06/30/2003 -- Team Bald Man Hits Record 178.9

Team Bald Man Hits Record 178.9

June 30, 2003 -- To say that Team Bald Man is making noise on the SPL scene is an understatement.
The "bald guys," Justin Miller and John Hone, posted the loudest legal dB level ever recorded in a competition event at a USAC International show in New Castle, Pa., June 21 and 22. Their highly modified 1989 Chevy van posted an incredible 178.9 from the dash on an Audio Control meter.

The show, held at Cooper's Lake Campground near New Castle, was sponsored by Turbo Start Batteries. More than 1,500 people attended the two-day competition.

"It was a shock to everyone, including us," said Hone. "But we're confident we can do it again and maybe even get one or two dB more. Two of our four alternators weren't even working."

Team Bald Man's van packs five Memphis Quad Coil 15-inch subwoofers amd 20 2,000-watt Memphis Mojo Amps. Hone estimates the vehicle's total power at 60,000 watts.

USAC International event coordinator Mike Outlaw as at the New Castle show and was stunned by the Bald Guys' achievement.

"We had a good-sized crowd there and everyone was in awe," said Cox. "I couldn't believe it. A 172 was the highest I had ever seen."

The score was not an official USAC International world record because the score was not recorded on a B&K meter, which is used for all world record attempts.

The New Castle show was also the site of a dB Drag Racing competition where Scott Van Riper, Extreme 3-4 (163.0); Jeff Sherrick, Super Street 1-2, (158.2); Carlos Garcia, Street B division; and Greg Zoller, Super Street 5-8.

While Team Bald Man and company were shaking things up in Pennsylvania, Memphis Force competitors were also rumbling in Suitland, Maryland, at another dB Drag Racing show. Bob Perillo tied a world record and blew out the windshield of his Ford Econoline Van with a 164.9 in the Super Street 9-plus division. Memphis Force member Art "Shaker" Turgeon took first place in his division, Extreme 3-4, with a 168.2. Jesse Seagars of The Memphis Force posted a 162.8 for first place in the Super Street 1-4 class.

In St. Louis, Fred Sparks of the Memphis Force took top honors in USAC International's Modified 601-plus division with a score of 161.0.

On Saturday, June 8, Memphis Force competitor David Pickell took the prize for loudest vehicle with a 171.4 at an IASCA event in High Point, N.C. On Sunday he recorded a 171.9 to win first place at an IASCA show in Hickory, N.C. Pickell's car achieved these high scores with just two Memphis MOJO 15-inch subwoofers and eight Memphis MOJO amps.

Also on June 8, Memphis Force team members posted five first-place finishes to win the first-ever SPLMAX team competition sanctioned by dB Drag Racing. The event pitted competitors from Ohio against SPL cars in Florida in a Internet-aided head-to-head showdown. Seigars, Turgeon, Perillo, Garcia, and Sherrick all posted high scores in the event and the team brought home the very unique SPLMAX trophy made of billet aluminum and featuring neon lighting, a dvd player and video screen.