The WDRA Southeastern Division Bracket Finals Were Hotly Contested at Darlington Dragway
After the crowning of champions in Iowa, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Mississippi, the WDRA team traveled to Darlington Dragway in preparation for the Summit Racing Bracket Finals presented by Laris Motorsports Insurance.
The best of the best racers from eight regional racetracks competed for numerous awards throughout the weekend. Those racetracks were Cherokee Race Park, Coastal Plains Dragway, Darlington Dragway, Farmington Dragway, Greer Dragway, Kinston Drag Strip, Union County Dragway, and Ware Shoals Dragway.
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Parker Dotson – WDRA 2023 Box Eliminator Champion
Bob George – WDRA 2023 No Box Eliminator Champion
FRIDAY GAMBLER RACES
The Box-Gambler final round was an all-dragster matchup between Shane Maddox from Greer Dragway and Matt Robinson from Farmington Dragway. North Carolina earned the bragging rights as Maddox goes .001 red while Robinson coasts across the finish line for the win.
The No Box–Gambler class was divided into Footbrake and No Box until the two classes merged. David Stebner took the .036 margin of victory over Lauren Edwards, who was representing Coastal Plains Dragway.
Carson Robbins – WDRA 2023 Footbrake Champion
Jeff Taylor – WDRA 2023 Sportsman Champion
In the Sportsman–Gambler final round, Ronnie Forrester from Greer Dragway turned a seven-hundredths reaction time advantage into a double-breakout win over Cody Oxner, who was racing for Ware Shoals Dragway.
Saturday Gambler Races
The home team of Darlington Dragway earned their first win of the weekend when Brian Hicks got the $5,000 win over Ernie Humes from Farmington Dragway in the Box-Gambler class. Wayne Vernon from Farmington was the lone semifinalist.
It was a Camaro versus Nova final in the No Box–Gambler class as Chad Dotson from Greer footbraked his way into the $5,000 winner’s circle after taking .0006 at the finish line beside GJ Crews from Darlington. Two Farmington racers, Ernie Humes and Mark Dudley Jr, ended their night in the semifinal.
Brayden Jones – WDRA 2023 Junior Dragster Champion
WDRA 2023 Team Champions and Team Spirit Awards – Greer Dragway
Cherokee’s Cory Smith secured his second win of the day when he defeated Ralph Deloach from Ware Shoals in the Gambler–Sportsman race final. The semifinalists, David Leopard and Brandon Knighten, were both representing Greer Dragway. semifinal.
Riley Purvis from Ware Shoals Dragway won the Junior Dragster–Gambler class when Callie Hall from Greer Dragway turned it red in the final. Darlington Dragway’s Sawyer Blevins and Branson Hutchens from Farmington were both eliminated in the semifinal round.
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Cory Smith – WDRA 2023 – Race of Champions– No-Box Winner
Johnny Hellams – WDRA 2023 – Race of Champions– No-Box Winner
THE WDRA MAIN EVENT
The final day of the WDRA Summit Southeast Bracket Finals increased the stakes once again as the winner in each class could potentially qualify to compete at the first WDRA Sportsman Drag Racing Series World Championship event.
All winners would earn the WDRA Rod trophy and WDRA Champion Card while the cash prizes ranged from $1,000 in Junior Dragster to $5,000 in the Box and Footbrake classes. As the Sportsman class is still gaining popularity, 80% of the total entry fees were hand-delivered back to the racers.
The WDRA–Box Eliminator Championship final round featured two Greer Dragway dragster drivers who are used to sharing the staging lanes as well as sitting side by side in beach chairs during a yearly multi-family vacation.
All the anticipation was relieved at the starting line when Shane Maddox launched with a .005 red light while Parker Dotson was .011 green to win $5K and earn a trip to the WDRA World Finals. Scottie Watts from Union County Dragway was the lone semifinalist.
When asked about the friend turned temporarily foe final round matchup, the 21-year-old said, “I knew staging up in the finals against Shane that we would both be happy for each other, no matter who won. He’s always been like an older brother to me so that took a lot of the pressure off.”
Dotson comes from a bloodline full of drag racers and won’t be alone at the final WDRA event of the season. He continues, “I’m just happy to be competing in the WDRA World Finals with my brother, Will, cousin, Chad, and the rest of Team Greer!”
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Cody Spears – WDRA 2023 – Race of Champions – Sportsman Winner
Rachael Williams – 2023 – Race of Champions–Junior Dragster Winner
The last remaining No-Box competitor was Bob George from Darlington, who made his way to the final round of Footbrake beside the Farmington Dragway wheelman, Carson Robbins. With $5,000 at stake, Robbins left with a 019 starting line advantage and broke out less than George to take the No Box–Championship win in his wheel standing Mustang. Carl Duff from Coastal Plains Dragway was the lone semifinalist.
Robbins recalled his emotions after the final round and said, “Winning the Main Event felt amazing. I don’t get to compete like I once did with a busy life and hectic business, so to pull off a victory with the best from each track was a great confidence builder.”
He continued, “Being the last Farmington racer standing was an honor and a privilege with the tough year the Farm had. With so much negative views and opinions surrounding the track, it’s good to bring some positive light our way and show everyone that we aren’t down and out yet!”
