Up and Comers
 

Who are the 1st year drivers and up and comers who will make a impact in stock and super stock.

Re: Up and Comers
 

Watch out for Thomas Fletcher; he is Dan Fletcher's oldest son, and he has driven the Stocker since late last season. With Dan Fletcher's genes and willingness to teach; Thomas is as close to a sure thing as you can get.
Bill Seabrooks - superfan1

Re: Up and Comers
 

Adam Davis will definitely be a threat.

Manny Sousa

Re: Up and Comers
 

And lets not forget Tim Boudreau in Brian Oakes old car. He has an excellent teacher in his dad.

Re: Up and Comers
 

My daughter will start next year in the big car she's pretty tough in the jr so hopefully she will do the same in the big car



Manny you are right Adam is one bad dude

Re: Up and Comers
 

Nick Chiles running super stock. His parents bought a top notch SS/IA camaro (Robert and Clay Bullards '69) and put him in it at the beginning of this year as he also was finishing out his last year in jr. dragster. He won IHRA division 9 championship in jr. dragster masters class and finished 2nd in super stock division 9! Sixteen years old and already has a mantle full of well deserved hardware, he'll be a good one for sure!

Re: Up and Comers
 

Billy Nees has told me that Johnny D's daughter is going to be quite good. i thought Alison Smyth showed some promise. She beat a pretty good driver in the semis at the Grove this year before winning the race in May.

Re: Up and Comers
 

I have to agree with Manny, Adam Davis is " ICE"... I watch him at VMP and saw how well he did on the west coast swing... Plus the car is very fast when it needs to be ??? He was in three finals, in his last three races and won 2 out the 3.....So remember the name...........Adam Davis..............

Re: Up and Comers
 

I guess only the class racers have never heard of Adam Davis until this year? He's hardly a first year racer by any means, he's one bad ***** bracket racer.

Re: Up and Comers
 

Rick Baehr

Re: Up and Comers
 

slick rick is a bad man.. he needs an override in the stocker though....

Re: Up and Comers
 

Seems to me after the year Adam Davis has had, he's not an up and comer. He's an already here!

Re: Up and Comers
 

Rick who?

Re: Up and Comers
 

In Div.1 look out for Mike Meier,or as we refer to him as Zippy.Anybody who can drive a fwd car and go consistant 00 and teens in a car as inconsistant as the slower fwd cars is going to be dangerous in the
Spirit,after we get the all straightened out.He's already lost races with a 000 and a 003 due to a very inconsistant car.We're working on it.

Ed F.

Re: Up and Comers
 

I've known Nick for about 7 years now, and can tell you that he is a great guy (the whole family is the same way) and a great driver. He's deadly on the tree and can drive the finish line as good or better than anyone. Combine a driver like that with a good car, and watch out! Now if I could just talk him into switching to Mopar......

Re: Up and Comers
 

Ed, when can we make the Gremlin into a SS/PA, CX or, DS so I can run in SS too?

Re: Up and Comers
 

Show me the money and I'll get Tom right on it.

Ed

Re: Up and Comers
 

I don't know if he is first year or not but Corey Taylor in IHRA division 9 really seems to hit the tree hard. Also, look out if Steve Foley gets a full time ride. He could easily win the IHRA world championship or any NHRA race he enters. Just my .02.


Jeff Day

Re: Up and Comers
 

I hate to rain on the parade, but driving skill and hard work will only take you so far. This game is all about the $$$$. If you don't have it, your butt is sitting at home. If some of us make it to 5 races next year we'd be lucky.

Re: Up and Comers
 

I wish that W.G Lankas would get back in to stock competition...not too many people kno that that kid can tear up a footbrake car...first time in Jeff Warren's /FIA firebird and wins a national event...the kid is rediculous.

Re: Up and Comers
 

16 year old Cody Lane, son of Div. 6 S/SS racer Jeff Lane, entered his first Divisional race this year at Acton Montana in a borrowed SS/GA Camaro and proceeded to set the National Record. Although he did not come up through the Jr program, he has been around the track since birth and has a pretty decent mentor. He could be trouble in the coming years. Regardless, there seems to be a great crop of talented new racers coming which is a good sign for the sport as a whole.

Re: Up and Comers
 

Hey thanks, you are a great person and driver, too !....
Hope you and your family have a great ThanksGiving and a Very Merry, blessed Christmas....Yeah, my sister and I would love to drive some Mopar, but we need to get some serious advertising partners behind us to do it....We are starting our ninth year of racing, and I hate leaving Jr. Drag racing, so many friends that feel like family...I just don't want to lose contact. My Jr. is too small for my shoulders, and the cage is also too short, but my parents don't want to pay for a new frame...so there you go...I would still love to Race the NHRA Nationals in Bristol, and the IHRA Nationals, make some more history in Jr. drag racing and have one more year with my Jr. dragsters families...so many freakn cool, awesome people in Jr. drag racing.

Re: Up and Comers
 

It's not all about the $$$$ if you are willing to partner up. I wouldn't have a comp car without a partner. Lee Zane would not have two world championships without partners. And then you need to be smart, as you were when you went looking for a combination that would not cost an-arm-and-a-leg to build, as was I (there are stockers out there that probably cost more than my comp car and it had a single digit for two years).

Re: Up and Comers
 

Thanks, I try anyways haha. I hope you and your family have a great Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas as well. It's hard to believe next july will mark a decade of racing for me....I loved running the jr, and yes the people were/are great. The only motor I lost in that car was at mason dixon on the first time run. Pj Hixon's Dad helped us put the spare in (the spare was an 8.70 combo, the one I blew up went 8.20's) in time for qualifying, and I ended up losing to Pj in the semis that day. I ran the same car from '99 until I got out of the jrs in 05...it was outdated by then (it was a hardtail car) but it still worked o.k... My plans for next year are pretty much up in the air right now, would love to make a stocker out of the '64, as I've been getting more and more into the wrenching side of it (still love driving) and I think it would be a good challenge, as well as giving me a chance to race at a higher level than I ever have. Problem is, the sister wants to go to Catholic, and Dad is getting to the point where he doesn't want to spend all day, let alone all weekend, at the track, so I might have to be doing this on my own pretty soon. I've had good luck with the mopar stuff, and they're what I know, so for me they're the best option.




Sorry for the hijack.

Re: Up and Comers
 

In Div.3 look out for Chris Stevenson,this kid was raised around Class Racing went bracket racing for a few years and he is tough,Runner-up @ a Points meet and at the Fall Classic this year,had some bad luck at the nat. events.Look out for the little red Apollo.

Monte Howard.

Re: Up and Comers
 

You are correct.He will definately get his first big win next year!

Re: Up and Comers
 

I agree with you to an extent Dave, but ultimately someone is gonna have to come up with the cash whether it be for entry fees, gas money, hotel bills (or motorhome upkeep), and upkeep on the car if you even want to get in the gate. As far as stocker combos go, barring the decision to run with an inconsistent FWD, there is no "cheap" way in unless someone wants to take the gamble on letting you drive their stuff. But it is very hard to find a ride nowadays, regardless of whether it's LODRS or local bracket racing. I can't even find a 12 to 13 second car to borrow for Street ET let alone a Stock / Super Stock car. People just aren't handing out cars willy-nilly.

To go off on a tangent.....I think if there is going to be a driver-car owner partnership the owner has to have the right mentality like being able to trust someone else with their car, being willing to travel to the races to help out if needed (or butt-out in some cases), and be willing to take the risks (breakage/crashing) associated with racing a car in order to achieve glory. For owners like yourself or the Arnie Martel's of the world it is your mindset to build a good competitive team. You guys are few and far between. For most people though the risk is too much for the reward. Their hang-up is "am I gonna let someone potentially blow up my motor all for $400 in prize money?"

Re: Up and Comers
 

Ed,

What kind of fwd car did Mike have? I only saw him (at least this year), racing a '74 Malibu/Chevelle, and his Spirit...I know first hand how challenging a fwd car can be, but mine is coming around. Given my two 4th rd finishes (both ironically loss with close red eyes -.011 & -.012, and one of those with my car running right on the dial to the thou') March of this & last year, and a quarter final finish at the '06 Mile High Nat's (plus several other successful races), maybe my Z24 & I should be an up and comer...I will thank Marv Ripes (at A1 Torque Converters), Lunati (Cams), Ben Andersen (M/T tires), plus Paul Strauss, Gary Kammerzell, Lane "The Hawk" Weber, Randy Hyman, Verle Stevens Enterprises (engine), and Lane & Shell (S & A Transmissions of Englewood, Co), plus Danny Sutherland (Exhaust Pros..Commerce City, Co) for their contributions to making my car be one of the more consistent fwd cars (predictable e.t.-wise), on the circuit. Not that I'm wanting to purposefully toot my own horn, but the people of Janesville, Wi. built a great car back in '86 that I have the pleasure of racing now.

B.T.W., good luck Mike with getting the bugs worked out of your Spirit, and kudos to both of you for racing slower classed stockers in a land rich with the behemoths of large engine lore...

