New Hope Dragway Weekly Results
Freedom, IN.
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Results From Friday June 24
Friday night June 24th was a sweltering summer night. Temperatures were in
the low 90's as the night began. At the end of time runs we ran a "run for
the money". Several racers were dead on their dial, but none better than
last minute entry Danny Whisman who ran a 9.63 with a zero on a 9.63 dial.
In No Box Class, Randy Heaton of Freedom Indiana won the first bye run of
the night with a perfect .500 reaction time. In the semi finals, cousins
Tim and Chris Walters of Indianapolis had to run each other. This is not
an unfamiliar scene at drag stripes all over Indiana, the Walters family
is one of drag racing's toughest family. Tim was last weeks winner but went
.497 red against Chris. Chris met Brian Featherston of Coal City Indiana
in the finals. Chris went .514 green while Brian went .497 red.
Box Class was hotly contested between current and former class champions.
Kevin Hunter of Bloomington Indiana entered the night at 10 - 1 in the Summit
Super Series race, he ended the night at 14 - 3 , and the nights runner up.
Eric Bowling of Morgantown Indiana won the Box Class and was a quarter finalist
in the No Box Class. Chris Sanders of Farmersburg Indiana was the semi finalist.
Speeds Class saw a "grandparent dispute" between Wayne and Carol Nelson of
Spencer Indiana. Although we did not quite get all the details of the dispute,
it was clear that it was going to be settled on the track. Wayne got the
better of Carol as he went all the way to the final round loosing to class
winner Larry Caudill of Brownstown Indiana. This night also saw the return
of Pops Robertson 442 to the track. The 2005 season is held in memory of
Pops who we lost during the off season. Pops grandson, Chris Robertson drove
the 442 to a quarter final finish, Pops is proud to see his car back on the
track competing.
Trophy Class was won for the second week in a row by Josh Buskirk of Worthington
Indiana. I asked Josh what he enjoyed the most about winning, his reply was
"getting my picture taken in the winners circle with Kelly Jo". Kelly Jo
is New Hope's trophy girl for the 2005 season. Terry Eads, for the second
week in a row took home the runner up trophy for the Eads family.
The FREE second chance race for all IHRA/SSS members was won by last years
box champion, Brian Wiles. Brian took home a crisp $100.00 bill, just for
being a IHRA and Summit Super Series member.
The next race is Friday July 1st, see you at the track.
Results Friday June 17
Friday Night June 17th was Tire & Wheel Center night. The largest spectator
crowd of the season was on hand to witness some great racing action under
the stars at New Hope Dragway.
In the Box Class, Mark Mahan of Martinsville Indiana nearly ran a perfect
run in the 1st round to win the bye run. Mark held the bye run until the
third round when he broke out running a 7.12 with a 9, on a 7.14 dial. Kevin
Hunter of Bloomington Indiana who has a 10 - 1 record in the Summit Super
Series, and is 1/3 of his way to winning over $20,000.00 in cash and prizes,
took home first place. Jim Watson of Bainbridge Indiana was runner up while
Keith Hunter of Heltonville was 3rd.
The No Box class was the most contested class of the night. Each bye run
winner had a .509 reaction time or better. Tim Walters of Indianapolis Indiana
won after last years No Box champion, Don Larimer of Terre Haute went .480
red. Tim and Don did agree to split the first & second place money, but
ran the race for the points, and to see who got the 1st place picture taken
with trophy girl, Kelly Jo. Bob Durling of Martinsville and Scotty Weaver
of Indianapolis were the semi finalist.
In the Speeds (street) Class, returning champion Terry Hoffman of Monrovia
drove his 1998 Chevy Camaro to 1st place, while Bill Hamstra of GreenCastle
was 2nd. Ed Parker of Shelbyville Indiana was the lone semi finalist.
Trophy Class was won by Josh Buskirk of Worthington Indiana, Josh won 1st
place for the second time this year. Brad Eads of Bloomington took home the
2nd place trophy.
