IHRA: Young pulls out Stock victory in Memphis

Thursday, 01 December 2016

Steven Cole Smith (words and image)

Young's 1995 Chevrolet Camaro looks deceptively streetworthy, but looks can be deceiving: The Palm Harbor, Florida resident drove his Camaro to an IHRA Summit Tournament of Champions Stock victory at Memphis International Raceway recently, with a pass of 10.609 seconds at 120.26mph over Jeffrey Gardiner of Waldorf, Missouri, whose run was 10.926 seconds at 114.93mph in his 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass.


Young had a slight advantage on the starting line, with a reaction time of .086 seconds, compared to Gardiner's .091 seconds.
"It felt really good to see that win light come on," Young said. "It was a little shocking – I thought I was going to lose. I was late, and when I got through the gears, I looked over and thought, 'I don't know if I'm going to get this.' As we got down the track, I started pulling ahead."
The Camaro, he said, "was flawless. This car is always a great piece."
Young thanked Joel Warren and Lucas Oil, as well as Warren Race Engines, Joel Warren, "my Mom, my Dad, my brother, my girlfriend and the good Lord above."