Gage Blevens (age 6-9), Morgan Harp (10), Brendan Nuttall (11), Sean Kershner (12), Nathan Tanner (13), Gage Rachford (14), Bryce Buehrer (15), Jesse Marshall (16-17), and Numidia Dragway (Team) took top honors during the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing Eastern Conference Finals presented by Huddleston Performance. The event is one of two Conference Finals races in the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League.
Blevins, who hails from Louisville, Ky., got off the starting line first in the 6-9 class final then ran right on his 11.96 dial to turn on the win light against Winder, Ga., racer Corey Reed, who broke out with an 11.994 (12.03 dial).
Souderton, Pa., competitor Harp overcame the better reaction time of opponent Stephen Skelton, of Cleveland, Ga., to claim the 10-year-old age-group Wally. Skelton broke out with an 8.887 (8.90 dial) while Harp clocked an 8.930 (8.90) to get the win.
Nuttall scored one for the home team, wheeling his Rutledge, Tenn.-based dragster to victory in the 11-year-old age group. Nuttall powered to an 8.958 (8.93) to defeat 2018 Eastern Conference Finals champion Grant Cook, who broke out with an 8.987 (9.00).
The 12-year-old final was a battle of Pennsylvania racers with Kershner of New Tripoli defeating Hanover’s Jaiman Dietz. Kershner left the starting line first and never trailed, defeating Dietz on an 8.939 (8.91) to 9.346 (9.35) count.
Mechanicsville, Va., driver Tanner got the automatic nod in the 13-year-old final when former NHRA Jr. Drag Racing Western Conference Finals presented by CatSpot champion Jonathan McClain red-lighted by .002-second. Tanner eased his car to a 10.789 (8.07) victory pass.
After coming close to winning the Eastern Conference Finals in 2017 when he finished as the runner-up, Rachford, a California, Ky., driver, was able to go the distance this year, defeating Sandusky, Ohio’s Ava Lawson in the final. Rachford got off the starting line first, then eased his car to an 7.896 (7.90) to win the double-breakout match against Lawson, who finished with a 7.883 (7.90).
West Unity, Ohio’s Buehrer led the 15-year-old class final from start to finish, turning a reaction-time edge of nearly four-hundredths into a 7.933 (7.90) to 7.949 (7.90) victory over Sully, Iowa’s Brooke Baarda.
Marshall, who was the 11-year-old runner-up at this event in 2011, scored the 16-17 class Wally, outlasting West Deptford, N.J., racer Patrick Richardson. Richardson got the slight advantage on the Tree, but Marshall, who lives in Langhorne, Pa., was able to drive around him and win, 7.935 (7.91) to 8.092 (8.00).
For the second straight year, Numidia Dragway finished atop the team standings. Led by 12-year-old champ Kershner, Numidia Team 2 tallied 35 points to finish ahead of Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park Team 2, who finished with 32. Atco Raceway Team 1 (31), Virginia Motorsports Park Team 1 (30), and Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park Team 3 (27) rounded out the top five.
Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park won the hotly contested Team Spirit award, besting Music City Raceway for the crown.
