Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Harvey, Jr. Dominates Revived Thanksgiving $20,000 Footbrake Tradition

Harvey, Jr. Dominates Revived Thanksgiving $20,000 Footbrake Tradition

Wideman and Powell Pocket $5K Wins
November 29, 2011
Jacksonville, NC
Thanksgiving weekend in North Carolina became the home of $20,000 Footbrake racing in 2003, enjoying seven years history-making battles on the eighth-mile. Management changes saw the $20K event fade into memory in 2010, however, prompting footbrake racers Anthony Walton and Michael Beard to carry the torch.

“It’s been a tradition,” explained Beard. “When the $20K went away, Anthony and I decided that somebody had to do it, and if no one else was going to, I guess it was going to be us!”

Walton, had already tried on the promoter’s hat, having partnered with Coastal Plains Dragway, in Jacksonville, N.C., to host multiple big money races since 2009.

“Anthony laid the groundwork for this with his other events, and established a good working relationship with the staff at Coastal Plains,” said Beard. “Since it’s on the coast, it’s a little further for some people to get to, but having that comfort level with the staff and the warmer weather in November helped make the track a natural choice. He started the Fall Footbrake Frenzy two years ago as three $5K races, the first weekend in November, but it was on top of another big race in Virginia, and it wasn’t enough to draw racers from ten hours away.

“When this opportunity presented itself, we jumped at the chance,” continued Beard. “It’s the right format, on the right weekend. We were able to use the Thanksgiving holiday weekend to pack three races into two days, while leaving racers plenty of travel time so they wouldn’t have to miss work. We also front-loaded the round money to get as much gas money back into people’s pockets as quickly as we could. We hoped to put together a complete package that would make the extra drive worth it to our customers.”

The Fall Footbrake Frenzy III paid out an impressive $51,720 in cash, plus over $5,000 in prizes from an array of sponsors. All told, racers recorded nearly 1,100 pairs down Coastal Plains Dragway in just two days, and in the process proved that it was possible to complete two big car count races in the same day. Walton and Beard also treated participants to a Racer Appreciation Barbecue sponsored by Piggly Wiggly supermarkets and Coastal Beverage, homemade cookies, and live entertainment from the Band of Oz, presented by United Rentals.

“The massive support from the racers, the great Coastal Plains staff, our lovely (and take-charge) wives, and an incredible weather forecast all came together to make this event a tradition that we are not only going to keep going, but intend to make even better for the racers,” Beard concluded.

Bojangles Friday $5K
A high of 66 degrees and unending clear blue skies greeted 191 entries for Friday’s $5,000 to win opening event, sponsored by Jacksonville area Bojangles restaurants. Some new faces joined the honor roll of big money racing, with North Carolina drivers Kevin Wideman and Brett Miles squaring off for the $5,000 big check in the final round.

Wideman, driving a Plymouth Duster offered up by car owner David Stebner, defeated Ohio’s Bubba Black in the semifinals, with a .007 to .036 holeshot, allowing him to pedal to a 6.340 (6.29 dial-in) over the 6.384 (6.34) from Black’s Chevy S-10. Miles, a big buck race rookie, made it an all-Mopar affair with the semifinal bye run, posting an .052 bulb and a 7.785 (7.80) behind the wheel of his Dodge Dart.
Wideman’s perfect .000 reaction time set the stage in the finals. Miles’ .060 light left him no choice but to break out, 7.758 (7.79), leaving Wideman to collect the victory with a 6.339 (6.30).




