There's no April Fools at Barona 1/8th Mile Dragstrip last Saturday. That was when the Juniors blossomed up with Spring as the Junior Dragster series race #3 and #4 hit the dragstrip last Saturday, March 31st. A double header of the rising stars of Barona hit the track to give it their all.


Starting with the first batch of races, in Group 1, Tessa Clinton and her 01 Spitzer was up against Carlie Ball. Both racers had close dials and close reaction times, but Tessa's 12.556 E/T on a 12.40 E/T beat Carlie's 12.230 E/T on a 12.06 dial, giving Tessa the first Group 1 win.

Tessa Clinton, heading down the track in her 01 Spitzer on the way to winning the first Group 1 race.
In Group 2, Cy Mitchell was up against Carlie's big brother Caden, looking to make up for Carlie's earlier loss. But, Caden was a little too eager to get revenge, as he launched 42 thousandths of a second early, fouling out and giving Cy the Group 2 win.

Cy Mitchell, making his way down the track on his way to a Group 2 win.
Group 3 was up next, as Morgan Buchanan was up against Autumn Hight's 12 McGee. Autumn did their best but Morgan's .028 reaction time on top of a 8.002 E/T on a 8.00 dial was too hard to beat, giving Morgan the first Group 3 win.


And in Group 4, Hailey Pierce had an engagement with Cole Rouse, and Hailey had every plan to push it. But when the lights dropped, it'd be Cole who fired out too quickly with a -.009 R/T, fouling out and giving Hailey the Group 4 win.

Hailey Pierce, the first race's Group 4 winner, getting ready to launch.


And then everyone lined up, and did it all again! Group 1 got started with Carlie Ball making a comeback, trying to take the bracket win this time. He was up against Carleigh Garceau. Charleigh got off the line faster, but Carlie was right behind, as both racers push their vehicles out... until Carleigh finished with a 12.028 E/T on a 12.03 dial, breaking out by two thousandths of a second and losing... if Carlie didn't break out as well with a 12.047 E/T on a 12.09 dial. Carleigh was closer to their dial, so they got the win, and the second Group 1 bracket win!

Carlie Ball (Near) against Carleigh Garceau (Far) in the second Group 1 final)
In Group 2, Theresa Chatterton was up against Dylan Hegwood. Dylan would be closer to his dial with a 8.918 E/T on a 8.90 dial compared to Theresa's 9.012 E/T on a 8.97 dial, but Theresa's .040 reaction time beat out Dylan's .082 reaction by enough to make up that difference, and get Theresa the second Group 2 win.

​Dylan Hegwood (Near) in the Group 2 final against Theresa Chatterton (Far)

Group 3 rolled around next, as Jack Gates and his 05 Halfscale was matched up against Adam Shelden. Jack would go first, with an amazing .009 reaction time. Adam tried to match it, but instead launched 53 thousandths of a second early, fouling out and giving Jack the second Group 3 win

Adam Shelden (Near) against Jack Gates (Far) in the Group 3 Final.And finally, in Group 4, Dylan Oliveira, who is in his last season of Jr. Drags, brought his 13 Halfscale up to match with Nikki Rochin's 05 Halfscale. Dylan, seeking to go out with a bang, pushed his Halfscale dragster to a 8.044 E/T on a 8.00 dial, beating Nikki's 8.439 E/T on a 8.03 dial. Dylan closes out the Jr. Dragster weekend with a Group 4 win!
​

Love is in the air at Barona 1/8th Mile Dragstrip; not for Hearts or Money, but for the thrill of race! Over the weekend of February 17th and 18th, on a sunny day down in Lakeside, California. Saturday saw the return of the Renegade series for their second race of the season, while Sunday saw the varied styles of the Import Outlaws running their ways up and down the track. But the weekend starts with Saturday, and the Renegade gets everything started!
First, in the Renegade Electronics class, the final came down to Daniel Munoz and his 71 Vega, and Jim “Woody” Wood, who brought his 63 Corvette. The two cars were nearly evenly matched, and when the lights went down, both were evenly matched coming off the line. It came down to the track itself, where Daniel's 6.690 E/T on a 6.67 dial just barely beats Woody's 6.432 on a 6.40 dial, giving Daniel the Renegade Electronics win.

