KYLE WANAMAKER WINS 2024 WDRA SUMMIT SPORTSMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Kyle Wanamaker is named the 2024 WDRA Summit Sportsman World Champion presented by SunCoast Performance.

NORWALK, OH: Michigan may soon become known for being the birthplace of champions as another Great Lakes State native returns, yielding a WDRA Summit World Championship. Kyle Wanamaker, the thirty-seven-year-old father of four, conquered the Sportsman ranks during the WDRA Summit World Championships presented by SunCoast Performance at Montgomery International Dragway.

Like many bracket racers, his father introduced Wanamaker to the sport at a young age. Now, that passion has grown to include his children. Each points race at US 131 Motorsports Park features nine Wanamakers looking for a celebration in the winner’s circle, including three of his children, his father, brother, nephew, and nieces.

The second-generation racer first got behind the wheel of his ’79 Plymouth Volare in 2010, and it continues to be the only car he has competed in full-time. The partnership has resulted in three track championships, several high-ranking points finishes, and a bracket finals victory over fifteen seasons. Nonetheless, the highest merit was ever elusive until October 26^th.

TOM THOMPSON EARNS 2024 WDRA SUMMIT BOX WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE

Tom Thompson becomes the 2024 WDRA Summit Box World Champion presented by SunCoast Performance.

NORWALK, OH: The second set of WDRA Summit World Champions presented by SunCoast Performance have been officially crowned. The invitation-only event occurred at Montgomery International Dragway and featured a select field of tough competitors from the WDRA member track network. The 2024 WDRA Summit Box World Champion, Tom Thompson, is the first man of the hour.

The fifty-two-year-old born and raised in South Carolina, “Lil” Tom Thompson, learned all about drag racing from his father, Tom, who continues to be crew chief at the racetrack when he can attend. Starting at fourteen, this year marks Thompson’s 38^th season, with most of his races occurring behind the wheel of his Foxbody Mustang, built in 1992 by Maddox Race Cars. He earned his first track championship at Ware Shoals Dragway in 2000 and after seven near misses over the years, he finally secured his second track championship this year at Greer Dragway.

MOORESVILLE DRAGWAY MAKES THE MOST OUT OF THE WDRA SUMMIT SOUTHEAST BRACKET FINALS

Team Mooresville Dragway left the WDRA Summit Southeast Bracket Finals with the coveted WDRA Team Championship Rod Trophy.

UNION, SC: Rosters full of racers from tracks across the Southeast gathered at Union County Dragway for the WDRA Summit Southeast Bracket Finals presented by Laris Motorsports Insurance. The competing tracks were Union County Dragway, Greer Dragway, Farmington Dragway, Mooresville Dragway, Ware Shoals Dragway, Cherokee Race Park, Kinston Drag Strip and Coastal Plains Dragway.

Five races were completed over the four-day event, with winners emerging in everything from Zuma scooters and street cars to full-size dragsters. The first winner’s circle celebrations took place on Thursday night, with Parker Dotson winning the Pit Vehicle Race and the host track’s Tony Brown claiming the Track Operator Race victory.

Friday began with a time trial for all competitors before diving into eliminations for the Fuel Factory Race of Champions. In the Box class, Scottie Watts, representing Union, was .008 on the tree and ran one above his dial to earn the win over Kale Hoffman from Coastal Plains. Mooresville’s Jerry Cline won the No Box class when Tommy Duff from Kinston broke out one-thousandth at the finish line. Calla Varner from Farmington had a better reaction time and claimed the double-breakout win over Will Dotson from Greer in the Junior Dragster final. Mark Dudley Jr from Mooresville earned the automatic win in Sportsman when Greer’s Cody Spears turned on the red bulb. In the Teen Racing division, Jordan Philbeck from Union took the win over Caleb Dix representing Greer.

BRAINERD MOTORSPORTS PARK BRINGS WDRA SUMMIT SOUTHERN BRACKET FINALS CHAMPIONSHIP BACK TO GEORGIA

Brainerd Motorsports Park earned first and third points in the Team Standings during the WDRA Summit Southern Bracket Finals presented by Laris Motorsports Insurance.

MONTGOMERY, AL: Eleven teams of racers gathered at Montgomery International Dragway over the weekend for the WDRA Summit Southern Bracket Finals presented by Laris Motorsports Insurance. Weather surrounding the event created a couple of schedule changes and the omission of one gamblers race, but eventually winners emerged in all classes during three separate races.

The Fuel Factory Race of Champions was contested on Friday where track operators and drivers could brag about which track champion was superior to the rest in their region. Brainerd Motorsports Park and Montgomery International Dragway each claimed two wins while Gulfport Dragway celebrated one winner. In the Junior Dragster final, both drivers were .028 on the tree, but CJ Handy ran dead on his 7.96 dial to get the win at his home track over Ryan Alexander from Atmore Dragstrip.

In the Box class, Rob Major from London Dragway had a .009 reaction time but breaks out by nine-thousandths while David Taylor (Montgomery) runs dead on his 4.56 dial in for the win. Brainerd’s Chad Brewer is .011 on the tree and runs two above his dial for the No Box win while leaving Chris Hester from I-22 Dragway mathematically ineligible.

MARYLAND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY NEARLY SWEEPS COMPETITION TO CLAIM WDRA SUMMIT EASTERN BRACKET FINALS CHAMPIONSHIP

NEW ALEXANDRIA, PA: The WDRA crew traveled to the northeast for the next stop on the WDRA Summit Bracket Finals presented by Laris Motorsports Insurance tour. Keystone Raceway Park hosted the event for the second year and welcomed teams of racers from Sumerduck Dragway, Beaver Springs Dragway, Maryland International Raceway, Empire Dragway, US 13 Dragway, and Lancaster Dragway.

