CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

For 2022, we're going to do something a little different than we did last year. We are going to spotlight our drivers on a weekly basis.

Let's start with Mr. Mike Moller of Youngsville, NC. Mike runs a 1976 Chevrolet Nova, referred to as "White Noise", powered by a Bill Sempsrott SBC 305 CI. He is 73 years young & has been racing for 25 years. He finished in 5th place for the 2021 CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association race season but the most notable mention is that he didn't lose 1st round at all 10 races. His most memorable win was his Class Eliminations win at zMAX DRAGWAY in Concord, NC. His accomplishments are Beech Bend Raceway Park (Bowling Green) LODRS in 1972, Darlington Dragway IHRA win, & #1 Qualifier in Stock Eliminator at zMAX DRAGWAY. Special thanks from Mike goes to his wife/sponsor Jan Moller, Mikey Moller, Mike Tewell, & Bill Sempsrott. Mr. Mike recalls his most epic fall is a transmission failure with the bye run into the finals. (I bet that one did hurt a bit) When asked about anything fun in his racing career, he said he switched out a low battery for the spare which was dead so no luck there.

Mr. Mike is a very humble, likeable guy to his fellow racers & always willing to stop for a quick chat. If you see Mr. Mike at the track in 2022, be sure to tell him hello.

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

2022 Driver Spotlight

This week we are going to showcase our 2021 CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Points Champion, Mr. Raymond Roland of Cayce SC. Raymond is 51 years old & has been racing for 25 years. He runs a 1970 Ford Maverick powered by a SBF 302 CI engine built by himself! Some of his accomplishments include 2002 Valvoline Cup Stock/Super Stock #3 National points, 2018 NHRA National Open Runner-Up, & 2019 NHRA National Open Stock Eliminator Champion. Raymond would like to give Special Thank You to his dad, Terry Roland who has been part of his crew since Day 1 in 1996 & his best friend, Ms. Barbara Fulmer, which is also his racing/camping buddy since 2011. His sponsor is Lexington Technology Center. A funny story that Raymond recalls is having a header get caught on something in the trailer. They removed the header at the track to take to the hotel. Mr. Tom Gould (The Grey Ghost) was in the room next to them & he thought they were fugitives trying to saw off their handcuffs. Mr. Gould was relived the next morning when he saw Raymond & Mr. Terry coming out of the hotel room with the header.
Raymond's reliable Maverick had a transmission failure on Saturday of our last race of 2021 & of course his spare was back at home in Cayce, SC. As the saying goes, drag racing is more family than friends! The Ridings Family stepped up to the plate & let Raymond drive their "new to them" Chevy Camaro (yes Raymond in a Chevy) on Sunday. Although he lost in round #1 on Sunday, he was still able to wrap up the points championship for the 2021 season. A few weeks ago we had our 2021 CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Top 10/Sponsors Get Together & Raymond received his cash prize plus a brand new Simpson Race Products given by Redline Speed Shop & custom painted by Chad McCreary at Copperhead Graphics so be sure to check out his new lid this season!

Raymond & Barbara are both great people, always willing to help a fellow racers & always up for a good chat. They generally hang out until the end of the race on Sunday before taking their drive home & typically use a vacation day on Monday if their arrival home is late. Raymond stated at the get together a few weeks ago that one thing he regretted was not joining CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association sooner than he did. We are glad to have him apart of our association & can't wait to kick off our 2022 season. See y'all sooner than later!

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight

This week we are going to "spotlight" Mr. Lil' Wally/Eagle Brent Pozzi! Brent is a transplant to NC as he moved here in 2008 from Rochester, NY & currently calls Knightdale home. He got his first job out of college & that's what brought him to NC. His older brother Mike wasn't far behind as he moved to NC in 2009 & the parents finally decided to call NC home in 2014. He has a multitude of cars now in his stable ("Hey Mike, go pull another one out of the trailer") but we're going to focus on his 1969 Chevrolet Camaro aka Storm Trooper II. It is powered by a BBC 396 built by his dad, Mr. Al Pozzi. He has been racing for only a short 5 years but has plenty of years left under his belt. His most memorable win is his 2021 GALOT Motorsports Park NHRA Southeast Division 2 National Open win. He raced his good buddy & now engine builder, Robbie Draughon in this final. That final has started all sorts of 💩 talking that has taken place in the off season so y'all be sure to "run to the fence" when you see them paired up in 2022. He gives Special Thanks to his crew members: Mom, Dad, brother Mike, & Bert Powell (their 2nd dad). His most epic fail & a memory that he'd like to forget is his dead battery in the staging lanes going into the finals of the Saturday CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association race in November at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway. Brent didn't enter the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association points at our first race of 2021 on Saturday & then did pretty good in the race so fellow racer Jeff Longhany convinced him to enter the points series on the Sunday race. Brent ended up finishing in the 7th Place for the 2021 CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Points Series & he gets reminded on a regular basis that he could have finished higher if he wasn't so "tight" with his money on Saturday.

The Pozzi Brothers are also a fun crowd to be around. Mike wants to know all about the engines, etc & Brent just wants to be told who he has next & when it's time to race. So if you're looking for some fun entertainment at the track, find Brent & Mike & I can promise you your stomach will be hurting when you leave.

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racers Spotlight

Robbie Draughon is our racer to spotlight this week. He is from Fayetteville, NC & has lived there his entire life. He is the owner/operator of Robbie Draughon Powertrain Development, is 42 years old & has been involved of some form of racing for 30 years. His current car is a 1966 Chevrolet Corvette built by him & his dad, known as "Plastic Sunshine" & is powered by a Robbie Draughon Powertrain Development SB2.2 363 CI engine. Some of his notable accomplishments include: 2011 IHRA Division 9 Super Stock Champion, 2019 zMAX DRAGWAY Carolina Nationals Super Stock Winner, 2020 Atlanta Dragway/Gainesville Raceway/Rockingham Dragway Southern Nationals Super Stock Winner, & 2021 Indy Class Winner. Robbie would like to give "Special Thanks" to his wife/crew chief, Tabitha Moore Draughon, his dad, Robert, Ernie Neal, Thomas Cashwell, Kenny Horne, & The Alexander Family. His sponsors are Redline Speed Shop, Robbie Draughon Powertrain Development, Hoosier Racing Tire, & Renegade Race Fuels & Lubricants. Robbie says that his most epic fail is being late on the tree against fellow racer, Brent Pozzi, in the finals of the 2021 NHRA Southeast Division 2 National Open race at GALOT Motorsports Park. This is the race that has "sparked" the friendly rivalry between Robbie & Brent & the one round that Robbie will never live down! Something funny about Robbie is that he can recite the entire movie Days of Thunder word for word. Robbie finished in the 4th place for the 2021 CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Points Series & is hoping to better that finish this season.

Robbie is one of those guys that his fellow racers come to him in a time of need whether it be parts, welding, advice, &/or jokes. He pretty much has a rolling garage in his racecar trailer. He jokes that he could build a racecar with all he carries in the trailer but really he isn't lying. Be sure to stop by & tell him HI when you see him at the next race.

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight

Mr. Dennis Pope of Kinston, NC is this week's racer spotlight. Dennis is 61 years of age & has been racing for 48 years. He pilots a 1985 Chevrolet Camaro powered by a John & David West Racing Engines 305. Dennis' most memorable win was just a few short months ago when he claimed victory in the NHRA Southeast Division 2 National Open race at Rockingham in October 2021. Unlike most racers, Dennis' accomplishments has nothing to do with his racing career but instead being a successful automotive business owner along side his brother & son & being the father of two wonderful/successful children. His two kids have given him the best gifts ever, his grandchildren which he talks about constantly & is always willing to pull his phone out & show off their pictures! ❤️�� He gives "Special Thanks" to John & David West, deceased Buddy Shephard, Richard James, & Donnie Lucas.

