Legendary Drag Racer Malcolm Durham Passes
Malcolm Durham passed away June 22, 2006 after a battle with lung cancer. Durham, named No. 48 on NHRA's Top 50 Drag Racers list in 2001, was a pioneer in the Super Stock, FX and Funny Car classes. He raced frequently in the Atlanta area during the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was also commonly known as drag racing's first black superstar and had great success with his string of Strip Blazer racers.
I had the pleasure of seeing him race several times at Southeastern International Dragway (Dallas, GA) and at the Atlanta Speed Shop Dragway(Covington, GA). He also match raced frequently at Yellow River Drag Strip (Covington, GA) in the late 1960s.
I've been fortunate enough to talk with Mr. Durham several times over the last few years at nostalgia races (and drag racing reunions) and it was always a great experience. Another hero gone but not forgotten.
Services info is pending. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to oncology units or to the American Cancer Society.
Our condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Durham.
R.I.P. Malcolm Durham
NHRA.com ArticleNHRA Top 50 DriversGeorgiaDragRacing.com photosNHRR Honoree
WJ Hopes to Boost his Midterm Grade in Madison
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
GM Performance Parts GTO team aims for third win at Gateway International Raceway
Sugar Hill, Ga., June 21, 2006 - The 2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season will reach its midpoint this weekend with the running of the O'Reilly Midwest Nationals in Madison, IL. As such, it offers drivers and teams the opportunity to look back and critique their performance in the first eleven races. For Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Pontiac Racing team, the past four months have been a series of highs and lows, highlighted by their stirring win from the 11th starting position in Phoenix.
However, as the long-time standard by which success in the highly competitive Pro Stock category is measured, Johnson tends to be his own harshest critic, and is not satisfied in any position but first. Entering this weekend in the ninth position, he arrives at Gateway International Raceway determined to move up and end the first half on a positive note.
"I may be a little stiff on grading, but it's for a purpose," said Johnson. "This is not a social event, it is how we make a living. Therefore, I have to be pretty critical of all our performances, because everyone in this organization contributes to the effort. We all have to work together to get the job done.
"We're currently in ninth, and since grading goes A, B, C, D and F, with F being the fifth position, you can pretty much see for yourself the grade I would give us for the first eleven races. However, I believe last week's race in Englishtown may have been a turning point.
"We finally got some data acquisition that we've been looking for over the last two years so I can make heads or tails of some of the functions of the car. As a result, after the first two rounds of qualifying a week ago, we were able to turn our GM Performance Parts GTO's performance around, picking up the pace to where we were the fourth quickest car in the final qualifying session, and right in the thick of things on Sunday. I'm really optimistic as to where we can go with this, but we have to be somewhat cautious, because making wholesale changes can be disastrous. But, based on what we found in both (son) Kurt's and my cars, we should be able to increase the performance significantly in the very near future."
Founded primarily on his distinctively painted GTO's recent improved performance, Johnson's cautious optimism is buoyed even further by his prior record of success in the shadow of the St. Louis Arch. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the arrival of an NHRA national event at the multipurpose motorsports facility, and from the very start, "The Professor" has left his mark, defeating Jim Yates in the final round to win the inaugural race.
Having added another victory in 2000, he enters this year's edition as one of only three Pro Stock drivers with multiple Gateway wins. As such, he is well-versed in what it takes to succeed on the Illinois quarter-mile, information that could prove particularly useful in light of this weekend's afternoon and evening format. With atmospheric and track conditions varying from session to session, the team that best adapts will have the best chance of taking home the trophy, and, with three decades of experience under all conditions, Johnson likes his chances.
"With the incessant heat and humidity in St. Louis at this time of year, we have to be concerned with the comfort of the fans, so we're obligated to race in the late afternoon and evening, and we do so willingly," said Johnson. "The changing atmospheric conditions may present a greater challenge, but the fans are always our top priority, because without them, we wouldn't even be here.
"The racing surface in Madison has never had an abundance of traction, and when it gets hot during the day, the surface temperature skyrockets, reducing the amount of available grip even further. Therefore, you're constantly balancing the variable amount of traction with the available power, which is also changing with the shifting atmospheric conditions. It's a proverbial juggling act, including gear ratios, clutch, engine tune-ups and suspension settings.
"Fortunately, we've had some success there, but then again, I've raced under those conditions before, so it's not something totally foreign. Based on our results last week in the heat in Englishtown, where our GM Performance Parts GTO was the only car consistently under one second in the first sixty feet, I think we can take what we found to St. Louis and build on it, seeing if we can pull that grade up a little higher going into the second half."
