FINAL RESULTS-NHRA O'Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League Eastern Conf. Finals from Maple Grove Raceway
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NHRA O’REILLY AUTO PARTS JR. DRAG RACING LEAGUE EASTERN CONFENCE FINALS MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY SATURDAY JUNE 28, 2002 Gainesville Wins First Eastern Conference Finals Team Title MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY, Reading, Pa.-The 4th Annual NHRA O’Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League Eastern Conference Finals concluded today at Maple Grove Raceway with champions, ranging in age from 8 to 17 years-old, being crowned in eight eliminator categories. With nearly 500 drivers representing 49 NHRA member tracks competing for honors, the action was furious throughout the day with the young racers skill’s translating into event victories. A large part of the event was the team competition, in which drivers earned points for each round of racing completed. The coveted Team Championship went to Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fla., who earned 36 points. This was the first Team Championship for Team Gainesville. Last year Team Gainesville finished second to Indianapolis Raceway Park. Individual event honors went to Kyle Fredricks, Jarrod Downs, Nicholas Chiles, Dylan Myers, Marshall Fowler, Nicole Belmonte, Joshua Bryson and Dave Nahill. In the 8-9 year old category, Lebanon Valley’s Kyle Fredricks of Nashua, N.H., emerged victorious when he took out Mid Michigan Motorplex racer Megan Kerns of Milan, Mich. While in the 10 year old age category, Jarrod Downs of Mansfield, Ohio took home the class crown when he defeated Island Dragway’s Amanda Smith of Reading, Pa. Taking home the win in the 11 year old category was Reedville, Va., racer Nick Chiles from Capitol Raceway. In the class final Chiles defeated two-time Gainesville Raceway Track Champion Darrell Pons of Gainesville, Fla. Chalking up his second win in a row for Team Maple Grove Raceway was Mechanicsburg, Pa., racer Dylan Myers. In the final Myers defeated South Mountain Dragway representative Timothy Holtzapple. For Myers it was his third NHRA O’Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League Eastern Conference Finals final round appearance in a row and his second win. In the 13 year old category, U.S. 13’s Marshall Fowler of Ocean City, Md., earned the win over South Mountain Dragway team member Katelyn Roth of Enola, Pa. Joining Maple Grove Raceway teammate Dylan Myers in the winner’s circle for her win in the 14 year old category was Nicole Belmonte of Glenmore, Pa. In the all girl final, Belmonte defeated Middleburg, Fla., racer Whitney Salmon. In the 15-year old category, Joshua Bryson of Burlington, Ky., took the win home for Edgewater Sports Park in Cleves, Ohio, when he defeated Phillip Gulledge of Warrenten, Va., representing Mason-Dixon Dragway. While in the 16/17 year old category, Atco Raceway representative Dave Nahill of Maple Shade, N.J., defeated Anthony Faiello of Fords, N.J. The NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League was founded a decade ago by late Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, N.J., track operator Vinnie Napp. The NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League allows kids ages 8-17 to race half-scale dragsters on eight-mile drag strips throughout North America. The following are Saturdays final round results from the NHRA O’Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League Eastern Conference Finals event being held at Maple Grove Raceway: 8-9 Year Old Category Kyle Fredicks, Nashua, N.H., 13.201 seconds, 47.60 mph def. Megan Kerns, Milan, Mich. 10 Year Old Category Jarrod Downs, Mansfield, Ohio, 9.886 seconds, 64.83 mph def. Amanda Smith, Reading, Pa., 9.277, 67.77 11 Year Old Category Nick Chiles, Reedville, Va., 8.950, 68.84 mph def. Darrell Pons, Gainesville, Fla., 8.957, 72.74 12 Year Old Category Dylan Myers, Mechanicsburg, Pa., 9.389 seconds, 64.86 mph def. Timothy Holtzapple, York, Pa., 9.153, 62.49 13 Year Old Category Marshall Fowler, Ocean City, Md., 7.990 seconds, 79.21 mph def. Katelyn Roth, Enola, Pa., 7.945, 81.76 14 Year Old Category Nicole Belmonte, Glenmoore, Pa., 7.882, 80.27 mph def. Whitney Salmon, Middleburg, Fla., 8.013, 80.60 15 Year Old Category Joshua Bryson, Burlington, Ky., 8.939 seconds, 71.09 mph def. Phillip Gulledge, Warrenten, Va., 8.018 seconds, 81.34 16-17 Year Old Category Dave Nahill, Maple Shade, N.J., 8.824 seconds, 71.86 mph def. Anthony Faiello, Fords, N.J., 8.261, 75.98