We hope to see you then!

If you have never raced with us before- read on to see some of the details of our season and check out the “rules” tab on this site. Otherwise, we should note that there is no “membership” fee to race with us. Come join us for 1 race or race all season and take part in our Points program (one-time $45 fee) and take a shot at the $1000 year-end prize. We welcome all Pontiacs- Pontiac powered or Pontiac bodied cars- to come and join the best group of enthusiasts you’ll find and the ONLY all Pontiac drag series in the East Coast, running for 25 years- so far!

2024 is here and the racing season is coming up fast. Below you will find a copy of out 2024 Event Schedule. Copy/print it if you like. As in last year, we are not sending the flyer out to our mailing list. Meanwhile, here’s some of the details of the upcoming season:

After discussing it with several of our racers we will doing 9 races this season, ALL of them at Mason- Dixon. We were planning to attend the BOP race at Beaver Springs this year but they have scheduled the BOP race for the same weekend as Norwalk- again! Guess there won’t be many Pontiacs showing up at the BOP race this year-again! I would like to have races at other venues but the logistics of it just didn’t seem to work out this year. I don’t want another debacle like we had at BS last year. Besides, in reality, MD treats us better than most other tracks we have been to so we are making it our “go to “ track this year.

Back to the races- 9 races. 4 of them have rain dates as listed on the flyer. We will offer one throw-out race- UNLESS- we have two or more races cancelled in the season, then there are no throw-outs. Also, like last season, we are starting just a little earlier than usual. Beginning on April 13th (rain date 4/14) we will be running with Mason Dixon’s Summit series on that day. All events are 1/4mi unless weather, extensive track down-time, etc warrants 1/8mi. This season we will not be racing on any Test-N-Tune dates. Seems the TNT participants don’t want to be denied track time waiting on other classes to finish. All of our races will be during other classes being run that day so it will give some of our racers who would like to enter other classes to do so then.

Entry fee will be the same as last year ($25) to enter our class, along with the GATE FEE to Mason Dixon, I believe, is to be same as last season as well. Payouts are also not changed for 2024, with $500 going to our Winner and paying down to the Quarterfinals.

All of our sponsors are on board for this season, the schedule is set and it’s just a matter of time until we hear the call- “Pontiacs to the Lanes!”. We hope you will join us then. So, get those Pontiacs ready and we’ll see ya there! Stay warm, stay safe.

Steve

With temps in the mid 60’s and mostly cloudy skies, The Outlaw Pontiac Drag Series met at Mason Dixon for our final race of our 25th season. What a finish it was. The Championship for the point race within our series was determined by the final round of the final race! More on that later, but first, we want to congratulate Chuck Hutzler (82 Firebird) for taking the Win light over Mike Clay (62 Catalina) in the final on Sunday. Both former Champions and both in contention for the Championship this season it was to be a good race. Chuck took the stripe with an off the pace 10.25 (10.17dial) to Mikes’s even more off 10.55(10.31 dial). Congratulations to Chuck for his WIN and Mike Clay for his RUNNER-UP finish on Sunday.

Other Finalists for Race 8 were Dave Roarty (69 Firebird) as the Semifinalist with George Walker (74 GTO) and Shawn Miller (79 T/A) as our Quarterfinalists. Congratulations to all our finalists!

Special Thanks to Carl Hazenstab for the video and pictures you will see on FB, and for his tremendous help on Sunday.

As stated, the final round determined the Champion in our Points race for 2023. Going into the race on Sunday Bruce Garber (00 T/A) was in the Top spot, just a couple round wins ahead of second place Mike Clay, and Chuck Hutzler a few more rounds below Mike. Bruce lost in the 3rd round on a double break-out to Semifinalist Dave Roarty and Mike’s losing in the first round and having to continue as a buy-back (less points per round) opened the door for Chuck Hutzler. Chuck had to take it all to get to the top, and that he did, Winning the Championship for 2023 by just 6 points! A great finish to a great season. Congratulations to Chuck Hutzler for his Win on Sunday and his Championship of 2023!

The Top 5-point finalists for 2023 were: Chuck Hutzler, Bruce Garber, Mike Clay, George Walker, and Jeff Raff. The complete Point Standings can be found on this website, on the RESULTS page.

It was a great season, albeit a different season for our series. For our 25th year we dropped to 8 races and took 2 months off in the Summer, splitting the year into two sessions- Spring and Fall. Not sure if we will do the same again next season. We will let the racers decide that over the Winter. I welcome any input to the issue of number of races, away races and having a break in the season. All that being said, it was a great season this year and as I always say- it is just a great bunch of people in this group and you have all shown yourselves to be that time and again. This year we saw several new faces come to race with us and I hope they enjoyed their day with us and that we have made them feel welcomed.

I can’t Thank You enough to those who helped this season, making it much easier for me as I navigated through the issues that kept me from attending. For fear of missing a few I will not give names but you know who you are and I hope you know how much I appreciate you.

Before moving on to Season 26 we plan to see those who will be attending our luncheon in December to recognize the top 10 Points finishers of 2023. We will be in touch concerning that. For 2024 we again welcome the input in regards to racers wishes- not guaranteeing we can do it! -but we hope to make Season 26 the best it can be.

See you all in 2024!... til then- Steve

At Mason Dixon this Saturday clear skies and a nice warm day made for a great time to race and our Pontiacs took advantage of it, turning out with our best attendance this season. Several new racers with some great rides came out to do their stuff.

When the Win light came on at the end of the day it was Lucien Payne (92 Firebird) taking the Win over Chuck Hutzler(82 Firebird) in the final. This was Lucien’s second Win this season, his first season of racing! In the final he faced Chuck Hutzler, who helped him find the race car he drives and learn the ropes of racing. Here’s the final: it was over at the tree with Lucien, who was running at a high of 173 mph in other rounds, backed out to a 157mph at an 8.787 et (8.75 dial). Chuck, who was un-characteristically off at the tree ran a 10.050 on his 10.03 dial at 136mph. Congratulations to Lucien for Winning Race 7, and to both he and Chuck for making it to the Final on Saturday.

Other finalists on Saturday were Bruce Garber (00 T/A) as the semifinalist, and George Walker (74 GTO), Lester Holtzapple(68Firebird), and Larry Rowe (64 Lemans) as the Quarterfinalists.

In the Points Standings we now see Bruce Garber in the top spot with Mike Clay only 2 round Wins behind in second, followed by Chuck Hutzler, Jeff Raff and George Walker rounding out the top 5 spots. Any one of these guys are within striking distance of the top spot and it will all be determined by our final race next Sunday, October 8 at Mason Dixon. All the point standings can be seen on our website- outlawpontiacdragseries.com , the Results Tab.