RESULTS
6-9 | |||||
Quarterfinals | |||||
Corey Reed | Winder, Ga. | 0.253 | 12.07 | 12.039 | 53.44 |
Jaydan Nance | Noblesville, Ind. | -0.007 | 12.04 | 11.998 | 56.25 |
Gage Blevens | Louisville, Ky. | -0.074 | 12.12 | 12.017 | 53.70 |
Tyler Nunez | Meraux, La. | -0.040 | 12.18 | 12.204 | 52.09 |
Keegan Beverly | Willard, Ohio | -0.025 | 12.33 | 12.21 | 52.77 |
bye | |||||
Semifinals | |||||
Gage Blevens | Louisville, Ky. | 0.095 | 12.00 | 11.993 | 53.50 |
Keegan Beverly | Willard, Ohio | -0.054 | 12.20 | 12.235 | 52.62 |
Corey Reed | Winder, Ga. | -0.002 | 12.07 | 12.041 | 53.01 |
bye | |||||
Final | |||||
Gage Blevens | Louisville, Ky. | 0.044 | 11.96 | 11.965 | 53.85 |
Corey Reed | Winder, Ga. | 0.130 | 12.03 | 11.994 | 53.42 |
10 | |||||
Quarterfinals | |||||
Michael Artim | Gilbertsville, Pa. | 0.095 | 8.96 | 8.956 | 69.29 |
Zackary Pearce | Gulfport, Miss. | 0.082 | 9.02 | 8.991 | 73.42 |
Morgan Harp | Souderton, Pa. | 0.181 | 8.97 | 8.926 | 71.99 |
Gavin Hill | Emmans, Pa. | 0.001 | 8.93 | 8.864 | 73.49 |
Stephen Skelton | Cleveland, Ga. | 0.032 | 8.90 | 8.857 | 74.13 |
bye | |||||
Semifinals | |||||
Morgan Harp | Souderton, Pa. | 0.080 | 8.95 | 8.912 | 71.40 |
Michael Artim | Gilbertsville, Pa. | 0.063 | 8.96 | 8.915 | 73.07 |
Stephen Skelton | Cleveland, Ga. | 0.028 | 8.90 | 8.905 | 73.60 |
bye | |||||
Final | |||||
Morgan Harp | Souderton, Pa. | 0.085 | 8.90 | 8.93 | 69.26 |
Stephen Skelton | Cleveland, Ga. | 0.017 | 8.90 | 8.887 | 72.09 |
11 | |||||
Quarterfinals | |||||
Grant Cook | Franklin, Ky. | 0.011 | 9.03 | 9.005 | 72.72 |
Julian Gaier | Ft Loramie, Ohio | -0.016 | 9.23 | 9.211 | 71.89 |
Hayden Wallace | Hawksville, Pa. | 0.093 | 8.92 | 8.906 | 73.80 |
Matthew Williams | Kill Devil Hill, N.C. | 0.006 | 8.91 | 8.886 | 72.47 |
Brendan Nuttall | Rutledge, Tenn. | -0.066 | 8.94 | 8.918 | 73.66 |
bye | |||||
Semifinals | |||||
Brendan Nuttall | Rutledge, Tenn. | 0.094 | 8.93 | 8.945 | 73.11 |
Hayden Wallace | Hawksville, Pa. | 0.034 | 8.92 | 8.916 | 73.32 |
Grant Cook | Franklin, Ky. | -0.057 | 9.03 | 8.981 | 72.55 |
bye | |||||
Final | |||||
Brendan Nuttall | Rutledge, Tenn. | 0.089 | 8.93 | 8.958 | 72.99 |
Grant Cook | Franklin, Ky. | 0.071 | 9.00 | 8.987 | 71.43 |
12 | |||||
Quarterfinals | |||||
Jaiman Dietz | Hanover, Pa. | 0.036 | 9.35 | 9.323 | 67.91 |
Carson Emmett | Cedar Bluff, Ala. | 0.055 | 9.01 | 8.95 | 72.38 |
Jordan Denny | Manassas, Va. | 0.056 | 8.93 | 8.902 | 73.45 |
Brandon Buchanan | Vickery, Ohio | 0.051 | 9.00 | 8.96 | 73.38 |
Sean Kershner | New Tripoli, Pa. | 0.086 | 8.90 | 8.922 | 69.46 |
Paige Smith | Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. | 0.031 | 8.90 | 8.885 | 73.11 |
Semifinals | |||||
Sean Kershner | New Tripoli, Pa. | 0.055 | 8.90 | 8.909 | 72.54 |
Jordan Denny | Manassas, Va. | 0.086 | 8.91 | 8.881 | 74.07 |
Jaiman Dietz | Hanover, Pa. | 0.039 | 9.35 | 9.341 | 68.98 |
bye | |||||
Final | |||||
Sean Kershner | New Tripoli, Pa. | 0.056 | 8.91 | 8.939 | 71.60 |
Jaiman Dietz | Hanover, Pa. | 0.096 | 9.35 | 9.346 | 68.42 |
13 | |||||
Quarterfinals | |||||
Mikayla Highland | Oswego, Ill. | 0.030 | 7.98 | 7.948 | 82.54 |
Brai Tate | Middlesburg, Pa. | -0.024 | 7.98 | 7.934 | 83.02 |
