​The Barona 1/8th Mile Drags Summit Series came to a conclusion over Labor Day weekend, with Summit Race #7 on Saturday September 2nd, and the Summit Series Finale coming on Sunday September 3rd, along with the NHRA All Access Challenge on top of it, as the prestigious Wally trophies are handed out.

Saturday started off in the late afternoon, as the race started off with the Gambler. The final in which came down to Todd Ferguson and Ernesto Covurnice. Todd's 64 Falcon got the better start off the line, his .021 to Ernesto's .059 giving him nearly 4 hundredths of a second of wiggle room, and he made sure to take advantage of them. Todd got a 6.429 on a 6.39 dial, but Ernesto's 05 GTO got a 7.395 on a 7.36 dial. Good, but not good enough to overcome that reaction disadvantage, and enough to give Todd the Gambler win.

Next up, in the Summit Motorcycle bracket, Russ Collins Jr brought his 08 Suzuki to go against Gary Moore's 09 Suzuki Busa. Gary gave it a valiant effort, pushing his bike over 115 MPH, but Russ's 5.697 dial on a 5.60 E/T was too much for him, giving Russ the Saturday Summit Bikes championship.

In the Summit Sportsman bracket, Gary Harfield was bringing his Corvette up against young Remy Reynolds. The lined up, as Remy's slower car would have to go first, but her eagerness got the better of her, as she launched 4 thousandths of a second early, giving Gary the Summit Sportsman win before he even stepped on the gas pedal.

But Gary was not done today, as he also fought his way into the Summit Pro final. His opponent: Greg Crecely and his 63 Ford Falcon. This time, Greg would get the better jump off the line, giving him a .018 second advantage going down to the finish line. But, a 6.319 E/T on a 6.27 dial will not do, as Gary's 8.064 on a 8.05 dial was far closer to his dial, as Gary doubles up with the Summit Pro win.

And finally, all that was left was the fasted bracket of all, the Summit Super Pro. Track owner Rick Reynolds brought his 66 Fairlane to the line, and opposite him was Jorge Courarrubios and his 07 GTO. Rick got a head start, as Jorge's dial was over a second under Rick's 4.94. Both were near even down the line, as Jorge's 148 MPH beast was pushing to cross the finish line first. Rick got a 5.966 on a 5.94 dial, while Jorge got a 7.673 on a 4.65 dial. By 5 thousandths of a second, Jorge got the better E/T to dial, and thus, got the Summit Super Pro win.

And with Saturday wrapped up, they all went right back at it again Sunday, where the afternoon sun gave way to the start of some rain, and the NHRA All Access challenge was in effect. Every winner of the 4 Summit brackets today would bring home a coveted Wally trophy.

Starting with the Summit Motorcycles: Gary Moore seeked vengeance for Saturday's loss at the hands of Russ Collins Jr. He'd seek it against one of the same the same kin, as he faced David Collins' 83 Kawasaki in the Summit Motorcycle finals. But once again, Gary Moore was slow off the line, getting off over 1 tenth of a second late once again. David, with over a full tenth of a second of wiggle room, easily closed Gary out with a 5.855 E/T on a 5.82 dial, taking the win, and getting a Wally for the Summit Motorcycles.

The Summit Sportsman came down to a battle between David Puetz's 68 Firebird and Paul's 70 Dart. Both cars had even dials, leaving this a heads up race. Or at least, it would be a race, if Paul didn't leave .017 seconds early, red lighting and giving David the coveted Wally.

​And finally, in the Summit Super Pro bracket, Jorge Couarrubio's 07 GTO was back after his Saturday Super Pro win. It was nice, but with a Wally on the line for this one, it was a tad bit more important. Noel Cuevos was there too, also seeking Wally gold. Both racers pushed as hard as they could to finish first, as both of them beat their dials, and broke out. Jorge's 4.657 on a 4.68 dial was 23 thousandths early, but Noel's 6.427 on a 6.48 dial was 53. With a closer time, Jorge got the Summit Super Pro Sweep, and a Wally to call his own!

​The boys and girls of the Junior Drags were back in town at Barona 1/8th Mile Dragstrip! And it was the last two races of the Junior Drag season, with Wallys going to Sunday's winners. With only a few more chances to gain position and take home the championship, these racers are going to push their skills and vehicles to the limits to try and take home that hardware!


Starting with Saturday, we have the Jr. Comp bracket, for those eliminated early who want a second chance at glory. The final came down to Derrick Hegwood and Leigha Miller, meeting with matching 6.90 dials for a heads-up race! Derrick had better control of his car all throughout, as his 7.001 on a 6.90 dial far beat Leigha's 7.913, giving Derrick a comfortable Jr. Comp win.


