Santa Maria High’s automotive racing team posted the best finish yet in the history of Saints Motorsports, taking second place at the American Nostalgia Racing Association’s season opener, held April 8 to 10 in Bakersfield.
The Saints qualified in the eighth position out of a 20-car field, posting a 7.931 Elapsed Time at 169.4 mph. They raced against the top qualifier in the first round and won, advancing to the semifinals, where the team burned a 7.789 ET at 169.87 mph.
Another win in the semi-final round earned the Saints the No. 2 position for the finals, but unfortunately, the dragster’s engine blew at the end of the record-setting pass, ending their shot at an overall win.
Racing team members included Vincent Torres, Morgan Hunt, Jayme Llamas, Leon Rodriguez, Fernando Ramirez, Josue Gonzalez, Frederick Aquino, and Julia Soltero.
This article appears in Apr 21-28, 2011.