“We almost didn’t come, but when we saw the forecast for Jackson (SC), we thought we’d better get down here,” Lynch said. “We really wanted to get in the .30s this weekend, but when we tore the driveshaft out of it in qualifying we thought this was going to be a long weekend, so that made all of it worthwhile.”
Lynch dropped slightly to a 4.451 after experiencing some tire spin in his semi-final match against Ken Rainwater, who was struggling with ignition gremlins in his own twin-turbo ‘Stang. On the other side of the 32-car ladder, number-eight qualifier Barfield also started with a bye before ousting teammate Marcus Birt, Johnson, and Jimmy Blackmon.
The 2000 Trans Am campaigned by Rockmart, GA’s Jimmy Blackmon carries a twin-turboed Proline Racing engine and Blackmon’s Straightline Chassis company originally built the 2002 Mustang in which Proline’s Tim Lynch won the Carolina race and rewrote the Outlaw 10.5 record books.
Barfield actually lost traction off the hit against Blackmon, but inherited the win when Blackmon’s 2000 Firebird veered right and barely crossed the centerline. The Rockmart, GA-based driver later explained his car endured severe tire shake going into second gear and the steering wheel actually came loose. Clearly shaken, Blackmon called it “scary” trying to put the wheel back on at speed, but added he knew Barfield wasn’t beside him
because he can hear his opponent’s car over his turbo engine and had heard Barfield disappear off the launch.
In the final round, Lynch quickly reeled in Barfield’s 762-equipped 2002 Camaro after falling behind to a .057 holeshot. At that moment, setting records was far from his mind. “I was more concerned with Jack being out there ahead of me over to the right, so I was focusing on him,” Lynch said. “I had to chase him down, but I don’t mind a drive-by every now and then.”
After running in the 4.50s all weekend, Barfield posted his best in the final, a 4.483 at 161.77 mph, but even he was impressed by the record-setting run that beat him.
“That would’ve been very tough to beat, no matter what,” the 2004 ORSCA Outlaw 10-wide champion said. “When someone makes a performance like that—and they absolutely shattered the record—you just have to say, ‘Hat’s off,’ to them.”
 Steve Petty allows himself a satisfied smile after tuning Tim Lynch to the world’s first 4.30s pass in an Outlaw 10.5 entry. |
Still, Barfield said his team struggled with a “popping” problem in his engine at the last few races and after finally figuring it out at Carolina it was somewhat frustrating to come up short. “You know, the car went a 2.96 at the 330, so the potential is there, but the kind of back-half those guys (Lynch Mob) are running, I just don’t think we can match that right now with the nitrous cars.”
Prior to the final, Steve Petty, the turbo tuning wiz behind Lynch, said he’d actually backed the car down in order to make sure it got down the track for the win. His driver was skeptical of that version of the story, though. “He doesn’t tell me, but I don’t think anything was backed down on that one,” Lynch said. “I knew the car was on a good run because it had the front end hiked up out there to about 400 feet. It was a good ride.” 
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