ROCKINGHAM — Marine Corps veteran Dewayne Hill drove the House of Kolor dragster to victory in Saturday’s jet car feature and two-time reigning Rockingham Dragway track champ Matt Ward swept the Footbrake competition at the biggest all-Chevy event in the Carolinas, the Innovative Performance Technologies Super Chevy Show presented by the Richmond County Tourism Authority.
Hill, who spent eight years in the Marines before earning a degree in aeronautics, used a .019 of a second reaction time to turn what could have been a close race with Larsen Motorsports teammate Zach Costello into a romp. Hill won in 5.921 seconds at a speed of 268.65 miles per hour. Costello, a recent graduate of Florida Tech where he earned a degree in aerospace engineering, trailed at 5.926, 270.37 mph.
Ward and his Anderson, South Carolina-based 1969 Camaro enjoyed a near perfect weekend capped off with final round victories over Lake Waccamaw’s Perry Green Ryan Snipes of Lancaster, South Carolina, both of whom fouled away their opportunity.
Photo by Rockingham Dragway
Had he not gone .007 under his target number against Lumberton’s Thomas Cain in the Saturday Top ET final, Tanner Gray of Holly Springs could have matched Ward’s perfection. Instead, he had to settle for a win and a runner-up in a 1974 Camaro in which he bested the ’65 Corvette of Tommy Hilburn on Sunday.
Other on-the-track winners were Hunter Marshall of Pinehurst who won the Innovative Performance Technologies Jr. Street title, Selma’s Skylar Peedin, who prevailed in the newly-added Jr. Dragster class, and Dunn’s Thurman Warren, who won in the DOT and Trophy eliminator classes.
The event also featured a Chevy-centric car and truck show in which the 1967 Camaro of Durham’s Terri Blackburn was judged Best of Show and Randy Wilson’s Woodlawn, Va.-based 1970 Camaro was the Gold Cup winner.
(Editor’s Note: The RO will have photos from event later.)
Racing results from the Innovative Performance Technologies Super Chevy Show presented by the Richmond County Tourism Authority at Rockingham Dragway. Hometowns are North Carolina unless otherwise indicated. Results include reaction time, track time, target time when applicable and finish line speed:
Larsen Motorsports Jet Dragsters
FINAL – Dewayne Hill, Palm Bay, Fla., .019,, 5.921, 268.65 mph, def. Zach Costello, Palm Bay, Fla., .210,, 5.926, 270.37 mph.
Sunday Top ET
Round 4 – Trevor Jenkins, Heath Springs, S.C., 1966 Nova, .013, 5.847 on a 5.850, 117.80 mph, def. Wesley Blackman, Whiteville, foul; Justin Seidhom, Conway, S.C., .021, 6.036 on a 6.000, 114.414 mph, def. Andrew Davis, Fayetteville, .043, 6.368 on a 6.350, 105.94 mph; Kendra Lytch, Jacksonville, Ark., .008, 6.168 on a 6.100, 106.82 mph, def. Lonnie Matthews, West End, 1975 Vega, .005, 7.187 breakout on a 7.190, 93.36 mph; Tommy Hilburn, Hope Mills, 1965 Corvette, .012, 6.139 on a 6.120, 112.10 mph, def. Leroy Murdaugh, Walterboro, S.,C., 1978 Monza, .015, 6.846 breakout on a 6.890, 95.48 mph; Tanner Gray, Hope Mills, 1974 Camaro, .014, 6.767 on a 6.740, 97.76 mph, def. Darrin Pankey, .089, 5.807 on a 5.790, 118.52 mph; Tony Croom, Wilmington, .017, 5.458 on a 5.440, 125.82 mph, def. Russell Doby, Sanford, 1969 Camaro, 1.268, 6.644 on a 5.890, 76.85 mph; Tanner Gray #2, Hope Mills, bye.
Round 5 – Gray #1, .024, 6.737 on a 6.740, 101.43 mph, def. Croom, foul; Jenkins, .015, 5.862 on a 5.850, 115.29 mph, def. Seidhom, .030, 6.017 on a 6.010, 114.53 mph; Gray #2, .016, 6.766 on a 6.740, 97.91 mph, def. Lytch, .099, 6.165 on a 6.120, 108.43 mph; Hilburn, bye.
Semifinals – Hilburn, .016, 6.124 on a 6.120, 111.73 mph, def. Jenkins, .021, 5.852 on a 5.850, 116.93 mph; Gray #1 def. Gray #2, default.
FINAL – Tanner Gray, Hope Mills, 1974 Camaro, .026, 6.737 on a 6.740, 99.75 mph, def. Tommy Hilburn, Hope Mills, 1965 Corvette, .077, 6.087 breakout on a 6.120, 112.99 mph.
Saturday Top ET
Round 5 – Joe Williams, Lumberton, 1992 Lumina, .015, 5.410 on a 5.390, 129.26 mph, def. Noah Johnson, Wilmington, .039, 6.681 on a 6.670, 98.41 mph; Tanner Gray, Hope Mills, 1974 Camaro, .004, 7.147 on a 6.730, 79.53 mph, def. Tommy Hilburn, Hope Mills, 1965 Corvette, 1.022, 6.094 on a 6.090, 112.98 mph; Lee Runion, Stepman, 1969 Camaro, .009, 5.619 on a 5.620, 125.59 mph, def. Douglas Duffey, .002, 6.252 breakout on a 6.260, 108.63 mph; Thomas Cain, Lumberton, .036, 4.967 on a 4.960, 137.53 mph, def. David Daniels, Raeford, 1974 Vega, .011, 7.158 breakout on a 7.170, 95.46 mph; Richard Montgomery, Fayetteville, 1973 Nova, bye.
