The Mount Sterling, Kentucky racer drove his gold Chevy Malibu to the Modified victory with a 6.519 elapsed time against a 6.51 dial-in and a .032 reaction time to beat Timmy Roe’s effort of 6.358 seconds on a 6.34 dial-in with a .024 reaction time. After earning $2,000 and the prestigious IHRA Ironman trophy for his class, Snowden was dead-on with a five to win the King of the Bluegrass Runoff.
Dustin Chestnut took home a $5,000 winners’ check and IHRA Ironman trophy in the Top ET (Box) class with a 5.717-second run against a 5.71 dial-in paired with a .013 reaction time. Keith Purvis took runner-up honors with a 6.109-second pass against a 6.11 dial-in and a .036 start.
David Dunaway was better off at the tree to become IHRA Ironman champion in the Footbrake class. His efforts included a 7.052 elapsed time and a .075 reaction time. Lowell Centers posted a final-round run of 7.447 seconds with a .178 reaction time.
Kayden Kratzer, the 2022 King of the Bluegrass also from Mount Sterling, captured the Junior Dragster title. The youngster won the IHRA Ironman race on a holeshot with a .004 reaction time to .059 for runner-up Tyler Cromer. Kratzer went down the drag strip in 8.318 seconds against an 8.25 dial-in. Cromer had a 7.913-second pass against a 7.90 dial-in. Kratzer can become the first Junior Dragster racer ever to win the Triple Crown with a three-peat in 2024.
Clay King became a triple crown winner with his third straight King of the Bluegrass victory in the Sportsman class. King, who is the principal at Bracken County Middle School, earned the IHRA Ironman trophy with a 10.996-second pass against a 10.98 dial-in with a .060 reaction time. Clayton Wasson was -.009 too quick at the tree and then went down the track in 15 seconds.
Beyond the IHRA Ironman Classic, there were other fan-favorite races at this huge annual event.
Matthew Miller was the winner in Daily Driver with a 15.300-second run. Wasson was runner-up in this class with his 14.930-second pass.
Audrey Baize took top honors in the Dale Meers Racing Engines Nostalgia COMBO race. She posted a 12.044-second run against a 12.00 dial-in with a .078 reaction time. Runner-up Terry Priest came ever so close to a perfect start, but instead fouled by just -.001 second.
Joe Bridges was the Straight Axle Mafia winner with Bart Lowery the runner-up. It was capped off with the Bent Axle Shootout between Aaron Sipple in the Jet Car and Shane Lile in Gass Hole.
Sipple rocketed down the track in 3.979 seconds with a .026 reaction time to get the best of Lile who finished in 6.279 seconds with a .159 start.
There are plenty of other great events coming up at Kentucky Dragway, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2023. They include the biggest bracket race of the year, the 53rd annual KEN MOR Bluegrass Nationals in October, and the last race of the year, the Hallothanksmus – described as a Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas blowout.
Click here for the track’s Facebook page to keep up with these and other exciting Kentucky Dragway races.