Dennis & his business, Pope Automotive, have been supporters of the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association for many years now & we hope that we can continue to maintain that over the years to come. Dennis surprised us all at our little get together earlier this year when he shared some very shocking (but great) news with all of his fellow CCRA racers. Him & his girlfriend, Janine, will soon be planning a wedding! Yes y'all Dennis put a �� on it & it's pretty massive (be sure to check it out)! We are trying to encourage them to have a race track wedding but not sure if we'll win there. Dennis is an all around great guy, always willing to jump in & help a fellow racer. Be sure to stop & say hey to him at the track next time you see him. He will be at Farmington Dragway this weekend! See y'all there!!!

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

Y'all forgive me as I forgot to post this from last week's racer spotlight. I'm so sorry Stacie, you're still one of my girls!!!

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight
This week we are going to spotlight one of our female racers within the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association. Stacie Ridings is 49 years young, lives in Columbus, NC, & has been racing for 26 years. Her current car is a 1995 Chevrolet Camaro, known as "Li'l Aggravation too" powered by a 350 CI engine built by Tom Russell. Stacie's most memorable runner-up is from the 1998 Darlington Winter Nationals & one of her notable accomplishments is IHRA Stock Top Ten finish. She would like to give Special Thanks for her husband Lambert Ridings & daughter Julia Ridings! Her sponsors are "Hard work & busted knuckles"! Stacie states that her most epic fail is losing in the final round in Shreveport by a .007 breakout to Myron Piatek. She recalls a funny story that her husband, Lambert Ridings telling her to "drive it like a man" when it didn't feel just right to her & of course it broke the transmission the next round. (Girl always follow your gut & know what your butt feels in the seat 😁; sorry Lambert, your time is coming too) Stacie didn't run for CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association points in 2021 but she raced & supported our association as much as she could. Look out for a new driver in 2022 from The Ridings Stable!

Stacie & her family are always willing to help out fellow racers when they can at the track. If you don't believe it, just ask our CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association 2021 Champion Raymond Roland! We look forward to seeing Stacie, Lambert, & Julia for the upcoming 2022 season which starts this weekend at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway! See y'all there!

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight:
This week's racer spotlight is Mr. Doug Hobgood of Lucama, NC. Doug is 71 years young & has been racing for 40 years. His car is a 1990 Chevrolet Camaro powered by a Doug Hobgood/H & F Performance built SBC 301 CI. He recalls his most memorable win being his first win at Dunn-Benson Dragstrip. Now for anyone that's been around racing for a while, definitely remembers the "good ol' days" of racing at Dunn-Benson! Doug has been a supporter of CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association, both as a racer & a sponsor on behalf of his business, H&f performance, for many years & we hope that he continues that trend for years to come! In 2021, he finished in the 6th points position. He gives "Special Thanks" to Leigh Anne Flynt & Tabitha Draughon. ❤️❤️

The Hobgood Family is one of the good ones left at the track. They are always willing to help fellow racers with anything they can & Mrs. Katie is the best cook ever (especially her special dessert & green beans; just ask Robbie Draughon about them). His crew chief, JB, now that's a different story 😉! He's a great guy, just can't be trusted with any $$$. I'm actually kidding but we constantly joke about giving him money. On behalf of the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association family, we have truly missed The Hobgoods at the first 2 races of our 2022 season but are looking forward to hopefully seeing them at our next race in June at KDS Motorsports. See y'all at the track soon!

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight:

Mr. Jim Morgan from Wilson, NC is our racer spotlight edition this week. He is 68 years young & has been racing for 50 years. You will find Mr. Jim running his 1964 Plymouth Fury powered by a 426 CI built by him & last week's racer spotlight, Mr. Doug Hobgood of H&f performance. He recalls one of his most memorable wins being one of Dave Ley's East Coast Stock/SuperStock Association races driving a Camaro fro Charlie Graf. Some of his accomplishments include winning GT/AA class two years in a row at Sanair in Canada. (Side note: they no longer race at this track) , winning SS/GTD class in Englishtown once, & at Maple Grove twice. He wants to give "Special Thanks" of course to his wife, Debbie. Also thanks Charlie Graf, Jerry Stein, Dan Counselor, Bruce Campbell, & Doug Hobgood.

Mr. Jim & his wife are two of the nicest people at the race track. They kind of stay to themselves but you will find Mr. Jim walking the pits & stopping to chat with his fellow racers. He has been a supporter of CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association for a few years now & we really appreciate him choosing our association to race with.

We have a few months off but will be back in action at KDS Motorsports in June. I'm sure Mr. Jim will be there & y'all can tell him you read his article here. See y'all at a track soon!

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight

Steve Lucas of Princeton, NC is this week's racer spotlight. He is 46 years old & has been racing for 25 years. His current racecar is a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro powered by a 350 CI engine built by Richard James & H&f performance. You can also find him behind the wheel of his other car, a black 1979 Chevrolet Malibu. Steve states that his most memorable win would be his Super Stock Win at Mopar Parts World Nationals in Norwalk, OH. Some of his accomplishments include: fromt page of Drag Review, divisional winner, runner up IHRA Division 9, CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Points Champion 2016, & KDS Motorsports track champion. Steve would like to give "Special Thanks" to his dad & mom as well as his brothers Jamie, Scott, & Corey. Also to his wife, Leigha, and step-daughter, Miss Olivia (who hopes to be in a junior dragster very soon)! Lastly he thanks his business/employees of A-1 Heating & Cooling, H&f performance, & Richard James. His primary sponsor is A-1 Heating & Cooling. He keeps it very short & sweet when it comes to one of his most epic fails & says "every round I lost". Steve took the 2nd place points position in 2021 finishing 35 points behind Raymond Roland.

Steve is an all-around good guy & one heck of a racer. He participates both in class racing & local bracket racing. This is normally a family affair for them. If Leigha & Olivia isn't with him at the track, his dad, & brothers normally accompany him. Be sure to stop by & tell Steve & his family hello next time you see them at the track. Our next race in June is at his home track, KDS Motorsports. See y'all at a track soon!

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CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight:

This week we travel down to Youngsville, NC & spotlight Mike Pozzi. Mike is 40 years young & has only been racing for 4 short years. Mike moved to NC on New Years Eve 2009 after living in Rochester, NY. He came to spend a weekend with his brother Brent & decided he liked NC & wanted to call it home. You will find him driving his 1983 Chevrolet Camaro aka Silver Mullet powered by a SBC 327 CI built by Robbie Draughon Powertrain Development on most weekends. When it isn't available, he just goes in his brother, Brent's garage, & picks one of his since he has multiple. ("Mike, go get the back-up car out of the trailer") �� Mike's sponsor is Jet-Hot High Performance Coatings.

He says his most memorable win is TBD. All I can say is I hope that I'm there for his first win because it's definitely going to be one for the books! His accomplishment is getting faster every year. He would like to give Special Thanks to Leigh Anne & Tabitha (aww thanks Mike)! He recalls his most epic fail: redlighting to Doug Hobgood in the only finals he has been in thus far. Your day is coming brother!!! He says something funny is "how I drive a racecar". Mike didn't enter the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association points in 2021 & really wishes that he did as he was at most the races. This year he didn't make that same mistake.
Mike & The entire Pozzi family are a joy to be around at the track. The brothers are oil & water & could have their own reality show. Mike wants to know all the technical aspects of racing & Brent on the other hand just wants to know who his next victim is. �� Be sure to stop by Mike's pit area at the next race & say hey. I promise there is lots of laughter to be had!

Our next day is less than a month away at KDS Motorsports so y'all get those hot rods ready. See y'all at the track soon!

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight:

Korey Alexander of Maple Hill, NC (Jacksonville) is this week's racer spotlight. He is only 31 years old & has been racing for 10 years so far. Korey has both a Stocker & Super Stock car. His Stocker is a black 1978 Chevy Camaro aka "Black Jesus" powered by a 350 CI built by Victory Race Engines. His SS car is a 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme aka "Gutless" with a SBC 327 built by Robbie Draughon Powertrain Development. You will mainly find him piloting his 78 Camaro in competition at CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association races. Korey finished in the 8th position in 2021 CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association points series missing our very first race of the year for a bachelor party. Korey states that his most memorable win was the 2021 NHRA Southeast Division 2 National Open race at GALOT Motorsports Park in Stock Eliminator. He would like to give Special Thanks to his wife, Kelsey, his business & employees at Piney Green Electric Company, Robbie Draughon, Redline Speed Shop, his family, & his fur babies! His sponsors include Piney Green Electric Company & Ronny's Muffler Shop. His most epic fail was being .270 on the tree for 2021 Gainesville J/SA Class Eliminations in Stock & losing by .007 to Eric Campolito.

Korey is a "special breed"! 🙂 (love you, mean it) He can't be missed at the track as all you've got to look for is his mullet! Korey & Kelsey are expecting their first child in November & we are all looking forward to welcoming Baby Alexander to the CCRA family! Korey is one of those guys that's always willing to jump in & help a fellow racer when in need. But don't ever expect him to be on time as he'll be late for his own funeral!
If you're planning to be at Virginia Motorsports Park this weekend for the Virginia Nationals, Korey will be debuting a whole new set-up in his Stocker. 🤐🧐 Be sure to stop by Korey's pits at the next race & strike up a conversation with him.

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association will be back in action on June 4th & 5th at KDS Motorsports. See y'all at the track soon!!

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight:

Hillarey Sloan Marshall is our racer spotlight this week. She is 42 years old, lives in Broadway, NC, & has been racing for 23 years. You will find her wheeling her 1971 Plymouth Duster powered by a 360 CI built by her dad, Tim Sloan of Sloan Racing Engines at CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association as well as NHRA Southeast Division 2 races. Her primary sponsor is of course Sloan Racing Engines! Hillarey's most memorable win is beating her dad in the finals of the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association at Mooresville Dragway. One of her accomplishments is the NHRA Southeast Division 2 race win at Rockingham Dragway. She would like to give Special Thanks to her husband, Scott Marshall, mom & dad, & Sloan Racing Engines. Hillarey didn't enter the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association points series in 2021 as she got a late start but still attended as many events as she could. She also got married to her husband, Scott, in November 2021. At our last race of the season at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway, which was the week following their wedding, they had to leave the race early as Scott "misplaced" his new wedding band! Good news is it was found once they got home & that one is now in their safe at home for "safe keepings" 😉!

Hillarey & her family are always willing to help fellow racers at the track as their family business does engines for several of the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association & NHRA Southeast Division 2 racers. Be sure to stop & tell Hillarey hi at our next race.

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association will be back in action in 2 weeks at KDS Motorsports. See y'all at the track soon!

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight:

This week we are staying in the Sanford/Broadway, NC area & keeping it in the Sloan Family as we focus on Mr. Tim Sloan. Tim is 70 years young & has been racing for 54 years. The car that you will generally see him in is his 1998 Pontiac Grand Am powered by a Sloan Racing Engines 302 CI. Occasionally you will find him behind the wheel of his daughter Hillarey's 1971 Duster or in Stock the other purple Duster. His primary sponsor is Sloan Racing Engines. Tim also runs CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association as well as NHRA Southeast Division 2 races. Tim's most memorable win is his last win which was in October 2021 for the NHRA Southeast Division 2 National Open Series race at Rockingham Dragway. He claims his most epic fail is running out of fuel & losing to Hillarey in the finals of the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association at Mooresville Dragway. (I don't think these 2 incidents are the same run but I could be wrong.) He gives Special Thanks to his wife, Sheila, who is always be his side at every race. Tim didn't enter the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association points series in 2021 as he got a late start but attended most of the races at the end of the season. He did however enter the points for the 2022 season so pay attention to where he will finish this year.

Tim owns & operates Sloan Racing Engines in Sanford, NC. He is a very, well-known engine builder & has been building tons of Stock/Super Stock engines for many years. At most races, you will find Tim & his family helping their fellow racers/customers whenever an issue arises. Stop by his pit area at the next race & tell him hello!
CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association will be back in action in just alittle over a week at KDS Motorsports. Hope everyone has a Happy & safe Memorial Day weekend. See y'all at the track next weekend.

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight

This week we are travelling down to Lexington, NC (The BBQ Capital) to introduce everyone to Mr. Lee Truell. He is 58 years old & has been racing for 21 years. Lee's car is a 2008 Chevy Cobalt powered by a SBC 300 CI built by none other than Sloan Racing Engines. This car was an old Arnie Martel car. You've also seen him in the past little while behind the wheel of both of the Sloan Racing Engines cars as he drove Tim's at the Saturday Farmington Dragway race & then drove Hillarey's at the recent NHRA Southeast Division 2 race at Rockingham Dragway where I'm pretty sure he is down to the finals with plans to complete at an upcoming race. His sponsors include his own business, Truell Grading & Sloan Racing Engines. His most memorable win would be his last win which was in November 2021 at the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association finale at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway. Lee says his most epic fail is his runner-up finish at the World Finals at Rockingham Dragway when he redlighted. He gives Special Thanks to his wife, Jamie, his family, & of course Sloan Racing Engines! Lee battled all year in 2021 & finished in the 3rd place position for the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association. Like always, he is hoping to improve that finish this year.

Lee is somewhat on the quiet side but once he gets comfortable around you, he opens up & is a great person to have not only as a competitor but also as a friend. He is always willing to jump in to help a fellow racer in need. You will find him riding his doggie on the golf cart at the track & I think the doggie has him just a tad bit wrapped!!! Lee is finalizing the rebuilding of his engine as we currently speak & will be putting it back in later this week with plans to make it to KDS Motorsports on Friday evening so be sure to stop by his pit area this weekend & give him a shout!!

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association is back in action for our 3rd stop of the season this weekend at KDS Motorsports. Gates will open on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. with time runs beginning at 2 p.m. We look forward to seeing everyone this weekend & be sure to come hungry so you can enjoy the 🐷🐽 picking on Saturday evening!!!

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight

Lambert Ridings, 51st Birthday Boy today, is this week's racer spotlight. Lambert lives in Columbus, NC & has only been racing a short 4 years but hoping for more years here very soon. His car is a 1985 Chevy Camaro, known as Li'l Aggravation & is powered by a SBC 350 CI built by CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association racer, Mr. Billy Plage. Everyone should be very familiar with this car as his wife, Stacie, has been the driver in the past but she now has a new car. Lambert used to race in the North Division during the old IHRA days & he won several rounds but took a hiatus to be the crew chief for his wife so he doesn't have any wins yet but I'll sure he'll be able to add a few to his resume as soon as he gets back comfortable in the seat. Lambert will tell you that his most epic fail is telling Stacie to drive her car like a man & it then breaking but Stacie has a different story for his most epic fail 😉! Stacie says it is getting beat by a pregnant lady in a station wagon (Emily Stott) & she was even tapping the brakes on him at the finish line. It sounds like Lambert wants to forget about that run 😀! He gives Special Thanks for his wife Stacie & daughter Julia whom is his 2 biggest supporters!!! Lambert & Stacie doesn't attend all of the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association races due to distance (& of course fuel cost nowadays) but when they do, they are always very friendly riding around on their golf cart & stopping to talk to fellow racers & I'm sure always willing to help if needed. They even load a fellow racer their new car at the last race of the 2021 season as he was battling for the points championship.

Be sure to stop by Lambert's pit at the next race & tell him hello!
We hope to see both Lambert & Stacie behind the wheel of both cars at our next race in July at Farmington Dragway. More details on that race coming very soon.

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight

This week's racer spotlight will travel down to Greenville, NC & focus on Mr. Monnie Morris. He is 74 years young & have been racing for 55 years! His daughter, Wendy, has helped me with some valuable information & pictures for the one. Wendy was able to attend our last race at KDS Motorsports & this is the first race that she has been able to attend in AGES. Thanks again Wendy, very appreciated!!! His car is a 1973 Ford Maverick powered by a SBF 302 CI built by Richard James & Jesse Benson (recently deceased). His most memorable win was when him & his partner, Mr. Tommy Hussey, won Stock Eliminator at the the 1974 IHRA Pro-Am Nationals at Rockingham Dragway. He claims that one of his accomplishments is winning the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association race at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway in 2020. Mr. Monnie would like to give Special Thanks to his son & crew chief, Kelly, as well as Johnny Rouse & Troy McLawhorn for all of their help. His most funny racing story will be from May 1984 (article included in pics) when he raced against his daughter, Wendy for 1st place. Monnie came out victorious on this run & Wendy says it was "embarrassing for her". Wendy states "she started following her dad around the track, toting tools, running to the fence to see every run, etc. from a tot in the early 70's". Then he taught her to race & gave her a car at a pretty young age. Wendy continued to race until her college years & then she also worked a couple seasons at KDS Motorsports. Due to the age difference between her & her brother, Kelly, he came along much later in the game. Kelly's experiences have been different & he has been the "crew master" for a long time. Mr. Monnie has been reluctant to "turn over the reins" however, he is FINALLY going to let her PLUS 40 year old brother get his training wheels 😉 & they are going to start working with Kelly to get some driving experience. Looks like some of the roles may be reversed soon & Mr. Monnie will be helping Kelly in the burnout box. We all at CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association & your fellow racers are excited for you & here to help anyway possible! Kelly, you can do it!! 👊👊👊

Mr. Monnie is an all around quiet competitor but don't take him lightly as he is very deadly behind the wheel of his Maverick. CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association appreciates Mr. Monnie & Kelly racing with us & hopes that they are able to continue to support our association. Our next race is in July at Farmington Dragway. More details on that race next week.

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight:

Clinton, NC is home of this week's racer spotlight as we put the focus on Curt Smith Jr. He is 31 years old & has been racing for 12 years. His car is a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro powered by a SBC 350 CI built by his dad, Curtis Smith & known as Shakedown 2. His sponsors include Deacon Jones Automotive Group & Curtis Smith Trucking, LLC. Some of his notable accomplishments include being a Third Generation NHRA driver. As well as being the grandson of multi-time NHRA Record Holder & IHRA National Event winner Earl Smith & son of Curtis Smith, IHRA World Champion & All Time Winningest IHRA Stock Eliminator Driver. Curt Jr. gives Special Thanks to his Curtis Smith, Ingrid Smith, Catherine Smith, Earl & Christine Smith, & Eugene & Dotty Carlsward. You will find Curt Jr. competing in the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association as well as NHRA Southeast Division 2 races. In 2021, Curt Jr. finished in a 4 way tie for the 23rd points position as he was unable to attend several of the events. He is looking to better himself for this season's points tally. Not only is Deacon Jones Automotive Group one of his sponsors, he works at Deacon Jones Chevrolet Buick GMC of Clinton so if you're ever in the market for a vehicle, be sure to give him a shot!

Curt Jr. & his entire family are familiar faces around the local tracks & have been for many years due to their success. Curt Jr. is looking to follow in his dad & granddad's footsteps by winning a NHRA National Event. He just recently competed at the Four Wide Nationals at zMAX DRAGWAY and was interviewed by Joe Castello. CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association appreciates the support of Curt Jr. & the entire Smith Family & hope to see y'all at our next race. Be sure to stop by their pit area & chat racing with them. You can also follow his racing on his 2 websites which are posted below. CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association will be back on track in a little less than a month on July 16th & 17th at Farmington Dragway.

http://www.curtjr.com
http://www.curtissmithracing.com

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight:

Let's take a road trip down to Wytheville, VA & talk about Homer Carty. He is 43 years old & has been racing for 27 years. His Super Stock car is a 1967 Chevy II Nova known as Dynamite Deuce. His sponsors include his own personal business, Homer's Custom Paint and Body and his family (which I think means his wallet). Homer recalls his most memorable win being the first time he beat his dad, Gil, in the finals at Farmington Dragway. Most racers will remember his dad from years ago driving the "Boot, Scoot, & Boogie" wagon that has just made its way back to the track after about a 15 year hiatus & is being driven by Howie Adams. Mr. Gil passed away in September 2011 but is remembered by all racers. RIP Gil! Some of Homer's racing accomplishments include: he was the first No Box car to win the Moser Engineering Axle Shootout, many IHRA wins in Super Stock, Stock, & Hot Rod, won CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Champion several times (2019 & 2020 Back to Back Champion), as well as winning other races, & lastly his 2 girls, Miss Sierra & Miss Gracie. If you're at the track & don't know these 2 girls, you're definitely missing out as they are the "life of the party" in The Carty pit area! Homer would like to give Special Thanks to his mom Sandy, his wife Sara, kids Sierra & Grace, his many friends & family, as well as the Good Lord. He states that his most epic fail in losing the World Championship. Homer competes in CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association, NHRA Southeast Division 2 races, & bracket races at basically any track he can find open. He typically brings 2 cars to our CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association races where he competes in both Pro & Footbrake bracket classes, as well as CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association races. He is one busy feller at the track! In 2021, he finished in the 9th position as he was unable to attend the final race at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway in November. Of course he is hoping to better that position in 2022. Homer's business, Homer's Custom Paint and Body is also one of our CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association sponsors. So if you're need any paint, body work, &/or powder coating, be sure to check his business out.

Homer & the entire Carty Family are well known around all tracks. Homer & his sister Chelsea were both raised at the dragstrip as both his dad & mom raced. Homer is one of those racers that doesn't mind jumping in at any given time to help a fellow racer get back on track. Likewise when one of his racecars are broken, many racers are at his side to get him back going. If you don't know Homer & his family, you're missing out on some good friends so do yourself a favor & go meet them at the track next time you see them there.

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association will be back in action for a triple on July 16th & 17th at Farmington Dragway. Hope to see everyone there. BTW, Homer mentioned bringing a swimming pool for the girls & I told him he better bring a big one 😉!

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight:

This week we are heading to Sanford, NC; home of Gerald & Sammy Thomas. Gerald is the driving & this duo has been racing for 56 years. His Stock Eliminator 1991 Chevy S-10 known as "Six Pack" is powered by a 4.3L V6 engine built by Mr. Gerald himself. His sponsors include Reliable Plumbing & Kelly Mobil. Their most memorable win was in Norwalk, OH. They both agree that one of their accomplishments is getting a S-10 to run in Stock Eliminator. They would like to give "Special Thanks" to Mitch Edmonds, Kelly Mobil, Reliable Plumbing, & Thomas Way. The most epic fail that they recall is a wreck at Piedmont Dragway. Also pictured is another car that they race, a Chevy Vega, which is in the Winner's Circle at Piedmont Dragway. They weren't able to compete at all of the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association races in 2021 due to some unforeseen circumstances & was hoping to start 2022 off much better, but unfortunately that hasn't been the case. Mr. Sammy was recently in the hospital with some medical issues & is now home recovering. We had hoped to have them back with us but as of yesterday, the truck has been posted "For Sale". Anyone interested can contact Mr. Sammy Thomas at 919-499-7359 for more information.

The Thomas's were always a fun crowd to be around & they always made the best of being at the track. They are both missed dearly & we hope to see them soon.

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association is back in action for a Triple header next weekend, July 16th & 17th at Farmington Dragway. We will be running 2 races on Saturday & 1 on Sunday. Hope to see everyone there.

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight:

Let's take a road trip down to DeLand, FL (approximately 7 hours & 22 minutes/493 miles from Redline Speed Shop), home of Mr. John Meinelt. He is 75 years young & has been racing 59 of those years. His 1967 Chevy Camaro, known as Midnight Rider, is powered by a SBC 350/295 combo built by Mr. John himself. His sponsors are Billy Chilson (The Body Shop). He would like to give "Special Thanks" for his wife & travelling partner, his children, & all of his friends whom have helped him out over the years. His recalls his most memorable win being the SCRA race in Hollywood, FL in 1989. Some of his accomplishments include NHRA Southeast Division 2 Runner-up in Stock Eliminator in 1980 & 1985, Top Stock Hot Rod Reunion in 2017, & the 1970 IHRA Winter Nationals Modified Eliminator. He states that his most epic fail is blowing a powerglide gear set 1st round of the Hot Rod Reunion in 2018. When asking Mr. John for something funny, he says getting lost looking for race tracks. Mr. John's first race with CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association was in July 2021 at Mooresville Dragway. He also won the Dash for Cash on his first race participating with our association. He competes in NHRA Southeast Division 2 as well as typically following our CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association schedule. He didn't enter our points program in 21 due to getting a late start but he did enter for the 2022 race season. He got himself a Winner Circle photo & a big check at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway at our final race weekend of 2021!

Mr. John & Mrs. Pat are typically our longest distance travelled racers. On most weekends, you will find them camped out in their Chevy ramp truck (Mrs. Pat needs a gold metal for that one). They have both been very appreciative to all of our CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association officials & racers for welcoming them into our association! I hate that they are going to miss this weekend's triple header but Mr. John has some repairs to do to their hauler but we're looking forward to seeing them at KDS Motorsports in August.

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association is back in action this coming weekend at Farmington Dragway for our 1st ever triple header. We will be running 2 races on Saturday & one of Sunday. See y'all soon!!!

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight:

Today we are headed to Chesterfield, VA; home of Mr. Sterling A. Simmons, Jr. He is 63 years of age & has been racing for 35 of those years. His primary race car is a 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier powered by a Chevy 350 CI engine built by Tilburg. He also shares driving duties with his son, Sport, in their 2004 Pontiac GTO powered by a 346 CI engine built by Randy Daniels. Sterling's sponsor on both of his cars is his wife, Mrs. Cynthia Simmons ❤️! He would like to give "Special Thanks" to first and foremost his wife, Cynthia, of 29 years for her support, his daughter Chandler for missing a lot of her teenage time following him to the track, his son, Sterling, III (Sport) for always being his sidekick & making him so proud for now racing himself. Sterling's most memorable win is the 2021 NHRA Gatornationals Super Stock winner. Some of his accomplishments include: 1990 IHRA Division 1 Champ, 5 time division wins, 4 national event finals with 1 win, & 2 time NHRA Record Holder. He states that his most epic fail is losing 3 finals and missing a quarter final round at a national event. We asked Sterling to tell us something funny & his reply was buying a twin bed motorhome as a newlywed. (Wonder if he ended up on the couch?!?) Sterling competes in CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association, NHRA national & divisional racers, as well as some local bracket races. He joined the points for the 2022 CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association season & started out the year with a bang! Although he had about talked himself out of coming to the first race of the year at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway due to increasing fuel prices, fellow racer & friend, Jeff Longhany, told him to bring the truck & open trailer & he could stay with him for the weekend. He had to make multiple stops at ATM's to get enough cash for the weekend but on Sunday evening all of that paid off when he found himself in the finals of a double race. He came out in the bridesmaid spot but he didn't have to stop at an ATM to get home this time! He is currently in the 8th position after having to miss the last race weekend due to his mother-in-law having a milestone birthday party that he surely couldn't miss but we hope to see him & Mrs. Cindy back in action at KDS Motorsports in August.

Sterling is a great friend to all of his competitors. He is willing to jump in to help a fellow racer in their time of need & also when he needs the help, his fellow racers are right there to help him out as well. Be sure to stop by Sterling's pit area at the next race & have a chat with him.

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association will be back in action in August at KDS Motorsports. Details regarding that race will be released in the next few days. Everyone stay cool & hydrated & we'll see you at the track very soon!!!

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight:

This week we are taking a short road trip to Louisburg, NC, home of Mr. Jim "Jim Dandy" Reynolds. Jim is 62 years young & has been racing 47 of those years. He has a shop full of race cars, all with plenty of boat flake, but this article is going to focus on his 1957 Chevy Bel-Aire aka as "Ole Bessie". "She" is powered by a SBC 400 CI engine built by H&f performance out of Wilson, NC. This car competes in NHRA Super Stock & CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association events. Jim has a couple of other SS cars as well as a few Stock Eliminator class cars. Ole Bessie was painted by Brandon White of McCreary's Body Shop in Cana, VA. His sponsors include Ace Rug Cleaning Company, Inc. & Jennifer Sue's Miniature Dachshunds. Jim would like to give "Special Thanks" to his wife Jennifer Reynolds, H&f performance, Redline Speed Shop, Robbie Draughon Powertrain Development, & Tracy & Logan Robbins. He states that his most memorable win was his last win which took place at the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association KDS Motorsports event on 06/04/22. Some of his accomplishments include: 87 IHRA Super Stock World Champion, 2003 IHRA Division 9 Champion, multi-time track champion, 97 NHRA Pennzoil Nationals Super Stock Champ, 2-time CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association champion with his last being in 2018, & 86 bracket finals runner-up. Jim says his most epic fail would be from 1993 losing in the finals to Anthony Bertozzi (I'm thinking that's who he meant) in the Modified Eliminator Shootout when he had a bad reaction time. A funny incident from the track that he recalls was when his wife Jennifer was putting him into the waterbox & she lost her flip flop & stopped the race to retrieve it. Jim doesn't race as much as he would like due to various reasons, but he's generally a force to be reckoned with when he does show up at the track. His first race of the year was at KDS Motorsports in June & as you can see that trip paid off as he found himself holding the trophy at the end of the night. We all pick on Jim because he always post on Facebook that he plans to be at a race & then due to unforeseen circumstances he isn't able to make it so when he showed up at Kinston, we told him we were rolling out the "red carpet" for his appearance.

Jim is a well-rounded, well-liked guy at the track. He is generally keeping to himself & in his pit area but if a fellow racer stops by, he's always up for some bench racing & telling past racing stories. If you are a friend of his on Facebook, he generally post older pics of him & his cars at various race tracks all up & down the East Coast. We all are hoping that Jim is planning to attend our next weekend event back at KDS Motorsports & I'm sure he is hoping to repeat his last trip there.

As stated above, CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association will be back in action next weekend, August 6th & 7th at KDS Motorsports for another triple event. Please stay as cool as possible & hydrated & we look forward to seeing y'all next weekend at the track!

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight

Let's take a little ride up Interstate 95 to Pembroke, NC, home of Dell Britt. Dell just recently had a birthday so he is now 58 years young & has been racing for 38 of those years. He is very dedicated to drag racing as well as tractor pulling (pic included). Dell is one of those that is always working on his car to improve the performance of it. His race car is a 1970 Chevrolet Nova powered by a SBC 355 CI built by Dell himself. He competes in NHRA Stock Eliminator & CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association events. On his off weekend, he is either at a tractor pull or in his shop tinkering on something &/or cleaning, & then he'll be on the grill as it approaches suppertime. If you've never had the pleasure to eat any of his cooking, do yourself a favor & find him on his grill at the next race you see him at. You can thank me later!!!! Dell would like to give "Special Thanks" to Missy & Cody Phillips for the loaner car that he won his first IHRA Ironman with. He says his most memorable win would be the 2016 IHRA Division 9 Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Stock Eliminator win. Some of his accomplishments include: Rockingham Dragway Footbrake Track Champion in 2002, 2011 Carolina Thunder & Lightning Series Champ in Modified, & 2011 7th Annual Sonny Greer Memorial Race Modified winner at Darlington Dragway. Dell laughs & says his most epic fail is losing to that red bulb on the tree! As far as a funny race track story, Dell says it was meeting Jim Marshall for the first time. They were at Piedmont Dragway for an IHRA race & Dell parked very close to Jim. Apparently it was a little too close for comfort for Jim & he came out & asked Dell did he plan to stay there. I didn't hear the "end result" but I think it is safe to say Dell probably moved since him & Jim are still friends today! Dell is still waiting for his first NHRA Stock Eliminator win & I can promise everyone, when it does happen, it's going to be EPIC. He got a late start for the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association 2022 season as his "better half" Linda had some medical issues that needed to be addressed first. We are glad Ms. Linda is on the mend & back at the track attempting to keep Dell straight.

Dell is a very well liked guy at the track & always joking & carrying on with all his racing buddies. His nickname from Mr. Phil Hilling is Spanky & you will have to ask Mr. Phil about that one. I wish I had the video to upload from his birthday gift at Farmington Dragway from the hotel staff in Mooresville, NC. Dell loves to cook while at the track & then an audience always gathers & the stories start to flow. Your belly will be hurting from laughing so much. Be sure to catch up with Dell this weekend as the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association is back in action.

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association will taking on KDS Motorsports this weekend for the 2nd stop of the 2022 season. This is our 2nd triple header of the year & we look forward to seeing everyone start rolling in on Friday evening.

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight:

This week we are going to take a couple of hours trip towards the NC Coast where we visit Newport, NC; home of Mr. Al Brister. Al is 64 years of age & has been racing for 35 years. His current racecar, the RAMBLER, is a 1970 AMC AMX powered by a 360 CI engine built by Sloan Racing Engines. His sponsors include his wife Teresa & Uncle Sam! He says his most memorable win would be the bracket finals in 1999. Some of his accomplishments include: making it to the drag strip without getting lost & he married UP. He has survived a brain tumor operation, a heart attack, & growing up named Allison. Sounds like he's definitely been through it all! Al would like to give Special Thanks for his wife & sponsor, Teresa Brister, Billy & Carole Plage, & Sloan Racing Engines. He says his most epic fail is getting involved in drag racing. 😂 Al & Teresa were just here yesterday visiting Redline Speed Shop for the first time so I was able to learn a little more about them. They currently have about 10/11 cars of all makes & models; some racecars, some street cars, & others are a Work in Progress. He has raced a multitude of different cars & makes in his 35 years of racing. Al competes in NHRA Southeast Division 2 Stock Eliminator, CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association events, & some local bracket racing at KDS Motorsports & Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway. Teresa told me that Al has a very strong work ethnic & even took a year out of high school to go to work. That has all paid off today as he is the owner of Clarkspoon in Morehead City, NC. If any racers enjoy fishing, you might want to look up Clarkspoon as well as talk to Al at the track next time you see him. Al wasn't able to race with us this past weekend at KDS Motorsports as he tested on Friday evening, heard a noise that didn't quite sound right, & didn't want to risk tearing it up. It ended up being the torque converter bolts were loose but he said they were much easier to tighten up on the lift in his air conditioned shop at his house instead of the heat that we all endured at KDS Motorsports. Teresa didn't really like that comment as she would have rather been at the dragstrip! Al even made the comment if it weren't for Teresa wanting to go racing, he probably wouldn't ever go.

Al is a very well respected guy around the dragstrip to all of his fellow racers. He has some very fine, clean race cars. If you are friends with Al on Facebook, you can check out some of his previous racecars on his page. We are looking forward to having Al & Teresa race with us at our final CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association of the 2022 season at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway in November. Hopefully by then those torque converter bolts will be tightened up!

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association is off for a few months but in the meantime, there is plenty of racing left for our racers. We hope to see you guys & girls competing & winning at the upcoming NHRA Southeast Division 2 race at GALOT Motorsports Park, NHRA national events at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Maple Grove Raceway, & zMAX DRAGWAY, as well as the NHRA Northeast Division race at Virginia Motorsports Park. See y'all at the track soon!

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight:

We don't have to go far up the road this week as Laurinburg, NC is only a jump, hop, & a skip from Fayetteville. Blake Hickman, 22 years of age is our racer to talk about today. Blake is one of our younger racers in CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association so we look forward to having to him participate in our association for many years to come. He has been racing 15 years & as you can see from one of the pictures (stolen from his sister's Facebook page), he came up through the junior dragster ranks & was a pretty successful racer in that class. His current racecar is a 1983 Chevrolet Camaro powered by a SBC 305 CI engine built by his dad's business, Hickman's Performance which is also who Blake list as his sponsor. His most memorable win is his most recent one that was in 2021. He won Stock Eliminator at the NHRA Southeast Division 2 race at Orlando Speed World Dragway. A few of Blake's accomplishments include: 2011 & 2012 IHRA Division 9 Junior Dragster Points Champion, 4x NHRA Class Winner, & lost the 2021 NHRA Southeast Division 2 Stock Eliminator points due to a tie breaker. He gives "Special Thanks" to his mom, dad, & "I guess my sister"! He says his most epic fail is taking off in high gear 1st round of a NHRA national event at zMAX DRAGWAY. When Blake was asked about anything funny, he replies "just my driving skills"! At least he can have fun with it & that's what it's all about!!! Blake is generally found running NHRA national events & NHRA Southeast Division 2 races but he occasionally will come to support the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association races & we are thankful for his & his dad, Buddy's support when they have time to come race with us. Blake overcame some serious medical conditions a few years ago so just to see him racing today is such an awesome sight! Praise God for healing Blake!

Blake is somewhat quite in the beginning but deep down inside, he's a great young man & has lots of laughter to offer everyone that can break inside his bubble. His daddy, Buddy, used to race as well so to see Blake following in his dad's footsteps is great. The Hickman Family is an awesome family at the track & is willing to help fellow racers in a time of need. Hickman's Performance builds several NHRA Stock Eliminator engines. All of the NHRA & NHRA Southeast Division 2 races will be over by the time the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association is out next so we hope Blake can attend our final race of 2022.

In the meantime with us being off for several months, we look forward to seeing our racers attend the upcoming NHRA Southeast Division 2 race at GALOT Motorsports Park, NHRA national events at Maple Grove Raceway, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, & zMAX DRAGWAY, as well as the NHRA Northeast Division race at Virginia Motorsports Park. See y'all at a track very soon!

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight:

Let's head down to Snow Hill, NC, home of Mr. Ed McLawhorn. He is 63 years old & I'm not sure how many of those years he's been racing. 😉 His racecar is a 1966 Chevy II Wagon powered by a SBC 283 CI engine built by himself. He did not that he had the machine work hired out. Laughing, he says his sponsor is "his pocket book"! Mr. Ed recalls his biggest memory being in November 2017 when he carried his dad who had had dementia down the 1/4 mile of KDS Motorsports. The first thing that his dad asked was "how much did my 235 lbs slow him down". His dad died just a few short months later in April 2018. He would like to give "Special Thanks" to his son, Avery McLawhorn as well as his dad, Mr. Ed McLawhorn for introducing him to class racing. Ed says his most epic fail in racing was having a dead battery in the staging lanes at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway. One funny story (well actually 3) that he remembers from racing is losing a ramp to an open trailer 3 times & was fortunate enough to turn around and found it in a ditch, beside a mailbox, & in the middle of the road. BTW, if y'all ever see Mr. Ed or Avery using an open trailer at the track, be sure to check their trailer ramps before they leave 🙂!!! You will find Ed competing in NHRA Southeast Division 2 & CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association races.

Ed started going to the dragstrip at 4 years old. He was right there with his dad anytime he left the driveway with his racecar. They travelled up and down the Eastern part of the country. In 1990, his dad stopped running Super Stock due to the cost of cylinder heads. He pulled his 283 CI engine out of the car & put in on an engine stand. Twenty-three years later (in 2013), Ed told his dad he had a "wild hair up his ***" & wanted to update the outdated 283 engine & put back in the wagon. The following year, they went back racing. This is an awesome testimony of family drag racing!
Ed is a very well liked gentleman around the track & is always up to help fellow racers when in need. If there isn't any work to do, he is generally is a huddle with a group of racers chatting & telling all sorts of racing stories. Even when his car was down for awhile, him & Avery would still come to the races to hang out & enjoy themselves. If I had to guess, his next race on the schedule would be the upcoming NHRA Southeast Division 2 race at GALOT Motorsports Park in September. He will be back in CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association action at our final race of 2022 in November at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway.

In the off time, we look forward to seeing our racers compete at the upcoming NHRA North Central Division 3 at Beech Bend Raceway Park, NHRA National events at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Maple Grove Raceway, & zMAX DRAGWAY, as well as the NHRA Northeast Division race at Virginia Motorsports Park. See y'all at the track soon!

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight:

We took an extended vacation from last week & stayed close so we could put some focus on Maury, NC's very own Avery McLawhorn this week. He is 28 years young & has only been racing for 2 years. I can tell you that in those short 2 years, I personally have watched him grow & improve each race & there's more to come. His own racecar is a 1966 Chevy II aka Money Pitt or Pain in my ***, powered by a SBC 283 CI built by his father, Ed. McLawhorn Jr. Here recently we have seen him piloting his dad's ride, a 1966 Chevy II Wagon. Avery's sponsors include: Frank Lupo Dynamic Converters, his dad Ed McLawhorn, & his wife, Samantha McLawhorn. His states that his most memorable win is TBD! 🙂 A few of Avery's accomplishments include building motors with his dad, getting the car to finally hook after all season of chasing demons, restoring his car back to full SS trim after it being a bracket car since 1990, being a member as well as a sponsor of CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association, & lastly getting his first round wins in a Super Stock car in both the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association & NHRA Southeast Division 2 races. He would like to give "Special Thanks" to his dad, his granddad (Ed McLawhorn Sr), in which both his car & his dad's car was inherited from the elder McLawhorn in the 80's, & Frank Lup Dynamic Converters. Avery recalls two of his most epic fails being his hand slipping of his transbrake against Rick Mann in first round of Virginia Motorsports Park NHRA Northeast Division division race before Rick was fully staged & him blowing his motor at the NHRA Southeast Division 2 race at Rockingham Dragway in 2021. His funny racing story is being blamed on his crew chief/dad for leaving the spark plug wire off, not once but twice, resulting in one bad time run & the 2nd was a round loss. I bet the crew chief/dad heard about that for awhile 😉! Avery competes in NHRA Southeast Division 2, NHRA Northeast Division, & CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association races.

Avery, just like his dad, is a very well liked guy around the dragstrip. He is always willing to jump in & help fellow racers in a time of need. Avery will also help Tabitha & Leigh Anne with CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association operations at the track when needed as he has handled the staging lanes on multiple occasions. Not sure which one of the McLawhorn's will be racing at the next NHRA Southeast Division 2 at GALOT Motorsports Park but I know they will be there. And then of course, he'll participate at the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association finale in November at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway.
Although the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association is off for a few months, there is still plenty of races left & we wish all of our racers success on & off the track. The #BIG GO at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park is currently taking place with Class Eliminations being ran today. Some of the other races coming up is the NHRA Southeast Division 2 race at GALOT Motorsports Park, national events at Maple Grove Raceway & zMAX DRAGWAY, as well as the NHRA Northeast Division race at Virginia Motorsports Park. See y'all at the track soon!!

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight:

This week takes us up Interstate 95 to the small town of Godwin, NC, home of Eddie Longhany Jr. Eddie Jr. is 46 years old & has been racing for 35 of those years so he got started at a fairly young age. This isn't surprising at all as he comes from a strong racing background family. His race car known as White Ghost is a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro powered by a BBC 396 CI engine. His #1 bullet is built by Tilburg Racing Engines & his #2 bullet is built by Sloan Racing Engines. His sponsors include his personal business, Victory Lane Golf Carts & his 2 brother's business, Auto Plus Service Center. Eddie Jr. would like to give "Special Thanks" to his father, Ed Sr, his wife Stephanie, crew chiefs & sons, Johnson & Jennings, as well as his brothers, Jeff & Mike. He says that his most memorable win was the 2018 NHRA race at Bristol Dragway. A few of his accomplishments include being the 2015 IHRA Super Stock Champion, 2018 Bristol Dragway NHRA Champ, & his Gainesville Raceway Gatornationals Runner-up in 2019. Unfortunately for Eddie, his most epic fail came from his 2018 Gainesville Raceway Gatornationals Stock Eliminator wreck but as you see can from above, he came back the following year & marched all the way to the finals. Great comeback if you ask me!!! He states that funny cars are entertainment to him. Eddie Jr. competes in NHRA national & divisional races all over the country as well as CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association races.

Eddie is a rather quite guy initially but once he gets to know you, he opens up & is quite the character. He generally keeps to himself at the track if he's there by himself but that isn't too often. The Longhany Family is generally is a tight knit family. They race together, have cookouts/parties together, & just simply are the true definition of what family is all about. You don't see one unless you see at least another one & most of the time, the entire family. The spouses & kids also participate in all the fun times!!! Eddie is also big into football & buying classic cars. If you ever get the chance to go to his shop, he'll show you around his collection of fine automobiles. On Sunday of our first race of 2022 at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway, Eddie got sick overnight & was unable to race but then came back to pickup a win at the Saturday race at Farmington Dragway. You will see Eddie & the entire Longhany Family competing in next week's NHRA Southeast Division 2 race at GALOT Motorsports Park & hopefully he'll make it to our CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association finale in November back at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway.

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers is still idle for a few months but there is lots of racing coming up in the next few weeks so we are wishing our CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association racers much success & lots of "W" lights. Some of the upcoming races to look for our CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association racers at is the NHRA Southeast Division 2 race at GALOT Motorsports Park next weekend (September 15-18), national events at Maple Grove Raceway & zMAX DRAGWAY, followed by the NHRA Northeast Division race at Virginia Motorsports Park. Hope to see everyone next weekend!

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight

Let's travel to Jacksonville, NC this week & focus on Mr. Doyle Evans. He is 63 years young & has been racing for 40 of those years. His racecar is a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro powered by a SBC 350 CI built by Warren Engines in Clinton, NC. His sponsor is Doyle Evans Realty which obviously is his personal business & also a sponsor of CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association. Doyle would like to give "Special Thanks" to his crew chief & other driver (when the car gets ready), Mr. Don Sweeting. He states that his most memorable win was a race win at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway in his own hometown, Jacksonville, NC. A runner-up finish in Super Stock at the "Little Guy Nationals" in Suffolk, VA is on the top of his accomplishments list. This list also includes being a former record holder in both SS/HA & SS/DM. That nasty red 🔴 light in the semi-finals (that all competitors hate) at Darlington Dragway tops the charts for his most epic fail. His opponent was Mr. Auston Pusey which just happened to be broke at the time. Here is the funniest story that I've read so far this year from all of our racers!!!! Doyle once hit a "rent a john" at Rockingham Dragway while it was occupied. I need more details on this story from Doyle this weekend!!! Doyle stays pretty busy within his real estate business but will find time to come racing in the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association & some local NHRA Southeast Division 2 races.

Doyle is quite a character & you will always find him laughing & joking about something. He typically stays in his own pit area but doesn't mind getting out to mingle with his fellow races. Me personally, Doyle Evans is a fine man & always up to help anyone. I'm sure Doyle & Don will be at GALOT Motorsports Park this weekend for the NHRA Southeast Division 2 race but not sure which will be occupying the driver seat & which will be operating the 4-wheeler. Hopefully we can get both drivers back in the seat for the final CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association race at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway in November.

With 2 months still idle for the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association, there is plenty of races coming up for our racers. We plan to attend as many of those as possible to cheer our racers on! The NHRA Southeast Division 2 comes into GALOT Motorsports Park this weekend for their next to last division race of the 2022 season. There is also a NHRA national event at Maple Grove Raceway this weekend. Coming up next weekend is the NHRA national event at zMAX DRAGWAY, & then to round out the month is the NHRA Northeast Division race at Virginia Motorsports Park. Hope to see y'all at the track this weekend!