The IHRA/SSS members race was won by Rob Robinson of Camby Indiana. This
race is a free second chance entry for all IHRA/SSS members for $100.00 to
win.
The next race will be Friday June 24th, gates open at 4pm, time runs are
6p - 8:30pm, eliminations are at 8:45pm. The second annual Volkswagen Nationals
are Saturday June 25th, Gates open at 9am, with time runs from 11am - 1:30pm,
eliminations are 2pm. Jim Graham
Results Friday June 10th
Friday night June 10th brought heavy rain and strong winds to all parts of
Indiana, but New Hope Dragway was virtually rain free only receiving a small
shower around 4pm, ending by 4:30pm. New Hope track crew had plenty of time
to dry the racing surface, stagging lanes, and pit area prior to time runs
at 6pm. With only a 15 minute delay time runs were ran, eliminations started
on time at 8:45pm. Prior to eliminations Jim & LeeAnna Graham gave out
four $25.00 gift certificates to four lucky spectators for groceries at Babbs
Super Value in Spencer Indiana. Jim Graham is quoted as saying "times are
tough, this is our way of saying thanks for coming to New Hope Dragway".
In the Box class Jimmy Callon of Morgantown Indiana who had held the bye
run for three rounds out last Kevin Hunter of Bloomington Indiana. Hunter
Went .498 red while Callon went .534 green and ran a 6.66 on a 6.65 dial.
Tim Walters of Indianapolis was third while Rob Robinson of Camby Indiana
was fourth.
No Box Class was won by Amy Cain of Bloomington Indiana who earlier in the
week was a front page feature of the Hearld Times. The article was about
lady racers, Amy has proved over and over again just how tough she really
is. Jessie Harris of Mooresville Indiana was the runner up, while Pete Callon
of Trafalger Indiana was the lone semi finalist.
Speeds Class(street) was won for the second week in a row by Chris Stephenson
of Terre Haute Indiana. Chris used a .510 reaction time to guide him to the
win over local racer Ryan Truax of Spencer Indiana. Steve Sparks of Worthington
Indiana and Bill Hamstra of Greencastle Indiana were the semi finalist.
Trophy Class was won by Jason Thacker of Bloominton Indiana over Cory Ramsey
of Spencer Indiana.
Do to an oversite by Jim Graham, the IHRA/SSS racers, race got under way
a little late. This is a FREE race each points race for all IHRA/SSSS members
to run for $100.00. Amy Cain who was just tough all night won this race over
her boyfriend Eric Bowling.
Remember racing every Friday night at New Hope Dragway.
Results From Friday June 3
New Hope Dragway finally got the first points race of the season in. The
weather has not been kind to us the last three weeks. It was Vedders Transmission
night and spectators were treated with FREE frisbies from Vedders Transmission.
There were over 70 cars in attendance, a sign that racers are aware that
New Hope is a track to be reckoned with and on the rise. During the first
round of elimination in the No Box class there was a blown engine just as
the cars crossed the finish line. During the 40 minute clean up time, Jim
and LeeAnna Graham brought all the children onto the track and held foot
races to the 60' mark and then a reaction time race for the kids where the
winner and second place took home trophies. In the No Box class John Armenoff
of Indianapolis Indiana who was winless in 2004 due to car problems, took
home first place money and is the current points leader. John won over Don
Caudill of Bedford Indiana who just the round before the finals joined the
500 club with a perfect reaction time in eliminations. Rob Robinson of Camby
Indiana was the lone semi finalist. Box class was won by Eric Bowling of
Morgantown Indiana over Tony Morgan of Martinsville Indiana. Tony was better
on the tree with a .504 reaction time, but Eric was .511 and then ran dead
on his dial with a 6, to take the win. Brian Wiles of Newburg Indiana and
Keith Hunter of Heltonville Indiana were the semi finalist. In the Speeds
Class (street), Chris Stephenson of Terre Haute Indiana held on to the bye
run for three rounds before using it in the fourth round. Chris was deadly
on the tree all night long with reaction times of .531, .559, .508, .513,
and .509. Chris of course took home first place money, Big Dave Welty of
Monrovia Indiana was second. Mike Malley of Patricksburg Indiana was the
lone semi finalist. In the trophy class, Gary Dobson of Bloomington has been
hard to beat. Gary has taken home the big trophy twice this season. New racer
Josh Buskirk of Worthington Indiana was the runner up. If mother nature allows
it, we'll be back on Friday June 10th with another points race full of
action.
Results From October 1
By Jana Strange
New Hope Dragway staff reporter
The final night of racing for the season brought plenty of drama to New Hope
Dragway. In addition to the usual race action, a lot of people's minds were
on the season ending point totals. With no trophy racing taking place, all
of the attention was focused on Top, Super, and Modified Eliminator classes.
The first final of the night was between Brian Wiles of Newberry and Glenn
Fenwick of Bainbridge in Top Eliminator. Wiles started with a reaction time
of .544 seconds, but broke-out, giving the win to Fenwick. Both drivers were
close to their dial-in times; Wiles was 0.01 too quick and Fenwick was .013
slower than his dial-in. Wiles' night wasn't ruined by his break-out. After
the final round, Wiles was crowned points champion in Top Eliminator. Keith
Hunter and Kevin Hunter finished the year in second and third places,
respectively.
The Modified Eliminator final was a double break-out race. In the end, the
green win light came on for David Wallen over Roger Baker. Don Larimer of
Terre Haute won the points title in Modified Eliminator by seven points over
Eddie Kinner. Amy Cain finished third in points, only one point behind Kinner.
The showdown in Super Eliminator was between Terry Hoffman of Monrovia and
Holly Ferguson of Lewis. Ferguson jumped the gun with a .494 red-light at
the starting line handing the win to Hoffman. In addition to the points win,
Hoffman was officially named points champion by a margin of 26 points over
second place Chris Robertson. Mike Malley finished third, only one point
behind Robertson.
Just because the season is over doesn't mean the fun stops at New Hope Dragway.
Throughout the winter, New Hope will be working on improvements to the track
and facility and could use volunteers to help make the work easier, quicker,
and more fun. Check NewHopeDragway.com for scheduled work days throughout
the off season. In addition, New Hope will be hosting a banquet in March
to celebrate the past racing season. Again, check the Web site for details.
Thank you to all of the racers, fans, and supporters of New Hope Dragway
for creating a great season of memories.
Results From September 17
By Jana Strange
New Hope Dragway staff reporter
This past Friday offered the participants in the IHRA Bracket Team finals
one last chance to get some practice in before the big event this weekend
in Norwalk, Ohio. A total of 55 cars came out and participated in one of
the final two events of the season at New Hope.
Breaking out seemed to be the theme of the night as many racers over shot
their dial-in times. The win in Modified Eliminator was decided by a double
breakout with the win going to Eddie Kinner over Joe Robertson. Kinner and
his 1966 Chevy ran a time of 7.347 on a 7.38 dial. Neal Walker from Casey,
Ill. placed third.
In Super Eliminator, Neal Walker built off of his third place finish in Modified
to take the breakout win over Tom Hudson of Bloomington. Mike Malley of
Patricksburg finished in third place.
In the final of Speed's class, Ed and Mike Ferguson, unrelated battled for
the win. Mike got out of the lights with a quick .506 reaction time, but
broke out handing the win to Bloomfield's Ed Ferguson.
The Top Eliminator final was a great duel all the way to the finish line
between two experienced racers. Kevin Hunter started quick with a .508 light
which helped propel him to victory over Brian Wiles of Newberry. Hunter ran
a time of 6.475 seconds on a 6.45 dial while Wiles ran 6.532 seconds on a
6.51 dial. Thorntown's Terry Yates finished third.
New Hope Dragway will be silent Friday Sept. 24 as it is closed for the IHRA
Bracket finals. Bracket points racing will resume for the last showdown of
the season Friday Oct. 1.
