7/6/2013
US 13 Dragway
MIKE LARKIN AND KEVIN MERRITT TOP BAD 8, BERNIE PYLES WINS SUPER AT U.S. 13
By Charlie Brown, Delmar, DE (7/5/13) – Racing action at the U.S. 13 Dragway went right up to the 1 a.m. curfew due to a large field and several oil downs but when the final win light came on it was Bernie Pyles of Millersville, Md. sitting in Victory Lane in his Chevy Nova. The fourth Bad 8 of the season was also on the program with Mike Larkin of Salisbury, Md. winning the Open Wheel final and Kevin Merritt of Chincoteague, Va. in his Plymouth Duster taking the Full Body win. Other winners on the night included: Mike Keyton of Pasadena, Md. in Pro; Harvey Powell of Salisbury, Md. in Pro Bike; Brandon White of Wye Mills, Md. in Street; Brittany Hooper of Hurlock, Md. in Jr. Dragster 1 and Cortney Cathell of Laurel, Del. in Jr. Dragster 2.
The Bad 8 Open Wheel final paired Mike Larkin and Mike Yarnall both in Undercover chassis dragsters. Yarnall left early and fouled and Larkin made a full pass at 7.218/184.69 on a 7.21 dial to take the win. The Full Body final matched Kevin Merritt against Steven Truitt in a Camaro. Truitt too red light fouled and Merritt got the win with an 8.239/163.36 on an 8.24 dial.
The Super Pro final found Bernie Pyles in a ’70 Nova taking on Brooks Moore in a ’66 Nova. Pyles had a .003 reaction light to Moore’s .051 and took the win with a 10.190/124.75 on a 10.14 dial. Moore ran a 10.959/120.35 on a 0.94 dial. Semi-finalist was Mike Larkin who lost to Pyles while Moore had the bye.
Mike Keyton in an ’80 Camaro met David Hornsby in his ’67 Chevy Pickup in the Pro final. Keyton nailed the win at the starting line with a .001 reaction light and followed with a run of 10.328/114.76 on a 10.11 dial. Hornsby ran an 11.171/109.70 on a 10.78 dial. Semi-finalists were Brian Dennis who lost to Hornsby and Jeremy Stoker who lost to Keyton.
Harvey Powell rode up against Marquise Blake in the Pro Bike final. Powell was dead-on his dial-in with a 9.600/131.92 on a 9.60 dial for the win. Blake broke out with an 8.882/153.84 on an 8.89 dial. Semi-finalist was point leader, James Farmer who lost to Blake while Powell had the bye.
Brandon White driving a ’02 BMW faced Lindsay Humphrey in a ’67 Camaro in the Street final. Humphrey had a red light foul and White got the win with a 17.201/83.04 on a 17.12 dial. In Jr. Dragster 1 it was Brittany Hooper paired with Ethan Hubbard. Hooper had the better and was on her dial taking the win with an 8.922/72.26 on an 8.92 dial. Hubbard broke out with a 13.032/50.65 on a 13.04 dial. It was a roller coaster kind of a night for Cortney Cathell in Jr. Dragster 2. Cathell broke and engine in the first round but her opponent red lighted giving her the win. Cleanup for an oil down between rounds allowed her father with the help of several other teams time to replace her engine and eventually advance to the final round to face Christian Walston. Walston had a -.010 red light and Cathell took the win with an 8.032/77.46 on a 7.99 dial.
This Friday night will be another exciting Summit E.T. Racing Series event plus the Jr. Dragster Shoot-Out. Gates open at 3:30 p.m. with time runs at 4:30 p.m. 