Thanks to all who came out to race, help, or watch our Pontiacs. Let’s do it again next week! See ya then.

In spite of the apparent threat of rain the Pontiacs came to play at our 6 th race of the season on Sept 10 at Mason Dixon, and everyone was ready to get back at it. The rain never happened but the action on the track did. The final netted us a close one with two former Champs, Rodney Eichelberger and Chuck Hutzler pairing off for a great finish. Rodney got there first to take the stripe and the Win with a .023 MOV. Here’s the stats for the final: Rod (70 Firebird) 9.112 (9.11 dial) RT-.022; Chuck (82 Firebird) 10.407 (10.40 dial) RT- .038. Great job by both and Congratulations to Rod for the Win!!

Other Finalists were: Mike Clay (62 Catalina), Bruce Garber ( 00 T/A) as the semifinalists and Randy Peer (69 GTO), George Walker (74 GTO), and Chad Ely (70 GTO) as the Quarterfinalists. Congratulations to all our finalists in Race 6!

The point standings find Mike Clay in the Top Spot followed closely by Bruce Garber, with Jeff Raff, Chuck Hutzler and George Walker rounding out the top 5. For a complete listing of the point standings go to the “Results” tab on our website: outlawpontiacdragseries.com .

Sorry that we don’t have any pictures for this race- Bill couldn’t make it- but he’ll be back again we hope to show us the race details for the next one. Many thanks go out to Jim Staub for running the race and to Anne Beard who I’m told was a tremendous help to Jim on that day. I wasn’t there to help but I know others also were there to help as needed. Thanks to you all.

Next race is at Mason Dixon Saturday, Sept 30 th . We hope to see you there…’til then!

On Sunday, Sept 10 OPDS is getting back into action as we end our Summer break and head to Mason Dixon for our Race 6 of the 2023 season. It seems like a long time since we have gotten together and I’m anxious to see all our Pontiac brothers and sisters again. I wish I could say that I will be there with my car but it’s just not to be this season. But I have hopes for next year. Geez, I hate to say that and sound like a garage-queen!

Anyhow, rumor has it we will be getting 2 time runs on the 10th. It is after-all a day of Test-n-Tune. Also, on that day they are running a gambler’s race so that day could go pretty quickly as it does some times on TNT days. Gates open at 9am and Time Trials get underway at 11. Rain Date for this race is Sept 17.

We have three races this “late session”- Sept 10, Sept 30, and Oct 8 which finishes out our 8-race season. This year was a trial to see if everyone liked the break in July and August. It gave time to enjoy vacations, prepare for the Norwalk event, or maybe regroup your efforts for the end of season or next year (like me!). Let me know if you think this was a good idea and also give your thoughts on having an 8 race or 10 race season next year.

Be sure to visit the “Gallery” tab above. Jim Staub has provided us with a way to view picts from our earlier races rather than having to chase them down on Facebook. We also want to thank Bill Bolin for providing us with his gallery of pictures that we can link to. Others have provided great pictures as well and Jim says we will link to some of them down the road as time permits.

In the run for the Championship, we are now in a tie with Jeff Raff and Mike Clay in a dead heat at the top. Close behind in 3rd is Bruce Garber followed by Bill Junkins and George Walker rounding out the Top 5. Check out the complete Point listing on the “Results” tab above.

If you are new to our group we want to remind everyone that there is no “membership” fee to race with us other than the entry fee and Gate cost. Bring your Pontiac, or Pontiac powered car and enjoy the day with a great bunch of people who share your enthusiasm for Pontiacs. There is no requirement to join our Points program to race. If you do consider racing for points, maybe next season, we have a one-time signup fee and we pay down 10 positions at the end of the year with $1000 going to our Champion. Maybe consider it for another season.

Have a great week and we hope to see you next Sunday at Mason Dixon…’til then

The Outlaw Pontiac Drag Series kicks off its 25th season of racing on Saturday, April 22 at Mason Dixon Dragway in Hagerstown, MD in the first of 8 events this year. This season we are running our events in two “sessions”, one we call the early session, running from April 22 to June 24 and the other session in the latter part of the summer, running September 10 to October 8. There will be no OPDS events in July and August! If you are in our points program the points for the season are tallied from all 8 races to determine the 2023 Champion. There will be no “throw-out” races this year, meaning every race will be counted toward the yearend total. This year we will have Rain Dates listed for some of our events, usually the following weekend.

Seven of our races are at Mason Dixon and one at Beaver Springs (May 27).This year OPDS will not be a part of the BOP race at Beaver due to the Pontiac Nationals at Norwalk taking place on that weekend. All races are point races and we plan to have extra payouts for the race at Beaver Springs. Speaking of payouts- there will be no change in payouts for 2023. Keep in mind that payouts are decreased if we have less than a field of 15 cars for that event. Payouts are to the ¼’s and the OPDS entry fees are to remain the same at $25/race and a one-time fee of $45 to enter the points program. Entry fee at the gate (charged by the hosting track) is subject to change and at this time we aren’t aware of the fees they will charge. If you are new to racing with us you need to tell them at the gate you are running with the Pontiacs, pay the track fee and get your tech card for the Pontiacs; then come see us at our pop-up to pay your entry into the Pontiac class.

This season our races at Mason Dixon will be run alongside their Summit Series or SBRA series races and a few during their normal Test-N-Tune sessions. At this time I am told our class will be running 1/4mi for all events with the exception of the race on June 24th- the Rocking Chair Nationals which will run 1/8mi. There may be some events where we will be asked to run 1/8 mi if the weather is threatening, or other delays that drastically slow the program. This we cannot control.

On May 27th we are running our event at Beaver Springs Dragway and offering $1000 to the Winner. At this event we are running our own class and as mentioned it will be a points race for those entered in our points program. Also running that day will be MANDRA and PRO Stick classes. Sounds like a fun day to me! We hope to see you there. We will be giving more info as that date approaches but note that it is the 3rd race of our season and will happen sooner than you think!

On June 24th we are again invited to be a part of the 10th Annual Rocking Chair Nationals nostalgia event at Mason Dixon. Click here for the Rocking Chair Nats Flyer. This is a cool event, featuring nostalgia racers and race cars as well as a car show. Bring your Pontiac – race, show or just be a spectator! Participant plaques are to be handed out to our racing participants so we hope you plan to be a part of this event. It is also a point race for those in our points program.

