As both drivers posted similar reaction times in race No. 1, Long went down the track in 6.728 seconds against a 6.70 dial-in to beat Tom Ledbetter who finished in 6.206 seconds against a 6.17 dial-in.
Jones had a perfect start to take a close win over Doug Yates in the second race. He made a 5.352-second pass on a 5.33 dial-in. Yates finished in 4.454 seconds on a 4.44 dial-in with a .031 reaction time.
Malone Wilson captured the No Box win with a superior reaction time against Micah Stewart. Wilson’s winning package included a 6.514-second run against a 6.48 dial-in. Stewart made it down the track in 6.663 seconds against a 6.64 dial-in.
Rich Arbitelle recorded a 9.133-second run against a 9.12 dial-in to capture the Sportsman title. Marty Goldsmith, the decorated hometown racer from Ringgold, had a quicker start, but struggled with a 9.860-second run on a 7.71 dial-in.
The Junior Dragster final came down to Quinton Wetherbee and Brantley Lawson. Wetherbee was right on target, going 7.911 seconds against a 7.90 dial-in. Lawson broke out from his 9.04 dial with an 8.986-second pass.
Chase Smith was the No Box winner in race No. 2 with a 6.885-second run against a 6.58 dial-in. Stewart was runner-up for a second straight time. A mechanical problem in the final round sank his chances to capture the Ironman trophy.
David Bigham, the 2021 IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Champion, was the Sportsman winner. He had a 7.517-second run against a 7.55 dial-in. He faced Steven Holloway, a fellow Tunnel Hill, Ga., racer in the final round. Holloway posted an 8.122-second effort on an 8.14 dial-in.
Maddox Millard rounded out the list of IHRA Ironman winners with the Junior Dragster victory. Millard went down the drag strip in 7.99 seconds against a 7.96 dial-in. Ennis broke out against a 9.00-second dial with an 8.980-second pass.
IHRA Ironman Classic races are scheduled this weekend for Bunker Hill Dragstrip in Indiana and London Dragway in Kentucky. Keep checking out IHRA.com and our social media channels for more information on these events.
More exciting events at Brainerd Motorsports Park are coming up. Click here to keep up to date through the track’s Facebook page.