Now, comes the Juniors themselves. Going from youngest to oldest, Group 1 went to it's final first, as Reese Poe and Kade Renoll matched up. Reese was small, but she was ready to go, launching off the line in a mere 7 thousandths of a second, leaving Kade playing catch up. Kade would push too far, breaking out with a 12.056 E/T on a 12.10 dial, giving Reese the Group 1 win.


In Group 2, Dylan Hegwood was going for the gold, and was matched up against Macie Gordon trying to do the same. Both racers were a little too quick, though, as they both broke out. However, Macie's 8.937 E/T on a 8.94 dial was only 3 thousandths early, while Dylan's 8.881 E/T on a 8.90 dial was 19, as Macie gets a well earned Group 2 win.


In Group 3, Braiden Chesleigh only needed to get past Cole Rouse to take a victory home. And much like Macie and Reese before him, Cole wanted to get off the line fast. However, the gamble did not pay off, as Cole launched 4 thousandths of a second early, fouling out and giving Braiden the Group 3 win.


And now, for the teenagers of Group 4, looking to become Drag Racing's next greats. Hannan Cook and Keoki Desa wanted to settle the score. Kaoki specifically wanted to take a dominating victory, as they pushed their reaction time to the breaking point. Alas, said breaking point was 11 thousandths of a second early, fouling out and giving Hannan the Group 4 win.


And with Saturday done, next is the final race of the Junior Dragster season... and this time, each of the winners was going to bring home one of the coveted Wally trophies, so you know everyone is gunning for the top here!


The Junior Comp was first again, though, with no gold on the line. Joey Petrone was up against Nolan Oliveirza. Both racers pushed their cars past the limit, getting a double break out. But, Joey's 6.885 on a 6.90 dial was closer than Nolan's 6.881, as Joey takes the Jr. Comp win.


Down in Group 1, Kade Renoll was seeking redemption for her Finals loss on Saturday,  and Jacelyn Gonzanga was the only one in her way stopping her from making that revenge a Wally Gold. Jacelyn was not ready for Kade's fire, as Kade's .053 reaction time far surpassed Jacelyn's .321, giving her over two tenths of a second advantage. This gave her plenty of time to sandbag at the end, and still get a victory with a 12.168 E/T on a 12.05 dial. Kacelyn was closer with her 11.941 E/T on a 11.90 dial, but those two tenths of a second were too much for her to overcome, as Kade gets the first Wally of the night.

​Kade Renoll and his family, together after their Group 1 win.

Next up, Group 2, where Dylan Hegwood wanted to make like Kade earlier and get revenge for a Saturday final loss. Jessica Boardman would be his rival. And much like Kade, Dylan would get a good advantage off the line, having 5 hundredths of a second advantage, and he'd take that to an inferior E/T, but one that Jessica could not match. And in Group 2, one again, the Saturday runner up became the Sunday winner, as Dylan got to take home some Wally gold.

​Dylan Hegwood (Far) against Jessica Boardman (Near) in the Group 2 Final


In Group 3, we had two newcomers going at it. Joey Petrone, fresh off a Junior Comp victory, was going up against Cody Garceau. Both were near perfect matches before the lights dropped, but Joey wanted to go a bit too early, leaving 2 thousandths of a second sooner, a blink of an eye too early, giving Cody the Group 3 win, and a Wally of his own.

Cody Garcia and his family posing after taking home a Wally with a Group 3 win.


And finally, up in Group 4, Savannah Coates was up against Dylan Oliveira. Savanah got off the line quicker with a .036 reaction compared to Dylan's .068, leaving Dylan playing catch up. And catch up he did, past Savanah and to afast 8.040 E/T. Problem was, his dial was 8.06. With that break out, Savannah takes the Group 4 win, and the Group 4 Wally!

​Samantha Coates (Near) against Dylan Oliveira (Far) in the Group 4 Final. Samantha would race to the win.

But now that the kids have it all figured out, it's time for the big boys to do the same. Saturday and Sunday, September 2nd and 3rd, the NHRA Summit Series has it's last two races of the year, and much like the Juniors today, Sunday is when they'll be passing out the Wallies. See you there!

There was only one more race left in the Crower Cup series before a champion and a Wally winner was crowned. And that race was Saturday, August 8th at Barona 1/8th Mile Dragstrip. It was a warm, California afternoon and evening as the racers made their way down the track, going for glory and greenbacks, with one driving bringing home a coveted Wally and the Crower Cup championship.

