Bracket News

DER Bracket Racing Series returns to the track June 21 - 23.

Jason Haynes raced his Suzuki to a weekend sweep of the Motorcycle class during Bristol Dragway’s third week of DER Bracket Racing action.

Chris Johnson kicked off the 2013 DER Bracket Racing season with a big win in Super Pro action last weekend at Bristol Dragway.

Johnson, of Maryville, Tenn., drove to Saturday’s win over Rogersville’s Buddy Fleenor with a .007 reaction time and a 4.895 elapsed time (4.89 dial-in) at 136.25 mph. Fleenor’s runner-up effort featured a .012 reaction time with a 5.003 ET (4.99 dial-in) at 139.95 mph.

Mother Nature took care of Saturday’s action during the DER Bracket Racing Series at Bristol Dragway, forcing drivers to race hard on Sunday to rack up points leading in to this weekend’s season finale.

Randy Chestnut and David Horton muscled their way to victory during last weekend’s Mopar Thunder at Bristol Dragway. Chestnut earned the Super Pro victory by defeating Joseph Hartsell of Stanfield, N.C. in the final round when both drivers ran faster than their dial-ins.

It is the news Ford fans have been waiting to hear. Fun Ford Weekend presented by JE Pistons and Roush Yates is back at Bristol Dragway June 29-30 and it’s better than ever.

Nostalgia Ford Funny Cars Red Baron and Solid Rock, high-performance racing action, and some of Ford’s sweetest street machines and extreme exhibition vehicles make the return of Fun Ford Weekend the place to be for Blue Oval fans.  

Todd Whited and Chris Johnson claimed Super Pro victories during the final weekend of DER Bracket Racing competition prior to the June 15-17 Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.

Whited, of Richlands, Va., drove to the win over Trevor Denton from Bristol, Va on Saturday. In what was an extremely close match, Whited’s winning run used a .018 reaction time, coupled with a 5.482 elapsed time (5.48 dial-in) at 125.69 mph. Denton came up just inches short, combining a .016 R.T. and a 4.885 E.T. (4.88 dial-in) at 140.37 mph.

Bristol Dragway overflowed last weekend with hundreds of bracket racers from across the country hoping to cash one of the $20,000-to-win checks during the K&N Spring Fling 20’s presented by Sparco.

One of Thunder Valley’s regular competitors, Denver Maltba, earned Sunday’s $20,000 victory by using a little home-track advantage to guide him to the win.

While Mother Nature claimed victory at the DER Bracket Racing Series event at Bristol Dragway on Saturday, sunny skies graced Thunder Valley for Sunday’s action and Christi Johnson took home the win in Super Pro.

Maryville’s Johnson defeated Vance Houston of Newland, N.C. in the final round, posting a .009 reaction time and a 4.862 elapsed time (4.85 dial-in) at 141.09 on the winning pass. Houston had a losing .012 R.T. and 4.847 E.T. (4.83 dial-in) at 142.31 mph.

Super Pro competition during last weekend’s DER Bracket Racing series at Bristol Dragway was dominated by Kellie Shortridge and Lauren Freer.

Shortridge earned Saturday’s win by racing to victory over Claude Hall of Mt. Carmel. The Mooresburg resident left the line with a .019 reaction time and finished the pass in 4.876 sec. (4.85 dial-in) at 131.92 mph. Hall’s runner-up effort was a 5.187 elapsed time (5.14 dial-in) at 133.34 mph.

Tim Griffith kicked his DER Bracket Racing season off by issuing a strong warning to his competitors at Bristol Dragway by pulling off a Pro category sweep last weekend in Thunder Valley.

Griffith, of Richlands, Va., drove to Saturday’s win over Kingsport’s Donald Gilbert, with a .025 reaction time and a 6.709 elapsed time (6.67 dial-in) at 104.51 mph. Gilbert’s runner-up effort had a .075 R.T. and a break out 6.528 E.T. (6.53 dial-in) at 103.46 mph.

Maryville’s Chris Johnson wrapped up his second consecutive DER Racing Series Super Pro championship last weekend at Bristol Dragway, while Thunder Valley veterans Tim Griffith and John Nelson Jr. earned titles in Pro and Sportsman, respectively.

Chester Lay earned the Trophy category championship, while Ben Knight brought home the Motorcycle division. Dylan Howard won Junior Dragster Division I, while another Dylan, Dylan Kiser, took home Jr. Dragster Div. II.

A perfect weekend greeted the DER Bracket Series competitors at Bristol Dragway last weekend, with several competitors earning key wins as the championship battle winds down.

Chris Johnson of Maryville won Saturday’s Super Pro action as Kingsport’s David Starnes turned on the red light by .001 sec. Johnson’s run had a .005 reaction time and a 4.913 elapsed time (4.92 dial-in) at 140.59 mph.

Chris Johnson and Allen Byrd each took home big Super Pro victories during last weekend’s racing at the DER Bracket Series event in Thunder Valley.

Johnson, of Maryville, defeated Mooresburg’s Kellie Shortridge in the final round of Saturday’s action. Johnson’s .016 reaction time just edged the .017 R.T of Shortridge on the starting line. At the top end of the track, Shortridge broke out, a 4.838 elapsed time on a 4.84 dial-in, to hand the win to Johnson. The winning pass was a 4.908 E.T. on a 4.89 dial-in at 140.61 mph.

Ford will put the power into the Fas Mart Street Fights Series Thursday, May 26 by sponsoring Ford Night at the popular grassroots racing event.

Street Fights is the perfect opportunity for everyone to put their vehicle to the test. From station wagons and minivans to high-power American muscle and import tuners, there is something for everyone.

