photos by Alex Owens

Susan Schlabach (age 6-9), Braylee Griffith (10-12), Katie Sloat (13-17), Mathew Peterson (6-9 Race of Champions), Jake Oppzr (10-12 Race of Champions), and Aaron Reynolds (13-17 Race of Champions) took top honors during the Division 2 Jr. Championships event at Gainesville Raceway.

Schlabach, far lane, got off the starting line first in the 6-9 class final, and she carried the advantage to a 12.330 (12.26 dial) to 13.990 (13.95) win against Zakary Case.

Griffith, far lane, also used a better light to get the win in the 10-12 age-group title round, turning a nearly six-hundredths edge into a 9.008 (8.93) to 9.003 (8.98) victory over Phillip Radford.

The 13-17 category final was decided on the starting line when Alexis Whitaker, near lane, red-lighted. That gave the automatic nod to Sloat, who clocked a 7.973 (7.96) en route to victory.

Peterson, far lane, paired a .032 light with a 12.383 (12.33) to turn on the win light in the 6-9 Race of Champions final round against Forest Radford, who broke out with an 11.876 (11.90).

The 10-12 Race of Champions final was a tight battle with Oppzr, near lane, and Bruce Thaxton leaving the starting line within .004-second of each other and staying glued to one another all the way downtrack. At the strip, Oppzr came out on top in the double-breakout match, 9.125 (9.13) to 8.916 (8.94).

In the 13-17 Race of Champions, Reynolds, far lane, came out victorious, defeating Tripp McCarty in the title round.