ROCKINGHAM — Rain spoiled what was shaping up to be an enormously successful Blue Collar Bracket Weekend at Rockingham Dragway but not before Mooresville’s Lauren Freer, Sanford’s Kevin Locklear and Benson’s Bladen Core hoisted individual trophies.
Inclement weather halted racing Sunday after the completion of five rounds in the two “big car” categories. Among the final seven in Top ET were newly-crowned and now five-time track champion Chip Johnson of Fayetteville, 2020 track champion Mark Soles of Delco, former “Big John” Memorial bracket winner Brandon Lane of Pikeville and former Carolina Coalition champions T.G. Paschal of McLeansville and Robert Vogler III of Lewisville along with Ashley Childress of Spartanburg, S.C., and Lexington’s Megan Lotts.
Those still in contention in Footbrake on Sunday included 2018-2020 track champ Allen Furr of Richfield, Jacob Ritchie of Kannapolis, Ricky Edwards of Maysville, veteran Willy Buie of St. Pauls, Clayton’s Jamie Carroll and Fayetteville’s George Brown.
Freer, a three-time Super Comp winner on the NHRA national tour and runner-up at last May’s 4Wide Nationals at Charlotte, threw a .007 package at Paschal in Saturday’s Top ET final to take home the $10,000 top prize.
Kevin Locklear got a free ride to Saturday’s Footbrake title when newly-crowned track champ Matt Ward of Anderson, S.C., was guilty of a final round foul. In Jr. Dragster, it was Ethan Locklear who committed the foul that put Core in the winners’ circle.
The event determined The Rock’s representatives in the Oct. 1-3 NHRA Southeast Division Summit ET Finals in Atlanta: Johnson in Top ET, Ward in Footbrake and Budd Trammell II of Aynor, S.C., in Advanced Jr. Dragster. Ava Ward will compete alongside her dad as the Rockingham representative in the Intermediate Jr. Dragster class and Fayetteville’s Nolan Callahan will carry the banner in Novice Jr. Dragster.
Results from the inaugural Blue Collar Bracket Weekend at Rockingham Dragway. Rain prevented crowning of individual champions on Sunday. Results include reaction time, track time in relation to target time and finish line speed. Hometowns are North Carolina unless otherwise indicated:
SUNDAY TOP ET
Round 5 – Mark Soles, Delco, .019, 5.631 on a 5.630, 122.52 mph, def. Eric Aman, Clinton, .024, 6.033 on a 6.030, 112.65 mph; Robert Vogler III, Lewisville, .012, 4.499 on a 4.490, 152.09 mph, def. Billy Smith, Newport, Tenn., 1990 Ford Mustang, .018, 6.256 breakout on a 6.260, 109.00 mph; Ashley Childress, Spartanburg, S.C., .013, 4.821 on a 4.800, 140.07 mph, def. Freddy Stanfill, 1984 Chevy Camaro, .014, 5.964 on a 5.900, 105.53 mph; Chip Johnson, Fayetteville, 1982 Chevy Camaro, .002, 6.463 on a 6.200, 87.07 mph, def. Robert Hefti, China Grove, broke; T.G. Paschal, McLeansville, .013, 4.556 on a 4.540, 151.05 mph, def. Joe Julsrud, Stony Point, foul; Brandon Lane, Pikeville, .009, 4.799 on a 4.790, 140.77 mph, def. Holden Dial, Maxton, .014, 5.909 on a 5.900, 114.89 mph; Megan Lotts, Lexington, .035, 4.689 on a 4.690, 147.05 mph, def. Eric Aman #2, Clinton, foul (-.002).
Round 6 – Competition stopped by rain; Soles, Vogler, Childress, Johnson, Paschal, Lane and Lotts split the remaining purse.
SUNDAY FOOTBRAKE
Round 5 – Jacob Ritchie, Kannapolis, .013, 7.229 on a 7.180, 89.70 mph, def. Brandon Williams, Eagle Springs, .125, 7.002 breakout on a 7.010, 96.73 mph; Ricky Edwards, Maysville, 1965 Chevy II, .011, 6.448 on a 6.440, 105.65 mph, def. Ricky Bullock, Sanford, 1978 Chevy Nova, .047, 6.187 breakout on a 6.220, 106.99 mph; Willy Buie, St. Pauls, 1970 Chevy Nova, .002, 6.436 on a 6.440, 103.56 mph, def. Tommy Duff, Holly Ridge, 1970 Chevy Nova, .052, 6.670 breakout on a 6.700, 98.21 mph; Jamie Carroll, Clayton, 1970 Chevy Nova, .049, 6.339 on a 6.350, 106.33 mph, def. Kale Hoffman, Richlands, foul; George L. Brown, Fayetteville, 1970 Chevy Nova, .021, 6.078 on a 6.050, 109.15 mph, def. Jacob Ritchie #2, Kannapolis, .081, 7.162 breakout on a 7.170, 94.04 mph; Allen Furr, Richfield, 1962 Chevy II, bye.
