Greg Dawson

The Racing RV's Quick 16 field saw the quickest bump in JEGS Summer Door Car Shootout history, at 5.244. The Opel GT of Scottsboro, AL, racer Greg Dawson prevailed over the elite group of door slammers. Dawson, who uses an all-aluminum sprint-car style small block with stack injection, defeated Matt Fuchs (Chatham, IL) in the final round. Don Ellis (Vergennes, IL) and Mark Holleran (Ellisville, MO) were the semi-finalists.

Matt Fuchs

The I-57 Dragstrip staff treated racers and spectators to a complimentary Racer's Appreciation BBBQ on Saturday night, courtesy of Vintage Trailers. As always, the food was delicious and the camaraderie exceptional.

Saturday action concluded with the biggest event on the JEGS Summer Door Car Shootout docket, the annual King of Illinois presented by Ohio Crankshaft. This season, 40 combatants ponied up the $500 entry fee; making the King of Illinois the second biggest payout in event history (the 2013 event had 41 entrants). The unique format features 100% payback, WINNER TAKE ALL, meaning that there was a smooth $20,000 in the pot! With five cars remaining, Dustin Smiley (Emerson, IA) defeated Wes May (Indianapolis, IN) to earn a semi-final bye run. Dave Angelly (Carrier Mills, IL) knocked out Brad Matthews (Maryland Heights, MO) to earn a spot in the semi-final round opposite Ed Niemeic (Chicago, IL), who had the quarterfinal bye run.

Dustin Smiley