Georgia Racers Dominate at the Southeast Division NHRA Lucas Oil Race at Silver Dollar Raceway - 5 WINS & 1 RU

The five Georgia winners were:
-Mark Billington ( Norcross, GA ) won Top Alcohol Funny Car over Jay Payne
-Don Eberly ( Brunswick, GA ) won Comp Eliminator over Glen Treadwell
-David Tatum, III ( Palmetto, GA ) won Super Comp over Shannon Brinkley
-Jeff Brown ( Forest Park, GA ) won Super Gas over Tom Ratliff
-Jonathan Anderson ( Griffin, GA ) won Super Street over Tony Fuller

and

Trevor Weiss ( Cuthbert, GA ) was runner-up in Stock Eliminator to David Rampy.

Ronnie "The King" Davis ( Suwanee, GA ) won the Top Sportsman Shootout ( Friday night ) over Jeff Pittman


Guy Kelley won Top Alcohol Dragster, Stan Perry won Super Stock and Jeff Wilkerson won Top Sportsman.

More information:
http://www.nhra.com/2004/sportsman/div2/Reynolds.html

Millican, DiStefano, Atchison and Mansfield Top Qualifiers at Hooters IHRA Amalie Oil North American Nationals presented by Auto Value Parts Stores

Robert Mansfield runs the quickest and fastest Pro Stock in history with a 6.425 @216.20.
http://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCStory.asp?ID={2EBEB723-A3D0-440B-B8D8-8A7B1D094608}&Filter=100#indextop

Eddie Ware ( Marietta, GA ) qualified #16 in Pro Mod with a 6.322 @ 222.66.

Kelly, Payne, Treadwell, Dennis, Livingston and Davis Top Qualifiers at NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Southeast Division-Silver Dollar Raceway

Guy Kelly leads the way in Top Alcohol Dragster with a 5.602 @ 254.90. Dan Lucas ( Cumming, GA ) is in the #7 spot with a shut-off 11.501 @ 71.83.

Jayne Payne is #1 in Top Alcohol Funny Car with a 5.817 @ 246.48. Mark Billington ( Norcross, GA ) is #2 at 6.122 @ 239.61.

Glen Treadwell leads Comp with a -0.630 under 8.440. Van Puckett ( Monroe, GA ) is #5 with a -0.464 under 8.316.

Bobby Dennis is #1 in Super Stock with a -1.219 under 10.531. Georgia qualifiers are Everett Hill ( -0.923 #5 ), 2004 NHRA U.S. Nationals Champ Joe LoCicero ( -0.833 #8 ), Robert Burgin ( -0.770 #11 ), Randy Cassells ( -0.691 #14 ), Charles Dickerson ( -0.366 #24 ) and Jonathon Horton ( -0.344 #25 ).

John Livingston leads Stock with a -1.191 under 11.759 in his F/FIA Camaro. Georgia qualifiers are Robbie Shaw ( -1.028 #5 ), Woodro Josey (-0.979 #7), Butch Payne ( -0.972 #9 ), Harold Culpepper ( -0.903 #11 ), Tom Stevenson ( -0.895 #12 ), Jeff Hairrington ( -0.862 ), Wayne Adams ( -0.782 #19 ), Russell Johnson ( -0.689 #23 ), Mike Mayhew ( -0.514 #26 ), Trevor Weiss ( -0.499 #27 ), Randy Huntsman ( -0.493 #29 ), Jimmy Parker ( -0.429 #33 ), Mike Griger ( -0.300 #35 ) and Wayne Shaw ( -0.279 #36 ).

The King, Ronnie Davis, is #1 in Top Sportsman with a 6.906 @ 201.97 in his '63 Corvette. Other Georgia qualifiers are Jerry Barker ( #6 - 7.298 @ 189.10 ), Billy Bridges ( #9 - 7.424 @ 183.79 ), Jeffrey Barker ( #12 - 7.474 @ 183.57 ) and Clarence Cloud ( #19 - 8.023 @ 165.11 ).

Racing continues Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Gates open at 8 a.m. Tickets are $20. For more information, call Silver Dollar Raceway, (478) 847-4414.