Saturday $20K
There were plenty of familiar faces among the 171 racers who made possible the return of the $20,000 main event to Thanksgiving weekend. New Jersey drivers reclaimed dominance when the dollars were on the line, none more spectacularly than Dave Harvey, Jr. Harvey’s Plymouth Valiant is no stranger to the Thanksgiving winner’s circle, but his series of impressive finishes have always presided over the satellite races bookending the $20K weekend. Harvey solidified his already acknowledged superstar status by keeping two entries alive to the round of four. Ironically, Harvey lost both entries in the opening frame (one of them on a -.001 red light), but revived each in the re-entry round. After that, Harvey was on a mission, recording eight lights .018 or better.
His first semifinal opponent was recently crowned Farmington Footbrake Nationals winner Scott Macy, but Macy quickly determined the outcome of the race with an -.012 foul behind the wheel of Ernie Humes’ Plymouth Volare, wasting a dead-on 6.779. Harvey left little on the table, however, with an .013-backed perfectly dead-on 6.990. Six minutes later, Harvey was on the starting line again, facing fellow Jersey racer Anthony Fetch, who was runner-up in the first Thanksgiving $20K in 2003. Fetch was driving the same rent-a-ride Camaro that carried Bob Mullaney to the $20K title in 2009, and it helped him see the finals once more. Fetch unleashed a devastating .002 package: a .002 light and a perfectly dead-on 6.990 to match Harvey’s previous run. This time, however, Harvey’s .035 “miss” and 7.004 drop (6.99) was ineffectual.
Back for the finals, Harvey took his other entry into the rubber match with Fetch. Harvey’s clutch .004-initiated 7.008 (6.99) was enough to force a narrow breakout from Fetch’s otherwise admirable .015 and 6.971 (6.98) effort. Although he missed an opportunity to score an elusive double, Harvey’s win and semi in the $20K is a stunning feat that will be long remembered.



Saturday $5K
Second generation racer Tesz Powell etched his name on the list of big money footbrake winners with a driving clinic in the final $5K event, rivaling Harvey’s. Powell reeled off eight bulbs .019 or better in his North Carolina based Chevelle between his two entries, and kept both alive into the fifth round. Even when he dropped one entry, his .015 and .01-over pass was good enough to earn the best losing package of the round.
In the semifinals, Powell faced the aforementioned 2009 $20K Champion, Bob Mullaney of New Jersey, driving Paul Thimm’s Camaro. Mullaney offered an .030 bulb and dropped to a .02-over 6.492, with nowhere to go against Powell’s .010 package (.008, dead-on 6.702). Meanwhile, Maryland’s David Meador took the bye run.
Powell’s .029 to .058 holeshot told the tale in the finals. His 6.725 (6.70) covered Meador’s dead-on but tardy 6.533. It won’t be long before the footbrake community at large recognizes the name Tesz Powell as a threat to win an event of any magnitude.


FALL FOOTBRAKE FRENZY III
Coastal Plains Dragway, Jacksonville, NC
November 25-26, 2011

RESULTS

BOJANGLES FRIDAY $5K

FINAL ROUND
WIN - Kevin Wideman (NC - Duster) .000 6.339 (6.30) 98.48 mph
R/U - Brett Miles (NC - Dart) .060 7.758 (7.79) 87.53 mph


SEMI-FINALS
W - Kevin Wideman (NC - Duster) .007 6.342 (6.29) 103.66 mph
L - Bubba Black (OH - S-10) .036 6.384 (6.34) 106.14 mph
BYE - Brett Miles (NC - Dart) .052 7.785 (7.80) 87.54 mph
WATKINS FLOOR COVERING
DASH FOR CASH (Best Package)
1st $250 - William Roberts (NC - Camaro) .019
2nd $150 - Terry Rucker (NC - Mustang) .022
3rd $100 - Ray Thurston IV (PA - Camaro) .023


BEST LOSING PACKAGE ROUND PRIZES
Rnd 1 - Jay Norris (SC - Aspen) .012 Pkg
Free Buyback and the Re-Entry Bye Run


Rnd 2 - Joe Goldey (MD - Chevy II) .025 Pkg
$400 Gift Cert, Abruzzi Racing Transmissions & Converters


Rnd 3 - Ernie Humes (NC - Demon) .022 Pkg
Mickey Thompson Tires


Rnd 4 - William Robert (NC - Camaro) .039 Pkg
Case of 0w30 CAM2 Blue Blood Racing Oil


Rnd 5 - Jay Norris (SC - Aspen) .066 Pkg
3 Month Subscription to ThisIsBracketRacing.com


Rnd 6 - Brian Cirredu (OH - Camaro) .036 Pkg
Free Weekend Entry to the Jim Harrington Footbrake Classic

ADDITIONAL AWARDS
Mallie Pennington (NC - Camaro) - Dave Morgan Chassis Seminar


R/U - Brett Miles (NC - Dart)
$50 Gift Cert, K&N Filters


Win - Kevin Wideman (NC - Duster)
$100 Gift Cert, K&N Filters
"Big Check" from Staging Light Graphics


SATURDAY $20K


FINAL ROUND
WIN - Dave Harvey, Jr. (NJ - Valiant) .004 7.008 (6.99) 94.16 mph
RU - Anthony Fetch (NJ - Camaro) .015 6.971 (6.98) 97.41 mph


