2008 PTTW Winner Bios
Larry Goodale
Syracuse Nationals
Syracuse, NY 7/20/08 - 1st Place
Hometown: East Syracuse, NY
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 1969 Dodge Charger
Horsepower: 301
Torque: 368
DynoMax Products: Super Turbo Mufflers
Dave Schmeling
Syracuse Nationals
Syracuse, NY 7/19/08 - 1st Place
Hometown: Mattydule, NY
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 1973 Dodge Challenger
Horsepower: 407
Torque: 392
DynoMax Products: Super Turbo Mufflers
“I was so surprised when I placed first but it felt very good! This was the first time I had the chance to put my car on the dyno and see how much horsepower my car really had.
I have been interested in cars for 25 years and have owned my Dodge Challenger for 22 years. I really like the performance of the DynoMax mufflers. I especially like how my DynoMax Super Turbo muffler fits perfectly under my car.”
Fred Vroman
Syracuse Nationals
Syracuse, NY 7/19/08 - 2nd Place
Hometown: Pennellville, NY
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 1964 Ford Galaxie
Horsepower: 292
Torque: 290
DynoMax Products: Bullet Mufflers
“This is my first year competing in this event and it felt good to place first. It was a really good time and the best part of the event was putting my car on the dyno!
I have been working on my car for five years and have completely restored it. I like how the DynoMax Bullet muffler sounds and how it doesn’t take away any horsepower.”
Shayne Sunderson
Syracuse Nationals
Syracuse, NY 7/18/08 - 1st Place
Hometown: Cazenovia, NY
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 1972 Chevy Corvette
Horsepower: 262
Torque: 313
DynoMax Products: Super Turbo Mufflers
“This is my first time competing in this event, but I have been interested in cars for 10 years. It felt good to place first...I was surprised!
I have been working on my car for the past two years and bought a set of DynoMax mufflers a few years back and like them a lot.”
Randy Smith
Hot Rod Power Tour
Madison, WI 6/13/08 - 1st Place
Hometown: Cary, IL
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 1969 Chevy Chevelle
Horsepower: 397.68
Torque: 418.14
DynoMax Products: Super Turbo Mufflers
"It was a fun-filled event and was fun for everybody. It was very well organized. When I placed first, I was surprised and a little overwhelmed. I always wondered what my car could do, so that’s why I wanted to compete.
The Dual Super Turbo muffler makes the car. It has a nice muscular sound. I want to thank John Martin for all of his inspiration and support. It was a fun week!”
Joseph Weber
Hot Rod Power Tour
Madison, WI 6/13/08 - 2nd Place
Hometown: Horicon, WI
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 1983 Chevy Camaro
Horsepower: 299.01
Torque: 311.82
DynoMax Products: DynoMax Catback System & Bullet Mufflers
“This is my second year competing and my second time placing second. I have been interested in cars since I was 14. I was always attracted to cars because of the power, sound and speed of them.
I really enjoy going on the tours and meeting all of the other enthusiasts, and the guys on the dyno crew are really fun to be with. I have recommended DynoMax mufflers to my friends, and the ones that use them are very satisfied with them. I think my DynoMax Catback System muffler and Race Bullet muffler sound excellent. They fit well on my car.”
Cory Gallus
Hot Rod Power Tour
Rochester, MN 6/12/08 - 1stPlace
Hometown: Prior Lake, MN
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 1998 Chevy Corvette
Horsepower: 534.16
Torque: 502.16
DynoMax Products: Bullet Mufflers
“I enjoyed the nice bunch of cars and seeing how much power the other cars had. My car has always had a strong motor and it feels good to know it’s still the biggest car at the show. The sound and the horsepower that is able to be made through the Bullet muffler are great.
I wanted to see how my car ranked against other cars and see how much horsepower my car had. People can talk about how much power their car has and the dyno doesn’t lie, it tells the truth.”
Brian Nelson
Hot Rod Power Tour
Rochester, MN 6/12/08 - 2nd Place
Hometown: Red Wing, MN
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 1964 Dodge Polara 500
Horsepower: 324.47
Torque: 361.20
DynoMax Products: Super Turbo Mufflers
“I’ve been working on my car for 35 years and I’ve always used DynoMax mufflers because they last a long time. I like the sound of my Super Turbo muffler.
