Monday, May 07, 2012

NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Atlanta Dragway, Commerce, Ga.

SKILLMAN DOUBLES IN ATLANTA

COMMERCE, Ga. – Draw Skillman pulled off the rare double this weekend at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway winning in both Stock Eliminator and in Super Stock

Skillman, Greenwood, Ind., faced off with fellow Indiana racer Douglas Duell taking the Stock Eliminator win in his ’12 Mustang with a pass of 9.141 seconds at 149.33 mph for his first ever NHRA national event win. 

Roughly twelve minutes later he was at the starting line looking for his second as he matched up with Drew Allen, Mary Ester, Fla.  Skillman got the hole-shot and never looked back taking his second win of the day becoming just the 11th driver in history to capture the double-up.  Skillman also drives a ’12 Mustang in the Super Stock class clocking in at 146.18 mph in 8.837 seconds.

Jeffrey Barker, Warner Robins, Ga., took the win in Top Sportsman running 199.37 mph in 6.933 seconds in his ’02 Camaro.  Barker qualified No. 1 and faced off with Billy Vaughn, Knoxville, Tenn., who ran 7.377 seconds, 147.76 mph.

Ed Richardson and Jeff Money were near perfect on the starting line in their winning runs in Super Comp and Super Street respectively.   Richardson, Bradenton, Fla., was just one-thousandth of a second from a perfect run combining a .001 second reaction time with an 8.900 second lap on an 8.90 dial to beat Brad Plourd, Avon, Ind.  Money, Abbeville, Ala., was .002 on the line which resulted in the win over Dennis Hill, Fayetteville, N.C.

Rounding out this weekend’s winners was Nick Folk, Durand, Ill., in Top Dragster and Billy Upton, Taylors, S.C., in Super Gas.  Folk defeated the quicker Dylan Stott, Columbus, N.C., with a 7.175, 186.69 mph lap while Upton won when Steven Furr, Harrisburg, N.C., left early with a red light foul.

Next up for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series is the NHRA Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka, May 18-20 as well as the regional event at Summit Racing Motorsports Park, May 18-20.

The following are the final results from the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway:

Super Stock -- Drew Skillman, Ford Mustang, 8.837, 146.18 def. Drew Allen, Chevy S-10, 10.211, 126.98.
Stock Eliminator -- Drew Skillman, Ford Mustang, 9.141, 149.33 def. Douglas Duell, Dodge Challenger, 10.134, 121.03.
Super Comp -- Ed Richardson, Dragster, 8.900, 165.97 def. Brad Plourd, Dragster, 8.867, 165.76.
Super Gas -- Billy Upton, Chevy Corvette, 11.296, 96.53 def. Steven Furr, Chevy Camaro, foul.
Super Street -- Jeff Money, Chevy Nova, 10.943, 131.01 def. Dennis Hill, Nova, 10.912, 134.82.
Top Dragster -- Nick Folk, Dragster, 7.175, 186.69 def. Dylan Stott, Dragster, 6.804, 193.27.
Top Sportsman -- Jeffrey Barker, Chevy Camaro, 6.933, 199.37 def. Billy Vaughn, Chevy Monte Carlo, foul.