March 13 & 14, 2004

Jets heat up Moroso Chevy Show

Story and Photos by Annie Lindstrom

Jetwebb Correspondent

Jupiter, Fla. -- Moroso Motorsports Park got its jet powered car and truck season off to a hot start on a beautiful Saturday in March. Drivers and cars at the track included a bunch of old timers as well as an exciting new driver and the first appearance at Moroso for Pepi Urban’s gleaming new jet semi-truck.

Saturday’s match-ups started in late afternoon with a race between Joe Douthit driving his California Smokey jet dragster against new driver Jeff Rice, piloting the Georgia Firefly jet dragster in his first race against another jet car. Ironically, Douthit once owned the car Rice drove this weekend.

Both cars looked great as they fired up and popped to the start line for the first pass late Saturday afternoon. Califonia Smokey crossed the line well ahead of the Georgia Firefly, running a sweet 5.483 at 285.62 mph.

Georgia FireFly Jet Dragster & Owner/Driver Jeff Rice

Jeff Rice, 43, and his wife Sonya hail from Lavonia, Ga. They got into jet cars about 20 years ago when they saw them running at the track in Commerce. Jeff spent most of his career making fiberglass tops for vans, and now he’s owning and driving a jet car all his own. Jeff currently works for an engineering firm when he’s not out driving the Georgia Firefly on the weekends, but he admits he’d like to “just drive.” Pitting for Rice and his wife are their son Chris, 20, and daughter Renae, 18, Jeff’s brother Phil and friend Keith Scruton.

Based in San Diego, Joe Douthit and his wife Carol are driving at tracks on the East Coast for the first time in about five years. The 64-year old has been driving jet cars for the past 20 years. The Douthits and Jerry Segal of Las Vegas-based Segal Motorsports are building two new funny cars to race as a team. Both cars, which are almost complete, have J-85 engines. One is a Dodge Daytona and the other a 2000 Camero.

Next up were Mario Carranca and his SuperMario jet funny car pitted against Dick Rossburg driving the Coors Light jet funny car. Mario and Dick lit up the fading afternoon light with their crowd pleasing fire shows. The crowd at Moroso loves watching hometown favorite Mario (Arcadia, Fla.) race at this track. Mario and crewman 23-year-old Aaron Newman started their season at Moroso this weekend. I must say that the color of the flame coming out the back of the Coors Light car just looks so beautiful with the paint job on that car. Dick had an RT of .520 snagged a time of 5.975 running at 260.94 to beat Mario who had a .498 RT a time of 6.193 running at 262.85.

The two funny cars whetted the crowd’s appetite for more and that’s just what they got as Joe ‘Pepi’ Urban’s Xtreme Machine pulled into the staging area to make its Moroso debut. The J-79 equipped Freightliner gleamed in the sunlight as Pepi warmed her up and honked the airhorn to get the crowd jazzed. There are no words to describe how sharp this truck looks and sounds when it heats up in the staging area. Pepi’s first run of the year clocked in at a time of 8.359 at a speed of 192.71 mph. Pepi’s still working on getting the truck off the line and through the first 1/8^th of a mile with a faster time, but in the meantime, that truck just looks GOOD during the day and at night! You go Pepi!

Following the jets was the world famous fire and smoke blowing Draco the Dragonator. For his first act, Draco lifted his owner/operator, Rev Prochnow, of Cape Coral, Fla., high into the air by a chain wrapped around his neck (attached to a harness, of course!). Underneath his dragon skin, Draco the Dragonator is a Hitachi Excavator. The 45 ft. long, 35 ft. tall machine weighs 42,000 lbs. and is a member of the American Monster Truck Association. He finished his act by drinking and demolishing a 55 gallon drum of Pepsi. Chevy show staff yakking with the Dragonator suggested getting a Ford for him to munch on during his later appearance.

Night light

The packed house at Moroso was primed for the second pass. The dragsters took their places, but only California Smokey got out of the chute. Like a beautiful thoroughbred, Jeff Rice’s Georgia Firefly refused the gate. Douthit ran at 5.52 at 284.36 mph. Mario and Dick went head to head again. Dick red lighted turning in a 5.91 at 270.27 mph and Mario posted a 6.19 at 264.86 mph.

Pepi’s gleaming Xtreme Machine rolled to center stage and proceeded to light up the Florida night sky. For the second time, people leaning on the fence on the other side of the chute near the tower went running for cover when Pepi blew his first plume of white hot fire at the tower. It must have got pretty hot over there is all I can say! The J-79 is EVIL HOT. It’s really so darn funny from up in the stands watching everybody run. Pepi layed down a nice run. Tripping the beams with an 8.29 at 197.97.

Draco the Dragonator really had a hard act to follow, but the kids just love to see a mechanical fire breathing dragon having fun at the old drag strip. Rev rode the beast out onto the track this time. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get any good photos of it at night, so you’ll have to use your imagination or go to the website. www.thedraco.com. Draco drank another Pepsi, but didn’t get any Fords to wash it down.

Moroso’s not letting up with the jets. April 3&4^th seven jets will be back at the track to light up the weekend’s Jet and Truck Nationals. Looking forward to my yearly does of the triple-engine Shockwave semi-truck. Also on the card are Bob VanSciver’s Ultimate Warrior Ford Ranger jet truck making it’s first appearance at Moroso. Dick Rosburg will drive the truck the Ford against Neal Darnell piloting the FlashFire Chevy S-10 jet truck. Pepi Urban will be back, but he’ll be driving his Showdown dragster against Joe Douthit and California Smokey, who’s still in town. Rounding out the show is crowd favorite Mario Carranca driving the SuperMario jet funny car against Pat Davidson in Mario’s other jet funny car, Phantom.

The jets will perform amidst cars brought to the track by the Diesel Hot Rod Association, which races three classes that include heads up and bracket racing. Street Diesel, ProStreet and Modified Diesel are for trucks running the Ľ mile in under 12 seconds.

Do you have any jet car news or stories to tell? Contact Jetwebb Annie