Maryland took the top spot in the Team Standings with 73.5 points, followed by Beaver Springs (56), Keystone (44), Empire (39), Lancaster (37), US 13 (35), and finally Sumerduck with 18 points.

Early arriving racers could participate in Thursday’s test and tune session for extra passes before entering the always-fun pit vehicle race. It was an all-Keystone final round, with Matt Brehm earning the first winner’s circle celebration after defeating Levi Lear.

GEN-Y HITCH OFFERS EXCLUSIVE WDRA DISCOUNT

GEN-Y Hitch, a leader in high-quality products, excellent customer support, and comprehensive warranties, will be offering exclusive product discounts to World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA) racers as they join or renew their WDRA license for 2025.

“GEN-Y Hitch is excited to partner with WDRA and we are confident that racers across America will appreciate the ride benefits that our products provide” said Gen-Y Marketing Director Donna Schmucker.  “Our patented TORSION-FLEX Technology was designed to create the smoothest ride on the market, while protecting your valuable assets. We look forward to seeing our American Made products in the hands of more racers!”

Team WDRA will also be towing their official WDRA trailer to all events sporting The BOSS GEN-Y Torsion Flex hitch to all race markets in the USA & Canada.

“Our rig, although small and relatively light, has a larger percentage of tongue weight than we can manage with weight distribution alone. Adding the BOSS to our setup has dramatically improved the ride and lessened the stress on our truck, our cargo and our backs,” said Jon O’Neal of the WDRA. “The fact that the racers of the WDRA get an exclusive deal on such a high caliber piece that’s made here in the USA is point of pride for us.”

AQUAPHALT JOINS THE ALLIANCE TO SUPPORT MEMBER TRACKS AND RACERS

NORWALK, OH:  Revolutionary asphalt and concrete repair manufacturer Aquaphalt has joined the WDRA as a partner in the Alliance and offers an exclusive discount program to assist WDRA member tracks through 1^st Ayd.

“We are thrilled to introduce Aquaphalt to the sport on a large scale as this is a revolutionary product for both racing surface and general facility repairs,” said WDRA’s Jon O’Neal.  “We got to see this product used in a real-world drag racing environment and were very impressed with the repair.  The fact that it was speedy and our test repair has lasted several months now under extreme abuse at a drag strip and shows no signs of deteriorating.  This product is designed as a permanent repair not a temporary fix.”

 “Aquaphalt keeps the race going with fast repairs for damaged tracks — you just pour it in, spray some water on it and tamp it down, and it begins to harden right away so you can drive on it immediately,” says Michael Wertheim of Aquaphalt, “It’s a bad day to be a pothole.”

CORDOVA DRAGWAY SECURES OVERALL TEAM VICTORY AT WDRA SUMMIT MIDWEST BRACKET FINALS

The 2024 WDRA Summit Bracket Finals, presented by Laris Motorsports Insurance, kicked off with the Midwest event contested at Eddyville Raceway Park.

OSKALOOSA, IA: After competing all season long at their respective racetracks, WDRA members converge regionally to compete against neighboring facilities in hopes of clinching victory as a team and/or a coveted invitation to the WDRA Summit World Championships presented by SunCoast Performance. WDRA member tracks Cordova Dragway, Mid America Dragway, I-29 Dragway, and Mo-Kan Dragway competed alongside the host facility, Eddyville Raceway Park, to kick off these end-of-year festivities during the WDRA Summit Midwest Bracket Finals, presented by Laris Motorsports Insurance over the weekend.

On-track action kicked off on Friday with a Gamblers Race for the Box, No Box, and Junior Dragster classes. Eddyville racers nearly swept the competition with five of the six finalists hailing from the home track. Mark Lambert defeated Gary Smiley in the top bulb class, while the lone Cordova Dragway representative, Ryan Robinson, earned the No Box win over Donnie Ellison. A nearly heads-up final in Junior Dragster ended with Jailin Breeding winning over Ty Ratcliff.

SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT EXTENDS WDRA’S SPORTSMAN RACING PROGRAMS THROUGH 2026

Norwalk, Ohio – To kick-off the 2024 WDRA Summit Bracket Finals series that starts this weekend in the United States and Canada, the World Drag Racing Alliance announced today that Summit Racing Equipment has extended its commitment to the WDRA and its sportsman racing programs through the 2026 season.  The Summit Sportsman Drag Racing Series (SSDRS) will again be the WDRA’s centerpiece of bracket racing programming at WDRA member tracks.  The 2024 edition of the WDRA Summit Sportsman Drag Racing Series World Championships will be hosted by Montgomery International Dragway in October. 

“Sportsman racers along with the facilities and entities that support them will always remain a keystone of the Summit Racing Equipment family,” said Motorsports and Events Manager Jim Greenleaf. “The opportunity to continue our work with the WDRA, the facility owners and operators, and every racer in the program is a point of pride for us.”

The Summit Sportsman Drag Racing Series presented by Suncoast Performance has followed the growth trajectory of WDRA as an organization.  As the number of WDRA sanctioned tracks grew by 25% in 2024, the participation levels of the Summit Sportsman Drag Racing Series followed suit with a 22% increase.  The upcoming Summit Bracket Finals Series is expected to see a 45% jump in car counts in 2024 thanks to so many new sanctioned tracks and the expansion of the series into Western Canada.