Nostalgia Nationals Photos

Thanks to Fred Simmons and Jack Martin for sending photos from last weekend's Nostalgia Nationals at Carolina Dragway! Click here for the photos. More photos have been added and more to come! Photos of Julius Hughes, III and Bunky Bobo (above) are from Fred Simmons.

Bill Pratt has covered the race at DragList.com - click here to see the results!

WILHELM AND BRUCE TAKE TOP WINS, PAPPY CHANCE HAS BANNER WEEKEND AT ATLANTA DRAGWAY’SFALL SPECTACULAR

Fall Spectacular event at AtlantaDragway in 2007
by Tim Glover

(Commerce,GA – October 13-14) First, congratulations to Atlanta Dragway’s Summit ET team, which placed second out of fifteen teams competing in the 2007 NHRA Division Two Summit ET Finals, held October 4-6, 2007 at South Georgia Motorsports Park. Atlanta racers made a strong showing, finishing with 51 points, 11 points behind first place Bradenton Motorsports Park. OrlandoSpeed World and South Georgia tied for third at 43 points each.

A large group of racers enjoyed the post season Fall Spectacular put on by Atlanta Dragway. Saturday featured bracket action, and Sunday’s format switched to a Top Eliminator and a 7.0 heads-up index format. Hank Wilhelm, Woody Bryant, Jay Rhyne and D.A. Streber enjoyed Saturday wins. Michael Bruce and Steve Adams enjoyed the Sunday wins. Although he didn’t get a win, Larry “Pappy” Chance had the best weekend of his year, finishing runner-up on both Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday’s first winners came from the Run for the Money event. Hank Wilhelm (Electronics allowed) and Toby Barnes(No Electronics) earned the purse in their respective classes. Wilhelm’s banner day began with a 5.170 on a 5.17 target, coupled with a .016 second reaction time. Barnes was also close to the target in his Ricki Blackwell owned ’76 Nova, which went down the track to a very close 8.443 on an 8.44 dial.

“Donkey Punch dominates,” stated Hank Wilhelm of Commerce, GA, the happy Super Pro winner. Wilhelm enjoyed taking out the newly crowned Super Pro champion, Thomas Bell, with a stellar .001 react and a .01 over 5.177 at 130.45mph posted in his ’96 Ed Quay dragster. Bell’s Toccoa, GA based ’05Undercover dragster made a decent pass, carding a 4.69 at 146.77mph (4.67target). Bell was rendered speechless by this turn of events. The Wilhelm family has enjoyed a great year at the track, with son Hank winning two Summit ET events, and dad Marty winning Super Pro in the muscle car race and finishing runner up in the Snap On Tools Day at the Races event. Hired gun John Smith (’72 Chevelle – Bowersville, GA) was lone semi-finalist.

By the time the Pro semi-finals rolled around, it was a battle of the pony cars, featuring three Camaros and a Mustang GT. Woody Bryant from Bowman, GA enjoyed the Pro win with his’82 Camaro, getting a break when Larry Chance from Canton, GA scrubbed a little ET away from his car near the finish line. Bryant crossed the win stripe first by.0015 seconds, running a close 7.542 at 91.58mph (7.53 dial). Chance’s ’68 Camaro posted a 6.61 at 102.81mph (6.57 dial). This was Chance’s first final round of the 2007 season. After the event, he said “I lifted just a little at the finish. I should have just let the car win.” He still got to enjoy the privilege of buying dinner for his group of friends, the Hickory Flat Heavys. Wesley Tucker, who won a few weeks ago with his Lawrenceville, GA based ’68 Camaro, finished in the semi-final round, along with Tim Polnaszek (’84 MustangGT – Nicholson, GA).

“It doesn’t matter what I do. I can’t seem to beat that car!” exclaimed Harold Wilson of Winder, GA, who finished the day in the Sportsman runner-up spot. D.A. Streber from Greenville, SC won Sportsman with the slowest car on the grounds, an ’02 Hyundai. It posted a 20.01 at 68.02mph (19.92 dial), and was actually the second car across the finish line stripe. However, Wilson’s ’74 Nova went just a bit too quick at 13.40 and 96.49mph (13.43 target) for the breakout loss. Mike Armstrong (’78 Buick wagon – Lawrenceville, GA) was the semi-final finisher. Seeing that Wilson was going to take the finish line first, and also sensing Wilson was going to break out (run quicker than his posted dial-in time), Streber tapped the brakes in his machine just prior to the finish to make sure he wouldn’t break out. “About driving the finish line in slow cars; you can’t practice it, and you can’t teach it,” said Streber.

“I’ve got some gas money for next weekend now,” said many time Motorcycle champion “Jay Bird” Rhyne after taking the win with his trusty ’81 Kawasaki. The Athens, GA racer ran close to the 12.24 second mark all day, and enjoyed taking the final round win with a 12.27 at 97.65mph (12.24 dial). His opponent, Jimmy “Cha Cha” Heisler from Woodstock, came into the event without the luxury of even making a time run. However, Heisler’s experience paid off with an eventual final round berth. Unfortunately for Heisler, his ’00 ZX6R fell off the number, posting a 10.43 at 127.99mph (10.34dial). Paul Cavanaugh (’02 Hayabusa – Loganville, GA) earned the semi-finalist portion of the purse. “I wouldn’t be able to do this without the love and support of my wife Eeman (who was at work)”, said Heisler. Eeman also races frequently in Motorcycle class.