Quick Notes on Warren Johnson & the GM Performance Parts GTO team entering the 10th annual O’Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals:
WJ Has Gotten It Done at Gateway: This will be Warren's 10th career NHRA national event in Madison. In his previous nine starts at Gateway International Raceway, he has two wins (including the inaugural race in 1997), and a 13-7 elimination round record for a .650 win percentage.
Warren Qualifies Well in Madison: In nine Gateway starts, WJ has three No. 1 qualifying performances, eight starts in the top half of the field and a 4.33 average starting position.
One Year Ago: Warren qualified third with a 6.757-second elapsed time with a top speed of 203.89 mph, and advanced to the quarterfinals.
Career Best Elapsed Time: 6.679 seconds, Gainesville, FL, 3/20/05
Career best top speed: 207.88 mph, Englishtown, NJ, 6/16/06
KJ & Co. Get By With a Little Help from Their Friends
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Two Real Car Guys Provide Varied and Valuable Assistance to ACDelco Cobalt crew in defense of 2005 Madison win
Sugar Hill, Ga., June 21, 2006 - The NHRA's POWERade Drag Racing Series will bring three consecutive weeks of racing to a close with the running of this weekend's O'Reilly Midwest Nationals in Madison, IL. It has been a grueling stretch for the stars of the straight line, as they have traveled from the Midwest to the East Coast and back again, with little time for anything other than normal maintenance.
So far it has been a very productive trip for Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Cobalt Racing team, with a win in Chicago and a semi-final appearance in New Jersey three days ago. The close-knit crew’s efforts have been aided along the way by the contributions of two long-time friends, Bob Barker and John Siewert. This versatile duo, who have full-time jobs in the automotive industry (Barker runs Barker's Body Art Collision & Color in Hebron, IN, while Siewert is a well-respected auto painting instructor) has done everything from intricate body and paintwork on both Kurt’s and his father's (six-time champion Warren) race cars to providing the team with outstanding meals over the course of the weekend.
Affectionately nicknamed "Bob and Bubba" by the Johnsons, they will attend a handful of races throughout the year, including the St. Louis race, and their presence is naturally always welcomed. As Johnson looks ahead to this weekend's race, he hopes to reward them for their contributions by taking them to the winner's circle for the second time in three weeks.
"We first met Bob and John about five years ago through Darrick Nykaza, one of our crew guys at the time," said Johnson. "They started coming to the races, doing what they could, and for the last three or four years have been a tremendous help.
"Their specialty is paint and body work, which they have done for us numerous times, but we can rely on them to help out wherever we need. From cooking great meals for the crew to fixing the air conditioning on a motorhome we were using one year in Indy, they've done it all. ACDelco likes to pride itself on being the parts supplier for the Real Car Guys - well, we have two of them helping us at the races this weekend. Over the years, they've been to a few winner's circles with us, and we'd like to take them back there this weekend with our ACDelco Cobalt."
If recent history is any indicator, Johnson's chances to repay his friends this weekend are excellent. With a win, a runner-up finish and a semi-final appearance in their last three races, they have steadily reinserted themselves into championship contention, climbing from 10th to fifth in the POWERade points standings. In addition, this weekend they return to Gateway International Raceway, where one year ago the Sugar Hill-based team had a dominating performance, starting with claiming the No. 1 qualifying position, and ending in the winner's circle in the first NHRA Pro Stock national event win by the sleek Chevy Cobalt.
However, Johnson knows that in order to duplicate that stirring showing, they will need to adapt to the unusual conditions presented by this weekend's format, where the on-track action will be split between the heat of the afternoon and the slightly cooler evening temperatures.
"We're feeling pretty good about this weekend," said Johnson. "Our ACDelco Cobalt is running well, going rounds, and the track in Madison is pretty similar to the one in Chicago, where we won two weeks ago. Looking at the forecast, the highs are supposed to be in the 80's, so it shouldn't be that bad, and, based on last year's win, we should have a good combination to get down the track.
"With the unusual times we'll be running, we'll have to have a tune-up to get down a hot track, as well as another for a slightly cooler track, which shows how big a factor the racetrack temperature can be. The air will still be the same, but with the surface temperature dropping 20-25 degrees, we'll still pick up four or five hundredths. We'll know by Sunday night how good of a job we've done, but this weekend we're looking to become this season’s first three-time winner in Pro Stock."
