NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. – Gainesville Raceway won the NHRA Southeast Division Summit Racing Series Team Championship over Bristol Dragway and Atlanta Dragway, while Brendan George led the list of individual winners at the Southeast Division Summit Finals at Rockingham Dragway.

The team from Gainesville racked up 41 points to hold off Bristol Dragway, with 36 points, and Atlanta Dragway, who scored 30 points.  Rockingham Dragway and Music City Raceway rounded out the top five finishing fourth and fifth with 26 and 22 respectively. 

Joining George with individual trophies and advancing on to the NHRA Summit National Championship were Tim Griffith, Van Greer and Dennis Stewart who each won their eliminator. Via a special wild card drawing held early this year, Troy Stafford will also move on to the nationals in Pomona, Calif., by winning the division’s Summit Race of Champions event in Pro ET.

George, Gainesville, Fla., drove his ’09 dragster to the win in Super Pro, capping it off with a 4.758 second lap at 140.75 mph to defeat Chip Johnson, Fayetteville, N.C.  In the Pro ET class, Griffith, Cedar Bluff, Va., raced to victory in his ’77 Vega with a 6.648 second run at 108.45 mph against Steve Foley. 

Greer, Kingsport, Tenn., took home the trophy in Sportsman again this year defending his 2016 title.  He took the win against Thomas Kleppin, White House Tenn., in 7.535 seconds at 85.94 mph.  In Super Pro Motorcycle, Stewart, St. Pete, Fla., won over Scott Delong, Boynton Beach, Fla., who fouled. 

Donald Webb, Gage Burch and Jerry Turner joined Stafford in the Summit Race of Champions winner circle. Webb, Four Oaks, N.C., won in Super Pro with a time of 4.708 seconds at 143.26 mph against Barry Nall, Eagle Springs, N.C.  In Sportsman, Burch, Palmetto, Fla., took the win for the second year in a row with a lap of 7.509 seconds at 88.85 mph in his ’80 Malibu against Kenneth Anderson, Lake Worth, Fla. Turner, Bluff City, Tenn., took the win in Super Pro Motorcycle over Rick Eaton, Venice, Fla., with a lap of 5.746, 121.44.

Stafford beat out Steve Foley in the Pro E.T. Race of Champions for the NHRA Summit National Championship wild card entry.  Stafford, Orlando, Fla., went 7.083, 94.52 in his ’73 Dart.

The following are the final results from the 2017 NHRA Summit Racing Series Southeast Division Finals:

SUPER PRO
Brendan George, Gainesville, Fla., '09 Mullis, 4.758, 140.75 def.
Chip Johnson, Fayetteville, N.C., '80 Malibu, 6.461, 105.10. 

PRO ET
Tim Griffith, Cedar Bluff, Va., '77 Vega, 6.648, 108.45 def.
Steve Foley, Barbourville, Ky., '74 Duster, 6.854, 98.23. 

SPORTSMAN
Van Greer, Kingsport, Tenn., '65 Dodge, 7.535, 85.94 def.
Thomas Kleppin, White House, Tenn., '84 Camaro, 8.158, 83.23. 

SUPER PRO MOTORCYCLE
Dennis Stewart, St Pete, Fla., '78 KAW, 5.757, 119.44 def.
Scott Delong, Boynton Beach, Fla., '06 KAW, foul. 

The following are the final results from the 2017 NHRA Summit Racing Series Southeast Division Race of Champions:

SUPER PRO
Donald Webb, Four Oaks, N.C., '13 Maddox, 4.708, 143.26 def.
Barry Nall, Eagle Springs, N.C., '68 Barracuda, 5.800, 120.01. 

PRO ET
Troy Stafford, Orlando, Fla., '73 Dart, 7.083, 94.52 def.
Steve Foley, Barbourville, Ky., '74 Duster, 6.876, 95.23. 

SPORTSMAN
Gage Burch, Palmetto, Fla., '80 Malibu SW, 7.509, 88.85 def.
Kenneth Anderson, Lake Worth, Fla., '93 Camaro, 7.885, 83.62. 

SUPER PRO MOTORCYCLE
Jerry Turner, Bluff City, Tenn., '06 KAW, 5.746, 121.44 def.
Rick Eaton, Venice, Fla., '84 SUZ, 5.645, 120.95. 

HIGH SCHOOL 
Hunter Edmundson, Pekanello, N.C., '15 Toyota, 9.748, 76.98 def.
Gage Burch, Palmetto, Fla., '80 Malibu SW, 8.274, 81.04. 
 

PREVIEW

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. – The top bracket racers in NHRA’s Southeast division will be on hand at Rockingham Dragway, October 6-8, for the 2017 NHRA Summit Racing Series Southeast Division Finals. Racers in five categories from across the region will compete for individual and team honors and a share of the cash and contingency purse. Racing classes include Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, Super Pro Motorcycle and High School.  

Individual champions from the Summit Racing Series will advance to the Summit National Championship at the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif., in November. They will compete against the winners from NHRA’s other six divisions for national championships and a winner-take-all $5,000 payday. All racers who run in Pomona will receive an additional $3,000.

In addition to the Summit Division Finals, the event will also host the Summit Race of Champions for all classes as well as the NHRA Summit Jr. Drag Racing League Southeast Division Finals.

Gates at Rockingham Dragway open at 7:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. Time trials will start Friday at 8:30 a.m. High School & Race of Champions Round 1 begin at 6:30 p.m. Summit Series Division Championship round 1 is scheduled for Saturday at 9 a.m. and run throughout the day. The Summit Junior Race of Champions begins at 7 p.m. on Saturday.  Sunday gates open at 8:30 a.m. and the Summit Jr. Dragster division finals begin at 9:30 a.m.