ROCKNGHAM — Tim Thomas and Eric Aman managed to cash out Saturday before Tropical Storm Bonnie brought a premature end to the 18th annual “Big John” Leviner Memorial Weekend Bracket Nationals at Rockingham Dragway.
It was a frustrating weekend for racers and officials, as the weather wiped out two of the three “Run for the Wally” bonus races that were to have concluded each day’s racing.
As a result, Thomas was the only driver to leave with one of the distinctive winners’ trophies typically awarded only at events in the NHRA national series.
Also washed away was the National Dragster challenge, the Jr. Dragster Challenge and a Sunday Top ET feature that was to have paid out the biggest share of the holiday purse — a whopping $7,500 to the winner.
“Just devastating for us, for our racers, our sponsors,” track owner Steve Earwood said. “When you have bad weather, nobody leaves a winner, but after 40 years in this business, I still haven’t found a way to control Mother Nature. That’s in someone else’s hand.
“When the forecast says a 100 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, you don’t really have any options. You just regroup and hope for a better result next time.”
Thomas and Aman might not agree with such a lose-lose scenario.
Thomas — a second generation racer from Lumberton — beat Steve Hillburn of Loris, South Carolina in the final, claiming $5,000 as the winner of Saturday’s Top ET title.
Aman, former Rockingham track champion from Clinton, pocketed the $1,000 top prize in Footbrake and emerged as the only repeat winner from 2015 — snatching that distinction away from Rick Terry of Haw River, another 2015 winner who he defeated in the final round.
In Jr. Dragster, Hannah Bilton of Orangeburg, South Carolina won an all-girl final — forcing Rachel Weis of Ashland, Virginia into a breakout foul to win the $500 top money. There was such a turnout of Jr. Dragsters, that Earwood added a “second chance” event in which Connor Caulder of St. Pauls emerged the winner.
The next race at Rockingham Dragway will be the June 4 “Arm Drop Open” in which drivers will be afforded the opportunity to race without the complexities of electronic starting and timing, as each race will begin with a hand signal from the starter.
Final round results from the 18th annual “Big John” Leviner Memorial Weekend Bracket Nationals at Rockingham Dragway:
RUN FOR THE WALLY – Tim Thomas (.018, 4.809 on a 4.780, 135.09 mph) def. Eric Aman (084, 8.023 on an 8.020, 84.96 mph).
TOP ET — Tim Thomas (.028, 4.799 on a 4.780, 137.29 mph) def. Steve Hillburn (.045, 5.683 on a 5.650, 119.73 mph).
FOOTBRAKE — Eric Aman (.020, 8.036 on an 8.020, 83.37 mph) def. Rick Terry (.055, 7.032 on a 7.020, 92.50 mph).
JR. DRAGSTER — Hannah Bilton (.028, 7.909 on a 7.910, 81.05 mph) def. Rachel Weis (.023, 7.880 breakout on a 7.900, 81.28 mph).
JR. DRAGSTER SECOND CHANCE — Connor Caulder (.036, 7.921 on a 7.900, 76.90 mph) def. Cameron Gibson (.152, 8.055 on an 8.030, 80.60 mph).