Quick Notes on Kurt Johnson & the ACDelco Cobalt Racing team entering The O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals:
Kurt Has Been the Man in Madison: This will be KJ's 10th career appearance at Gateway International Raceway, where he has two wins and a 14-12 elimination round record for a .538 win percentage.
KJ's Gateway Qualifying Stats: In his 8 previous career starts in Madison, Kurt has two No. 1 qualifying performances (in 1998 & 2005), six starts in the top half of the field, and an average starting position of 4.75.
One year ago - Defending Champion: Kurt earned the 25th No. 1 qualifying position of his career with an elapsed time of 6.675 seconds and a top speed of 206.48 mph, and scored the 29th win of his NHRA Pro Stock career, and first for the Chevy Cobalt.
Career Best Elapsed Time: 6.646 sec., Joliet, IL, 6/11/06
Career best top speed: 207.72 mph, Pomona, CA, 2/12/06
Event Schedule:
Friday, June 23: Two qualifying sessions at 5:00 & 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 24: Two qualifying sessions at 2:00 & 7:00 P.M.
Sunday, June 25: Pre-race ceremonies starting at 2:00 p.m.
First Round of Eliminations at 3:00 p.m.
Television Coverage:
Qualifying:
Saturday, June 24: 10:00 p.m.- 12:00 midnight
Eliminations:
Sunday, June 25: 10:00 p.m. - 12:00 midnight
NHRA2Day:
Sunday, June 25: 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon
(All times Eastern. Please check your local listings for exact broadcast times in your area.)
G2 Momentum Machine Rolls into St. Louis
Chip Ellis/Matt Smith/G2 Motorsports NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle
Pre-Race Team Report
Event: O'Reilly Midwest Nationals
Dates: June 23-25, 2006
Location: Gateway International Raceway, Madison, Illinois
Fresh off of Matt Smith's first NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle win and Chip Ellis's 6 second, number 1 qualifying performance at Englishtown, the G2 team rolls into Gateway International Raceway with momentum on their side. Located just outside of St. Louis, Gateway is the site of NHRA's night race, as rounds are scheduled late to beat the oppressive heat and humidity of the Mississippi valley region. "The good news is that it's supposed to be cooler than normal," said George Bryce, G2's 6-time NHRA champion builder/tuner. "It should be unseasonably cool compared to last year."
Chip Ellis
DRAG Specialties/S&S Cycle Buell
"Last year it was so hot it was just crazy," said Chip Ellis, driver of the DRAG Specialties/S&S Cycle Buell. "This year it's not supposed to be too hot. It's supposed to be in the mid 80's, so there's a possibility we'll be able to put it in the 6's again."
Gateway has not been Ellis's favorite track. After qualifying number 1 in the 600 Supersport class at an AMA/Prostar race there a few years back, Chip's bike was stolen the night before eliminations. "I borrowed a bike and lost first round 'cause it spun out," recalled Ellis, whose bike was found by teammate Chad Milholland's parents after eliminations had begun.
Chip didn't get his Buell stolen (not at Gateway, anyway) last year at the NHRA race there, but he did go out first round. Chip went out in round 1 last weekend at Englishtown, also, and is ready to make amends. "I forgot about last weekend," Ellis deadpanned. "I can't remember what happened at all. But this weekend I feel good. I know my bike's fast and I'm just ready to go. I just wanna go out there and do good."
Matt Smith
Torco Race Fuels/Skull Gear Buell
One person who thinks that Chip Ellis will do "good" at Gateway is his teammate Matt Smith. "Chip and I have pretty fast bikes, and I know Chip wants to win real bad," said Smith, who's spent a lot of time fielding kudos since last weekend's Englishtown win. "I've had so many phone calls and so much stuff to do around home, it's just unreal. I got just as many or more people call and congratulate me as I did after Indy last year." That Indy win was taken away when videotape showed Matt crossing the finishline second, contrary to what the timing system said.
Matt has raced in two NHRA races at Gateway. "I think we won a round on the bike I bought from George, and the other time we went out first round. It's not been one of my best tracks, but I'm pretty confident going in there."
In fact, Matt is pretty confident about the whole season. "I think Chip and I have a real chance to win the championship this year. I talked to (G2 engine builder) Derek Churchwell back at the shop yesterday, and he said they were showing progress with these S&S motors on the dyno and as soon as we get back from St. Louis they'll be putting some new parts in. We'll have more power for Denver, and that'll be exciting."
Perhaps as exciting as last weekend's Father's Day winners circle celebration at E-town. "We had a very good time there," said Matt. "My son Tristan had a ball. It was good getting my first win like that with him and my dad Rickie there."