I enjoyed the camaraderie of everyone at the event because we are all interested in cars. I have liked cars all my life. The guys I hung out with when I was a kid liked cars and motorcycles and so did I!”
Larry Zaun
Hot Rod Power Tour
Ames, IA 6/11/08 - 1st Place
Hometown: Buffalo, ND
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 1949 International Pickup
Horsepower: 274.98
Torque: 374.55
DynoMax Products:Ultra Flo Mufflers
“It felt great to place first. I knew my truck had some ponies. I started doing research on DynoMax mufflers and it was exactly what I wanted for my truck. My Ultra Flow muffler has a mellow, rumbling tone to it. It’s something that suited me better than a loud muffler.
I have been interested in cars pretty much all my life. The Power Tour was exciting and was a great way to see how my vehicle ran!”
Don Pugh
Hot Rod Power Tour
Lincoln, NE 6/10/08 - 1st Place
Hometown: Siloam Springs, AR
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 2000 Chevy Camaro SS
Horsepower: 353.30
Torque: 346.27
DynoMax Products: Bullet Mufflers
“I have been interested in cars as long as I can remember. As a kid, I would stop playing with my hot wheels so I could watch the car commercials!
I’ve been working on my car for a couple of months. I bought it in April and I got as much done as I could for the Power Tour. This was the first time I had this particular car on the dyno and with what little modifications I had done, I was pretty surprised with the results. I was happy with the Bullet muffler and liked what I heard.”
Jack Bail
Hot Rod Power Tour
Topeka, KS 6/9/08 - 1st Place
Hometown: St. Elmo, IL
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 2005 Ford Mustang
Horsepower: 317.98
Torque: 311.55
DynoMax Products: Ultra Flo Mufflers
“This is the second year I was part of the competition and was surprised I placed first. It’s a great honor! I have been interested in cars all my life—since I was 20 days old.
The best thing I enjoyed about the event was the dyno run, the variety of cars and the friendliness of everybody. It’s a good time to meet really good people and see the whole spectrum of cars. The guys that run the dyno are absolutely a tremendous group of guys! I like the quality and sound of DynoMax mufflers. It’s not too harsh, not too mellow—it’s just right. I appreciate DynoMax’s commitment to the car enthusiasts."
Ed Thomas
Hot Rod Power Tour
Topeka, KS 6/9/08 - 2nd Place
Hometown: Center Valley, PA
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 1970 Chevy C-10
Horsepower: 206.50
Torque: 283.10
DynoMax Products: Super Turbo Mufflers
Cody Jones
Hot Rod Power Tour
Springfield, MO 6/8/08 - 1st Place
Hometown: St. Amant, LA
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 1979 Ford F100
Horsepower: 146.86
Torque: 207.14
DynoMax Products: Thrush Mufflers
“I have been interested in cars forever. I have been working on my truck ever since I was 14 years old.
This is my second year in the Power to the Wheels competition but the first year I brought my truck. I was very surprised that I placed first in the competition. It was a feeling hard to explain in words. I definitely enjoyed the free dyno and the people at the set-up were phenomenal! I really like the Thrush muffler because it makes my truck sound awesome!"
Doug Pellett
Hot Rod Power Tour
Little Rock, AR 6/7/08 - 1st Place
Hometown: Forest Lake, MN
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 2000 Chevy Camaro
Horsepower: 402.58
Torque: 337.55
DynoMax Products: Bullet Mufflers
“This is the first time I participated in the Power to the Wheels competition and it was a lot of fun! I was surprised I placed so high. It felt pretty good.
I first heard about DynoMax from watching commercials on TV. DynoMax mufflers are free flowing and I like the DynoMax Bullet muffler because it works a lot better than using a big muffler."
Shaun Lide
Hot Rod Power Tour
Little Rock, AR 6/7/08 - 2nd Place
Hometown: Nacogdoches, TX
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 1994 Mazda RX7
Horsepower: 369.76
DynoMax Products: Bullet Mufflers
“It was a good time. It’s always fun to go to car events like Power to the Wheels. This was the first year I competed but I have been interested in cars for 20 years.
I built my car within nine months and some friends of mine said I should bring it to the Power to the Wheels event. The Bullet Mufflers are a great fit for my car.”
