Adcock, Williams, & Siegel Take Gainesville Wins

February 20, 2013   ·   0 Comments

Sherman Adcock opened his title defense with a win in the Super Comp category over Raymond Miller. Adcock, Fortson, Ga., is the defending Southeast division champion in both Super Comp and Super Gas as well as the defending event champion from a year ago.

Photos by Brian Epps
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – At the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series East Regional opener at Auto Plus Raceway at Gainesville, Richard Bourke extended his late-season reign from 2012 with a victory in Top Alcohol Dragster and veteran Dan Pomponio picked up his first Top Alcohol Funny Car win since the 2005 Maple Grove divisional, where he upset both Bob Newberry and Frank Manzo.

In the 11.00 and 10.00 Index classes, it was all the Florida boys as Troy Williams Jr. of Bradenton, FL was dead on the 10.00 dial taking the win over Travis Bryant. John Siegel, Riverview, Fla. marched on in his 1978 Malibu wagon to defeat Brendan George in the 11.00 Finals.

In unseasonably cold temperatures, Rich McPhillips, the reigning East Region champ, and Bourke staged for what was expected to be side-by-side 5.30s in the Top Alcohol Dragster final. Bourke, who had more points per race than anyone in the region last year, and McPhillips, who scored once in 2012 and reached four finals, left together, but McPhillips was up in smoke before the 200-foot mark.

“The car didn’t really run the way I wanted it to in the last two rounds, but I guess it was enough to win,” said Bourke, who picked up his sixth career regional/divisional win with a 5.46 at 259 mph. McPhillips slowed to an 11.20. Bourke stopped 2007 Gainesville divisional winner Bill Evans in the opening round and Canadian Dan Mercier in the semi’s.

“With a 2.90 gear and no transmission, there’s not much you can do when you smoke the tires that early,” McPhillips said. “It’s not like you’re going to shift your way out of it. I don’t know how good the air was when we finally ran, but it took a while for them to clean up the track in front of us, the track and air just got that much colder, and the corrected altitude was already 250 feet below sea level when we left the trailer.”

Hool opened a huge lead in the final but drove into Pomponio’s lane, handing the event title to the New Jersey driver, who coasted across the finish line at 89 mph three seconds behind Hool, unaware that he had won. “The car was shaking almost immediately, and I had to lift,” Pomponio said. “I got back on it, but it did it again and started to get sideways, and I said, ‘The heck with it. It isn’t worth it.’ I noticed something flying across my lane, but I didn’t realize it was a cone. I thought maybe he blew up or something came off his car and never knew I won until I got all the way down there and turned the corner. It wasn’t the way we wanted to win, but we’ll take it.

Kevin Helms collected yet another win in Super Stock as the Schriever, La., racer beat Craig Marshall in the final round. Lee Sharp and Jeff Warren won in Comp Eliminator and Stock respectively with Sharp out running Michael Hardee in an all Pontiac final and Warren beat Edward Brooks and his Ford Cobra Jet.

Larry Roberts was near perfect on the starting line with a 0.002 second reaction time in the Hickory Enclosed Trailer Sales Top Dragster final round. Roberts won over Ken Walls, Orlando, Fla., with a pass of 7.085 seconds at 188.07 mph. Matthew Buck, Lantana, Fla., was tops in the Davis Golf Cats Top Sportsman class driving his ’00 Firebird to victory in 6.944, 196.67 against John Benoit.

Other racers visiting the winner’s circle this weekend were Jeff Klomps in Super Gas, Bill Mullis in Super Street, Troy Williams Jr. in the 10.00 Index, Jon Siegel in 11.00 and Joel Kelly in 12.00.

COMP ELIMINATOR – Lee Sharp, Maryville, Tenn., ’09 G5, D/SMA, 8.602, 120.36 def. Michael Hardee, Hampstead, N.C., ’05 Sunfire, D/SM, 8.813, 118.08.

SUPER STOCK – Kevin Helms, Schriever, La., ’70 Duster, GT/FA, 9.886, 132.37 def. Craig Marshall, Columbus, Ohio, ’65 Coronet, SSA/A, foul.

STOCK ELIMINATOR – Jeff Warren, Clinton, N.C., ’97 Firebird, A/S, 10.057, 133.39 def. Eddie Brooks, Deer Park, N.Y., ’10 Mustang, D/SA, foul.

SUPER COMP – Sherman Adcock Jr., Fortson, Ga., dragster, 8.913, 171.03 def. Raymond Miller, Spring Hill, Fla., dragster, 8.920, 176.93.

SUPER GAS – Jeff Klomps, Bayfield, Ont., ’02 Corvette, 9.912, 152.55 def. John Taylor, Naples, Fla., ’99 Dakota, 9.906, 169.89.

SUPER STREET – Bill Mullis, Bradenton, Fla., ’55 Bel Air, 10.874, 138.83 def. John Rollins, High Springs, Fla., ’72 Nova, 10.841, 138.60.

TOP DRAGSTER – Larry Roberts, Laurens, S.C., dragster, 7.085, 188.07 def. Ken Wells, Orlando, Fla., dragster, 6.863, 193.24.

TOP SPORTSMAN – Matthew Buck, Lantana, Fla., ’00 Firebird, 6.944, 196.67 def. John Benoit, Montpelier, Vt., ’10 GXP, 7.031, 193.90.

10.00 INDEX – Troy Williams Jr., Bradenton, Fla., ’70 Nova, 10.001, 129.69 def. Travis Bryant, Bowman, Ga., ’68 Camaro, 9.996, 132.56.

11.00 INDEX – Jon Siegel, Riverview, Fla., ’78 Malibu Wagon, 11.082, 115.26 def. Brendan George, Gainesville, Fla., ’92 Mustang, 11.076, 117.44.

12.00 INDEX – Joel Kelly, Ocala, Fla., ’67 Barracuda, 12.001, 101.51 def. Chip Rollins, Gainesville, Fla., ’82 Malibu Wagon, 11.972, 111.42.