Wooley goes from king of track to king of division

National Dragster, Nov 7, 2003

NHRA SUMMIT RACING SERIES FINALS (Div. 2) - One week before heading to Gainesville for the Southeast Division NHRA Summit Racing Series Finals, John Wooley, of Bonaire, Ga., won the NHRA King of the Track competition at his local facility, Silver Dollar Raceway. Now, after outlasting a field of 226 entries at the Summit Finals, Wooley can rightfully lay claim to the title of king of Super Pro competition in Division 2. In addition, he has a chance to become a national champion in Pomona next month.

"I've only won three races with this car since I bought it in 1999, but they've all been big wins," said Wooley shortly after defeating Savannah Dragway's Danny Toole in the Super Pro final.

Wooley's '77 Vega was consistent during the eight-round race, but it was his starting-line lights that paved the way to victory. With four consecutive reaction times between .002 and .010, Wooley was on cruise control through the early rounds, but he faced a potential roadblock in round five with a .059 light against Norm Williams.

"In that round, the sun was really shining on the Tree," Wooley explained. "When I rolled up to stage, I nearly lit both bulbs at once. The [stage] bulb was barely lit, and I was really afraid that I was going to roll back out of the beams and get a red-light.

"In nine of the 12 runs I made, I had a .010 or better light, but that time, I just missed it," added Wooley. "With the exception of that round, I felt like I drove pretty well. That was my lucky round for the day."

Wooley got back on track in the semifinals, cutting a .007 light and running a 6.317 on his 6.31 dial to beat Darlington Int'l Dragway's Steve Deatherage.

In the final against Toole's '77 Pinto, Wooley was again flawless, recording a .004 light to beat Toole, who fouled by .005-second.

"I saw that I got a green light, then looked up and saw my win light on," said Wooley. "I lost it at that point. I couldn't believe that I actually won. I've been to [the Summit Finals] every year since 1991, and this is only the third time I've been past the first round. I really have to thank my friends, Bill Frame, Rick Patterson, and Rick's son, Ryan, who helped me dial the car. I also appreciate the support of our track operators, Ed and Dorothy Swearingen."

Wooley, who builds high-performance engines for a living, dedicated the win to former Division 3 Super Gas racer Mike Mazza, who died earlier this year. Mazza originally owned Wooley's Vega.

"Mike was building this car, and I bought it from him before he finished it," said Wooley, who is a bronze-level NHRA-certified tech inspector and occasionally serves as starter at Silver Dollar. "He was a good man and a great racer. I really wish he could have seen me win this race."