First, though, was the Gamber bracket, with both Noel Cuevos and Gordon Grimes racing for the cash prize. Noel's 71 Camaro was a bit slower than Gordon's dragster, so he'd get a bit of a headstart. And Noel was looking to win, to get that perfect launch off the line. But, that's always a risk, and this time, it did not work out well for him. Launching 1 thousandth of a second early, Nick fouled out, giving Gordon the Gambler win and Gambler victory.

In the AFX bracket, Jerry Keller's 63 Dodge was up against Bob Munoa's 62 Dodge. It was a heads up race, both cars having 7.00 dials. Jerry got off the line quicker with a 0.134 reaction time, compared to Bob's .190 R/T. Bob made up ground on the track, but not enough to make up for those 6 hundredths of a second, as Bob's 7.043 did not make up enough ground off of Jerry's 7.081's E/T, giving Jerry the ATX win.

And all that leaves is the grand Crower Cup finale, with one last race to decide positions. Finalists Joe Bernier and Todd Ferguson were both out of the running for the overall championship, but Joe could get up to third in the points with a win. Todd would get off the line faster, with a .033 dial, but Joe was chasing him down, catching up and pushing Todd forwards, until both drivers broke out, going faster then their dial. But, Joe's 5.496 on a 5.50 dial was only 4 thousandths of a second underneath his dial, while Todd's 6.340 on a 6.35 was a full hundredth, and that'd be the difference, giving Joe the Crower Cup win.

​Joe Bernier (Far) against Todd Ferguson (Near) in the Crower Cup final.


And with that win, Joe rose up to tie for third place in the Crower Cup series with John Hildebrand. Runner up would be George Chatterton the Third, and the Crower Cup series champ, and winner of a coveted Wally, was Daniel Munoz and his 71 Vega.

​Daniel Munoz and his 71 Vega, posing after winning the Crower Cup 2017 Championship


Congratulations to Joe, Daniel, and all our other winners! Hope to see you all in two weeks, as on the 19th and 20th, the next generation hits the track, as the last two Jr. Dragster events hit the track, and we get to crown some Jr. Champions! See you there!

July started off hot at Barona 1/8th Mile Dragstrip, as races #5 and #6 of the NHRA Summit Series burned down the hot summer track. It was a warm California night on Saturday, July 8th  as the quartet of Summit Series brackets ran their course over at Barona.


Saturday started off with the Gambler bracket, with no points on the line; just the winner's pot. And Greg Cercely and David Stoddard both wanted that grand prize pot. Greg's 63 Ford Falcon was by far the faster car, as David's 67 El Camino needed more than 2 seconds of a head start. The two cars were quite different, but the two racing styles were quite similar, as both cars pushed each other under their dial, both breaking out. David was close to a perfect E/T, with a 8.999 E/T on a 9.01 dial, only breaking out by 11 thousandths of a second. But, Greg got a 6.356 E/T on a 6.36 dial, as his 4 thousandths was 7 thousandths better than David's, as Greg takes the Gambler win.

David Stoddard (Near) lining up against Greg Crecely (Far) in Saturday's Gambler Final.



In the Summit Motorcycles, final regular Joe Silva's 80 Suzuki was up against David Collin's 83 Kawasaki. David would launch second, but after seeing Joe jump off the line with a .031 reaction time, David just could not wait, launching 5 hundredths of a second early, fouling and wrapping up the Saturday Summt Motorcycle win for Joe.

In the Summit Sportsman, Gary Harfield's Corvette was up against Peter Stoddard's 73 Nova. Both launched with identical .101 reaction times, but Gary beat Peter on the track, his 8.116 E/T on a 8.05 dial beating Peter's 9.468 E/T on a 9.39 dial, giving Gary the Saturday Summit Sportsman win.



In the Summit Pro bracket, Rick Reynolds and Paul Wagner met to duel in the final. Paul's 71 Duster got a better start off the line, with a .117 reaction compared to Rick's .151, but neither racer was willing to give either an inch on the track, as both of them break out. Paul's 4 hundredths of a second advantage at the start meant nothing due to the double break out, just their dials and their E/Ts. Paul got a 6.762 on a 6.78 dial, crossing over 18 thousandths of a second early, but Rick, with a 5.923 on a 5.94, was one thousandth closer to his dial than Paul was, getting Rick the Summit Pro win.

Paul's 71 Duster (Near) up against Rick Reynolds' 66 Fairlane (Far) in the Summit Pro final.


But Rick was not done that night, as he'd show up again in the Summit Super Pro final, his 66 Fairlane up against RJ Simrock's 70 Nova. This time, both racers would make clean runs. No red lights, no breakouts, just their wheels on the track. And based purely on wheels on the ground, RJ made the better run, getting a 6.562 on a 6.55 dial, 12 thousandths off a perfect run, better than Rick's 5.976 on a 5.94 dial and it's 36 thousandths of error. But, at the starting line, when the green bulbs finally lit up, Rick launched in 31 thousandths, and RJ launched in 84. Those 53 thousandths Rick gained mattered far more than the 24 thousandths Rick lost by on the track, giving Rick a better total package, and the Saturday Summit Super Pro win to go with his Summit Pro win.