George Bryce
G2/Star Racing
"It was very rewarding for us to finally get Matt his win," said George Bryce. "Even when the stars lined up last year in Indy he still didn't get one. And Matt's really discovered how great of a teammate he has in Chip. Chip drives down the road thinking how he can make Matt's bike go faster." And that devotion to a common goal is part of what's making this G2 team click right now. "We all have fun together, don't we?"
Bryce had fun going to Ray Barton's Hemi shop in Reading, Pennsylvania, on his way from Englishtown to St. Louis. "We went to Ray's to compare some notes and work on some projects.
"The guys at the shop sent us some parts for St. Louis. We're continuously trying to update and go faster because we expect the competition to do the same thing. We feel like we've been slowly but surely plowing our way near the top, and we just wanna keep doing more of that.
"And we finally figured out how to start winning some rounds on Sunday. Qualifying is cool-we have three number 1 qualifiers and track records in a row. But I'd trade that for round wins any day. But I haven't been able to touch Paul Gast's MPH, though." Bryce was referring to longtime rival Gast's 194+ mph, new track record lap at Englishtown last weekend. "Must have been a paper cup blown through the lights. That's Paul's favorite saying when somebody runs fast."
Then Bryce turned more serious. "We want to dedicate our win in Englishtown to our friend Greg Guarinello." Longtime drag racing photographer and journalist Guarinello passed away suddenly a few weeks ago. "It was dramatic to win at his home track, where he was always standing there taking pictures and laughing with us. That was a huge hole there, something really important that was missing."
G2 Motorsports Sponsors
Everyone at G2 thanks DRAG Specialties, Torco Racing Fuels, S&S Cycle, Skull Gear, MAC Tools, RK Racing Chain, Red Line Oil, and VTwinPlus.com
G2 Motorsports History
Named for the two George's, George Bryce & George Smith, G2 Motorsports was initially formed in 2003 as a collaborative effort between the pair to field an S&S Cycle powered V-Twin NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle. The company has since evolved into the development of late-model hot rod V-Twins for both the street and strip. G2 Motorsports also stocks a full line of S&S Cycle engines and support parts for drag racing enthusiasts, as well as for other motorcyclists, dealers and distributors. The G2 Motorsports web site (www.g2motorsports.net) is continually updated with the latest race press releases, photos, engines in stock and information on complete turnkey motorcycles.
Contact
Jackie Bryce at G2 Motorsports
This team report was prepared by Tim Hailey, http://www.eatmyink.com
Photos by Matt Polito, http://www.dragbikephotos.com
FURNISHED BY:
G SQUARED MOTORSPORTS
OWNERS: GEORGE BRYCE & GEORGE SMITH
DISTRIBUTED HERE BY:
Jerry Battle - Webmaster www.georgia-motorsports.com
VANDERGRIFF READY FOR NIGHT RACING AT GATEWAY
2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 12 of 23
O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals
Gateway International Raceway
Madison, Ill.
Race Date: June 23-25, 2006
Madison, ILL., (June 21, 2006)- Bob Vandergriff Jr. is excited about the momentum his team is bringing into qualifying at the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway International Raceway this weekend. The Jim Dupuy-tuned UPS Top Fuel dragster is quite happy with their No. 2 qualifying position in Englishtown this past weekend. "Our team is really coming together as of late," shared Vandergriff. "We had to get over some early challenges and it seems that we are now ready to show everyone just how competitive a car that the UPS team is. The guys did great at giving me the power at Englishtown last week. It is unfortunate that we were bit again by parts failure. We are ready to leave our mark on St. Louis and then go back to our shop after these three races to prepare for the 'Western Swing'."
Vandergriff goes into St. Louis in 12th position in the NHRA POWERade Championship points chase.
RACE SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, June 23, PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
SATURDAY, June 24, PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
SUNDAY, June 25, Pre-race ceremonies, 2 p.m. FINAL ELIMINATION'S begin at 3 p.m.
TELEVISION SCHEDULE:
Saturday, June 24, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 10 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, June 25, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will telecast NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute news magazine show, at 11:30 a.m. (ET). Sunday, June 25, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of final round elimination's at 10 p.m. (ET).