SEMI-FINALS
W - Dave Harvey, Jr. (NJ - Valiant) .013 6.990 (6.99) 95.39 mph
L - Scott Macy (NC - Volare) -.012 6.779 (6.77) 90.17 mph


W - Anthony Fetch (NJ - Camaro) .002 6.990 (6.99) 96.34 mph
L - Dave Harvey, Jr. (NJ - Valiant) .035 7.004(6.99) 92.58 mph


WATKINS FLOOR COVERING
DASH FOR CASH (Best Package)
1st $250 - Ed Begley (NJ - Firebird) .013 Pkg
2nd $150 - Dave Meador (MD - Camaro) .015 Pkg
3rd $100 - Clayton Roberts (NC - Camaro) .017 Pkg
BEST LOSING PACKAGE ROUND PRIZES
Rnd 1 - Jacob Rutledge (GA - Vega) .033 Pkg
Free Buyback and the Re-Entry Bye Run


Rnd 2 - Mike Barber (PA - Mustang) .026 Pkg
Free Torque Converter from Abruzzi Racing Transmissions & Converters


Rnd 3 - Richard Alford (NC - Chevelle) .024 Pkg
$100 cash from Ferndale Flyer


Rnd 4 - Anthony Fetch (NJ - Camaro) .042 Pkg
Case of 0w30 CAM2 Blue Blood Racing Oil


Rnd 5 - Paul Thimm, Jr. (PA - Camaro) .035 Pkg
1-Year Subscription to ThisIsBracketRacing.com


Rnd 6 - Johnathan Surratt (NC - Chevelle) .026 Pkg
Weekend Entry for the Triple 10's at the World Footbrake Challenge VI


ADDITIONAL AWARDS
Scott Macy (NC - Volare) - Dave Morgan Chassis Seminar


R/U - Anthony Fetch (NJ - Camaro)
$50 Gift Cert, K&N Filters


Win - Dave Harvey, Jr. (NJ - Valiant)
$100 Gift Cert, K&N Filters
"Big Check" from Staging Light Graphics
Set of Custom T-Shirts from Tony Saraceni of 1/4-Mile T's


SATURDAY $5K


FINAL ROUND
WIN - Tesz Powell (NC - Chevelle) .029 6.725 (6.70) 98.65 mph
RU - David Meador (MD - Camaro) ..058 6.533 (6.53) 102.99 mph


SEMI-FINALS
W - Tesz Powell (NC - Chevelle) .008 6.702 (6.70) 99.53 mph
L - Bob Mullaney (NJ - Camaro) .030 6.492 (6.47) 99.98 mph


BYE - David Meador (MD - Camaro) -.023 6.678 (6.53) 87.37 mph


BEST LOSING PACKAGE ROUND PRIZES
Rnd 1 - Clayton Roberts (NC - Camaro) .031 Pkg
Free Buyback and the Re-Entry Bye Run


Rnd 2 - Terry Rucker (NC - Mustang) .035 Pkg
$400 Gift Cert, Abruzzi Racing Transmissions & Converters


Rnd 3 - Rodney Lunsford (NC - Mustang) .033 Pkg
Mickey Thompson Tires


Rnd 4 - Jeff Root (VA - Camaro) .058 Pkg
Case of 0w30 CAM2 Blue Blood Racing Oil


Rnd 5 - Tesz Powell (NC - Chevelle) .035 Pkg
3 Month Subscription to ThisIsBracketRacing.com

Rnd 6 - Richard Alford (NC - Chevelle) .057 Pkg
Free Weekend Entry for the No-Box Nationals


ADDITIONAL AWARDS
R/U - David Meador (MD - Camaro)
$50 Gift Cert, K&N Filters


Win - Tesz Powell (NC - Chevelle)
$100 Gift Cert, K&N Filters
"Big Check" from Staging Light Graphics

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Lee Sherman S/SS Combo & Farmington Footbrake

Racing recaps....


---------------

Lee Sherman Memorial Stock/Super Stock Combo
November 5-6, 2011
Mason-Dixon Dragway - Hagerstown, MD
Terry Knott - Dart Sport
Saturday - Round 2
Sunday - Round 1
---------------



Footbrake Nationals & Footbrake Champions Showdown
November 12-13
Farmington Dragway - Farmington, NC
Michael Beard - Volare
Champions Showdown - Round 1
Saturday - Round 1
Sunday - Round 3

The Duck Tape Turismo was featured on the event t-shirts and the winner's "Happy Gilmore" big check. We received 24 t-shirts as part of our prize package for being the 2010 Champions Showdown winner.

MEDIA (Available in print and online at http://www.ihramag.com/ )
Drag Review Magazine - Nov 11, 2011, Issue 21.
- Super Stock Semifinal mention, photo & caption pg 17
- Stock Runner-Up mention, photos & captions pp 18-19

Drag Review Magazine - Nov 15, 2011, Issue 22.
- Stock Semifinal mention, pp 18-19
- #3 in Stock, photo pg 30

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

A Final and Two Semi's at IHRA World Finals

IHRA World Finals
Virginia Motorsports Park, Petersburg, VA
October 7-9, 2011

Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Spectacular (Fri-Sat)
Super Stock (Volare) - Semi-Finals!
Stock (Dart Sport) - Runner-Up!

IHRA Summit Tournament of Champions (Sat-Sun)
Stock (Dart Sport) - Semi-Finals!
Team Duck Tape finishes #3 in the World in Stock Eliminator for the second straight year.

MEDIA:
Sportsman Spectacular results: http://www.ihra.com/News/2011/10/15/1/
(crossposted on DragRaceResults.com, DragRaceCentral.com)
Drag Review Magazine (currently available online at http://www.ihramag.com/ with print issues going out next week)

Oct 28, 2011 issue
pg 15 - Rockingham Pro-Am Super Stock Win - Photos and results
pg 47 - Darlington Pro-Am Super Stock Runner-Up - Photos and results

VIDEOS:
3rd Round of Super Stock: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rkc6FiUZTxQ
Sportsman Spectacular Final Round: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1FRmkvEB-Q
3rd Round of Stock at Virginia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySOYWmCqQik

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Carolina Bracket Series

Carolina Bracket Series

Coastal Plains Dragway, Jacksonville, NC
September 10-11, 2011
Duck Tape Volare
SAT: Quarter-Finals (down to final 8 cars remaining)
SUN: Round 1

MEDIA
Drag Review Magazine - Sept 9, 2011 - Issue 17
- pg 16 photo - Tournament of Champions Qualifiers - Stock
- pg 28-29 photos and story - Northern Nitro Jam Stock win coverage
- pg 44 photo - H/CM Class Runoffs Winner

Drag Review Magazine - Aug 26, 2011 - Issue 16
- pg 44 photos - Dunn-Benson Pro-Am Runner-Up coverage
(current and archived issues available online at www.ihramag.com)

Monday, August 22, 2011

Rockingham Super Stock Final!

IHRA Summit Pro-Am Tour

Rockingham Dragway, Rockingham, NC
August 19-21, 2011
Vehicles: Duck Tape Volare, competing in Super Stock

The Duck Tape Turismo was sidelined this weekend with fuel system or carburetor problems.
Friday: Test n' Tune
Saturday: Qualified 13th in Super Stock for Sunday's main event. Saturday night Stock/Super Stock Combo race, lost in round 1.
Sunday: Advanced to the final round of Super Stock. We were suiting up for the finals when a thunderstorm forced the conclusion of the event to be postponed until the Summit Pro-Am event in Darlington, SC in two weeks. (http://www.ihra.com/News/2011/08/21/1/)
We've struggled substantially with the new combination in the Volare up until this weekend. Tim Sloan at Sloan Racing Engines has gone above and beyond in recent weeks, working on many components outside of the engine. We exorcised the last major gremlin this week, and went from languishing in the 11-second zone in the 1/4-mile to a massively-improved 10.65 on the very first test run Friday night. With some tuning on the fuel injection system, we ended Friday with a personal best of a 10.579 @ 124 mph (6.65 @ 101 mph in the 1/8th mile). The power, consistency, and driveability are all there. As I'd hoped after last week's national event victory, all it was going to take to turn the season around was a good car. Over the course of three days, the 60' times moved just a hundredth of a second, lane to lane, day to night, a testimony to the MoneyMaker Racing supplied Calvert Racing springs, shocks, and CalTracs suspension. Reaction times were from a perfect .000 to an .035, with the exception of a single run where I had too little fuel in the setup for the lower launch rpm I tried on that one run. While I would've liked to have been able to finish the race at Rockingham, Darlington has also been good to Duck Tape Racing over the years, and we can go into the weekend knowing that we have either a Win or a Runner-Up already!
Although new car blues are to be expected, the last two months have been admittedly frustrating. Thank you so much to each and every one of you who have had a hand in putting the new Super Stock combination together, improving it, and sorting it out. We now have the competitive race car that we hoped it would be, and to score a final round in the first "good" weekend out is vindication, and encouraging to say the least!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Beard Teams Up with Knott for Michigan Stock Win