NHRA Recap:
http://www.nhra.com/2004/sportsman/div2/Reynolds.html

Detailed Results at www.DragRaceCentral.com .

Silver Dollar Raceway to Host NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series September 9-11, 2004

More information at:
http://www.silverdollarraceway.com/

Richardson Shines at Hot 'Lanta, Carolina Racers Make Their Presence Known at B&M Hedman Season Points Finale

by Bracketnews.com ( Courtesy Tim Glover )

(August 7th, 2004 Commerce, GA) The 2004 edition of the B&M Hedman Hedders Racer Appreciation Series Points Season came to an end this past weekend at Atlanta Dragway. 290 racers made the trip for the season points finale. Beautiful weather was the rule all weekend, with not a single drop of rain.

Friday's action kicked off with time runs and Run-for-the-Money. Jerry Crawford of Ware Shoals, NC and Luke Bogacki of Woodville, AL took home the $500.00 Run-for-the-Money victories.

Friday's race was halted at the beginning of the fourth round of 005 Trailer Sales Pro Footbrake and was completed Saturday morning, with all racers left in competition receiving one time trial. When all the smoke cleared, the familiar face of Scott Richardson of Goodlettsville, TN was in the final, taking on veteran bracket racer Tim Archer. The race went to the stripe, where Archer ran a breakout 4.964 on a 4.97. Richardson took the Scott Shafiroff Pro Electronics Friday win with a stellar .007 package (4.913 on a 4.91 dial, .004 reaction time). Ron Ciglar and Derek Kniefer were the semi-finalists.

The Friday Pro Footbrake final pitted two of the best Footbrake racers in the country. East coast heavy hitter Richard Alford Jr. of Raleigh, NC took on Jacob Rutledge of Braselton, GA. The reaction times were nearly equal. Rutledge left the starting line with a .026 reaction time to Alford's .028. Rutledge got to the stripe first, but was .005 too quick, running an 8.335 on a 8.34 dial, at 81.13 mph. Alford took the win with a 7.427 on a 7.41 dial at 90.13 mph.

Racers received one time trial and a Run for the Money pass to begin Saturday's action. In spite of the delays from Friday's race completion, the first round kicked off at 3pm. At the end of the evening, Scott Richardson faced Stephen Hughes of Bryan, TX. Hughes dialed a 4.94 to Richardson's 4.90. Hughes then took a .012 reaction time advantage to the big end but it did not hold up, as he ran two numbers high, with a 4.963 E.T.. Richardson nailed his dial with a 4.908 on a 4.90 for his second win of the weekend. Ricky Jones of Manchester, GA and Hugh Meeks of Wetumpka, AL were the semi-final pair.

The 005 Trailer Sales Pro Footbrake final featured 2002 Mickey Thompson Footbrake Invitational Champ Chris Wiley of Pell City, AL, facing none other than Scott Richardson. Not impressed, Wiley laid down a .007 race package for his second 2004 B&M Hedman win, running 7.466 on a 7.46, coupled to a .001 reaction time. Richardson was on his game, running 6.826 on a 6.82 dial with a .028 reaction time.

Sunday's event began around 11am with a Run-for-the-Money, followed by round one of competition. The Pro Electronics Final featured Steve Thurman of Tennessee taking on Billy Varner Jr. from the Carolina's. Thurman took the win, running 6.480 on a 6.460 dial (.032 reaction time). Varner's excellent .001 react was not enough after his car turned in an off pace 5.231 on a 5.16 dial. John Bates of Loganville, GA and Luke Bogacki of Woodville, AL were the semi-finalists.

Doyle Kay of Ashville, AL, a former B&M and Drag Racing USA Invitational champion, took on Chris Valdivia from South Carolina in the Sunday Footbrake final. The race was a great one, with only .002 seconds separating the two racers at the finish line stripe. Both drivers ran their dial, but Kay earned the win with a 6.723 on a 6.72 dial (.024 reaction). Valdivia was .002 seconds behind, (7.302 on a 7.30, .026 react).