SATELLITE:
Friday, June 23, 11-11:30 p.m. (ET) SBS 6, Transponder 17 K (12117 MHz, horizontal)
Saturday, June 24, No feed scheduled, please roll on ESPN2 show, 10 p.m. (ET)
Sunday, June 25, 10:30-11 p.m. (ET) SBS 6, Transponder 17 K (12117 MHz, horizontal)
Ken Sklute
Vandergriff Motorsports Public Relations
www.VandergriffMotorsports.comwww.RacersEdgePhotography.com
FORMER JR DRAGSTER RACERS MEET IN SUPER PRO, GILLEN WINS JR DRAGSTER WITH WOUNDED TORQUE CONVERTER
RACE DATE: June 17, 2006
FROM: Tim Glover
EVENT: Summit Snap-On event at Atlanta Dragway in 2006
(Commerce, GA - June 17) The Drag News crew came to Atlanta Dragway for its re-scheduled Drag News Allstar Tour event (tornadoes and snow postponed it from its original date of March 25). "I like the 90 degree weather here much better than the 30 degrees there (it was 39 degrees last week at the Allstar event in Salem, Ohio)," stated Todd Silvey of Drag News. The Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman and Motorcycle winners received a collectible Edelbrock jacket,
and the overall Jr Dragster champion received a McGee Racing Cams custom watch. Drag News also brought dozens of door prizes donated by sponsors like TCI, Comp Cams, RHS, American and CC Flyer.
"Donkey Punch dominates," said happy Super Pro winner Hank Wilhelm from nearby Commerce. Wilhelm, a former Jr Dragster racer, met friend Jeremy Hancock (also a former Jr racer) in the final, and this time he took the big end stripe two ten thousandths of a second before Hancock, with a dead on 5.298, 126.38mph blast. Hancock began "pedaling" his Commerce, GA based '05 M&M dragster shortly before crossing the finish line, and slowed a tad to 4.938 at 135.27mph (4.92 dial). (Hancock was actually returning the favor Wilhelm did for him the first time they met in a final, where Wilhelm's "pedaling" gave Hancock the win by .0001 seconds.) Wilhelm thanked his mom and crew chief, Linda, along with all his friends who helped out, including Johnny Brown, who's race car shed a planetary gear at nine cars, and Robbie Brown, who wore his lucky pink drawers. Thomas Bell, who won last week's Summit / Snap-On event, was the lone semi-finalist today with his Toccoa, GA based '05 Undercover dragster. Dennis Coover ('04 Fab Concepts dragster - Cartersville, GA), who made it down to five cars today, became the Drag News / Comp Cams Bounty Hunter champion courtesy of his reaction times. "It's the only thing I won all year," he added with a smile.
The 2005 Pro points runner up and Georgia Tech alumnus, Dickey Forrester, won his way back into the winner's circle this evening in his backup car, a former Bulldog Tire backed red '68 Camaro. Forrester, who comes from Hickory Flat, GA, earned a big advantage at the starting line, and converted that to the win light at the big end by slowing his car to an 11.10 at 110.72mph (11.03 dial). His final round opponent, Gordon Warren from Alpharetta, GA,
apparently lost some elapsed time mid track and ran a little off pace in his '67 Camaro, posting a 10.09 at 133.35mph (10.03 target). Mike Jones from Covington, GA made it to the semi-final round with a borrowed helmet and borrowed car ('74 Century Luxus belonging to Mike and Pat Holman), along with Howard Warren ('72 Maverick - Douglasville, GA). Forrester enjoyed the
post race photo session at the Drag News trailer with last weeks Pro winner and semi-finalist, Chris Carlile and Larry Chance, along with the newly dubbed "Tom Truluck".
Former Sportsman champion Chad Brewer of Kennesaw, GA enjoyed the win at last week's Summit / Snap-On event, and continued the streak by defeating former Division champion Scott Preves in this edition of the Summit / Snap-On series. Preves lost this time at the hit of his throttle, and lit up the tomato colored bulb when his Monroe, GA based '93 Lumina left the
starting line .006 seconds before the start light came on. Brewer's "Team Lowbuck" basically stock '83 Thunderbird carded a 15.14 second, 91.28mph pass (15.07 dial). John Snapp ('68 Charger - Conyers, GA) made it to the semi-final round. "Man, I wish the points races would keep going. I'm on a roll," added a smiling Brewer.