IHRA Northern Nitro Jam
US 131 Motorsports Park, Martin, MI
August 12-14, 2011

Vehicles:
Dart Sport
-- Moser Axle Mania Shootout: Lost 1st Round
-- Stock Eliminator: WON EVENT! (2-page event coverage with story and photos will be featured in an upcoming issue of Drag Review Magazine)

Volare
-- Super Stock: Lost 1st Round by .006 seconds
Duck Tape Racing's Michael Beard qualified for the Moser Axle Mania Shootout by virtue of his 2010 IHRA Div. 2 Stock Championship. Since the Duck Tape Volare is now a Super Stock car and the Turismo doesn't have Moser Axles to meet eligibility requirements for the shootout, Beard needed to borrow a car to run in Shootout and in Stock. Longtime friend and teammate Terry Knott once again offered up the seat in his Dart Sport, which Beard drove to the 2003 IHRA Stock World Championship under the Loctite and Duck Tape banners. Ironically, Knott had purchased Beard's crate motor out of the Volare earlier this year. While Beard was still shaking the rust off during the Moser Shootout Friday night, and persistent rain denied any Saturday racing, the duo found their old stride by Sunday to claim the Stock Eliminator title at the IHRA Northern Nitro Jam. Beard was already qualified for the IHRA Summit Tournament of Champions coming up at Virginia in October, but the win knocks out one other potential competitor from the TOC roster.
Notables...

- It was Beard's 5th final round of the season, boosting his career tally to 162 event wins out of 237 final round appearances.

- The Dart Sport was shod with some brand new 28x10 Mickey Thompson bias ply slicks on Friday, with 60' times varying just thousandths all weekend.

- Although Beard has technically driven the Dart Sport before (the last time resulting in a National event runner-up in Maryland in 2005), it marks the third time in four years that he has found the winner's circle in the first weekend out with a 'new' car.

- the Volare continues to go through 'new car blues', and we've made a little headway, but we feel confident that we have finally located the source of our lost performance. It's back to the shop on Thursday, then testing at Rockingham on Friday. The win in Stock shows that once we get this car sorted out, good things will quickly follow.

Media

Drag Review Magazine, Issue 13 (July 15, 2011), Michael Beard and Chip Johnson named "Best of the Best" Sportsman Racer by IHRA President Aaron Polburn, pg 96

Drag Review Magazine, Issue 14 (July 29, 2011), Moser Axle Manis Qualifier photo pg 15

Drag Review Magazine, Issue 15 (Aug 12, 2011), FF/SA Class Winner photo pg 34 from the Sportsman Spectacular event at Maryland


Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Richmond and Pittsburgh Double-Headers

IHRA Summit Pro-Am Tour and TOC Qualifier

Richmond Dragway, Sandston, VA
July 29-31, 2011
Vehicle: Duck Tape Volare
Friday: Test n' Tune
Saturday: Round 1
Saturday Night Stock/Super Stock Combo: Rained out in the Semifinals (still in competition at 4 cars)
Sunday: Round 1

While the main events did not go well as we continued to struggle with traction issues, things settled down long enough to get down to the final four cars in Saturday night's Stock/Super Stock Combo. We were in the staging lanes for the semifinals when persistent sprinkles forced us to call it a night, and the purse was split evenly among us. During the following week, we checked over and fixed some rocker arm/polylock issues at Sloan Engines, and while there, installed all of the new rear suspension components from Calvert Racing and Moneymaker Racing, including the split rear mono-leaf springs, CalTracs, and adjustable rear shocks.

IHRA Summit Pro-Am Tour and TOC Qualifier
Pittsburgh Raceway Park, New Alexandria, PA
August 5-7, 2011
Vehicle: Duck Tape Volare
Friday: Test n' Tune
Saturday: Round 2
Sunday: Round 1

The CalTracs cured our traction troubles, but we remain down on power... that is until we discovered that somehow the ignition timing had moved about 8 degrees. Readjusting the timing should wake it back up!