Leaf Spring class

Bobby Flippin

The Leaf Spring class isn’t the quickest or fastest field but it was the toughest to qualify for with more than 70 racers trying to be one of the quickest 16 racers that made the field. Qualifying required an ET quicker than the 5.285 lap by Bob “Hollywood” Tench that was the bump. Runner-up Ron Rhodes was the low qualifier with a 4.669 effort and the 16th spot went to Florida’s Bryan Marrow, who shoed his ‘79 rat-motored Camaro to a 153.56 that stood for the top speed of qualifying for the class.

Gloucester, Va., racer Bobby Flippin qualified his 582 ci big block-powered S-10 Chevy truck fourth in the field with a 4.756/150.78 effort and then waded through the 16-car qualified field to meet number-one qualifier (4.669) Ron Rhodes and his big block ‘68 Camaro in the finals.

The Leaf Spring final was one of the few completed on Saturday. Ron Rhodes’ ‘68 Camaro was by far the quickest and fastest Leaf Spring car using a 4.669/151.77 blast to qualify number one and make himself the odds-on favorite to win the class. In eliminations he recorded consistent ET’s in the 4.60 range and speeds above 150 mph.  

On the other side of the ladder Flippin combined steady 4.80 ET’s with a little racing luck to get to the final round against Rhodes. Father and son, Ron and Ronny Rhodes from Delaware in ‘68 Camaros both qualified for the field and went to the semi-finals with Ron advancing to the finals.

The final round was anti-climatic when odds-on favorite Rhodes had to shut his Camaro off and Flippin and his S-10 Chevy truck singled for the cash and title.

Ron Rhodes

Top Four Qualifiers
1  68 Camaro  Ron Rhodes      Townsend DE       4.669   151.77  
2  70 Nova   John McDonough   Panama City FL    4.670   150.28   
3  69 Dart   Chad Branson    Fulton MS          4.734   153.23   
4  Chevy S10 Bobby Flippin   Gloucester VA      4.765   150.78  

Low ET: 4.669 168 Ron Rhodes                           
Top Speed: 153.56 9361 Bryan Marrow