Orlando, Florida (October 15, 2000) - The big winners at Orlando Speed World's annual World Streetnationals were Marc Dantoni in Super Pro Street, Brian Robbins in Pro Street DOT, and Job Spetter Jr. in Pure Street. The event took place under picture perfect weather conditions, and the largest three day crowd in the tracks history attended the event. This race draws many of the top stars that race the NMCA and NSCA circuits throughout the year, and also many seldom seen entries that may only race once or twice a year.

In Super Pro Street 29 cars made qualifying attempts, with Bob Rieger of San Jose, California qualifying number one at 6.758 seconds, 209.20 miles per hour, in his turbocharged 1957 Chevy Belair. Eddie Cassatt of Belleville, New Jersey ended up on the bump for the 16 car show at 7.051, 182.37, with his supercharged 1967 Nova SS. The two time NMCA Pro Street World Champion Rieger made his way to the final to face the number three qualifier, Marc Dantoni of Staten Island, New York. Dantoni, the recently crowned NMCA Outlaw Street World Champion, had trouble getting his nitrous injected 2000 Monte Carlo to staging on time for the final round. Bob Rieger, in a very sportsman like move, elected to wait on Dantoni, giving the New York team time to make repairs and race. After the final Rieger may have regreted his decision to wait, as Dantoni's 707 cubic inch Monte Carlo thundered to a 6.782, 208.76, to take the Super Pro Street win and $10,000 in prize money, while Rieger shut off early in high gear on a 7.111, 176.74 mile per hour shot in his twin turbo small block Belair. The 6.758 run by Bob Rieger in qualifying stood as low e.t. in Super Pro Street, he also set top speed of the meet at 210.18 miles per hour. Also of note is Super Pro Street was the fact that Randy Adler and Annette Summer both failed to qualify.

Pro Street DOT had 18 cars battling for 16 starting spots in eliminations during the qualifying rounds. Brian Robbins of St. Joseph, Michigan, took the number one spot, qualifying Carl McCulloch's supercharged 1967 Chevy II at 6.990, 202.20 miles per hour. Ron Dickerson of Apopka, Florida, ended up on the bump for 16 cars at 9.021, 149.47 m.p.h. with his 1964 Ford Thunderbolt. Robbins was the only driver in Pro Street DOT to run in the 6's all weekend, and in the final he staged McCulloch's wild Chevy II against number two qualifer Steve Grebeck's nitrous injected 1993 Firebird from Walled Lake, Michigan. Brian Robbins saved his best for last, as he lowered the boom on Grebeck with low e.t. and top speed of the meet for Pro Street DOT at 6.938, 203.02 m.p.h., defeating the 7.400, 147.27 shut off pass by the nitrous Pontiac.

Pure Street, the 10.5 tire class, saw 58 cars make a qualifying attempt. In the 32 car field John Atkinson of Dorchester, Ontario, Canada, took the number one spot at 7.541, 170.03 m.p.h. in his supercharged 1971 Duster. On the bump for 32 cars was Josh McClelland of Fitzgerald, Georgia, clocking in at 8.215, 168.85, with his 1969 Z/28 Camaro. After lots of wild racing the final in Pure Street saw number three qualifier Job Spetter Jr., driving a 1978 Malibu from Independence, Missouri, going against number five qualifier John Gullett in his 1988 Mustang from Jacksonville, Florida. Gullett had earlier run an incredible 193.59 mile per hour pass during a second round victory. He had also disposed of top qualifier Atkinson in the semi-finals. John Gullett would not get a win in front of his home state fans today though, as Spetter won what may have been the best race of the event. Spetter ripped to a holeshot aided 7.709, 181.92, with his Chevy to top the slightly quicker 7.706, 184.12 blast by Gullet's Ford. The difference was back at the starting line, where Job Spetter Jr. used a great .427 reaction time on the .400 pro tree to defeat Gullet's slightly tardy .513 start. John Gullet's great 193.59 mile per hour speed (the fastest 10.5 tire run this writer has ever seen) was top speed of the meet in Pure Street, while the 7.541 by number one qualifier John Atkinson was low e.t. for the class.

Other winners at Orlando's World Streetnationals were; Butch Parmelee of Saint Petersburg, Florida, with his 1967 Chevy Chevelle in Heavy Street, Willie Figueroa of Hialeah, Florida, driving his 1995 Ford Mustang in the Radial Tire class, Luis Quiles racing a 1971 Toyota Corolla from Orlando, Florida, in Outlaw Import, Keith Dennis of Memphis, Tennessee, on his 1991 Suzuki GSXR in Outlaw Street Bike, and Alan Gifford in a 1970 Chevy Nova from Eustis, Florida, took the Second Race for Pure Street non-qualifiers.

In recent years the World Streetnationals has become the largest "street legal" drag racing event in the world. From the huge pre-race party at Race Rock in Orlando, to a wild weekend of racing on the quarter-mile, this is one event all "street Legal" drag racing fans should attend.