Results From September 12
New Hope Dragway pulled out all the stops on Sunday Sept.12 to show all those
in attendance a great time. In addition to the Stock/Super Stock Challenge
and the Speed Wise Memorial Race, two of the biggest races of the year, fans
were treated to two passes by an alcohol Funny Car and the Hooters Girls.
There was something for everyone in attendance on what was a beautiful September
afternoon.
The Speed Wise Memorial race honored the builder and first owner/operator
of New Hope Dragway. In a nod to the past, Jerry Wise, Speed's son, accepted
an invitation to work the staging lanes for part of the day. In another homage
to yesteryear, during the running of the Memorial race winners came right
back around to the staging lanes to race again with no breaks or cool down
periods until after Round Two. The race for the win in Speed's race was between
Ed Ferguson and Brian Featherston. Ferguson took the win in his 1984 Chevrolet
Monte Carlo while Jim Graham took third.
In the Box competition, winner Tim Walters came away with a $500 purse. Walters
beat Eddie Kinner of Bloomington with a .518 second reaction time and a time
of 7.636 seconds on a 7.62 dial. The No Box competition came down to brothers
Keith and Chris Walters of Indianapolis. Both racers were nearly dead-on
their dials, but the win light and $100 check went to Chris with a time of
8.184 seconds on an 8.18 dial. Keith crossed the line in 7.641 seconds on
a 7.61 dial. In a previous round, Keith reacted to the tree with a perfect
.500 time. Kelly West, Jr. placed third in the No Box competition.
The final race of the Stock/Super Stock Challenge proved to be a close, thrilling
race. The fight for the win came down to Brazil's Mike Morgan and Avon's
Danny Black. Dial-in times were again extremely close to the elapsed times.
At the end of the eighth mile track the dreaded yellow break-out light came
on for Morgan who ran a 7.454 second e.t. on a 7.48 dial handing the win
to Black. Black had a great race with a .516 light and overshooting his dial-in
by only .024 of a second.
Eric Strandberg and his alcohol Funny Car made their second appearance of
the season at New Hope. Strandberg is the special events record holder at
New Hope and is a regular competitor on the Mid-American Funny Car Circuit.
Times from Strandberg's runs were a blistering 4.64 and 4.43 seconds.
It wasn't just the adults getting into the action Sunday. The Junior Dragsters
were out competing in their final event of the year, a double points paying
race. Paris, Ill. residents and sisters Carli and Jorgi Henson dueled for
the win. Winning with a time 8.434 seconds was Carli.
The staff of New Hope would like to thank everyone who helped make Sunday
occur including our sponsors Kentucky Fried Chicken, AutoZone, and the
Mooresville Advanced Auto Parts store.
By Jana Strange
New Hope Dragway staff reporter
Results From September 10
Written by Jana Strange
New Hope Dragway staff reporter
Cool temperatures meant faster times and higher speeds Friday night at New
Hope Dragway. Many drivers ran extremely close to their dial-in time in the
four classes that competed.
The first victor of the night was crowned in the Teen Championship series.
Going beyond the required best two out of three to win was Aaron Walters
beating Ben West in all three races. The participants in the Teen Championship
class are beginning racers who must have a parent or guardian accompany them
in the vehicle on all of their passes.
Racing in the Top Eliminator class got off to a great start in the first
round with Jim Watson joining the elite club of racers who have pulled a
perfect .500 reaction time. The final race of the night in Top was a showdown
between Tony Zeller and Eric Bowling. At the end of the track, the green
victory light came on for Bowling, winning in 7.436 seconds on a 7.43 dial.
Helping propel Bowling to victory was a great .517 reaction time. Brian Wiles
finished in third place.
The win in Modified Eliminator went to the driver who committed the lesser
of the two fouls. Rob Robinson jumped off the line a little too early in
his 1991 Chevrolet Camaro with a .462 red-light. Despite running a breakout
time of 8.142 seconds on an 8.20 dial, Chris Walters drove away with the
win in his 1983 Buick Regal. Finishing in third place was Don Caudill.
Super Eliminator class also had the winner decided by a foul. When Rich Sexton
of Solsberry anticipated the go light a little too quickly, he handed the
win to Larry Caudill of Brownstown. Caudill, running an 8.20 seconds dial-in,
cruised to the end of the track in 8.727 seconds. Patricksburg's Mike Malley
came home in third.
The opportunities for fans and racers to come out and participate in New
Hope Dragway's events are dwindling down as only two more events remain.
With the points races getting tighter and tighter in each class, the drama
builds as New Hope stages its own version of the Chase for the Cup. Come
out to New Hope this Friday night and watch all of the IHRA sanctioned action.
News From Friday August 13
On Friday the 13th, New Hope Dragway was in full action. But, what would
a Friday the 13th be without some odd moments? Deer running across the end
of the track, a car running over it's own timing light, and fog rolling in
so thick at times the end of the track was barely visible. Of course, by
the time the last final was completed, the fog seemed to lift and disappear.
Of the four finals, only one race was decided by elapsed time as three drivers
in separate finals red-lit their chances away. Just a typical Friday the
13th.
The date on the calendar didn't scare off many people as 62 cars entered
to race and many fans showed up to watch. When they could see the end of
the track, fans were treated to some great racing. In the first final of
the night, Melvin Glenn of Spencer beat Pop Robertson of Bloomington to win
the Trophy class. Glenn's 1994 Camaro Z28 won with a pass of 8.877 seconds.
First place in Top Eliminator was decided by a red-light start. Bainbridge's
Jim Watson red-lit his chances away with a .496 reaction time handing the
win to Keith Hunter driving a 1987 Dodge Daytona. John Armenoff placed third.
The final of Modified Eliminator was decided by two penalties with the win
going to the lesser infraction. Don Caudill jumped the light six hundredths
of a second too soon in his 1967 Chevelle. Winner Chris Walters broke-out
running a time of 8.038 seconds on an 8.05 dial-in time. Because red-lighting
is a more serious penalty than running faster than the dial-in time, Walters
headed back to Indianapolis the winner. Yet another final decided by a red-light
was Super Eliminator. Racing for first were Chris Robertson of Bloomington
and Wayne Nelson of Spencer. Robertson took the win after Nelson got off
the starting line with a .483 red-light.
The Junior Dragster/No Box race scheduled for Sunday Aug. 15 has been canceled.
All events scheduled for that day will not take place. As a result, the Junior
Dragster race on Sept. 12 will pay double points. Bracket Program Points
racing will race as scheduled Friday.
June 11
There were repeat performances as multiple racers reached the finals for
the second straight week in several classes.
The Modified Eliminator, Top Eliminator and Trophy classes all featured drivers
who had been in the finals the previous week.
Keith Walters, of Indianapolis, won the Modified Eliminator class for the
second straight week. Walters defeated Indianapolis' Mike Stout for the victory.
Lee and Pete Callon, both of Trafalgar, Ind., were the semifinalist finishers.
In the Top Eliminator class, Brian Wiles, of Newberry, Ind., followed up
last week's victory with a second place finish. Wiles was defeated by David
Wallen, of Fillmore, Ind. Keith Hunter, of Heltonville, Ind., finished third
for the second consecutive week.
Indianapolis' Kevin Page beat Cory Ramsey, of Spencer, Ind., in the finals
of the Trophy class. In the previous week, Page finished second in the class.
Andy Truesdel, of Mitchell, Ind., won the Super Eliminator class by defeating
Terry Hoffman, of Mooresville, Ind. Mike Malley, of Patricksburg, Ind., was
the sole semifinalist.
Next weekend, a regular schedule of points' racing will be held Friday night
and there will be a special event held on Sunday afternoon. The Sunday event
will feature a Mustang Shoot-out, a No Box Challenge and a Jr. Dragster
Challenge. The No Box Challenge and the Mustang Shoot-out, which is open
to all Mustangs, will both pay-out $1000 to the first place finishers.
June 4
New Hope Dragway's second Friday night points' race of the season featured
a full slate of racing.
Brian Wiles, of Newberry, Ind., won the Top Eliminator competition when Jim
Watson, of Bainbridge, Ind., broke-out in the finals. Bloomington's Kevin
Hunter finished third.
Keith Walters, of Indianapolis, defeated Bloomington's Amy Cain in the final
round of the Modified Eliminator class. Brian Featherstone, of Coal City,
Ind., and Tim Walters, of Indianapolis, were the semifinalist finishers.
In the final of the Super Eliminator class, Terre Haute's Bill Lewis broke-out,
giving the win to Bloomington's Rob Robinson. Scotty Weaver, of Indianapolis,
and Andrew Tedrow, of Shoals, Ind., were the class's semifinalists.
The final in the Trophy class was decided by a double break-out. Gary Dobson,
of Bloomfield, Ind., was the winner because Indianapolis' Kevin Page had
the greater infraction.
Evan Brand, of Farmersburg, Ind., won the Speed's class when Indianapolis'
Kevin Page broke out in the finals. The Speed's class is reserved for rookie
racers who are in their first year of competition.
Points' racing will continue next Friday night.
May 16
Jeff Mould and Eric Strandberg, of the Mid-American Funny Car Circuit, delighted
the spectators with three exciting runs.
Mould spent much of the day talking to fans, handing out pictures of his
car and signing autographs. Despite having some trouble early in the day,
Mould seemed to enjoy the experience as much as the people who crowded the
fences to watch him speed down the track.
"The place is nice. You're moving in the right direction," Mould said of
the track.
Brian Featherstone, of Coal City, Ind., won the Top Eliminator class when
Bloomington's Eddie Kinner red-lighted in the finals. Kinner's runner-up
finish was his second in as many weeks. Tim Laughlin, of Switz City, Ind.,
finished third.
The final of the Modified Eliminator was also determined by a red-light start.
Bloomington's Amy Cain followed up last weeks second place finish with a
first place finish this week. Cain won the class when Terre Haute's Don Larimer
red-lighted by .003 seconds. Jessie Harris, of Mooresville, Ind., was the
sole semifinalist.
In the finals of the Super Eliminator class, Mooresville's Terry Hoffman
defeated Andy Truesdel, of Mitchell, Ind. Bloomington's Kelly Kinner was
the third place finisher.
J.R. Hunt, of Bedford, Ind., defeated Charles Harden, of Bloomfield, Ind.,
in the finals of the Trophy class.
Next weekend there are two days of racing on the calendar. On Friday, May
21, there will be a Sport Compact and Front Wheel Drive race, and a Gamblers
race open to all cars. On Sunday, May 23, points racing will continue.
May 9
To celebrate Mother's Day, New Hope Dragway's normal racing schedule was
supplemented with a Powder Puff race on a beautiful afternoon. The weather
was a pleasant respite after being plagued by overcast skies for two straight
weeks.
Amy Cain, of Bloomington, Ind., reached the finals in both the Powder Puff
race and the Modified Eliminator class.
Cain defeated Kelly Kinner in the finals of the Powder Puff race.
Cain broke-out in the finals of the Modified Eliminator bracket, giving the
win to Bloomington's Joe Robertson.
In the Top Eliminator class, David Wallen, of Fillmore, Ind., was the first
place finisher when Eddie Kinner had problems with his car and couldn't reach
the starting line.
Keith Walters, of Indianapolis, defeated Terry Hoffman, of Mooresville, Ind.,
to take the finals of the Super Eliminator bracket.
In the Trophy class finals, Plainville, Indiana's David Neidige defeated
Jeff Criswell, of Washington, Ind., in a best two-out-of-three race off.
Justin Conley, of Spencer, Ind., won the Speed class when Indianapolis' Dennis
Taylor could not reach the starting line. The Speed class is reserved for
drivers who are in their first year of racing.
The Mid-American Funny Car will hold a show next Sunday that will coincide
with a full regular schedule of events at New Hope Dragway.
May 2
Mother Nature again tried to put a stop to the racing at New Hope Dragway,
but for the second straight week the persistence of the crew ensured that
the racing would continue. The skies cleared for eliminations and the first
points race of the season featured Troy Galbraith setting a new track record.
