Saturday 1/4 Mile
Super Pro
Winner – Derrick Patton
Runner-Up – Jason Lummus
Semis – Eddie League, Jr.
Total Entries – 47
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| Super Pro Final Derrick Patton (near) vs. Jason Lummus |
Highland’s Derrick Patton recorded his second Super Pro victory Saturday, placing him at the top of the points. Derrick decimated the 47 car field by edging out some of the best racers in the area. Most of his victories were earned at the starting line, having rather large reaction time advantages over Earl Thrift in the second round and Jason Lummus in the final. Stephen Hughes laid down a .004 to Derrick’s .014 in the 4th round, but Derrick’s Maverick saved the day, running right on his 10.34 dial with a 7. Runner-up Jason Lummus made us all cringe in the semifinals when it was clear to us on the starting line that Eddie League’s dragster was going to be late to the finish line. Despite everyone yelling and motioning for Jason to slow down, he showed us all how it is done by running 10.050 on his 10.05 dial. Lummus also ran dead on his dial with an 8 in the previous round against a nearly one full second off Robert Gregory. There are a lot of jealous racers out there who wish they could trust their car like Jason did Saturday night. (Not to mention the fact his son, Dalton, won both days in his junior!) Derrick Patton and Jason Lummus were the big winners in Super Pro, taking home $1200 and $600 and they each get a trophy for the mantle from Royal Purple Raceway. Saturday night’s other money winners were Derrick’s father, Daryl Patton, Arthur Edison, Ray Martinez, Stephen Hughes, Eddie League Jr., Glen Stepan, Michael Kennedy, Terrance Harrison and Robert Gregory.
Saturday 1/4 Mile
Footbrake
Winner – Gordon Smith
Runner-Up – Bryan Day
Semis – Jay Robinson, Bill Arning
Total Entries – 53
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| Footbrake Final Gordon Smith (near) vs. Bryan Day |
Round one of the footbrake class started off with 53 drivers seeking the $800 top prize and the mantle-crowding Royal Purple Raceway trophy. Gordon Smith from Crosby took the honors Saturday, driving his ’74 Vega all the way to the Winner’s Circle. Gordon was solid on the tree all day, besting all of his opponents at the starting line except for Runner-Up Bryan Day. Bryan, fresh off of his elimination of points leader Jay Robinson, took a .025 to .061 green light advantage but was forced out by the 125 mph charge coming from Gordon Smith in the other lane. Smith earned the 2nd round bye with his .004 light against Thomas Ray in the first round, but there was a lot of competition for that honor. Chris Talbot, Drew Porcher and Manuel Rios all recorded double zero reaction times in the first round, and Tommy Huffman of Dayton was triple zero, but was unable to close the deal, running 12.699 on his 12.70 dial-in. It didn’t get any easier in the second round of Footbrake, with Donna Lummus, Daniel Martinez and Kendall Eisemann all putting together near perfect runs. Chris Talbot, Drew Porcher and Donna Lummus were able to parlay their great runs into a money winner sticker along with Keenan Eisemann, Robert Penn, Jay Robinson, Brian Gallagher, Blair Nelson, Bill Arning, Reginald Newman and Sheila Day.
Advanced Jr. Dragster
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| Boyd Hightower & Family |
Boyd Hightower, Crosby, TX, '05 Harden, 7.969, 79.65
Dillon Richards, Moss Bluff, LA, '05 Half Scale, 7.935, 82.99
Sportsman Jr. Dragster
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| Dalton Lummus wins one... |
Dalton Lummus, China, TX, '06 Hardens, 9.117, 72.16
John Legg, Liberty, TX, 10 RPC, 8.936, 73.55
Sunday 1/8th Mile
Super Pro
Winner – Stephen Hughes
Runner-Up – Brenda Kay
Semis – John Winn
Total Entries – 46
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| Stephen Hughes wins on Father's Day |
Despite the unrelenting heat, 46 drivers made the call for first round of Super Pro on Sunday. After the first few rounds, it appeared we were going to see Scott Boyd and John Winn in the final after recording multiple double zero and dead on packages each, but the smart money was on the Million Dollar man, Stephen Hughes. No stranger to final rounds, including 3 in this series so far, Stephen cut through the field with relative ease. Last time out, Stephen faced biker Ricky Kay in the final, this time it was Ricky’s wife, Brenda on her 120 MPH (1/8th mile) Suzuki GSXR. Covering the 660’ in the mid-5 second range, Brenda was able to end John Winn’s viable quest for his third final round in the semi’s and footbraker Bryan Day’s chase for the gold in the quarters. You’ll get it one day, Bryan. Brenda didn’t cut any slack (.009) on her husband, Ricky, in the 4th round or Saturday’s winner, Derrick Patton or a .004 Glen Stepan. Stephen Hughes’ biggest scare came in the quarterfinals, when he faced Saturday’s Runner-Up, Jason Lummus. China, TX’s Jason Lummus was fresh off of back to back double zero lights when he faced Hughes, but both drivers were off their game a little bit, and it was the 4-second dragster of Stephen Hughes running closest to his dial. The $1200 winner’s check pales in comparison to events that Stephen has won in the past, but getting to stand in the Winner’s Circle on Father’s Day with his wife, Lindsey, and their two young kids is priceless. Other drivers taking home money on this Father’s Day were Arthur Edison, Scott Boyd, Greg Roberts, Leslie Meyer, Dewayne League, Ricky Kay and Bryan “000” Day.
Sunday 1/8th Mile
Footbrake
Winner – Jay Robinson
Runner-Up – Bubba Dodge
Semis – Sheila Day
Total Entries: 44
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| Footbrake Final Jay Robinson (near) vs. Bubba Dodge |
Start the countdown. With this latest victory, Jay Robinson has all but sealed his unprecedented 6th track championship at Houston Raceway Park. Jay only needs to win 10 more rounds in the next 4 races to guarantee his name to be the one engraved on the cup and his entry into the Division 4 E.T. Finals Race of Champions. With that being said, I would like to congratulate Jay on his performance this year, and the rest of us mere mortals will be battling it out for the remainder of the top 10 spots. This Sunday was no different than any other race for Jay, he used killer lights and excellent top end driving skills to annihilate the competition once again. Jay didn’t have it easy all day, drawing some of the best drivers Houston has to offer. Blair Nelson and Bryan Day both ran dead on their dials against Jay in the first 2 rounds, then he went on to face a redlighting Dennis Clark, “Mr. Final Round” Drew Porcher, Jamie Haines and then Bubba Dodge in the final. Danbury’s Bubba Dodge let off the brake just a tad early in the final, turning on the red light, giving Jay Robinson his 4th victory in the O’Reilly E.T. Drag Racing Series this season. Up to that point, Bubba was able to catch red lights from Nathan Gallagher and Steven Talbot to start off his day, then he earned the 3rd round bye with his .008 against Talbot, then John Stelly and Sheila Day left early on Bubba in the fourth and sixth rounds. “Coach” Tim Ray had the right idea by somehow managing to go green on him in the 5th round, but it was a little too green, giving Dodge a .028 advantage at the tree. Jay and Bubba took home $800 and $400 respectively, and a couple of nice Royal Purple Raceway trophies. Some others who got to take home some cash and a “money winner” sticker are Robert Penn, Sheila Day, Joey Cram, Jamie Haines, Mike “Drew” Porcher, Brian Gallagher, “Coach” Tim Ray and John Stelly.
Advanced Jr. Dragster
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| Dillon Richards |
Winner - Dillon Richards, Moss Bluff, LA, '05 Half Scale, 9.747, 48.29
Runner-up - Justin Penton, Houston, TX, '05 Mike Bos, 7.952, 83.29
Sportsman Jr. Dragster
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| Dalton Lummus wins 2!! |
