In the world of fast doorslammer racing, it has been written in many places that the fastest growing segment of our sport is the Top Sportsman-type car. They are built with several different power adders and have many body styles, both old and new. Competition can be under a 4.50 index, a Quick 16, and in the case of the Outlaw 4.70 doorslammer events, the 4.70 index has worked several seasons for Donnie Gibbs Jr., former owner of Mooresville Dragway, now called Mooresville Motorsports Complex.
With improvements already in the works, new general manager Eric Yost has set upon an aggressive schedule with one 4.70 event under their belt, as well as an NHRA points event just recently contested. But at this writing, we will be discussing the Outlaw 4.70 event.
Brandon Plyler
On April 15 of this year, approximately 16 of the best of these cars came to test the waters for the new owners, as well as another 300 of their closest friends. With approximately 100 Top Eliminator cars, 40, or so Jr. Dragsters, and other assorted door cars, this event has to be labeled a huge success. Weather in the Southeast has been a problem for all events so far this season, so it was with huge relief that the track opened for the competitors to file in on Friday for the Saturday event.
When competition began, only 14 cars took a time in qualifying, with local driver Nick Cline getting the bye run in the second round of eliminations. Others who won in this round included David Lambert, the Randall Lumina, Brandon Plyler, Chad Cristy, Jeremy Youker, and Todd Buckner. The final four included Cline’s ’37 Chevrolet, Lambert’s beautiful Oldsmobile, Plyler’s Thunderbird, and the Corvette of Buckner.
The semifinal round resulted in Lambert facing off with Plyler for the final, with the Oldsmobile running a 4.705 to the too-quick 4.692 of the Thunderbird. Congratulations to Lambert and crew on their first win of the season and to the Plyler group for their runner-up finish. The next event is scheduled for May 13 at the Mooresville Motorsports Complex.
This story was originally published on May 12, 2023. 
