Old Bridge racers claim third team title

National Dragster, Oct 22, 2004 by Waldron, Steve

U.S. 13 DRAGWAY, NHRA Summit Racing Series Finals (Div. 1) - Atco Raceway won two of the four points-scoring eliminators, but Old Bridge Township Raceway Park scored a pair of runner-ups and won more total rounds to claim its third team championship and first since 1998 at the Northeast Division NHRA Summit Racing Series Finals in Delmar, Del.

Racers from 14 Division 1 tracks attended the event, which was completed a day later than scheduled because of rain. In the end, Old Bridge tallied 61 points to edge nine-time team champion Maple Grove Raceway, which finished with one individual champion and 56 points. Host track U.S. 13 Dragway also had an individual champion and placed third with 54 points.

Brian Brown earned one of Atco's two wins when he defeated Island Dragway's Joe Cabets in Super Pro. Brown's Atco teammate Chuck Morris won Heavy by beating Old Bridge's James Antonette Jr. Mike Barber, racing for Maple Grove, beat Old Bridge's Brian Mullaney in Street, and U.S. 13's James Farmer downed ESTA Safety Park's Dennis Boston to claim the Motorcycle/Sled title.

With their victories, Brown, Morris, Barber, and Farmer earned the right to compete against winners from NHRA's other six divisions in the Summit Racing Series National Championship, to be held in conjunction with next month's Automobile of Southern California NHRA Finals in Pomona. Each will receive $3,500 for participating, and the national champion in each class will earn an additional $5,000.

In other action, Randy Krause (Super Pro), Mike Sutton (Heavy E.T.), Roger Dalton (Street), and Kevin Wuest (Motorcycle/Sled) were winners in the RBS Trailer Sales Race of Champions, and Atco's Jason Lawrence won the High School Challenge presented by Luzerne County Community College.

Complete coverage of the Division 1 NHRA Summit Racing Series Finals begins on page 92.