(Photos by Bob Snyder -Words by Darr Hawthorne and NHRA Field Marketing) – The 8th Annual Mickey Mart Rewards Cavalcade of Stars, presented by Budweiser, was held at Summit Motorsports Park last weekend. The popular event, part of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series featured 260 mile-per-hour alcohol Funny Cars, 270 mile-per-hour supercharged and nitromethane-injected Dragsters, nitro Harleys, Pro Stock motorcycles and the jet-powered full-size Kenworth truck driven by Bob Motz, (below) putting on a killer fireshow.
Also there were a pair of jet-powered nostalgia Funny Cars, Outlaw Drag Radial cars, historic AA/Gassers and more than 600 race cars from throughout the United States and Canada.
Photographer Bob Snyder was on his own eastern-swing stopping by the legendary Norwalk, Ohio track and sent in these cool photos of the weekend action.
At the Cavalcade of Stars at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, Brandon Booher, Urbana, Ill., and Chris Foster from Davenport, Iowa took home wins in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car respectively.
Rain threatened the event, but it was finally wrapped up on Monday. Booher worked his way through the field and ran 10.799 seconds at 97.61 mph in his final round victory over Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., who had won this event last year. Thacker registered no time in the final round since he had broke before he could make the run.
Foster (near lane) won this event last year, he faced off against Andy Bohl, Racine, Wis., and posted a winning run of 5.609 seconds, 257.68 mph in his 2011 Mustang. Bohl drove to a 5.632 second, 256.80 mph lap for his runner up finish.
Other racers visiting the winner’s circle this weekend were Terry Smith, Middletown, Ohio, in Comp Eliminator (pictured above); Steve Sullivan, West Chester, Ohio, in Stock Eliminator; Zack Running, Lapeer, Mich., in Super Stock; Jack Sepanek, Moosic, Pa., in Super Comp; Nick Akoury, Port Clinton, Ohio, in Super Gas; and Rudy Matthews, Ohio City, Ohio, in Super Street.
In the division’s Brodix Steve Schemidt Top Sportsman Series it was Jerry Albert, Avon, Ohio, taking the win while Marco Abruzzi, Warren, Ohio, won in the Spitzer Race Cars Top Dragster Series (pictured above).
The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:
Round 1
2) Brandon Booher, Urbana, Ill., 5.398, 267.85 def. 7) Richard Bourke, Old Tappan, N.J., 11.464, 93.06;
1) Shawn Cowie, Surrey, B.C., 5.324, 270.21 def. 8) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.391, 263.26;
5) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.416, 264.70 def. 4) Jeff Veale, Stoney Creek, Ont., foul;
3) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.315, 257.19 def. 6) Dan Mercier, LaPrairie, Quebec, 11.444, 70.06;
Semifinal
Thacker, 5.482, 263.20 def. Cowie, 10.643, 72.65;
Booher, 5.304, 272.17 def. Reichert, 5.440, 267.75;
Final
Booher, 10.799, 97.61 def. Thacker, broke.
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
Doug Gordon TA/FC
Round 1
1) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., ’06 Monte Carlo, 7.086, 221.52 def. 8) Todd Robertson, Harrison Twp., Mich., ’06 Monte Carlo, 13.125, 63.05;
2) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., ’12 Monte Carlo, 6.872, 250.51 def. 7) Cassie Simonton, Brownsburg, Ind., ’12 Mustang, 12.100, 122.61;
3) Andy Bohl, Racine, Wis., ’08 Mustang, 5.659, 256.50 def. 6) Ray Drew, Hales Corner, Wis., ’14 Mustang, 6.040, 217.21;
4) Chris Foster, Davenport, Iowa, ’11 Mustang, 5.624, 253.37 def. 5) Tony Bogolo, Hamilton, Ohio, ’01 Avenger, 15.243, 59.14;
Semifinal
Bohl, 5.616, 258.76 def. Gordon, 5.686, 259.31;
Foster, 5.606, 258.52 def. Ferro, 7.535, 109.22;
Final
Foster, 5.609, 257.68 def. Bohl, 5.632, 256.80.
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Brandon Booher, Urbana, Ill., 10.799, 97.61 def. Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., broke.
