NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Jeremy Hancock, Matt Ward, Earl Talley and John Markham each raced to victory at the NHRA Southeast Division Summit Racing Series Finals and punched their ticket to the NHRA Summit National Championship in California next month. The squad from Bristol Dragway swept the Team Championships, winning the team title in both the Summit Series Finals and the Summit Jr. Drag Racing League Division Championships.
 
Hancock won on a holeshot over Michael Brown in Super Pro as did Ward over Derek Putnam in Pro. Hancock went .011 seconds on the tree then clocked in at 4.496 seconds at 151.12 mph for the win over Brown at 4.813, 143.64. Ward went 6.417, 105.98 to hold off Putnam who closed the gab with a 6.050, 112.40 but could not catch Ward.
 
Talley had a great .003 second reaction time then ran dead-on his dial at 7.730 on the 7.73 to knock out Tracy Sikes for the Sportsman trophy.
 
In the Super Pro Motorcycle final round, it was Markham clocking in at 5.542 seconds, 122.40 mph to beat Candy Hagadorn who tripped the clocks at 5.601, 114.75 for the runner up finish.
 
Joining in on the celebration were Joshua Googe, Carleigh Bynum and Gage Burch in the Summit Jr. Drag Racing League action. Googe made up a ton of ground on Forrest Radford to take the win in Jr. Novice, Bynum took the holeshot and held on for the win over Cody Owens in Jr. Intermediate and Burch grabbed his third win of the weekend in beating out Katrina Carpenter in Jr. Advanced. 
 
In Saturday’s Race of Champion’s action Burch raced to a pair of wins grabbing the title in both High School and Jr. Dragster Advanced. His .009 reaction time in High School was the difference in beating out Bevins who was looking to double himself. Burch’s win in Jr. Advanced came at the expense of Zach Goodwin with a red light start.

Kelly Hicks lead the charge on Saturday with a win over Hank Wilhelm in Super Pro. Hicks, St. Augustine, Fla., was out first then went 4.588 seconds at 141.55 mph to force Wilhelm, Maysville, Ga., to breakout

Bevins, Albany, Ga., was also in the final of Pro taking the early lead with a .015 second reaction time, combined with a 6.547 second lap on the 6.54 dial to beat out Steve Foley and his ’75 Vega. Foley made it close running 6.242 on the 6.24 at 106.72 mph.

Dickey Forrester and Jerry Turner took the trophies in Sportsman and Super Pro Motorcycle respectively. Forrester went 7.569, 82.89 to defeat Sikes who had problems right off the start and Turner, Bluff City, Tenn., recorded a .010 package over Tim Sutton, Clermont, Ga.

In other Jr. Dragster Race of Champion’s action, Carley Brown left first on Carson Emmett then drove the top end for the win in Jr. Dragster Intermediate and Hayden Hall won a close one over Nolan Callahan in the Jr. Dragster Novice.

The following are Sunday’s final results from the 2018 NHRA Summit Racing Series Southeast Division Finals:

SUPER PRO
Jeremy Hancick, 4.496, 151.12 def. Michael Brown, 4.813, 143.64

PRO 
Matt Ward, 6.417, 105.98 def. Derek Putnam, 6.050, 112.40

SPORTSMAN 
Earl Talley, 7.730, 84.26 def. Tracy Sikes, 7.661, 84.40

SUPER PRO MOTORCYCLE
John Markham, 5.542, 122.40 def. Candy Hagadorn, 5.601, 114.75

JR. DRAGSTER ADVANCED
Gage Burch, 7.953, 80.77 def. Katrina Carpenter, 7.917, 81.94

JR. DRAGSTER INTERMEDIATE
Carleigh Bynum, 8.996, 71.30 def. Cody Owens, 9.062, 70.07

JR. DRAGSTER NOVICE
Joshua Googe, 12.261, 51.13 def. Forrest Redford, 14.151, 44.49

The following are Saturday's final results from the 2018 NHRA Summit Racing Series Southeast Division Race of Champions:

SUPER PRO
Kelly Hicks, St Augustine, Fla., '14 Miller, 4.588, 141.55 def. Hank Wilhelm, Maysville, Ga., '96 Quay, 5.055, 134.44. 

PRO ET
Seth Bevins, Albany, Ga., dragster, 6.547, 102.66 def. Steve Foley, Clinton, N.C., '75 Vega SW, 6.242, 106.72. 

SPORTSMAN
Dickey Forrester, dragster, 7.569, 82.89 def. Tracy Sikes, Hamlet, N.C., '79 Malibu, broke. 

ET MOTORCYCLE
Jerry Turner, Bluff City, Tenn., 5.785, 120.68 def. Tim Sutton, Clermont, Ga., '83 SUZ, 5.516, 117.02. 

HIGH SCHOOL
Gage Burch, Palmetto, Fla., '02 Mustang, 8.362, 73.62 def. Seth Bevins, Albany, Ga., dragster, 7.666, 88.32. 

JR. DRAGSTER ADVANCE
Gage Burch, Palmetto, Fla., dragster, 7.846, 84.55 def. Zach Goodwin, McDonough ,Ga. , dragster, foul. 

JR. DRAGSTER INTERMEDIATE
Carley Brown, Camilla, Ga., dragster, 9.009, 70.74 def. Carson Emmett, Cedar Bluff, Ala., dragster, 8.914, 72.35. 

JR. DRAGSTER NOVICE
Hayden Hall, Byron, Ga., dragster, 12.013, 53.57 def. Nolan Callahan, Fayetteville, N.C., dragster, 14.357, 43.67.

PREVIEW

REYNOLDS, Ga. – The top racers in NHRA’s Southeast division will be on hand at Silver Dollar Motorsports Park, Oct. 5-8, for the 2018 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 Silver Dollar Motorsports Park 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 and the Race of Champions round 1 are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The 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 beginning at 7 p.m. on Saturday.  Summit Junior Dragster division finals begin at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday.