Homer racers dominate Jr. Dragsters division

By Amy Glover
Hardcore racers came out despite the pavement-melting temperatures Saturday to see close racing at the Atlanta Dragway, including winners from Homer in both Junior Dragster categories.

It was a re-run of last weekend’s 8-12 Junior Dragster finals, with points leader Chris Bowden, age 13 of Homer, alongside Hunter James, age 10 of Cartersville, who came back for a little revenge.

James had a slight handicap with his 9.50 dial-in, next to Bowden’s 8.98 dial-in, but left the Christmas tree with a .136 green, a slow start beside Bowden’s .014 launch.

Bowden’s light determined the race, crossing the finish first in 9.03 seconds at 66.65 mph. James finished in 9.53 second at 66.79 mph, giving Bowden a .104 margin-of-victory. Bowden, who again took care of his own dial-in times, gained a 60 point lead in first place in the 8-12 Junior championship ranking.

The 13-17 Junior Dragster final was a close run, Blake Griffith, age 15 of Homer, running against Valerie Clements, age 16 of Central, S.C. Clements was dialed at 7.98 seconds, Griffith close with a 7.93 dial-in. Clements gave Griffith the advantage with a .113 reaction, Griffith leaving the line with a .042 reaction time. Clements crossed the finish a bit too quickly, breaking out with a 7.95 ET at 82.39 mph, while Griffith ran dead-on at 80.95 mph, earning a .03 margin-of-victory.

The Super Pro finals featured Don Brown, Jr. of Buford against Jon Thomas of Covington. Thomas had the handicap, cutting a .033 light on a 6.42 dial; Brown left the line with an impressive .004 reaction time, chasing Thomas to meet his 4.79 prediction. Thomas’ Nova lost the groove mid-track, causing him to lift for a 6.48 ET at 106.66 mph, while Brown triggered the win light in 4.82 seconds at 133.18 mph.

For more results from the Atlanta Dragway, see this week's edition of The Jackson Herald or The Banks County News.