After being delayed by inclement weather last week, racers at the Atlanta Dragway opened their 2011 season with near perfect conditions Saturday.
Jefferson’s Jody Blalock brought his fast and unique 1947 Hudson out to the Commerce quarter mile, and succeeded in turning on the final round win light in Pro class against Randall Roop of Canton. Blalock’s small reaction time advantage helped him take the win in spite of a breakout pass of 6.264 at 109.47 mph (6.27 dial).
Roop actually took the finish line first, but broke out more in his ’95 Mustang GT, which carded a 6.457 at 105.87 mph (6.51 dial).
2010 opening round winner Ricky Page of Monroe made it to the Super Pro finals with his ’90 Mustang, and looked to be in position to repeat his season opening victory from last year. Unlike 2010, however, he missed the win light this time by .009 seconds, posting a breakout 7.971 at 86.92 mph (7.98 dial) against another veteran, Donny Brown, Jr. from Buford.
Brown nailed his 4.78 dial with a 4.786 at 142.00 mph in an ’03 Spitzer dragster to take the win.
Scott Reynolds won the last two Sportsman class events at Atlanta Dragway in 2010, and kept the pace up, winning Sportsman with his Cartersville based ’90 Firebird. Former High School champion Alan Long of Ballground finished third at the last 2010 Sportsman event, and advanced to second place in Saturday’s action. Reynolds took advantage of Long’s off pace 17.60 at 68.63 mph pass (17.51 dial) to run 14.12 at 96.56 mph (14.05 dial).
Clermont motorcycle racer Tim Sutton is no stranger to the winner’s circle. This time, Sutton slowed his ’83 Suzuki to a 9.111 at 120.41 mph (8.89 target) for the win against another top racer, Brian Wilson from Tallapoosa. Wilson’s ’82 Suzuki was even more off pace, crossing the finish line with a 9.308 at 140.58 mph (8.85 dial).
Another Clermont racer, 8-year-old Nate “Hot Rod” Halsey, added his name to the Atlanta Dragway 8-12 Junior Dragster winner’s list with a slightly quick 12.950 pass at 49.91 mph (12.96 goal) against
12-year-old Austin Solesbee of Sautee. Solesbee broke out trying to catch Halsey and lost with an 8.878 at 72.41 mph on an 8.90 dial.
Fourteen-year-old Wesley Mayfield of Gainesville received a new Junior Specialties engine over the winter break, and promptly took it to the 13-17 Jr. Dragster winner’s circle with a breakout 7.846 at 82.53 mph (7.92 dial) courtesy of a red-lighting Ricky Hebert. Hebert turned on the dreaded cherry colored bulb with a -.034 second reaction time, and then turned in a 7.874 at 84.50 mph (7.92 dial) pass.
