By Wes Rainey

Fields for the final DER race of the season at Bristol Dragway were large, and winners had to overcome a great deal of competition to claim victory.

Kingsport’s Jeremy Ray won in the Super Pro division on Saturday over David Collins from Rutledge. Ray had a .016 reaction time and raced through the top end in 6.263 seconds (6.25 dial-in) at 109.70 mph.  Collins tuned on the red light before leaving the line. He finished his run in 5.100 seconds (5.09 dial-in).

Chad Harris of Vinton, Va. drove to the Pro division win against Jamie Radford from Christiansburg, Va. Harris used a .018 R.T. and a 6.964 elapsed time (6.94 dial-in) at 94.36 mph to dispatch Radford’s .059 R.T. and 7.120 E.T. (7.05 dial-in).

Street Division honors went to 2010 Series champion Finchum when his opponent, Shaun Cowan of Bristol, turned on the red light in the final round. Finchum had a .033 R.T. and took his 1997 Blazer through the finish line in 14.901 seconds (13.97 dial-in).

Elaine Hatcher took the Trophy division win over Elizabethton’s Charles Bise in the final round. The Cedar Bluff, Va. native ran dead on (12.560 E.T. on a 12.56 dial-in) to earn the win. In many other rounds, Bise’s 12.684 on a 12.68 dial-in would have put him close to the win. The starting line reactions made the biggest difference, however. Hatcher had a .240 R.T., while Bise had a .270 R.T.

A pair of red lights decided Saturday’s motorcycle final, but Dakota Wells from Sevierville turned his on first, giving Jason Haynes of Mount Carmel the win. Wells was red by .032 sec., while Haynes went red by .005 sec. Haynes finished his winning run in 6.049 seconds (5.95 dial-in) at 108.45 mph.

Junior Dragster Div. I went to Dylan Howard of Corryton, when his competition, Joseph Denton from Bristol, Va. turned on the red light in the final. A red light also decided Jr. Dragster Div. II as Rogersville’s Mitch Ellison left too soon, giving Colton Carr from Tellico the victory.

Chris Barker from Morehead, Ky. took Sunday’s Super Pro action over Foley. Barker had a .032 light, and a 4.956 E.T. (4.93 dial-in) at 138.73 mph.

Harris swept the weekend’s Pro category, racing to an easy victory when Finchum turned on the red light in the final round. Harris used a .020 R.T. and a 7.301 E.T. (6.95 dial-in) at 76.02 mph to earn the win.

Sunday’s Street win went to Cody Spears from Mount Carmel, as he and his opponent, Bristol’s Scott Vestal, both ran faster than their dial-ins. Spears had a 14.506 E.T. (14.53 dial-in) to Vestal’s 11.990 E.T. (12.03 dial-in).

Scott Justus from Rosedale, Va. won the Trophy division, with Bluff City’s Jerry Turner claiming the Motorcycle final.

Sunday’s Jr. Dragster finals were a lesson in patience for Denton and Ellison. Both drivers lost on red lights in Saturday’s final rounds, but both practiced patience and won on Sunday. Denton defeated Elizabethton’s Jesse Edens in Div. I and Ellison upset Division champion Shinault to earn the Div. II win.