ROCKINGHAM, N.C. – Dale Smith of Clio, S.C., overcame cold conditions and a stellar Top Eliminator field to win Sunday’s portion of Rockingham Dragway’s first bracket race of the 2010 season.

DALE SMITH
Smith got everyone’s attention in round five when he put together a perfect run to turn back W.G. Lankas of Sneads Ferry. Smith had a .000 reaction time, the quickest possible, and then ran 5.990 on a 5.990 target for the win. With a .016 package of his own (.013 reaction time a a run just .003 off his target), Lankas probably deserved a better fate.
Smith went on to beat former Rockingham Dragway track champion Chip Johnson of Fayetteville in the final.
Track owner Steve Earwood was disappointed with the weather, which prevented completion of the Saturday program, but was pleasantly surprised by the number of participants.
“We had 348 total entries,” Earwood said, “and I think that just shows how anxious everyone is to go racing. It’s been a long winter. We had to split the money on Saturday because of cold conditions but we had a great race Sunday and hope to have another one on March 13-14.”
Other Sunday winners were Steve Antinori of Sneads Ferry, who got a free pass to the Footbrake title when second generation racer Richard Alford Jr. of Raleigh was guilty of a final round foul start and Ricky Hebert who won an all-Evans, Ga., final in Junior Dragster when Paul Charette fouled out.

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. – Results from Sunday’s open bracket race at Rockingham Dragway.

TOP ELIMINATOR
Round 5 – David Lowe, Raeford, .038 reaction time, 6.716 seconds on a 6.700 second target, 99.08 miles per hour, def. Mike Gross, NA, .015, 4.870 on a 4.810, 137.98 mph; Jason DeWitt, Bloomingdale, Ga., .013, 5.203 on a 5.200, 131.36 mph, def. Steve Hilburn, Loris, S.C., .012, 5.780 on a 5.770, 118.73 mph; Chip Johnson, Fayetteville, .014, 6.419 on a 6.360, 99.16 mph, def. Ethan Atkinson, Clio, S.C., .006, 6.316 on a 6.220, 107.43 mph; Mark Odum, Walterboro, S.C., .018, 4.929 on a 4.920, 138.33 mph, def. Junior Raper, Greenville, S.C., .027, 6.049 on a 6.020, 114.67 mph; Dale Smith, Clio, S.C., .000, 5.990 on a 5.990, 114.55 mph, def. W.G. Lankas, Sneads Ferry, .013, 4.793 on a 4.790, 140.52 mph; Mickey Miller, Lancaster, S.C., .017, 4.946 on a 4.930, 141.06 mph, def. Chad Brewer, Shannon, .003, 5.177 on a 5.140, 130.27 mph; Eugene Goins, McColl, S.C., .017, 5.383 on a 5.380, 129.03 mph, def. Lee Desist, Fayetteville, foul; William Roberts, Benson, .010, 5.924 on a 5.900, 115.06 mph, def. Kevin Crawford, Pageland, S.C., .040, 6.079 breakout on a 6.080, 110.43 mph; Michael Morton, Jacksonville, .016, 6.465 on a 6.470, 105.08 mph, def. Joe Jalsrud, Starry Point, foul.
Round 6 – Johnson, .033, 6.374 on a 6.360, 106.58 mph, def. Lowe, .040, 6.690 breakout on a 6.700, 100.34 mph; Odum, .016, 4.904 on a 4.920, 139.73 mph, def. DeWitt, foul; Morton, .010, 6.470 on a 6.460, 104.66 mph, def. Goins, .019, 5.386 on a 5.370, 129.43 mph; Miller, .008, 4.935 on a 4.930, 139.07 mph, def. Roberts, .013, 5.905 on a 5.900, 116.50 mph; Smith, bye.
Round 7 – Smith, .050, 5.994 on a 5.980, 116.38 mph, def. Odum, foul; Johnson, .031, 6.361 on a 6.360, 107.11 mph, def. Morton, foul; Miller, bye.
Semifinals – Smith, .019, 6.030 on a 5.990, 115.71 mph, def. Miller, .036, 4.964 on a 4.920, 140.21 mph; Johnson, bye.
FINAL – Dale Smith, Clio, S.C., .013, 6.010 on a 6.010, 109.05 mph, def. Chip Johnson, Fayetteville, .037, 6.386 on a 6.360, 106.24 mph.

