Parks Powers Through Field In Ardmore
Event #4 – September 3rd – Ardmore Dragway
Photos by Steve Scott
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 2011 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.
(Odie Coker)
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.
This event is always a favorite of the series as it brings together many aspects of nostalgia drag racing to a unique venue in Ardmore Dragway. A full line-up of locally based cackle cars entertained the crowd between feature rounds which included the Dallas based “Blue Max” Nostalgia Funny Car of Ronny Young and “Mexican Revolution” Nostalgia Funny Car of Bobby Rex. Throw in a full field of junior fuel dragsters, a handful of blown nostalgia cars and a wide variety of test and tune machines and bracket entries and you’ve got yourself a way cool vintage drag race!
(Ricky Marshall)
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, good for third position in the opening session.
(Scott Parks)
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 posted low elapsed time of the session with a stout 4.661 at 148 mph in the Ron Ussery owned and tuned machine and led the field after one 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 qualifying position, interestingly 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 number five. Robert Scott, making his driving debut behind the wheel of his father Don’s dragster, stepped up to a 5.03 at 135 mph to secure the number ten spot.
(Robert Scott)
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 number twelve 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 their 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
First Round Results
The match-ups were set and it was time to line them up and do some drag racing as the sun set 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.
(Thomas Hixson)
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.
(Michael Renaker)
Ted McCord paired up with Brandon Lewis as McCord had hopes of getting the starting line advantage, but cut it too close going red and Lewis took 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.
(Ted McCord)
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. Brady put down his best pass of the event to that point and took the upset win to advance.
(Team "Foolish Pleasure")
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 points leader 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.
(Mike Millsap)
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
Second Round
After drawing cards the pairings were set for the semi-final which brought out Ross Laird and Robert Scott to the starting line. 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 while Scott took home a round win in his debut event, not to shabby!
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. A good race from two of the top qualified cars, both drivers solid on the tree as Hawkins takes the win.
(ken Hawkins)
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 against Parks, but cut it too close, going red by -.048, giving Parks the win. Parks laid down a 4.72 at 147 mph to advance over Lewis’ 4.84 at 131 mph.
(Brandon Lewis)
In the final pair of the round, Richard Brady staged up with Ron Muncy. Brady squeaked by the red light with a stout .002 reaction time and posted a 4.77 at 142 mph to win over Muncy’s off pace 7.55. This impressively put Brady in the semi-finals after qualifying dead last as the teams returned to the pits to prepare for the next round.
(Ron Muncy)
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
Semi-Final
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 of the season. Laird had a small advantage off the line but immediately spun the tires and Parks blasted down the eighth mile to a 4.68 at 146 mph to advance.
(Ross Laird)
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 Mallory & Brady and Walden & Parks 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
Final Round
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 with 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 still to come. Congratulations to everyone who participated in the 6th Annual Ardmore Hot Rod Reunion and to both finalists! The SWJFA series would like to thank Smiley’s Racing Products, Champion Spark Plugs, Competition Sales of Dallas for their contributions and support of the series. 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.
(Ardmore Winner - Walden & Parks)
(Ardmore Runner Up - Mallory & Brady)
