Good Vibrations Top Sportsman
Russell Marr of Forney, Texas won Saturday’s Good Vibrations Top Sportsman Ironman. Marr’s 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier ran a 7.069 pass on 7.06 with a .058 reaction time over Monte Weaver. Weaver ran out with 7.291 time on a 7.32 dial-in. Marr defeated Mario Boesch in the semifinals while Weaver advanced on a bye.
Sunday’s Good Vibrations Top Sportsman belonged to Grandview, Texas’ Leslie Dugas, who narrowly defeated Marlon Goates of Troy, Texas. Goates just barely ran under his 7.07 dial, registering a 7.064 run at 193.05 mph with a .045 reaction time. Dugas was excellent, cutting a .045 light and finishing just .001 over his 7.39 dial-in at 188.20 mph. Goates beat out Ricky Vedros to advance; Dugas posted a .000 light in the semis to defeat Matt Crisp.
Good Vibrations Top Dragster
Houston, Texas’ Kevin Wilson ran close to his dial-in Saturday and Sunday to complete a sweep of the weekend’s Good Vibrations Top Dragster. In Saturday’s final, Wilson ran 7.245 on 7.22 (184.16 mph) with a .009 light to win out over Eli McGee of Gray, Louisiana. McGee made a great pass, posting a 6.853 on a 6.82 dial-in at 191.08 mph with a .001 reaction time, but came up just short. Wilson had a bye run to the finals, while McGee got past Sam Patrick in the semis.
Wilson posted even better times on Sunday, defeating David Johns of Floresville, Texas. Johns went 6.967 on 6.94 with a .018 reaction time, but Wilson eclipsed him with a .013 light and 7.237 run on a 7.23 dial-in (184.53 mph). Johns beat Jim Thorp in the semifinals, as Wilson ran unopposed once again.
Super Stock
Darrin Christen of Des Allenands, Louisiana brought home Saturday’s Super Stock Ironman with a win over Joey Tanksley. Christen’s 9.783 time against a 9.74 ET earned him the win over the Greenville Springs, Louisiana driver, who broke out with a 9.921 run on a 9.94 dial-in. Tanksley had a bye to the finals, while Christen used a .042 reaction time to defeat Jarrod Granier.
Schriever, Louisiana’s Joe Teuton won the Sunday Super Stock final, as he and his 1968 Plymouth Barracuda got past Brandon Bakies of Alexandria, Louisiana. Bakies committed a red light foul to give the victory to Teuton, who cut a .077 light. Jarrod Granier reached the semis for the second straight day, but couldn’t get past Bakies. Teuton defeated Burlin Taylor in the other semifinal race.
Stock Eliminator
It was a duel of 2000 Chevrolet Corvettes in the Saturday Stock Eliminator final, as J. Allen Shermen outpaced Matt Pellichino. Pellichino, Hammond, Louisiana, ran a 10.089 on a 10.07 dial-in with a .055 light, but Shermen’s .029 reaction time gave the Donaldsonville, Louisiana native the win. Shermen had a bye run to the finals, while Pellichino advanced over Jimmy Hidalgo Jr. in the other semi.
Shermen had a chance to sweep the weekend’s Stock Eliminator, but fellow Donaldsonville driver Hidalgo Jr. defeated him in Sunday’s final. Both drivers broke out in the deciding run, but Hidalgo ran just .008 under his dial to take the close win over Shermen, who was .02 ahead of his ET. Hidalgo had a bye to the Sunday’s final; Shermen made the final over Warren Birkett, who went out on a red light.
Quick Rod
Vernon Rowland of Blanchard, Oklahoma swept the Saturday and Sunday Quick Rod Ironmen. Rowland went 8.917 on 8.90, but his .018 light was enough to defeat Brad Core of Crowley, Louisiana, who ran a 8.906 pass on the same dial-in. Core received a berth to the finals with a victory against Jake Levatino, while Lance Rutland could not run against Rowland in the other semifinal.
