And after three days of racing and a capacity crowd on hand Saturday night to witness IHRA professional and sportsman racing at its best, nearly two-dozen competitors came away winners during the third race of the Division 2 Heat Wave season.
Allen Wade was the only double winner from the Summit Pro-Am Tour double weekend at Bradenton Motorsports Park, collecting wins over Scott Sanders and Mike Pearson to sweep the Super Stock category. Other winners during the weekend were Tom VanBeek and Matthew Buck (Top Sportsman), Jeremy West and Steve Cohen (Top Dragster), Merrill Schrimscher and Myron Piatek (Stock), Todd Osting and Steve Muller (Quick Rod), Michael Ruff and Jeremy Heffelfinger (Super Rod) and Tim Anderson and Mike Desio (Hot Rod).
Junior Dragster winners in Bradenton were Brittany Snowball and John Tolisano (Junior Masters), T.J. Butler and Cody Krohn (Junior Advanced) and Katie Craft and Julian Puya (Junior Beginner).
Both of Wade’s victories came in thrilling fashion. The Rochester, Indiana native battled back from a major holeshot by Sanders – a .001 to a .093 – but Sanders couldn’t run the number and broke-out with a 7.059 on a 7.07 to hand Wade the win. Wade had a 5.792, 116.47 on a 5.77 dial. In race two Wade and Floridian Mike Pearson were welded together from start to finish, with Wade taking a narrow edge at the stripe with a 5.849 on a 5.83 dial to Pearson’s 6.439 on a 6.42.
2012 IHRA Super Rod World Champion and current points leader Michael Ruff collected a Saturday win in his bright blue 1967 Camaro with a close win over Terry Cross, while former IHRA World Champions Myron Piatek and B.J. Bianchi battled for the Stock win on Sunday, with Piatek coming away the winner.
Bradenton’s only other double finalist was Mark Miles, who reached the money round both days in Quick Rod and Super Rod, but lost out to Todd Osting and Jerry Heffelfinger respectively.
Complete results from the IHRA Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour presented by AMSOIL Division 2 race can be found below. Photos will be posted later this week.
SATURDAY
Bradenton, Fla. – Complete results from the IHRA Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour presented by AMSOIL Division 2, Race 1 at Bradenton Motorsports Park
Top Sportsman – Tom VanBeek, Fernandina, Fla., ’88 Beretta, 5.531, 89.25 def. Rick McDonough, Southwest Ranches, Fla., ’01 S10, broke
Top Dragster – Jeremy West, Port Charlotte, Fla., dragster, 4.736, 148.14 def. C.J. Keen, Palmetto, Fla., dragster, 4.708, 144.95
Super Stock – Allen Wade, Rochester, Ind., ’69 Camaro, 5.792, 116.47 def. Scott Sanders, Zephyrhills, Fla., ’94 Camaro, 7.059, 94.08
Stock – Merrill Schrimscher, Lake Mary, Fla., ’85 Camaro, 7.263, 88.60 def. Lee Tuttle, Albany, Ga., ’81 Camaro, 8.890, 74.97
Quick Rod – Todd Osting, Tampa, Fla., dragster, 5.686, 127.24 def. Mark Miles, Flinstone, Ga., dragster, foul
Super Rod – Michael Ruff, Orlando, Fla., ’67 Camaro, 6.451, 116.62 def. Terry Cross, Brunswick, Ga., ’12 Camaro, 6.415, 122.56
Hot Rod – Tim Anderson, Cape Coral, Fla., ’00 Cutlass def. Jacob Rutledge, Savannah, Ga., ’79 Capri
Junior Dragster Masters – Brittany Snowball, Loxahatchee, Fla., dragster, 8.242, 77.41 def. Zach Pennington, Lexington, S.C., dragster, 7.896, 81.02
Junior Dragster Advanced – T.J. Butler, Sarasota, Fla., dragster, 9.129, 68.97 def. Cody Krohn, Rotonda, Fla., dragster, foul
Junior Dragster Beginner – Katie Craft, Melbourne, Fla., 12.906, 48.24 def. Jimmy Cavanaugh, Melbourne, Fla., dragster, 12.741, 46.29
SUNDAY
Bradenton, Fla. – Complete results from the IHRA Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour presented by AMSOIL Division 2, Race 2 at Bradenton Motorsports Park
Top Sportsman – Matthew Buck, Lantana, Fla., ’00 Firebird, 4.523, 140.40 def. Norm Williams, Yulee, Fla., ’09 Cobalt, 5.016, 139.31
Top Dragster – Steve Cohen, Trilby, Fla., dragster, 4.470, 147.61 def. Steve Dweck, Hollywood, Fla., dragster, 4.945, 137.63
Super Stock – Allen Wade, Rochester, Ind., ’69 Camaro, 5.849, 115.39 def. Mike Pearson, Tampa, Fla., ’68 Camaro, 6.439, 104.79
Stock – Myron Piatek, Holly Hill, Fla., ’75 Dart, 7.115, 93.70 def. B.J. Bianchi, Bradenton, Fla., ’89 Mustang, 7.043, 91.93
Quick Rod – Steve Muller, Pinellas Park, Fla., dragster, 5.716, 123.66 def. Brandon James, Loxahatchee, Fla., dragster, 5.731, 122.34
Super Rod – Jerry Heffelfinger, Wesley Chapel, Fla., ’38 Roadster, 6.414, 121.21 def. Mark Miles, Flintstone, Ga., ’68 Camaro, 6.399, 124.24
Hot Rod – Mike Desio, Seminole, Fla., ’67 Nova, 7.014, 111.13 def. Joe Tillman, Longwood, Fla., ’90 Mustang, 6.990, 94.81
Junior Dragster Masters – John Tolisano, Jupiter, Fla., dragster, 8.431, 58.19 def. Nick Ferraro, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., dragster, foul
Junior Dragster Advanced – Cody Krohn, Rotonda, Fla., dragster, 9.014, 71.85 def. Logan Pagano, Virginia Beach, Va., dragster, 9.154, 68.02
Junior Dragster Beginner – Julian Puya, Pompano Beach, Fla., dragster, 12.267, 52.47 def. Jimmy Cavanaugh, Melbourne, Fla., 12.725, 46.43