Howard Bowman of Homer, GA won his first in 2006 and third ever Motorcycle race astride his trusty '82 Harley Davidson. Bowman left the starting line with a very good .023 react, and got the win light with a 19.66 at 67.99mph pass (19.42 dial). His opponent, Paul Cavanaugh, had a much faster '02 Suzuki Hyabusa, which was dialed at 9.90 seconds. He also had a stellar
react, .016 seconds, but apparently mis-judged the slower machine at the big end, and broke out with a 9.84 at 133.25mph. Kyle Freese ('93 Honda - Hoschton, GA), who won the April 15 Summit / Snap-On event, finished tonight in the semi-final round. Bowman also enjoyed watching his son, Brett Bowman, make it to the quarterfinal round in 13-17 Jr Dragster. Bowman's wife, Kathy (who owns a nice '06 Harley) joined him in the Drag News photo session.
Former Jr Dragster champion Matt Gillen (14 years old - Gainesville, GA) kept himself in the 2006 points lead in spite of a wounded torque converter, which suffered some internal breakage during the third of six rounds of competition, and clattered and clanged the rest of the day. Along with his dad, they adapted their routine quickly and kept turning on the win light
each round anyway. "I had a driver who never panicked," said his happy father, Bill Gillen. Matt's dad then added, "The Lord blesses me every day. I wake up with a great kid, family and friends." Gillen actually went too quick in the final, running 7.99 at 80.37mph (8.03 dial), but the win light was already glowing in his lane after his opponent Brandon Thompson (14 -
Douglasville,GA), another former champion, lit up the big red bulb. Thompson's ride posted a 7.99 also, at 82.34mph (7.93 dial). "Wild Kyle" Denton (16 - McDonough, GA) won a semi-finalist trophy. Matt Gillen thanked God, his dad, Tim and Arlen of Motivational tubing, and his mom, Lisa, for putting up with his racing.
Because there were two Jr Dragster winners (8-12 year old class and 13-17 class), a runoff was held to determine the winner of the McGee Racing Cams custom watch, which was awarded by the Drag News team of Laurie and Todd Silvey. Matt Gillen won the watch after his car slowed back down to an 8.04 at 77.60mph (7.99 dial). However, the win was made easier when his opponent, former champ Joshua Sisson (12 - Gainesville, GA) experienced a torque converter failure at mid track, and was unable to cross the finish line.
Before missing the opportunity to win the McGee watch, however, 12 year old Joshua Sisson enjoyed taking the 8-12 year old Jr Dragster win against another top contender, Dylan Kent (11 - Acworth, GA). Sisson used a .088 second starting line reaction time advantage to take the win with a very good .01 over 8.92, 73.54 mph pass (8.91 react). Kent's car couldn't have done any better, carding an 8.940 at 73.95mph (8.94 target). Young Cole Wood (8 - Jefferson, GA) was the sole semi-final finisher. Sisson thanked C.L. Landscaping for all their help in achieving his win.
------------------------------------------------
SUPER PRO CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Hank Wilhelm '92 Horton dragster Commerce, GA 5.29 126.38 (5.29)
R/U: Jeremy Hancock '05 M&M dragster Commerce, GA 4.93 135.21 (4.92)
Semi: Thomas Bell '05 Undercover Toccoa, GA
Semi:
-----------------------------------------------
PRO CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Dickey Forrester '68 Camaro Hickory Flat, GA 11.10 110.72 (11.02)
R/U: Gordon Warren '67 Camaro Alpharetta, GA 10.09 133.35 (10.03)
Semi: Mike Jones '74 Century Covington, GA
Semi: Howard Warren '72 Maverick Douglasville, GA
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SPORTSMAN CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Chad Brewer '83 Thunderbird Kennesaw, GA 15.14 91.28 (15.07)
R/U: Scott Preves '93 Lumina Monroe, GA (foul) 16.53 81.60 (16.50)
Semi: John Snapp '68 Charger Conyers, GA
Semi:
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MOTORCYCLE BIKE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Howard Bowman '82 Harley Homer, GA 19.66 67.99 (19.42)
R/U: Paul Cavanaugh '02 Hyabusa Loganville, GA 9.84 133.25 (9.90)
Semi: Kyle Freese '93 Honda Hoschton, GA
Semi:
-----------------------------------------------
8-12 JR DRAGSTER AGE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Joshua Sisson 12 Gainesville, GA 8.92 73.54 (8.91)
R/U: Dylan Kent 11 Acworth, GA 8.94 73.95 (8.94)
Semi: Cole Wood 8 Jefferson, GA
Semi:
-----------------------------------------------
13-17 JR DRAGSTER AGE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: "Mad Matt" Gillen 14 Gainesville, GA 7.99 80.37 (8.03)
R/U: Brandon Thompson 14 Douglasville, GA 7.99 82.34 (7.93)
Semi: "Wild Kyle" Denton 16 McDonough, GA
Semi:
