10/9/2024
Midwest Drag Racing Series
MWDRS and the Texas Tango at Pine Valley Raceway
The Summit Racing Equipment Mid-West Drag Racing Series presents by J&A Service Texas Tango rolled into Pine Valley Raceway over the weekend as a make-up race from the rain-out in mid-April 2024. Being the third race in five weeks proved difficult for racer attendance. But, the racers that came put on a show for the fans! Samuel Peterson and the track crew gave these racers a surface they could really lay the power down once the evening set in both nights.
Pro Mod
In Stroud Safety Pro Mod, Keith Haney took the #1 Qualifier spot with a 3.699. That would pair Ed Thornton and Tina Pierce in Round One with a serious focus on gathering as many points as possible from this event. Haney would get the bye and move on to the finals. Haney would take the Event Win with a 3.708, next to Thornton’s 5.07. This event moved Keith Haney to the Points lead going in to the Throwdown in T-Town!
Tina Pierce eagerly took the chance to run Pro Mod in her twin-turbo Nova. She was excited to fulfill a long-time dream of making runs with the premier class of MWDRS and giving the fans a show! She chopped the tree down in Round 1 next to Ed Thornton and got a front row seat to the 3000+ HP of his turbo Camaro. She, and husband David, were already talking about the possibilities of building a Pro Mod, jokingly saying they’d need a few more sponsors to make that happen but it’d be a dream for sure. (So, if you have a car that needs a driver mod, reach out to Tina and David. - Mike)
Funny Car
In J&A Service LLC Funny Car, the racing was intense! Steve Macklyn took the #1 Qualifier spot with a Personal Best 3.638. Round One of Eliminations would see familiar competitors Jim Whiteley and Mark Billington side by side in the lanes. Mark would move on with a 3.819, ahead of Jim’s 4.549.
Mark Billington wins the Finals with a 3.819 as Macklyn lifts early, saying later “the converter did not want to be married to the flywheel anymore.”
Top Dragster
For the Icon Forged Pistons/Race Star Wheels Top Dragster Class, the racing could not have meant more to Jeremy Maples and Jordan Eperjesi, who are in a fierce battle for the Points Championship! Wade Pennington was #1 Qualifier at 4.055.
In Round 1, Jordan Eperjesi would outperform Kati Laughter and Jeremy Maples would move past Calvin Minnick.
Wade would face Eperjesi in Round 2, but a broken throttle cable at the starting line would allow Eperjesi a route to the Finals.
Maples VS Eperjesi Final meant the pressure was on both racers to run their best pass of the weekend!
Maples would fall to Eperjesi, potentially swapping positions in the Points Chase as we head into the last race of the season in just a few days!
Top Sportsman
Rod Moore would add a #1 Qualifier accolade to his long list of Mid-West Drag Racing Series accomplishments in the Performance Bearing Top Sportsman with a 4.421.
Pulling double duty for the weekend, Tina Pierce ran the Colorado in TS, running against #2 Qualifier Mark Griffin for Round 1 of Eliminations. Mark would win their race with a -.018 Redlight from Tina.
This would pair #1 and #3 in Points for the Finals. Mark Griffin would make an awesome pass next to Rod’s redlight.
A standout story from the class over the weekend was competitor Michael Chitty loaning his wheels, tires and knowledge to Mark Griffin.
Pro 4.20
Fueltech USA Pro 4.20 had the Top Three Points holders in attendance. Dave Pierce would come out as #1 Qualifier with a 4.207 on his second pass down the track!
James Ogden ran a 4.209 right behind him, to let Dave know it was going to be a tight race if they were to race.
Derroll Hubbard and Ogden would meet in Round 1. Ogden would move on after the Procharger on Hubbard’s Camaro decided it didn’t want to race anymore this weekend.
In unfinished Pro 4.20 Class racing, the Pro 4.20 Final from SmackDown was ran at Pine Valley Raceway. The win would go to Dave Pierce, over Derroll Hubbard, after both drivers pedal it and Dave is able to bring the power back in quicker and make a great pass.
Pro Jr
Addysan Rogers, a local Champion, came out to race and used the weekend to work on her skills. She would be our only competitor in Race Star Wheels Pro Jr Class.
Sportsman Junior
Dawson D-Pain Rogers and Cayden Duell were competing for the Sportsman Junior class win. Dawson is the Pine Valley Sportsman Jr Track Champion and his knowledge and experience came in handy for his race against current MWDRS points leader Cayden Duell.
Even though the car count was low, MWDRS and Pine Valley didn’t alter Class Payouts so the racers were running for real money.
Racers need to get ready for Throwdown in T-Town as it will be a free for all to gather all the points possible to lock in the 2024 Mid-West Drag Racing Series Championship Standings! “I hope to see all my fans at Osage Casino & Hotel Tulsa Raceway Park on Oct 18 & 19! We’re doing Free Entry for every spectator for the weekend! Load your friends, family, neighbors and strangers and come watch some of the best racing of the 2024 season!” - Keith Haney
Article Credit: Michael Narx
Submitted By: Michael Narx
Article Media