On Sunday, two classes were contested, a Top Eliminator and a 7.0 Heads Up class. In Top Eliminator, the Footbrake and the Electronics allowed cars were kept separate until the final round. Prior to eliminations, a Run for the Money session was held. Brad Howard from Gainesville, GA took home the 50/50 purse with his ’03 Miller dragster, courtesy of a 4.878 on his 4.87dial.

Covington, GA racer Michael Bruce did not let up one bit for the Top Eliminator final, even though he knew he was running a Footbrake car. Bruce’s ’99 Worthy dragster left a perfect .000 second reaction time on the clocks en route to a 5.13 at 136.18mph(5.11 dial). Larry “Pappy” Chance took a shot at the tree, and barely missed the mark with a -.017 second red light. His car, however, was near perfect with a 6.572 at 106.72mph (6.57 target). Chance has been working numerous bugs out of his car all year, and the hard work paid off with a nearly flawless weekend. His racing friends, the Hickory Flat Heavys, were also clearly looking forward to yet another steak dinner. The semi-final finishers were Matt Ward (’69Camaro – Dallas, GA) and Mark Milford (Horton Homes backed ’02 Racecraft dragster – Canon, GA). The quarterfinal finishers were George Peters (’70 Cutlass – Lawrenceville, GA), Bubba Rich (Marty Wilhelm owned ’70 Corvette – Gainesville, GA) and Don Brown Sr (’03 Spitzer dragster – Buford, GA). Michael Bruce thanked all the people who helped with his victory; his dad, Randy, wife Dana, son Ryan, Ronnie and Jeff Wilkerson (engine), Uncle Barry, Tommy Motes, JD Reid, Papa John Clifton and all his friends.

The 7.0 index class was popular, featuring a fixed 7.0 second index time, with breakout rules applying. Steve Adams from Buford, GA was amped after his final round victory against “John Boy” Smith’s Horton Homes sponsored’72 Chevelle. Immediately after the burnout, Smith heard something go sour in his engine, so he staged quickly in hopes that Adams would gored, and then shut his engine off rather than risk any further damage when the green lights were illuminated. Adams was not deterred, and the .009 second reaction time his ’78 Malibu wagon posted left very little room for improvement in the that department. At the halfway point on the track, Adams could see Smith was not coming, so he lifted off the throttle and coasted to a winning 7.84 at only 66.46mph on the 7.0 index. James Noel (’78 Fairmont – Seneca, SC) was the solo semi-finalist. Adams was happy the eliminations were over, as he ran out of both fuel and cooling water. He thanked his wife Elkefor all her support with his racing, and also thanked Ronnie and Jeff Wilkerson for a great engine. Smith thanked his car owner Max King and then added, “I’m not about to tear another man’s car up.”

Sanctioned by 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 2007 events maybe obtained by calling the track office (706-335-2301) or logging on to http://www.atlantadragway.com/ .

———————————————————————————————————————————————-

SATURDAY SUPERPRO CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN

Win: Hank Wilhelm ’96 Ed Quay dragster Commerce,GA 5.177 130.45 (5.16)

R/U: Thomas Bell ’05Undercover Toccoa, GA 4.697 146.77 (4.67)

Semi: John Smith ’72Chevelle Bowersville, GA

Semi:

———————————————————————————————————————————————

SATURDAY PRO CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN

Win: Woody Bryant ’82 Camaro Bowman,GA 7.54 91.58 (7.53)

R/U: Larry Chance ’68 Camaro Canton, GA 6.61 102.81 (6.57)

Semi: Wesley Tucker ’68Camaro Lawrenceville, GA

Semi: Tim Polnaszek ’84Mustang GT Nicholson, GA

———————————————————————————————————————————————

SATURDAY SPORTSMAN CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN

Win: D.A. Streber ’02 Hyundai Greenville, SC 20.01 68.02 (19.92)

R/U: Harold Wilson ’74 Nova Winder,GA 13.40 96.49 (13.43)

Semi: Mike Armstrong ’78 Buick wagon Lawrenceville, GA

Semi:

———————————————————————————————————————————————

SATURDAY MOTORCYCLE BIKE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN

Win: Jay “Bird” Rhyne ’81 Kawasaki Athens, GA 12.27 97.65 (12.24)

R/U: Jimmy “Cha Cha” Heisler ’00 ZX6R Woodstock, GA 10.43 127.99 (10.34)

Semi: Paul Cavanaugh ’02 Hayabusa

Semi:

———————————————————————————————————————————————

SUNDAY TOPELIMINATOR CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN

Win: Michael Bruce ’99 Worthy dragster Covington, GA 5.13 136.18 (5.11)

R/U: Larry Chance ’68 Camaro Canton, GA 6.572 106.72 (6.57)

Semi: Matt Ward ’69Camaro Dallas, GA

Semi: Mark Milford ’02Racecraft Canon, GA

———————————————————————————————————————————————

SUNDAY 7.0HEADS UP CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN

Win: Steve Adams ’78Malibu wagon Buford, GA 7.84 66.46 (7.00)

R/U: John Smith ’72Chevelle Bowersville, GA (broke) (7.00)

Semi: James Noel ’78Fairmont Seneca, SC

Semi: