ROCKINGHAM — It may not seem fair to put a Jeep on the same racetrack as Hellcats and Demons, especially a high-performance track like Rockingham Dragway, but Maryland’s Chris Dufresne showed Saturday that today’s Jeep can hold its own with the baddest hot rods on the planet — just as long as there’s a hemi under the hood.
Dufresne’s Jeep Grand Cherokee was the only double winner in Saturday’s Modern Street Hemi Shootout, adding more hardware to the veteran’s already bulging trophy case. After driving a 2016 Dodge Charger to a single victory in Rockingham’s 2018 event, Dufresne directed the Jeep to a Saturday victory in the Bracket class before doubling-up as the event’s King of the Hill.
Other Saturday winners included some of the usual suspects along with a surprise or two.
Bill McFadden of Scotch Plains, New Jersey, the reigning Street Hemi Shootout Champion in the Bracket class and a two-time winner at Rockingham last year, drove his 2007 Magnum to a Super Stock title on Saturday and Justin Skudder, another reigning series champ, won his specialty in a 2006 Dodge Charger.
One of the most popular winners was Stephen Rimay of Smyrna, South Carolina, who not only prevailed in Pro ET in his venerable 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner, but beat reigning series champion Brian Brunt of Wixom, Michigan, in the final round to do so.
Dan Plotkin of Palm City, Florida, drove his 2007 Charger to the Super Pro championship, Gary Sanders of Eagle Springs won Street in his 2017 Challenger, Catherine Kosiba of Louisville, Kentucky, won the Demon class and Hubert’s Ron Polidora prevailed in the Hellcat class. Rookie winner was Thomas Falk of Locust Grove.
KING OF THE HILL
Semifinals – Ron Polidora, Hubert, 2017 Hellcat, .160, 10.035 on a 10.030, 136.10 mph, def. Jonathan Brown, Eagle Springs, 2017 Challenger, .172, 11.999 breakout on a 12.030, 115.26 mph; Chris Dufresne, Pomfret, Md., 2018 Jeep, .051, 10.814 on a 10.550, 104.52 mph, def. Catherine Kosiba, Louisville, Ky., 2018 Demon, .521, 9.869 on a 9.840, 137.83 mph.
FINAL – Chris Dufresne, Pomfret, Md., 2018 Jeep, .051, 10.591 on a 10.550, 118.60 mph, def. Ron Polidora, Hubert, 2017 Hellcat, .228, 10.092 on a 10.050, 135.61 mph.
MODIFIED
Semifinals – Chris Dufresne, Pomfret, Md., 2018 Jeep, .034, 10.732 on a 10.500, 124.25 mph, def. Eric Cua, Fuquay Varina, .286, 10.591 on a 10.500, 129.72 mph; Justin Skudder, Plainview, N.Y., 2006 Charger, .014, 10.547 on a 10.500, 125.58 mph, def. Jennifer Wagner, Leonardtown, Md., 2018 Charger, .125, 10.575 on a 10.500, 132.78 mph.
FINAL – Justin Skudder, Plainview, N.Y., 2006 Charger, .041, 10.521 on a 10.500, 128.31 mph, def. Chris Dufresne, Pomfret, Md., 2018 Jeep, foul.
SUPER STOCK
Round 2 – Guy Dalton, Painesville, Ohio, 2006 Chrysler, .048, 11.498 on an 11.500, 119.45 mph, def. Mike McHugh, Helnoon, Va., 2012 Charger, .196, 11.209 breakout on an 11.500, 117.04 mph; Clinton Deyton, Bostic, 2015 Challenger, .206, 11.554 on an 11.500, 109.83 mph, def. Mike Waiwood, Parma Heights, Ohio, 2015 Challenger, .084, 11.705 on an 11.500, 116.38 mph; Billy McFadden, Scotch Plains, N.J., 2007 Magnum, .141, 11.593 on an 11.500, 112.22 mph, def. Greg Colum, Calabash, 2009 Dodge, .370, 11.399 breakout on an 11.500, 116.57 mph.
Semifinals – McFadden, .189, 11.542 on an 11.500, 110.61 mph, def. Deyton, .265, 11.441 breakout on an 11.500, 114.75 mph; Dalton, bye.
FINAL – Bill McFadden, Scotch Plains, N.J., 2007 Magnum, .130, 11.601 on an 11.500, 105.19 mph, def. Guy Dalton, Painesville, Ohio, 2006 Chrysler, .245, 11.522 on an 11.500, 117.99 mph.
SUPER PRO
Semifinals – Dan Plotkin, Palm City, Fla., 2007 Charger, .186, 8.823, 158.43 mph, def. John Lewis, Media, Pa., 2008 Challenger, .417, 9.188, 149.00 mph; Leon Epling, Bean Station, Tenn., Hellcat, .768, 8.154, 169.34 mph, def. Unknown #418, .405, 9.666, 140.46 mph.
FINAL – Dan Plotkin, Palm City, Fla., 2007 Charger, .251, 8.829, 158.15 mph, def. Leon Epling, Bean Station, Tenn., Hellcat, .210, 10.642, 128.79 mph.