Most of our sponsors are already on board for the season. New to the series this season is CLEMENS MUSCLE CARS from Telford, PA. Visit their website for a look at some of the great work they are doing. ( Clemensmusclecars.com ). As with most of our sponsors, Jim Clemens is a Pontiac racer and hopes to make some of our events this year. Please note the sponsors listed on this site and our flyer and when you see them in the pits be sure to thank them for their support. Without them we have no series!

As mentioned in a previous post, we will not be mailing a flyer this season. You can print a copy from the link under the flyer below. Print several copies; share with your Pontiac friends and get them to the track!!

Some are asking about T-shirts. Even though this is a banner year for OPDS- our 25th season of racing!- we are planning nothing special or new in merchandise. Instead of spending the extra money to have special shirts made we want to give as much as possible back to the racers at each event.

One more thing… If you have read to the end of my ramblings here… we will give FREE entry to the first race to the first 2 racers to mention this writeup. See me at the pop-up!

That’s it for now. Time to get the dust off the Bird and get ready for the season to begin. We hope to see a lot of you at the track this year. …’til then

The 24th season of the Outlaw Pontiac Drag Series is in the books as we finished our year this past Sunday at Mason Dixon. Weather was great and the turnout was our best of the year. Everyone seemed to be setting new personal bests and the trash talk among our point participants was at an all-time high! It was all in good spirits as was everyone for our last outing together this season.

On the track- After 6 rounds, in one of the closest races of the day, Jeff Raff took his high flying 64 GTO to the Winner’s circle over Chuck Hutzler in his ‘82 Firebird. Here’s the stats : In a double breakout final, (with both drivers very close in RT), Chuck took the stripe with a 10.053 @ 134.25mph on his 10.07dial, but Jeff, running closer to his dial (9.729 @ 137.28mph , 9.74 dial),took the WIN. Margin of Victory was .018 sec. Great race! Congratulations to Jeff Raff for the Win on Sunday and to Chuck Hutzler finishing as the Runner-up.

Other finalists on Sunday were Jeff Mason (73 Firebird) as the Semifinalist and Jim Berry (81 Pontiac Wagon) and Super Novice Annette Peer as the Quarter finalists. Congratulations to all our finalists!

Sunday’s race also decided the final standing in Points for this year. In the #1 spot, our 2022 Point Champion is Randy Peer. Randy took his 63 Lemans to the Winner’s circle in the first race this season, taking the early lead in the points, and followed it up with another win at the next race! Randy maintained his lead throughout the season, never falling from 1st place. Congratulations Randy on a great job and well deserved! Check out all the final point standings -Click on the “results” tab.

There are so many people to say Thank You for helping out this year and for making it such a great group to know on or off the track. Thanks also to Elmer and the crew at Mason Dixon for welcoming us and supporting us for these 24 years (so far), and Mike Basson for his great announcing and support of our series.

That’s it for the 2022 season. Except for our TOP 5 get together in December we will not see many of you until the next season for our 25th year of the Outlaw Pontiac Drag Series. Drop in to our webpage this winter for any updates or news about next year. Until then, enjoy your time with family and friends, be safe and remember to keep Pontiacin!

Sunday, Mason Dixon’s four day Labor Day race, found crowded pits, plenty of heat and humidity and the Outlaw Pontiac Drag Series racers ready to take on Race #9. After a month break from racing at Mason Dixon we were ready to get back at it. Despite the heat and crowds and having to run 1/8mi instead of our usual 1/4mi, I think everyone enjoyed the day and we actually got out of there in good time. Here’s how it went-

In the final, former Champion Chuck Hutzler in his 82 Firebird took on another former Champion, Mike Clay driving his 62 Catalina. Mike ran right on his dial (6.642/6.64 dial) but got going just .007 too early, lighting the redlight and giving the WIN to Chuck. Chuck ran 6.478 on his 6.48 dial at 106mph. Congratulations to CHUCK HUTZLER for his WIN on Sunday and to Mike Clay as the Runner-up.

Other finalists included Rick Garden (69 Judge) and Randy Peer (63 Lemans)making it to the Semifinals and John Labuda (56 Pontiac), Jeff Mason (73 Firebird), and Bill Junkins(67 Firebird) taking the Quarterfinals at Sunday’s race. Congratulations to all our finalists!

With a Semifinal finish Sunday Randy Peer continues to remain at the top in Points, with the battle for Runner-up getting tighter. Only 5 round-wins separate sixth place from the #2 spot. Our last two races could prove interesting! You can see all the points here on the RESULTS tab.

Race 9 Winner - Chuck Hutzler

Many thanks go out to those who helped on Sunday – Jim, Bill (be sure to check out his pics and videos on FB) as well as Elmer, Mike and the whole crew at Mason Dixon who helped get us through the crowded day in record time and provided us with a great place to race. Thanks to all who attended- race or spectate.

Our next race, which has been rescheduled to October 1st, is at Mason Dixon, with our final race one week after that when we finish the 2022 season on October 9th also at Mason Dixon. We hope to see you all there.

…til then

As most tracks in the Northeast closed this past weekend due to the extreme heat, it didn’t keep OPDS racers from venturing to Beaver Springs Dragway to participate in the BOP Race there on Saturday and the OPDS Points race on Sunday. BSD is the Northern most track we race and several traveled hours to get there including Tracey Greshaw, who traveled 9 hours from Michigan just to take part! Wow! That’s dedication. It was great having the Greshaws with us and we thank Tracey for his help at the waterbox and keeping the kid straight about what needed done! Loved it!

At the BOP race on Saturday our own Jeff Raff (64 GTO) came out the Winner in MODIFIED class, beating out a large contingent of Buicks. Jeff faced the top Buick in the final and after doing a number at the tree (.015 reaction to a .138 for the Buick) coasted to a 10.26 at 116.79mph on his 10.00 dial, with a 11.34 (111.91mph) on a 10.85 dial for the Buick. Way to go Jeff! Congratulations on your Win Saturday!

Also on Saturday, in the STOCK Class, Bruce Garber (2000 T/A) took the Win for the second time, scoring a Win last year at this event. Unfortunately I don’t have the specs on the final but Congratulations to Bruce for his Win on Saturday! Good job for our guys, putting it to the Buicks on Saturday!

On Sunday Beaver Springs hosted our Race#8. It was a hot one but equally as hot was Doug Chell (67 Firebird) as he pulled off his 2nd Win in two races. Facing Chuck Hutzler (82 Firebird)in the final , who hammered the tree in the semifinal round with a .001, Doug turned it around and had his own .001 light in the final and running dead-on the dial. Here’s the stats for the final: Doug: 10.33(10.33dial) at 128.76mph to Chuck’s 10.21 (10.22dial) at 128.76mph. Congratulations to Doug for his Win on Sunday and Chuck with the Runner-up. Great job guys!

Other finalists included Jaff Raff(64 GTO) as the Semifinalist, and Randy Peer(62 Lemans) and Bill Junkins(67 Firebird) collecting the cash for Quarterfinals. Congratulations to all out finalists on Sunday!

Randy Peer continues to hold the #1 spot in the points race, with Doug Chell, Bruce Garber, Rodney Eichelberger, and Jeff Raff rounding out the Top 5. With three races to go it’s gonna be good right to the end! Check out all the point standings on the webpage: outlawpontiacdragseries.com , “Results” tab.

Thanks to all for braving the heat and coming out to our event. Special thanks to Mike McCracken and the “Zoo Crew” at Beaver Springs for welcoming us and giving us a great experience at Beaver Springs.

For the month of August we are taking a break, not meeting again until Sept 4 at Mason Dixon for our Race #9. In that time off for those heading to Norwalk we wish you a safe and successful weekend there.

We hope to see you all again in September! ..til then

Warm, clear skies welcomed OPDS to Mason Dixon on Sunday for our Race 7. Since we were the only class in attendance outside of a Test-n-Tune the day moved quickly from time trials to five rounds of eliminations and we were again out of there by mid-afternoon!

On the track- It was former points Champ Doug Chell in his 67 Firebird facing off against current points leader Randy Peer’s 63 Lemans. In one of the closest finals this season, with a MOV of .006, it was Doug Chell taking the Win on Sunday. Here’s the stats Doug- 10.056(10.05dial) at 126.62 mph to Randy’s 9.221(9.22dial) at 145.73mph. The slight advantage went to Doug at the tree. Great finish guys! Congratulations to Doug on his Win on Sunday!

Other finalists included Bruce Garber (2000 T/A) and Rodney Eichelberger (70 Firebird) as the Semifinalists and Jeff Mason(73 Firebird), Cliff Mayes(68 GTO), and Jeff Raff( 64 GTO) as the Quarterfinalists.Congrats to all our finalists!

In the Points race it’s still Randy Peer at the top of the points with Bruce Garber moving into second place with Evan Bailey’s MIA on Sunday. Rodney Eichelberger and Doug Chell round out the top four. It’s getting tight in the top four with less than 2 round wins separating 2nd through 4th. Check all the point standings here on the “results” tab.

Thanks to everyone who came out to join us and especially to those who helped with setup and teardown - Jim, Bill, Jeff (both), Alice, Shari, and anyone I may have forgotten. Thanks to you all!

In two weeks we move North to Beaver Springs Dragway. On Saturday, July 23rd, BSD is hosting their annual BOP race and for our point participants in attendance we are offering bonus points for participating and points for each round you stage. If you win your class at that event we are kicking in some cash to the Winner in addition to whatever BSD pays on that day. Then SUNDAY, July 24th, OPDS is having Race #8, a regular point race, paying $1000 to the Winner. All Pontiacs are invited to attend this event- you do not have to be in our points program to run for the cash on Sunday. Just tell them at the gate that you are racing with the Pontiacs and come sign-up at our pop-up. At this event we run under OPDS rules and guidelines which you can read on this website. We will have a few more details as the date gets nearer. Stay tuned! We hope to see you all at the Beaver!

Saturday, June 25- OPDS moved into the second half of the season with our annual appearance as part of the Rocking Chair Nationals at Mason Dixon. I was not in attendance at this event but am told it was crowded and hot but a good day none the less. Due to the large program that day our class had to run the 1/8 mile instead of our usual 1/4mile.

In the final round for the day it was Jon Gunter’s 65 GTO triggering the WIN light in the final against Kyle Garber (93 Firebird). Jon gave Kyle a 2.39 second head start and I’m sure Kyle saw Jon’s GTO closing fast and stayed in it to the end only to run out. Jon too ran out but by a much smaller margin. Here’s the stats on the final: Jon-5.83(5.85dial) @ 116.40mph to Kyle’s 8.13(8.24dial) @ 85.11mph. Jon Gunter picked up the cash and the trophy for his Win on Saturday. Congratulations Jon!

Other finalists included Chad Ely(70 GTO) as the Semifinalist and Jeff Mason (73 Firebird) and Arnie Brewer (63 Lemans) as the Quarterfinalists. Congratulations to all the finalists and thanks to all who showed to participate in the event.

Randy Peer stays at the top of the points after Saturdays race, with Evan Bailey in 2nd and Bruce Garber, Doug Chell and Rod Eichelberger rounding out the top 5 respectively. It’s still close as we head into the latter part of our season. For all the point listings check out the “Results” tab on this website.

Our next race is on Sunday, July 10th, again at Mason Dixon. Then, two weeks later in July we travel to Beaver Springs for the BOP race on Saturday. We are giving bonus points to those who participate and the next day we will have a regular points race on Sunday where we again offer a cool $1000 to Win! More details to follow.

Many thanks go to Jim Staub for handling everything in my absence. Thanks also to Bill and Alice and everyone else who helped make the day go well. Also be sure to checkout all the pics Bill has provided for us. Great job there Bill!

We hope to see you all in July!...’til then

Other finalists for Race 4 : In the Semis it was Bruce Garber (2000T/A) and Doug Chell (67 Firebird) taking the honors and Quarterfinals went to Matt Crise( 62 Tempest), Chad Ely(05 GTO) and Mike Clay (62 Catalina). Congratulations to all our finalists on Saturday.

Point standing show Randy Peer (63 Lemans) holding onto the top position and Evan Bailey (68 Firebird) in 2nd place. As we approach midseason we see things tightening up in the Top 10 with only a two round win difference between 3rd and 10th place! It’s gonna be interesting in the next couple of races! You can view all the point standings by clicking on the “results” tab above.

Our next race- Race 5- brings us right back to Mason Dixon next Saturday June 11. Then we have a two week break before being a part of the “Rocking Chair Nationals”, also at Mason Dixon, on June 11th. Don’t forget- at that race we are putting up $1000 for the Winner. We hope to see you all there.

Saturday also brought a few new racers to our event, some who had never been down the quarter mile. It was great to see these guys come out and participate. We hope they enjoyed themselves and plan to run with us again. Remember, novice , or well-seasoned racers are all welcomed and we will do our best to make you feel welcomed. No “membership”required, fair entry fees and good payouts. Just bring your Pontiac and race with us- one race or all season. We hope to see you there!

