Team New England Race of Champions winners, Jared Kinson (Pro), Jackson Worters (Super) and Cam Murray (Sportsman).
Friday, October 1, 2021 saw some great side by side racing action as day two of preparation for the Big Dance on Saturday saw some of the toughest bracket racers in the northeast battle for the win in gamblers races and the top from each track in the Race of Champions for the NHRA Northeast Division Bracket Finals.
Where Thursday saw Lebanon Valley racers dominate the races, Friday saw a mix of winners from other tracks. The racers had the opportunity to run in gamblers races in their respective categories, Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman and Motorcycle/Sled or they could run time trials to dial their cars in.
The Pro Gamblers race final round saw Bob Mullaney of Mays Landing, NJ representing Team Numidia take on Lebanon Valley’s own Paul Lattarulo from South Windsor, CT. Mullaney took the win as Lattarulo was late off the starting line. Mark Lataille from Southbridge, MA representing New England Dragway lost in the semi-finals.
The Bike/Sled Gamblers saw Levon Currie of Philadelphia, PA representing Atco Dragway defeat Mason Dixon’s Logan Mathias. Ron Blake of Oxford, CT representing Lebanon Valley lost in the semi-finals.
The Sportsman Gamblers was a Maple Grove match up when Charles Weinreich of Rosedale, MD took top honors over teammate Mark Ketterer of Sellersville, PA. Atco Dragway representative David Harvey III of Barrington, NJ lost in the semi finals.
The Super Gamblers had Atco Dragway representative Dan Northrop of Pipersille, PA defeat Lebanon Valley’s Ray Stanton of Poughkeepsie, NY. Vince Musolino of Syraycuse, NY representing Numidia Dragway and Ken Testa of Buena, NJ representing Atco Dragway lost in the semi-finals.
The Race of Champions which were the highlight of the evening saw a dominance from the Team New England racers although Team Lebanon Valley did try to nose in on the celebration.
Super Race of Champions had Jackson Worters the New England Dragway champ defeat Lebanon Valley’s Gary Carbone of Cortlandt Manor, NY. Jack Grater of Perkiomenville, MA representing Maple Grove lost in the semi’s.
Pro Eliminator Race of Champions also saw of New England representative in the winner’s circle when Jared Kinson of Plaistow, NH defeated Mason Dixon’s Ray Thurston IV of Northumberland, PA. Shawn Nichols of Marlborough, CT representing Lebanon Valley tried to eek into the finals but lost in the semi’s.
Sportsman Eliminator New England representative Cam Murray of South Hampton, NH gave it a two for two within the week when he once again visited the winner circle at the Valley of Speed when he took down Lebanon Valley’s own Billy Kirpens Jr of Pittsfield, MA in the final Mike Fornwalt of New Colombia, PA representing Numida Dragway lost in the semi finals.
The Motorcycle/Sled Eliminator crowned Lebanon Valley’s representative Ron Blake of Oxford, CT defeat Island Dragway’s Chris Miele of West Orange, NJ. Kevin Wuest of Whitesboro, NY representing team ESTA and Mason Dixon’s Brian Moore of Hanover, PA lost in the semi’s.
The race concludes on Saturday where racers will not only compete for individual honors but for track team honors as the race categories will be joined by Junior Street racers. At the start of the day, New England leads Lebanon Valley by one point. Racers and their families will decorate and show team spirit as their racers take to the track.
Results from Friday’s race are as follows:
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