Saturday

CECIL, Ga. (Oct. 3, 2009) – Troy Williams Jr. and Steve Stites continued their winning ways from Friday, taking the wins again today for the NHRA Southeast Division Summit Racing Series Finals at South Georgia Motorsports Park.  Both racers won yesterday’s Race of Champions event with Williams, Bradenton, Fla., taking the trophy in Super Pro then covering the field in the Pro category today for the win.  Williams is running for the team from Montgomery Motorsports Park clocking in at 6.682 seconds in the 1/8th mile to beat Brandon Wood, Thomasville, Ga., (South Georgia Motorsports Park) with a near perfect run.

Stites, who is also running for Montgomery Motorsports Park out of Falkner, Miss., won in the Sportsman class in both yesterday’s ROC and again today for the division championship.  Stites held off Thomas Holley, Saraland, Ala., (Mobile Dragway) who ran too quick and broke out.

In a great side by side Super Pro Final round, Allan Ackles Jr., Tampa, Fla., (Bradenton Motorsports Park) took the win over Jeremy Hancock by just 22 inches running 4.974 seconds on a 4.97 dial-in with a 0.006 second reaction time.  Hancock, Commerce, Ga., (Atlanta Dragway) ran 4.689 (4.68 dial) with a 0.009 second reaction.

Charles Ridge out of Nashville, Tenn., and Music City Raceway grabbed the win in the Bike class over teammate John Markham, Bowling Green, Ky., (Music City Raceway) and will join Williams, Stites, and Ackles in Pomona, Calif., at the NHRA AAA Finals in Pomona, Calif., to compete against the winner’s from NHRA’s other six divisions for the Summit Racing Series National Championship.

Sunshine Dragstrip in Clearwater, Fla., did not have any individual racers in the final rounds but had enough racers advance through eliminations to take home the Team Championship with a one point win over Atlanta Dragway with 43 points.  Atlanta was second with 42 and three teams (Orlando Speed World Dragway, Montgomery Motorsports Park, and Bradenton Motorsports Park) tied for third at 40.

The following are Saturday's final results from the 2009 NHRA Summit Racing Series Southeast Division Finals:

SUPER PRO
Allan Ackles Jr., Tampa, Fla., Bradenton Motorsports Park, dragster, 4.974, 137.30  def.
Jeremy Hancock, Commerce, Ga., Atlanta Dragway, dragster, 4.689, 146.80.

PRO
Troy Williams Jr., Bradenton, Fla., Montgomery Motorsports Park, '93 S-10, 6.682, 98.43  def.
Brandon Wood, Thomasville, Ga., South Georgia Motorsports Park, '81 Malibu, 7.062, 87.44.

SPORTSMAN
Steve Stites, Falkner, Miss., Montgomery Motorsports Park, '94 Cavalier, 10.710, 64.43  def.
Thomas Holley, Saraland, Ala., Mobile Dragway, '93 Sierra, 10.369, 67.02.

BIKE
Charles Ridge, Nashville, Tenn., Music City Raceway, '76 Kawasaki, 6.199, 108.13  def.
John Markham, Bowling Green, Ky., Music City Raceway, '04 Kawasaki, 5.641, 120.08.

TEAM POINTS
1.  Sunshine Dragstrip    43
2.  Atlanta Dragway    42
3.  Orlando Speed World Dragway           40
4.  Montgomery Motorsports Park           40
5.  Bradenton Motorsports Park           40
6.  Palm Beach Int'l Raceway              39
7.  South Georgia Motorsports Park        35
8.  Silver Dollar Raceway                  32
9.  Gainesville Raceway                    32
10. Music City Raceway                     30
11. Mobile Dragway                         29
12. Emerald Coast Dragway                 19
13. Bristol Dragway                         7
14. Northwest Tennessee Motorsports Park  5
 

Friday

Division 2 Race Of Champions winners crowned

CECIL, Ga. (Oct. 1, 2009) – The NHRA Southeast Division Summit Racing Series crowned its Race of Champions with Troy Williams Jr. leading the way in Super Pro from Montgomery Motorsports Park. Williams, Bradenton, Fla., ran 4.808 seconds at 136.62 mph for the win over Larry Meacham, Cantonment, Fla., out of Emerald Coast Dragway.

In the Pro class it was Tracy Crutcher of Pleasant View, Tenn., turning on the win light over Steve Foley, Barbersville, Ky.  Crutcher runs for Music City Raceway in a ’66 Chevy II while Foley is competing on the Bristol Dragway Team in his ’71 Duster.

Steve Stites, Falkner, Miss., and Lonnie Rueckert, Bradenton, Fla., also grabbed the Race of Champions trophies in the Sportsman and Bike categories respectively.  Stites who also represents Montgomery Motorsports Park held off Joe Tillman of Longwood, Fla., and Orlando Speed World Dragway.   Rueckert put Bradenton Motorsports Park in the winner’s circle with his ’82 Suzuki in beating Lucas Walker, Farmington, Ky.

The High School ROC win went to Monica Roberts of Gainesville Raceway and Ocala, Fla.  Roberts drove her ’95 Camaro past local racer Kenny Bevins, Jr., of Albany, Ga., and South Georgia Motorsports Park.

Event eliminations are scheduled for Saturday with nearly 500 of the best bracket racers in the division looking for that elusive win and a share of the more than $20,000 in purse and contingency.  Even more important is bragging rights of being named the NHRA Southeast Division Summit Racing Series Champion and the opportunity to advance to the NHRA AAA Finals in Pomona, Calif., to compete against the winner’s from NHRA’s other six divisions for the national championship.

Gates at South Georgia Motorsports Park open at 8 a.m. with racing beginning at 9 a.m.  South Georgia Motorsports Park is located 12 miles north of Valdosta, Ga.  Take I-75 (from the north or south) to Exit 32, old Coffee Road.  Take Old Coffee Road east to Highway 41.  Go north to the track.  For more information call the track, (229) 896-7000.

The following are Friday's final results from the 2009 NHRA Summit Racing Series Southeast Division Race of Champions:

SUPER PRO ROC
Troy Williams Jr., Bradenton, Fla., Montgomery Motorsports Park, dragster, 4.808, 136.62  def.
Larry Meacham, Cantonment, Fla., Emerald Coast Dragway, dragster, 5.181, 131.00.

PRO ROC
Tracy Crutcher, Pleasant View, Tenn., Music City Raceway, '66 Chevy II, 7.412, 91.92  def.
Steve Foley, Barbersville, Ky., Bristol Dragway, '74 Duster, 7.481, 85.36.

SPORTSMAN ROC
Steve Stites, Falkner, Miss., Montgomery Motorsports Park, '94 Cavalier, 10.675, 64.65  def.
Joe Tillman, Longwood, Fla., Orlando Speed World Dragway, '94 Impala, 10.048, 65.94.

BIKE ROC
Lonnie Rueckert, Bradenton, Fla., Bradenton Motorsports Park, '82 Suzuki, 5.768, 114.64  def.
Lucas Walker, Farmington, Ky., Northwest Tennessee Motorsports Park, '08 Suzuki, 8.007, 85.34.

HIGH SCHOOL ROC
Monica Roberts, Ocala, Fla., Gainesville Raceway, '95 Camaro, 8.876, 81.30  def.
Kenny Bevins Jr., Albany, Ga., South Georgia Motorsports Park, '86 Camaro, 8.211, 85.16.

Preview

CECIL, Ga. – The top bracket racers in NHRA’s Southeast division will be on hand at South Georgia Motorsports Park, October 1-3, for the NHRA Summit Racing Series Southeast Division Finals.  Racers in four categories from across the region will compete for individual and team honors and a share of the cash and contingency purse.  Racing classes include Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman and Super Pro Bike.

Individual champions will advance to a national run-off at the NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif., in November.  They will compete against the winners from NHRA’s other six divisions for a national titles and a winner-take-all $5,000 payday.  Racers who run in Pomona will receive an additional $3,500.

Racing action will also include the Race of Champions.  The Race of Champions is a race within a race where top points-earning drivers from each track square off in head-to-head competition and a share of the purse worth nearly $5,000.

Gates at South Georgia Motorsports Park open at 8 a.m. Thursday and Friday and at 7 a.m. Sunday.  Time trials will start Thursday at 10 a.m. and continue Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The Race of Champions will start at 5 p.m. Saturday.  Eliminations begin Sunday at 9 a.m.

South Georgia Motorsports Park is located 12 miles north of Valdosta, Ga.  Take I-75 (from north or south) to Exit 32, Old Coffee Road.  Take Old Coffee Road east to Highway 41.  Go north to the track. For more information call the track, (229) 896-7000, or visit www.SGMP.com or www.NHRAdiv2.com.

SUMMIT RACING SERIES SOUTHEAST DIVISION FINALS: Fact Sheet

WHAT: NHRA Summit Racing Series, where top drivers from NHRA member tracks across the Southeast Division compete in four classes, Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman and Pro Bike, for individual and team honors.  Individual champions will advance to a national run-off at the NHRA Auto Club of Southern California Finals at Pomona Raceway in Calif.

WHERE: South Georgia Motorsports Park, Cecil, Ga.  Track is located 12 miles north of Valdosta, Ga.  Take I-75 (from north or south) to Exit 32, Old Coffee Road.  Take Old Coffee Road east to Highway 41.  Go north to the track.

WHEN:  Thursday through Saturday, October 1-3, 2009
SCHEDULE: Time trials schedule for the Summit Racing Series Southeast Division Finals:
THURSDAY, Oct. 1 -- Gates open at 8 a.m.  Time trials begin at 10 a.m.
    
FRIDAY, Oct. 2 -- Gates open at 8 a.m.  Final time trials are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The Race of Champions, a race within a race where top points-earners from each track square off in head-to-head competition, will start at 5 p.m.

SATURDAY, Oct. 3 -- Gates open at 7 a.m.  Eliminations begin at 9 a.m.

PURSE: The Summit Racing Series competitors in Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman and Pro Bike will compete for cash awards of $15,700.  The winners in each category will advance to compete against winners from NHRA’s other six divisions at the NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif., in November.  They will each receive $3,500 for advancing to the Finals and the winner in each class will receive an additional $5,000.  Race of Champion competitors are vying for a share of the $4,700 purse.

2008 EVENT WINNERS: Bradenton Motorsports Park, team champion; Mark Padgett (South Georgia Motorsports Park), Super Pro; Bruce Wilson (Huntsville Dragway), Pro; Steve Foley (Montgomery  Motorsports Park), Sportsman; Roy Hagadorn (Bradenton Motorsports Park), Super Pro Bike