RJ Simrock's 70 Nova (Near) up against Rick Reynolds' 66 Fairlane (Far) in the Summit Super Pro final.


Also, a special thanks to Shelly Seagal, from Las Vegas, for bringing her J-85 Firestarter Jet Dragster back to the track, as the rev of her engine and the feet upon feet of flame spat out behind her thundering beast was a good way to stay wide awake even during the later hours of the night.

With the midnight oil burning, and one race of the weekend finished up, everyone went to bed and got up early, ready to go again on Sunday in the hot California sun. There was some minor rainfall, but not enough to stop another day of speed addicted racers from going at it again.


Sunday, July 9th started with a familiar sight: The Summit Motorcycles final, with Joe Silva's 80 Suzuki lining up. This time, he'd be up against Russ Collins Jr's 08 Suzuki. But as the lights dropped down, once again Joe Silva's rival left too early, Russ's -.037 reaction giving him a red light foul, as two final red lights gives Joe Silva the weekend Summit Motorcycles sweep.

Russ Collins Jr (Near) up against Joe Silva (Far). Joe would win, sweeping the Summit Motorcycles bracket for the weekend, extending his points lead.



Gary Harfield also wanted a sweep this weekend, and he was nearly there. Gary was back in the finals of the Summit Sportsman, looking to go back to back for the weekend in that category. Paul Wagner was the only one left who could stop him. Paul tried his best, running a 7.685 E/T on a 7.61 dial, but Gary's 8.074 was far closer to his 8.04 dial, as Gary found himself with a sweep of his own, taking both Summit Sportsman wins.

Paul Wagner (Near) lined up against Gary Harfield (Far) in the Summit Sportsman final.

But Paul was not satisfied with a runner up in Sportsman and a runner up in Saturday's Pro bracket, as he climbed his was back up to the Summit Pro final. He'd be going up against Todd Ferguson's 64 Falcon. When the engines roared, and both racers made their way down the track, Paul's 71 Duster outdid it's paltry Sportsman final performance, getting a 7.657 E/T on a 7.65 dial, as those seven thousandths of a second would beat Todd's 6.578 on a 6.50 dial by a wide margin, giving Paul a well earned Summit Pro win.

However, Todd also was not done that night, as he found himself in the Summit Super Pro bracket. However, he had a tall order of vengeance: he'd have to beat current points leader and Saturday's Super Pro winner Rick Reynolds and his 66 Fairlane. Todd had no interest in going out quietly into the night, as he pushed his 64 Falcon to new speeds. Alas, they would be speeds that would be too fast for his dial, as his 6.527 E/T was decently well under his 6.54 dial, disqualifying him via breakout, as Rick Reynolds takes the weekend Summit Super Pro sweep, and extends his points lead over the pack.

Rick Reynolds (Near) lined up against Todd Ferguson (Far) in the Summit Super Pro final.

With one hot weekend of the NHRA Summit Series behind us, there was only one more Summit race weekend left, where this series will come to it's final conclusion. Not to mention, that is the weekend that the coveted Wally trophies will be handed out to each of the bracket winners. But before that, in two weeks, the summer flu makes it's way to Barona 1/8th Mile Dragstrip, as Match Race Madness infects the track, as friends, family, and bitter enemies do battle at Match Race Madness. See you there!

​This weekend, Friday the 23rd and Saturday the 24th, Barona 1/8th Mile Dragstrip fans were treated to a pair of exciting events. Race two of the three race Crower Cup series, and and the Diego Bus Doorslammer series, for a set of heads up racing excitement! And to round it off, the Gambler was there for anyone and everyone who wanted their chance at some cash.


Starting off with the Gambler, there were a number of new entries brought into town for the Doorslammers, and that was apparent when the Enlisted 2010 Dragster, driven by Matt Funkhouser, pulled up to the Gambler final. Opposite him, was Barry Brown's 66 Chevelle, both beasts ready to break 100 MPH as soon as the green light dropped. Barry even moreso, which may be why he left 36 thousandths of a second early, getting a red light and giving Matt the Gambler win and Gambler money.

​Matt Funkhouser's '10 Dragster (Near) up against Barry Brown's Chevelle in the Gambler final (Far).

Next would be the AFX bracket, where Don Ruble meeting up with Kevin Bisbee in the final. Kevin's 73 Duster pulled up to the line, and launched off. Don's 67 Nova would do the same, the difference being Don did it over 3 tenths of a second too soon, red lighting and giving Kevin the AFX win.


