Fri, 7 Oct 2011, 09:06 AM Parks Powers Through Field In Ardmore

By Chris Graves Photo copyright 2011 Steve Scott

ARDMORE, Okla.

Mike Millsap

The Southwest Junior Fuel Association made their annual trip to Ardmore Dragway for the 6th Annual Hot Rod Reunion where sixteen teams came to battle for the win at the fourth event of the season. Odie Coker came into Ardmore as the defending event winner and most recent winner on the SWJFA series. Scott Parks held a commanding lead in the points standings coming into Ardmore with Ron Muncy in second and Mike Millsap in third, respectively.

After almost two months off, the SWJFA teams were eager to hit the strip and kick off a four race fall swing to be concluded in late October. Teams warmed their cars and battled the heat with temperatures over 100 degrees in southern Oklahoma as the call went out for the first session of qualifying.

With sixteen cars on the property for a sixteen car field, the drivers wouldn't have the pressure of fighting for a spot in the show, as now the crew chiefs were put to the test with hot and humid conditions to tune in. Last year's top qualifier Ricky Marshall came out and posted a strong 4.667 at 147 mph which put him number two after the opening session. Holley Hot Rod Reunion winner Ken Hawkins clicked off a nice 4.80 at 144 mph and Mike Millsap wheeled the "Sachse Rod Shop" dragster to a 4.91 at 140 mph.

Ken Hawkins

Steve Dunkin, Scott Parks and Ross Laird all posted a 4.92 opening lap which put them in the top half early while Ron Muncy clicked off a 4.97 at 139 in the "Foolish Pleasure II" dragster to claim the number eight spot. Odie Coker nabbed the top spot in the opening qualifying round with a strong 4.661 at 148 mph in the Ron Ussery owned and tuned machine as the teams returned to the pits to prepare for the final round of qualifying.

Scott Parks wheeled Darrell Walden's "Walden Power Equipment" slingshot to a 4.75 at 147 mph which bumped him up to the third final qualifying position, surprisingly their worst qualifying start of the season after taking the top spot in the first three races. North Star Dragway runner-up Brandon Lewis improved to a 4.90 at 141 mph in the Charlie Smith owned and tuned machine out of Oklahoma to qualify fifth. Robert Scott, making his driving debut behind the wheel of his father Don's dragster, jumped up to a 5.03 at 135 mph to secure the number ten spot.

Thomas Hixson wheeled the "One Wild Ride" dragster to a 5.13 at 135 mph to nab the number eleven spot and Brian Briggs's 5.26 at 131 mph was good for the number twelve spot for the team out of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Ted McCord, Michael Renaker, Mike Buchanan and Richard Brady rounded out the sixteen car field as the teams returned to the pits to prepare for first round and draw pairings.

FINAL QUALIFYING ORDER:

1) Odie Coker (Dallas, Texas) - 4.661 @ 148
2) Ricky Marshall (Burleson, Texas) - 4.667 @ 147
3) Scott Parks (Burlingame, Kansas) - 4.75 @ 147
4) Ken Hawkins (Pooleville, Texas) - 4.80 @ 144
5) Brandon Lewis (Tulsa, Oklahoma) - 4.90 @ 141
6) Mike Millsap (Sachse, Texas) - 4.91 @ 140
7) Steve Dunkin (Aledo, Texas) - 4.920 @ 138
8) Ross Laird (Ardmore, Oklahoma) - 4.922 @ 141
9) Ron Muncy (Weatherford, Texas) - 4.97 @ 139
10) Robert Scott (Garland, Texas) - 5.03 @ 135
11) Thomas Hixson (Roanoke, Texas) - 5.13 @ 135
12) Brian Briggs (Lake Charles, Louisiana) - 5.26 @ 131
13) Ted McCord (Claremore, Oklahoma) - 5.48 @ 124
14) Michael Renaker (Arlington, Texas) - 5.61 @ 130
15) Mike Buchanan (Wichita, Kansas) - 7.76 @ 88
16) Richard Brady (Ft. Worth, Texas) - 8.35 @ 52

The pairs were set and it was time to line them up and do some drag racing under the lights at Ardmore Dragway. Mike Buchanan came out next hoping to continue his first round winning streak but lost to Ken Hawkins who posted a solid 4.81 at 143 mph to advance to the second round.

Ted McCord

Odie Coker rolled out next along side Thomas Hixson in a pair of sharp looking machines. Hixson got a good jump off the line but that Ussery horsepower reeled him in quick as Coker took the win with low elapsed time of the round, 4.68 at 147 mph to Hixson's 5.13 at 135 mph. Robert Scott claimed his first SWJFA round win by taking out Michael Renaker in a close opening round match-up. Scott's 5.01 at 126 mph was just enough to advance past Renaker who had a slight jump off the line but his 5.09 at 134 mph came up just short.

Ted McCord paired up with Brandon Lewis and McCord had hopes of getting the starting line advantage, but cut it too close going red and giving Lewis the win with a 4.86 at 141 mph to advance. Ross Laird rolled out next along side Brian Briggs. Laird got the early advantage and never looked back clicking off a 4.92 at 139 mph to Briggs' 5.28 at 132 mph.

Defending series Champion Richard Brady had struggled mightily in qualifying and faced number two qualifier Ricky Marshall in the opening round. The most intriguing pairing of the first round resulted in one of the biggest upsets of the race as Brady was .025 on the tree and laid down a strong 4.75 at 143 mph to take out Marshall's quicker but loosing 4.69 at 146 mph. Marshall got caught napping on the starting line and Brady put down his best pass of the event so far to take the upset win.