Other finalists were: Chad Ely (70GTO) and Evan Bailey(68 Firebird) as Semifinalists and Jeff Mason (73 Firebird), Mike Clay (62 Catalina), and Rodney Eichelberger (70 Firebird) as the Quarterfinalists. Congratulations to all our finalists.

Randy Peer’s Win on Sunday keeps him at the top of the Points race with Evan Bailey, Mike Clay, Jeff Mason and Chuck Hutzler rounding out the Top 5 at this point in the season. You can check out all the point standings here on this site. Just click on the “Results” tab.

Many thanks go out to all who showed on Sunday to do battle, or to watch and support our Series, and to those who helped with setup and teardown. What a group!

Our next race has us returning to Mason Dixon on June 4. June is our busiest month this season with 3 races at Mason Dixon, including the “Rocking Chair Nationals” on June 25 when we are putting up $1000 to Win the event. More details as we approach these dates. We hope to see you all in June! …til then!

This year we opened our 24th season of OPDS in April instead of waiting until May as in past seasons and it was a good decision because we were rewarded with a beautiful day to go racing. It was a great field of Pontiacs and I might mention, a couple of Pontiac powered Chevys in the class as well!

At the end of the day after 6 rounds it was Randy Peer taking his ‘62 Lemans to Winner’s circle, with Evan Bailey in his ‘68 Firebird finishing in the Runner-up spot. Here’s the stats on the final: Randy’s 9.138(9.12dial) - 146.96mph vs Evan’s 10.513(10.57dial)– 125.17mph. Congratulations to Randy and Evan for a great finish. Other finalists found Greg Orris (05 GTO) as Semifinalist. Anne Beard(69 Bonneville) and Mike Clay(62 Catalina) took home the cash for their Quarterfinal finish on Saturday. Points will be posted soon on our webpage.

Check out the tabs above to follow the points this season, check the schedule for upcoming events, and find information on our series and races. Meanwhile, enjoy the Pictures and videos posted on FB (outlaw Pontiac Drag Series) by Bill Bolin, Carl Hazenstab and Jim Staub. Thanks to these guys as well as all the others who helped with making our opening day a success.

Our next race is May 7 at Mason Dixon. We hope to see you all then!

Next Saturday, April 23rd, you will hear the call ”Pontiacs to the lanes!” Yup, the time is finally here for our Outlaw Pontiac Drag Series 2022 season to start and we wanted to pass along an invite to all Pontiac Racers, Fans, and Pontiac enthusiasts. Remember, you don’t have to have to be any kind of “member” or join our points program to race with us. Just have a Pontiac that runs 14.99 or quicker in the 1/4mi. Check out the “Rules” tab here for more rules and info on our series.

A few notes for those racing with us this season- although our class entry and Points entry have NOT increased, the gate prices (at Mason Dixon) have increased. It will now cost you $25 to get in the gate. While discussing your entry to Mason Dixon, try to have a “Release Waiver for Racing” ready at the gate. A link to that form is here: masondixondragway.com/wvr-wms-drag-edition-7.pdf .Most of the races at MD are “One Run and Go”, meaning there is only one Time Trial. Buy Backs are allowed and ours are still $15.

Concerning our race schedule- as per request, we are starting a little earlier this season and have added a couple more races to the year. All but two of our events will be at Mason Dixon . We were not able to get to other tracks as we had hoped. However, we are at Beaver Springs in July. We have some special events to attend and we are upping the payout at some events as well. We have a very busy month of June but have no races planned for August. More details as the season progresses. Meanwhile, we hope to see you this coming Saturday. Gates open at 10am with our time trial starting at 2pm. Come early to hang out and catch up on the off season. We hope to see you then!

Shown above or on FB is the flyer for OPDS’s 2022 season. If you are on our mailing list you will be receiving it shortly. If not you can print it from here or from FB before it disappears into the FB abyss!

Some notes about the schedule:

As mentioned we are having 12 races this season. We had hoped to have two “away” races but it just didn’t work out so we are having just one event at Beaver Springs, the balance at Mason Dixon. We are starting a couple weeks earlier than in previous years, beginning on April 23rd. You will notice that June is a really busy month with 3 races, one of them being the Rocking Chair Nationals at Mason Dixon. There is extra points and payout at this event. July finds us at Beaver Springs on the 23 and 24th. The 23rd is their annual BOP race on Saturday and a regular event for OPDS on Sunday. On both days there will be extra points for those in the points program and on Sunday there is extra payout for that day. August has no races scheduled for OPDS, giving everyone time to get ready for, and to gear down from, Norwalk. We get back to it with two events in September and finish out the season on October 9th at Mason Dixon. That’s about it for the schedule. We will post more as the events approach.

Some other notes about the season: Although our entry fee hasn’t changed, and our payouts will stay the same, I am informed that the gate fee for Mason Dixon will be increased this season so be prepared for that.

If you have not raced with us before, remember that you are not required to join our points program and we do not require you to be a “member” of any group. Just show up, pay the entry (track fee at the gate, tell them you want to race with the Pontiacs, and our fee at our tent) and join the fun. Just be sure your Pontic runs 14.99 second or quicker (1/4mi). Click on our “Rules” tab and our “About” tab for more information about our series.

I’m really looking forward to the season- several new combos coming out and the promise of several new racers joining us. Let’s make it happen! Now, I’m going to dust off the Firebird, hit a couple TNT’s and hope to see you there! ..’til then.

Steve

Getting several calls for the 2022 Outlaw Pontiac Drag Series schedule. Although it isn’t settled I can give you some insight to a couple things coming up for our 24th season.

Do to popular demand we are increasing our number of races this season to 12 and making an attempt at starting earlier in the season and finishing later in the year as well. The majority of our races are at Mason Dixon and this year we only have one “away” race- at Beaver Springs…..sort of.

For the BOP race at Beaver this year we are giving out extra points to those in our points program who attend the event on Saturday July 23rd and we are only handing out $100 to our Points racer IF they win their respective class. No entry fee for OPDS required, just Beaver's entry fee, as this is their race. You just have to be in our points program to get our extra points and cash. ON SUNDAY, July 24th, we are having a regular OPDS points race; normal entry, normal payout, and normal Points. For those who would like to race with us at Beaver on Sunday- you do not have to be any kind of member or have to be signed with us for our points program. Just show up at our Pop-up, pay the OPDS entry and join the fun. For more on our series rules, fees, payouts, etc., see our RULES tab on this website. For those that have not raced with us previously, note that you will pay a fee at the gate for the track, and our fee at our tent.