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight:

This week our road trip carries us up Interstate 95S to Rowland, NC; home of Mr. Joseph Strickland. He is one of our youngest racers in the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association as he's only 22 years young. He has only been racing 5 years but has already found the Winner's Circle in that short time. Joseph took over the driving duties of his dad's 1992 Chevrolet Camaro aka Big Bertha. Big Bertha is powered by a SBC 305 CI engine built by fellow CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association racer Robbie Draughon/Robbie Draughon Powertrain Development. His sponsor is Strickland Motorsports (dad 🤣)! Joseph would like to give "Special Thanks" to his father, Marvin, his engine builder Robbie Draughon Powertrain Development, & The Riner Family. His most memorable win was his CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association win at GALOT Motorsports Park in 2021 (pic attached). When Joseph was asked about his accomplishments, his response was "none, I'm a wannabe". Well Joseph you might think that but I can tell you that you are improving each time you go down the track & your fellow racer better take notice as more wins are coming your way. His most epic fail in racing came earlier this year at the NHRA Southeast Division 2 race at Silver Dollar Motorsports Park when he broke out 4-hund after taking a tenth in the semi-finals. Boy I bet the crew chief let him hold it for that mistake!!! 😉 As far as something funny for Joseph, his said his dad thinks he needs to remove his imaginary neck brace & drive the dang stripe better. Hence, the above mistake. OOPS!!! You will find Joseph & the Strickland Motorsports Camaro competing in CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association, NHRA Southeast Division 2, & NHRA national events close to home.

Joseph is one fine young man & I know his parents/family are proud of the young man he is becoming. He will be graduating in May 2023 from UNC Charlotte with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. I have personally watched him grow up into the young man he is today & it's been a true honor. Joseph doesn't mind helping anyone if he can offer a hand in getting a fellow racer back racing or in a situation where he can learn something from it. Be sure to look for Joseph racing with the CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association at our season finale in November at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway.

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association is off for the next two months but our racers will be busy competing in numerous upcoming events & we wish them success both on & off the race track. Coming up this weekend is the NHRA national event at zMAX DRAGWAY, then next weekend we will finish off the month of September with the NHRA Northeast Division at Virginia Motorsports Park. NHRA Southeast Division 2 will finish off it's 2022 season in October at Orlando Speed World Dragway. See y'all at the track!!!

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight:

Let's travel to Blacksburg, VA this week & introduce everyone to Darrion Houston, an up & coming new drag racer to CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association in 2023. He is 25 years old & has only been racing for 1 year & let me just say, he's eat up with it 😉! His car is a 1985 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 powered by a SBC 355/Pontiac headed 867 built by Bill Emerson of Bland, VA & his transmission of choice is a Jerico 4-speed. You might notice this car as it's been around for awhile & was previously owned by Steve McCreary of Cana, VA. Darrion list his sponsors as himself, Melton Motorsports of Mt. Airy, NC, & Houston Towing of Wytheville, VA. He would like to give "Special Thanks" to his mom & dad, his cousin Mr. George Houston for inspiring him to start racing & also starting with a stick, Brad Smith, Jake Melton, & Steve & Chad McCreary. Being that Darrion has only been racing a year now, he hasn't gotten his first win but he has went multiple rounds in various races which he should consider a small victory in such a short period of time. When he was asked about his accomplishments in racing so far, he says being able to successfully get a Super Stock Stick car down the track as there is a lot going on in the car. He says "some people cant' do it & that's why they drive automatics 😁". He got very lucky when he talks about his most epic fail in racing this year. He was at Motor Mile Dragway & after his burnout, he got way out of the groove & decided not to abort the run. His funny story from 2022 came at the Clemmons Concrete Stick Shift Nationals when he saw Jon Bowman's daughter buy a life size Barney Fife cut out from Homer Carty (he says it's a long story). We'll have to get Darrion to share this story when we see him at the track. Darrion has primarily focused on testing & Classic Gear Jammers races in 2022 but he is planning to race with CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association, Classic Gear Jammers, & NHRA Southeast Division 2 in 2023.

Darrion is a nice young man to be around & enjoys meeting all his fellow racers. He is a hands on kind of guy & is always willing to listen & learn anything new in drag racing. I look forward to seeing him improve each trip down the 1/8 mile. Darrion, CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association will welcome you to our races in 2023.

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association still has about 6 weeks off before our finale race of the season at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway but we wish our racers nothing but success in any races they attend during this time. Some of the upcoming races are NHRA Southeast Division 2 final race at Orlando Speed World Dragway, the Dutch Classic at Maple Grove Raceway, & the Stock/SS Combo race at GALOT Motorsports Park. See y'all at the track soon!

BTW, hope everyone stays safe this week from Hurricane Ian & if anyone needs anything, please don't hesitate to let us know.

Re: CCRA Racer Spotlight
 

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association Racer Spotlight:

This week we are headed to Huntersville, NC; home of Kevin Wideman. He is 42 years young, originally from Festus, MO, & has been racing for 15 years. His race car is a 2013 Chevrolet COPO Camaro, powered by a 396 CI LS3 built by himself & his business, Wideman Motorsports. His list of sponsors include: Turn Key Automotive, COPO Build Center, ED Rinke Chevrolet, Diamond Pistons, & CFE. Kevin would like to give "Special Thanks" to Victor Cagnazzi, Steve Johns, & Nick Ferri for giving him a chance to hang out & eventually work with them full time at Cagnazzi Racing & to Turnkey Automotive trusting him to build and tune around 15 engines for him & be able to race one of his race cars. Kevin says that his most memorable race win came from his 1st Footbrake win at Farmington Dragway where he took out a long list of the Farm hitters. Some of his accomplishments are the 2007 WKA Go Kart Championship, 5K win at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway for the Loose Rocker Series, being part of the 2007 & 2008 NHRA Pro Stock Championship team with Jeg Coughlin, & the NHRA Speed/ET records by Erica Enders Racing & Rodger Brogdon in Gainesville Raceway. Kevin recalls his most epic fail was probably last year driving Jamie Miller's (Southards) Duster at zMAX DRAGWAY at the Fall National event. Before Q2, they put new Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels tires on the car & about 1/2 track, the car wanted to turn left into the wall. He initially thought there was a problem in the front end (there was but wasn't this issue) so they fixed some stuff up front. Car is still pulling left so him & his crew reset the ride heights & toe...still pulling left. Long story short, cord in brand new tires broke & 1 tire was 2" taller than the other. They put 2 more brand new Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels on which are same height & rest the ride height yet again & the car goes straight as an arrow! Talk about pulling your teeth out, beating your head against the wall (almost literally), & your butt cheeks tightening up!!!! As far as funny stories, Kevin has lots of those but you'll have to get him to fill you in there as I'm only going to post about one of them. In 2011, he was racing the Gamblers race at the yearly bracket finals event. He had "sucked" all day (and night also) resulting in a loss so he started drinking. He kept hearing them announce about a mulligan race so he went to the tower to ask about details of that race. Tickets are $20 each, they draw 4 tickets, those 4 drivers race off & the winner gets put back in the race in the round of 16 cars. Kevin bought one �� at $20, was one of the 4 winners drawn, won the run off, & was put back in the race at 14 cars. Needless to say, his $20 purchase paid off, & he ended up winning the Gamblers Race. Luckily they didn't give a breathalyzer to the winner ��! Kevin competes in CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association, NHRA Southeast Division 2, NHRA national events close to home, as well as some NMCA races.

Kevin has tons of experience in all aspects of drag racing. He has worked at Roush & Yates in the honing department, Cagnazzi Racing in the engine shop, & Gray Motorsports doing engine maintenance & tuning on Dave Connolly & Larry Morgan's car. He then moved to Michigan to work on the COPO program at the GM Powertrain Performance & Racing Center developing new engine combinations. After he left there, him & his wife Jamie eventually moved back to Huntersville where he opened up his current business Wideman Motorsports & is a successful engine builder. Kevin is the type of person that you wants to be friends with at the track. Not only does his knowledge come in help, his stories are endless! We look to have Kevin racing with us more in CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association in 2023.

CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association still has a little over a month before our season finale at Coastal Plains Raceway Park Dragway but there is plenty of racing left & we hope that of racers find their way to the Winner's Circle. Several of our CCRA-Carolina Class Racers Association racers are competing at the NHRA North Central Division 3 this weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, IL. Next weekend is the NHRA Southeast Division 2 finale at Orlando Speed World Dragway. Then you have the Dutch Classic at Maple Grove Raceway & the Stock/SS Combo race at GALOT Motorsports Park. See y'all at the track soon!