Monty Mikho
05-28-2008, 08:08 PM
5-18-2008 – Fontana, CA – Team Accufab overcame huge odds to reach the final round with both of their cars at this past weekend’s Pacific Street Car Association California Nationals at AAA Dragway at California Speedway in Fontana. The Team is comprised of multi-time PSCA Champion Ed Thornton of Chino Hills, Ca with his black 1957 Chevy Twin Turbo and John Mihovetz of Ontario, Ca with his Twin Turbocharged 2002 Mercury Cougar. Though Thornton has been the PSCA’s Hughes Performance Pro Street Champion a record 4 times, Mihovetz has been the class of the field thus far during their 2008 campaign reaching all 3 finals so far winning 2 over his teammate at Fontana and taking 2nd place in Las Vegas.
Both cars struggled with unseasonably hot weather which made the track difficult for many to master. The Cougar led the Accufab team with a 6.709 at 218.80 which held down the number 2 spot for the class. Meanwhile the 1957 Chevy struggled to get grip on the racetrack and could only muster a snaillike 6.966 at 214.01 for the number 6 slot of the 12 car program.
Round 1 pitted the 1957 Chevy against the Supercharged Small Block Corvette of Karl Wilson. Thornton took an easy victory when Wilson’s car stumbled at the starting line allowing Thornton to run uncontested through the traps with a 6.799 217.14. Mihovetz in the Cougar faced off against Canadian Jay Syvertsen in his powerful Supercharged 38 Chevrolet. Syvertsen left first and had the Cougar trailing by more than a car length at 100 feet but suddenly the Chevy spun the tires and got out of shape tapping the left retaining wall and allowing Mihovetz to speed by with a 6.726 216.13. The run was not without incident as the head gasket was irreparably damaged on the Cougar during that run. With Lane Choice in round 2 and Championship points up for grabs Team Accufab planned to make the round without running water in the Cougar’s cooling system.
Round 2 was anticlimactic for the 1957 Team as their opponent and number 1 qualifier Bob Griffith was unable to make the call after an oil leak damaged the engine in his Supercharged Viper during round 1. Thornton singled into the semi-final round with a slightly improved 6.716 at 223.50 mph. Meanwhile Mihovetz pulled to the line against his opponent Big Mike Bowman. Bowman did his burnout and was backing his Turbo Monte Carlo back to the starting line before Mihovetz quickly fired the Cougar did a short burnout and backed up to stage with Bowman. Mihovetz and Bowman left the line together but soon the Cougar pulled ahead as Bowman slowed due to tire spin the Cougar taking the win light at 6.914 at only 179.37 mph. Upon inspection back in the pits it was deemed that the Cougar was still race able even after making that pass with no water in its water jackets.
Round 3 saw Thornton take a ladder bye based on the number of entries but he did not just limp his way down. Instead the 57 rocketed down the quarter mile for its best ET of the weekend a 6.658 at a record breaking 229.20 miles per hour. The Cougar faced off against the hard charging Supercharged Studebaker of Jeremy Hangar and prevailed once again against the odds running a 6.691 at 208.46 to the Stude’s 6.794 211.76. But this run apparently sucked most of the life out of the diminutive 282 cubic inch Modular V8 or so it seemed. As Team Accufab prepared to race itself for the 2nd time in 3 races for the title the little Ford finally showed no signs of life and a massive effort ensued to try and start the little engine before the final round. Armed with starting fluid and numerous other chemicals with battery chargers and an assortment of other tricks both halves of Team Accufab struggled to find a way to start the Cougar which simply had no tension left in its rings to build enough compression to fire. Just as the proverbial towel was being thrown in the suggestion was made to try and pull start the Cougar to get it running. Against the odds and with the naysayers all….well nay saying – the little engine roared to life. The 57 Team waiting at the water box when around from the pits sped Mihovetz the crew trailing in the golf cart and the burnouts were completed. When the tree came down the Cougar, which sounded sick as a dog on the burnout leapt in front of the big 57 and then again nearly literally leapt in front as the 330 approached and Mihovetz struggled to stay in his lane. Thornton was so certain Mihovetz’ parts spewing mount was coming into his lane he was forced to petal the throttle for an instant and that was all it took. Even with a hard charging 227.00 to 216.90 speed advantage Thornton could not overtake his teammate and crossed the finish line with a losing 6.630 to Mihovetz low ET of the meet 6.509. As consolation Thornton did set the speed record as his 227.00 mph speed was just faster than the required 226.91 for the record to be valid.