We are trying to get a run-off against the Buick Racers who challenged us last season on one of these days at Beaver, but we’ll let you know more as we learn more. I’d like to see that happen!

I can also tell you that we are again requested to be a part of the Rocking Chair Nationals Nostalgia event at Mason Dixon on June 25th. This will also be a points race for us.

Other dates are yet to be confirmed. I will be sending out a printed flyer if you are on our mailing list. Look for it in mid February.

I’m really looking forward to the season. Several new faces promise to be there, some of our regulars are coming out with new combinations and some new sponsors are coming on line as well. If you have any questions, or constructive comments, PM me on FB or email me at opds2015@gmail.com. Until then- stay tuned-enjoy your winter- stay safe.

- Steve

Other finalists on Saturday included Shawn Miller (79 T/A) and Rodney Eichelberger (70 Firebird)as the Semifinalists and Geoff Sotak (65 Tempest), Jeff Raff(64 GTO), Doug Chell(67 Firebird) and Steve Dress (68 Firebird) as the Quarterfinalists. Congratulations to all our Finalists on Saturday!

The Points race finished with Rodney Eichelberger on Top as mentioned, with Bruce Garber taking the RU spot followed by Mike clay(62 Catalina), Steve Dress(68 Firebird) and Shawn Miller(79 T/A) filling out the Top 5. Check out all the point standings on our web page “Results” tab at outlawpontiacdragseries.com

I am very grateful for all the help on Saturday- Tom Bunty, Carl Hazenstab, Ed Hartman, Andy Nutt, Chuck Hutzler, Jeff Mason, Mike Clay and of course Bill Bolin. Also thanks to Jeff Kipe for contributing great pics of the day. I hope I haven’t forgotten anyone. Thanks to everyone for helping. What a group!

It’s hard to see our season end and it will be 8 months until we meet again to race as a group, but in the down season we’ll see some of you at gatherings planned during that time, including a get together at Jeff and Tina Masons on October 16th and our TOP 5 luncheon planned for sometime yet this year, and what’s become an annual gathering (minus the hold during Covid) at the Mayes over the Winter. Meanwhile the planning for our 24th season in 2022 has already begun. Stay tuned for details in the upcoming months which will be posted on our webpage.

Until we meet again- stay safe and stay Pontiacin’!

After a month lull in the action the Outlaw Pontiac Drag Series met at Mason Dixon for our 9th race of the season and it was a great day to be there. In addition to being able to do what we love to do on that day we were also acknowledging a long time sponsor of our series. Butler Performance, who has been with us for our entire 23 years and provides cash towards our racers and certificates for discounts on their products, also acknowledged our support of them by providing our racers with a free T-shirt and lunch at Mason Dixon’s snack bar. We thank Butler Performance for their continued support through all these years. When you deal with Butler Performance be sure to mention our Series and thank them for their support.

On the track- It was the Red Rider of Randy Peer(63 Lemans) taking the WIN over Points leader Rodney Eichelberger(70 Firebird) in the final. This pair has met in the final before and it’s always a good race. Dialing almost heads-up it was all over at the tree as Randy bested Rod, took the strip and the Win. Here’s the stats on the Final: Randy-9.289(9.27dial); Rodney 9.237 ((.26dial). Congratulations to Randy Peer for his WIN and Rodney Eicheberger as the Runner-up on Sunday

Other finalists included Shawn Miller (79 T/A) as the Semi-finalist and Andy Nutt(67 Lemans) and Bruce Garber(2000 T/A) as the Quarter-finalists. Congratulations to all our finalists!

As we move to the final race of the season some of the TOP 5 positions are still up for grabs for those in the Points program so it will be a great final race for the season end. Plan to attend-Race or watch on Saturday, September 25 at Mason Dixon. Check out the point standing here, on the “results” page.

Thanks to everyone for the help on Sunday- Jeff and Tina Mason, Doug Chell, Jeff Raff, Bill Bolin, Chuck Hutzler and Tom Bunty. I hope I didn’t forget anyone, but thanks to all.

See you next race. Until then, be safe.

With a break in the heat wave we’ve been having, great weather greeted us at South Mountain on Sunday. For this 8th race of our season the top points contenders were there to hopefully take their best shot at moving up in the standings. After this race the top 10 have shifted a bit but Rodney Eichelberger remains well out in front as we move into the final events of the season. Regardless of how things turned out I believe everyone had a good time, whether they enjoyed racing the 1/8 mi or not!

On the track- it was an ALL GARBER final, as Bruce Garber (00 T/A) faced off against son Kyle in his 93 Firebird. Bruce, who is no slouch on the tree was bested by son Kyle who showed Dad he too knows how to cut a light. Here’s the stats for the final: Kyle – 8.18et (8.09dial) (.0168 rt) vs Bruce 8.94(8.85) (.165rt). Congratulations to Kyle Garber for his WIN on Sunday!

Bruce was the Runner up and the Semifinals went to Rodney Eichelberger (70 Firebird), with Mike Clay(62 Catalina), Randy Peer(63 Lemans), and Courtnie Martin(71 Lemans) getting the cash for quarterfinals. Congratulations to all our finalists on Sunday!!

Since our “resident” photographer Bill wasn’t able to attend on Sunday we are without a picts of our winner, or of the event. I was approached by the track photographer who told me he had photos of our group and that they could be viewed or purchased on his website: SMRPhotos.com

Thanks go out to everyone for their help and participation on Sunday, including: Jeff Raff, who was there without his 64 GTO, helping on the starting line to get us where we needed to be. Thanks Jeff! Also thanks to Anne and Paul Beard, Chuck Hutzler and of course, Jim Staub for their help with the tower duties and generally running things. I’m sure I forgot someone because everyone seems to pitch-in during the day, but thanks to you all!

Thanks Also to Mike Natoli and the crew at South Mountain Raceway for welcoming us and providing a great racing surface on Sunday!

Our next race is 4 weeks off and will not be until September 12th at Mason Dixon. This will be a day to recognize one of our longest running supporters- BUTLER PERFORMANCE- who is thanking us on that day for our supporting them as well. More details as the date approaches but we think you will want to attend this event.

…til then- be safe and keep Pontiacin’

This past weekend OPDS was a part of the BOP race at Beaver Springs- event #7 of our season- where we joined an impressive group of Buicks and Olds for our second year at this event. We were not a separate class but our Point Participants were there and received points for the rounds they won. In addition we handed out cash to those who went the most rounds in their respective class. As it turned out OPDS races were there in the finals for two of the 3 classes and Bruce Garber WON the STOCK Class! Congratulations Bruce. Our current points leader, Rodney Eichelberger, took the runner-up spot for the MODIFIED class. Also in Mod OPDS racers Jon Gunter and Steve Dress found their way to the Quarters and Semis respectively. All in all a great showing for the OPDS. Next year we would like to make this event a regular race for us meaning we have own class. More on this later and after feedback from our racers.

