Monday, October 07, 2013

IHRA Summit SuperSeries Championship Preview




Field of 48 set for Top, Mod and Junior Dragster World Championships

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (October 7, 2013) – After two months of grueling competition at nine events set across the United States and Canada, the field is finally set for the 2013 Summit Racing Equipment SuperSeries World Championship presented by AMSOIL at this weekend's IHRA Summit Racing Equipment World Finals at Memphis International Raceway.


A total of 48 participants advanced to the championship runoff from competitions in North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Texas and Alberta and will now compete for a world championship and lucrative championship prize package in one of the most prestigious grassroots racing programs in the world.

The competition in Top ET, Mod ET and Junior Dragster will feature 16 drivers in each class competing for the title. The winners and runner-ups at Summit Team Finals competitions in Divisions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 9 and winners in Divisions 5, 6 and 7 plus one wild card recipient in each class will make up the field.

The incredibly diverse field features racers from all corners of the United States and Canada and from as far away as Alaska, Hawaii and the island nation of Aruba. Drivers from 18 states, two Canadian provinces and Aruba will make up this year's field, with the most represented states being Texas with eight drivers, Ohio with six and South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia with five drivers apiece.

In addition, 39 IHRA sanctioned tracks will make up this year's field of 48 drivers, with nine tracks having more than one driver make the field. Those tracks are Brainerd Optimist Dragway, Desert Thunder Raceway, Dunn-Benson Dragstrip, Kanawha Valley Motorsports Park, Maryland International Raceway, Memphis International Raceway, Motor Mile Dragway, Quaker City Motorsports Park and Ware Shoals Dragway.

This year's Summit SuperSeries participants in Top ET are Don Boulware, Eric Boyd, Chris Butcher, Kevin Crawford, Albert Donnell, Curt Fassler, Alan Glatt, John "Buzz" Johnson, Tim Lucas, Greg Maddox, Michael Paschal, Brad Perkins, Jose Reyes, Dale Smith, Nathan Thornsley and Kevin Thorp.

In Mod ET are Matt Anderson, Joe Boner, Larry Cannon, Andy Closkey, Kevin Grider, Brad Hall, Dean Kalawe, Bobby Mattera, J.C. "Jay" Norris, Brian Perkins, Kevin Pollard, Chuck Powell, Greg Sauvage, Jim "Bo" Sells, Travis Snowden and Ray Wade.

Finally, making up this year's Junior Dragster field are Roberta Benedict, Jake Clayton, Amanda Foley, Darrell Holstion, Austin Johnson, Reanna Lardy, Garrett Lloyd, Lizzie Low, Zach Pennington, Justin Poindexter, Noah Strickland, Leroy Thomae, Michael Turman Jr., Joshua VanAmelsvoort, Rachael Whitney and Dawson Wiggins.

Representing their home tracks, the 48 participants will travel to Memphis International Raceway this weekend to compete in the Top, Mod and Junior Dragster championships with the title of World Champion and over $200,000 in cash and prizes available to the top finishers.

The drivers will get their first hit at the track on Thursday, October 10 with an optional test and tune session followed by time trials on Friday, October 11. The 2013 Summit SuperSeries World Championship will take place on Saturday, October 12 with champions crowned in all three classes.

The Top ET winner will receive $10,000 from Summit Racing Equipment and a brand new turn-key dragster made possible by the fine folks at Maddox Race Cars. The brand new dragster features a custom Trick Flow big block Ford Racing engine, plus various parts and pieces from the most competitive companies in drag racing including Summit Racing Equipment, Moser Engineering, Abruzzi Transmissions and Converters and more. The dragster will also feature an incredible paint job courtesy of Imagine That Customs. The Top winner will also receive a trip to Aruba, an IHRA Gold and Silver Card, World Champion Ironman and more.

The Mod ET winner will receive $10,000 from Summit Racing Equipment, a $2,500 gift certificate from Trick Flow Racing, a Gemini two-post Auto Lift and a Howell pit bike. The winner also receives an Aruba vacation, IHRA Gold and Silver Card, World Champion Ironman and more.

In addition to crowning its second-ever IHRA World Champion in Junior Dragster, the Junior program will also reward its winner with $3,000 from Summit Racing Equipment, a brand new Junior Dragster built by Vic Puglia with a custom paint job by Imagine That Customs, a family vacation package that includes passes to Cedar Point and Kalahari Resort, a family pack of tickets to any Feld Entertainment production, an IHRA Gold and Silver Card, World Champion Ironman and more.

An awards celebration recognizing the qualifiers and other seasonal programs including the Summit Pro-Am Tour will take place Friday morning at 11 a.m. at the track.

The IHRA Summit Racing Equipment World Finals are this Friday and Saturday at Memphis International Raceway.