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Alamo City Motorplex

Ritters Repeat, It’s a Family Affair

By JM Hallas

Seguin, TX – Not to be outdone by his wife Candace, who won the 2020 Alamo City Motorplex Top ET track championship, Brent Ritter showed he still had a title in him. The multi-time track champion, who started racing in 1990 driving a 64 Ford Falcon, added his fourth championship trophy to his case after titles in 2001(Top Sportsman) and back to back titles in 2014/2015 in Box(Electronics).

“The pressure of racing for championships has never bothered me too much,” said Ritter. “I think I felt more pressure trying to keep Candace in a car that was competitive.”

“It’s never been easy for me to win the championship, but having done it before makes me believe I can do it again. I think the first championship was the most exciting because I didn’t know if I was capable of doing it until then. The last one is the most important to me because I proved I can still do it.”

This year wasn’t easy either, having motor issues and Candace crashing her car late in the season.

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Funny Car Chaos World Finals

By JM Hallas

Marion, TX – Weird ending to the night. Well, they don’t call it “chaos” for nothing. With the passing of a cool front Friday evening, temperatures and air conditions changed considerably for Saturday’s start. Now it would be up to crew chiefs to keep up with cooler track surfaces, air density and a wind shift from south to north.

Having one more qualifying round helped teams try out different set ups getting down the track under completely different circumstances. In Friday night qualifying in the warmer, humid conditions it was Ronny Young grabbing the number one spot in Funny Car while Mark Hunter got the top spot in the Outlaw Fuel Altereds.

The final qualifying session Saturday, under better conditions, saw a lot of shuffling in the field with some teams hitting the proverbial nail on the head, while others under estimated conditions. When the smoke cleared, it was championship contender, Kirk Williams jumping past Ronny Young with a pass of 3.62 @ 214.08 to take the number one spot.

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Funny Car Chaos World Finals

By JM Hallas

Marion, TX – The wait is over. After a two-week long delay due to weather, Alamo City Motorplex kicked off this years Funny Car Chaos World Championships with Friday night qualifying sessions for Funny Cars and Outlaw Fuel Altereds.

Coming into the final show to crown a champion, even qualifying points could change the standings. Last years race winner, Ken Singleton comes into ACM with a 36 point advantage over Kirk Williams, both have a big gap back to Andy Mears in third, with Daniel Brutherus, Jade Cook and Tom Furches in a tight battle for fourth.

Last year Terry Haddock stole the number one qualifying spot with a thunderous 3.545 @ 232.74. He then faced off against Singleton in the finals where Singleton used a starting line advantage and Haddock kicking a rod out to take the victory.

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Alamo City Motorplex IHRA Summit Super Series, Hot Rod Bracket Race

By JM Hallas

Marion, TX – Champions to be crowned.  It was season ending IHRA Summit Super Series final points race with double points on the line to decide drivers/teams headed to the World Finals in Memphis, October 14-16 for the Top ET, Modified ET, Sportsman and Jr Dragster classes.

Coming into the night here’s how the points looked;

Top ET(Box) has Mike Pearson out front of former track champ Brent Ritter by 9, with Greg Meuth 28 back, while Jamie Longoria Jr. and Mike Atkinson round out the top five.

In Modified ET(No Box) it’s Corky Weeks almost locked in with a 69 point lead over Chris Pearson. Billy Janousek, Alan Friedeck and Miguel Montoya complete the top five.

Rhett Floyd comes into action with a 19 point advantage over Jackie Hibbard in the Sportsman class while Harold Shimek, Ronald Gordner and Trenton Johnson hold down top five places.

Jr. Dragsters are tight, really tight. Ty Janousek comes in only 3 ahead of Addysan Rogers, and 5 ahead of Gracie O’Rourke. Reilly Garceau and Jordan Suckow complete the top five.

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IHRA Ironman Classic, Summit Super Series, Alamo City Motorplex

By JM Hallas

Marion, TX – After a couple special event weekends it was time for local bracket racers to get back on track with the IHRA Ironman Classic, Summit Super Series, Bracket Race with drivers vying for a coveted “Ironman” trophy in all five classes(Top ET, Modified ET, Sportsman, Motorcycle and JR Dragster.)

Last months rescheduled double points race shook up the standings in four of the five classes. With double points up for grabs again championship battles and leads can come and go quickly.

The Top ET standings saw last race winner and former track champion, Brent Ritter jump to the top, but by only two points ahead of Mike Pearson, with Jamie Longoria jr, defending champ Candace Ritter and Mike Atkinson in the top five.

Corky Weeks, who was runner up last time out, jumped from fourth to the Modified ET points lead ahead of Miguel Montoya, Wendall Dockery and Chris Pearson.

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Alamo City Motorplex 1st Annual Michael Taylor Memorial Race

By JM Hallas

Marion, TX – Family, friends, racers and crews came together Saturday to celebrate the life of Michael Taylor(Cibilo), a young racer taken way too. The young Taylor, who had recently purchased the Chevy Nova of Dale Rutledge, was on his way home from a race when a highway accident took his life and injured his fiance’ Kaylyn Pulaski.