Hayes Mopar Meet and Augusta International Raceway Preservation Society Dedication This Weekend

The 20th Annual Hayes Mopar Meet ( Friday and Saturday - September 10 & 11) at Atlanta Dragway:
http://gdrn.blogspot.com/2004/09/20th-annual-hayes-mopar-meet-september.html

Augusta International Raceway Preservation Society Dedication ( Saturday - September 11 ):
http://gdrn.blogspot.com/2004/09/henry-jones-of-augusta-international.html

Article in The Augusta Chronicle:
http://augustachronicle.com/stories/090904/oth_1962631.shtml

Phil Bonner at Yellow River Drag Strip in the mid 1960's. Thanks to Ernie Scott for sharing this photo.

Bunky Bobo's Hemi Hurricane II Barracuda Funny Car. Bunky and his family are currently restoring the original Hemi Hurricane Willys gasser. Can't wait to see it when its finished! Thanks to Bruce Fairchild for sharing this 1960s photo.

$5 Broken Throttle Ended G2 Day in Indy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Courtesy Jerry Battle www.georgia-motorsports.com

CLERMONT, Ind. (September 6, 2004) – After a history-making debut, Chip Ellis’ bid for a win at the 50th annual NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals was ended by a five-dollar part.

Ellis, aboard the G2/S&S/Star Racing Buell, campaigned by G Squared Motorsports, was in the staging lanes preparing for his first round match up with Kurt Matte, when the team discovered a problem with the throttle linkage. Subsequent efforts to correct the problem were unsuccessful and a broken throttle linkage prevented Ellis from continuing his pursuit of the Pro Stock Bike title.

G Squared Motorsports co-owner George Bryce explained, “You focus on the things that are likely to go wrong and you over prepare. Then every now and then something will pop up that you never thought would be a problem. We had a throttle linkage break. I’ve been doing this for 25 years and this is the first time I had a throttle linkage fail. You can bet we now have one more item on our checklist to check.”

Qualifying ended with Ellis making history. His track record run of 7.115 seconds was good for the top qualifying spot and in the process Ellis became the first Pro Stock Bike rider in his first race to take the top spot.

“We’re disappointed,” said Ellis, a two-time AMA Prostar champion. “For us to come out and accomplish what we did in our first race out after sitting out four races is an amazing achievement. With the exception of the throttle breakage, this G2/S&S/Star Racing Buell preformed flawlessly all weekend. The S&S engine has us flying. The team at S&S Cycle, Star Racing and G Squared Motorsports will go back to the shop and have us ready for Reading.”

George Smith, co-owner of G Squared, added, “It was not the engine. It was not S&S. It was not Star Racing. It was not G Squared Motorsports. It was just the failure of a five-dollar part. The bottom line is that we still have a good bike, we still have a good engine and we definitely have a good rider.

“In closing, I want to especially thank Snap-on Tools for your marketing support and we’re going to make you proud in Reading.”

The next race for G Squared Motorsports is the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, near Reading, Penn., September 16-19.

G SQUARED MOTORSPORTS
PRO-STOCK BIKE: G2/STAR RACING/S&S BUELL
RIDER: CHIP ELLIS
Furnished by Star Racing www.starracing.com

MEDIA CONTACT: Mickey Schultz
PHONE: 770-476-8477
E-MAIL: mschultz@bellsouth.net

Thanks to Tom Kasch for this photo of Butch Payne at the NHRA 50th Annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Butch won the C/FIA class trophy and went three rounds in Stock Eliminator. Butch is teamed up with his father , Georgia drag racing legend Randy "Mr. Big Stuff" Payne on this stocker.

Warren Johnson Powers to the U.S. Nationals Quarterfinals

After qualifying 12th for Monday's final eliminations of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, GM Performance Parts Grand Am pilot Warren Johnson knew he would have to be on his game if he were to have any chance of scoring his seventh win at the biggest race in the POWERade Drag Racing Series. Facing No. 5 qualifier Jason Line in the opening round, Johnson would not only be facing a car that had secured a position higher in the qualifying order, he would also have to do so without the benefit of lane choice.

However, Johnson quickly showed he was up to the challenge, using a stellar .021 reaction time to weld his opponent to the starting line by over four hundredths of a second, and then posting a solid 6.905-second elapsed time with a top speed of 200.53 mph to defeat Line's quicker 6.887-second effort.