Galbraith, from Indianapolis, Ind., established the new Open Body Car track
record in his dragster with a time of 5.427 seconds.
In the Top Eliminator class, Greencastle’s John Wood finished first
in his 1968 Chevy Camaro. In the final, Wood defeated Ryan Wallace, of Franklin,
Ind., who was driving a 1974 Chevy Nova. Galbraith and Brownsburg’s
Bob Eaker were the semifinalists.
Don Larimer, of Terre Haute, Ind., had a great day of racing, reaching the
finals in both the Super Eliminator and the Modified Eliminator classes.
During eliminations he had perfect reaction times driving both his 1962 Chevy
Corvair in the Modified Eliminator and a 2002 Chevy Avalanche in the Super
Eliminator.
Larimer won the Modified Eliminator class when Bloomington’s Eddie Kinner
red-lighted in the finals. David Callon, from Franklin, Ind., finished third.
In the finals of the Super Eliminator class, Larimer lost to Dave Neidige,
who hails from Plainville, Ind., and was driving a 1987 Chevy Camaro.
Indianapolis’s Keith Walters was the semifinalist finisher.
“Jammin’” Jordan Eaker, son of Bob Eaker, defeated Terre
Haute’s Kyle Camp in two out of three races to win the Jr. Dragster
bracket.
In the Trophy class, Ernie Taylor, of Washington, Ind., defeated John Moy,
of Rosedale, Ind.
Next weekend there are two days of racing on the calendar. On Friday, May
7, there will be a Sport Compact and Front Wheel Drive race and a Gamblers
race open to all cars. On Sunday, May 9, points racing will continue and
there will also be a Powder Puff race. Avon products will be given to every
powder Puff competitor.
April 25
New Hope Dragway featured a full day of racing despite poor weather the night
before and threatening skies throughout most of the day. Tony Denysenko took
first place in the Stock/Super Stock Combo race, and David Wallen claimed
first place in the Foot Brake Classic.
To guarantee that a day of racing could be held, the New Hope Dragway crew
had to begin work at 7 a.m.
Tony Denysenko of Lyons, Ill. beat Avon's Danny Black in the finals of the
Stock/Super Stock race when both racers broke-out. Matt Alvey of Mt. Washington,
Ky. and Tony's father, Alex Denysenko, were the semifinalist finishers. Alex
Denysenko is an IHRA Record Holder.
Dennis Dunlap was the race's top qualifier.
Dunlap, a NHRA Record holder, said, "1972 was the last time I was down here.
The track bit like a bear back then. It's a nice track, and they have a good
deal. I like this kind of stuff because you're not gone for three or four
days."
Both David Wallen and Joe Robertson broke-out in the finals of the Foot Brake
race, but the victory went to Wallen who broke-out by .001 seconds. Eddie
Kinner was the third place finisher.
Next weekend will feature two races. On Saturday, May 1 there will be a Sport
Compact and Front Wheel Drive race with a guaranteed purse and a prize for
the best looking car. On Sunday the track will hold its first points' race
of the season.
April 18
On a gorgeous April Sunday afternoon, those lucky enough to be at the New
Hope Dragway witnessed some great racing action and the establishment of
a new track record.
John Arminoff set the new track record with a time of 5.66 seconds at a speed
of 124.11 mph despite red-lighting in a first round race.
Jeff Walters of Indianapolis repeated as winner of the Top Eliminator class
by defeating Brian Wiles who broke-out in the finals with a time of 6.498
on a 6.50 dial-in. Greenwood, Indiana's Mike Doughrity finished third.
In the Modified Eliminator, Eddie Kinner of Bloomington finished first, and
Coal City's Brian Featherston was the runner-up for the second consecutive
week. Finishing third was Eric Bowling of Morgantown, Indiana.
Greg Eversole, in his first race at the track where his grandfather was a
multi-time pro champion, finished second to Terry Hoffman in the Super
Eliminator. Semifinalists were Indianapolis' Keith Walters and Bloomington's
Amy Cain.
