Larry Snead of Bristol, Tenn. and his final round opponent, Erwin's Jon Phillips, ran a close race with Snead's 9.043 elapsed time besting Phillips' 9.048 E.T. Snead's 1985 Ford left the line first with a reaction time of .050 seconds. Phillips was just behind with a .064 reaction. Snead flashed through the timing lights at 150.08 mph, with Phillips finishing the quarter-mile at 144.61 mph.
In Super Pro competition, Jonesborough's Bill Griffin used a .029 reaction time with a 5.044 E.T. at 136.25 mph to defeat Kingsport's Van Greer. Greer completed the eighth-mile pass in 6.809 seconds at 99.55 mph.
The final round of the Pro class was a battle of the Chevy Bowties, as Matthew Buckles from Piney Flats used a 1983 Malibu Wagon to beat Larry Barr's 1985 Corvette from Johnson City. Buckles' .076 reaction time and 7.934 E.T. at 81.77 mph was good enough to out-do Barr's .088 reaction time coupled with a 6.880 E.T. at 100.25 mph.
Sportsman action saw James Ray Phillips from Bristol, Va. and his 1986 Monte Carlo defeat the 1991 Camaro of Boone, N .C .'s Barney Church. Phillips' .157 reaction time and 13.127 E.T. at 93.40 mph bested Church's .281 reaction time and 13.005 E.T. at 105.23 mph.
John Swafford from Candler, N .C . took the Pro Bike final round with a .104 reaction time and a 6.494 E.T. Swafford's Katana passed through the finish line at 92.20 mph. Hendersonville, N .C .'s Bobby Austin, on a Kawasaki, had a .534 reaction time and completed his run with a 6.998 E.T. at 95.17 mph.
In First Class Travel Junior Dragster Division I, Kingsport's Dylan Davis out dueled Gray's Shelby Cundiff. Aaron Roberts from Bluff City took home First Class Travel Jr. Dragster Division II action after his opponent, Cedar Bluff, Va.'s Katie Dye, went a little too fast at the top end and received a disqualification.
The Sunoco Thunder Valley Shootouts Series returns to Bristol Dragway this weekend with Ferguson Enterprises' Contractors Night. The event will feature wild entertainment such as a fan race, and exhibition passes featuring a jet-powered barstool and a jet-powered outhouse.
Spectator gates open at 8 a.m., time trials begin at 9:30 a.m with eliminations scheduled to start at the conclusion of qualifying. All day admission to the Sunoco Thunder Valley Shootouts is $10. Fans who cannot be at the track all day may take advantage of the new "evening" admission price. At 5 p.m., the admission price will be lowered to $7.
On Friday afternoon, a test and tune session will allow each driver an opportunity to test the track and his car before doing battle on Saturday. The test and tune is open to fans and takes place from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
For more information about the Sunoco Thunder Valley Shootouts events or the new Charter Communications Bristol Bandits class, please call 423.764.DRAG.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 RESULTS | |||||
| Driver, Hometown | Car | RE | DI | ET | MPH |
| BRISTOL BANDITS | |||||
| W- Larry Snead, Bristol, TN | 1985 Ford EXP | 0.05 | 9.00 | 9.043 | 150.08 |
| R- Jon Phillips, Erwin, TN | 1974 Datsun 260-Z | 0.06 | 9.00 | 9.048 | 144.61 |
| SUPER PRO | |||||
| W- Bill Griffin, Jonesborough, TN | 2003 Race Tech | .029 | 5.04 | 5.044 | 136.25 |
| R- Van Greer, Kingsport, TN | 1985 Ford Escort | .038 | 6.79 | 6.809 | 99.55 |
| PRO | |||||
| W- Matthew Buckles, Piney Flats, TN | 1983 Malibu | .076 | 7.88 | 7.934 | 81.77 |
| R- Larry Barr, Johnson City, TN | 1985 Corvette | .088 | 6.81 | 6.880 | 100.25 |
| SPORTSMAN | |||||
| W- James Ray Phillips, Bristol, VA | 1986 Monte Carlo | .157 | 13.07 | 13.127 | 93.40 |
| R- Barney Church, Boone, NC | 1991 Camaro | .281 | 13.01 | 13.005 | 105.23 |
| PRO BIKE | |||||
| W- John Swafford, Candler, NC | Katana | .104 | 6.25 | 6.494 | 92.20 |
| R- Bobby Austin, Hendersonville, NC | Kawasaki | .534 | 7.00 | 6.998 | 95.17 |
| JUNIOR DRAGSTER DIVISION 1 | |||||
| W- Dylan Davis, Kinsgsport, TN | 05 Halfscale | .013 | 8.92 | 8.990 | 72.92 |
| R- Shelby Cundiff, Gray, TN | N/A | .084 | 8.95 | 8.990 | 72.87 |
| JUNIOR DRAGSTER DIVISION 2 | |||||
| W- Aaron Roberts, Bluff City, TN | 04 Bos | .043 | 8.21 | 8.227 | 78.38 |
| R- Katie Dye, Cedar Bluff, VA | 04 Bos | .016 | 8.06 | 8.045 | 78.93 |