The Outlaw 8.5 eliminator, designed for the most limited of limited tires — 8.5-inch wide slicks and 235 drag radials — is one of the hottest and fastest-growing classes in all of drag racing, and the West Coast Hot Rod Association boasts one of the healthiest programs in the country for this relatively new class that has everyone talking.

Our friends at TCI Engineering (short for Total Cost Involved) was the title sponsor of the WCHRA’s Outlaw 8.5 division in 2013, which hosted sixteen racers during the five-race season contested at the Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield. Ryan “Toaster” Jones, in his beautiful, bright red Chevy II, captured the class championship in a near dominating fashion, scoring 173 points more points over the course of the season than runner-up Kevin Keller.

Jones, who was the second racer in the country into the four-second range on 8.5’s and is, to our knowledge, the current world record holder in the Outlaw 8.5 division with a 4.83 recorded at the South Georgia Motorsports Park last month, nearly finished off the season on a high note, dropping the final round at the West Coast Finals, falling in the final round to D.J. Reid, after slapping and .048 to .095 holeshot on Reid and his Camaro before stumbling at mid track and trailing in the lights, 5.38 to a 5.51.

Reid, the H&H Racing team, and Mike Orban rounded out the top five in the TCI Engineering Outlaw 8.5 points championship.

TCI Engineering is a staunch supporter of doorslammer drag racing, as well as the muscle car and pro touring markets, with a wide range of aftermarket suspension products for a number of popular vehicles and applications. To learn more, visit them at their home on the web at totalcostinvolved.com.