0 comments / Posted by Brian Ellis

The year of 2017 has been an exciting one for Vortech Superchargers. If you've been paying attention, you've probably seen a lot of Vortech racers in the winner's circle, in addition to a number of previously held records falling as well. The desire to keep on the cutting edge of compressor design technology is always what puts Team Vortech and its racers consistently to the front of the pack. Here is a recap of just some of the notable events of 2017 for Team Vortech Racing.

 

Alton Clements

Absolutely dominating the Renegade field this year in the NMRA was Alton Clements and his 1989 Vortech V-30 94B Supercharged Fox Body Mustang. A string of wins and #1 Qualifiers kept him at the top of the points ladder all season, and ultimately clinched him the Renegade Championship.Alton did not restrict his domination to the NMRA either, turning in the fastest MPH of the weekend in Limited 275 @ No Mercy 8, and winning the Street Fighter class Championship at the 22nd Annual World Cup Finals.Look for Alton Clements to come back even hungrier for the 2018 racing season.

 

Don Onken And Team American EthanolAlready no stranger to absolutely destroying previous records in his quad-engined and quad-Supercharged 51-foot Mystic Powerboats Catamaran, Onkens and crew made it a three-peat at the Lake of The Ozarks Top Gun Shootout. Already setting and repeatedly breaking the top speed record on the mile long course in year's past (ultimately setting the record at 217mph on the water), this year the event was using the shorter, 3/4 mile "Captain Ron's Course", and it was uncertain whether the 200mph barrier would be broken on this shortened course.Well, not only did Team American Ethanol make it their 3rd consecutive victory in a row, the course that had been shortened by a full quarter mile did not prevent them from still breaking the 200mph barrier.The 4 Keith Eikert Engines, each with their own Vortech V-30 123A Supercharger powered them to 204mph on the water, making it yet another record setting performance.

 

Odi BakchisThe Falken Drift Team certainly had its ups and downs this season, but there were numerous ups to speak about. Many of those were at the hands of Aurimas "Odi" Bakchis, who took his LS-Powered and Vortech V-7 YSi Supercharged Nissan to the podium multiple times this season, with a win at Formula Drift Round 4 in New Jersey. With solid consistency and determination, Odi and crew earned themselves the 3rd Place Overall trophy for the season.Odi and Team Falken will be back next season looking to further his position in the Formula Drift ranks.

 

Montana Dodge BoysIt started 10 years ago with a $100 bet. Hands were shaken, and a dream was hatched for the Montana Dodge Boys to build a land speed car to compete at Bonneville SpeedWeek. None of these guys had ever built a race car, driven a car on the salt, knew the rules of the V4F class, nor hotrodded an 80-year old flathead four cylinder. All of them operated out of their one or two-car garages, with no fancy shop among them. However, raw determination and heart came together to help this team to build the 1928 Dodge Brothers 212" Flathead Four Cylinder you see here.Amazingly, the Fast Four Special went 108.4 MPH on it's very first drive, easily qualifying to break the existing 98.6 MPH record! Now, with TEN Bonneville and Two El Mirage Landspeed Records since, the rest is history...

 

Jeff GodwinThe 235 Limited Class seems to be right where Jeff Godwin belongs. Taking the class at the Street Car Super Nationals St. Louis, Godwin also commanded the class and win at the PSCA Rocky Mountain Summer Series as well. The 1991 Fox Body Mustang runs a Vortech V-7 YSi powered 363 cubic inch combination, and had no trouble dominating the 235 Limited ranks both at sea level and way up high in the Mountains at Bandimere.

 

Brian BrooksIf Brian Brooks and his Fox Body came to SCSN Las Vegas to make a statement in the 275 Radial class, consider that statement made loud and clear. The Atlas Performance built engine and Vortech V-30 105A Supercharger came together as an unstoppable force to be reckoned with, and one by one the competitors who lined up with him learned what efficient Vortech boost was all about.After charging through the entire 275 Radial field, Brooks went head-to-head with #1 qualifier Greg Henschell, but Henschell's turbocharged New Edge Mustang succumbed to the Vortech powered Mustang, and Brooks took the 275 Radial Championship. After Brooks' win, Henschell remarked how impressed he was with the efficiency of the Vortech V-30 105A Supercharger. Congratulations to Brian Brooks and his team on their victory, and for a job well done!

 

Earl Stanley/Mike Adams RacecarsOn the hunt to take the X275 Series Championship, the team of Earl Stanley and Mike Adams Racecars started early in the season with a win in Huntsville, Alabama at Radial Fest. The team currently runs a Vortech V-24 XB-105, along with one of the smallest engine combinations in the class (347c.i.). However, this has turned out to be a consistent combination for the team that hails from Kentucky.

