Drag Illustrated Issue 157, June 2020 | Page 54

DIALED IN WSC 4.90 OUTLAWS SERIES allow throttle stops or any kind of plate underneath the carburetors. Nitrous timers are OK, or if you want to short-shift your car because it’s too fast, that fine. If I see a guy who runs 4.90 over and over then sure, I’m gonna go look at his car. I want to keep things on a good, level playing field,” Whisnant declares. Whisnant insists the club is largely self-governing, with little input from any one individual, himself included. “We have a set of rules in place that we go by, and if ever there’s a situation that’s not clearly outlined in the rules, I call upon several of the veteran members, and we’ll come to a resolution by way of a vote,” he says. Throughout the racing season as well as the offseason, Whisnant is constantly in search of sponsors who’ll support the club, and he’s had great success. “Any good program needs a points series,” he believes. The club generally holds around 16 point-earning events contested at various tracks located in the Carolinas, after which, an awards banquet is held honoring the top finishers and crowning a champion. The racing action is incredibly tight, and seldom is there any hints of dominance within the group. In fact, only veteran racer, Randy Anderson, has been able to clinch the championship twice. Anderson strung together a couple winning seasons in 2014 and 2015. He’s very vocal of his fondness for this style of racing and has participated with the WSC 4.90 Outlaws since its inception. He won the season-opener at Shadyside Dragway this year, driving his familiar 1967 Camaro, a car he’s owned and raced for more than three decades. Drag Illustrated caught up with the group at their second meet of 2020, held at South Carolina’s Greer Dragway in mid-May. Eighteen hot cars showed up to do battle, all while showcasing the incredible diversity of this touring series. Among the neatest entries in attendance was Chris Carter’s radical, blown 1969 Plymouth Barracuda, aptly named “The Blown Fish.” Carter, who hails from Elizabethton, Tennessee, is a fan favorite among Mopar enthusiasts, but unfortunately, he made an early exit from eliminations during this meet, after going red against veteran racer Michael Martin in round one. Another sleek ride for the nostalgia fans at Greer was the gorgeous 1957 Ford Fairlane of Jeremy Sisk. Although Sisk is part of a bracket racing family that possesses no less than three 54 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated.com Issue 157