Neese and Showalter Win On Return To Friday Night Drags

SBRA drag racing returned to a regular Friday night racing schedule this week after an attempt to move to Sunday for regular point racing shows. “Sunday’s just didn’t work for many drivers, they had to many other things going on and with the really hot weather recently, it just made things to hard on the drivers”.

The return to Friday night brought good fortune to some including Super Pro winner Mike Showalter. Showalter worked his way to the semi final round and was able to pull the bye for the round and chose to sit it out and keep his Nova as cool as possible for racing in the final round. The other semi final round match saw Kevin Warren pull into the Goads lane with his Camaro on a 5.49 dial as he faced TJ Harper in the Jrs lane in the dragster with a 4.80 dial. Harper left with the better reaction light on a .0068 while Warren cut a .0336 reaction light. Warren ran the number with a 5.49 @ 125.37 mph while Harper went to fast in the rail posting a 4.78 @ 144.76 mph. This set up the final with Mike Showalter taking the Jrs Tire lane in the Nova dialing a 6.81 while Warrens Camaro in the Goads lane showed another 5.49 dial. Showalter left first with a .0326 reaction but Warren pulled the trigger a little to soon with a -.0065 red. The automatic win went to Showalter who ran a 6.81 @ 100.67 mph. Warren finished with a 5.47 @ 125.84 mph for the runner up spot.

Afton driver Chris Neese also was excited to see the return to Friday as he took the Swann Towing & Hose Shop Footbrake division win. Neese also collected the semi final round bye and also chose to sit it out. Ralph Martin and Devin Dudley would face each other in the other semi final race with Dudley in the Jrs lane and Martin in the Goads lane. Dudley with a 9.93 dial and Martin with a 6.07 dial would watch the tree fall with Dudley leaving on a .0082 light and Martin a -.0038 red giving Dudley the win. Martin would run a 6.09 @ 114.90 mph while Dudley went a 9.88 @ 73.99 mph. Chris Neese would line up in the Jrs lane with a 6.36 dial to face Devin Dudley with a 9.90 dial in the Goads lane for the Footbrake final. Dudley left the line with a .0785 light while Neese hit a .0502 reaction. At the finish line it was Chris Neese with the win light as he went a 6.39 @ 107.18 mph for the win. Dudley completed his runner up pass with a 9.92 @ 74.17 mph. Qtrs money went Wes Wildman, Cheeze Smith and James Wood.

The Interstate Muffler Trophy Street semi final lined up with Heather Ritchie in the Goads lane on a 10.79 dial as she faced Jesse Austin in the Jrs Tire lane with a 8.33 dial. Ritchie left with a .1209 light while Austin went on a .042 reaction. Austin went a winning 8.39 @ 75.38 mph while Ritchie went a 10.82 @ 64.73 mph. In the other semi final round match it was Father and Son racing each other as Josh Spaid lined up in the Goads lane with a 11.28 dial and dad Allan Spaid in the Jrs lane with a 8.45 dial. Son Josh hit a little better light with a .0758 while Allan left with a .0875. It was dad Allan taking the win at the finish line with a 8.47 @ 81.69 mph and Josh running to fast with a 11.27 @ 62.16 mph. The final saw Austin in the Jrs lane with a 8.31 dial down from his 8.33 in the semi final round. Allan Spaid in the Goads lane dialed up however in the final down from a 8.45 in the semis. Spaid left on a .0245 light while Austin went on a .0669 light. Austin went a runner up 8.35 @ 82.54 mph while Spaid ran a winning 8.48 and 81.82 mph.

The Motorcycle semi final race saw yet another bye run with David Everidge getting the bye pass. In the other race it was Robert Pruiksma in the Jrs lane with a 6.28 dial and Kim Dunham in the Goads lane with a 6.18 dial. Dunham cut her first bad light of the night with a .1504 while Pruiksma hit a .0071 reaction light. Pruiksma went a 6.30 @ 107.30 mph and Dunham finished with a to fast 6.17 @ 117.80 mph. In the final it was David Everidge in the Jrs lane with a 7.02 to face Pruiksma with a 6.28 on the Goads side. It ended quick as Everidge left first on a -.0549 red while Pruiksma got the automatic win even as he left on a -.0060 red. Everidge finished with a 7.11 @ 99.71 mph and Pruiksma with a 6.33 @ 118.66 mph.

Drags returns Friday night next week on July 23rd with a regular SBRA point event with gates opening @ 4:30pm and finals at 7pm. Sunday is a Test & Tune plus a Quick 8 Diesel trucks with gates opening at noon. For more information you can call (540) 943-9336 or log onto www.eastsidespeedway.com.