AHDRA Jim McClure Nitro Nationals at Rockingham Dragway, North Carolina, October 8-9, 2011
Horne doubles at Jim McClure Nats
Doug Horne blasts off the line at The Rock
Douglas Horne applied an exclamation point to an already spectacular season Sunday with a pair of national records and a double-up victory in the Jim McClure Nitro Nationals presented by the Carolina Harley-Davidson Dealers Association at Rockingham Dragway. Horne swept Top Fuel and Pro Fuel for the third time this season, set the All-Harley Drag Racing Association speed record at a thundering 233.68 miles per hour, and the Pro Fuel record ET at 6.502, eclipsing the 6.514 standard he himself set en route to victory at Rockingham in last May’s Spring Nitro Nationals. A total of 12 AHDRA performance records were established in the event, which commemorates the career of the late Jim McClure, a former AHDRA winner at Rockingham and a member of the Harley-Davidson Hall of Fame.
Horne, from Aberdeen, Md., won his 13th and 14th races in a season in which he almost doubled the points totals of his primary rivals in both Top and Pro Fuel categories. Although he never before had won Top Fuel at The Rock, his Pro Fuel win was his fourth straight. He beat Tommy Grimes of Pfafftown in the Top Fuel final and Randal Andras of Amelia, LA for the Pro Fuel purse. En route to the Top Fuel title, he beat veteran former champion Jay Turner of Julian, N.C., in the semifinals. His four round series was the quickest in history at 6.261, 6.222, 6.296 and 6.291 seconds.
Tommy Grimes
Grimes, riding the Raleigh-based bike of Harley legend Ray Price, lowered the Top Fuel record from 6.224 to 6.215 seconds with a booming second round victory over Robert "Ziggy" Stewart of Gloucester, VA., but he suffered a mechanical failure against Horne that denied him any shot at his second victory this season.
showed the Pro Drag field how to do it right at the All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA) Jim McClure Nitro National Presented by The Carolina Harley-Dealers Association on October 8-9 at Rockingham Dragway, Rockingham, North Carolina.
Former AHDRA Pro Dragster National champion Mark Cox was fast on his first Pro Drag qualifying time, putting out a 7.184 pass at 174.26 mph ET straight off the truck. Eighteen riders were competing for 16 spots and Cox took the number one qualifying position.
In elimination rounds, Cox won his first round easily with a 7.195 at 175.30 mph ET run. In second round eliminations Cox faced his long-time friend and Harley preparation expert Johnny Vickers, who was riding a customer bike. Cox captured that round with a 7.277 at 173.81 mph ET, his slowest pass of the weekend! They made some adjustments for the semifinal rounds and Cox pulled off the quickest ever time in AHDRA Pro Drag National class history with a 7.098 at 175.21 mph ET. To back that up for a new National Pro Drag record, Cox had to run a 7.168 or quicker in the final round. In final round eliminations, Cox fell short of the National record but won the race with a 7.223 at 174.14 mph ET.
“It was such an awesome weekend,” exclaimed Cox, a North Carolina native. “Johnny and I stayed on our game plan and we were able to pull off a big win at my home track of Rockingham. It was even sweeter because we had a lot of fans at the race and were in the backyard of our sponsor, Bojangles’ Restaurant.
“What a perfect way to finish the season with a big win, being the number one qualifier and setting a new Pro Drag 1/8 mile record. I’m so proud to be able to have the opportunity to work and ride for Johnny Vickers this season. He always provides a fast bike and this weekend was unbelievable. It is always about the team effort and I’m as happy for Hawaya Racing for having a great weekend as I am for Mark Cox Racing and Bojangles’.”
“What a great weekend it was for Mark and Hawaya Racing,” said Vickers, owner of Hawaya Racing. “We were fast off the truck and Mark never backed down. We came up a little short on the ¼ mile ET record, unable to back up that amazing 7.098 run, but he did earn the 1/8 mile ET National Pro Drag record at 4.512, which I had just set at the Louisiana race! Hawaya had a busy weekend with numerous customers and eight graduates from our Nitro Drag Bike School just prior to the race weekend. All of our rented bikes ran well and the two school bikes wound up facing each other in the finals. Our performance has really progressed this season with the new technology that we have developed for our bikes and it’s great to see that paying off with a successful race weekend.”
Other pro winners included Shaun Reno of Hayes, VA., in Pro Stock; Keith Browne of Semora, N.C., in Pro Gas; and Jason Adams of Gainesville, GA., in Pro Modified.
