2008 SEASON AT ATLANTA DRAGWAY WRAPS UP
by Amy Glover
(Commerce, GA – September 27) Tonight’s race was the last Summit ET Series event of the season, beginning with no certain track champions; points leaders had to defend their territory against competitors hungry for a chance at a pack leader. The night featured a full set of the regular categories, and also included an awards ceremony for accomplished racers this season.
The Super Pro class had a first-time winner tonight, with Michael Brown taking over by his winning dial-in-time. Brown, from Covington, GA, launched his ’96 Horton with a .127 reaction time, crossing the win stripe at 125.06 mph with a 5.22 on a 5.20 second prediction. His run fared better than his opponent, Joshua Cohen (Lawrenceville, GA), who’s ’77 Camaro took off with a .114 reaction time, and ran three-tenths of a second over his 6.69 dial-in (6.99) at 95.56 mph, giving Brown the advantage of the run. Brown was proud to win in the difficult category, calling his night “extraordinary,” after racing five years in his dragster, and stated, “This track’s got the best races out of any I go to.” Brown brought the whole family along, racing alongside his dad, brother, and uncle. He thanked his dad, his wife Wendy, his kids, Uncle Floyd, and anyone else that supported his racing. With no problems all day, Brown hopes to “pick up where we left off, next time we’re racing.” Lloyd Kaylor (’87 Regal – Winder, GA) finished in the semis along with Jeremy Hancock (’05 M&M Dragster – Commerce, GA), who shot up in the points from sixth place to fourth in the season’s overall ranking.
The Pro category ended its season on an exciting note, with the ’08 Pro Champion Randall Roop (’94 Mustang – Canton, GA) pitted against Howard Warren (’72 Maverick – Douglasville, GA) in the final round. The run was tight, as Warren began with a .037 reaction time, and Roop followed with a .039 light. Roop finished his run at 6.45 seconds on his 6.43 guess, at 107.06 mph, leaving just enough space for Warren to activate the win light. Warren ran dead-on at 7.09, just .003 of a second from a near-perfect run. Though taking out the Pro champ, and also the Hayes Bracket Bounty on Roop (who won last weekend’s event), Warren insisted, “I was just racing for the money today. It was my last chance to win, and I had to go for it.” He also reflected, “It was a good year – lots of fun, with a tight end.” Warren thanked his wife “for putting up with my racing habit,” his boss, and G&T Napa at Carrollton “for good racing deals.” Together with points leaders Randall Roop and Howard Warren, third place (at a tie with Warren) Pro racer Chad Brewer (’67 Camaro – Canton, GA) finished third in tonight’s race.
Marietta’s Mike Newby (who is only a “Newby” by name!) won the Sportsman category in his immaculate ’69 Chevelle. His opponent and fellow Marietta resident, Russell Haskins (’08 Ford F-250), red-lit, automatically flashing Newby’s win light before the cars could cross the final beams. Russell Haskins also took the Hayes Bracket Bounty after beating Matt Wilhelm in a previous round. Scott Reynolds, from Cartersville, GA, ended in third place in his ’05 Chevy Truck.
After missing some races this season, Michael Wilson, out of Tallapoosa, GA, overtook the Motorcycle class. He eliminated the ’08 Motorcycle champion Jay “Bird” Rhyne in the quarter-finals, acquiring the Hayes Bracket Bounty on Rhyne. In the following round, he beat his brother, Brian Wilson, who placed in the top ten in the Motorcycle points. Wilson won the double-breakout final against Jeff Shropshire, cutting the better light of .011 on his ’94 Suzuki Katana, against Shropshire’s .034 reaction time. Shropshire (Dallas, GA) ran a 6.08 on a 6.15 forecast on his ’08 ZX-14, at 108.68 mph, while Wilson ran much closer, with a 5.26 second run on his 5.29 guess, at 129.08 mph. Wilson has been competing since he was 15, in the junior dragster category, and has run in the bike category for five years. Wilson established himself when he won the 2002 NHRA Division Two ET Finals, and has kept up racing as a family affair, with his mom, dad and brothers all racers. Wilson thanked his wife, mom, and dad. Wilson’s brother Brian Wilson (’82 Suzuki – Tallapoosa, GA) finished in the semi-finals, along with Ed Mazzolini (’83 GS1100 Suzuki – Cumming, GA).
Wesley Mayfield (12 – Gainesville, GA), who won the ’08 8-12 Junior Dragster championship, also won the final race of the season, securing his points lead with a well-deserved victory. Mayfield won with a .046 reaction time, and an 8.96 run on his 8.94 dial-in, at 66.98 mph. His challenger, Alex Krause (10 – Peachtree City, GA), lost with a .089 light, running a looser package of 9.02 on an 8.99, at 73.64 mph. Cole Wood (11 – Jefferson, GA) and Shelby Nelson (10 – Ft. Payne, AL) ended their day in the semi-finals.
Bailey Denton (14 – McDonough, GA) won the 13-17 Junior Dragster category, rocketing through the ranks into the top ten. The girls of the class governed the top spots, with Kelsey Lynn (14 – Marietta, GA – ranking second place in points) as the runner-up, and Brittany Vancica (15 – Lawrenceville, GA) the semi-finalist. Bailey was “pretty excited” to make it so far in the final race, and thanked her dad Rusty, her brother Kyle, “Mister” Bill Gillen, and her grandpa Tommy Thrasher.
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 2008 events may be obtained by calling the track office (706-335-2301) or logging on to http://www.atlantadragway.com/ .
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SUPER PRO CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Michael Brown ’96 Horton Covington, GA 5.22 125.06 (5.20)
R/U: Joshua Cohen ’77 Camaro Lawrenceville, GA 6.99 95.56 (6.69)
Semi: Lloyd Kaylor ’87 Regal Winder, GA
Semi: Jeremy Hancock ’05 M&M Dragster Commerce, GA
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PRO CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Howard Warren ’72 Maverick Douglasville, GA 7.09 93.93 (7.09)
R/U: Randall Roop ’94 Mustang Canton, GA 6.45 107.06 (6.43)
Semi: Chad Brewer ’67 Camaro Canton, GA
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SPORTSMAN CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Mike Newby ’69 Chevelle Marietta, GA 8.57 80.84 (8.64)
R/U: Russell Haskins ’08 F-250 Marietta, GA 8.92 77.29 (8.98) (foul)
Semi: Scott Reynolds ’05 Chevy Truck Cartersville, GA
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MOTORCYCLE BIKE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Michael Wilson ’94 Suzuki Katana Tallapoosa, GA 5.26 129.08 (5.29)
R/U: Jeff Shropshire ’08 ZX-14 Dallas, GA 6.08 108.68 (6.15)
Semi: Brian Wilson ’82 Suzuki Tallapoosa, GA
Semi: Ed Mazzolini ’83 GS1100 Suzuki Cumming, GA
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8-12 JR DRAGSTER AGE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Wesley Mayfield 11 Gainesville, GA 8.96 66.98 (8.94)
R/U: Alex Krause 10 Peachtree City, GA 9.02 73.64 (8.99)
Semi: Cole Wood 11 Jefferson, GA
Semi: Shelby Nelson 10 Ft. Payne, AL
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13-17 JR DRAGSTER AGE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Bailey Denton 14 McDonough, GA 8.04 82.49 (8.02)
R/U: Kelsey Lynn 14 Marietta, GA 7.94 82.96 (7.95)
Semi: Brittany Vancica 15 Lawrenceville, GA
———————————————————————————————————————————————
(Commerce, GA – September 27) Tonight’s race was the last Summit ET Series event of the season, beginning with no certain track champions; points leaders had to defend their territory against competitors hungry for a chance at a pack leader. The night featured a full set of the regular categories, and also included an awards ceremony for accomplished racers this season.
The Super Pro class had a first-time winner tonight, with Michael Brown taking over by his winning dial-in-time. Brown, from Covington, GA, launched his ’96 Horton with a .127 reaction time, crossing the win stripe at 125.06 mph with a 5.22 on a 5.20 second prediction. His run fared better than his opponent, Joshua Cohen (Lawrenceville, GA), who’s ’77 Camaro took off with a .114 reaction time, and ran three-tenths of a second over his 6.69 dial-in (6.99) at 95.56 mph, giving Brown the advantage of the run. Brown was proud to win in the difficult category, calling his night “extraordinary,” after racing five years in his dragster, and stated, “This track’s got the best races out of any I go to.” Brown brought the whole family along, racing alongside his dad, brother, and uncle. He thanked his dad, his wife Wendy, his kids, Uncle Floyd, and anyone else that supported his racing. With no problems all day, Brown hopes to “pick up where we left off, next time we’re racing.” Lloyd Kaylor (’87 Regal – Winder, GA) finished in the semis along with Jeremy Hancock (’05 M&M Dragster – Commerce, GA), who shot up in the points from sixth place to fourth in the season’s overall ranking.
The Pro category ended its season on an exciting note, with the ’08 Pro Champion Randall Roop (’94 Mustang – Canton, GA) pitted against Howard Warren (’72 Maverick – Douglasville, GA) in the final round. The run was tight, as Warren began with a .037 reaction time, and Roop followed with a .039 light. Roop finished his run at 6.45 seconds on his 6.43 guess, at 107.06 mph, leaving just enough space for Warren to activate the win light. Warren ran dead-on at 7.09, just .003 of a second from a near-perfect run. Though taking out the Pro champ, and also the Hayes Bracket Bounty on Roop (who won last weekend’s event), Warren insisted, “I was just racing for the money today. It was my last chance to win, and I had to go for it.” He also reflected, “It was a good year – lots of fun, with a tight end.” Warren thanked his wife “for putting up with my racing habit,” his boss, and G&T Napa at Carrollton “for good racing deals.” Together with points leaders Randall Roop and Howard Warren, third place (at a tie with Warren) Pro racer Chad Brewer (’67 Camaro – Canton, GA) finished third in tonight’s race.
Marietta’s Mike Newby (who is only a “Newby” by name!) won the Sportsman category in his immaculate ’69 Chevelle. His opponent and fellow Marietta resident, Russell Haskins (’08 Ford F-250), red-lit, automatically flashing Newby’s win light before the cars could cross the final beams. Russell Haskins also took the Hayes Bracket Bounty after beating Matt Wilhelm in a previous round. Scott Reynolds, from Cartersville, GA, ended in third place in his ’05 Chevy Truck.
After missing some races this season, Michael Wilson, out of Tallapoosa, GA, overtook the Motorcycle class. He eliminated the ’08 Motorcycle champion Jay “Bird” Rhyne in the quarter-finals, acquiring the Hayes Bracket Bounty on Rhyne. In the following round, he beat his brother, Brian Wilson, who placed in the top ten in the Motorcycle points. Wilson won the double-breakout final against Jeff Shropshire, cutting the better light of .011 on his ’94 Suzuki Katana, against Shropshire’s .034 reaction time. Shropshire (Dallas, GA) ran a 6.08 on a 6.15 forecast on his ’08 ZX-14, at 108.68 mph, while Wilson ran much closer, with a 5.26 second run on his 5.29 guess, at 129.08 mph. Wilson has been competing since he was 15, in the junior dragster category, and has run in the bike category for five years. Wilson established himself when he won the 2002 NHRA Division Two ET Finals, and has kept up racing as a family affair, with his mom, dad and brothers all racers. Wilson thanked his wife, mom, and dad. Wilson’s brother Brian Wilson (’82 Suzuki – Tallapoosa, GA) finished in the semi-finals, along with Ed Mazzolini (’83 GS1100 Suzuki – Cumming, GA).
Wesley Mayfield (12 – Gainesville, GA), who won the ’08 8-12 Junior Dragster championship, also won the final race of the season, securing his points lead with a well-deserved victory. Mayfield won with a .046 reaction time, and an 8.96 run on his 8.94 dial-in, at 66.98 mph. His challenger, Alex Krause (10 – Peachtree City, GA), lost with a .089 light, running a looser package of 9.02 on an 8.99, at 73.64 mph. Cole Wood (11 – Jefferson, GA) and Shelby Nelson (10 – Ft. Payne, AL) ended their day in the semi-finals.
Bailey Denton (14 – McDonough, GA) won the 13-17 Junior Dragster category, rocketing through the ranks into the top ten. The girls of the class governed the top spots, with Kelsey Lynn (14 – Marietta, GA – ranking second place in points) as the runner-up, and Brittany Vancica (15 – Lawrenceville, GA) the semi-finalist. Bailey was “pretty excited” to make it so far in the final race, and thanked her dad Rusty, her brother Kyle, “Mister” Bill Gillen, and her grandpa Tommy Thrasher.
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 2008 events may be obtained by calling the track office (706-335-2301) or logging on to http://www.atlantadragway.com/ .
———————————————————————————————————————————————-
SUPER PRO CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Michael Brown ’96 Horton Covington, GA 5.22 125.06 (5.20)
R/U: Joshua Cohen ’77 Camaro Lawrenceville, GA 6.99 95.56 (6.69)
Semi: Lloyd Kaylor ’87 Regal Winder, GA
Semi: Jeremy Hancock ’05 M&M Dragster Commerce, GA
———————————————————————————————————————————————
PRO CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Howard Warren ’72 Maverick Douglasville, GA 7.09 93.93 (7.09)
R/U: Randall Roop ’94 Mustang Canton, GA 6.45 107.06 (6.43)
Semi: Chad Brewer ’67 Camaro Canton, GA
———————————————————————————————————————————————
SPORTSMAN CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Mike Newby ’69 Chevelle Marietta, GA 8.57 80.84 (8.64)
R/U: Russell Haskins ’08 F-250 Marietta, GA 8.92 77.29 (8.98) (foul)
Semi: Scott Reynolds ’05 Chevy Truck Cartersville, GA
———————————————————————————————————————————————
MOTORCYCLE BIKE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Michael Wilson ’94 Suzuki Katana Tallapoosa, GA 5.26 129.08 (5.29)
R/U: Jeff Shropshire ’08 ZX-14 Dallas, GA 6.08 108.68 (6.15)
Semi: Brian Wilson ’82 Suzuki Tallapoosa, GA
Semi: Ed Mazzolini ’83 GS1100 Suzuki Cumming, GA
———————————————————————————————————————————————
8-12 JR DRAGSTER AGE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Wesley Mayfield 11 Gainesville, GA 8.96 66.98 (8.94)
R/U: Alex Krause 10 Peachtree City, GA 9.02 73.64 (8.99)
Semi: Cole Wood 11 Jefferson, GA
Semi: Shelby Nelson 10 Ft. Payne, AL
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13-17 JR DRAGSTER AGE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Bailey Denton 14 McDonough, GA 8.04 82.49 (8.02)
R/U: Kelsey Lynn 14 Marietta, GA 7.94 82.96 (7.95)
Semi: Brittany Vancica 15 Lawrenceville, GA
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posted by David @ 9:15 PM
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