 

Matt FieldThe other half of the Team Falken "Frienemies" rivalry, Matt Field had a tumultuous 2017 season. Having to overcome hurdles that included multiple opponents crashing hard enough into Field's S14 that he was unable to continue, and a tow truck driver dropping his car off the back of a flatbed at Round 5 in Montreal. Despite all this, our guy Matt Field still managed to win his second Motegi Super Drift Challenge in a row.Look for Matt Field in his new Vortech Supercharged ride, a sweet C6 Corvette with components from A&A Corvette, to start tearing things up immediately once the season starts in 2018.

 

Andrew OsborneAndrew has been on a tear in his home state of Colorado, where he set the fastest E.T record on 8.5 tires, at 4.836 seconds in Outlaw 8.5 at the PCSA Rocky Mountain Summer Series. Also worth noting is that Osborne's 1991 Mustang normally runs a Vortech V-30 112A, but switched to a smaller V-30 105A before setting the record.Osborne came out to the Street Car Super Nationals in St. Louis to see how things work closer to sea level. Andrew qualified in the #1 position, and he continued to be in the top 3 throughout the weekend.

 

Terry "Beefcake" ReevesTerry "Beefcake" Reeves is no stranger to breaking records on the racetrack with his Mustangs. In fact, with three Super Bowl rings and multiple firsts under his belt, Beefcake has become a name synonymous with the sport, and with boosted Coyotes across the board. This season, Terry claimed the record for fastest factory 6R80 automatic transmission equipped S550 with a 8.705 @ 160.44mph in his street car. That's right, the Vortech YSi-B Supercharged bright yellow S550 is what Terry had been driving around on the street regularly.Of course, going that fast in an index class can prove to be problematic, and indeed it was for Terry, as the record setting E.T. eclipsed his dial-in time by over half a second!  But not to worry, Terry still celebrated his new record in true Beefcake fashion...by cooking up a plate of bacon of course!

 

Andrew DeMarcoAndrew DeMarco made some big changes to his setup this year, and among those changes is coming on board with Team Vortech. Chalking up 2 Runner-Up podium spots with 2 different Vortech V-30 units in 2 different classes and sanctioning bodies in as many races (Vortech V-30 112A for NMCA Street Outlaw, and a Vortech V-30 105A for X275 duties), it goes without saying that DeMarco got everyone's attention very quickly. He will be a racer to watch out for in 2018.

 

Nikki Frost"Respect the process" is what Nikki's husband Keith Fidura posted on social media following Nikki turning in a new personal best and new record for fastest Vortech Supercharged Coyote in NMRA Coyote Modified-trim. During Round 2 of eliminations, Nikki turned in a blistering 8.170 E.T. at 163.67 MPH, eclipsing the previous record of 8.187 E.T. set by Terry "Beefcake" Reeves. The process in question that Keith mentioned, has been this season of racing for Nikki. Gradually turning the car up bit by bit, consistently getting faster and faster with every outing. The process has worked for the team, approaching it scientifically, never trying to make big jumps before they were ready, learning each and every time out. Now, with a new record under their belts, Frost and her Vortech V-7 JT-B equipped 2013 Mustang GT have really begun to fly. We can't wait to see what next season holds for this team!

 

Chris GrovesWith consistent times and #1 Qualifiers in X275, Chris and his Vortech V-30 105A Supercharged 1991 Mustang made their presence known early in the season at Throwdown in T-Town with a thunderous 4.45 at 161mph #1 qualifying run, a stunning 2.65mph faster than the next closest qualifier in the class. Look for more action from Chris and The Dyno Edge Team in 2018.

 

Craig WallsCraig Walls turned in low 7-second passes at over 183MPH at World Cup Finals in the X275 vs Hot Rod class. Walls and his V-30 102A Supercharged Fox Body Mustang will be a car to watch next season for sure.

 

Kris Mustacchio/Nick Edelman The boys from All Out Automotive have made steady progress with their Fox Body Mustang. The Yellowbullet Nationals would be their first real outing after numerous upgrades to chassis and electronics in the car. Running in Ultra Street, the guys alternated between a V-7 YSi and a new V-30 94A, performing some pretty significant wheel stands along the way while getting dialed in.

 

It was truly a great year of racing for Team Vortech. What will the 2018 racing season hold? We can't wait to find out...see you there!

Thanks & Photo credit to: 9NINE2, Dragzine, Steve Reese, Robert Grice, SCSN,PSCA, Black Rock Photography, and the individual drivers and teams.

Comments

Leave a comment

All blog comments are checked prior to publishing