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Chris Foster, Davenport, Iowa, ’11 Mustang, 5.609, 257.68 def. Andy Bohl, Racine, Wis., ’08 Mustang, 5.632, 256.80.
COMP ELIMINATOR
Terry Smith, Middletown, Ohio, Advanced, D/DA, 7.307, 166.87 def. Jim Greenheck, Schofield, Wis., ’12 Camaro, C/AA, 7.263, 170.15.
SUPER STOCK
Zack Running, Lapeer, Mich., ’84 Cutlass, SS/MA, 10.973, 117.70 def. Fred Bartoli Jr., Schaumburg, Ill., ’87 Camaro, GT/EA, 9.798, 132.14.
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Steve Sullivan, West Chester, Ohio, ’88 Mustang, N/SA, 12.019, 108.13 def. Chuck Beach, Delaware, Ohio, ’68 Barracuda, F/SA, 10.970, 112.25.
SUPER COMP
Jack Sepanek, Moosic, Pa., dragster, 8.901, 162.76 def. Nick Folk, Durand, Ill., dragster, 8.877, 163.65.
SUPER GAS
Nick Akoury, Port Clinton, Ohio, ’68 Camaro, 9.936, 130.82 def. Steve Hoyt, Fort Wayne, Ind., ’63 Corvette, 9.890, 165.62.
SUPER STREET
Rudy Matthews, Ohio City, Ohio, ’69 Camaro (far lane), 10.916, 142.01 def. Fred Squires, Defiance, Ohio, ’68 Nova, 10.885, 133.82.
TOP DRAGSTER
Marco Abruzzi, Warren, Ohio, dragster, 6.512, 199.35 def. Dan Norris, Wixom, Mich., dragster, 6.126, 229.55.
TOP SPORTSMAN
Jerry Albert, Avon, Ohio, ’97 Camaro, 6.880, 196.19 def. Michael Badia, Milford, Mich., ’91 Cutlass, 7.012, 199.91.
TOP FUEL HARLEY
Damian Cownden, Victoria, B.C., ’01 Weekend, 6.498, 220.87 def. Jason Pridemore, Garrettsville, Ohio, ’10 Pridemore, 6.601, 159.29.
PRO FUEL HARLEY
Clint Pleasant, Kokomo, Ind., ’98 V Twin, 7.384, 172.34 def. William Bentz, Prescott Valley, Ariz., dragster, 7.651, 167.61.
DRAGGIN BAGGER HARLEY
Darrell Schwalbach, Omaha, Neb., ’06 Road Glide, 11.152, 121.44 def. David Cartwright, Evansville, Ind., ’07 Road Glide, foul.
STREET PRO HARLEY
Nicholas Gonatas, Youngstown, Ohio, ’06 Destroyer, 8.765, 153.89 def. Charley Douglass, Staunton, Va., ’92 Sportster, 16.427, 31.85.
HOT STREET HARLEY
Charley Douglass, Staunton, Va., ’92 Sportster, 9.955, 131.66 was unopposed.
PRO GAS HARLEY
Marc Inguersen, Findlay, Ohio, ’08 Buell, 7.571, 179.68 def. William R Rowe Jr, Hellentown, Pa., ’06 Destroyer, 10.516, 102.42.
SCREAMIN’ EAGLE HARLEY
Nicholas Gonates, Youngstown, Ohio, ’06 Destroyer, 10.466, 124.66 def. William R Rowe Jr, Hellertown, Pa., ’06 Destroyer, 10.432, 119.19.
PRO STOCK SNOWMOBILE
Brian Werner, Hubbard, Ohio, ’01 Yamaha, 8.547, 153.33 def. Glenn Hall, Gordon, Wis., ’15 Artic CAT.
Cavalcade of Stars Photo Extra:
New track records were set for mph in Top Alcohol Dragster by Jeff Veale (275.96) and for mph in Top Fuel Harley by Tommy Grimes (231.68).
North Central Division racers head to Route 66 Raceway for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, June 6-8.
Just NICE.
I want that TAFC to prosper so we can book them into tracks. They drew well for the smaller facilities as replacements for the nitro cars..and low circuit prices meant profits for strip operators.