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Atlanta Dragway Results
RACE DATE: March 29-30, 2003FROM: Tim Glover EVENT: THIRD ANNUAL SPRING BRACKET BONANZA at Atlanta Dragway in 2003 PHILLIPS MOTORSPORTS PUTS ON THIRD ANNUAL SPRING BRACKET BONANZA AT ATLANTA DRAGWAY (Commerce, GA - March 29-30) A great turnout of racers came in spite of the rain forecast for the weekend. It did rain, but fortunately the rains came 15 minutes after the show was done Saturday, and were gone by Sunday morning. The attraction of a Phillip's Motorsports Super Eliminator Series event is that door cars run door cars and dragsters run dragsters. The winner of each category is then pitted against each other in a one round, winner takes all, Super Eliminator race. The first winners Saturday were in Run for the Money, a one round affair where the racer who runs closest to his dial in each class wins the pot. Larry Peavey from Milledgeville, GA (Door Car), Robert Buchanan (Morganton, NC - Dragster) and Kim Callahan from nearby Dawsonville, GA (Footbrake) earned the Saturday portion of the Run for the Money purse. John Hobbs from Conyers, GA had a great start on best package of the weekend, with a .001 second package (.501 react and a 5.790 on a 5.79) in his '89 Suncoast dragster. The racer with the best package in each class at the end of the weekend receives a CSI tire gage courtesy of DragRaceResults.com. Kevin Pruett almost didn't come to Atlanta Dragway this weekend from his home in Millbrook, AL because his leg was hurting badly. Fortunately, his girlfriend Rachel Rhodes came with him to take care of all the routine preparation on his '00 Undercover dragster, and his dad Steve agreed to drive the station wagon. Pruett felt pretty rough early in eliminations, but recovered and went on to take the Saturday Dragster title and then won the Saturday Super Eliminator title. In Dragster, his final round opponent, Kenny Dixon, suffered a late reaction time in his Calhoun, GA based '02 Undercover dragster. Pruett "whopped" the throttle several times to slow his car down to a 5.04, 130.44mph (5.00 dial) and still crossed the finish line .029 seconds ahead of Dixon, who ran a dead-on 5.02, 136.79mph (5.02 dial). Pruett's traveling buddy, Kenny Acree ('99 Undercover dragster - Newnan, GA) was the lone semi-finalist. Local racer Mike Ramsey had the competition covered in Saturday Door Car, even though his usual crew chief, wife Lisa Ramsey, was at home taking care of the kids, who were suffering allergy problems. He thanked Mark Hancock for taking over crew chief duties and Buford for building a fast engine. Further complicating matters was Ramsey's starter button quit working during round four, so Hancock had to reach under the hood each pass to start Ramsey's '81 Don Ness built Chevrolet Camaro. Ramsey had a good final round time, 5.43, 128.21mph (5.41 target), but he was already the winner before he left the starting line when Manchester, GA racer Ricky Jones' '92 Chevrolet Camaro left the starting line .007 seconds too soon, resulting in a .493 red light. "Why did I take that .008 seconds out of the delay box in the final?" asked Jones of himself with a smile later. Jones' machine went dead-on with a zero in the final, 5.69, 121.63mph (5.69 dial). Tom Thompson ('92 Ford Mustang - Piedmont, SC) and Tim Owens ('68 Chevy II - Hodges, SC) were the Saturday Door Car semi-finalists. Kevin Pruett then met Mike Ramsey in the Super Eliminator round, where the Door Car winner gets to race the Dragster winner. Pruett was vulnerable with a late .546 reaction time, but got the easy win when Ramsey barely fouled with a .497 react. Pruett went on to a 5.01, 136.79mph (5.00 dial) in his dragster, while Ramsey chose to ease on through with a 6.23, 85.39mph (5.43 dial). Gaines Hickman from Barnesville, GA had the feeling during earlier rounds he was going to win, and he did just that with his '69 Chevrolet Camaro in Saturday Footbrake. Hickman wasn't going to come to the track either, having originally planned to go to Panama City Beach with some friends. The friends decided not to go, so he came to Atlanta. Hickman met many time finalist Kelly King from Stockbridge, GA in the final, and although he probably would have won anyway with a .518 react and a .01 over 7.19, 95.14mph, he got an automatic win when King's '81 Chevrolet Vega (which had a broken axle) didn't stage. "It's been one of those nights when everything goes right," Hickman commented after the race. (Unfortunately, his luck ran out in round two of the gambler's race when his transmission simply quit working.) Paul Romel ('69 Chevrolet Chevelle SS - Pensacola, FL) took home the semi-final portion of the purse. One could hear the rumble of Ford Thunder during the Footbrake portion of the Gambler's race. Four of the final five contestants were racing Fords. Former B&M champion Randall Roop took a decisive win in his Canton, GA based '66 Ford Mustang, with a .007 seconds package (.505 react, 7.392 on a 7.39 dial) in the Footbrake final. "It's all luck," Roop commented right after the race. Roop's final round opponent, Tim Byrd from Lexington, NC had an otherwise good run in his '84 Mustang, with a 7.36, 90.91mph (7.33 dial). Tony Zimmerman ('02 Ford F150 - Phoenix City, AL) was the semi-final finisher. Like son, like father was the result in Gambler's Super Pro. Buford racer Don Brown's son, Donny Brown, Jr., won the March 8 Summit / Hayes event a couple of weeks ago, and dad followed suit tonight. Brown got down to ten cars with his '01 Spitzer dragster in the Dragster race, and then took a win in the Gambler's when Trent Jones' Ninety Six, SC based '02 Undercover dragster flickered the stage bulb when the tree came down, causing a foul for him and an automatic win for Brown. Seeing he had the win, Brown eased off the throttle to a 5.31, 107.92mph (4.91 target). Former Atlanta Dragway track champion Brad Howard from Gainesville, GA suffered a transmission failure in his '02 Miller dragster in the semi-finals, making him the single semi-final finisher. Sunday dawned sunny, clear and cold. Although it took a little while to dry the track, racers were back in action before noon. The first Sunday winners were Run for the Money winners in each of the three classes. Local racer Joe Smith took the Dragster portion of the pot, another local, Gary Adams won Door Car Run for the Money, and Randy Anderson won in the Footbrake run. The best package of the weekend winner in each class had not been determined by the race's finish Sunday. Each winner receives a CSI tire pressure gage, courtesy of DragRaceResults.com. Local racer Mark Milford from Royston, GA heard RFC pastor Lloyd Shanks say during his Sunday morning service that for the past few races, the winner was someone who attended. Milford kept the streak alive with his first ever win, in Sunday Dragster. After defeating David Simmons in the semi-final round, Milford used a slightly better reaction time coupled with a dead-on 5.35, 128.58mph pass in his '02 Undercover dragster to win against Kenny Dixon from Calhoun, GA. Dixon crossed the finish line .025 seconds behind Milford, with a 5.07, 135.14mph (5.05 target). Dixon's '02 Undercover dragster had been on a streak all weekend, finishing runner up in both Saturday and Sunday's action. Dixon was also pleased to find out he won the weekend Dragster points, which paid another $300 on top of his winnings. "Praise the Lord. I know he was with us today," Milford commented in the winner's circle. Milford also thanked his wife, Judy Milford, for all her help. Longtime Atlanta Dragway winner David Simmons ('99 Undercover dragster - Suwanee, GA) was the semi-final finisher. Manchester, GA racer Ricky Jones has finished 1, 2 and 3 in B&M championships (he was the 2000 Super Pro champion) and had an excellent weekend, finishing runner up in Saturday's Door Car action and winning it all Sunday, taking home a Door Car win and Super Eliminator win, as well as the weekend Door Car points championship with his '92 Camaro. Jones said his car ran 5.69 all day Saturday, including three 5.690 second passes. The car's favorite number was 5.67 on Sunday. Jones put a 5.67 dial-in time on the window for round one, and never changed the dial all day. Jones' final round time against Joey Gary from Greenwood, SC was 5.68, 121.30 (5.67 dial). Gary's '68 Camaro was dialed at 5.49 for the final, but turned in a heart breaking breakout 5.487, 125.01, good for runner up spot. Kenny Newberry ('00 Dakota - Rome, GA) took home the semi-final portion of the purse. The final four racers in Footbrake were all South Carolina racers. Mike Smith took the Footbrake win when he broke out less than Jim Wood from Laurens, SC in the final. Smith's Ware Shoals, SC based '68 Chevy II was .001 seconds better on the react than Wood, and broke out with a 7.35, 92.03mph (7.38 dial). Fortunately for Smith, Wood's '71 Chevelle broke out even more, with a 7.80, 84.59 (7.85 dial). "Thank the Lord for a safe race. I enjoyed this weekend. If you beat Jim, you've done something," Smith said after the race. He then said his wife Diane Smith was his support. Wood was happy to be racing with his buddies from South Carolina. Todd Genobles ('90 Mustang - Anderson, SC) and Mitchell Jackson ('67 Barracuda - Piedmont, SC) were the semi-final pair. In the Super Eliminator final, Ricky Jones ran his Camaro to a 5.69, 120.97 for the win. Mark Milford was closer with his dragster, but unfortunately too quick at the starting line, resulting in a .490 second red light. "Boy, that's a mean car I got," added Jones. After the winner's circle pictures, Jones got to watch his son Jonathon take a victory lap in the race winning car. But wait, there's more. After the weekend points were tallied, Kenny Dixon ('02 Undercover dragster - Calhoun, GA) was the leader in Dragster with 15 points, followed by Kevin Pruett ('00 Undercover dragster - Millbrook, AL - 14 points). Ricky Jones won the Door Car points with 14 in his '92 Camaro from Manchester, GA. Mike Ramsey ('81 Camaro - Commerce, GA) was second place with 13 points. Saturday winner Gaines Hickman ('69 Camaro - Barnesville, GA) and Sunday winner Mike Smith ('68 Chevy II - Ware Shoals, SC) tied in weekend Footbrake points at 11 each. 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 2003 events, including the 23rd annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals presented by Pontiac on May 1 - 4, may be obtained by calling the track office (706-335-2301) or logging on to www.atlantadragway.com. NOTE: If you would like this report via email, please contact me, tim.glover@stork.com or call the track. SAT. SUPER ELIMINATOR CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL Win: Kevin Pruett '00 Undercover dragster Millbrook, AL 5.01 136.79 (5.00) R/U: Mike Ramsey '81 Camaro Commerce, GA (foul) 6.23 85.39 (5.43) Semi: Semi: SATURDAY DRAGSTER CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL Win: Kevin Pruett '00 Undercover dragster Millbrook, AL 5.04 130.44 (5.00) R/U: Kenny Dixon '02 Undercover dragster Calhoun, GA 5.02 136.79 (5.02) Semi: Kenny Acree '99 Undercover dragster Newnan, GA Semi: SATURDAY DOOR CAR CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL Win: Mike Ramsey '81 Camaro Commerce, GA 5.43 128.21 (5.41) R/U: Ricky Jones '92 Camaro Manchester, GA (foul) 5.69 121.63 (5.69) Semi: Tom Thompson '92 Mustang Piedmont, SC Semi: Tim Owens '68 ChevyII Hodges, SC SATURDAY FOOTBRAKE CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL Win: Gaines Hickman '69 Camaro Barnesville, GA 7.19 95.14 (7.18) R/U: Kelly King '81 Vega Stockbridge, GA broke Semi: Paul Romel '69 Chevelle SS Pensacola, FL Semi: GAMBLER'S SUPER PRO CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL Win: Don Brown '01 Spitzer dragster Buford, GA 5.31 107.92 (4.91) R/U: Trent Jones '02 Undercover dragster Ninety Six, SC (foul - no time) Semi: Brad Howard '02 Miller dragster Gainesville, GA Semi: GAMBLER'S FOOTBRAKE CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL Win: Randall Roop '66 Mustang Canton, GA 7.39 90.18 (7.39) R/U: Tim Byrd '84 Mustang GT Lexington, NC 7.36 90.91 (7.33) Semi: Tony Zimmerman '02 F150 Phoenix City, AL Semi: SUN. SUPER ELIMINATOR CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL Win: Ricky Jones '92 Camaro Manchester, GA 5.69 120.97 (5.67) R/U: Mark Milford '02 Undercover dragster Royston, GA (foul) 5.34 127.85 (5.33) Semi: Semi: SUNDAY DRAGSTER CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL Win: Mark Milford '02 Undercover dragster Royston, GA 5.35 128.58 (5.35) R/U: Kenny Dixon '02 Undercover dragster Calhoun, GA 5.07 135.14 (5.05) Semi: David Simmons '99 Undercover dragster Suwanee, GA Semi: SUNDAY DOOR CAR CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL Win: Ricky Jones '92 Camaro Manchester, GA 5.69 120.97 (5.67) R/U: Joey Gary '68 Camaro Greenwood, SC 5.48 125.01 (5.49) Semi: Kenny Newberry '00 Dakota Rome, GA Semi: SUNDAY FOOTBRAKE CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL Win: Mike Smith '68 Chevy II Ware Shoals, SC 7.35 92.03 (7.38) R/U: Jim Wood '71 Chevelle Laurens, SC 7.80 84.59 (7.85) Semi: Todd Genobles '90 Mustang Anderson, SC Semi: Mitchell Jackson '67 Barracuda Piedmont, SC
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