PRO
Semifinals – Brian Brunt, Wixom, Mich., 2007 Jeep, .276, 9.543 on a 9.500, 144.16 mph, def. Jon Sipple, Mooresville, 2016 Hellcat, .227, 9.604 on a 9.500, 143.70 mph; Stephen Rimay, Smyrna, S.C., 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner, bye.
FINAL – Stephen Rimay, Smyrna, S.C., 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner, .048, 9.514 on a 9.500, 139.65 mph, def. Brian Brunt, Wixom, Mich., 2007 Jeep, .113, 9.626 on a 9.500, 133.88 mph.
BRACKET
Round 4 – Chris Dufresne, Pomfret, Md., 2018 Jeep, .009, 10.681 on a 10.550, 105.26 mph, def. Unknown #766, .203, 9.900 on a 9.800, 134.35 mph; Ron Polidora, Hubert, 2017 Hellcat, .217, 10.051 on a 10.010, 136.66 mph, def. Mike Waiwood, Parma Heights, Ohio, 2015 Challenger, .126, 11.654 breakout on an 11.700, 114.35 mph; Guy Dalton, Painesville, Ohio, 2006 Chrysler, bye.
Semifinals – Dufresne, .000, 10.659 on a 10.550, 113.88 mph, def. Dalton, .163, 11.486 breakout on an 11.510, 117.29 mph; Polidora, bye.
FINAL – Chris Dufresne, Pomfret, Md., 2018 Jeep, .019, 10.629 on a 10.550, 113.88mph, def. Ron Polidora, Hubert, 2017 Hellcat, .172, 10.045 on a 9.990, 136.18 mph.
STREET
Semifinals – Gary Sanders, Eagle Springs, 2017 Challenger, .038, 12.688 on a 12.500, 104.15 mph, def. Stell Sav, White Plains, N.Y., 2005 Magnum, .145, 12.713 on a 12.500, 110.51 mph; Edward Peraza, College Park, Md., 2015 Challenger, .163, 12.882 on a 12.500, 109.40 mph, def. Bryan Potter, Clarksville, Tenn., 2014 Durango, .464, 12.991 on a 12.500, 108.55 mph.
FINAL – Gary Sanders, Eagle Springs, 2017 Challenger, .082, 12.700 on a 12.500, 97.79 mph, def. Edward Peraza, College Park, Md., 2015 Challenger, .076, 12.795 on a 12.500, 111.31 mph.
DEMON
Semifinals – Catherine Kosiba, Louisville, Ky., 2018 Demon, .329, 10.027, 137.62 mph, def. Michael Yon, Perry, S.C., 2018 Demon, .291, 10.073, 133.16 mph; David Davis, Kirtland, Ohio, 2018 Demon, .394, 10.008, 134.55 mph, def. Tim Godbee, Guyton, Ga., 2018 Demon, .161, 10.305, 134.10 mph.
FINAL – Catherine Kosiba, Louisville, Ky., 2018 Demon, .311, 9.887, 137.93 mph, def. David Davis, Kirtland, Ohio, 2018 Demon, foul.
HELLCAT
Semifinals – Ron Polidora, Hubert, 2017 Challenger, bye; Leanne Mayberry, Roanoke, Va., 2016 Challenger, .311, 10.259 on a 10.000, 133.66 mph, def. Unknown #766, .214, 9.941 breakout on a 10.000, 131.19 mph.
FINAL – Ron Polidora, Hubert, 2017 Challenger, .1999, 10.332 on a 10.000, 128.75 mph, def. Leanne Mayberry, Roanoke, Va., 2016 Challenger, .310, 10.296 on a 10.000, 134.56 mph.
ROOKIE
Semifinals – Thomas Falk, Locust Grove, Va., 2018 Dodge, .407, 9.667 on a 9.550, 141.94 mph, def. Natasha Harding, Grove City, Ohio, 2018 Charger Hellcat, .443, 9.597 breakout on a 5.700, 141.36 mph; Rob Fox, Medina, Ohio, 2016 Challenger, .587, 11.008 on an 11.000, 124.42 mph, def. Chris Martin, Myrtle Beach, S.C., 2015 Challenger, .627, 11.886 on an 11.780, 115.84 mph.
FINAL – Thomas Falk, Locust Grove, Va., 2018 Dodge, .226, 9.736 on a 9.550, 129.63 mph, def. Rob Fox, Medina, Ohio, 2016 Challenger, .551, 10.992 breakout on an 11.000, 126.33 mph.
FUENTES AMONG RACE WINNERS IN SIXTH IMPORT FACEOFF
Charlotte’s Jonathan Fuentes was the lone North Carolina winner Sunday as drivers from Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio claimed most of the hardware in the drag racing portion of the sixth annual Import Faceoff at Rockingham Dragway.
Fuentes drove his 1994 Honda Civic to victory in the 11.50 Index class, joining Jared Early of Uniontown, Pennsylvania., Adriana Noonen of Fort Myers, Florida, and Nathan Sherrick of Lancaster, Ohio, in the winners’ circle.
Driving a 2005 Chevy Cobalt, Sherrick used a .034 package to turn back Hamlet’s Holly Smith and her 2014 Audi in the Bracket final.
The one-day event attracted a field of 260 show cars and 140 race cars along with participants in “Sound Off,” two-step, burnout and “car limbo” events.