And now comes the Doorslammers. First would be the 6.50 class, with a heads up race with both racers dialed in at 6.50 seconds. Fastest without going under wins. The final would go down to Noel Cuevos's 71 Camaro and Kevin Bisbee's 73 Duster. Noel would get off the line quicker, and run down the track for a 6.591 E/T, beating  Kevin and getting the 6.50 win.

​Noel Cuevos' 71 Camaro (Near) against Kevin Bisbee (Far) in the 6.50 final.


Going a second faster is the 5.50 class. Joe Bernier brought his 72 Vega to the track, with Tommy Azarella throwing down with his 64. Chevy Nova. Both were ready as the heads up lights dropped, but Joe got the faster start off the line, and the faster E/T, taking the 5.50 win.

​Joe Bernier (Near) against Tommy Azzarella (far) in the 5.50 Doorslammer final.


And the last Doorslammer event was the Pro Outlaw. A simple heads up race, with no dials. Whoever crosses the finish line first wins, no breakouts, and no limits. Track regular RJ Simrock had a beast to run the streets, and he was matched up against Bill Knudsen's 88 Camaro. And when it came to a pure heads up race, RJ's experience got him off the line quicker, and RJ's car only pushed that lead more, as he broke 150 MPH on his way to a 4.750 E/T and the big Pro Outlaw win.

​RJ Simrock's Ford Focus (Near) against Bill Knudsen's 88 Camaro (Far)


Special thanks to Snowcap Electric, Diego Party Bus & Limo, RPM, County Motor Parts, and Blue Skies Heating & Air Conditioning for sponsoring the Doorslammers, and for Crower parts for once again sponsoring the Crower Cup, our last race to cover today.


The second race on the Crower Cup series was all that was left, as it was between Gary Harfield and Dan Schrokosch.  Gary's 09 Corvette got a slight lead off the line, but Dan's 70 Nova was close behind. But in the end, Gary's 7.961 on a 7.95  beat Dan's 7.617 on a 7.60, as Gary takes Crower Cup #2.

​Gary Harfield (Far) right before taking the Crower Cup final against Dan Schrokosch (Far).

And now, we let the track cool down for two weeks, as the Summit Series comes back over July 8th starting at 4PM and the 9th starting at 10AM. We'll be there waiting! See you there!

​On the weekend of June 10th and 11th, the NHRA Summit Series stroke again at Barona 1/8th Mile Dragstrip, bringing both the regulars and the monster dragsters out to race for NHRA gold. And with a full weekend of racing to get done, there's a lot of race action to cover, as the Summit Motorcycle, Sportsman, Pro, and Super Pro both ran twice over the weekend.

Starting with Saturday, the Summit Motorcyclescame down to a matchup of Silvas, as Joe Silva and his 80 Suzuki went up against Cathy Silva and her 03 Kawasaki. Cathy would have a big head start,with her dial over two seconds slower than Joe's. However, a slower bike is no excuse to go slower off the line, as Cathy's .158 reaction time was blown away by Joe's .097. On the actual dragstrip, Cathy took the win, her 9.983 E/T on a 9.95 dial beating Joe's 7.429 E/T on a 7.36, but not enough to make up for that lethargic start, as Joe puts together a better overall package, and takes Saturday's Summit Motorcycles win.

After Motorcycles comes the Summit Sportsman, as Gary Harfield and Paul Wagner met in the final. The two racers were nearly evenly matched, with Paul's 73 Duster having a slightly faster dial. As the green light dropped, both racers were nearly even off the line, and both were close to their dials. But in the end, Gary's 7.958 on a 7.90 was not enough, as Paul's 7.639 was closer to his 7.61 dial, giving Paul the Summit Sportsman win for Saturday.

​Paul Wagner, his 73 Duster, and their new Winner stick after the Summit Sportsman final.



Up in the Summit Pro bracket, Rick Reynolds and his 71 Pinto was up against Richard Sullivan and his 92 Mustang. Rick had the faster car, and at the line that could be quite an advantage. Especially when your rival leaves early, red lighting and giving you the win before you even have to step on the gas. That is what happened, as Rick got an easy win in the Summit Pro.

​Rick Reynolds (Near) in the Summit Pro Final against Richard Sullivan (Far).