Re: Up and Comers
 

The Malibu was a car borrowed from a friend.The Spirit is Mike's car.It was bought from the mid west .It was cheap,but by the time we had to do the motor,trans misc wiring,correct ballast problems among other issues it didn't turn out to be such a bargain.The consistency problem will be worked out next year hopefully.I've been fighting my car for 9 years now.Trying some new things next year.

Ed
turn out to be such a bargain.

Re: Up and Comers
 

Brad Burton and Tony Hernandez get my vote.

In only his second season (first full one?) of racing stock, Brad has instantly become a terror in Div V, and with his dad "Scott" supporting him, you better bring your "A" game to town if you line up next to him....lest we not forget that "Bad Brad" is this years Mile High Nationals Champion!

Speaking of "A" games, not many people can go from racing an automatic stocker, to racing a 4spd and have the instant success that one "Tony Hernandez" has had since 2006! If I didn't have my .006 package in the 3rd rnd of the '06 Mile High's, he certainly would've sent me packing, because he was right on my heals (in his first season of slap-stick racing)!!! This young lion won the Bandimere Speedway LODRS race, and earned 74 pts (quarters?), at the Div. 6 LODRS race in Acton, Mt. (both this year).

Both of these young lions travel well, so look out they may be headed to a track near you!!!

Re: Up and Comers
 

Gary,

I used to race Billy Nees's 4-door Sunbird, the one that Mike Carr won HF/SA at Indy with many moons ago. That lasted from '06-'07 when I got the Spirit. The Malibu was borrowed from Tom Baiori for two races after I wiped the cam in mine (unfortunately that 2nd race in his car had the same result). I ran the Sunbird in EF/S because of the class restructuring. It went as quick as 17.00 ( -.750), but it was inconsistent due to electrical gremlins and was hurt by the fact that we could not get enough weight out of the car to get to the class minimum weight. While I appreciate all the help that Billy gave me by lending me that car, I'm sure he'd agree that it was bringing a knife to a gun fight and that deal was more about getting some experience in class racing. I think Ed is over-exaggerating though on my success in a FWD stocker. I only ever won 3 rounds in that car (in Stock): 1 red lite and two miracle packages which were better than .020 (one of which was against him, the other against Robert Pare). I did have a history of great lites in that car, but the car would just sputter and pop halfway down the track if everything wasn't perfect (wound up being the alternator not charging the battery).

Thanks for the well-wishing on the Spirit, I wish you well too. I still enjoy seeing a FWD go rounds eventhough I've moved on from them...lol.

Re: Up and Comers
 

Oh do I hear you Ed on that bargain comment. When my engine was first built ('96), the first time I ran it at Bandimere's it carded an 18.36. There were two reasons that was a problem:

1. My car ran a 17.55 with the factory original set-up!

2. Since my car was classified as a BF/SA car then, my index was a 16.44 at Bandimere...guys used to fight for a chance to race me in the first round, because I was there doormat for rnd 2.

Thanks to the people mentioned in my other post, plus Craig Railsback (who was well schooled with the Accel Calmap's of the late 90's), plus trashing my a/c, and pwr strng pmp, I freed up more hp to move that V6 quicker along, and fortunately there are some who don't want to race me any more than I may want to race them...nice change to be competitive. The biggest (and best) change though was NHRA realizing that my V6 wasn't the equal of the Quad 4 Oldsmobile motors, nor the Turbo Chrysler motors, that came from the factory with no less than 26hp more than my original 120hp steel headed minimill.

I still applaud you and Mike for racing something against the norm (also), and I enjoy reading of all the slower stocker successes as well...Billy Nees I'll keep rooting for you too as long as you keep on racing that car you became known nationwide with too!

LET'S GET THEM V8'S (ESPECIALLY THOSE BIG BLOCKS) IN 2009!!!

Re: Up and Comers
 

Finishing the year at #6 in D1 (her second year in stock) Finished 41 in the National points. I'd watch out

Good Luck!

Sportsman Series Points
Driver: Allison Smyth
Class/Registration: STK/1783
Hometown: Uxbridge, MA
Points Sum Type Event Code And Location Date
105 105 HD 12-Reading, PA 05/25/2008
50 155 HD 13-Atco, NJ 06/15/2008
30 185 HD 14-West Lebanon, NY 07/06/2008
61 246 HD 15-Rising Sun, MD 08/24/2008
72 318 HD 17-Atco, NJ 10/05/2008
318 Events Attended/Counted: 5/5

Type: HD=Home Div, NA=National Event, OD=Out of Div