For the second season in a row the Southwest Junior Fuel Association headlined the 4th Annual Ardmore Hot Rod Reunion in Ardmore, Oklahoma. The SWJFA series, presented by Smiley’s Racing Products and Champion Spark Plugs, brought its second largest field of the season with sixteen injected dragsters ready to put on a show for the packed house at Ardmore Dragway. At the last event in Tulsa, Paul McCann took the win over Mike Millsap and both were on hand in Ardmore to try and repeat their final round finishes. This would turn out to be a very important race in the points chase as all of the Top 10 cars were in attendance. Ardmore also marked the return of the Coker/Hawkins team with driver Ken Hawkins and owner / crew chief Terry Coker. Ricky Marshall also made a return to the tour after winning in his only start, earlier this season in Denton, Texas.

Qualifying got started around noon with typical Texas summer conditions pushing triple digits. Being one of the oldest active drag strips in the nation, Ardmore Dragway does throw teams a curve at times, but the track conditions still yielded some great passes from the junior fuelers. Under the eyes of the largest crowd the reunion has seen to date, the first pair rolled through the water box and it was time to go racing.

(Kenny Stallard)

(Ricky Marshall)

Ricky Marshall picked up right where he left off by claiming the number one qualifying position with a 4.80 at 139 mph to lead the field by half a tenth over Richard Brady who qualified second with a 4.85 at 140 mph. Brady won an exhibition event at Texas Raceway on August 7th and has had a very strong car since his comeback this season. SWJFA points leader Keith Breazeal and the Coker/Hawkins team also dipped into the four eighty zone, both with nice 4.87 passes, while Mike Millsap rounded out the top five with a 4.93 at 140 mph. Kenny Stallard and the “T-Town Hustler” group from Tulsa, Oklahoma won this event last year and qualified seventh with a 5.00 elapsed time. All sixteen cars survived both rounds of qualifying and made the call for first round with Thomas Hixson rounding out the field with a 5.87 at 118 mph.

(Steve Dunkin and Ross Laird)

(Thomas Hixson)

(Richard Brady and Paul McCann)

Final Qualifying Order:

1) Ricky Marshall (Burleson, Texas) – 4.804 @ 139.23
2) Richard Brady (Ft. Worth, Texas) – 4.855 @ 140.93
3) Keith Breazeal (Cypress, Texas) – 4.870 @ 141.33
4) Ken Hawkins (Poolville, Texas) – 4.874 @ 140.80
5) Mike Millsap (Sachse, Texas) – 4.937 @ 140.58
6) Rick Grindstaff (Dickinson, Texas) – 4.952 @ 141.15
7) Kenny Stallard (Tulsa, Oklahoma) – 5.004 @ 137.70
8) Chad Daigre (Lake Charles, Louisiana) – 5.064 @ 136.74
9) Paul McCann (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) – 5.086 @ 133.69
10) Steve Dunkin (Aledo, Texas) – 5.098 @ 133.89
11) Ross Laird (Ardmore, Oklahoma) – 5.130 @ 134.01
12) Ted McCord (Tulsa, Oklahoma) – 5.130 @ 134.33
13) Thomas “Porn” Porter (Burleson, Texas) – 5.193 @ 131.73
14) Jay Briggs (Lake Charles, Louisiana) – 5.230 @ 133.37
15) Howard Tribbey (Tulsa, Oklahoma) – 5.469 @ 125.66
16) Thomas Hixson (Dallas, Texas) – 5.873 @ 118.33

(Rick Grindstaff)

(Jay Briggs)

In a monster match-up, Hawkins and Marshall opened eliminations by lining up along side each other in the quickest side by side pair of the round. Marshall left first and clicked off a 4.82 at 143 mph to take the win over Hawkins’ 4.88 at 140 mph. Paul McCann got the upset win by taking out the red lighting Richard Brady, for the second event in a row. McCann’s 5.13 advanced over Brady’s 4.87. Mike Millsap lined up next along side Thomas Hixson. Hixson drilled Millsap on the tree with a .004 reaction time but his 5.81 couldn’t hold off Millsap’s quicker 4.97. Steve Dunkin and Ted McCord paired up next and clicked off the closest pairing of the round. Both cars went 5.13, with Dunkin taking the nod by inches.

Thomas Porter wheeled his “Bone Peddler” machine past the red lighting Rick Grindstaff with a 5.23 at 131 mph. Grindstaff came into this event second in points and hoped to hold his position after an early exit in Ardmore. Defending event champ, Kenny Stallard, red lit his chances away against Ross Laird who clicked off a 5.09 at 136 mph to advance. Chad Daigre wheeled his way into the second round with a 5.07 at 136 mph over Jay Briggs in an all Lake Charles, Louisiana based match-up. Keith Breazeal and Howard Tribbey rounded out the first round and Breazeal’s 4.87 at 141 mph knocked out Tribbey’s 5.51 at 125 mph.