Johnson's assignment did not get any easier in the second round, as he was matched against Jeg Coughlin, Jr. Once again racing without lane choice, Johnson was relegated to the less-preferred right hand side. Just as he had done in the first round, WJ left the line well ahead of his opponent and powered towards the finish line. Unfortunately, although he improved on his first round performance, his 6.886-second, 200.68 mph run was not enough to hold off his rival's 6.852-second charge.

Despite the premature end to his weekend, Johnson was nevertheless pleased with the team's progress.

"To put today in proper perspective, it was wonderful when compared to some of our more recent outings. We've found a few things, and I believe we have a better handle on the race car, correcting what had been ailing us the last few races. Having seemingly put that behind us, now we can concentrate on the engine part of it.

"Our GM Performance Parts Grand Am is leaving the line well. In fact, we were the quickest car in the right hand lane to sixty feet, which is a monumental change for us, especially considering how undesirable that lane was today. We're definitely closing the gap, so it's up to us to keep moving forward.

"I'm going to drive home tonight, because I want to be at work in the morning to work on a few things for Reading that will hopefully put us over the hump."

Courtesy Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing

BAZEMORE GOES TO SEMIS AT U.S. NATIONALS

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 6, 2004) - Two-time U.S. Nationals champion Whit Bazemore wasn't able to three-peat here at the prestigious 50th Annual U.S.Nationals in the Funny Car class, but he did make ground in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series point standings after reaching the semifinal round in his Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus.

Under steamy conditions, No. 6 qualifier Bazemore eliminated Tommy Johnson Jr. in the first round with a 4.941/314.83 to Johnson's 4.997/312.93 by a.0442 of a second margin of victory.

Earning lane choice for the second round, Bazemore faced his old nemesis Tony Pedregon and disposed of him with a 4.896/312.50 to Pedregon's5.015/272.56.

Bazemore launched first in the semifinal against Gary Densham with a .109light to Densham's .122 and shot into the lead. But a loss of traction early in the run resulted in a slow 6.220/173.32 pass, with Densham taking the win with a 4.934/315.05.

With Bazemore's teammate Gary Scelzi eliminating John Force in the second round, and Del Worsham also losing in the opener, Bazemore made some ground on points leader Force and put some distance between him and Worsham in third. Bazemore is now 227 points behind Force, 21 in back of Scelzi, and 45 ahead of Worsham.

Another plus to going rounds today was the Matco Tools team's ability to get a handle on its hot-weather setup.

"We made really good progress today with our hot weather tune-up," said Bazemore. "It was just a little bit off, little too high wheel speed in the third round against Densham from the hit. The car had a lot of tire speed from very early in the run. It was making it, but it didn't make it.

"It was just one of those things. It's a hard loss. I thought after we ran that .89 in the second round that we had a really good handle on the car and the race track, and we were probably just one half nut away in the clutch from going into the final round. But that's how the sport is. It's very cut and dried and there's not one single room for error at all.

"We ran well today. It was a hot day and we've certainly struggled in hot conditions recently with our car. But Lee (Beard, crew chief) and the MatcoTools team did a good job and we're starting to find our way in the heat. So, when you step back and look at the big picture, it was a very positive day, even though we didn't win."

FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. John Force, 1379
2. Gary Scelzi, 1173
3. Whit Bazemore, 1152
4. Del Worsham, 1107
5. Gary Densham, 1090
6. Eric Medlen, 1059
7. Tim Wilkerson, 1039

Courtesy Judy Stropus
DON SCHUMACHER RACING

Joe LoCicero Wins Super Stock at Indy!

Congratulations to Snellville, Georgia's Joe LoCicero for winning Super Stock Eliminator at the NHRA POWERade 50th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Joe won seven tough rounds of racing in his GT/CA '88 Camaro to win the Wally! Here is a summary of Super Stock action at Indy:
http://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCStory.asp?ID={57FCF070-3B1F-447F-82B8-AB6A82BE84C8}&Filter=30#indextop

Congratulations to Joe LoCicero ( Snellville, GA ) for winning Super Stock Eliminator at the NHRA POWERade 50th Annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals! ( Photo taken at the 2004 NHRA Southern Nationals )

Schumacher, Densham, Anderson and Brown Win the NHRA POWERade 50th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals

Tony Schumacher won his third straight Indy Top Fuel title by defeating Doug Kalitta in the final round. Tony has now won 4 Indy Top Fuel titles - second only to Don Garlits' 8 victories.
Low ET: Doug Kalitta 4.544
Top Speed: Tony Schumacher 325.53

Gary Densham doubled up by winning Funny Car over Cruz Pedregon. This was Gary's first U. S. Nationals title ( Gary had won the Skaol Showdown on Sunday ). Whit Bazemore lasted until the semi-finals where he was defeated by Gary Densham.
Low ET: John Force 4.749
Top Speed: John Force 323.12

Greg Anderson tied John Force for most Pro wins in a season when he beat Kenny Koretsky in the Pro Stock final for his thirteenth win in 2004. WJ stunned Jason Line with a holeshot win in round one, but Warren lost to Jeg Coughlin in round two ( after leaving on Jeg ).
Low ET: Greg Anderson 6.794
Top Speed: Jeg Coughlin 202.76

Antron Brown beat Shawn Gann in the Pro Stock Bike final to give the Don Schumacher Racing/U.S. Army team a "double". This was Antron's second Indy Pro Stock Bike win. G Squared rider Chip Ellis suffered a broken throttle cable prior to the first round and was unable to compete after qualifying #1.
Low ET: Chip Ellis 7.115
Top Speed: Shawn Gann 188.17

Jim Halsey defeated Harold Martin for the Pro Mod title.
Low ET: Harold Martin 6.183
Top Speed: Richie Stevens Jr. 231.00

Ashley Force won her first national event by defeating Shelly Howard in the final of Top Alcohol Dragster. The all-female final was the first in T/AD history.
Low ET: Ashley Force 5.287
Top Speed: Bill Reichert 272.94

Bob Newberry defeated Chuck Cheeseman for his second career Indy Top Alcohol Funny Car title.
Low ET: Frank Manzo 5.637
Top Speed: Frank Manzo 258.86

David Rampy won his 56th national event by defeating Bo Butner III for the Comp title. This was Rampy's third Indy victory.

Joe LoCicero ( Snellville, GA ) defeated Peter Biondo in his GT/CA '88 Camaro for the Super Stock title. Congratulations, Joe!

Lee Zane defeated Dan Fletcher for the Stock Eliminator title. Butch Payne ( Rome, GA ) went three rounds in Stock after winning the C/FIA class trophy.

Rick Beckstrom defeated Tommy Costales for the Super Comp title. Sherman Adcock, Jr. ( Columbus, GA ) made it to the 6th round in Super Comp.

Ron Erks defeated Ross Laris in the Super Gas final. Sherman Adcock, Jr. ( Columbus, GA ) lasted four rounds.

NHRA RECAP:
http://www.nhra.com/2004/events/race18/index.html

Henry Jones ( of the Augusta International Raceway Preservation Society ) has informed GeorgiaDragRacing.com that the Augusta International Raceway Preservation Society will be dedicating a memorial at 1:00 PM on September 11, 2004 at the former site of the raceway. Additional information can be found on the "press release" page at:
http://www.augustainternationalraceway.com

Article in The Augusta Chronicle:

http://augustachronicle.com/stories/090904/oth_1962631.shtml

Driver Needs a Ride

My name is Brian Rakestraw, and I am ready to be in the drivers seat.

Date of Birth: Nov.26,1976
Owners: Need One
Class: NHRA-Super Pro, Dragsters, Sportsmen, Dragbikes
Racecar: Need One
Career Event Wins/Final Rounds: 30/40
Best ET: .497
Best Speed: 142
Championships: 0- still in the making
Email Address: rakestraw251@bellsouth.net

I started racing when I was 13 years old. Believe it or not-I actually won my first race when I was 13 and have won many more since then. I was 13 and loving it and now at the age of almost 28, I still love drag racing.