Daniel Munoz (Near) against "Woody" Wood (Far) in the Renegade Electronics final.
Woody wasn't done yet, though, as he fought his way back into the Renegade Non-E Final to make up for his defeat. His revenge would have to come against old track favorite Wayne Johnson and his 68 Mustang. Wayne would get the head start, with his 9.11 dial compared to Woody's 6.45start, giving Woody a nice head start. But when the lights came down, Wayne launched early, getting a -0.024 reaction time. And just like that, Woody made up for his loss by taking the Non-E bracket win without so much as moving an inch.

Wayne Johnson (Near) against "Woody" Wood (Far) In the Renegade Non-E Final

With the Renegade done, we move on to Sunday with all the Import Outlaws racers, where cars from around the world gather together for some Heads Up racing! There's a number of different brackets in play here, the All Motor, Street, Motorcycles, and Turbo brackets, as well as a Round Robin event that'd lead to the winner competing for the Top 10 Ladder later. Alongside all these brackets was anybody and everybody who wanted to make a few runs down the track without partaking in competition: The Test and Tune racers.


The Round Robin ended up between Reyes Valdes and Jose Garcept. Off the line, it was clearly Reyes who had the upper hand, his 107 MPH 95 Honda leaving Jose's 96 Acura in the dust, finishing nearly a full second ahead with a 7.115 E/T and with a full 20 MPH advantage on the speedometer.


In the Import Street class, Andrew Bennett brought his 16 Camaro to the line p against Ryan LaBranche's 13 Evo. The lights dropped and Andrew was off the line first with a .267 R/T, getting a good lead over Ryan's .480 R/T. Andrew pushed that with his slightly faster car to a 7.570 E/T, beating Ryan and getting the Import Street Win.

Ryan LaBranche's 13 Evo (Near) against Andrew Bennett's 16 Camaro (far) in the Import Street Final
When the Motorcycles lined up, everyone knew the fastest and most dangerous vehicles were ready to put on a shop. And the final between Ken Henderson's 12 Kawasaki and Vince Hill's 14 Busa was no exception. Both racers had enough power in their rockets to break 110 MPH, and when they both fired off the line with nearly matching .180 and .182 reaction times, you know it was going to be a close race to the finish. Ken pulled ahead in the end with a 5.944 E/T, while Vince Hill lagged just behind with a 6.237, getting Ken Henderson the Import Motorcycles win.

Vince Hill (Far) preparing to take on Ken Henderson (Near) in the Import Motorcycles Final
In the Import Turbo bracket, Omar Campos and his 92 Civic was feeling pretty good about their odds up against Reyes Caldes and his 95 Honda. Omar got off the line first, too, with a .163 R/T compared to Reyes' .226. However, with a pop from the engine and a surprise veer to the right wall, Omar's Civic couldn't finish the race, giving Reyes the Import Turbo win, to go with his Round Robin victory.

Reyes Valdes (Near) against Omar Campos (Far) In the Import Turbo Final

And finally, in the Import All Motor bracket, Eric Lopez and his 98 CRX was up against Tristan Workman's 95 Integra. Eric got off the line first, and road that head start to a 7.154 E/T, beating Tristian's 7.427 E/T, getting the Import All Motor win and wrapping up a fast day of Import Racing.

Eric Lopez (Far)in the Import All Motor Final against Tristan Workman (Near)Now with another fast weekend of racing behind us, it's time to look forward to March. With Spring around the corner, the Renegade returns with another spring in it's step. Saturday March 3rd, the Renegade returns, with open Test and Tune to anyone wanting to bring their cars down. Gates open at 10AM, and racing continues until 4. See you there!

It's the start of a new season at Barona 1/8th Mile Dragstrip, but there was still some leftover clean up from last year. When one of the Renegade races was rained out, so was the 2017 Member Track Madness, leaving us one championship, trophy, and tickets to Pamona for the NHRA Winternationals to give out.


The way it works is simple. The Renegade Electronics and Renegade Non-E are ran as normal. Once we have winners in both brackets, they run one last race against each other, and the winner gets to be the Member Track Madness champion, and get to take home a big #1 trophy declaring them such.