Thanks to everyone for showing at this event and thanks to Jim, Bill, Carl, and Anne who helped keep things (Me) in line and helping with what needed to be done. Special thanks to Chris for his special contribution in our efforts to treat everyone fairly. Be sure to enjoy the picturess from Bill and Chris and the video from Carl, all here on FB

We want to give a shoutout to Mike Mccracken and the ZooCrew at Beaver Springs for putting the show together and providing us a great facility. We really appreciate their efforts to make this event bigger and better each year. Mike, and I, are hoping that you provide input that will help make this happen. We must make it so, if for no other reason, than to answer the challenge from the Buick crowd to run against them!

As a result of this race there are some changes in the top 10 in points. You can check out the standings on our website.- ( outlawpontiacdragseries.com ) Results TAB. Next race is at South Mountain on August 15th in three weeks. More on that later too. Meanwhile, for those heading to Norwlk, have a safe trip and good time. Make us proud! Wish I was there.

See you in August!

Great day at Mason Dixon for the Outlaw Pontiacs! So much to say I just can’t remember it all. We were honored by some special people who showed for this event. Team Outlaw- Joel Larkin, Tracey Greshaw, and Richard Liles Jr. traveled the 12+ hrs to race with us and kicked in some extra cash for the Winner as well. So great to have the support of these guys and to see them again after so many years. Also in attendance after a 17yr hiatus was Craig Berkheimer driving track announcer Mike Bassin’s 68 Firebird. This was really special to me because Craig and Joel were the founders of the Outlaw Pontiac Drag Series. It was great to have them there on Saturday.

Team Outlaw Rich Liles brought his Pro Mod Lemans to the event for some test hits in prep for the upcoming event at Norwalk. Talk about awesome! Pure Pontiac power at the TOP. And to top that, Rich’s engine builder and great OPDS sponsor Jeff Kauffman from Kauffman Racing Equipment (KRE) was on hand! Great to see you again Jeff! All these guys are top shelf and again it was great to have you there!

Also racing us on Saturday were two Pontiac Super Stockers- Chet Fincke’s 98 Grand Am and a long-time favorite of mine Phil Monteith’s 97 firebird HATARI ! driven by John Agneta. Great to have you guys join us!

On the track- after 6 rounds we finished the day with Points leader Rodney Eichelberger again topping the field running a dead-on dial against the red lighting Chet Fincke who was killer all day on the tree until the final. Stats for the final: Rod’s (70 Firebird) 9.135(9.13dial) 144mph to Chet’s 10.557(10.57dial) 126mph, getting the red at -.006. Congratulations to Rodney for his (3rd) Win this season and putting him well out on top of the points. Other finalists included Craig Berkheimer (68 Firebird) as the Semifinalist with Bruce Garber (00 T/A) and Steve Dress (68 Firebird ) as the Quarter finalists. Congrats to all our finalists. Rodney is out in front by a very comfortable lead at this point but it’s a close race for positions in the top 5. Check on our website for the complete points listing.

Many thanks to all who came to race or watch our Pontiacs. Special thanks to my friend and former coworker Tom Bunty and his wife Kim. I know they didn’t expect to be put to work when they arrived but they pitched right in and helped at sign-up, retrieving the run sheets, sales, etc. and never missed a beat. Thank you guys it was great having you there! Also thanks as always go to those who helped with setup, teardown and every other thing needed on that day- Cliff, Chuck, Mike, Jeff, Craig and Mel; Sorry if I forgot to mention anyone but thanks to you all. Thanks to Bill Bolin for the great picts and all that you do- always a great job; we will surely miss that when he gets back to racing. One last thank you- to the crew at Mason Dixon for their support and recognizing our Series as they do, as well as providing a great prepped venue for us to play!

Next race we move to Beaver Springs for the BOP race on July 24. More details about that next week. Until then enjoy the pictures Bill has for us on Facebook and visit our webpage outlawpontiacdragseries.com for more info. Until next time….

Other finalists included current Points leader Rodney Eichelberger (70 Firebird) and Bruce Garber (00 TA) taking home the cash for Semis and T J Kirby (88 Firebird), Jeff Mason (73 Firebird).Chad Ely (70 GTO) and Mike Clay, (62 Catalina), 2020 Points Champion, all doing it for the quarterfinals. Congratulations to all our finalists for a great job on Saturday.

This event was a point’s event and 5 bonus points are added to those point participants who signed up for that day. Checking out the points at the halfway point in our season we find Rod Eichelberger still out in front but the battle for 2-3 and 4-5-6 are about as tight as you can get and anyone in the top 10 could make a big move with a final around appearance. Next race should be a real battle! That next race comes in two weeks, July 10 at Mason Dixon before we travel to Beaver Springs on the 24th of July for the BOP event there. Remember, the BOP race is a points race (and Bonus points too!), as well as cash to the top finishing OPDS points participant on that Saturday. More info on this event following our next race at Mason Dixon..

So many THANK YOU’s for this past weekend. Since I was there with a bum shoulder, couldn’t drive and of no use on Saturday it seemed everyone pitched in to help set up and teardown. What a great bunch of people. Thanks to you all!

Well, luck wasn’t with us today and our race was called due to rain after we had our one and only time run. It was still great to see those who braved the weather to come out and give it a try. Those who did show up and are in the points program will receive points for signing up and for tech. Also I want to thank those who endured the downpour and got soaked helping get everything packed and back into my truck. It was all so fast and furious that I can’t remember all who did but it seems everyone there pitched in! THANKS to all!

We’ll try it again in 2 weeks at Mason Dixon for the Rocking Chair Nationals on Saturday June 26. The promoters of this event like to hand out participant plaques so If you’re planning to make this event and haven’t already, let me know you will be there so we can get your name on the list- Text, Phone, PM or email ( opds2015@gmail.com ). It looks to be a good show and I hear the Royal GTO and Pontiac Club will be there too so come on out and get your fill of some fine Pontiacs! We hope to see you there.

…til then

Semifinals went to Chad Ely (70 GTO) and Mike Clay (62 Catalina). Randy Peer (63 Lemans), Paul Beard (63 GP), Doug Chell (67 Firebird), and Steve Dress (68 Firebird) took the Quarterfinals. Congratulations to all our finalists and thanks to everyone who showed. Points are posted on our website where you’ll find Rod Eichelberger jumping to a big lead with last year’s Champ Mike Clay, and Bruce Garber, last season’s 5th place finisher, filling out the Top 3 spots. Check out the points standing on our RESULTS page.

