Kil-Kare Dragway

6/05//2004

       Not only was it Super Saturday and a great weather day for racing, but also it was the biggest race of the year for bracket racers. It was the National Dragster Challenge race where the winners receive a smaller size Wally just like the pros on the nhra tour gets. The $1,500 that you get for winning super pro on super Saturday’s is great but to win a Wally is a once in a life time thing for most bracket racers.

        We had 105 cars stage up for the first round and you could tell the racing was going to be very tuff tonight as Gordy Fairchild of New Carlisle, Ohio in his 71 Duster had a perfect run. He had a .500 light and ran dead on 6.600 on his 6.60 dial in. Rick Wegley of Dayton, Ohio in his 82 Chevette also ran dead on with a 6.100 on a 6.10 dial in. There were eighteen drivers that had 5’0 bulbs and seventeen cars that ran dead on in the first round.  In round two not to be out done JR Lockhart had a .500 light and Jerry Kathe ran 5.780 on a 5.78 dial in, and eight drivers had 5’0 lights and 10 cars ran dead on. In round three the best light was a .503 by Steve Taylor and five Cars ran dead on. In round four we had two 5’0 lights and three run dead on. In the quarterfinals Marsha McFall of Tipp City, Ohio in her Camaro got the bye run. Amy Lincoln of Riverside, Ohio in her Dragster got the better light but broke out giving the win to Daryl McConnaughey of Springfield, Ohio in his 66 Chevelle. Roger Taylor of Beavercreek, Ohio in his Undercover Dragster beat Dave Caplinger on Xenia, Ohio in his 78 Monza. Jerry Dunkel of Kettering, Ohio defeated a breaking out Greg Kain also of Kettering, Ohio in his Dragster. In the semi finals McConnaughey had a .503 light and moved to the final when Taylor red lighted. Dunkel red lighted and McFall had a .508 light and ran 6.517 on a 6.51 dial in. McFall in her second final of the season was looking for her first win and McConnaughey was in his first final. Daryl had the better light but Marsha got her first win and the Wally with a 6.544 at 102.72 on a 6.50 dial in. Daryl ran a 6.621 at 103.46 on a 6.48 dial in.

          Marsha McFall and her Wally and Hat, oh and crew.

        In the Pro bracket 80 Cars staged up in round one. Dave Cox of Washington Court House, Ohio in his 70 Nova had the best light with a .501 and six cars ran dead on in the first round. The best light in round two was Mick Pence with a .506 and four cars ran dead on. Round three had one 5’0 bulb and two dead on runs. In the quarterfinals Mick Pence of Bainbridge, Ohio in his Mustang got the bye. Doug Hosted of Dayton, Ohio in his 67 Nova won a double breakout race over Rich Wilson of Kettering, Ohio in his 83 S-10 pickup. Ron Simko of Lebanon, Ohio in his 85 Mustang used a better light to beat Todd Tooker of West Carrollton, Ohio in his 67 Camaro. In the semi finals Simko got the bye in to the finals. Pence had a better light but Honsted a former track champion got the win. In the final Honsted was looking for his second win of the season in his second final of the year. Doug got the Wally and the money with a 10.766 at 117.43 on a 10.76 dial in. Ron ran a 10.170 at 126.70 on a 10.14 dial in.

Doug Honsted and crew with the Wally.

          In the Sportsman class 38 cars staged up in round one. Four had 5’0 lights with Dana Pratt the best of the round .501. In the quarterfinals Ricky Shepherd of Dayton, Ohio in his 74 Nova got the bye run. Howard Ledford of Kettering, Ohio in his 99 Mustang red lighted giving the win to Glenn Cotere of Waverly, Ohio in his Camaro. Dennis Young of Riverside, Ohio in his 71 Camaro got the better light but ran way off his dial in giving the win to Jack Cotrell of Newark, Ohio. In the semi finals Glenn got the bye in to the finals. Shepherd got the better light and the win light over Cotrell. In a heads up final both cars dial in at 13.00 Shepherd had the better light and ran a 13.089 at 94.36 to get the win over Cotere who ran a 13.063 at 89.98. That is Ricky’s third Wally in his career.

Ricky and his son Jason with the Wally and friends.

        In the Motorcycle bracket 32 bikes staged up in round one with one 5’0 light and two dead on runs. In the quarterfinals Bob Nugent of Fairborn, Ohio on his 79 Kawasaki had the better light .521 to .524 and got the win over Doug Ogilsbie of Medway on his 98 Kawasaki. Jim Arledge of Circleville, Ohio on his Kawasaki used a .503 light to beat Perry Dog Sowers of Springfield, Ohio on his Suzuki. Bruce Sauer of Reynoldsburg, Ohio on his Kawasaki got the win over Gregg Dixon of Urbana, Ohio on his 77 Kawasaki. Larry Sagraves of Springfield, Ohio on his 77 Kawasaki had the better light but broke giving the win to Danny Oiler Sr of Springfield, Ohio on his Suzuki. In the semi finals Sauer red lighted giving the win to Arledge. Nugent also red lighted giving the win to Oiler Sr. In the final Oiler Sr a past track champion was looking for his second win in his second final and so was Arledge. Danny cut a .502 light and got his second win of the season with an 8.806 at 142.37 on an 8.79 dial in. Jim ran an 8.504 at 149.04 on an 8.48 dial in.

 Danny Oiler Sr and his Wally with his crew.

        In the Junior Dragster bracket 31 cars staged up for round one action. The juniors will have there own National Dragster Challenge race later this year. Michael Sturgill of Beavercreek, Ohio had the best light of the day in round one with a .501 for the juniors and there were two dead on runs with Just Whitt of Fairborn, Ohio running 7.900 on a 7.90 dial in. In round two the best light was Tyler Vance of New Carlisle with a .508. In the quarterfinals Mike Philpott of Waynesville, Ohio red lighted giving the win to Matt Spradlin of Springfield, Ohio. Tyler Vance had the better light and got the win over Chris Nuss of North Hampton, Ohio. Payton Filson of Fairborn, Ohio got the win over Dylan Bair of Urbana, Ohio. Ryan Jenks of Jamestown, Ohio beat out Shawn Pitts of London, Ohio. In the semi finals Jenks ran an 8.570 on an 8.57 dial in and Filson ran an 8.905 on an 8.90 dial in but had the better light and got the win. Vance red lighted giving the win to Spradlin. In the final Spradlin was looking for his first win in his second final and Filson was looking for his first win in his forth final. Filson got the better light and ran an 8.916 at 71.34 on an 8.90 dial in for the win. Spradlin ran a 10.364 at 62.38 on a 10.26 dial in.   

 Payton Filson and family with his first win of year.

        For the first time every the High School winner got a Wally. Joey Mansfield of Springboro, Ohio in his 94 Mustang ran a 14.071 at 96.96 on a 13.75 dial in for his second win in a row.

Text and photos by Jon Gentry