Races #9 & #10 at Darlington

[Tabitha Draughon]

Coming up next weekend at Darlington Dragway October 14th & 15th, our only 1/4 event of the year. The SC Super Gas Association will be running with us & Carolina Classic Modified Production. There is a track rental starting at 4 pm on Saturday with the track Columbia Car Meets - CCM so we're hoping to be near done by the time they start if everyone will work with us.

[Tabitha Draughon]

It's race week for CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association & Carolina Classic Modified Production at Darlington Dragway. This is our first trip back to Darlington Dragway in several years & will also be our only 1/4 mile race of the year for CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association. Gates will open on Friday evening, October 13th at 7 p.m. for a track hosted test-n-tune until 10:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 14th: Gates open at 8 a.m., time runs begin at 10 a.m. There only be CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association, CCMP, & Super Gas Association Southeast, Inc. competing on Saturday before a track rental starts at 4 p.m. We can race after 4 p.m. with the track rental but I'm hoping we are close to being done or at least in the short rows by then. Phillips Auto Body of Lumberton, NC is the Saturday race sponsor. This business is owned by Stock & Super Stock racers Missy & Cody Phillips. If you are in need of any automotive body work, be sure to check them out. Precision Fabrication and Wiring is the Saturday race associate sponsor. Precision Fabrication and Wiring is owned by Steve Terry & they are located in Franklinton, NC. This is an auto restoration & wiring business. Be sure to check them out on Facebook.

Sunday, October 15th: Gates open at 10 a.m., God Speed Ministry church service at 10:15 a.m., & CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Dash for Cash starts at 11 a.m. The Sunday event title sponsor is Service Department Solutions Racing out of Campobello, SC & is owned by Super Stock racers, Mike & Emily Volkman. This is a business that works with automotive dealerships to help with determining your warranty parts &/or labor increase potential. The associate sponsor for Sunday is HGR's Truck & Trailer Sales, Inc.. They are a trailer business located in Hope Mills, NC & offers various sizes of trailers on their lot ready for purchase.

Please always check the list of CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association sponsors to see if one listed is something that you are in need of. Our sponsors need to feel they are getting their monies worth & the exposure that their businesses need. We need these sponsors & these sponsors need our support!!!

* $100.00 to enter race per day
* Seatbelts must be within 2 years
* Helmets must be Snell SA2015 or Newer
* Permanent class destination code/car #'s on all 4 windows
* Blinders are allowed
* CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association shirts & hats will be available (limited quantities & sizes)
* You DO NOT have to be a member to race with us, only to receive points.

*** If your car hasn't been through CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association tech in 2023, it is your responsibility to bring to the registration area to be teched.

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association text messaging program is open to all races & it's a way to stay up-to-date on all CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association announcements.
https//remind.com/join/daa84g6

We are looking forward to seeing everyone this weekend at Darlington Dragway!

[Tabitha Draughon]

We are racing this weekend at Darlington Dragway. If we are unable to start on Saturday at our scheduled time, we will get on the track as soon as possible. We are allowed to run within the track rental on Saturday evening/night, & we also have Sunday to complete everything.

Get 'em loaded up & head south! Let's put on one heck of a show for Jeff miles & his crew at Darlington Dragway.

See y'all soon!!!

[Tabitha Draughon]

Racers you will pay your entry fees at the CCRA pink registration tent. You will only pay for your crew members at the gate.

[Tabitha Draughon]

Darlington Dragway Full Race Recap:

Let's just say that Mother Nature tried her hardest to put a damper on our weekend but our CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association racers, officials, & Darlington Dragway staff showed her who was boss! We started much later on Saturday evening than we had scheduled but Jeff Miles & his phenomenal staff at Darlington Dragway never gave up. We finally hit the track about 6 p.m. on Saturday evening after deciding to run 1/8 mile for the Saturday race only due to safety concerns. We had our normal one time run & then our Warren Engines sponsored Dash for Cash. Homer Carty was the last car down the track & collected the first $100.00 bill of the weekend. He was dialed a 6.29, had a .0278 RT, & ran dead on his dial 6.2973 @ 109.20 mph. We had 27 cars make first round call. Bert Powell pairs up against one of his sons 🙂, Mike Pozzi, during round 1 of eliminations but comes out on the losing side of the round. He didn't leave empty handed though as he was awarded the Victory Lane Golf Carts 1st Round Best Losing Package. He ran a 6.1785 @ 110.13 mph on his 6.17 dial with a .0403 RT. With only a couple of cars left to complete 1st round, one of our racers crossed the center line & took out a timing block due to being able to see with the dew falling. We did complete the 1st round of competition but then decided to call the event for the night & pick up with 2nd round of race #1 on Sunday morning at 11 a.m. On Sunday morning, we went straight into 2nd round & ran that race to completion. Points leader, Kevin Locklear, found himself receiving a dreaded "yellow ticket" in round 2 but he did earn himself 5 gallons of Renegade Race Fuels & Lubricants PRO 112+ racing fuel for getting the Ford's Fuel and Propane/ Renegade Race Fuels & Lubricants 2nd Round Best Losing Package. Kevin had a .0365 RT & ran a 6.7563 @ 95.66 mph on his 6.74 dial. In the Semis', we had Mike Pozzi losing to Korey Alexander & Terry Taylor taking the loss against Curt Smith Jr. Curt Smith Jr. found himself in the finals at Darlington Dragway, on his first trip here, & a track that was good to The Smith Family in years past. Curt Jr. came out with his 2nd win in his 2nd finals of the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association season when Korey Alexander had his worst light of the race. Curt Jr. was dialed a 7.20, had a .0309 RT, & broke out running 7.1995 @ 91.84 mph for the big W! Korey was dialed 6.66, had a .0926 RT, & also broke out running 6.6371 @ 96.38 mph. If y'all were there, you noticed Korey dialed & ran dead on a 6.66 several times during this race which has an emotional story to it & several of us were taking it pretty difficult but let's just say, he had an angel riding co-pilot with him this past weekend. RIP Chris, you are already missed brother!!! 🙁 Curt Jr was able to collect his 2nd CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Eagle trophy, trailer check sponsored by Mj Custom Printing & Graphics, $300.00 gift certificate from QA1, & a $100.00 gift certificate from ATI Performance Products. His wife Marina & father, Curtis were in attendance to help celebrate this victory. Korey also received a smaller trailer check courtesy of Mj Custom Printing & Graphics (Kelsey's check is still bigger than yours), $100.00 gift certificate from Altronics Inc, $50.00 gift certificate from Meziere Enterprises, & a $50.00 gift certificate from ATI Performance Products. Korey's winnings didn't stop there though, he also was awarded the Auto Plus Service Center Paul Bunyan "Best Reaction Time" award for his .0006 RT in Round #2 & the Bounty Hunter Award sponsored by Wayside Landscapes & Supply for taking out our previous Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway Sunday winner Homer Carty in Round #2 while using his .0006 RT. The Butner Construction sponsored Sportsmanship Award went to Howie Adams for his help fixing the transmission leak on Homer Carty's Chevy II. The Zamp Racing Best Winning Package of the race came from a 1st round win for Dell Britt. He was dialed a 6.96, had a .0090 RT, & ran a 6.9600 @ 94.92 mph. Keith Alexander received the Gutters by Design Mind in the Gutter/Worst RT of the race when his first round losing ticket showed a LB3A. Race #1 was completed around 2:30 p.m. & we soon call for the Warren Engines sponsored Dash for Cash for the 2nd race which was contested 1/4 mile.

[Tabitha Draughon]

Sunday Race #2 Results:

This race went with our original plans from the beginning of the 2023 season with Darlington Dragway being the only 1/4 mile race of the year for CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association. All racers put a dial in on their car with nothing to lose but a chance to win $100.00 & eligibility for 1st round bye courtesy of Warren Engines. Howie Adams was the winner of the Dash for Cash for running 9.6205 @ 137.78 mph on his 9.62 dial with a .0202 RT. A random tech card was drawn from both races for the Half Moon Marketplace "Act of Giving Back" award & Tim Stickles was the winner of the Visa gift card. I'm sure it comes in handy for him during his travels as he is from New Hampshire. He decided to come a week early to race with CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association before hitting up the last NHRA Southeast Division 2 race of the year this coming weekend at Rockingham Dragway. After losing 3 cars during our Dash for Cash run from breakage, we had 25 cars make first round. Don Shuford came on Sunday morning to race the 2nd race of the day & although he didn't have the results that I'm sure he hoped for, he still left with an envelope. He took a tough loss in round 1 after having a .0009 RT, then breaking out running 10.3634 @ 124.04 mph on his 10.38 dial. He was awarded the Victory Lane Golf Carts 1st Round Best Losing Package. The Ford's Fuel and Propane/ Renegade Race Fuels & Lubricants 2nd Round Best Losing Package, receiving a 5 gallon pail of PRO 112+ racing fuel, was DeWitt Pope. DeWitt really needed this fuel as he has found himself on occasion "running out" of fuel while trying to make a pass 😉. DeWitt was dialed a 11.35, had a .0144 RT, & broke out running 11.3239 @ 111.97 mph. In the Semi's, we had Mr. Jim Morgan staging up against new racer for 2023 Kelly Morris. Mr. Jim came out of the losing side of this run. He had a .0597 RT, ran a 10.7053 @ 117.71 mph on his 10.76 dial. If y'all notice all these breakouts, we had sun, then no sun, wind, then no wind so it was difficult on dialing to say the least. Sunday Race #2 came down to Curt Smith Jr, in his 2nd finals of the day & 3rd finals of the year) & Kelly Morris in his 1st career final. Kelly handed the win to Curt Jr. at the tree when he turned it -.0558 red. Kelly was dialed a 13.74 & ran a 13.7323 @ 94.14 mph. Curt Jr. was .0976 at the tree, then ran a 11.4626 @ 113.55 mph on his 11.45 dial. Curt Jr. added another "Eagle" to his trophy collection, a large trailer check courtesy of Mj Custom Printing & Graphics, $300.00 gift certificate to QA1 & a $100.00 gift certificate to ATI Performance Products. Kelly received a smaller trailer check courtesy of Mj Custom Printing & Graphics, a $100.00 gift certificate from Altronics Inc, a $50.00 gift certificate from Meziere Enterprises, & a $50.00 gift certificate from ATI Performance Products. Don Shuford also received the Auto Plus Service Center Paul Bunyan/Best RT award for his .0009 RT during E1. Lee Truell was the McLawhorn Racing Hard Luck Award for his starter failure while sitting on the bye run 2nd round & couldn't take the tree. The Wayside Landscapes & Supply Bounty Hunter award will carry over to our next race in November at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway & will be on Curt Smith Jr. We actually awarded 3 racers with the Butner Construction Sportsmanship Award during race #2 yesterday for them helping fellow racers. Tim Stickles & Tim Sloan each received an award for going above & beyond to help Lee Truell & then DeWitt Pope helped Tim Stickles with loading his broken race car at the completion of the afternoon. Kelly Morris recieved the Crew Chief Pro Software Best Winning Package of the race during his round 2 win. He was dialed a 13.82, had a .0040 RT, & ran dead on 13.8273 @ 93.57 mph. Dennis Pope got the first round win but he also was awarded the Gutters by Design Mind in the Gutter/Worst RT of the race for his .1557 RT.

We are coming up on the end of the 2023 CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association season with our next & final 2 races coming up at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway on November 18th & 19th. Remember we will have our big Thanksgiving feast on Saturday so y'all be planning what you'd like to bring & come hungry! We would like to wish our racers "Good Luck" that will be competing in the final race of the NHRA Southeast Division 2 season this coming weekend at Rockingham.

See y'all at the track soon!