First, in the Renegade Electronics, Paul Wagner and his Valiant went up against Jeff Martin and his Datsun. Both cars were nearly even at the line, but Paul was a little jumpy; he launched 3 hundredths of a second early, disqualifying himself and giving Jeff the Renegade Electronics win.

Paul Wagner (Far) against Jeff Martin (Near) in the Renegade Electronics final. [Photo by Pete Liebig]

The other half would be found via the Renegade Non-E bracket, where John McKinney and Tracy Perez were matching up. Tracy's 70 Nova would launch first off a 7.60 dial, while John's 77 Camaro would be playing catch up with a 6.54 dial. He'd have to try and make up a 2 hundredths disadvantage too, as Tracy beat John on the line. But, John's racing would come through, as he gets a 6.547 E/T on a 6.54 dial, making up that 2 hundredths lost at the line, and getting the Renegade Non-E win.

John McKinney's 77 Camaro making a run. [Photo by Pete Liebig]

With our Renegade Electronics and Non-E Champions decided, there was just one last race to decide who'd win the 2017 NHRA Member Track Madness Championship. This one was a heads up race, between John McKinney's 77 Camaro and Jeff Martin's 74 Datsun. Again, John was slower off the line, as Jeff launched 15 thousandths of a second sooner, but John would pass Jeff on the track, and finish with a 6.537 E/T, beating Jeff's 6.717 by a more than comfortable amount.
​

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John McKinney (Far) against Jeff Martin (Near) in the Member Track Madness final.

And with that, John McKinney wins the Member Track Madness Championship. And that was just the first Renegade of the season! In two weeks, on February 17th, the gates open at 10AM to start this again! Also, bring in your car for some Test and Tune trial runs, or try to get into the Gambler! See you there!

​It was a warm afternoon night on October 28th at Barona 1/8th Mile Dragstrip when there was anarchy in the kingdom. Drivers from all over Southern California gathered, all trying to lay claim to one throne: The King of the Track. To the king, a coveted NHRA Wally trophy is granted, as well as a Barona Drags Gold Card: Letting the King race here free for an entire year. The racers will be split into 4 categories. The Summit style Sportsman, Pro, and Super Pro categories, as well as the anything goes Gambler. The winners of those brackets will compete in a mini, 4 car bracket, with the winner of that being declared King (or Queen) of the Track.

Round 1, the Sportsman bracket, as Paul Wagner's 70 Dart went up against Peter Stoddard's 73 Nova. Peter would launch first, getting off the line decently well with a .036 light. Paul slept a bit on the line, getting a .110 launch. As Peter finished with a 9.327 E/T on a 9.2 dial, Paul still had a chance. He had to get his E/T within 5 hundredths of a second of his 7.56 dial...but his 7.619 was not, as Peter takes the Sportsman win, and gets a spot for the King of the Track.

​Peter Stoddard (Far) in his 70 Nova against Paul Wagner (Near) and his 70 Dart in the Sportsman final.

Next up, in the Pro bracket Valadez's 81 Camaro went up against Noel Cuevas' 71 Camaro. Much like in the Sportsman bracket, reaction time is the biggest difference maker. Pedro got a mere 4 hundredths of a second advantage, but when the two evenly matched Camaros made their way down the track, Noel was better...but only by 1 hundredth of a second, making the 4 lost at the starting line the difference maker. Pedro takes the Pro win, and will be at the King of the Track final.

​Noel Cuevas (Near) in his  71 Camaro up against Pedro Valadez (Far) in his 81 Camaro in the Pro final.


In the Super Pro Bracket, Rick Reynolds brought his 66 Fairlane up against Vincente Generalao. Both cars were  nearly evenly matched, and on the tree, so were both racers. Rick had a slight advantage with a .040 light compared to Vincente's .055, but Vincente made it up on the track. His 5.820 E/T on a 5.80 dial was dead on compared to Rick's 5.967 E/T on a 5.91 dial. Those five hundreds of a second would give Vincente plenty of room to slide in after losing the tree, and take the Summit Super Pro win,giving Vincente a shot at King of the Track.