Among the Sportsman winners were Bruce Croneberger III of Cressona, PA., who doubled-up in Right Quick Street Pro and Hot Street; Chris Hoppe of Pennington, N.J., in Super Gas, Donnie Huffman of Lakeland, FL., in Super Sport; Kevin Winters of Richmond, IL., in Super Eliminator; K.W. Seneca of Irving, N.Y., in Screamin’ Eagle SEP; Nick Gonatas Jr. of Youngstown, Ohio, in Screamin’ Eagle Destroyer; and Derek Christensen of Hellam, PA. MIRock racer Christensen also doubled at Rockingham in ET and V-Rod and set the 1/8 mile national record in V-Rod.
Horne, who crashed his bike at 200 mph and missed six races during the 2009 season, won his eighth tour event in Top Fuel and 18th in Pro Fuel since he first burst onto the scene at age 19. He's also has been successful in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle, where he was runner-up three times on the way to a fifth place finish in 2009.
SCREAMIN’ EAGLE TOP FUEL
Qualifying – 1. Tommy Grimes, Pfafftown, N.C., 6.217, 223.88 mph; 2. Douglas Horne, Aberdeen, MD., 6.242, 229.94 mph; 3. Joey Sternotti, Blackwood, N.J., 6.256, 232.43 mph; 4. Randal Andras, Amelia, LA., 6.258, 224.47 mph; 5. Steve Dorn, Milwaukie, OR., 6.347, 226.70 mph; 6. Tracy Kile, Leicester, N.C., 6.419, 207.27 mph; 7. Damian Cownden, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, 6.478, 219.29 mph; 8. Takeshi Shigematsu, Iyo, Ehime, Japan, 6.494, 217.60 mph.
Round 1 – Robert Stewart, Gloucester, VA., 6.398, 224.24 mph, def. Takeshi Shigematsu, Iyo, Ehime, Japan, 9.166, 98.75 mph; Larry “Drums” Brancaccio, Nutley, N.J., 7.804, 210.11 mph, def. Randal Andras, Amelia, LA., 7.956, 204.32 mph; Steve Dorn, Milwaukie, OR., 6.318, 225.86 mph, def. Russell Sowers, Hermitage, PA., no time; Douglas Horne, Aberdeen, MD., 6.261, 232.59 mph, def. Chuck Jones, St. Petersburg, FL., 15.199, 60.08 mph; Damian Cowndon, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, 6.643, 191.51 mph, def. Armon Furr, Orangeburg, S.C., 6.854, 203.06 mph; Jay Turner, Julian, N.C., 6.372, 216.72 mph, def. Joey Sternotti, Blackwood, N.J., 6.558, 222.99 mph; Tracy Kile, Leicester, N.C., 6.473, 202.73 mph, def. Jason Pridemore, Garrettsville, Ohio, 7.804, 140.23 mph; Tommy Grimes, Pfafftown, N.C., 6.249, 219.40 mph, def. Larry Stanley, Copley, Ohio, 7.737, 170.97 mph.
Round 2 – Grimes, 6.215, 222.88 mph, def. Stewart, no time; Dorn, 6.369, 225.90 mph, def. Brancaccio, 6.491, 181.91 mph; Horne, 6.222, 227.80 mph, def. Cownden, 7.406, 148.07 mph; Turner, 6.284, 222.14 mph, def. Kile, 6.511, 210.87 mph.
Semifinals – Grimes, 6.286, 221.96 mph, def. Dorn, 10.108, 98.57 mph; Horne, 6.296, 230.92 mph, def. Turner, 17.149, 63.17 mph.
FINAL – Douglas Horne, Aberdeen, Md., 6.291, 233.68 mph, def. Tommy Grimes, Pfafftown, N.C., no time.
RUSH PRO FUEL
Qualifying – 1. Douglas Horne, Aberdeen, MD., 6.527, 216.86 mph; 2. Randal Andras, Amelia, LA., 6.610, 197.54 mph; 3. Rickey House, Humble, Texas, 6.656, 204.54 mph; 4. Bill Purvis, Lafayette, LA., 6.976, 189.15 mph.
Round 1 – Dean Comunal, Stroudsburg, PA., 6.870, 200.53 mph, def. Bill Purvis, Lafayette, LA., 8.920, 100.82 mph; Randal Andras, Amelia, LA., 6.548, 210.14 mph, def. Greg Grove, Shelbyville, Tenn., 6.906, 182.08 mph; Rickey House, Humble, Texas, 10.041, 91.64 mph, def. Jack Romine, Centreville, Mich., no time; Douglas Horne, Aberdeen, MD., 6.502, 206.51 mph, def. Chris Streeter, Cleveland, Ohio, 6.616, 199.94 mph.
Semifinals – Horne, 6.679, 194.27 mph, def. Comunal, 6.819, 202.88 mph; Andras, 9.281, 94.41 mph, def. House, foul.
FINAL – Douglas Horne, Aberdeen, MD., 6.584, 212.36 mph, def. Randal Andras, Amelia, LA., 6.732, 207.27 mph.
