The unending efforts of both driver and crewcheif had positioned Ponchoman 9th in B Main points for the final championship race on 9/1/97. After overcoming all mechanical problems, and bettering performance for the entire season, as well as avoiding several wrecks and the wall with the skill of a seasoned veteran, driver Jim Kourtakis experienced a severe overheat condition and elected to save the engine, costing him and the team a top 10 rookie year performance. Not to be discouraged the team continued it's efforts, revising the cooling as well as completing the last scheduled upgrade of the 97 season, a rear axle upgrade. With the addition of a 3.23 ratio, as well as a mini spool to solidly lock the rear tires, Ponchoman ran it's first 14 second qualifying lap during the non points invitational Fall Classic Two Day Show. Driver Jim Kourtakis reported that the car was smoother than it had ever been, and the faster times were far easier than previous bests of slower recordings. Look for Ponchoman to be a serious contender in the 98 season. If you are interested in becoming part of the Ponchoman team in 1998 email a request for all the information. 1998 promises to be a good year, with 25 scheduled points races, as well as several practice nights, the potential to reach 100,000 customers over the next 6 months starting in April of 1998.

1998 was a hard year to follow,it always seemed like the good times were just a little to hard to reach. After several close encounters We finally managed to find the marbles to take us to the outside wall in the back straight. The wall wasn't so bad but coming off the other drivers did their best to give us a few pointers and we ended up with a few bent rims and a severely manipulated tie rod end. The parts truck was not to any avial, so we removed the rod and employed the welders torch to take the pretzelated part and give it a little straightening guidence, and were able to start the main race to keep our points standing. However being shorthanded in the crew, we ran out of time to inspect the rest of the suspension and the car was unmanagable after a few laps, later to be revieled as a collapsed wheel bearing now welded to the spindle.

Even more good news was a later in the year qualifying effort that left the stock rear axle shaft in more than one peice, with the car almost rolling through the infield on three tires. Agian the parts truck was to no avial, so in the course of the next two and one half hours we were able to remove the old shaft, drive 70 miles round trip to our base of operations, remove a shaft from Ponchomans adorning 77 street Formula, and reassemble the whole mess, including the missing and damaged brake hardware in time to start scratch in the main feature. How's that for treamwork! All the work paid off, as later in the season we were rewarded with a story in the August 1998 issue of Stock Car racing Magazine as well as full page story including color photos in the September 10th, 1998 Farmington Observer on page A9.

Our greatest reward was the weekend of the second annual Fall Classic however. Qualifying our best of the year time of 15.04 and starting 10th in a field of 22 cars Ponchoman Jim Kourtakis agian worked his magic to outdrive the field and capture the first and only feature win of the year, keeping the tradition alive. He was astonished when the entire car was covered with friends and fans, (see the pictures link). It just goes to show you birthday wishes do come true.

1999 without a doubt was the greatest year for the efforts of the 33 car! And it started with the help of longtime friend, mentor and guidence of fellow Firebird driver Jerry Cichocki of #75 fame. Graciously donating the tools, location, and wisdom of a saint, Ponchoman was treated to a liberating of 200 pounds of unnessecary ballast as well as total reworking of the stock front suspension, which would include the addition of racing shocks, tubular upper a-arms, relocated anti dive mounts and jacking bolts, look out B-Main. First time practice runs shattered our old barriers with mid 14 second laps, and opening night we were treated to a solid B-Main spot with a 14.52 qualifying. It was very early in the season when our best qualifying lap occured at 14.32, as well as our first ever heat race win and agian the car was adorned with a healthy following. For the next few weeks Ponchoman found himself graced with several top 10 B-Main finishes, as well as starting the features surrounded by cars of significantly higher status.

The season would take a different turn in the next week however. Due to the purchase of the formerly privately owned Toledo Speedway by ARCA, and his respect and admiration for the fine people of ARCA, Ponchoman Jim Kourtakis agreed to a limited tour of duty to help fill the program until the regular cars would start to arrive. This decision would turn out to push him to the very limit of his limited resources as he short handedly ran double duty, and sustained severe amounts of damage and physical drain, which would cause him to slip off pace and fall from his goal of a B-Main feature win at his home track of Flatrock, as well as his dreamed top 10 B-Main championship points standing.

No good deed goes unpunished however. After 4 weeks he was solidly locked in 4th place of the A-Main points in Toledo. And the extra money from the higher class was even covering the expenses of the extra wear and tear and towing costs. Not to mention the sypathetic drivers who helped the cause with several used tire donations, as Ponchomam had not had a new tire since it's maiden voyage in 1997! And the hazards of Toledo were providing an education as well. So good an education that late in the season after three heat race wins at the new track Ponchoman Jim Kourtakis recorded an astonishing as well as career best qualifying time of 11.95! On used tires with a car sporting 150 + pounds of extra ballast. It was a glorious awards dinner with a great introduction for Jim Kourtakis who has been dubbed "Mr. Excitement" by the Toledo fans, as well as a fantastic round of applause as Ponchoman claimed his beautiful 5th Place points champion trophy and ARCA bonus points check. Including his late season feature win at Flatrock to keep it three for three, the total feature and win count for the 1999 season at both tracks was 5!

A special thanks goes out to all who made it possible, including Chuck Okuley from the #0D car, Ed Hindall #48, Dave Rupp #16, Randy Cornett #11 and all the other great Toledo drivers who carried on the tradition of Sportsmanship in perfect ARCA fashion. Also thanks to Steve Chartrand #14, and Brain Ausmus #3 who supported us with tires at both tracks as well as Lonnie York #25, and Rich #50 and Jennifer #55 Able who gave us countless help at both tracks. A special thanks to James Potter #6, and Earl Roth and Jim #141 for their tire effort, Allen #26 and Grover #36 Smith, Dave and Jill #37 and The Smouthers racing team #98, Black Flag racing, as well as Bobby Thompson, Ric Cargo, and Pat Herman as well as Dennis and his entire family at the tire truck, thanks one and all, we owe it all to you, and love you very much. A special thanks also to our only paying sponsor, George Pranis and his company "Engines Unlimited"

2000 without a doubt was the greatest year for the efforts of the 33 car, and the worst! Over the winter the excitement of the 1/2 mile became too much to bear and the 33 team soon found itself surrounded by the neatest pile of parts money could buy. Eventually to be termed junkyard wars time was the enemy in trying to finish an entry into the exciting new Sportsman division. With only two weeks to opening night the new 33 had to be put on the back burner and the sponsors setteled on another year of the fabeled F-body, running the spare parts engine assembled months earlier for the sole purpose of running only 1 weekend at the 1999 Fall Classic, after suffering a piston failure in the 1999 chamionship race.

George Pranis was back along with Engines Unlimited and the Crestwood Lounge joined the trunk deck and the Trans Am club took the hood. Regretfully time restraints and other issues didn't allow the time to win a feature in the highly competitive B main series. Consistant 14.30's did place the 33 car solidly in the starting grid, usually enough to get it involved in the really good wrecks. By mid season a tired Jim Kourtakis was off the pace and three weeks of the C Main made the points race also look like a bad scenario. Fortunately the groove came back into reach before it was to late and the end of the season found Jim Kourtakis running his fastest ever on far from his best engine, 14.06, less than 1/10 from his 13 second qualifying goal. As amazing was his best ever 9th in total points at the Flatrock B-Main, also a goal from earlier years. As always the thanks here to all who helped can never be enough, we love you all very much and hope to return the favor.

Over the winter a regroup and prioritizing left the new 33 on the front burner. A fresh smallblock Chevy was caressed with hopes the 500 lb.ft of torque could propel the car to reasonable times with the 3.25 rear gear running in drive through the salvaged from rusty parts 2 speed Powerglide. Even the best efforts can prove short and the 33 car found itself on the track opening night having missed all the practices and even worse having carb trouble on it's maiden voyage in hot laps. Fixing the problem just in time to qualify Jim Kourtakis was able to qualify rather well and started the third heat fifth fastest in the field of 8. Fate wouldn't have any breaks and five laps in a love tap from the inside in turn 3 ended the night with a crushed radiator, broke control arm and bent wheel and lower ball joint. It was this night that would set the presidence for the season, always some kind of wreck or failure or mechanical misfortune.

Not to be quitters the 33 just keeps on trying and in mid season a new gear in the order of 4.33 helped make driving the turns easier. However the old torque cam just was not up to the RPMs nessecary to wind the higher gear. In hopes to make things better a single plane intake was employeed, and although it breathes much better it has now uncovered other failings in the fuel delivery arena. When all the bugs are sorted out in addition to the new cam profile, and the tell tale tach shows 6000 on the needle instead of 5000, the extra 230 rear wheel rounds and 20 MPH should yeild 19.4's at 92 + MPH. look for the 33 car to make a last chance effort to get at least a heat race checker if not the dreamed of top 10 in the points standing.

A special thanks to George Pranis and Engines Unlimited who provided the outstanding expertise and machine work to allow our humble mill to withstand the rigors of Sportsman compitition. Also thanks to David points and the fine people at Renesaince West in Detroit, Joel at Joels on Joy in Detroit, the only place you need for Transmission and Rear end advise, Pat Novak, owner of The Detroit Metropolitian Airport News, Seifert City Wide Printing in Southfield and Phil, Owner of Razzles in Westland. We hope to earn the gratitude you have shown us, see you at the races!!!

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