Millican, DiStefano, Thomas and Montecalvo Lead Qualifying at the Hooters IHRA Sunoco World Nationals presented by PPG Auto Finishes

More Info:
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Bugs Invade South Georgia Motorsports Park ( Updated Results)
by Marvin T. Smith

Pro Stock was won by Ollie Frey at 6.17 @ 111 over Damon Harmon's 6.63 @ 87.

Super Pro was won by Tim Norwood's Inch Pincher dragster 6.54 over Clayton Hollingsworth (foul).

Pro was won by Larry Tucker over Corbin Marshburn.

Sportsman was won by Jim Wagner in his dunebuggy.

Photos: http://community.webshots.com/album/178926703qZQcQh

On Sunday, August 22, South Georgia Motorsports Park played host to theSoutheast Volkswagen Association's Southern Challenge presented by K&LMotorsports. This was a combined race and show event.

Being new to VW drags, I didn't really know what to expect. There was aheads-up Pro Stock class, and a bracket series featuring Super Pro(0-7.99), Pro (8.00-9.49), and Sportsman (9.50 and up) all racing on the eighth mile. The race featured everything from VW powered rails, including one which was turbocharged, to dune buggies, to relatively stock VWs.

The Pro Stock class was the headliner. There were at least seven cars qualifying. After three rounds of wheels up qualifying action, the top spot was taken by Oliver Frey at 6.20. Round One action was a little strange, with only one actual race. Alan Fore beat Pat Fox with a 6.22 at 110 mph to Fox's losing 6.62 at 103. Apparently breakage, as well as the seven car field, led to some singles. Damon Harmon took a bye run at 6.22at 108.78 mph. Warren Skaggs staged but backed out and returned to the pits. I assume the rules require a car to at least stage for the win. Oliver Frey took the same route. While this procedure didn't offer much to the spectator, several factors must be considered. Breakage must be a real consideration for these machines. Also, the weather was threatening, and there was a real possibility that the second round would be rushed. There would be an obvious advantage for a cooler car to take a win over a very hot-engined car. Finally, in all fairness, there was only a small spectator contingent on hand to be disappointed.

Round 2 took place under threatening skies. Damon Harmon took a 6.14 at 108 victory over Alan Fore's game 6.24 at 110. Not only was Harmon's run the quickest to that point, but he also had a huge holeshot in his convincing win. The other semifinal race pitted low qualifier Oliver Frey against Warren Skaggs. Frey won at 6.22 at 111.12 (top speed ) over Skaggs' game 6.25 at 109.5.

Unfortunately the threat of rain and prior family commitments forced me to leave at this point. I will say that this was a fun event. You have to have heard these Pro Stock VWs run to have believed it. I'll definitely be back the next time they are in town!

If VW racing is not your cup of tea, there were three other machines out for some test and tune runs. Bennie McDonald brought out his beautiful newCorvette Pro Modified for some testing. This monster is powered by a PSI blown hemi. McDonald made one tire- shaking run in the 4s, but broke a pushrod and was finished. This car shows real potential, already recording a .862 sixty foot time at Phenix City last weekend. After a few chassis adjustments, look out Outlaw Pro Mod! Nathaniel Wright and Mardee Harden(Slat Man team) had their nitrous equipped Pro Mod motorcycles out too.This is the first time I have ever seen a Pro Mod cycle, and they are really impressive. Nathaniel Wright's cycle clicked off a 4.71 at 152 mph while Mardee Harden's cycle ran 4.67 at 149 mph. These cycles put on quite a show with awesome burnouts and nitrous purging on the line followed by tremendous runs.

KAYLOR WINS SECOND RACE IN AS MANY DAYS DURING SNAP ON TOOLS DAY AT THE RACES

by Tim Glover
Photos: http://community.webshots.com/album/178920227XNOQZk

In spite of the promise of rain, 409 Snap-On Tools customers entered the four race classes in the 2004 edition of the Snap-On Tools Customer Appreciation Day at the Races. 230 of the entries were in Trophy Street class. Track manager Craig Armstrong commented, "she's real fine, my 409" when he saw the car count. The majority of racers and spectators enjoyed the day, watching racing, talking with their dealers in the hospitality areas or walking around the vendor's midway, which featured a lot of Snap-On tool displays. Taz Pines was the first winner of the day, winning the Burnout Contest with his diminutive Dodge D50 pickup. All race winners received the beautiful Snap-On Tools Lock 'n Roll Corvette edition toolbox, and the runner ups took home a Snap-On Tools pop up canopy. Snap-On Tools dealer Marty Wiles commented, "Other than the Southern Nationals, this is probably the biggest event at this race track." Snap-On Tools Day at the Races has definitely increased in popularity with its customers.

On the vendor's midway, spectators were treated to a display featuring the immaculate Orange County Choppers built Snap-On chopper, otherwise known as "The Chopper". For a small fee, people were allowed to have their pictures taken with the bike. The Snap-On Tools Lock 'n Roll Corvette edition toolboxes for the race winners were on display in the same area. Rockdale Cycles had a display in another area of the midway, where they were raffling off a 1985 Harle

LOW QUALIFIER BAZEMORE OUT IN SECOND ROUND IN MEMPHIS

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Aug. 22, 2004) - What was billed as a "night" race here atMemphis Motorsports Park, turned out to be held under the hottest and sunniest conditions of the weekend, at least for the first three rounds. The slippery, sticky track presented a challenge for No. 1 qualifier Whit Bazemore, driver of the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus Funny Car and crew chief Lee Beard.

Bazemore kept up his record of first-round season wins against Ron Capps by defeating him for the fifth time, with a respectable 5.081/290.19 to Capps' 5.270/257.53. This was an important win for Bazemore and crew chief Lee Beard under the existing conditions. Unfortunately, the second round resulted in a tire-hazing 6.404/169.21 pass for Bazemore, who lost to Del Worsham's 5.132/289.20.

"The first two rounds today we knew were going to be the hardest, especially for us," said the Indianapolis resident, "because we haven't been very dominating on a hot race track. The first round was really critical. Lee did a tremendous job setting up the Matco Tools Dodge, and reading the track,and we went right down there. We spun (the tires) down at the other end a little bit, but a lot of people did. So, all in all, that was a good lap. We got the win light over Capps. When the sun comes out it kind of evens the playing field a little bit, so they were a tough draw.

"I just don't think we took enough out of it," he said of his second-round loss, "but it's a very hard call to make. You're running Worsham and you certainly don't want to go out and get outrun. It's a very fine balance between getting outrun and overpowering the race track, especially with the situation that we have now, with this mandated tire that is different and the 85-percent nitro rule. We're still trying to find our way on a hot trackwith that combination and we don't really have a total handle on it yet.

"It was not a good moment to lose, but the fans have been great this year.They stand behind us all the time and that really means a lot. We don't mince words. At the beginning of the season our goal was very obvious, to win the championship, and we're not going to beat around the bush. It would be very easy for us to come out and say that we're hopeful for a top-five finish. And that's the safe route. But a top-five finish doesn't motivate us and when you state your goals publicly, you open yourself up to a little bit of ridicule because your successes or failures are very public.

"If we had said that our goal was a top-five finish, then it's very possible that we could finish fifth or fourth or third or second and at the end of the year everyone would say, Wow, they had a great year, they achieved their goal. We don't take the safe route here on the Matco Tools team. Our goal is to win the championship and until it's mathematically impossible we won'tgive up. And we've been that way ever since we started to contend, which was in 1997.

"It's been up and down. We've consistently been the second strongest team behind the team that wins it and we just have more work to do to get up to another level where we can really go out and try to dominate the way we want to. But it's a very hard job to get to the point. I believe wholeheartedly that we have the team here that is fully capable of achieving all of our goals. The guys prove themselves every day here and honestly I wouldn't trade them for anybody."

Bazemore holds on to third place in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car championship, with 1078 points. He is now 23 points behind his teammate Gary Scelzi in second, who also lost in the second round, and 243 points behind leader John Force, who won today's event.

Courtesy Judy Stropus
DON SCHUMACHER RACING

Dixon, Force, Line and Brown Win the NHRA POWERade O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals presented by Pennzoil

NHRA Recap:
http://www.nhra.com

Driver Looking for a Ride

Hello, my name is Brian Rakestraw, and I am ready to be in the drivers seat. I have been drag racing now for 14 years. When I was 13, I won my first race and many more since then. I can race from footbrake, super-pro, dragsters, drag bikes, you name it-I can race it. I have been 490's in a dragster and won, plus I have also won in footbrake, super-pro, and drag bikes. One time in a 10 thousand dollar race, I put out Scotty Richardson and got down to 4 cars. I am willing to travel and do whatever it takes to be in the drivers seat. I live in a small town just outside of Atlanta, Ga. I have a wife and 3 kids who would love to see me race again.

Brian Rakestraw's email address: rakestraw251@bellsouth.net

CLEMENTS AND DENTON WIN JR DRAGSTER CHALLENGE, HADDON SCORES PERFECT RUN
by Tim Glover

Photos: http://community.webshots.com/album/178180219tCmqFL

(Commerce, GA -August 31) Rain slowed down progress of the Summit ET race / National Dragster Jr. Dragster Challenge for an hour at Atlanta Dragway, but the race still finished up in time for the Year One "Midnight Madness" Test and Tune session. Like they did last month during the Year One test and tune event, 136 competitors from the Year One car show in Braselton enjoyed taking a wide open throttle trip down the dragstrip for a little "midnight madness" from 10 to 12pm. Joe Haddon experienced the thrill of a lifetime when he scored a rare perfect run in round two of Sportsman competition, the first one in two years at Atlanta Dragway. He also had a perfect react in round one, coupled to a dead-on with a 9 package (10.699 on a 10.69 dial). Haddon declined to talk about round three, saying with a smile that it could have been better. After carding a .001 package in the quarter-final round of 8-12 Jr. Dragster, Valerie Clements enjoyed her first Jr. Dragster Challenge win, running her dial dead on with a five (8.915 seconds). Kyle Denton won the 13-17 Jr. Dragster Challenge trophy. Denton said he also won the Jr. Dragster Challenge at US19 Dragway earlier this year, in April. Many of tonight's racers were also preparing for the Snap-On Tools Day at the Races, scheduled for the following day, August 22.

Winder, GA racer Lloyd Kaylor made it to the semi-finals in the previous Summit ET Race, and took first place tonight in Super Pro with his '87 Regal. Kaylor, who drives what is most of the time the slowest car in the Super Pro ranks, broke out ever so slightly in the finals, running 7.588, 90.44mph on his 7.59 target. However, an automatic win became his when opponent Don Brown, Sr. from Buford, GA redlighted with his '01 Spitzer dragster. Brown's machine went 4.97, 138.20mph (4.96 dial). Brown still did well, making it to the final in his first race after recuperating from a broken leg. Lloyd Kaylor, who recently bought a dragster chassis, was besieged by his friends after winning Super Pro with his '87 Regal. They asked him what in the world did he want a dragster for?

"It's been a while," exclaimed Sportsman winner Ed Nalley at the conclusion of competition. Nalley ran a near perfect 10.001 on a 10.00 dial with his Maysville, GA based '76 Vega. Nalley's final round "victim" was Mark Hefley from Hayesville, NC. Hefley's '69 Nova was close, with a 12.46, 108.09mph. Chris Carlisle ('67 Camaro - Canton, GA) was the lone semi-finalist. "If it hadn't been for Bill Boomhower, I wouldn't have made it past second round. He put in some long hours fixing the brakes and suspension on my car," added Nalley. He also thanked his wife Dianne for letting him come out to play.

Athens, GA racer Clay Stancil and Adam Stratton from Madison, GA both have 2004 Trophy Street victories, but only one could win tonight's final when they met. Stratton had a .053 reaction time advantage over Stancil, but lost the final when his '73 Maverick went too quick, turning in a 13.68, 91.95mph pass (13.72 dial). Stancil's '72 Chevelle got the nod and the first place trophy when it ran a 14.36, 94.38mph on its 14.28 dial. Steve Marcum ('01 Mustang - Bogart, GA) finished in the semi-finals. "He had me treed big time, but I just got lucky," added Stancil.

The two Sport Compact points leaders, Buford Duncan (Saturday program) and Terry Turpin (Friday program) faced each other again in tonight's event. The wily Duncan broke out with an 18.89, 71.01mph pass (18.99 dial) in his Commerce, GA based '97 Cavalier, but Turpin broke out even more in his Maysville, GA based '03 Mitsubishi EVO, running 12.67 at 105.89mph (12.99 dial). Duncan, who has virtually locked up the Sports Compact championship for 2004, thanked his weekend sponsors VP Racing Fuels and Hedman Hedders.

Eleven year old Valerie Clements from Central, SC enjoyed her first Jr. Dragster Challenge win in the 8-12 Jr. Dragster class. At seven cars, Clements almost scored a perfect run in her Young Guns Motorsports powered race car, running 8.921 seconds on an 8.92 dial, coupled with a perfect .000 reaction time. Clements met 12 year old Gainesville, GA racer Mad Matt Gillen, driving the Valvoline backed Young Guns Motorsports car, in the finals. Both racers ran very close to their dial in times, with Clements running 8.915, 72.20mph on an 8.91 dial and Gillen running an oh-so-close breakout time of 8.938 at 73.12mph (8.94 dial). Clements also does well at school in gymnastics, and recently received the presidential award for academic excellence recently. Gillen also was a recent recipient of the presidential academic excellence award. Clements and Gillen are currently enjoying racing for second place in the points, with only ten points (one round win) separating them. Clements thanked Bill Gillen for an excellent engine. Harvey Snelgrove (12 - Dahlonega, GA) and Kelsey Lynn (10 - Marietta, GA) finished in the semi-final round.

Kyle Denton of McDonough, GA and Team PTI racer Lauren Turner from Pendergrass, GA are locked in a battle for first place in the 13-17 year old Jr. Dragster points. Denton closed the gap to 30 points (behind Turner) by defeating Turner and winning the 2004 edition of the Jr. Dragster Challenge in the final with an 8.04, 76.06mph effort (8.02 dial). Turner, who won the 2003 Jr. Dragster Challenge, was slightly closer to the dial with an 8.32, 77.52mph (8.31 dial), but Denton's .032 reaction time advantage sealed the deal. New racer Meagan Marsh (13 - Anderson, SC) earned the semi-final trophy. Denton's dad, Rusty, commented, "It's good. We're having fun!"