And while Rick is clearly a competent Pro, how good of a Super Pro is he? He was good enough to make the Summit Super Pro bracket, at least. Daniel Munoz was in his way, trying to stop him from doubling up in two brackets that day. But, Rick was not going to make it easy for him, as Rick gambles with the Christmas Tree, launching with a .009 reaction time, getting a huge lead over Daniel's more pedestrian .104,  giving Rick nearly a full tenth of a second of wiggle room to work with.  Daniel had every intention of stopping him there, as he raced nearly perfectly to his dial, getting a 6.778 E/T on a 6.77 dial. But, that reaction time would be more than enough to ruin him, as Rick's 5.898 on aa 5.86 was not bad enough to let Daniel make up that difference, as Rick Reynolds doubles up on the Super Pro and the Pro brackets with two wins.

​ick Reynolds'  66 Fastlane (Near) up against Daniel Munoz (Far) in the Summit Super Pro final.

And with the chill of a late Saturday night behind them, the racers all went to bed, rested up, and got ready for Sunday afternoon for another round, with the Gambler joining in on the side.

Starting with said Gambler, Dustin Enland was lining up in the final against Jorge Couarrubios' 1200 Horsepower monster of a 07 GTO. Dustin would have over three seconds of a head start over Jorge's beast, who rocketed it's way down the track in under 5 seconds, and clocked in at around 150 MPH. However, all the speed in the world doesn't matter if you leave too early, as Jorge put his lead foot on the gas pedal 7 thousandths of a second too late, giving the Gambler win and the Gambler cash to Dustin.

​The Gambler final, between Dustin Enland (Far) and Jorge Couarrubios (Near)



Meanwhile, in the Summit Motorcycle bracket, Joe Silva returned to see if he could get a weekend sweep of the Motorcycle points. John Legrano's 80 Suzuki had other ideas, though. But, much like Saturday, Joe got a great reaction time with a .051, and his rival got a far more lethargic one, as John got off the line in .235 seconds. That'd be enough, as John was forced to play heavy catch up to break out with a 6.171 E/T on a 6.20 dial, giving Joe the weekend sweep of the Motorcycles.

In the Summit Sportsman, Gary Harfield and his Corvette were looking to avenge their final loss Saturday, and their target was Wayne Johnson and his 72 Ranchero. Wayne would have a good run at it, with a 9.181 E/T on a 9.10 dial, but Gary's 8.036 E/T on a 7.95 dial would barely squeak past Wayne, giving Gary his vengeance and the Summit Sportsman win.

In the Summit Pro bracket, Rick Reynolds stroke again, taking his Saturday's victory and turning it into good momentum, taking him all the way back to the finals, where he'd go up against Pete Wrieden and his 57 Bel Air. But this time, it'd be Pete getting the risky .003 reaction time, forcing Rick to play catch up and push his Fairlane to nail it's dial. And with a 5.868 E/T on a 5.87 dial, he pushed it two thosuandths of a second too hard, breaking out and giving Pete Sunday's Summit Pro victory.

​Rick Reynolds (Near) against Pete Wrieden (Far) in the Summit Pro final

And finally, the weekend will get closed out with the Summit Super Pro bracket, as the intense wheelies of RJ Simrock's Nova went up against Rob Hoffman and his powerful 79 Camaro. And with RJ nailing a .018 green light and Rob getting a .017 start, this was going to be decided on the straightaway. RJ would carefully chase down the stripe, giving up just enough speed to tuck under his dial, getting a 6.556 E/T on a 6.54 dial. But Rob would push even harder, even faster, as he crossed the finish line first, but with a 6.419 E/T on a 6.54 dial, he would break out, and give RJ the Summit Super Pro win.

​RJ Simrock (Far) up against Rob Hoffman (Near) in the Summit Super Pro final.


And with one intense weekend of drag racing finished, we look forward to the future. And in two weeks, on June 24th, the lights come on at Barona 1/8th Mile Dragstrip as the second of the three race Crower Cup series hits Barona, starting at 4PM and going deep into the night. See you there!

​The most nitro-filled night of the year came, as on May 27th, the Second Annual Nitro Night at Barona 1/8th Mile Dragstrip rocked the dragstrip, pouting nitrous and fire into the air for a packed grandstands, full of exciting Nitro fans.

​And with those pleasantries out of the way, it was time to run.

But it wasn't just Del Worsham and fellow 20,000 horsepower fire-spitting NHRA Funny Cars there, as Altered Dragsters, Nostgalia Funny Cars, Fuel Altered Dragsters, Top Fuel Dragsters, Vintage Dragsters, and more were there to speed through the night. And as the track cooled down into the night, and the cars started to really hook, the roars of their engines and the rush of their nitrous was intoxicating for the absolutely packed grandstands.

​The tracks was exciting too, as the racers began to stick and speed down the track. Some were even getting a bit loose: the first Altered Dragster race finished with both drivers in the opposite lanes, absolutely untouched, as it wasn't just pure speed that was exciting there.
But with many fire-spitting runs and top tier speedsters finishing up, and with no rain to ruin this parade this time, Nitro Night came to a close with a round of applause, and an eye forwards to next year, where we hope to have one that's even better than this year's.

