(Gary Rowe photo)

Racers come from near and far to win

Results compiled by Kay Burk
Photos by Gary Rowe and Chris Haverly

In a race featuring drivers from 24 states and six foreign countries, local racer Jason Harris from Pittsboro, NC, came away with an upset victory in the Pro Nitrous class Sunday, Sept. 8, in the American Drag Racing League’s Dragstock X event at Rockingham Dragway. The international flavor of the series showed in racers from Kuwait, Qatar, Sweden, Puerto Rico, Aruba and Canada all qualified for the event.

Harris shared the podium with another upset winner, Brandon Snider of Atmore, Ala., who stunned No. 1 qualifier Alex Hossler of Canton, Ill., in the final round of Pro Extreme with his best time of the weekend, 3.627 seconds at 207.21 mph.

Other winners were reigning ADRL champion Cary Goforth of Holdenville, Okla., in Extreme Pro Stock; Jimmy Keen of Parrish, Fla., in Pro Modified; world champion Eric McKinney of Hammersville, Ohio, in Pro Extreme Motorcycle; Ruben Tetsoshvili of Wesley Chapel, Fla., in Pro Drag Radial; Cheyenne Stanley of Cynthiana, Ky., in Top Sportsman and Barry Brown of Blountville, Tenn., who doubled up in Top Dragster, adding a Sunday victory to his the “Battle for the Belts” title he claimed on Friday.

Jason Harris (Gary Rowe photo)

PRO NITROUS

Harris, the son of former racer, promoter and track operator Bob Harris, used an eighth-mile time of 3.857 seconds at 193.39 mph to get his 1968 Pontiac Firebird to the finish line ahead of the 1969 Camaro of Tommy Franklin of Fredericksburg, Va.

The No. 5 qualifier, Harris got his biggest win in the semifinals where he took down NHRA Pro Modified Champion and No. 1 qualifier Mike Castellana of Muttontown, NY. A big advantage at the starting line enabled Harris to turn a slower 3.921-second time into a winner over Castellana’s quicker 3.893 in the Al-Anabi Chevrolet Camaro.