Jake Howard was the Gamblers race No Box winner against Graeme Rufenacht in a double breakout final. Howard had the advantage at the tree .013 to .040 and then went 6.527 on a 6.53 dial-in. Rufenacht, who has graduated to a Chevy truck after being one of the country’s top Junior Dragster racers, posted a 6.304-second run against a 6.32 dial-in. The two drivers finished with identical speeds at 98.17 mph.
The Pennington brothers, Preston and Pete, split the winner’s purse for the Box class after both reached the final round. It would have likely been a showdown in the final as both had double-zero starts in their semifinal round runs.
Norman Derks got the best of Benny Gossett in the Sportsman final. Derks went 7.613 seconds at 90.27 mph against a 7.62 dial-in with a .055 reaction time. Gossett raced down the strip in 7.479 seconds at 89.39 mph against a 7.50 dial-in and a .066 start.
Carter Poplawski won on a holeshot over Dino Arevalo in the Junior Dragster final. Poplawski left in .030 seconds and finished in 8.086 seconds at 75.49 mph against an 8.04 dial-in. Arevalo had a .108 reaction time and had an 8.992-second pass at 79.19 mph against an 8.97 dial-in.
Michael Turman doubled up with Motorcycle wins in both the Gamblers and Race of Champions. In the Gamblers final, Turman’s winning ride included a 5.761-second run at 118.20 mph on a 5.76 dial. Runner-up Dwayne McGee had a 6.198-second elapsed time at 110.48 mph on a 6.18 dial. McGee was outstanding at the tree with a .002 to .017 advantage.
Turman followed up with a win over his dad in the Race of Champions. His efforts included a 5.782-second pass at 116.85 mph against a 5.74 dial-in paired with a .022 start. His fatherwent down the track in 6.033 seconds at 117.49 mph on a 6.00 dial, after a .053 reaction time.
Paul Campise Jr. won on a holeshot in the Race of Champions Box final. He left the line in .005 seconds to go along with a 5.827-second pass at 119.97 mph on a 5.81 dial-in. The great start was needed as Scott Wallace had the terrific 6.482-second run at 105.91 mph on a 6.48 dial after his .020 start.
Turman wasn’t finished. He used a big .008 to .108 advantage at the tree to win the No Box final. He recorded a 5.799-second elapsed time at 115.95 mph against a 5.74 dial-in. Carl Birdsong, who had a 5.71 dial-in time, finished in 5.73 seconds at 121.06 mph.
Aaron Jordan won the Sportsman final when Jason Hildebrant triggered the red-light. Jordan eased down the track in 9.321 seconds at 57.22 mph on an 8.87 dial-in with a .050 reaction time. Hildebrant powered down the strip in 7.465 seconds at 89.34 mph, but it was negated by being -.012 too quick at the tree.
Two of the best young racers in the country matched up in the Junior Dragster final. Able DeLeon went home the race winner and Ty Janousek finished runner-up. It was no laughing matter for DeLeon and his Joker-inspired car as he went 8.878 seconds at 72.96 mph against an 8.87 dial-in. Janousek was much quicker at the start with a .023 reaction time, but came up just short with an 8.12-second run at 75.96 mph against an eight-second dial-in.