I consider myself to be a very skilled drag racer. The reason for me saying that, is from all the years of watching, listening, learning, and driving-I've taken in a lot of knowledge and there is still room for more. Also, for the fact that I can drive/ride anything that you put me in/on.

When I'm at the track-I have one thing and one thing only on my mind and that's RACING. I am completely focused and tuned in to what's going on, what needs to be done, and what I need to do as a driver and team player. I am there to have fun and to win. If I don't win, at least I know I gave it my all, put my whole heart into it, and had fun. That's what counts.

I have been 4.90s in a dragster and absolutely loved it ( The adrenaline rush I got and still get every time I'm ready to go down the track). There really are no words to describe the feeling I get in the burnouts with the smell of tires burning, at the tree waiting to go, and finally just going. The only word I can think of is heaven. I'm in heaven..

At the Montgomery Motorsports, there was a 10 thousand dollar race going on. I put out the best - Scotty Richardson - and got all the way down to 4 cars. The feeling that I had and the respect that I gained as a driver, and a person, made me feel like a winner even though I lost. To me, I didn't lose, I won. That says a lot.

I live in a small town just outside of Atlanta, Ga- with my loving wife and our 3 wonderful children- who would love nothing more to see me be in the drivers seat again. My family and I are willing to travel ( and relocate if necessary ). Whatever it takes to get me in the drivers seat and going down the track.

Warren Johnson Starts 12th at the U.S. Nationals

On the strength of a 6.830-second, 201.67 mph pass made on his third attempt on Saturday evening, Warren Johnson qualified his GM Performance Parts Grand Am 12th for Monday's final eliminations of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, IN.

After securing his position in the field on Saturday, and with major schedule changes altering the conditions on Sunday, Johnson spent the day experimenting with new ways to improve his performance even further.

"Obviously starting 12th isn't exactly what we were looking for, but it's certainly better than what it could have been. Looking at it in realistic terms, we're qualified, and that's a start. After all, you can't strike if you don't have a position to start from.

"Once our first session got delayed this morning, we knew it would be a throwaway run, so we thought we would try a few things to get ourselves closer to where we wanted to be. Our theory was that at worst, it would tell us what direction not to go in, which it did, running only a 6.88.

"We then came back for this evening's run knowing the conditions would be decent, but not any faster because the relative altitude was still higher than it was yesterday. Therefore, we went the other way and when it didn't perform as we wanted, we established some tuning parameters.

"For tomorrow, we'll go back to the chassis set up we had before, which is somewhat comforting, and I'll change valve springs on it. Having done that, this GM Performance Parts Grand Am should be ready for a nice long day in Indianapolis."

Courtesy Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing

BAZEMORE HANGS ON TO NO. 6 AFTER FIVE ROUNDS OF QUALIFYING FOR U.S.NATIONALS

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 5, 2004) - Whit Bazemore, a two-time winner of this prestigious event, made a strong pass down the quarter-mile in the final qualifying round for the U.S. Nationals today in hot and humid conditions as well as a slight cloud cover. Bazemore drove his Matco Tools Iron EagleDodge Stratus to a 4.876-second elapsed time at 315.56 mph for the third quickest pass of that round.

It didn't improve his No. 6 placement in the field (the 4.860/295.92 fromFriday night still stood), but it was the team's first full run down the track in five qualifying sessions and it brightened the spirits of driverand crew.

"It's not the heat of the day, but it ain't nighttime either," he said inthe top-end interview after that run, "so, good job (crew chief Lee) Beardand the team. Just when our heads were dragging in the sand the old hot rod stepped up. We're excited. Tomorrow is an important day. We feel a lot better going into it now, that's for sure.

"This was our first run this weekend to the finish line under power.

"We had a frustrating day certainly," he said of his first-round loss in the Skoal Showdown, "and to be able to bounce back is very important for everyone on the team and for the morale of the team. These guys make such a huge effort. It's been a long weekend.

"It's a fitting end to the day. It's important to end qualifying here atIndy on an up-note, a positive, and we did, so we'll be ready to go racing tomorrow.

"Bazemore faces Tommy Johnson Jr. in the first round of eliminations for their second meeting this season. "We'll be ready for the Skoal team tomorrow, and it's going to be a tough day.