PRO / SUPER PRO CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Lloyd Kaylor '87 Regal Winder, GA 7.58 90.44 (7.59)
R/U: Don Brown, Sr. '01 Spitzer dragster Buford, GA (foul) 4.97 138.20 (4.96)
Semi: Jeremy Ramsey '83 Firebird Carnesville, GA
Semi: Clay Fancher '98 Horton dragster Conyers, GA

SPORTSMAN CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Ed Nalley '76 Vega Maysville, GA 10.00 126.30 (10.00)
R/U: Mark Hefley '69 Nova Hayesville, NC 12.46 108.09 (12.44)
Semi: Chris Carlisle '68 Camaro Canton, GA

TROPHY STREET CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Clay Stancil '72 Chevelle Athens, GA 14.36 94.38 (14.28)
R/U: Adam Stratton '73 Maverick Madison, GA 13.68 91.95 (13.72)
Semi: Steve Marcum '01 Mustang Bogart, GA

SPORT COMPACT CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Eric "Buford" Duncan '97 Cavalier Homer, GA 18.89 71.01 (18.99)
R/U: Terry Turpin '03 Mitsubishi EVO Maysville, GA 12.67 105.89 (12.99)

8-12 JR. DRAGSTER AGE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Valerie Clements 11 Central, SC 8.91 72.20 (8.91)
R/U: Mad Matt Gillen 12 Gainesville, GA 8.93 73.12 (8.94)
Semi: Harvey Snelgrove 12 Dahlonega, GA
Semi: Kelsey Lynn 10 Marietta, GA

13-17 JR. DRAGSTER AGE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: "Wild Kyle" Denton 14 McDonough, GA 8.04 76.06 (8.02)
R/U: Lauren Turner 13 Pendergrass, GA 8.32 77.52 (8.31)
Semi: Megan Marsh 13 Anderson, SC
Semi:

A division of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), Atlanta Dragway is located just off I-85 at Exit 149 in the Banks Crossing area of Commerce, Georgia. Information on all 2004 events, including the Hayes Mopar Meet, may be obtained by calling the track office (706-335-2301) or logging on to http://www.atlantadragway.com/.

LIGHTNING 'WINS' YEAR ONE FAST FRIDAY; HAYES SPORT COMPACT CHALLENGE FINALE POSTPONED
Courtesy Tim Glover

BANKS CROSSING, GA A sudden lightning storm on Friday evening, August 20, forced a shortened Year One Fast Friday program at Atlanta Dragway. Track officials made every effort to continue the show after a rain shower halted runs down the track just after 9:00 PM, but called it an official event at 9:45 PM and postponed the Hayes Sport Compact Challenge championship race as the storm persisted.

The next Year One Fast Friday program is scheduled for Friday, August 27, and will feature the postponed 2004 championship event of the Hayes Sport Compact Challenge. Racers who have a Hayes Sport Compact Challenge ticket from August 20th may use it for entry into the final Sport Compact Challenge race on August 27th, and need only purchase a new Street Legal Racer ticket for entry.

Gates will open at 6:00 PM for both racers and spectators on Friday, August 27, with racing action beginning at 6:45 and the Hayes Sport Compact Challenge championship race starting at 11 PM. Terry Turpin of Maysville leads all Hayes Sport Compact challengers entering the final round of this racing season.

Sponsored by Year One Automotive Restoration in Braselton, along with the Hayes Family Dealerships in Lawrenceville, Gainesville and Cornelia, Atlanta Dragway's 'Fast Friday' show is primarily an opportunity for drivers of street-legal vehicles to "race the strip, not the street." Racecars and motorcycles are also welcome for Test & Tune and grudge match racing on most Friday nights through November 19, and spectators are encouraged to cheer on their favorites.

2004 CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
HAYES SPORT COMPACT CHALLENGE
ATLANTA DRAGWAY(As of 8/21/04)

1. Terry Turpin, 11
2. TIE - Shane Smallwood, 7
Charlie Bass, 7
4. Jeremy Wade, 5
5. Jason Mooney, 4
6. TIE - Jason Crowe, 3
Peter Heu, 3
8. TIE -Keith Fortner, 2
Steven Feren, 2
David Draz, 2
Jay Cerboraz, 2
Alan Wallhansen, 2
Ritha Kim, 2
David Thai, 2
Jeff Cherry, 2
16. TIE -John Vang, 1
Kris Adams, 1
Troy Keyes, 1
Isaac Agular, 1
Halex Green, 1

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Craig Armstrong (706) 654-1898