Top five in 2009 - Bill Elekes - Fourth Place

[Ted Barnes]

670 points earned veteran drag racer a solid finish

Bill Elekes from West Seneca, NY has an impressive racing resume. And now he can add a top five finish in the 2009 Joe's Transmission TNT Super Series to his list of achievements. "We're going into our 37th year of racing in 2010," said Bill. "Running in this TNT Super Series is a great deal. It's as competitive as it gets and allows us to stay close to home."

With over 150 final rounds under his belt including multiple finals in both NHRA and IHRA competition over the years - including events like the 1990 IHRA World Nationals and the 2005 IHRA Pittsburgh Pro Am - Bill is pleased with his results this year.

A TNT Super Series supporter from the beginning, this is Bill's third season in the top ten. Two number one qualifiers, many late round appearances and two final rounds all add up to earn Bill a fourth place finish in the 2009 Joe's Transmission TNT Super Series.

But it wasn't a season without headache. In July while competing at the IHRA national event at Grand Bend, the 1975 Chevy Monza suffered a major drivetrain failure taking out the rear gears, spool and an axle. Then in early August at the Skyview IHRA Pro Am, head gasket failure caused considerable block and cylinder head damage. "We just kept plugging away," added Bill. "In this sport, that kind of thing goes with the territory."

And that's the kind of effort it takes to compete against some of the best sportsman drag racers in the northeast. Two weeks later at the August 21st TNT event, Bill returned and went all the way to the final. Then gremlins returned at the October 3rd TNT season finale when the Monza broke a lifter in first round, yet Bill still managed a semi-final finish. "We just kept tightening the lash until the cylinder went dead in fourth round and then we couldn't run the number!"

Supporting Bill and his racing habit are his wife Pam along with daughters Stephanie and Rachel. In fact, you'll often find Stephanie and her boyfriend Mike at the racetrack making sure the Monza is ready to go. The 470 big block Chev powered 2600 lb racecar will run the 10.90 index at 146 mph - which keeps Bill near the top of the field for mph. Cast iron heads, a single 4 bbl carb, Powerglide transmission and 9" Ford rear help get things to the pavement.

For 2010, Bill plans to chase the TNT Super Series title along with running his Beretta at select NHRA events.

The TNT schedule for 2010 is already taking shape with 12 events planned similar to 2009. Stay tuned to www.tntsuperseries.com for the latest in series news and information.