Rick Hempel
Hot Rod Super Nationals
Springfield, IL 6/1/08 - 1st Place
Hometown: Champaign, IL
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 1970 Plymouth Cuda
Horsepower: 407.92
DynoMax Products: Ultra Flo Mufflers
"I participated last year and ran pretty close to the Top Ten. It was great to compete again this year. I really like the DynoMax Ultra Flo muffler – it sounds great and it flows great. I've had some friends go out and buy the same mufflers because they like the way they sound."
Robert Downey
Hot Rod Super Nationals
Springfield, IL 5/31/08 - 1st Place
Hometown: Springfield, IL
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 2006 Dodge Magnum SRT-8
Horsepower: 376.87
Torque: 372.24
DynoMax Products: Catback System
“I saw the tour both on the Hot Rod Power Tour and the O’Reilly’s event last year, and I knew I wanted to get in the game this year. I stepped up to a DynoMax catback system and came to Springfield to compete. I really like the sound, flow and power of my DynoMax system.”
Jon Jones
Hot Rod Super Nationals
Springfield, IL 5/31/08 - 2nd Place
Hometown: Springfield, IL
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 1978 Pontiac Trans Am
Horsepower: 354.22
Torque: 373.95
DynoMax Products: Ultra Flo Mufflers
"I had a good time. I chose DynoMax after doing some research and I decided that I wanted something that was at the right sound level and could handle the flow from my engine."
Dustin Kistner
Hot Rod Super Nationals
Springfield, IL 5/30/08 - 1st Place
Hometown: Bloomington, IL
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 1974 Chevy Nova
Horsepower: 239
Torque: 267.36
DynoMax Products: Bullet Mufflers
"I competed last year, and really enjoyed it. This year, the main reason I wanted to come to the Hot Rod Super Nationals was to compete in the Power to the Wheels Contest. I’m using the same DynoMax Bullet mufflers that I used last year but I’ve stepped up to a 3-in. exhaust. I had just as much fun this year, and I won!”
Jay Price
Summit Racing Equipment Super Store Event
McDonough, Ga. 5/4/08 - 1st Place
Hometown: McDonough, GA
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle
Horsepower: 417.32
DynoMax Products: Thrush Turbos
David White
Summit Racing Equipment Super Store Event
McDonough, Ga. 5/4/08 - 2nd Place
Hometown: McDonough, GA
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 1994 Ford Mustang
Horsepower: 274.08
DynoMax Products: Thrush Turbos
“I loved this event – and I plan on finding another one that I can go to this year. It was so much fun and the team running the dyno did a great job.
I absolutely love the sound of my high-performance muffler! It makes the car sound like a tiger…and like you’re fixing to get bit! I got these at Summit Racing Equipment, and would recommend them to anyone looking for a new muffler! I used to run Flowmaster, but they just can’t compare.”
Darren Tedder
Summit Racing Equipment Super Store Event
McDonough, Ga. 5/3/08 - 1st Place
2007 Power to the Wheels Third Place Winner
Hometown: Social Circle, GA
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 1971 Plymouth Cuda
Horsepower: 900.21
Torque: Not Available
DynoMax Products: DynoMax Ultra Flo Welded Mufflers
Last year, Darren told us this…
“Pure and simple: I’m an auto enthusiast to the core. I’ve had the Cuda for about three and half years, and was looking for a muffler that could handle its power. DynoMax was the only choice for the Cuda; given the quality of its construction and its physical size and match that to the muffler sounding and looking so good. DynoMax was an easy choice.
This car was made to compete in Vegas, and there’s nothing more that I’d like to do than end up in the Shootout. I’d like to thank David Dawkins for his help in putting together this car.”
In 2008, he told us…
“We’re geared up and ready to do more. I’d like to thank Engine Systems again for their help in building this motor – David Dawkins and Ted Fischer!”
Jim LaRoy
Mopars at the Strip
Las Vegas, Nev. 3/29/08 - 1st Place
Hometown: Challis, ID
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 1971 Plymouth Roadrunner
Horsepower: 510.86
Torque: Not Available
DynoMax Products: DynoMax Bullet Mufflers
“Last season, I competed and qualified at the Reno event…and I was very excited to come to Las Vegas and participate. This is a great event! And there’s no way I could do it without my son, Cody. He’s really the reason we’re so into this.