The Taylor family has long been a fixture around drag racing and have rebuilt the damaged racecar that was piloted in the memorial cruise by his father Perry Taylor while his grandfather, Duke Floyd, drove the other Taylor car. A long line of racers on hand paid their respects to young Michael, and there was hardly a dry eye in the place as the memorial cruise began.

Several racers and businesses were involved in bringing this together: Corky Weeks, Greg Meuth(Quality Auto), Trevor Smith, John Twitty, Michaels Garage, Barrys Oil & Towing, Game Day Gear, Blue Bonnet Ford, Bare Metal Speed Shop along with ACM staff. Cornwell Tools held a raffle for a large tool box with proceeds going to the Taylor family.

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IHRA Summit Super Series Hot Rod Bracket Race at Alamo City Motorplex

By JM Hallas

Marion, TX – The heat is on.  After losing a scheduled points race last time they were slated, it was double points night at Alamo City Motorplex for an IHRA Summit Series Hot Rod Bracket Race on the 1/8th mile power plant just outside San Antonio.

With mostly sunny skies it was hot to say the least, but the occasional cloud kept the track manageable at 131* track temperature at the start of time trials. Once the sun set track conditions changed for the better with competitors having to adjust their dial ins.

Coming into the nights action the Top ET(Box) points shook out with Jamie Longoria jr. on top by 10 over Mike Pearson, with defending champ Candace Ritter third, Cole Herbold fourth and Kip Scharf rounding out the top five.

In Modified ET(No-box) Wendall Dockery continues to lead over Miguel Montoya, Cole Herbold, Corky Weeks and Chris Pearson.

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Alamo City Motorplex IHRA Summer Super Series Hot Rod Bracket Race

Marion, TX – Happy Mothers Day!  Saturday night it was time for another round of the IHRA Summit Super Series Hot Rod Bracket Race under partly cloudy skies, near summer like temperatures in the 90’s and a stiff south wind. The partial cloud cover helped keep track temps down with the biggest issue being a strong cross wind once clearing the end of the spectator side bleachers.

One hundred and twenty five cars signed in with fields of 40 in Top ET and Modified ET, 20+ in Sportsman and 10 each in Motorcycle and Jr. Dragster

Coming into the nights action, defending Top ET(Box)track champ Candace Ritter, held a slim two point lead over Jamie Longoria with Mike Pearson, past champ Cole Herbold and Kip Scharf in the top five.

In ET(No-Box) it’s Wendell Dockery holding the advantage over Cole Herbold, Miguel Montoya, Corky Weeks and Gene Herbold.

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IHRA Summit Super Series Hot Rod Bracket Race at Alamo City Motorplex

By JM Hallas

Marion, TX – Something old, something new highlights the beginning of the 2021 season at Alamo City Motorplex.  After several successful big shows, including the ‘Battle of the Alamo’ No-Prep event, the Extreme Monster Truck show, Project Torque Truck Shootout, to name a few. This week starts the 2021 bracket race series.

The latest announcement came just this week as ACM again joined up with IHRA sanctioning in a multi-year deal. This marks the return of the IHRA Summit Super Series Bracket races giving drivers points leading up to the Summit Team Finals and Summit Super Series World Finals held at the end of the season.

This Saturday kicked off the IHRA SSS points season with a double points show on the 1/8 mile track just east of San Antonio. Despite the cloudy conditions it was more like an early summer day with air temperatures in mid 80s, although track temps were kept in check by the cloud cover.

It was quite an opening night for the ACM bracket series points chase with over 125 cars signing in for action, one of the largest fields in some time.

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It’s a Racing Life, for Husband and Wife

By JM Hallas

Seguin, TX – The first husband-wife championship in the history of San Antonio Raceway/Alamo City Motorplex. It all started at age 4 for Candace Ritter, this years Super Pro track champion at Alamo City Motorplex. The first championship for the mother of two, in her racing career, but not the first for the family. Her husband, Brent, picked up track championships in 2001(Top Sportsman) and back to back titles in 2014/2015 in Box(Electronics).

Both of her parents(Noreen and Dennis Soefje) were drag racers at Alamo Dragway in her early years. “My mom raced a ’68 Mustang coupe that she drove to the race track. Sheeven changed her own tires to her slicks and my dad raced a Ford Pinto called Baby Blue.” recalled Ritter.

So of course where did she meet her husband, Brent? “We knew of each other from Alamo Dragway, but really met in September 2002. I told Brent that I wanted to go for a ride in the double dragster that he drove for Todd Zampese and Brent didn’t charge me for that pass. Then we got married in May of 2003 in the courtyard behind the tower at San Antonio Raceway.”

“The week of the last race I was a little nervous but once I got to the track and got in my dragster I was fine. We just treated it like a regular race. You have to or you will just get in your head too much and that is when you will mess up.”

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