2006 Bonus Programs

 BAD 16

"Young Blood" Rules First "BAD 16" Finals !

 Greg Patillo, Jr.  Holds Off Billy Varner III for Win

 Two former Junior Dragster standouts squared off in the first "BAD 16" finals, Greg Patillo, Jr of Charlotte, NC and Billy Varner III of Stanley, NC. You couldn't have wrote a better story for these two good friends Patillo and Varner. Meeting for the first time in BIG cars. Greg driving his dad's sleek Stroupe built '55 Chevrolet and Billy in grandpa "Big Bill's" Gibbons built Chrysler powered Dragster. Greg had to beat Dwayne Menuis of Kannapolis, NC in the 8 quickest "Door Car" part of the program. Billy III had to stop third generation racer Daniel Allsion for the "Quickest 8 " Open bodied win. Patillo used a .012 green light with a 4.63 on a 4.63 at 145 MPH to hold off "Bubba" for the overall "Bad 16" title. These two also work for Greg's dad during the week, so this also meant "braggin rights" all week !

Sandy Wilkins lead the "Doors 8 Cars" with a great 4.41 et in his Signal Seals and Fastener "Small Block" powered Chevy Cavalier. Danny Dilldine, filling in for the injured Andy Beal ran a 4.59 ET to take the "open bodied 8" low ET in his Beal Racing Engines/ Undercover Dragster.

                                         BAD 16 Qualifying

Quickest 8 "Door Cars"                         Quickest 8 "Open Bodied Cars"

No. Driver                          Time          No.  Driver                         Time

 1   Sandy Wilkins               4.416          1     Danny Dilldine             4.591

 2   Ron Whitlock                 4.529          2     Steve Furr                  4.631

 3   Greg Patillo, Jr.             4.680          3     Daniel Allison              4.692

 4   Rick Varner                   4.928          4     Brad Plourd                4.784

 5   Rick Whaley                  4.947          5     Tommy Plott               4.792

 6   Tyrone Graham             5.124          6     Billy Varner III           4.834

 7   Dan Whisnant                5.178          7     Jimmy Berley             4.854

 8   Dwayne Menuis             5.234          8      Randy Triplett            4.863

Pro Drag and mooresvilledragway.com Series Racing Action April 14-15

Veteran Keith Hudspeth and Young Gun Travis Varner Take Doug Herbert Performance TOP Eliminator Wins

  A large turn out of racers poured into "Race City USA " Mooresville Dragway to kick of the first Pro Drag Series/ mooresvilledragway.com Series races this past Easter weekend. Even three oil spills, a crash and summer like weather would slow the competition down on the track Friday. Chester, SC's Keith Hudspeth drove his Dragster to the $1,500.00 Doug Herbert TOP win Friday night. Hudspeth, one of seventeen Chester drag racing club members at Mooresville, defeated Chris Warren of Concord, NC for the "W". Keith in is Race Tech RED ran a 4.92 ET at 139 MPH to hold off recent IHRA Top Sportsman Pro Am winner Warren in his Pitts Repair Service Dodge Daytona.              W.L. Overcash of Kannapolis, NC was the lone semi-finalist in Friday's TOP race with his 5.0 Dragster.

  The "Young Gun" Travis Varner fresh out of Junior Dragster would have to take on "Deadly"  Doug Leazer of Moorersville. Varner would get the luck of Doug's .six thousandths red-light start ( No Cookies for him). The high school student ran a 5.38 ET of a 5.08 dial-in in his newly repainted Gibbson built Chrysler powered Dragster for the win. Doug had been the classic "AC" (Crow) "Dead-on and Double O" in his Dragster up to the finals. He had to put on NHRA Super Comp racer Brad Plourd of Washington state in the TOP semi's driving his Lucas Oil Dragster. There's your long distance award of the weekend !

"Cougar Daddy" Chris Plott and Chevy Ace Paul Shell, Jr. Claim Foot Brake Victories.

  Former Mooresville Foot Brake champion Chris Plott of Winston-Salem, NC drove his Mercury Cougar to the class win over T.G. Paschal from Pleasant Garden, NC Friday Night. "Cougar daddy" used a little better "RT" to hold off "T Greasy" in his ole Ford Maverick. Plott ran a 7.08 ET at 90 MPH to better the "SO late" 8.47 ET at 82 MPH effort of Paschal. Veteran foot braker Robert Hamrick in is Dodge was the lone semi-finalist.

  Paul Shell, Jr. of Thomasville, NC came home with the $1,500.00 winner’s check in the Foot Brake division on Saturday nights points race. Shell driving his Chevrolet Nova defeated Mooresville, NC’s Joe Thompson in his Plymouth Barracuda for the win. Shell ran a 5.96 on a 5.95 to hold off Thompson's 6.11 dead-on run. MOV just .012 at the finish stripe. Chris Siler of Iron Station, NC finished a close third in his Ford Falcon.

 Drake Coatings Junior Dragster

Nicole Phillips and Dillon Winlker Claim Drake Coatings Junior Dragster Wins

  Nicole Phillips of Sumter, SC picked up her first Drake Coatings Junior Dragster win beating out Dustin Talent of Wadesboro, NC. Dustin ran a 8.20 on a 8.20 but had a too early leave of -.013 (red-light) to give the young lady her first "MD" win. Lil Roach" Dustin Edmonds of Statesville, NC was the lone semi-finalist.

  In the Drake Coatings Junior Dragster class on Saturday Dillon Winkler of Mooresville, NC scored the first points win of the year over Dustin Tallent of Wadesboro, NC. Again, Dustin was too quick on the draw, going red by just two thousandths, in his 2003 Barr Dragster. He ran dead-on the dial once again as Winkler posted a winning 8.72 ET at 71 MPH time.  Ashley Strickland of Mooresville, NC finished third.

Ace High Performance "Real Street"

Leighton Drake and Brad Plourd Score Ace High Performance "Real Street" Class Wins

  Leighton Drake of Matthews, NC drove his wife's '71 Plymouth to the Ace High Performance Real Street win over Linn Reid from Mooesville, NC. Drake, was just getting the bugs worked out before she took over the wheel on Saturday. Looked pretty impressive with the win. Grace Howell of Howell, SC and Clarence Lusk from Gastonia, NC was the semi-finalist.

Traveling NHRA racer Brad Plourd of Covington, WA picked up his first ever 1/8^th mile victory in the ACE High Performance Real Street division Saturday. Plourd drove his Ford tow truck to the win over Bobby Jenkins from Kannapolis, NC in the “street legal” division. How about a 12.12 off a 12.10 dial-in for the traveling NHRA racer, whose been on the road since February. Brad's girl friend Grace Howell again came close to a Mooresville final, coming up short in the semi's with her 2004 Ford Taurus.