Thu, 11 Jul 2019, 14:21 PM BTE World Footbrake Challenge Day 1 Results

Courtesy of John DiBartolomeo

While much of America was celebrating our roots and thanking those who gave all for the freedoms we receive each and every day, some of the best footbrake racers in the country were celebrating by swapping feet off the starting line at the famed Bristol Dragway in the 13th version of the BTE World Footbrake Challenge.

Day 1 of the famous event began with a test and tune session followed by the first of two WFC Gamblers Races, with the second scheduled to take place on Friday night. Early arriving drivers took the opportunity to get some hits on the track before the main events take place and first round of the Thursday Gamblers Race set a WFC record with 234 separate cars taking part. While double entries are accepted for the three Lopez Motorsports Triple 10s to take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the Gamblers Races are strictly single entry only with no buybacks.

Last year's Thursday Gamblers' winner Jamie Holston also had won the 2017 version on the same day, which would seemingly make him the odds on favorite for tonight's affair. However, proving just how tough this crowd is, Holston never had a chance in the fifth round when Dan Caissie laid down a perfect package (.000 reaction time and dead-on the dial with a "0") to end Holston's reign for the night.

With eight drivers left, the combatants were Josh Green, Caissie, Jerry Hunt, Roger Bridges, Kalieb Cordill, Jimmy Reeves, Troy Morgan and Ernie Humes. Quarterfinal survivors moving into the semifinals were Caissie, Humes, Reeves and Hunt.

Humes and Hunt up first with Hunt's roadster taking the reaction time advantage and the win into the final. Next up, Reeves and Caissie, with Caissie running under his dial to advance Reeves.

And then there were two which was over rather quickly when Hunt turned it red. But the man who suffered a severe heart attack last September was going to be tough anyway. Reeves had his own .005 reaction time to prove he's back, taking $3,000 to open up his WFC weekend.