AHDRA PRO STOCK
Semifinals – K.W. Seneca, Irving, N.Y., 8.614, 156.96 mph, def. John Marinelli, DeBary, FL., foul; Shaun Reno, Hayes, VA., bye.
FINAL – Shaun Reno, Hayes, VA., 8.039, 166.83 mph, def. K.W. Seneca, Irving, N.Y., 8.765, 149.43 mph.
HAWAYA RACING PRO DRAG
Round 2 – Mark Cox, Wilkesboro, N.C., 7.277, 173.81 mph, def. Johnny Vickers, Millers Creek, N.C., 7.739, 164.95 mph; Rocky Jackson, Youngsville, LA., 7.276, 165.54 mph, def. Bill Purvis, Lafayette, LA., 7.392, 168.64 mph; Kirby Apathy, Bloomington, IN., 7.204, 188.25 mph, def. Dale Nilles, Westminster, CO., 7.513, 166.23 mph; Steve Pier, Hatfield, PA., 7.423, 165.66 mph, def. Craig Pelrine, Redwater, Alberta, Canada, foul.
Semifinals – Cox, 7.098, 175.21 mph, def. Jackson, 9.402, 97.70 mph; Pier, 7.234, 172.50 mph, def. Apathy, 7.286, 181.13 mph.
FINAL – Mark Cox, Wilkesboro, N.C., 7.223, 174.14 mph, def. Steve Pier, Hatfield, PA., 7.532, 160.63 mph.
RUSH PRO GAS
Round 1 – Joey Sternotti, Blackwood, N.J., 7.310, 175.16 mph, def. Lee Hitz, Annville, PA., 8.713, 152.66 mph; Jay Wagner, Warsaw, IN., 7.465, 177.28 mph, def. Clint Riley, Greenville, FL., 8.462, 162.27 mph; Keith Browne, Semora, N.C., 6.983, 198.35 mph, def. Keith Williams, Myrtle Beach, S.C., 12.325, 70.06 mph.
Semifinals – Sternotti, 7.212, 180.62 mph, def. Wagner, 7.459, 178.90 mph; Browne, bye.
FINAL – Keith Browne, Semora, N.C., 7.170, 189.23 mph, def. Joey Sternotti, Blackwood, N.J., 7.426, 174.89 mph.
AHDRA PRO MOD
Round 1 – Hank Stanton, East Rochester, N.Y., 8.482, 154.94 mph, def. Donald “Keith” Riddell, Taylor Mill, KY., 8.498, 159.49 mph; Frank Capone, Wakefield, MA., 8.602, 155.69 mph, def. Billy Joe Bowman, Philadelphia, PA., 9.043, 147.63 mph; Jason Adams, Gainesville, GA., 8.405, 161.65 mph, def. Gary Douglass, Staunton, VA., 8.770, 148.51 mph; Bruce Croneberger III, Cressona, PA., 8.420, 153.67 mph, def. Bruce Chandler, Irving, N.Y., 8.516, 156.08 MPH; Joey Thomson, Hopewell, N.J., 8.463, 155.42 mph, def. John Price Emmitsburg, MD., no time.
Semifinals – Croneberger, 12.052, 86.01 mph, def. Thomson, foul; Adams, 8.397, 158.61 mph, def. Stanton, foul.
FINAL – Jason Adams, Gainesville, GA., 8.417, 160.79 mph, def. Bruce Croneberger III, Cressona, PA., foul.
OTHER FINALS:
RIGHT QUICK STREET PRO – Bruce Croneberger III, Cressona, PA., def. Charley Douglass, Staunton, VA.
BISON RACING/VREELAND’S HARLEY DAVIDSON SUPER GAS – Chris Hoppe, Pennington, N.J., def. Scott Kirkpatrick, New Ellenton, S.C.
AHDRA SUPER SPORT – Donnie Huffman, Lakeland, FL., def. Brad Croneberger, Valley View, PA.
RUSH SUPER ELIMINATOR – Kevin Winters, Richmond, IL., def. Rebel Glover, Holly Hill, FL.
SCREAMIN’ EAGLE SEP – K.W. Seneca, Irving, N.Y., def. Jim Sweet, Osceola, IN.
SCREAMIN’ EAGLE V-ROD DESTROYER – Nick Gonatas Jr., Youngstown, Ohio, def. Brian MacAlister, Yorkville, Ohio.
SCREAMIN’ EAGLE V-ROD – Derek Christensen, Hellam, PA., def. Robert Pettit, Bristol, IN.
SYN 3 ET – Derek Christensen, Hellam, PA., def. Toni Blevins, West Point, VA.
PURVIS MOTOR SPORTS HOT STREET – Bruce Croneberger III, Cressona, PA., def. Charley Douglass, Staunton, VA.
SCREAMIN’ EAGLE DRAGGIN BAGGER – Phillip Johns, Layfayette, IN.
story and photos courtesy of AHDRA