Robbins’ racing will continue in just under two weeks as he joins the short list of drivers who earned a spot to compete at the Summit Sportsman Drag Racing Series (SSDRS) in Darlington. “I’m trying not to think about it too much and treat it like any regular Saturday at the races because the less I think about it, the better I do. I can’t lie though; I am pumped at the thought of being the first WDRA World Champion.”
In the WDRA Sportsman–Class Championship, both drivers were nearly identical on the tree with only one thousandth separating the reaction times. Jeff Taylor from Ware Shoals Dragway ran closer to his 7.77 dial and took the win over Ben Dixon from Farmington Dragway. Dennis Gault from Greer Dragway was the lone semifinalist.
Taylor had already secured a spot into the WDRA World Finals by winning the track championship in Sportsman, so winning the Bracket Finals was just icing on the cake. He says, “This is the biggest win in my forty years of racing. I want to give all of the glory to God.”
Onlookers were seeing double as a Darlington Dragway duo of white Mike Bos juniors dialed 7.90 made their way to the starting line for the WDRA–Championship Junior Dragster Class final round. Brayden Jones was in control of the race with his .016 reaction time and ran two above his dial to take the win over one of his best friends, Mason Crews.
When asked how it felt to win such an important event, Jones said, “I was very excited! In 2021, I lost in the final round of a bracket final main event, so to come back and win felt like I was able to get redemption for myself.”
Jones will return to his home track for a chance to be the first WDRA Junior Dragster World Champion and is excited to share the experience with Crews since he qualified as the Darlington track champion.
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Farmington Dragway – 2023 Best Decorated Grandstand
Union County Dragway – WDRA 2023 Best Appearing Team
“Win or lose, I wouldn’t have wanted to race anyone else but Mason. We are third-generation racers and have known each other since birth.” Jones explains. “Our dads grew up together racing juniors and our grandads raced together. It’s a thrill that we are both able to attend the World Championship together and hopefully with the home track advantage we will end up in the finals together again.”
WDRA/DARLINGTONBRACKET FINALS SPECIAL AWARDS
The WDRA special awards presentation praised the workmanship from many crafted cars entered in each class. The award trophy/plaques went to the following:
Best Appearing–Bodied: Jeff Yost (Farmington Dragway)
Best Appearing–Open: Joel Hubbard (Darlington Dragway)
Best Appearing–Junior: Ava Jackson (Union County Dragway)
Best Engineered–Open Body: Jerry Brewer (Darlington Dragway)
Best Engineered–Bodied: David Morris (Greer Dragway)
Engineered–Junior Dragster: Brian Adkins (Farmington Dragway)
Best Decorated Grandstand: Farmington Dragway
Best Team Spirit: Greer Dragway
Best Appearing Team: Union County Dragway
In the WDRA–Championship Team Captain’s Race, track operators were given their fifteen minutes of fame on Saturday morning. The final win light shined for Ricky Edwards, thus giving the win to Coastal Plains Dragway while Alisha Greer Alexander from Greer Dragway settled for runner-up honors.
David Stebner – Friday No-box Gambler Winner
Brian Hicks – Saturday Gambler Winner – Box
Another opportunity for bragging rights came during the WDRA – Race of Champions where each attending track champion would battle in their respective classes to see who is the best of the best.
In the Race of Champions–Box, Johnny Hellams from Ware Shoals earned the win over Greer Dragway qualifier, David Hall. Greer Dragway’s Cody Spears defeated Union Dragway’s Robbie Philbeck for the Race of Champions–Sportsman class. It was an all Cherokee Race Park sweep in the finals of Race of Champions–No Box and Race of Champions–Junior Dragster as Cory Smith and Rachael Williams each earned the win in their respective classes. Chad Dotson from Greer Dragway and Chaz Nichols from Farmington Dragway finished in the runner-up positions.
Another opportunity for bragging rights came during the WDRA – Race of Champions where each attending track champion would battle in their respective classes to see who is the best of the best.
In the Race of Champions–Box, Johnny Hellams from Ware Shoals earned the win over Greer Dragway qualifier, David Hall. Greer Dragway’s Cody Spears defeated Union Dragway’s Robbie Philbeck for the Race of Champions–Sportsman class. It was an all Cherokee Race Park sweep in final in the finals of Race of Champions–No Box and Race of Champions–Junior ragsterCory Smith and Rachael Williams, each earned the win in their respective classes of No Box and Junior Dragster, while Chad Dotson from Greer and Chaz Nichols from Farmington finished in the runner-up positions.
Another opportunity for bragging rights came during the WDRA – Race of Champions where each attending track champion would battle in their respective classes to see who is the best of the best.
In the Race of Champions–Box, Johnny Hellams from Ware Shoals earned the win over Greer Dragway qualifier, David Hall. Greer Dragway’s Cody Spears defeated Union Dragway’s Robbie Philbeck for the Race of Champions–Sportsman class. It was an all Cherokee Race Park sweep in final in the finals of Race of Champions–No Box and Race of Champions–Junior Cory Smith and Rachael Williams each earned the win in their respective classes of No Box and Junior Dragster, while Chad Dotson from Greer and Chaz Nichols from Farmington finished in the runner-up positions.
