ROCKINGHAM – Track championships for the 2007 Rockingham Dragway Bracket   Series were crowned with the completion of the annual Memorial Weekend Iron Man Classic.

Junior Raper of Mauldin, S.C., won the Top Eliminator class in his 1978 Corvette by only two points over second place and former track champion Chip Johnson of Laurel Hill.  Johnson would have won the championship by simply collecting the 3 points for entering the first points race of the season back in February, an event he missed.  Raper’s final tally was 40 over Johnson’s 38.

Raper won the final race of the season, the Monday race of the three-race Memorial Weekend event, to sew up the title. Andy Beal of Thomasville finished third in points at 30, only one point over fourth place Tommy Bagwell of Greenville,S.C., who held the point’s title going into the Memorial Weekend.

There was a three-way tie for fifth place between Jamie Freeman, Westville, S.C., Brian Hicks, Pageland, S.C.,  and David Dean of Warhaw.

Michael Beard of Seagrove won the Footbrake Championship with 37 points, two over second place Dell Britt of Dillon, S.C.  Beard collected a remarkable 24 of those points over the Memorial Weekend, going to the semi-finals on Sunday and finishing as the runner-up on Monday.

Joe Lewis, Bladenboro, finished third with 34 points, Buddy Cole, Lakeview, fourth with 31 with Don Anderson of Bennett and his Ole Reliable Olds fifth at 28.

Devin Gilreath, Honea Path, S.C., won the Jr. Dragster title over second place Jessica Dean of Waxhaw by only one point, 29 to 28.  Gilreath went to the semi-finals at the season opener in February and again at the TORCO Carolina Coalition event in March. Dean was the runner-up at the February event and was a semi-finalist at the Coalition event.

Gilreath is the step-son of Junior Raper, bringing home two Track Championships to South Carolina .

Nicole Phillips of Sumter, S.C. tried to steal the championship by her phenomenal performance over the Memorial Weekend, winning two events, each on Saturday and Sunday, and finishing as the runner-up on Monday to Rockingham’s Kelli Blake.  Phillips accumulated an astonishing 25 points over the weekend.

FINAL POINTS STANDINGS – ROCKINGHAM DRAGWAY BRACKET SERIES

TOP ELIMINATOR

1. Junior Raper, Mauldin, S.C., 40
2. Chip Johnson, Laurel Hill, 38
3. Andy Beal, Thomasville, 30
4. Tommy Bagwell, Greenville, S.C., 29
5. (3-way tie) Jamie Freeman, Westville, S.C., Brian Hicks, Pageland, S.C., David Dean, Waxhaw, 28
8. Jean Howard, Polkton, 26
9. Bobby Hardee, Mullins, S.C., 21
10. Megan Lister, Trinity, 15
11. Bert McBride, Jackson Springs, 14
12. Vance Houston, Spruce Pines, 12
13. Junior Houston, Newland, 11
14. Huston Dial, 10
15. Danny Dilldine, 9

FOOTBRAKE

1. Michael Beard, Seagrove, 37
2. Dell Britt, Dillon, S.C., 35
3. Joe Lewis, Bladenboro, 34
4. Buddy Cole, Lakeview, 31
5. Don Anderson, Bennett
6. Dwight Bowman, Pinebluff, 24
7. Richard Britt, Darlington, S.C., 20
8. Sam Harris, Charlotte, 17
9. (tie) Stanley Chavis, Red Springs, Susan Harris, Willis, Va., 15
11. Doug Rasmussen, Christiansburg, Va., 14
12. Randy Boyd, Willis, Va., 13
13. Ricky Boyd, Willis, Va., 12
14. Lowell Harris, Willis, Va., 9

Jr. DRAGSTER

1. Devin Gilreath, Honea Path, S.C., 29
2. Jessica Dean, Waxhaw, 28
3. Nicole Phillips, Sumter, S.C., 25
4. Grayson Lister, Trinity, 16
5. Joe Caudle, Wadesboro, 5