The Triple Threat Bracket Series: Mega Bucks event was sold out before the gates ever swung open. 400 entries were purchased online for the largest paying bracket race of the year. Racers from all over the east coast, the Midwest and even as far as Texas, converged on Virginia Motorsports Park for their shot at huge payouts including a $75,000 to Win main event on Saturday.
The week started on Wednesday with Test & Tune and a Super 64 Shootout, the shootout sold out within minutes of opening registration early in the afternoon. As eliminations began, the competition was fierce and then a pop-up shower rolled into the facility. The staff went into drying mode quickly and racing began just a little more than an hour later. Eden Lukhard from Richmond, VA outlasted them all in her ’10 S&W dragster, defeating Maryland’s Jerry Birchfield, Jr. in the final round. Lukhard was .017 total while Birchfield missed the tree at .038. Jeff Serra and David Sandridge were the semi-finalists while Doug Foley, Jr., Tanner Miller, Mike Novitsky and Brian Martin bowed out in the quarter-final round. For round-by-round results on Wednesday’s Super 64 Shootout, CLICK HERE.
Thursday began with a time trial session and then the $10,000 Warm-Up race kicked off with eliminations. A nine-round race was capped off with two Virginia based racers facing off. Steve Witherow in his ’16 Racetech dragster and Bruce Sisk in his ’98 Dodge Dakota pick-up truck. Sisk turned loose .001 too early, activating the red light while Witherow came to play in the finals, .003, dead on 7 to be .010 total even with a red light start in the other lane. Danny Mattera was the lone semi-finalist while Makenna Brown, Will Kivett and Jamie Goodman rounded out the quarter-finalists. For round-by-round results on Thursday’s $10,000 Warm-Up, CLICK HERE.
Friday kicked off the first of two $30,000 to Win races on the weekend. 10 rounds of ultra-competitive racing rolled into a long day and into the night hours as Doug Foley, Jr. and Larry Miller were the last two standing when it came time to party for $30,000. Miller’s Virginia based Chevelle left the starting line with his worst reaction time of the day while Foley’s North Carolina based ’16 Miller was .003 and driving the stripe to take the victory. Donnie Quesenberry was the lone semi-finalist while Greg Haynes and Mickey Nelson were the quarter-finalists. For round-by-round results on Friday’s $30,000 event, CLICK HERE.
FuelTech 75K Saturday arrived and it was yet another competitive showdown of 400 of the best bracket racers on the property. There were extremely impressive runs thrown down all day long and the biggest names in the sport pushed through and fell at the hands of these runs. When all the dust settled, Jeff Serra piloted Steve Witherow’s 2012 model Racetech into the winner’s circle for the largest payout of the year at Virginia Motorsports Park, $75,000! Serra, a past million dollar race winner, defeated Wesley Washington in the final round. Serra was .016, dead 6 to be .022 total while Washington was .022 on the tree, breaking out .001 to take .001 at the finish line. An incredible drag race to cap off the FuelTech main event. Serra defeated Brent Martin in the semi-finals with a .001 total run, .001 on the tree, dead on zero to push Martin into a breakout run. Shane Maddox and John Madison were the quarter-finalists while Tripp McCarty, Marty Martin, Don Butkiewicz and Chris Krajewski parked their hot rods at 9 cars remaining. For round-by-round results on FuelTech Saturday’s $75,000 race, CLICK HERE.
O’Reilly Auto Parts Sunday closed out the week with the second $30,000 to Win race. It took all the way to Sunday for a door car to outlast the dragsters and park on the dance floor. It was none other than Kevin Brannon from Gaffney, South Carolina defeating Timothy Thomas in his North Carolina based dragster. Brannon turned loose .005 and drove to be one above as Thomas was .028 up front and dead on 3. “JBR,” Johnny Ezell and Jack Trussell were the semi-finalists while Troy Williams, Jr., Jamie Goodman, Mark Earnest and Cody Strickland were the quarter-finalists. For round-by-round results on O’Reilly Auto Parts Sunday $30,000 race, CLICK HERE.
We added in a 32-car junior dragster shootout for both Saturday and Sunday’s events with $1,000 to Win both days! Mallory Logan claimed both shootout wins in her North Chesterfield, Virginia based, Texas Roadhouse sponsored junior dragster. On Saturday, Mallory defeated a red-lighting Dylan Witherow in the final round. Brooks McMath was the lone semi-finalist. Fast forward to Sunday and it was a carbon copy with Mallory taking the win as Chase Marrs also turned on the red light in the final round by .005 of a second. Nickole Cayton-Dabney was the lone semi-finalist on Sunday. For round-by-round results on FuelTech Saturday, CLICK HERE and for O’Reilly Auto Parts Sunday, CLICK HERE.
We want to thank everyone who came out and supported the first Mega Bucks installment of the Triple Threat Bracket Series at Virginia Motorsports Park. Our final of three Triple Threat events is on October 7-10 with the second 10-20-10 format with a $400 weekend entry, mark your calendars now!
