The WDRA Bracket Finals Season Comes to a Close as the Final Regional Champions are named at Gulfport Dragway
The final four of the twenty class champions were crowned as racers earned their way into the 2023 Summit Bracket Finals, presented by Laris Motorsports. Racers came from Buffalo Valley Dragway, US 19 Dragway, Immokalee Regional Raceway, Twin City Raceway, Prescott Raceway, Atmore Dragstrip, North Florida Motorplex, Montgomery Motorsports Park, and host track, Gulfport Dragway.
Gaylon Rolison from the host facility enjoyed the camaraderie between the racers and member track representatives. “I think everyone involved enjoyed the racing. We look forward to working with the WDRA to make this grow in the future.”
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Trampus Stewart – WDRA 2023 Box Eliminator Champion
Gulfport Dragway – WDRA 2023 Southern Finals Team Champions
FRIDAY GAMBLER RACES
When Gambler–Box pulled out of the staging lanes, AJ Ashe and Britt Cummings were the finalists. Cummings bettered Ashe’s reaction time with a .008 light. It was a different game at the finish line as Cummings broke out of his 6.54 dial by -.007 to hand the win to Ashe.
Aaron Hill won the Gambler–No Box, Friday edition when he used a .007 reaction time for the advantage over Jeanne Allen. Hill was on his brakes as he got to the finish first, almost 1/10-second from his dial while still finishing first over Allen’s slowing 6.96 on a 6.90 dial-in.
The Gambler–Sportsman finals saw Carl Schaffer taking on Justin Grove. The race was decided on the starting line as Grove jumped off the line by -.09 seconds to turn on Schaffer’s win light immediately.
The final round of the Gambler–Junior Dragster competition paired Ryan Alexander and Hayden Miller. Miller ran a 7.958 on a 7.91 dial, but Alexander tripped the finish line timers with a 7.927 on a 7.90 dial-in.
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Carl Schaffer – WDRA 2023 Sportsman Champion
Darryl Paul – WDRA 2023 No-Box Eliminator Champion
SATURDAY GAMBLER’S RACE
Gearing up for the main events on Friday and Saturday, the gambler shootouts were offered to each class. In the Box-Gambler category, Sam Patrick cut a better .023 reaction time against Gerald Franks in the final round. The pair ran very close to their respective dial-ins, with Patrick getting there first with a 4.457 against his 4.45 dial-in.
In No-Box–Gambler the final round paired John Vance and Aaron Hill. This final was Hill’s second appearance in the first two No-Box races of the weekend. It was a double break out by both racers handed to win to Vance, who broke out by less with a 6.065 on his 6.07 dial.
Joey Branhof and Jerry matched up for the finals in Gambler–Sportsman. Rogers had the starting line advantage with a .120 reaction time but could not run his dial-in at the top end when Branhof crossed the finish line first for the win, running a 9.08 against his 9.02 dial-in.
In the final round of the Junior Dragster–Gambler class, Zac Pearce took on Rylee Wells. Pearce was off first with a .029 reaction time and covered Wells at the finish line with a 7.921 ET against his 7.90 dial-in for the win.
SATURDAY GAMBLER’S RACE – TWO
Gearing up for the WDRA “big race,” racers were provided a second gambler’s race to hone their skills for the day.
In the Box-Gambler category, the final round paired Todd Nations and David Hammons. Hammons gave up the race with a -003 red light, while Nations took the opportunity to get another free time trial and ran a 6.806 against his 6.79 dial-in.
In No Box–Gambler final round, Slate Cummings and Clayton Fucich left the starting line with respectable reaction times, but Cummings, who finished runner-up in the previous day’s gambler race, turned on the win light this time. Fucich was .036 off his 6.97 dial-in, which wasn’t good enough compared to Cummings’ .011 above his 5.44 dial.
Jimmy Cox took on Hayden Williams in the last round of Gamber–Sportsman. Williams left the starting line .020 of a second too soon, handing the red-light win to Cox.
The two Junior Dragster–Gambler racers who matched up in the finals were Jessie Varner and Kane Kern. Varner bettered Kern on both ends of the dragstrip with a .025 reaction time and finished with a tight 8.971 on an 8.97 dial-in.
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Grace Varner – WDRA 2023 – Junior Dragster Champion
WDRA RACE OF CHAMPIONS
The highest bragging rights for the region came with the running off the respective class champions from each WDRA member track.
Tristan Sholar, representing Gulfport Dragway, stood in the winner’s circle for the WDRA Race of Champions–Box. Johnny Beecher Jr. was in the finals against Sholar, and Beecher started with a killer .0008 reaction time. It was a different story at the finish line strip as Sholar got the win running .021 above his 4.88 dial compared to Beecher, who got second with a 6.239, which was .069 from his dial.
In the Race of Champions–No Box, the North Florida Motorplex champion, Rich Komor, took the championship honors over Opie Pearce. Komor ran a deadly 6.837 on his 6.83 to win the overall championship over Pearce’s 6.10 against his 6.07 dial-in.
The final for the Race of Champions–Sportsman featured North Florida Motorplex racer Joey Branhof taking on Jerry Rogers. Branhof’s hot streak continued from his earlier Gambler race as Rogers redlighted away his champion’s bid.
The battle between champions for the WDRA Race of Champions–Junior Dragster pitted Gavin Sharp, the champ from Twin City Raceway, against Josiah Varner. Sharp put together an impressive .004 reaction time combined with a 9.0225 ET against his 9.02 dial-in to become the champion of Junior Dragster class champions.
