FRIDAY SUMMARY 

It took the Compulink timing system to call the final round winner on Friday and that winner was Michael Paschal of Pleasant Garden who, by a scant .006 of a second, got his dragster to the finish line ahead of the 1980 Ford Mustang of St. Pauls’ William Brewer.

Paschal, who entered two cars and got both of them as far as the quarter finals, put together a .027 package in the final (a .022 of a second reaction time and an eighth-mile competition time of 4.565 seconds against a 4.560 target). Brewer actually had an ever-so-slight lead at the start but was .015 off his target and that was the difference.

Except for Ohio’s “Nasty Nick” Hastings, who wound his way into the semifinals at the wheel of his venerable 1981 Pontiac T1000, the bulk of the Friday purse remained in North Carolina. In addition to Paschal and Brewer, other Carolinians who advanced to the round of seven were Ernie Humes of Troutman, Paul Warwick of Lumberton, David Lowe of Rowland and David Dean of Charlotte.

Paul Warwick

Round 5 – John Hodson, Graniteville, S.C., 1986 Ford Mustang, .030, 5.515 on a 5.510, 125.29 mph, def. Steve Peeler, Greenwood, S.C., IROC Camaro, foul (-.003); William Brewer, St. Pauls, 1980 Ford Mustang, .010, 6.536 on a 6.530, 101.71 mph, def. Michelle Pelo, Jacksonville, 1967 Chevy Camaro, foul (-.011); Ernie Humes, Troutman, 1972 Dodge Demon, .002, 6.574 on a 6.570, 100.53 mph, def. Frank Duplissis Jr., Longvalley, N.J., 1967 Chevy Camaro, .012, 5.876 breakout on a 5.880, 113.75 mph; Michael Morton, Jacksonville, 1970 Chevy Nova, .007, 6.507 on a 6.500, 102.97 mph, def. Paul Warwick, Lumberton, .020, 6.457 on a 6.450, 104.48 mph; “Nasty Nick” Hastings, Shelby, Ohio, 1981 Pontiac T1000, .011, 6.236 on a 6.220, 109.32 mph, def. Mark Talmadge, Williamson, N.Y., 1975 Chevy Vega, .013, 6.001 on a 5.980, 114.24 mph; Todd Whited, Richlands, Va., .009, 5.366 on a 5.360, 125.26 mph, def. Ross Freeman, Westville, S.C., .025, 7.496 on a 7.480, 89.17 mph; Paul Warwick #2, Lumberton, .019, 6.456 on a 6.450, 104.45 mph, def. Shawn Carpenter, Elm City, .015, 5.873 on a 5.860, 111.37 mph; Barry Nall, Eagle Springs, 1968 Plymouth Barracuda, .023, 5.769 on a 5.730, 115.20 mph, def. Georgia Thomas, Lumberton, .041, 5.539 on a 5.510, 124.75 mph; Michael Paschal, Pleasant Garden, .016, 4.595 on a 4.570, 143.14 mph, def. Scott Sanders, Pikeville, Ky., .011, 5.176 on a 5.140, 131.24 mph; David Lowe, Rowland, .053, 4.716 on a 4.740, 145.55 mph, def. Steve Dweck, Miami, Fla., foul (-.001); David Dean, Charlotte, .002, 4.478 on a 4.480, 154.21 mph, def. Doug Foley Jr., Statesville, foul (-.014); Jeff Dobbins, Wilmington, .005, 4.706 on a 4.700, 143.03 mph, def. Jason DeWitt, Bloomsdale, Ga., .009, 4.607 on a 4.590, 149.22 mph; Jeff Jones, Ninety-Six, S.C., .003, 4.583 on a 4.560, 143.25 mph, def. Tommy Strickland, Raeford, .019, 4.534 breakout on a 4.540, 150.55 mph; Michael Paschal #2, Pleasant Garden, .005, 4.579 on a 4.580, 147.23 mph, def. Will Holloman, Four Oaks, .004, 4.746 breakout on a 4.750, 143.75 mph; Dale Taylor, Elizabethtown, bye.

Round 6 – Hastings, .014, 6.224 on a 6.220, 108.07 mph, def. Morton, .017, 6.499 on a 6.490, 103.66 mph; Warwick, .025, 6.458 on a 6.450, 104.68 mph, def. Nall, .014, 5.749 breakout on a 5.750, 115.44 mph; Brewer, .012, 6.558 on a 6.520, 99.73 mph, def. Whited, .024, 5.376 on a 5.340, 126.46 mph; Humes, .056, 6.563 on a 6.570, 102.24 mph, def. Hodson, no time; Lowe, .007, 4.770 on a 4.740, 141.80 mph, def. Taylor, .014, 4.787 on a 4.760, 142.24 mph; Paschal, .005, 4.572 on a 4.570, 148.56 mph, def. Jones, .022, 4.569 on a 4.560, 145.22 mph; Paschal #2, .011, 4.574 on a 4.570, 149.13 mph, def. Dobbins, .009, 4.707 on a 4.700, 144.09 mph; Dean, bye.

Round 7 – Hastings, .013, 6.222 on a 6.210, 108.45 mph, def. Paschal, .036, 4.577 on a 4.570, 148.59 mph; Warwick, .025, 6.449 on a 6.440, 104.94 mph, def. Lowe, .057, 4.741 on a 4.740, 140.78 mph; Brewer, .027, 6.540 on a 6.510, 98.64 mph, def. Dean, .034, 4.475 breakout on a 4.480, 150.56 mph; Paschal #2, .025, 4.564 on a 4.570, 149.50 mph, def. Humes, foul (-.003).

Semifinals – Brewer, .011, 6.526 on a 6.530, 101.44 mph, def. Warwick, .016, 6.444 breakout on a 6.450, 105.02 mph; Paschal, .008, 4.575 on a 4.560, 143.93 mph, def. Hastings, .016, 6.228 on a 6.210, 109.86 mph.

FINAL – Michael Paschal, Pleasant Garden, dragster, .022, 4.565 on a 4.560, 146.46 mph, def. William Brewer, St. Pauls, 1980 Ford Mustang, .018, 6.535 on a 6.520, 101.13 mph.