I run the DynoMax Bullet mufflers because I like the way you hear every ‘hoofbeat’ of every horse in the engine. It’s very aggressive and I love it!”
Dave Foreman
Mopars at the Strip
Las Vegas, Nev. 3/29/08 - 2nd Place
Hometown: Cedar City, UT
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 2005 Dodge Ram
Horsepower: 286.54
Torque: 315.09
DynoMax Products: DynoMax Super Turbo Mufflers
“I had a blast at the DynoMax event. It was a really fun competition! And the Dyno team is top notch. Last year, I watched the event but I didn’t participate. This year was great!
I run DynoMax products because the dealer I bought this from is a DynoMax man. I wanted something that had a good, clean sound and great power…plus a muffler that helped with gas mileage. That’s why I run DynoMax Super Turbos!”
Ken Muckey
Mopars at the Strip
Las Vegas, Nev. 3/28/08 - 1st Place
Hometown: Oceanside, CA
Class: All-Motor
Vehicle: 1972 Plymouth Duster
Horsepower: 377.75
Torque: 443.75
DynoMax Products: DynoMax Super Turbo Mufflers
“It was great to come back for a second season and compete. We continued wrenching over the past year…and rebuilt the engine plus made some other engine modifications. We made 30 horsepower over last year’s numbers and I moved up to first place for the day.”
Last year, Muckey mentioned why he runs DynoMax, “We’re running a pair of Super Turbos, and it’s the perfect sound, not too loud and not too quiet.”
Matt Kilburn
Syracuse Nationals
Syracuse, NY 7/19/08 - 1st Place
Hometown: Carthage, NY
Class: Power-Adder
Vehicle: 1969 Chevy Camaro
Horsepower: 546
Torque: 478
DynoMax Products: Ultra Flo Mufflers
“I didn’t expect to place first, but it was awesome. The event was a great time, and it was exciting to be in front of such a huge crowd. It’s exciting to see just how much horsepower your favorite car can put out!
I think DynoMax mufflers have the best sounding mufflers out there and I like how my DynoMax Ultra Flo muffler doesn’t take away any power.”
Danny Tyner
Syracuse Nationals
Syracuse, NY 7/18/08 - 1st Place
Hometown: Great Bend, NY
Class: Power-Adder
Vehicle: 1963 Ford Falcon
Horsepower: 1778
DynoMax Products: Bullet Mufflers
“It felt great to place first. I have a really great group of friends and family behind me. This was a great event! Andy and Greg were great. I am a hot rod kind of guy and this event let my car shine.
I do a lot of shopping and research before I buy anything and I liked the DynoMax Bullet muffler because it has a great design, the horsepower characteristic is great and it was affordable.”
George Fleischer
Syracuse Nationals
Syracuse, NY 7/18/08 - 2nd Place
Hometown: Rochester, NY
Class: Power-Adder
Vehicle: 1969 Chevy Chevelle
Horsepower: 312
Torque: 408
DynoMax Products: Super Turbo Mufflers
Jim Plimpton
Hot Rod Power Tour
Madison, WI 6/13/08 - 1st Place
Hometown: Franksville, WI
Class: Power-Adder
Vehicle: 1988 Ford Thunderbird
Horsepower: 1312.45
DynoMax Products: Race Collector Muffler
“The people at DynoMax are fantastic. They treated me like royalty. I was confident that I had a chance of doing well at the competition and possibly winning. It felt great to place first! I am looking forward to the finals and I wish all the competitors the best of luck.
I also won the 2008 Pump Gas Drags competition, May 10, in Memphis, Tenn. I raced the same car I used for the Power to the Wheels competition.
I like the sound of the performance the DynoMax Race Collector muffler gives my car. It works well and let’s the engine breathe. DynoMax is the muffler to have.”
Justin Gese
Hot Rod Power Tour
Rochester, MN 6/12/08 - 1stPlace
Hometown: Brooklyn Park, MN
Class: Power-Adder
Vehicle: 2001 Pontiac Trans Am
Horsepower: 500.98
Torque: 448.20
DynoMax Products: Bullet Mufflers
“I liked the crowd and had fun seeing how much my car gained from the modifications I made to it. This was the second year I participated in the Power to the Wheels. I was surprised at first that I won, but it felt good.
DynoMax has always been a popular name in the car industry and I knew it would help my exhaust system if I used the Bullet muffler. It really tones down the raspiness of my car and sounds nice.”
Gary McMillan
Hot Rod Power Tour
Little Rock, AR 6/7/08 - 1st Place
Hometown: Cabot, AR
Class: Power-Adder
Vehicle: 1977 Pontiac Trans Am
Horsepower: 352.50
Torque: 522.50
DynoMax Products: Ultra Flo Mufflers
“This is my first year and I was totally shocked and surprised that I placed first! I’ve had my car ever since I was 18 and re-did it within the last two years.
I liked the car show part of the event and of course the dyno. I’ve got a friend that works at NAPA who told me about DynoMax. I like the straight-through design of the Ultra Flo Mufflers.”
Eric Mills
Hot Rod Super Nationals
Springfield, IL 6/1/08 - 1st Place
Hometown: Spaulding, IL
Class: Power-Adder
Vehicle: 2003 Ford Mustang
Horsepower: HP: 428.17
Torque: 460.22
DynoMax Products: Ultra Flo Mufflers
“It’s an awesome event. I won last year when the HOT ROD Power Tour came through. I made some changes to the Mustang since then and planned to compete this season. That was the reason I brought it out to HOT ROD Super Nationals – to compete in the Power to the Wheels Dyno Tour. I really enjoy this competition, and as long as it keeps coming back, I’ll do it!”
Mike Roy
Hot Rod Super Nationals
Springfield, IL 5/31/08 - 1st Place
Hometown: Middlebury, IN
Class: Power-Adder
Vehicle: 1971 Chevy Monte Carlo
Horsepower: 1202.98
DynoMax Products: Bullet Mufflers
“It was great – the folks running the dyno are super. I saw it in HOT ROD magazine and then I competed last year in Kalamazoo, Mich., without a DynoMax muffler. I switched to the DynoMax Bullet mufflers and saw an increase in horsepower and won my class. I can’t wait to see if I make the cut for the Championship!”
Scott Nelson
Hot Rod Super Nationals
Springfield, IL 5/31/08 - 2nd Place
Hometown: Evansville, IN
Class: Power-Adder
Vehicle: 2006 Dodge Magnum SRT Hemi
Horsepower: 413.57
Torque: 418.71
DynoMax Products: Catback System
“It was an awesome time and I can’t wait to do it again. I saw it come through my town during the Hot Rod Power Tour last year and I didn’t get a chance to compete. I switched over to DynoMax at the first of this year so that I could compete and put on the catback system for the Magnum.
I shopped for horsepower and sound. I wanted something that when you got on it, you knew something was there. I would highly recommend this event to everyone – if you’re a car guru, this is a really exciting opportunity.”
Tom Hunsaker
Hot Rod Super Nationals
Springfield, IL 5/30/08 - 1st Place
Hometown: Springboro, OH
Class: Power-Adder
Vehicle: 1969 Plymouth Barracuda
Horsepower: 680.45
Torque: 575.82
DynoMax Products: Ultra Flo Mufflers
"It was a good event, I competed last year and was in the Top Ten. I liked the sound of the Ultra Flo mufflers and that's how I ended up with them. I just didn't like the way any of the other mufflers sounded AND DynoMax delivers lots of power!”
Brian Anderson
Summit Racing Equipment Super Store Event
McDonough, Ga. 5/4/08 - 1st Place
2007 Power to the Wheels Champion
Hometown: Kathleen, GA
Class: Power Adder
Vehicle: 1964 Rambler Classic
Horsepower: 1476.25
DynoMax Products: Bullet Mufflers
Last year, Brian told us this…
“I had a great time at the Power to the Wheels competition, and so
did my friends. There was a good chance that we were going to come out
on top so about 40 of my friends from Kathleen, Ga., came out to watch
the Rambler. It was awesome!
I originally had DynoMax parts on my car, before I heard about the competition, but I had to make it fit the rules. I wouldn't choose any other brand. Can't wait to see what happens and if I get to take my car to the SEMA Show in Vegas!"
In 2008, he told us…
"Special thanks to the staff at Dynomax, Summit Racing and to DynoTune for their hospitality and bringing back this wonderful event for a second year."
