2020 has been a dynamic year in so many different ways but on a breezy day in Epping, NH, a bit of normalcy was found. 41 stock and super stock racers were able to escape the chaos and showed up to do battle at the second ASRA race of the season held at New England Dragway. The COVID-19 may have slowed daily life down but it did not slow down the action on the track.
Third round action kicked off with George LaBelle in his J/SA 1969 Camaro Convertible holding off the hard charging Tony Jarvis in his 2014 Cobra Jet Mustang with a 12.15 (12.11 dial) to a 8.85 (8.83 dial). In a double breakout, George Mirza ran 11.246 on his 11.25 dial in his D/SA Duster to top Dan Lynch's 11.289 on his 11.30 dial in his 1969 H/SA Camaro. Jim Whitehead advanced in his 1998 C/SA Camaro when Tim Gray lit the red light with his 1972 Nova. In a race where both drivers dialed 10.56, Eric Merryfield used his reaction time advantage in his 1996 GT/TD Dakota to push Sal Meo under his dial in his 1998 Firebird. In another double breakout match-up, the 1983 G/SA Camaro driven by Greg Barsamian ran closer to his dial (11.08 on 11.12) to edge out Bob Horgan 1986 H/SA Firebird (11.50 on 11.56). The round would conclude with Todd Bednaz taking the tree on his bye run in his stick shift '68 Camaro.
In quarterfinal action, Whitehead ran dead on his 10.86 dial to get past Merryfield’s wheel standing truck that was a little off his 10.53 dial with a 10.57. Mirza tuned a reaction time advantage into a win light running 11.32 (11.24 dial) over Barsamian’s 11.11 (11.08 dial). The round would close with LaBelle gaining a little edge off the line but taking a bit too much stripe running 12.12 (12.14 dial) as Bednaz advanced with a safe 10.76 (10.73 dial).
In one of the tighter races of the day, Mirza went down swinging in the semifinals to Bednaz. Just 0.004 separated them on the tree and Mirza took 6 thousandths at the stripe and broke out with a 11.223 on his 11.23 dial while Bednaz ran 10.763 on is 10.76 dial. Whitehead would take the tree on his solo shot into the final. In the trophy round, Bednaz continued his consistency by grabbing a 3 hundredths advantage at the starting line over Whitehead and then sealed the deal with a 10.79 on a 10.77 dial while Whitehead ran 10.96 on his 10.95 dial. A big congrats to Todd Bednaz for his win as well as to Jim Whitehead for his runner up. Racing action is scheduled to resume back at New England Dragway for a double header the weekend of July 25th and 26th.
Specialty Awards:
Seacoast Auto Repair #1 Qualifier: Bob Horgan
Take Out the #1 Qualifier: Eric Merryfield
Dead on the Dial: Jim Whitehead
Boucher’s Bounty Hunter: To Be Determined
Eric Merryfield’s Best Losing Package: Bob Broadbent
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