​It was a busy weekend at Barona 1/8th Mile Dragstrip, as Nitro Night was the meat in a Junior Drags sandwich over the weekend. Juniors had race #5 and #6 to get through and on Saturday May 27th, it was time for #5.

Saturday started with little Carlie Ball and Ethan Molletti meeting in the Group 1 final, as the youngest of our speedsters lined up, with Ethan Molletti getting a short headstart with his 12.30 dial, compared to Carlie's 12.03 dial. Carlie would get a good headstart off the line, having a .097 reaction compared to Ethan's .126. And while Carlie was less than ten, he raced like a veteran, pushing his car to a 12.033 E/T on that 12.03 dial, leaving no room at all for Ethan to catch up, forcing him to break out, and getting the Group 1 win.

In Group 2, the final came down to Morgan Clinton's 01  Spitzer and Adan Costanza's Halfscale. Both had their dials set, with Adan getting a small headstart. But, before Morgan's light turned green, she won the final, as Adan launches nearly a tenth of a second early, red lighting and giving Morgan the win.

In Group 3, Maverick Mollow and Typer Smith met in the final. It'd nearly be headsup, with near equal dials. Maverick would get a good start with a .036 reaction time, but Tyler wanted to be closer than that. And by trying to push the light, his side lights red, as he launched 3 thousandths of a second early, giving Maverick the Group 3 win.

And with the older teens left to go, Group 4 lined up, ready to go. Dylan Horridge and Ethan Gates would have a duel of 05 Halfscales. Dylan would get off the line faster, with a .023 reaction time compared Ethan's .038, and he's run that out to a 7.954 time on a 7.90 dial, enough to edge out Ethan and take the Group 4 win.

And with Saturday wrapped up and the excitement of Nitro Night still hanging over the dragstrip, the Juniors came back for another go.

In Sunday's Group 1 matchup, Carlie Ball was back, hoping for a weekend sweep, with Chase Sullivan there to try and get a win for himself. Chase would get a faster start off the line, but nobody ever accused Carlie of being anything but brave, as he tried to chase him down to take the stripe. Unfortunately, with a 12.106 E/T on a 12.15 dial, Carlie took a bit too much stripe, giving Chase the Group 1 win.

In Group 2, Caden Ball tries to avenge his litle brother's loss in Group 1, and he'd attempt to do so against Dylan Hegwood. Both would have similar starts, with Caden getting a very minor headstart with a 8.95 dial compared to Dylan's 8.90. But, Dylan would win the reaction battle by a small edge, with a .059 against Caden's .067. Both racers would push their cars to the finish, but Dylan's 8.931 E/T would beat out Caden's 9.004, as Dylan gets a well-deserved Group 2 win.

In Group 3, Maverick Molloy set out to do what Carlie failed to do in Group 1: Come back after a victory on Saturday and take the final again for a weekend sweet. Nolan Oliverirza had other ideas, though, as both Halfscales met in the Group 3 final. Maverick ran a 7.986 on a 7.96 dial, with a .025 reaction time, while Nolan Oliveirza ran a 8.085 on a 8.07 dial with a .036 reaction time. Adding the reaction times with how over their dials they are (which is how winners are usually determined), we'd see that both of them were .051 seconds awy from a perfect run. Or in other words, by the thousandths of a second: It was a tie. Only by going into the ten thousandths of a second was this photo finish of a race able to be determined, and it'd go in Maverick's favor, getting him the Jr. Group 3 sweep on one of the closest finals at Barona 1/8th Mile Dragstrip in years.

And finally, in Group 4, Derrick Hegwood would meet up with the elder Oliveirza, Dylan, to close out the weekend. Both teenagers came ready to race, as as soon as the green lights hit for both of them, both were already out of the gates in under a hundredth of a second. And Derrick had no intention on being anything less than perfect, as he took his 7.90 dial and ran a 7.908 E/T, which combined with his .005 reaction time, left him merely 13 thousandths of a second away from a perfect run. That would be far too small a gap for Dylan to fill, as he pushes his Halfscale into a 8.040 E/T on a 8.09 dial, breaking out hard, as Derrick takes a very hard earned Group 4 win.

And after one absolutely exciting weekend of racing, fans won't have a lot of time to recover, as in two weeks the NHRA Summit Series comes back to Barona, taking over the dragstrip for a full weekend of action! See you there!