Round 6 – Cain, .049, 4.973 on a 4.960, 137.34 mph, def. Montgomery, .016, 6.664 breakout on a 6.710, 102.14 mph; Williams, .005, 5.390 on a 5.400, 129.21 mph, def. Runion, foul (-.001); Gray, bye.
Semifinals – Gray, .008, 6.743 on a 6.740, 99.95 mph, def. Williams, .027, 5.382 on a 5.380, 129.32 mph; Cain, bye.
FINAL – Thomas Cain, Lumberton, .003, 4.961 on a 4.950, 137.47 mph, def. Tanner Gray, Hope Mills, 1974 Camaro, .008, 6.723 breakout on a 6.730, 100.70 mph.
Sunday Footbrake
Round 5 – Ryan Snipes, Lancaster, S.C., .006, 6.651 on a 6.610, 103.50 mph, def. Christopher Leary, Warsaw, .042, 6.467 on a 6.460, 104.40 mph; Matt Ward, Anderson, S.C., 1969 Camaro, .017, 6.338 on a 6.360, 107.39 mph, def. Jamie Carroll, Clayton, 1970 Nova, foul; Chris Johnson, Fayetteville, .012, 7.192 on a 7.170, 93.43 mph, def. Willy Buie, St. Pauls, 1970 Nova, .026, 6.692 on a 6.670, 99.87 mph; Dave Fenrel, Pasadena, Md., 1941 Plymouth (Chevy powered), .031, 6.495 on a 6.500, 105.24 mph, def. Evan Prevatte, Pinebluff, 1969 Chevelle, foul; Matt Ward #2, Anderson, S.C., 1969 Camaro, bye.
Round 6 – Ward #2, .019, 6.415 on a 6.360, 102.05 mph, def. Fenrel, .101, 6.523 on a 6.500, 102.66 mph; Snipes, bye; Johnson, .062, 7.162 on a 7.170, 94.41 mph, def. Ward #1, foul.
Semifinals – Snipes, .011, 6.622 on a 6.630, 104.52 mph, def. Johnson, foul; Ward #2, bye.
FINAL – Matt Ward, Anderson, S.C., 1969 Camaro, .024, 6.665 on a 6.360, 83.66 mph, def. Ryan Snipes, Lancaster, S.C., foul.
Saturday Footbrake
Round 5 – Matt Ward, Anderson, S.C., 1969 Camaro, .010, 6.341 on a 6.340, 101.80 mph, def. Christopher Leary, Warsaw, .006, 6.441 breakout on a 6.460, 105.94 mph; Allen Furr, Richfield, 1962 Chevy II, .035, 6.586 on a 6.450, 90.06 mph, def. Jack Dillard, Matthews, S.C., .085, 7.177 on a 6.950, 94.83 mph; Jamie Carroll, Clayton, 1970 Nova, .004, 6.228 on a 6.210, 105.77 mph, def. Eric Aman, Clayton, .039, 8.007 breakout on an 8.010, 81.33 mph; Perry Green, Lake Waccamaw, 1971 Nova, .000, 7.018 on a 7.010, 96.59 mph, def. Chris Johnson, Fayetteville, .027, 7.117 breakout on a 7.150, 95.07 mph; Matt Ward #2, Anderson, S.C., 1969 Camaro, double foul win over Eric Aman #2, Clayton; Rick Cline, Fairmount, bye.
Round 6 – Green, .050, 7.007 on a 7.000, 96.32 mph, def. Ward #1, .131, 6.363 on a 6.330, 101.71 mph; Carroll, .052, 6.222 on a 6.200, 107.96 mph, def. Cline, .114, 6.443 breakout on a 6.490, 104.65 mph; Ward #2, .042, 6.329 on a 6.330, 107.57 mph, def. Furr, foul.
Semifinals – Ward, .010, 6.388 on a 6.340, 101.26 mph, def. Carroll, .064, 6.226 on a 6.210, 108.32 mph; Green, bye.
FINAL – Matt Ward, Anderson, S.C., 1969 Camaro, .011, 6.669 on a 6.330, 83.30 mph, def. Perry Green, Lake Waccamaw, 1971 Nova, foul.
Innovative Performance Technologies Jr. Street
FINAL – Hunter Marshall, Pinehurst, 2022 Camaro, 9.872 on a 9.00 target, 64.72 mph, def. Jamie Fields, West End, Mustang Cobra Jet, 9.820 on a 9.00 target, 69.62 mph.
Jr. Dragster
FINAL – Skylar Peedin, Selma, .046, 7.920 on a 7.900, 80.85 mph, def. Emma Atkison, Angier, .016, 7.966 on a 7.900, 72.80 mph.
DOT Eliminator
FINAL – Thurman Warren, Dunn, .057, 15.852 on a 15.900, 88.40 mph, def. Tim Clark, Rockingham, foul.
Trophy Eliminator
FINAL – Thurman Warren, Dunn, .051, 15.792 on a 15.840, 89.16 mph, def. Kevin Reustle, Salem, Va., foul (-.005).
