DICKEY WINS $35,000 AT ST. LOUIS WORLD STREET CHALLENGE

Missouri's Jeff Dickey wheeled Mark Micke's ProCharger-equipped '68 Camaro through five rounds of competition to win the monstrous $35,000 top prize at George Gonzalez's first World Street Challenge at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, IL. After qualifying eighth in the 24-car field at 6.6.42/217, the 2800-pound Chevy unloaded five runs between 6.33/225.30 and a final-round 6.25/227.65 over Cary Goforth to become the quickest centrifugally supercharged machine in the sport's history. Of note was Dickey's 4.09/180.72 eighth-mile best.

Goforth's naturally-aspirated 820-cubic inch '08 Cobalt, running at legal IHRA Pro Stock weight, clocked a best of 6.36/220.76. Jason Hamstra's torque converter-backed, Roots-blown Hemi-powered '68 Camaro had the event's best numbers of 6.16/229.90 but destroyed an engine after qualifying low.

Tim Lynch proved again to be the world kingpin in 10.5W racing by clocking 6.61 and 227.23 mph bests en route to a $15,000 payday in his Steve Petty-tuned twin turbo'd 620-inch ProLine-powered '02 Mustang. The Georgian, running fifty pounds heavier than normal and using turbocharger reducer inserts to make his 91mm turbos legal at 88mm, outran the turbocharged '69 Camaro of returning legend Spiro Pappas in the final round.

NMRA World Champ John Urist pulled Low ET (7.40) from his hat to earn the $10,000-to-win Street Outlaw title on true 10.5-inch tires. Urist's new 420-inch Procharged '93 notchback Mustang stopped Jarret Halfacre's similar turbo mount; Halfacre just missed becoming the first over 200 mph on true 10.5s with a 7.42/198.76 best.

Other winners included Joey Bridge's Mississippi '04 Mustang (Drag Radial), Bob Curran's infamous '96 Corvette (Extreme Street), Joe Kosiba's '63 Nova (Wild Street), Chris Lambert's '03 Cobra (LS-Hemi-MM Shootout), Steve Zeuner's Dodge Dakota (Street Truck), Dan Smith's '72 Dodge Demon (Open Comp) and the renowned Johnny Lightning, who earned both the Diesel Challenge and Top Truck Eliminators.  (Bret Kepner photos) [5/20/2008]