5/5/2014
US 13 Dragway
LOCAL RACERS BILLY GROTON AND BRIAN KUNKOWSKI TAKE SUPER BAD 8 SUNDAY AT U.S. 13
By Charlie Brown, Delmar, DE – There were plenty of invaders but in the end it was two local racers taking Jerry Ketterman’s Super Bad 8 and Super Bonus Day Sunday at the U.S. 13 Dragway. Billy Groton f Seaford, Del. won the Bad 8 Full Body final and Brian Kunkowski of Laurel, Del. took the Bad 8 Open Wheel and “Bad to the Bone� Run Off. Phillip Truitt of Parsonsburg, Md. was the big winner in Super Pro while Chad Thurman of Vienna, Md. took Pro and Chase Brickhouse rode to the win in Pro Bike. Other winners on the day included: Jay Parrott of Quantico, Md. in Street; Arvie Ruark of Linwood, Md. in Hot Rod; Ethan Hubbard of Princess Anne, Md. in Jr. Dragster 1 and Kody Mariner of Salisbury, Md. in Jr. Dragster 2.
In the Bad 8 Full Body final it was Billy Groton in his ’90 Camaro taking on Don Teague of Newark, Del. in his ’67 Chevy II. Although qualifying was held at the quarter-mile distance eliminations in Bad 8 and Super Pro had to be shortened to the eighth-mile due to high cross winds. Teague broke out with a 4.988/129.27 on a 5.00 dial and Groton was dead on with a 5.220/131.42 on a 5.22 dail.for the win. Low E.T. and Top Speed was set in qualifying by Doug Farace of Towson, Md. in his ’63 Corvette with a 7.288/189.79.
In the Bad 8 Open Wheel Brain Kunkowski rolled up against Wayne Patton of Rhodesdale, Md. It was an extremely close final with Kunkowski having a .006 reaction light to Patton’s .007. Kunkowski took the win with a 4.504/156.14 on a 4.50 dial while Patton ran a 4.354/161.69 on a 4.35 dial making the margin of victory one one-thousandth of a second. Patton picked up the fast qualifier bonus in qualifying with a 6.754 E.T. and a Top Speed of 200.49 miles per hour.
In the “Bad to the Bone� run off between Groton and Kunkowski had a .006 reaction and took the win with a very consistent 4.504/156.30 on a 4.50 dial. Grotton dialed a 5.21 and ran a 5.220 at 131.34.
Phillip Truitt in his dragster took on Jerry Birchfield Sr. of Essex, Md. in his ’68 Camaro in the Super Pro final. Truitt had the better reaction and drove to the big payday with a 5.208/130.62 on a 5.18 dial. While Birchfield ran a 5.355/130.83 on a 5.33 dial. The lone Semi-finalist was Chad Cathell of Seaford who lost to Truitt, while Birchfield had the bye.
Chad Thurman faced Wayne Redrow of New Castle, Del. in the Pro final. Redrow had a slight edge at the start but Thurman took the win with a 10.051/130.07 on a 10.04 dial. Redrow ran a 10.239/129.79 on a 10.20 dial. Semi-finalists were Ben Garnett of Smyrna, Del. who lost to Redrow and Robin Lewers of Pocomoke, Md. who lost to Thurman.
Chase Brickhouse rode up against Charles Nock of Greenwood, Del. in the Pro Bike final. Brickhouse had a .003 reaction and went on to the win with an 8.997/122.13 on an 8.72 dial. Nock ran an off the throttle 13.469/74.44 on an 8.65 dial. Semi-finalist was Harvey Powell of Parsonsburg who lost to Nock.
Jay Parrott defeated Gary Stickles of Delmar, Md. in the Street Eliminator final. Stickles had a red light foul and Parrott ran a 14.130/96.28 on a 14.00 dial for the win. In the Hot Rod final it was Arvie Ruark over Ryan Watkins of Salisbury. Ruark had the better reaction and ran a 14.236/100.41 on a 12.69 dial while Watkins broke out with a 17.235/78.49 on a 17.30 dial.
In Jr. Dragster action it was Ethan Hubbard paired with Nicholas Bowie of Greensboro, Md. in the Jr. Dragster 1 final. Bowie left too early and fouled and Hubbard drove to the win with an 8.937/74.98 on an 8.90 dial. In the Jr. Dragster 2 final it was Kody Mariner up against Ryan Jackson of Newark, Md. Jackson had a red light foul and Mariner drove to the win with a 7.906/82.80 on a 7.94 dial.
There will be a Tune & Test Night on Wednesday May 7th. Gates open at 5 p.m. with Tune & Test from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. The U.S. 13 Dragway will be closed on Sunday in observance of Mother’s Day.   