​This Sunday, May 21st at Barona 1/8th Mile Dragstrip, we got all international, as the Import Outlaws headed to the strip to show off what the rest of the world can do. Nothing made in the states were allowed, just the speedsters from overseas. They'll be organized into 4 brackets, all for their pre-determined dials: 7.50, 7.00,6.50, and the fastest, 6.00. 


First, in the 7.50 bracket, top seeds Bill Ottinge and his 06 CL650 and James Labins' 16 VW met in the final. Bill got off the line quicker, with a .300 r/t compared to Jame's .477, forcing James to play catch up. But he'd push too far, as James crossed the line at 7.476, too soon for the 7.50 class, breaking out and gifting the 7.50 Class Win to Bill.

​Bill Ottinge (Far) up against James Labins (Near) in the 7.50 final, right before Bill takes the bracket win.


In the 7.00s, Omar Campos's 92 Civic went up against Chayanne Pantoja's 90 Civic. Omar got off the line faster, and was building quite a lead down the track, but hit the breaks at just the right time, getting a 7.142 E/T. That'd be enough to beat Chayanne's 7.835, winning the 7.00 bracket.

​Omar Campos (Near) up against Chayanne Pantoja (Far) in the 7.0 Final. Omar would take the win.


We were getting faster, heading into the 6.50 bracket with TB Adde's 95 Honda and Ray Bunch's 83 Porsche. It was a story of a perfectionist, as Ray got a good start, his .167 dial not far behind TB's .159, but as they ran, and the finish line got closer and closer, TB hit the brakes sooner and harder, crossing the line at a hair under 70 miles per hour with a slow 7.552, over a second over his dial. However, when the Ray's brakes were not nearly as strong, and with a lot of room to give, he took too big a lead at the finish, finishing with a 6.489, breaking out and giving the 6.50 class to TB Adde.


And with just one bracket left, we had the fastest rockets from overseas left to run. And the fastest things don't always come on four wheels. The 6.00 bracket was a final between Ken Henderson and his 12 Kawasaki and Keneth Hyde and his 15 Kawasaki. It was a straight up drag race, as both bikes fired off the line. Keneth had the early lead, winning the battle off the line by 5 hundredths. But Henderson's 127 MPH motorcycle was too fast for Keneth, as Ken passes him, taking a 6.210 E/T and the 6.00 bracket win.


With this extra fill in event in, now comes the biggest race of the year. Saturday, May 27th will start off with Junior Dragsters going from 9AM to 3PM, followed by the 10,000 Horsepower of the Funny Cars, Nostalgia Dragsters, Fuel Altered and more at the Second Annual Nitro Night! Races start at 4PM. See you there!

​At Barona 1/8th Mile Dragstrip, the track was so fast it was on fire, as the first race in the Crower Cup series hit the track. There were other attractions too, though, as the Gambler was at full force, and Barona welcomed a special guest to the track. Shelly Segal and her J-85 Firestarter Jet Dragster, all the way from Las Vegas arrived at Barona 1/8th Mile Dragstrip, bringing her Jet Dragster and it's multiple feet of fire. And that fire hit the track as well, as behind a wall of flame and smoke, Shelly burned down the 1/8th mile in 3.971 seconds, at over 200 miles per hour. A good preview for the heat of Nitro Night in  a week! 

​But besides the Firestarter, we still had the Gambler and Crower Cup to run. In the Gambler, Greg Crecely's and his 63 Fold Falcon went up against Tracy Perez and his 70 Nova. Greg had the faster car, waiting for Tracy to launch off the line one second before he could start, but before that one second could pass, Greg already won. Tracy launched 11 thousandths of a second early, red lighting and giving Greg the Gambler win.

​Greg Crevely (Near) against Tracy Perez (Far) in the Gamber final. Tracy would redlight, giving Greg the win.


And that only left the first of the three-race Crower Cup series, as Daniel Munoz' 71 Vega matched up against George Chatterton the Thirds' 37 Fiat for the early lead in the series.  George had the faster car, and a 5.50 dial to match it. Daniel had nearly a second head start with his 6.78 dial. The two had very similar launches, as Daniel had a .030 reaction time, while George had a .032. However, that advantage of two thousandths of a second would make Daniel unbeatable, as he nailed his dial with a 6.782 E/T on a 6.78 dial. The only way George could win was to get an exact 5.500 E/T. George got a 5.484, breaking out, as Daniel's on the money run got him the Crower Cup win, as well as the early points lead.

​George Chatterton 3 (Near) up against Daniel Munoz (far) in the Crower Cup final. Daniel would have a near perfect run, giving him the Crower win and the early points lead.


With the Crower done, we look forward to the future. This Sunday, May 21st when the Import Outlaws come to Barona. And after that, May 27th, the 2nd Annual Nitro Night hits the track, with world champion Del Worsham. See you there!