“Evil Outlaw” Qualifies #2, Looses in Semi-Finals

Courtesy of Firebaugh Express Racing

Firebaugh, Ca – Jay Diedrich in his “Evil Outlaw” Firebaugh Express Racing 1957 Chevy will have to wait a little longer before he secures that first Pro Street/Pro Mod win as he exited in the Semi-Finals this past weekend running with the West Coast Hot Rod Association in Bakersfield, Ca.

Diedrich qualified in the number two spot after three sessions of qualifying with a strong 6.162 at 245.70. In the first round of eliminations he had a bye as his competitor, Rod Pearce, did not make the call. Jay was on a great pass until about 800 feet where he hit a snake on the race track and that sent him on a wild ride getting too close for comfort to the right hand wall. He quickly dumped the chutes to get straightened out which likely saved his car from major damage.

Still, Diedrich stopped the clocks with a 6.341 at 200.31 but it was not good enough for lane choice in the second round match-up against Pro Street heavy hitter Randy Walker.

When the second round came around Bob Bunker Jr. and Lonni Houde had the “Evil Outlaw” hopped up to run a number. A mid-to-high 6.0 pass at over 250 was expected as the air and track conditions were there to make a record pass happen.

Unfortunately for the Firebaugh Express Racing team, during the burnout the shutoff lever on the back of the car rattled off and Jay was unable to re-start the car and back up since he utilizes a manual starter that attaches to the blower. He had to coast down the track and his crew on the starting line had to witness Walker go into instant tire shake at the hit of the throttle.

Not the way any team wants to end their race weekend, but there’s always a next time.

Jay Diedrich will be attending the West Coast Outlaw Pro Mod Association event this weekend with the “Evil Outlaw” 1957 Chevy on June 11-12 at Sacramento Raceway Park. There he will look for that “oh” pass and hopes to exceed the 250 MPH mark.

For more information about the  team visit their website at www.FirebaughExpressRacing.com.