Rowland finished the sweep on Sunday, as his opponent in the final, Chase Murray of Orange, Texas, could not run. Rowland ran 166.60 mph in his semifinal to beat Shannon Brinkley, who broke out. Marty Hellickson left early in the other semifinal, giving Murray the finals berth.
Super Rod
Charlie Stewart continued his successful season taking the Super Rod Ironman on Saturday. Stewart, Azle, Texas, ran just .052 over his 9.90 dial-in in the final against Troy, Texas’ Kip Guenzel, who just barely broke out (9.894 on 9.90). Guenzel defeated Tommy Maedgen to reach the final, while Stewart had a bye.
Sunday’s contest featured Stewart in the final once again, but this time, he ran under his dial-in, sealing the win for Max McGlothin of Frisco, Texas. McGlothin went 9.939 with a .013 light at 143.58 mph to take home the Ironman. Tommy Maedgen reached the semis once again before dropping out to McGlothin. Stewart had another bye run.
Hot Rod
Van Arnold of Houston, Texas won Saturday’s Hot Rod competition over Scott Turnboush, Mansfield, Texas. Both drivers ran out in the final race, but Arnold was a mere .002 seconds off his ET. Turnboush ran 10.869 on a 10.90 dial as the runner-up. Arnold raced unopposed in the semifinal; Turnboush got past Tony Jones to punch his ticket.
On Sunday, Arnold made another run to the final in his 1967 Chevy Choptop, but went down to Matt Exner. Exner, Pasadena, Texas, cut a .016 light and made a 10.906 run on 10.90, while Arnold broke out once again. Exner defeated Donnie Torres to make it to the finals, while Arnold had another bye run.
Jr. Master
Ty Casey of Van Vleck, Texas won Saturday’s Junior Master Ironman with a win over Regan Jordon. Casey ran at 8.553 on 7.96 with a .030 reaction time, while Jordon, who could not finish. In the semifinals, Jordon used a .023 reaction to move past Ethan Marr, and Casey made a bye run.
It was a daredevil finish in Sunday’s races, as Jordan Broussard, Carencro, Louisiana, squeezed by Matthew Murdock from Orange, Texas. Murdock ran 7.934 on a 7.90 dial with a .105 reaction time, but Broussard was even quicker, posting a 7.916 time with a .081 light. Murdock had a bye to the final, while Broussard got past Cory Gulitti.
Jr. Advanced
Graeme Rufenacht was perfect off the mark to defeat Trace Casey in the Junior Advanced event on Saturday. Casey, Van Vleck, Texas, was just .006 off his 8.95 dial-in with a .086 light, while Rufenacht, Round Rock, Texas, posted a 8.933 on 8.91. Casey bested Payton Simoneaux to make the finals, while Rufenacht was milliseconds better than Scotty O’Hara in the other semifinal.
Kacee Guedry of Brusly, Louisiana won Sunday’s Ironman, capsizing Rufenacht’s bid for a sweep. Both ran out, but Guedry went just .005 under her dial-in, while Rufenacht made a 8.899 pass against 8.92. Guedry had a bye to the final; Rufenacht defeated Colin Landry.
Jr. Beginner
Charlie Bakies, Alexandria, Louisiana, defeated Joshua Nelson of Tomball, Texas, to pick up Saturday’s Junior Beginner Ironman. Nelson broke out against Bakies, who cut a .000 light and went 12.004 on 11.90 to win. Nelson had a bye to the final, as Bakies defeated fellow Louisianian Wade Rose.
Nelson earned redemption on Sunday, winning the final against Claudia Murdock of Orange, Texas. Murdock ran closer to her dial, going 12.115 against a 12.08 ET, but got off the line at .402, while Nelson had a .031 light and went 12.041 on 11.96. Nelson beat out Maddie Chesne in the semifinals, and Murdock had a bye run.
Article by: Chris Pennant
