Soulek drives to Car Club drag win at Pacific Raceways

Published 9:23 am Monday, August 3, 2009

From Kent Magruder, Car Club Challenge Association:

The N.W. F-body team had plenty to cheer about when Jackie Soulek took her 1995 Z28 Camaro to the CCCA victory, Friday night at Pacific Raceways.

Once again, it was a very hot evening of racing. As the field of cars got smaller every round, things wound down to three different teams represented in the semi-finals.

In the semi-finals, Mopar Drag Team Capt. Dave Kranz red lit, giving P.N.W. Camaro Club Capt. Don Berry of Monroe, WA the win. To set up the finals, Jackie Soulek of Marysville, WA took out P.N.W.C.C. Tim Loewen in a double breakout!

In the finals were two Chevrolets from two different teams. Berry, was coming off a win at the Good Guys race and Soulek would go onto to victory Saturday night in the NHRA Sportsman.

Soulek pulled her Z28 to the line, then Berry, with tires smoking pulled up to the line. Jackie dialed in with a 12.82 and Berry with an 11.09.

Berry had lined up a little out of the grove and when he launched the car, it immediately started to go left. At half track he still didn’t have it under full control so he lifted. When the car straightened out, he hit it again and it headed straight for the wall! Berry lifted again and when it came back around it shot him across the centerline, taking out the 1000 ft cone. Berry had racers from every team holding their breath. Nobody wanted to see a damaged car or an injured driver. Thanks to some very skilled driving, harm to both driver and car was avoided.

Soulek also was more than a little relieved that her Z28 didn’t get any white paint on it from Berry’s troubles.

There are just three races left in the 2009 CCCA season.

Aug 7 Pacific Raceways

Sept 12 Bremerton Raceway

Sept 19 Bremerton Raceway