Team Accufab will next be racing in Fontana during the PSCA West Coast Shootout July 25th through 27th.
Both cars struggled with unseasonably hot weather which made the track difficult for many to master. The Cougar led the Accufab team with a 6.709 at 218.80 which held down the number 2 spot for the class. Meanwhile the 1957 Chevy struggled to get grip on the racetrack and could only muster a snaillike 6.966 at 214.01 for the number 6 slot of the 12 car program.
Round 1 pitted the 1957 Chevy against the Supercharged Small Block Corvette of Karl Wilson. Thornton took an easy victory when Wilson’s car stumbled at the starting line allowing Thornton to run uncontested through the traps with a 6.799 217.14. Mihovetz in the Cougar faced off against Canadian Jay Syvertsen in his powerful Supercharged 38 Chevrolet. Syvertsen left first and had the Cougar trailing by more than a car length at 100 feet but suddenly the Chevy spun the tires and got out of shape tapping the left retaining wall and allowing Mihovetz to speed by with a 6.726 216.13. The run was not without incident as the head gasket was irreparably damaged on the Cougar during that run. With Lane Choice in round 2 and Championship points up for grabs Team Accufab planned to make the round without running water in the Cougar’s cooling system.
Round 2 was anticlimactic for the 1957 Team as their opponent and number 1 qualifier Bob Griffith was unable to make the call after an oil leak damaged the engine in his Supercharged Viper during round 1. Thornton singled into the semi-final round with a slightly improved 6.716 at 223.50 mph. Meanwhile Mihovetz pulled to the line against his opponent Big Mike Bowman. Bowman did his burnout and was backing his Turbo Monte Carlo back to the starting line before Mihovetz quickly fired the Cougar did a short burnout and backed up to stage with Bowman. Mihovetz and Bowman left the line together but soon the Cougar pulled ahead as Bowman slowed due to tire spin the Cougar taking the win light at 6.914 at only 179.37 mph. Upon inspection back in the pits it was deemed that the Cougar was still race able even after making that pass with no water in its water jackets.
Round 3 saw Thornton take a ladder bye based on the number of entries but he did not just limp his way down. Instead the 57 rocketed down the quarter mile for its best ET of the weekend a 6.658 at a record breaking 229.20 miles per hour. The Cougar faced off against the hard charging Supercharged Studebaker of Jeremy Hangar and prevailed once again against the odds running a 6.691 at 208.46 to the Stude’s 6.794 211.76. But this run apparently sucked most of the life out of the diminutive 282 cubic inch Modular V8 or so it seemed. As Team Accufab prepared to race itself for the 2nd time in 3 races for the title the little Ford finally showed no signs of life and a massive effort ensued to try and start the little engine before the final round. Armed with starting fluid and numerous other chemicals with battery chargers and an assortment of other tricks both halves of Team Accufab struggled to find a way to start the Cougar which simply had no tension left in its rings to build enough compression to fire. Just as the proverbial towel was being thrown in the suggestion was made to try and pull start the Cougar to get it running. Against the odds and with the naysayers all….well nay saying – the little engine roared to life. The 57 Team waiting at the water box when around from the pits sped Mihovetz the crew trailing in the golf cart and the burnouts were completed. When the tree came down the Cougar, which sounded sick as a dog on the burnout leapt in front of the big 57 and then again nearly literally leapt in front as the 330 approached and Mihovetz struggled to stay in his lane. Thornton was so certain Mihovetz’ parts spewing mount was coming into his lane he was forced to petal the throttle for an instant and that was all it took. Even with a hard charging 227.00 to 216.90 speed advantage Thornton could not overtake his teammate and crossed the finish line with a losing 6.630 to Mihovetz low ET of the meet 6.509. As consolation Thornton did set the speed record as his 227.00 mph speed was just faster than the required 226.91 for the record to be valid.
Team Accufab will next be racing in Fontana during the PSCA West Coast Shootout July 25th through 27th.