In the trophy class, Jeff Criswell of Washington, Indiana was the winner,
and Max Hannah of Indianapolis placed second.
Three Paris, Illinois youths took honors in the Junior Dragster Challenge.
Carli Henson claimed her first top place finish despite breaking out in the
finals (8.268 on an 8.27 dial-in) when "Jammin'" Jordan Eaker's dragster
broke at the starting line and could not finish the race under its own power.
Jordan Galloway and Alex Caveney were the two semifinalist finishers.
Next weekend New Hope Dragway will feature a Stock/Super Stock Combo and
a Foot Brake Classic over two days of racing. The Stock/Super Stock Combo
race will have a $2700 purse, and the Foot Brake race will pay out $1000
to the winner.
April 11, 2004
What started out to be a wet rainy Sunday turn out just beautiful. Although
the weather and Easter Sunday kept the car count down at New Hope Dragway,
a good number of racers came out to experience the NEW, New Hope Dragway.
Several racers had not had the chance this early season to check out the
new score boards, the new concrete between the lanes, the new ticket booths,
the new guard rail, the new paint, and new complete timing system rewiring,
and the new winners circle. Keith Williams of Crawfordsville, Indiana was
quoted as saying "man, I can't believe this place, this is great."
In the first round of Modified Eliminator, Chris Walters of Indianapolis,
Indiana won the bye run with a .504 reaction time, Kevin Hunter won it in
Top Eliminator with a .501 reaction time, and Keith Walters younger brother
to Chris won the bye run in Super Eliminator with a .527 reaction time.
Jeff Casner got the bye run in round number two of Modified Eliminator with
a .519 reaction time. Jeff defeated Joe Robertson by .002 on his way to winning
the bye run. Joe was eligible for a buy back and went on to take first place
in Modified Eliminator over close friend Brian Featherston. Joe ran a 7.19
with a 4. on a 7.19 dial to take the win.
The Top Eliminator class was won by Jeff Walters of Indianapolis, Indiana
while Kevin Hunter took runner-up. Keith Walters won the Super Eliminator
class over Richard Smith of Martinsville, Indiana.
In Trophy class Keith Williams out last Pops Robertson of Bloomington, Indiana.
Pops is considered an Icon of New Hope Dragway. He has been racing at New
Hope almost since the opening in 1968. In Tribute to Pops, his two sons Jeff
and Joe still race at New Hope along with Pop's nephew Chris and Joe's son,
Joey runs a Jr. Dragster. This is why drag racing such a popular sport, it
promotes FAMILY togetherness. See you at the track, Jim Graham.
April 3 & 4
New Hope Dragway opened for Test & Tune this past weekend. On display
were all the off season upgrades made at the track. Racers and fans were
delighted to see the concrete between the lanes, the score boards, the guard
rail, the two new ticket booths, the winners circle, and all the freshly
painted buildings. Equally as pleasing is the IHRA sanctioning of New Hope
Dragway.
Every thing went really well as the car turn out was much greater than expected.
We thought it would be a light turn out with other tracks holding points
races and full bracket programs on the same day. We were pleasantly surprised
by the turn out. It is clear that many racers have been waiting a long time
for New Hope to step up to the big time. Now that we are there, the racers
have proved they will be there to support this great track full of racing
history.
A gamblers race was held on Saturday after the Test & Tune. Brian Featherston
of Coal City Indiana won the race and was the first ever winner to have his
picture taken in the NEW New Hope Dragway Winners Circle. On Sunday Don Larimer
of Terre Haute Indiana won the gamblers race. A race was held for the Junior
Dragsters in attendance. Chris Kuehner of Greenwood Indiana won the race
and was awarded some cash and had his picture taken in the winners circle.
New Hope Dragway will begin the regular racing program on Sunday, April 11th.
Gates open at 9am with a Test & Tune session from 10:30a to 11:30a. Time
runs will be 11:30a to 2:30p with elimination's at 3pm. Hope to see you there
next week.
Visit
NewHopeDragway.com
for information such as schedule, directions, and other news.
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