Jonathan McClain | Bossier City, La. | 0.044 | 7.90 | 7.896 | 82.26 |
Dawson Guillot | Marrero, La. | 0.072 | 7.95 | 7.938 | 84.22 |
Nathan Tanner | Mechanicsville, Va. | 0.000 | 8.10 | 8.027 | 81.18 |
bye | |||||
Semifinals | |||||
Nathan Tanner | Mechanicsville, Va. | 0.005 | 8.06 | 8.135 | 74.52 |
Mikayla Highland | Oswego, Va. | 0.113 | 7.98 | 7.997 | 78.65 |
Jonathan McClain | Bossier City, La. | -0.046 | 7.90 | 7.913 | 82.23 |
bye | |||||
Final | |||||
Nathan Tanner | Mechanicsville, Va. | 0.038 | 8.07 | 10.789 | 44.07 |
Jonathan McClain | Bossier City, La. | -0.002 | 7.90 | 7.887 | 82.89 |
14 | |||||
Quarterfinals | |||||
Skyler Bee | Redkey, Ind. | 0.034 | 8.07 | 8.067 | 78.34 |
Antonio Iocangeli | Monroe, Mich. | 0.076 | 7.90 | 7.859 | 83.51 |
Ava Lawson | Sandusky, Ohio | 0.053 | 7.91 | 8.009 | 78.65 |
Cody Hoberg | Newark, Ohio | 0.121 | 7.97 | 8.067 | 80.08 |
Gage Rachford | California, Ky. | 0.029 | 7.90 | 7.936 | 79.90 |
Ryan Leasure | Niles, Ohio | 0.014 | 7.91 | 7.99 | 79.00 |
Sarah Bazell | Lancaster, Ohio | 0.068 | 7.90 | 7.918 | 81.59 |
bye | |||||
Semifinals | |||||
Ava Lawson | Sandusky, Ohio | 0.016 | 7.92 | 7.916 | 80.02 |
Skyler Bee | Redkey, Ind. | 0.061 | 8.07 | 8.044 | 80.57 |
Gage Rachford | California, Ky. | 0.055 | 7.90 | 7.901 | 80.24 |
Sarah Bazell | Lancaster, Ohio | 0.033 | 7.93 | 7.926 | 80.16 |
Final | |||||
Gage Rachford | California, Ky. | 0.053 | 7.90 | 7.896 | 81.03 |
Ava Lawson | Sandusky, Ohio | 0.067 | 7.90 | 7.883 | 81.49 |
15 | |||||
Quarterfinals | |||||
Bryce Buehrer | West Unity, Ohio | 0.024 | 7.90 | 7.92 | 81.73 |
Kyle Genualdo | Sandown, N.H. | 0.043 | 8.07 | 8.068 | 78.48 |
Logan Cook | Pataskala, Ohio | 0.029 | 8.17 | 8.194 | 79.48 |
Allyson Downs | Mansfield, Ohio | no time | |||
Brooke Baarda | Sully, Iowa | 0.019 | 7.90 | 7.908 | 82.74 |
bye | |||||
Semifinals | |||||
Brooke Baarda | Sully, Iowa | 0.036 | 7.90 | 7.918 | 81.74 |
Logan Cook | Pataskala, Ohio | 0.051 | 8.19 | 8.184 | 79.96 |
Bryce Buehrer | West Unity, Ohio | -0.053 | 7.90 | 7.876 | 82.96 |
bye | |||||
Final | |||||
Bryce Buehrer | West Unity, Ohio | 0.065 | 7.90 | 7.933 | 80.01 |
Brooke Baarda | Sully, Iowa | 0.102 | 7.90 | 7.949 | 80.84 |
16-17 | |||||
Quarterfinals | |||||
Jonathan Northrop | Perkasie, Pa. | 0.052 | 8.00 | 8.256 | 64.88 |
Aubrey Collins | Fairview Park, Ohio | -0.002 | 7.91 | 7.851 | 83.90 |
Patrick Richardson | West Deptford, N.J. | 0.039 | 8.05 | 8.013 | 79.69 |
Mia Schultz | Woodbridge, Va. | 0.086 | 7.90 | 7.863 | 82.29 |
Jesse Marshall | Langhorne, Pa. | 0.079 | 7.95 | 7.895 | 82.68 |
Thomas Oates | Clearbrook, Va. | -0.002 | 7.90 | 7.899 | 79.89 |
Bethany Fluck | Sellersville, Pa. | -0.043 | 7.97 | 7.945 | 81.44 |
bye | |||||
Semifinals | |||||
Jesse Marshall | Langhorne, Pa. | 0.012 | 7.92 | 7.95 | 77.25 |
Bethany Fluck | Sellersville, Pa. | 0.048 | 7.95 | 7.979 | 79.93 |
Patrick Richardson | West Deptford, N.J. | 0.003 | 7.98 | 8.001 | 78.31 |
Jonathan Northrop | Perkasie, Pa. | 0.017 | 8.00 | 7.971 | 80.55 |
Final | |||||
Jesse Marshall | Langhorne, Pa. | 0.014 | 7.91 | 7.935 | 79.13 |
Patrick Richardson | West Deptford, N.J. | 0.006 | 8.00 | 8.092 | 71.64 |