First Round Results:

(W) Ricky Marshall (.020 rt) 4.82 at 143 mph vs. (L) Ken Hawkins (.037 rt) 4.88 at 140 mph
(W) Paul McCann (.024 rt) 5.13 at 133 mph vs. (L) Richard Brady (-.010 rt) 4.87 at 141 mph
(W) Mike Millsap (.291 rt) 4.97 at 139 mph vs. (L) Thomas Hixson (.004 rt) 5.81 at 118 mph
(W) Steve Dunkin (.012 rt) 5.135 at 134 mph vs. (L) Ted McCord (.019 rt) 5.139 at 131 mph
(W) Thomas “Porn” Porter (.014 rt) 5.23 at 131 mph vs. (L) Rick Grindstaff (Tree Foul, No Time)
(W) Ross Laird (-.049 rt) 5.09 at 134 mph vs. (L) Kenny Stallard (N/T, 4.99 at 137 mph)
(W) Chad Daigre (.112 rt) 5.07 at 136 mph vs. (L) Jay Briggs (-.102 rt) 5.41 at 133 mph)
(W) Keith Breazeal (.064 rt) 4.87 at 141 mph vs. (L) Howard Tribbey (-.188 rt) 5.51 at 125 mph)

The second round started with Keith Breazeal taking on Chad Daigre. Daigre knew he had to get an advantage on the tree and fouled by -.017, while Breazeal laid down a 4.85 at 141 mph lap to advance to the semi. Thomas Porter followed suit going for the starting line advantage over Mike Millsap. Porter fouled by -.024 and Millsap clicked off a 4.95 at 140 mph to advance. Ross Laird rolled through next to face Paul McCann in a good match-up. Laird was off the line with a.005 rt and his 5.04 took out McCann’s 5.10. That ended McCann’s impressive win streak of five straight rounds, while Laird advanced to his first semi-final of the season. Ricky Marshall closed the round with low elapsed time of the meet with a 4.79 at 144 mph to take out Steve Dunkin who had a slight advantage off the line.

(Paul McCann)

(Steve Dunkin)

Second Round Results:

(W) Keith Breazeal (.021 rt) 4.85 at 141 mph vs. (L) Chad Daigre (-.017 rt) 5.08 at 135 mph
(W) Mike Millsap (.164 rt) 4.95 at 140 mph vs. (L) Thomas “Porn” Porter (-.024) 5.22 at 129 mph
(W) Ross Laird (.005 rt) 5.04 at 135 mph vs. (L) Paul McCann (.043 rt) 5.10 at 133 mph
(W) Ricky Marshall (.012 rt) 4.79 at 144 mph vs. (L) Steve Dunkin (.011 rt) 5.10 at 134 mph

(Thomas Porter)

(Chad Daigre)

It was a heavy hitting semi-final with Ricky Marshall and Keith Breazeal opening up the action. Breazeal got off the line first and clicked off a 4.90 at 140 mph, but Marshall drove around with a 4.80 at 144 mph to get the nod and advance to his second final in as many starts this season. Mike Millsap took advantage of Ross Laird’s foul start to advance to his second straight final with a 4.95 at 140 mph to Laird’s 5.03 at 136 mph.

(Ross Laird)

(Keith Breazeal)

Semi-Final Round Results:

(W) Ricky Marshall (.031 rt) 4.80 at 144 mph vs. (L) Keith Breazeal (.026 rt) 4.90 at 140 mph
(W) Mike Millsap (.032 rt) 4.95 at 140 mph vs. (L) Ross Laird (-.045 rt) 5.03 at 136 mph

Millsap and Marshall suited up for the final pass of the event, both hungry for a win in Ardmore. Millsap knew he had to get the jump on the tree, but over-anticipated the light and left too soon. His -.013 reaction time disqualified his better 4.96 at 138 mph pass while Marshall took the win with a 4.97 at 141 mph. This was Millsap’s second final round foul and Marshall’s second final round victory of the season. Congratulations to both teams on advancing to the last dance in Ardmore among a strong field of competitors.

(Mike Millsap)

Final Round Results:

(W) Ricky Marshall (.007 rt) 4.97 at 141 mph vs. (L) Mike Millsap (-.013 rt) 4.96 at 138 mph

(Ricky Marshall)

“I would like to thank my long haired friend Bryan Sturgeon, my son Jason, also my mom and wife Cecelia for all their help and support. I also want to recognize the Carrell family who own Ardmore Dragway for their great hospitality. Rob Ragland also deserves mention for organizing this event each year and of course the SWJFA series for giving us a place to race,” said Marshall.

Another successful and entertaining SWJFA event is in the books. This event is one of the most anticipated races on the yearly schedule and this year’s festivities were praised by all involved. Ricky Marshall and company took this one from head to toe by qualifying number one, clicking off low elapsed time and top speed of the meet and winning it all in the end, impressive to say the least.

Millsap climbed into third in points while Breazeal remains on top and Grindstaff in second. Richard Brady is currently fourth and Ross Laird’s semi-final finish propelled him into the Top 5 with two events left on tour.

Click here to see photos from this event.