"We have a great race car when conditions are perfect. And we are stillworking on creating a great race car when conditions are less than ideal."

Courtesy Judy Stropus
DON SCHUMACHER RACING

Kalitta, Force, Anderson and Ellis Top Qualifiers at the NHRA POWERade 50th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals

Gary Densham defeated John Force to win the Skoal Showdown.


NHRA Recap:
http://www.nhra.com/2004/events/race18/index.html


Georgia Notes:

Bob Vandergriff, Jr. failed to qualify for Top Fuel with a 20th best 4.789 @ 308.28.

Whit Bazemore goes out in round one of the Skoal Showdown, but qualified #6 in Funny Car with a 4.860 @ 315.56

Warren Johnson bounces back to qualify #12 in Pro Stock with a 6.830 @ 201.67. Mark Whisnant ( #18 - 6.844 @ 201.22 ), Kurt Johnson ( #19 - 6.847 @ 201.64 ) and Barry Grant ( #33 - 6.938 @ 198.79 ) fail to qualify.

G Squared Racing's Chip Ellis qualified #1 in Pro Stock Bike with a 7.115 @ 186.85.
Photo:http://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCPhoto.asp?ID={3BEEA2E9-777E-43C1-8F55-7FFE926D5A16}#indextop

GT/CA Class winner Joe LoCicero is in the sweet sixteen of Super Stock after winning his third round race. Everett Hill was defeated in the first round.

C/FIA Class winner Butch Payne narrowly fouls out ( -0.005 ) in round three of Stock.

Sherman Adcock, Jr. is going strong in Super Comp winning his fourth round race, but David Tatum III loses in round three.

Sherman Adcock, Jr. also posted a strong fourth round finish in Super Gas.

20th Annual Hayes Mopar Meet - September 10 & 11, 2004

Be sure to be at Atlanta Dragway Friday and Saturday for the 20th annual Hayes Mopar Meet. This event is one that I always enjoy! Mopar musclecars and drag racing - it doesn't get much better than that.

2003 Hayes Mopar Meet Photos: http://georgiadragracing.com/photoalbum/HMM/index.html

2002 Hayes Mopar Meet Photos: http://georgiadragracing.com/photoalbum/MoparMeet2002/index.html

Be sure to check the flyer for more details:
http://www.hayeschrysler.com/img/mopar_back.jpg

For more information:
http://www.hayeschrysler.com/about/news_details.asp?ID=51
or call Mike Hayes at 770-963-5251.

Hope to see you there!

Hubert Platt's Super Stock Fairlane at the 1967 Atlanta $10,000 race held at Atlanta Speed Shop Dragway. Fred Simmons photo.

Here is a photo of Arnie Beswick that GDR contributor Marvin T. Smith shot at Southeastern International Dragway ( Dallas, GA ) in the late 1960s.

GeorgiaDragRacing.com t-shirts available - Limited supply available.

New features added to Georgia Drag Racing News

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Warren Johnson Sits 11th on Saturday in Indy

Courtesy Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing

After experiencing some difficulty on his first two qualifying attempts, Warren Johnson entered the third session at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals looking to break his way into Monday's final eliminations field. Running in the left lane, WJ responded with a solid 6.830-second, 201.67 mph pass, which placed his GM Performance Parts Grand Am in the eleventh position heading into Sunday's final qualifying sessions.

"Obviously, we finally took a major step in the right direction. We had been slowly but surely retracing everything we had been doing since June, methodically replacing components and trying to determine the cause of the problem. I believe replacing the wiring harness was the key because now the shocks work, the computer works, with all the electrical functions in the race car performing as designed.

"In retrospect, I believe it was a progressive thing that got us off center, and we made changes around it, not knowing that it was indeed the problem. We've never had an electrical problem with these particular symptoms before, and sometimes the doctor is off on his diagnosis.

"Although we still have plenty of work to do, tonight's run was certainly a relief, not only for myself, but for the people who work on this GM Performance Parts Grand Am. I know they have been just as frustrated as I have of late, and perhaps even more, so I'm glad we were able to finally make a somewhat representative run. We may not be out of the woods yet, but hopefully it's within sight."