Bike Night at the Thursday, May 12 Fas Mart Street Fights will give motorcycle owners a chance to flex their muscle on their two-wheel missiles in Thunder Valley.

Riders know the rush they receive riding their machines, but taking a quick blast down Bristol Dragway is an unmatched experience. 

Josh Wyatt of Blountville drove his Mustang to a sweep of this weekend’s action in the DER Bracket Series Pro Division at Bristol Dragway last weekend.

On Saturday, Wyatt defeated Kingsport’s Van Greer in the final Round. Wyatt reacted off the line with a .011 light and ran through the line in 7.108 sec. (7.08 dial-in) at 95.86 mph. Sunday’s action paired Wyatt against Richard Newman of Rogersville, also in a Mustang. Wyatt had a .022 reaction time and ran close to the dial, a 7.101 elapsed time on a 7.10 dial-in, at 96.11 mph.

While Mother Nature put a halt to Saturday’s action in the DER Bracket Racing event at Bristol Dragway, the racing was fast and furious during Sunday’s opening round for the series.

Kyle Coltrea pulled his 2009 Undercover dragster from Sherrills Ford, N.C. to earn the win in Super Pro over Charlie Whited of Richlands, Va. Coltrea had a .007 reaction time and finished his winning run in 4.832 seconds (4.81 dial-in) at 140.08 mph. Whited knocked off a .054 R.T. with a 6.205 elapsed time (6.19 dial-in) at 109.67 mph.

NHRA officials will be in Thunder Valley on Friday, April 8 and Saturday, April 9 to conduct chassis certifications for the 2011 season.

Inspection will take place Friday from 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Anyone interested in having their cars inspected for the upcoming season should contact Red Whitmore at (423) 989-6952 or red@bristolmotorspeedway.com to arrange an appointment.

Champion drivers from the 2010 DER Racing Series season will be honored during the season-ending luncheon held Dec. 11 at the Holiday Inn Conference Center at Exit 7 in Bristol, Va.

Chris Johnson from Maryville is the 2010 Super Pro division champion, while Steve Foley of Barboursville, Ky. is the Pro division champion. Rodney Finchum from Newport claimed the Street title, with Bristol’s Aaron Roberts winning the Trophy class crown.

Thunder Valley is sure to rock during the Thursday, Sept. 16 season finale of the Fas Mart Street Fights Series, as two local bands take to the stage for one of the fans’ favorite promotions… Thompson Metal Services Local and Loud Night.

Hosted by Z-Rock 99.3 FM and Thompson Metal Services, Shattered Bliss and Contact the Militia will heat up the night with a concert beginning at 8 p.m.

For some car enthusiasts, it is Mopar or no car. For those people, the September 3-5 Mopar Thunder at Bristol Dragway is the perfect opportunity to see their favorite rides in action.

Several racing classes will give drivers the chance to race their Dodge, Plymouth, Chrysler or other Mopar-badged vehicles on one of drag racing’s premier tracks. Racing action includes Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman and Slant 6.

Clifford Davidson, Justin Buckles and Van Greer were among the drivers who added Tennessee State Championship trophies to their collections after last Saturday’s action at the DER Racing Series event at Bristol Dragway.

Davidson, from Church Hill, defeated Todd Whited of Richlands, Va. to take home the special plaque in the Super Pro division. Davidson had a .013 reaction time, coupled with a 5.448 elapsed time (5.43 dial-in) at 123.16 mph to earn the win. Whited ran a 5.506 E.T. (5.49 dial-in) in his runner-up effort.

While last Saturday’s activities at the DER Racing Series event in Thunder Valley were cancelled, weather held off long enough for competition to be completed in all categories on Sunday.

Chris Barker of Morehead, Ky. came up the winner in an extremely close Super Pro final round. Barker had a .009 reaction time and a 5.267 elapsed time (5.26 dial-in) at 131.05 to defeat Trevor Denton from Bristol, Va. Denton left the line with a .017 R.T. and completed his run in 4.916 seconds (4.91 dial-in).

Parity was the name of the game during last weekend’s DER Bracket Racing Series in Thunder Valley. No driver emerged as a dominant force, leaving Winner’s Circle wide open for anyone who wanted it.

Sevierville’s Dakota Wells answered the call on Saturday, earning the Super Pro victory over Lauren Freer of Lewisville, N.C. Wells ran close to his dial, using a 4.782 elapsed time (4.78 dial-in) at 143.17 mph, and a .010 reaction time to steal the victory from Freer.

Racer registration for the October 1-2, PINKS ALL OUT filled in less than 10 minutes on Monday morning, once again proving the popularity of racing in PINKS ALL OUT at Thunder Valley.

Four hundred racer entries were made available at 10 a.m. EST Monday, and by 10:10 a.m. all slots had been filled for the event.

Thunder Valley shifts into high gear this week as the second event in the Fas Mart Street Fights series takes place Thursday night, April 1 and the season opener for the DER Racing Series will run Saturday, April 3.

Thursday's Street Fights is presented by Ford and will feature special Ford contests and giveaways during the event. In addition, Ford will be giving away several sets of tickets to the April 30-May 2 running of the Inaugural Blue Oval Bash at Bristol Dragway.

Racers and spectators interested in receiving more information about the October 1-2 PINKS All Out in Thunder Valley should sign up by clicking the banner located at the top of the Bristol Dragway website.

As details about the event are finalized, Dragway officials will send PINKS All Out updates to those who have signed up. These people will be the first to know about racer registration details, ticket prices and gate opening times.