ASRA returned to New England Dragway on Saturday, July 26th just a short two weeks after the last event. The forecast called for high temps and clear skies and that’s what 47 races got to enjoy in Epping, NH for the first race of the doubleheader weekend.
Third round of eliminations started off with Chris Butcher moving on in his 1983 H/SA Camaro after Tony Jarvis red-lighted in his 2014 Cobra Jet Mustang. In his clean SS/GA Chevy II, Gregg Sutherland got past Bob Vogel in his 1980 K/SA Chevy Malibu. Tom Boucher gained a starting line advantage in his ’87 GT/GA Camaro over Dave Casey’s 427 powered A/S ’69 Corvette but Casey ran a closer 10.36 (10.37 dial) to Boucher’s further under 9.73 (9.75 dial). With the bounty on the line, Brandon Karaguezian used a 12.58 (12.57) dial coupled with a better reaction time to push Todd Bednaz under his dial with a 10.69 (10.71) in his D/S ’68 Camaro. In a double breakout affair, TJ Boucher running in S/GTD with his 350 powered ’87 Camaro ran under by less (11.93 on 11.95) than Tom O’Loughlin in his ’69 F/SA Chevelle (11.29 on 11.32). John Gray would be the last winner of the round putting together a .014 package in his big block powered A/SA ’69 Camaro against Tim Barrett’s small block powered G/SA ’69 Camaro.
Two 3rd gen Camaros opened up quarterfinal action with Chris Butcher taking the win running .01 over 10.99 as TJ Boucher broke out with a 10.90 on his 10.92 dial. In a matchup of big block Chevrolet stockers, Casey used a reaction time advantage to take the win with a 10.39 (10.37 dial) over a closer to the dial 9.98 (9.97) from John Gray. The round would close out with Karaguezian also turn on the win light with a whole shot running 12.59 (12.56 dial) to Sutherland’s 10.052 (10.02 dial).
Semi-final action would see Karaguezian continue is string of good lights with an .011 and a safe 12.611 (12.57 dial) as Butcher would break out with a 10.98 (10.99 dial) trying to make up ground on the top end. Casey would take the tree on his solo shot to the final round. Over 2 seconds separated the dials ins between Karaguezian (12.58) and Casey (10.37) but the race was over at the start as the 305 wagon turned it red allowing the stick shift corvette to cruise to the winner’s circle. Congratulation to Dave for his win and Brandon for his runner-up.
Specialty Awards:
Seacoast Auto Repair #1 Qualifier: Brandon Karaguezian
Take Out the #1 Qualifier: Dave Casey
Dead on the Dial: John Gray
Boucher’s Bounty Hunter: Brandon Karaguezian
Eric Merryfield’s Best Losing Package: George Mirza