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Tristan Sholar – WDRA 2023 – Race of Champions–Box Winner
Rich Komor – WDRA 2023 – Race of Champions–No-Box Winner
THE WDRA/ GULFPORT DRAGWAY SOUTHERN BRACKET FINALS SPECIAL AWARDS The Southern Bracket finals special awards were presented to those special entries who stood out among their peers. These awards included:
Best Appearing Open: Tristan Sholar
Best Appearing Bodied: Trampus Stewart
Best Appearing Junior Dragster: Ryan Alexander
Best Engineered Open: Pat Crawford
Best Engineered Bodied: Elizabeth Jonathan Booth
Best Engineered Junior Dragster: Hayden Miller
THE WDRA MAIN EVENT
It was time for all racers to set their eyes on the WDRA Southern Region championship. Rich Komor, who emerged victorious in the Race of Champions eliminator, also made his way to the WDRA–Box Eliminator Class Championship runoff finals.
Trampus Stewart has other intentions, though. In the final round, Stewart came out as the winner as his overall reaction and ET package bettered Komor by a .027-second margin of victory.
It was a difficult time for Stewart as they began preparing for the bracket finals, “We just lost my mother the previous week, so all of our preparation and racing was dedicated that to her. She was always in my mind every round.”
Stewart continued, “I’ve raced at Gulfport Dragway a lot, it’s my home track. This is the most consistent track I’ve ever raced on so I am real confident when I go there.”
A 1967 Camaro, backhalf car is Stewart’s car of choice, “I like driving her and it is consistent. I knew (Rich) Komor is a tough racer and he had already won a race or two that weekend, so I really had to step-up my effort.” Stewarts win was emotional and he was thrilled at the fellow racers who came to be with him during the winner’s circle festivities.
Joey Branhof – WDRA 2023 – Race of Champions–Sportsman Winner
Scott Campbell – WDRA 2023 – Race of Champions–No Box Winner
WDRA–No Box Eliminator Class Championship – If reading Rich Komor’s name is providing a little Deja Vu it’s because he was also competing in the finals of both Box- and -No-Box classes and earned his way into both final rounds. In this No-Box championship, it came down to him and Darryl Paul.
Paul was undaunted by Komor’s accomplishments as he cut a .0002 reaction time, pairing that with a 6.3200 on his 6.32 dial-in. Komor did a red light, allowing Paul to make a complete pass and show how well he knew his car.
The WDRA Sportsman–Class Championship heard the engines fire up for the final round from Carl Schaffer and Joey Branhof. With a previous Gambler event win for the weekend, this round saw Schaffer run a 7.63 on his 7.60 dial-in to win yet again as Branhof broke out .021-second under his dial-in.
This is a jubilant win for Schaffer, he spoke of his coveted WDRA billet rod championship trophy. “The rounds were intense, but this final was very intense. I pushed it tight, a 7.63 on a 7.60 dial-in. My better reaction time (a .008-second) helped a lot. With a reasonably slight lead, I only tapped the brakes one time.”
“When I won the finals, I was more than excited” described Schaffer. “I came down the return road, hanging out the window. The winner’s circle was an experience with all of my friends there to greet me.”
Talking about the unique WDRA Championship trophy, Schaffer continued, “I have won some races, but nothing like this. I couldn’t stop looking at it in my truck and the way home. Hell, I even put a seat belt around it for the trip! Some will put things like this on a mantle or something, mine is on my bedroom dresser where I can look at it every night and end my day in a positive way.”
Schaffer competes with his 1968 Ford Fairlane set up with a 289 cubic-inch engine and C4 transmission. “It’s called Free Ride because a friend had this body shell in a warehouse. He called me and asked if I wanted the body,” said Schaffer. “I asked how much and he told me to just bring my trailer,”
The Fairlane was a bare body that was painted many years ago and was just sitting on stands with no interior, or drivetrain. Schaffer worked, wheeled and dealed to complete the race car.
The final round of the WDRA Class Championship–Junior Dragster competition paired Grace Varner and Jace Esneault. Varner cut the better .008 reaction time and hit the finish line first with a 7.86 on his 7.82 dial compared to Esneault’s 8.35 on an 8.27 dial-in.
Varner commented, “All weekend was sort of a struggle; I was really geared up about the WDRA event, but couldn’t find my spot on the ‘tree and was bringing up redlight early on. We made some adjustments to my car and driving habits and finally found the tree.”
She chooses a 2022 Mike Bos Junior Dragster as her race car. Varner was quick to thank Tyler Caheely, who maintains her 3 1/4-inch bore racing engine along with her key sponsor, Southeast Grinding and Grooving. You could also hear a little glimmer in Varner’s voice when she described beating her brothers, Josiah and John, in the early part of the weekend. “We have great teamwork between all of my family,” finished Varner. “I thank them and God so much.”
After the event was in the books, Gulfport’s Gaylon Rolison said, “No complaints here. Once the event drew to a close, track and WDRA officials had a good idea session for 2024. That has even carried on to some phone calls between us following the event. I am enthused to make this grow in years to come.”
Carl Schaffer finished talking about the WDRA Southern Bracket finals in the best way. “I have won some races and the money is fine, but it doesn’t excite me. The money just goes away.”
“I have been to other bracket finals,” finishes Schaffer. “And sadly, they didn’t have a whole lot of stuff for the racers. I received so many more prizes in the mail this week from the WDRA, it is obvious they appreciate the racers. My big billet aluminum trophy is going to be with me forever.”