The next pair looked somewhat similar as Ron Muncy used a starting line advantage and a 5.01 at 137 mph to take out Steve Dunkin's quicker but loosing 4.95 at 134 mph in a battle of teammates. In the final pair of the first round, Mike Millsap had the luck of drawing Scott Parks. Millsap got a slight advantage off the line but his 4.89 at 139 mph was no match for Parks' 4.68 at 148 mph winning lap.

FIRST ROUND RESULTS:

(W) Ken Hawkins (.037 rt) 4.81 @ 143 vs. (L) Mike Buchanan (.183 rt) 7.71 @ 85
(W) Odie Coker (.092 rt) 4.682 @ 147 vs. (L) Thomas Hixson (.042 rt) 5.13 @ 135
(W) Robert Scott (.039) 5.01 @ 126 vs. (L) Michael Renaker (.023 rt) 5.09 @ 134
(W) Brandon Lewis (.036 rt) 4.86 @ 141 vs. (L) Ted McCord (-.038 rt) 5.49 @ 124
(W) Ross Laird (.030 rt) 4.92 @ 139 vs. (L) Brian Briggs (.069 rt) 5.28 @ 132
(W) Richard Brady (.025 rt) 4.75 @ 143 vs. (L) Ricky Marshall (.103) 4.69 @ 146
(W) Ron Muncy (.046 rt) 5.01 @ 137 vs. (L) Steve Dunkin (.176 rt) 4.95 @ 134
(W) Scott Parks (.094 rt) 4.688 @ 148 vs. (L) Mike Millsap (.073 rt) 4.89 @ 139

Brandon Lewis

After drawing cards the pairings were set for the semi-final which brought out Ross Laird and Robert Scott to start the round. Scott got the jump off the line but Laird had the ponies as his 4.91 at 139 mph got the nod over Scott's 5.17 at 124 mph. Laird moved onto his first semi-final round appearance of the season.

Ken Hawkins lined up next along side number one qualifier Odie Coker. Coker had a .024 reaction time and got left on as Hawkins cut a .017 light at put down a 4.81 at 142 mph to take out Coker's off pace 4.92 at 146 mph.

Brandon Lewis and Scott Parks lined up next in a pair of young gun drivers behind the wheel of two fast racecars. Lewis needed as much help as he could get on the starting line but cut it too close, going red by -.048, giving Parks the win as Parks laid down a 4.72 at 147 mph for the win over Lewis' 4.84.

In the final pair of the round, Richard Brady staged up with Ron Muncy. Brady squeaked by the red light with a .002 reaction time and posted a 4.77 at 142 mph to Muncy's 7.55. This put Brady in the semi-finals after qualifying dead last as the teams returned to the pits to prepare for the semis.

SECOND ROUND RESULTS:

(W) Ross Laird (.060 rt) 4.91 @ 139 vs. (L) Robert Scott (.029 rt) 5.17 @ 124
(W) Ken Hawkins (.017 rt) 4.81 @ 142 vs. (L) Odie Coker (.024 rt) 4.92 @ 146
(W) Scott Parks (.089 rt) 4.72 @ 147 vs. (L) Brandon Lewis (-.048) 4.84 @ 131
(W) Richard Brady (.002 rt) 4.77 @ 142 vs. (L) Ron Muncy (.034 rt) 7.55 @ 57

Ross Laird

Ross Laird and Scott Parks lined up to open the semi-final round. Laird looking for a ticket to his first final of the year while Parks hoped to make his third final of the season. Laird had a jump off the line but immediately spun the tires and Parks blasted down the eighth mile to a 4.68 at 146 mph to advance.

Richard Brady and Ken Hawkins fired up next to see who would face Parks in the final. Hawkins got greedy on the tree and went red giving Brady the win as he clicked off a 4.78 at 142 mph to Hawkins' 4.80. This advanced Richard Brady to his first final in over a year as the two winning teams returned to the pits to make final adjustments for the final round.

SEMI-FINAL ROUND RESULTS:

(W) Scott Parks (.030 rt) 4.68 @ 146 vs. (L) Ross Laird (.015 rt) 6.68 @ 72
(W) Richard Brady (-.004 rt) 4.78 @ 142 vs. (L) Ken Hawkins (-.281 rt) 4.80 @ 143

Scott Parks celebrates win.

The call went out to bring the Southwest Junior Fuel Association final round to the lanes and the teams fired up their cars for the last race of the night. Brady had been hot on the tree throughout eliminations and got another strong starting line advantage over his opponent. Parks was closing the gap as the cars reached half track and at the stripe Parks took the win his best pass of the event, a 4.64 at 147 mph to Brady's 4.81 at 142 mph.

FINAL ROUND RESULTS:

(W) Scott Parks (.072 rt) 4.64 @ 147 vs. (L) Richard Brady (.014 rt) 4.81 @ 142

This marked the second win for the Walden & Parks team this season which will keep them atop the points lead with three races remaining. The SWJFA series would like to thank Smiley's Racing Products, Champion Spark Plugs, Competition Sales of Dallas ddddd. The next stop on the tour takes the series to Tulsa Raceway Park for their annual Nitro Nationals event scheduled for September 24th. The series then moves to North Star Dragway in Denton, Texas on October 8th before the State Championships final event in San Antonio on October 22nd.