Round 6 – Competition stopped by rain; Ritchie, Edwards, Buie, Carroll, Brown and Furr split the remaining purse.
SUNDAY JR. DRAGSTER
Round 4 – Ava Ward, Anderson, S.C., .065, 8.954 on an 8.930, 72.98 mph, def. Reece Branton, Conway, S.C., foul (-.004); Brody Callahan, Fayetteville, .044, 8.938 on an 8.910, 73.91 mph, def. Camdyn Smith, Winterville, .057, 7.985 on a 7.900, 78.80 mph; Budd Trammell II, Aynor, S.C., .015, 8.046 on an 8.030, 79.78 mph, def. Bladen Core, Benson, .050, 8.816 breakout on an 8.820, 74.41 mph; Gavin Corker, Archer Lodge, bye.
Round 5 – Competition stopped by rain; Ward, Callahan, Trammell and Corker split the remaining purse.
SATURDAY TOP ET
Round 7 – T.G. Paschal, McLeansville, .032, 4.555 on a 4.550, 149.96 mph, def. Gabe Taylor, .034, 5.750 on a 5.740, 116.83 mph; Lauren Freer, Mooresville, .011, 4.669 on a 4.640, 146.34 mph, def. Robert Hefti, China Grove, .049, 4.571 on a 4.540, 144.40 mph; Holden Dial, Maxton, .023, 5.922 on a 5.900, 111.64 mph, def. Ricky Edwards, Maysville, 1965 Chevy II, .034, 6.503 on a 6.460, 104.81 mph.
Semifinals – Freer, .002, 4.659 on a 4.640, 145.44 mph, def. Dial, .027, 5.899 on a 5.910, 115.21 mph; Paschal, bye.
FINAL – Lauren Freer, Mooresville, .006, 4.641 on a 4.640, 147.31 mph, def. T.G. Paschal, McLeansville, .018, 4.542 on a 4.540, 150.68 mph.
SATURDAY FOOTBRAKE
Round 6 – Jonathan Surratt, bye; Matt Ward, Anderson, S.C., 1969 Chevy Camaro, .003, 6.519 on a 6.510, 99.14 mph, def. Jacob Ritchie, Kannapolis, .023, 7.184 on a 7.180, 93.35 mph; Kevin Locklear, Sanford, .030, 6.640 on a 6.620, 96.40 mph, def. Mark Soles, Delco, .060, 5.672 on a 5.650, 123.47 mph; Allen Furr, Richfield, 1962 Chevy II, .073, 6.602 on a 6.610, 100.70 mph, def. Chris Johnson, Fayetteville, foul.
Semifinals – Ward, .020, 6.523 on a 6.500, 104.37 mph, def. Surratt, .061, 6.379 on a 6.370, 105.70 mph; Locklear, .053, 6.627 on a 6.630, 99.64 mph, def. Furr, .045, 6.606 breakout on a 6.610, 100.70 mph.
FINAL – Kevin Locklear, Sanford, .051, 6.579 on a 6.630, 101.61 mph, def. Matt Ward, Anderson, S.C., 1969 Chevy Camaro, foul.
SATURDAY JR. DRAGSTER
Round 5 – Ethan Locklear, Pembroke, .026, 7.905 on a 7.900, 81.39 mph, def. Reece Branton, Conway, S.C., .038, 8.891 on an 8.850, 75.38 mph; Bladen Core, Benson, .052, 8.801 on an 8.790, 71.65 mph, def. Ava Ward, Anderson, S.C., .132, 8.869 on an 8.860, 73.89 mph; Budd Trammell II, Aynor, S.C., bye.
Semifinals – Locklear, bye; Core, .008, 8.761 on an 8.750, 74.68 mph, def. Trammell II, .017, 8.000 on a 7.970, 81.90 mph.
FINAL – Bladen Core, Benson, .074, 8.768 on an 8.750, 75.05 mph, def. Ethan Locklear, Pembroke, foul.