STEVE ANTINORI

FOOTBRAKE
Round 4 – Kevin Williams, Pageland, S.C., 1993 Ford Mustang, .035, 6.406 on a 6.430, 106.97 mph, def. Benny Staley, Biscoe, .037, 7.541 breakout on a 7.580, 90.67 mph; Art Laselle, Fayetteville, .000, 6.863 on a 6.860, 98.17 mph, def. Ernie Humes, Troutman, .024, 6.811 breakout on a 6.830, 97.83 mph; Roger Rhodes, Pikeville, .007, 7.016 on a 7.020, 96.42 mph, def. Phil Combs, Demossville, Ky., .043, 6.375 breakout on a 6.420, 98.48 mph; Richard Alford Jr., Raleigh, .007, 6.590 on a 6.580, 94.63 mph, def. Tim Davis, Fayetteville, .036, 7.872 on a 7.870, 86.11 mph; Don Anderson, Bennett, S.C., .084, 7.245 on a 7.250, 94.45 mph, def. Jeff Knight, Kershaw, S.C., foul; #712 (driver not registered), .024, 7.569 on a 7.570, 91.34 mph, def. Eric Aman, Mt. Olive, .034, 5.879 breakout on a 5.880, 115.93 mph; Michael Beard, Seagrove, .024, 6.920 on a 6.920, 95.50 mph, def. Steve Antinori, Sneads Ferry, .018, 6.937 breakout on a 6.940, 95.69 mph; Timmy Alexander, Mocksville, .060, 6.998 on a 7.060, 96.41 mph, def. #320 (driver not registered), foul; Wesley Roberts, Benson, .025, 6.275 on a 6.280, 108.52 mph, def. Mike Allred, Vanceboro, foul; Michale Jackson, Benson, .054, 6.834 on a 6.860, 99.00 mph, def. Greg Schramm, Cleveland, .029, 7.163 breakout on a 7.200, 91.29 mph; Josh Barber, Sneads Ferry, .021, 6.681 on a 6.650, 101.98 mph, def. Benny Staley #2, Biscoe, .018, 7.506 breakout on a 7.540, 90.84 mph; Ernie Humes #2, Troutman, .029, 6.380 on a 6.820, 94.12 mph, def. #01 (driver not registered), .064, 6.647 on a 6.620, 106.45 mph; Steve Antinori #2, Sneads Ferry, .022, 9.666 on a 9.640, 90.60 mph, def. Richard Alford Jr. #2, .068, 6.557 breakout on a 6.580, 96.74 mph; Williams Roberts #2, Benson, bye.
Round 5 – Barber, .065, 6.644 on a 6.670, 102.04 mph, def. Williams, .070, 6.368 breakout on a 6.400, 107.20 mph; Rhodes, .041, 7.007 on a 7.010, 96.17 mph, def. #712 (DNR) .069, 7.535 breakout on a 7.560, 91.72 mph; Alford Jr., .009, 6.613 on a 6.580, 92.93 mph, def. Anderson, .114, 7.197 breakout on a 7.240, 94.59 mph; Humes, .048, 6.812 on a 6.810, 98.08 mph, def. Alexander, foul; Beard, .007, 6.934 on a 6.920, 96.31 mph, def. Roberts, foul; Antinori, .010, 6.940 on a 6.930, 97.05 mph, def. Jackson, .068, 6.831 on a 6.830, 99.00 mph; Roberts, .054, 6.175 on a 6.180, 109.89 mph, def. Laselle, .045, 6.851 breakout on a 6.860, 97.83 mph.
Round 6 – Rhodes, .013, 6.970 on a 7.000, 96.70 mph, def. Humes, foul; Antinori, .026, 6.926 on a 6.930, 98.27 mph, def. Roberts, .037, 6.157 breakout on a 6.170, 109.89 mph; Alford Jr., .029, 6.587 on a 6.580, 98.06 mph, def. Barber, .036, 6.637 breakout on a 6.640, 101.80 mph; Beard, bye.
Semifinals – Alford Jr., .012, 6.582 on a 6.580, 95.71 mph, def. Beard, .015, 6.879 breakout on a 6.880, 95.67 mph; Antinori, .024, 6.955 on a 6.930, 96.67 mph, def. Rhodes, .049, 6.981 on a 6.970, 96.90 mph;
FINAL – Steve Antinori, Sneads Ferry, .034, 7.215 on a 6.930, 76.11 mph, def. Richard Alford Jr., Raleigh, foul.

JUNIOR DRAGSTER
Round 4 – Ricky Hebert, Evans, Ga., .029, 7.895 on a 7.910, 83.96 mph, def. Amae Gilreath, Greenville, S.C., no time; Noah Strickland, Concord, .009, 8.079 on an 8.060, 79.86 mph, def. Ryan Crews, Advance, .066, 7.899 on a 7.900, 80.75 mph; Ashley Russell, Charlotte, .103, 7.885 on a 7.900, 82.65 mph, def. Robert Vogler, Lewisville, .044, 7.882 on a 7.900, 79.95 mph; Megan Scott, Lancaster, S.C., bye; Paul Charette, Evans, Ga., bye.
Round 5 – Hebert, .097, 7.944 on a 7.900, 80.47 mph, def. Scott, .163, 7.963 on a 7.900, 83.52 mph; Charette, .003, 7.910 on a 7.900, 84.14 mph, def. Russell, .093, 7.860 on a 7.900, 82.52 mph; Strickland, bye.
Semifinals – Charette, .053, 7.895 on a 7.900, 84.24 mph, def. Strickland, foul; Hebert, bye.
FINAL – Ricky Hebert, Evans, Ga., .078, 7.876 on a 7.900, 84.25 mph, def. Paul
Charette, Evans, Ga., foul.