Number-one qualifiers registered wins in three of four heads-up, no-breakout classes at the Attitude’s CompetitionPlus.com South Carolina Spectacular at Orangeburg Dragstrip this weekend, the first of six scheduled events this year for the newly formed Coca-Cola Outlaw Doorslammer Series (ODSS) presented by Hooters.

Among those prevailing from the top starting position were Tony Johnson in Outlaw 10.5, Greg Godwin in Pro Modified and Outlaw 275 Drag Radial racer Wes Whittle. Only local driver Chris Tuten from nearby Pelion, South Carolina, broke the trend, winning in Limited Street from last place in the qualifying order. Todd Sinclair also picked up his second race win in as many days in a combined 6.0 and 7.0 index class.

In a short, four-car field due to breakage and accidents for several competitors during Saturday’s three qualifying rounds, Johnson opened with a 4.52 pass on Sunday to beat Curtis Rhodes and his ’68 Camaro from Childersburg, Alabama, before facing off with Mark Swanson in the final.

Number-one qualifiers registered wins in three of four heads-up, no-breakout classes at the Attitude’s CompetitionPlus.com South Carolina Spectacular at Orangeburg Dragstrip this weekend, the first of six scheduled events this year for the newly formed Coca-Cola Outlaw Doorslammer Series (ODSS) presented by Hooters.

Among those prevailing from the top starting position were Tony Johnson in Outlaw 10.5, Greg Godwin in Pro Modified and Outlaw 275 Drag Radial racer Wes Whittle. Only local driver Chris Tuten from nearby Pelion, South Carolina, broke the trend, winning in Limited Street from last place in the qualifying order. Todd Sinclair also picked up his second race win in as many days in a combined 6.0 and 7.0 index class.

In a short, four-car field due to breakage and accidents for several competitors during Saturday’s three qualifying rounds, Johnson opened with a 4.52 pass on Sunday to beat Curtis Rhodes and his ’68 Camaro from Childersburg, Alabama, before facing off with Mark Swanson in the final.

It was over at the start, as Swanson and his Procharger-equipped Camaro moved seven-thousandths of a second too soon, while Johnson powered his supercharged ’68 Camaro to a winning 4.53 lap at 175.23 mph.

Despite the relatively easy weekend, Johnson, from Conyers, Georgia, expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance.

“We were quickest in every round of qualifying and eliminations, so that’s a good thing,” he pointed out. “Plus, we won, so that’s always good, too, no matter how it happens.”

Godwin, driving the nitrous-boosted ’63 Corvette owned by Orangeburg Dragstrip owner Buddy Boozer, made an off-the-pace bye run in the first round of eliminations, then easily handled Tyler Miller in round two before making another bye run in the semis to secure lane choice for the final with a 3.93 effort at 185.41 mph.

Robbie Matthews from Columbia, South Carolina, meanwhile, made it past veteran chassis man Tommy Mauney in the opening stanza, followed by wins over a red-lighting Danny Blankenship and a traction-challenged Troy Jordan in the semi-finals.

In a classic nitrous versus blower final, Matthews left with a .065 advantage off the start and went 4.07 at 177.37 mph in his supercharged Kaufmann Motorsports ’57 Chevy, but Godwin soon reeled him in and won going away with another 3.93 at 184.64 to earn the race win.

Godwin wasn’t too concerned when he saw Matthews leave first.

“I wasn’t going to push the tree because I knew we could run a low 3.90 and the best they’d run all weekend was in the 4-ohs. This was our race to win,” he said.

Whittle, running the narrow 275-designated DOT tires on his ’98 Mustang for the first time, also was quickest throughout eliminations as he dispatched Peter Harold and Johnny Canaday from the eight-car field before going after Jacksonville, Florida’s Kevin Fiscus in the final round.

Opening with a .054 holeshot, Whittle, from Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, secured the win with a 5.10 at 150.50 mph, while Fiscus was forced to shut off early and coast to a nine-second pass.

“It was hot out here today, but we had fun,” said Whittle as he shared victory lane with Fiscus. “I may have to race these little tires more often.”

Tuten, who carries Orangeburg Dragstrip sponsorship on his ’87 Mustang, arrived to the track late on Saturday, allowing himself only one chance to qualify for the eight-car Limited Street field. As luck would have it, he encountered problems in his attempt and was relegated to last place and given a race-day date with number-one starter Eric Dillard and his twin-turboed Mustang.

In probably the biggest upset of the weekend, Tuten left with a sizable .072 head start that allowed his 4.83 at 154.63-mph pass to edge Dillard’s 4.76 at 166.91 combination by just two thousandths at the finish line.

“That was an awesome race; neither one of us knew who won,” Tuten recalled.

In the semis Tuten defeated David Reese, who battled traction issues all weekend long, while his final-round opponent, Brad Edwards, advanced from an opening-round bye to beat Jeremy McElrath.

This time, Edwards moved first, but his 5.06 at 157.45 couldn’t hold off the 4.96 at 152.28 putogether by Tuten.

“I didn’t think I could win here,” Tuten admitted later. “I have the smallest motor in the class, a 302 with a single, 94-millimeter turbo on it, and this is my first time racing Limited Street. Sometimes the good Lord just smiles on you, I guess.”

After winning the combined 6.0/7.0 index final on Saturday night over Robert Holton, Sinclair entered Sunday’s action brimming with confidence.

“I knew we were going to win this even before hitting the water box,” the Chester, South Carolina-based 6.0 driver stated after beating Jerry Cline in a double-breakout final: 5.99 to 6.98. “I was a little surprised it sped up like that, but I knew I had him all the way.”

The Georgia Rumble, the second leg of the Coca-Cola Outlaw Doorslammer Series presented by Hooters, is scheduled for July 9-11, at Silver Dollar Raceway in Reynolds, Georgia.