​Vicente Generalo's dragster (far) against Rick Reynold's 66 Fairlane (near) in the Super Pro final


And the final category left, the Gambler. RJ Simrock brought his 70 Nova and all of it's extreme launch wheelies to compete, but Todd Ferguson's 64 Falcon wanted a shot at the crown too. Todd had the slightly faster car by around a tenth of a second, as RJ launched first. But, Todd left around one hundredth of a second early, getting a red light and gifting RJ Simrock the Gambler win, and the last spot in the King of the Track final.

​RJ Simrock (Near) in his 70 Nova up against Todd Ferguson (Far) in his 64 Falcon. RJ would take the Gambler final win.


And finally, the four champions would duel it out to determine who was King this year. Peter Stoddard was doomed, with a lethargic 0.168 reaction time, and Vincente Generalao took care of himself, launching 7 thousandths of a second early and fouling out. All that were leftwere Gambler winner RJ Simrock's70 Nova and Pro winner Pedro Valadez's 81 Camaro. This finale all be about who could go the fastest. And RJ's extreme wheelies would get off the line first with a fast .014 reaction time, getting a good lead over Pedro's .092. RJ would ride that to a 6.472 E/T, beating Pedro's 6.610 and giving RJ the crown. RJ Simrock is King of the Track.

And to the winner go the spoils, as RJ gets to take home a coveted NHRA Wally Trophy, as well as a Gold Card to grant him free access to the track for an entire year. Until he has to defend this title.

​The Antique Drags hit Barona 1/8th Mile Dragstrip on Saturday, October 14th, with vintage cars and old regulars tearing up the circuit.Also being hosted was the 5th Annual Y-Block Shoot Out, brought to you by Crower, Mummert Equipment, Schneider, CEBE Farms, and JBA Speed Shop. Also, the regular events were back, but with a special twist: This time, the Gambler was being ran with a Wally on the line.

First, the AFX bracket, as David Franklin in his 61 Galaxie went up against Ken Moreland in his Chevelle. Ken would get up to the line, having an earlier start than David, but as soon as he stepped on the gas, he gave David the win, as Ken leaves 24 thousandths of a second early, giving David the AFX win.

David Franklin (Near) against Ken Moreland (far) in the AFX final.



Then, the Y-blocks split up into two different brackets, with the Y-block Sportsman coming down to Al Radcliff and Charlie Bigwell. Charlie had the faster car, his 7.59 dial making him wait over a second behind Al's 9.00 dial. And when the lights dropped, Al got to go, and Charlie lagged behind. When the green light lit up, he still lagged behind, his .610 reaction time requiring an inhuman effort to make up. And with a 7.592 on a 7.59 dial, he pushed too hard, breaking out and giving Al the Y block Sportsman win.

​Charlie Bigwell (Near) against Al Radcliff (Far) in the Y-block Sportsman final.


Soon after, Todd Ferguson took the Y-Block pro, and defeated Al heads up, leaving one last final for the Y-block shootout. The Y-block vs FE Challenge, as Todd Ferguson went up against Clint Waterhouse. Todd had a slightly faster car, but Clint was able to get off the line without issue this time, getting off the line with a quick .083 reaction... as Todd launches half a second later 10 thousandths of a second early. Todd fouls with a red light, and Clint takes the win in the Y-block vs FE Challenge.

​Todd Ferguson (Near) against Clint Waterhouse (Far) in the Y Block vs FE Challenge

And finally, there was only the Gambler left. Would Danny Ord be able to come in and go home with a Wally of his own, or will Rick Reynolds add another to his collection? Danny would get first go, launching off with his 7.38 dial first, getting an alright .089 reaction time. But, Rick and his 5.89 dial launched shortly after, as Rick was already making up ground with his .031 reaction time. Danny could see Rick fast catching up with him, threatening to cross the finish line first, as Danny had to push his car faster. And with a 7.320 E/T on a 7.38 dial, he pushed too far, breaking out as Rick finishes over his dial, giving Rick the win, and another Wally to add to his collection.
 

​Rick Reynolds and daughter Remy Reynolds accepting Rick's Wally for the Gambler win.


With the Antiques done, it was time to return to modern day. And in two weeks time, comes one of the biggest events of the year. On October 28th, racers from 4 different categories will get together to determine who is the #1 King of the Track, with one last trophy and free track fees to their name if they win. See you there!

​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!