A Giant thanks to all who braved the heat to race with us and to those who helped out – Jeff & Tina Mason, Doug Chell, Cliff Mayes, Paul Beard, Chuck Hutzler, of course- Bill Bolin, and Mike Clay who stayed to the very end- thanks to all for your help and support.

We are right back at it next Sunday, June 13 at Mason Dixon. Let’s hope the temps are a little more to our liking. Don’t forget, 2 weeks after that (June 26) we are part of the Rocking Chair Nats also at MD. This event is also a bonus points race so we hope to see you all then. For more information about our series, including up-coming races, the point standings, rules, Sponsors, and links to lots of information on Pontiacs can be found on this website.

We finally got the 2021 season going after rain cancelled our first race on May 5th, and I’m finally getting the results posted! Our Race #2 on May 23rd was a hot day but no one seemed to mind and everyone was ready to put Covid, politics and 2020 in the rearview mirror and get to Racing.

At the end of 6 rounds it was RODNEY EICHELBERGER in his ‘70 Firebird, taking the win over the 2000 T/A of Bruce Garber. Rodney ran it out to a 9.17 (9.11dial) at 145.49mph as Bruce cut it just a little too early (-.003 rt) to hand Rod the win, taking Rodney, 2019’s Point Champ & 2020’s Runner-up, to the top of the Points to start the season.

Other finalists were Kyle Garber (93 Firebird) as the semifinalist with Mike Clay (62 Catalina) and Chuck Hutzler (82 Firebird) taking the Quarterfinals. Congratulations to all our finalists and thanks to everyone who showed to make it a great opening day for our 23rd season – Jim and Shari for helping out and running the show as I raced and to Bill Bolin for his help with sales and anything that was needed, and of course the many great pics you see on FB.

Our next race is Sunday, June 6 and then Sunday June 13 before we do our 3rd race in June on Saturday the 26th for the Rocking Chair Nationals nostalgia event. Busy month. All these events are at Mason Dixon and the June 23rd race is an extra points event so plan to make it to this one- more details as the date approaches. Remember, if your car runs 14.99 or quicker, you are welcome to race with us -one race or the whole season.

Coming up later this season we will again be a Beaver Springs (July 24) as a part of the BOP race where we will run with their program but give points to OPDS point participants for each round they win AND $500 goes to the Point participants who goes the most rounds at that event- in addition to the payout offered by Beaver Springs! Gotta be there!

Also up for bonus points is the event at South Mountain on August 15, but we will be our own class at that event. That’s it for “away” races but we’re not done the season of “extra” events. On September 12th at Mason Dixon we will hold another Butler Performance Day- FREE t-shirts to racers, discount coupons and lunch for the racers provided by Butler Performance- longtime supporter of our series. In fact, Butler is THE longest running supporter of OPDS and we are so grateful that they continue to support us each year. Be sure to make this event!

More on the Rocking Chair Nationals in a week or so. Meanwhile, if you have bothered to read this to the end we will award the first two racers who come to the popup at the next race and mention this article – FREE race entry for that race! Good luck and see you at the track!

The last race for the Outlaw Pontiac Drag Series was scheduled to run on Oct 11. However, Mother nature had other ideas and provided us with a rainy day thus cancelling the event and bringing to a close our race season for 2020. It has been a very “different” year but in spite of what’s been going on in the world our season can be deemed a success and very much so for our Champion for 2020 - Mike Clay.

Mike is pretty humble about his season and his winding up at the top, but his consistency and his great car kept him at or near the top all season. Mike’s 62 Catalina is a unique story. Starting life as a 4 door Mike transformed the big Cat to the 2 door race car you see here and powered by a Gaydosh built 473 it has become a very consistent and great performing ride for Mike. Mike’s abilities have helped a little too! We’re glad to see him as the Champion – Congratulations Mike!

Finishing out in the top 5 spots in points were: Rodney Eichelberger (70 Firebird) Steve Dress (68 Firebird), Greg Orris (05 GTO), and Bruce Garber (00 T/A).

I want to thank everyone involved in helping and supporting our Series this year. As mentioned it has been a different kind of season but our sponsors were there for us, never hesitating in support of our series. It is especially noteworthy that most of our supporters are racers themselves and faced the world’s situation with the rest of us but still came thru to help and support. Check out our sponsor listings on our webpage and when you see them at the track be sure to thank them for their support because without them we don’t race. And speaking of help it can’t be said enough about how great the group of people are who make up the Outlaw Pontiac Drag Series. Regular racers with us or even those who come for one, or several races, are all top notch. It must be a Pontiac thing!! To those who help each race with setup and takedown I am very grateful. By the end of the day this tired old man really appreciates you all!

Thanks also go out to Elmer and the crew at Mason Dixon for their continued support and for welcoming us all these years as well as providing us with a great, safe venue for us to race. We thank Beaver Springs Dragway and South Mountain Dragway for their welcoming us as well. Both these tracks have asked that we return in 2021.

Award checks are being sent out (to the top 10 finishers) and trophies will be presented to the top 5 at some point since we will not be immediately holding our annual TOP 5 get together due to Covid restrictions. But it doesn’t mean we stop planning and working on the next season. With that in mind if you have ideas and/or suggestions, complaints, etc. feel free to let me know so we can try to make our series even better next year; hopefully a year fee of the constraints we faced in 2020. Email me at opds2015@gmail.com or message me on Facebook. I don’t know about you but I can’t wait until we can begin our 23rd year of Pontiacin! Til then..

Outlaw Pontiac Drag Series- Race 11 – 2019- Mason Dixon

Last Saturday – October 5th- was a great day for our final Race of the 2019 season. With the weather promising some personal record ETs, twenty-four Pontiacs showed hoping to do just that and garner some cash as well as a good time with fellow Poncho enthusiasts.

On the track we saw Erik Wiegand follow his Runner-up finish at Cecil with a Win on Saturday at Mason Dixon. Erik lined-up his 64 GTO against Mike Clay’s 62 Catalina in the Final. Mike, looking to score big, trying to better his Runner-up finish in Race 2, took the stripe but ran just .002 too quick, giving the Win light to Erik. Here’s the stats on the Final: Erik- 9.789 (9.73dial) @ 134mph to Mike’s- 10.318 (10.32dial) @ 126mph. Good job by both drivers getting to the final. CONGRATULATIONS to Erik Wiegand for his Win on Saturday!!