NORRIS, LEWIS WIN TOP ELIMINATOR AT CAROLINA POWERFEST Bullock Repeats in Footbrake; Humes, Trammell, Rabon Also Reach Winners’ Circle ROCKINGHAM, N.C. – (Aug. 19, 2019) Cassie Lewis of Lumberton and Donald Norris of Conway, S.C., claimed the biggest shares of the purse in the seventh annual Carolina Powerfest at Rockingham Dragway. By contrast, it was a weekend of “almosts” for the racing Combs family of Bluff City, Tenn. Dad Michael Combs lost to Lewis in the Top Eliminator final on Saturday. His son Blake fouled out by a measley .002 of a second in Sunday’s Jr. Dragster final, handing the win to Rockingham regular Alyssa Rabon of Florence, S.C. Other winners included Ricky Bullock of Sanford, who repeated as Sunday Footbrake champion; veteran Ernie Humes of Troutman, the Saturday Footbrake winner and Budd Trammell III, who used a .002 reaction time to help him get past Liberty’s Kristen Brady for the Saturday Jr. Dragster trophy. Lewis is no stranger to success at Rockingham Dragway where her parents, Tim and Georgia Thomas, enjoyed considerable success in their own right. She used a .031 package to turn back Combs on Saturday. Norris beat Clayton’s Blane Parrish on Sunday to earn his $5,000 share. Bullock drove his 1971 Chevelle past the 1962 Chevy Nova of veteran Willie Buie of St. Pauls to win Sunday’s Footbrake final a day after Humes forced Levi Boozer of Kannapolis into a breakout foul to win his title. Rabon’s starting line skills carried her through the final two rounds. She had a .016 reaction time in the final round but it was her .005 light against Lane Morgan in the semifinals that may have compelled Combs to push a little too hard in the final, resulting in a foul start. ROCKINGHAM, N.C. – Results from the seventh annual Carolina Powerfest bracket championships completed Sunday at Rockingham Dragway. Hometowns are North Carolina unless otherwise indicated. Results include reaction time, track time in relation to target time and finish line speed: SUNDAY TOP ELIMINATOR Round 6 – Donald Norris, Conway, S.C., .010, 5.773 on a 5.760, 106.19 mph, def. Charles Davis, Fayetteville, .019, 7.530 on a 7.520, 91.09 mph; Jermaine McCaskill, .008, 5.609 on a 5.600, 123.91 mph, def. Joe Hartsell, Oaksboro, .016, 5.489 on a 5.470, 124.68 mph; Billy Varner III, Stanley, .026, 4.827 on a 4.820, 141.42 mph, def. Terry Rucker, Benson, .030, 6.338 breakout on a 6.350, 101.36 mph; Tim Thomas, Lumberton, .008, 5.596 on a 5.580, 123.05 mph, def. Ashley Smith, Winterville, .027, 4.681 on a 4.660, 146.35 mph; Brew Brewer, Shannon, .025, 7.060 on a 7.040, 93.35 mph, def. Jerry Rucker, Covington, Va., .070, 6.588 breakout on a 6.590, 103.37 mph; Blane Parrish, Clayton, 1993 Ford Mustang, .003, 5.864 on a 5.850, 116.46 mph, def. Holden Dial, Maxton, .021, 4.676 breakout on a 4.690, 146.37 mph; Jimmie Guillen, Matthews, bye. Round 7 – McCaskill, .000, 5.636 on a 5.600, 123.56 mph, def. Guillen, .027, 4.757 on a 4.740, 144.58 mph; Thomas, .035, 5.581 on a 5.580, 122.96 mph, def. Varner, .066, 4.829 on a 4.820, 141.28 mph; Norris, .040, 5.755 on a 5.760, 118.79 mph, def. Brewer, foul (-.001); Parrish, bye. Semifinals – Parrish, .011, 5.886 on a 5.850, 113.03 mph, def. McCaskill, .030, 5.636 on a 5.600, 123.20 mph; Norris, .009, 5.766 on a 5.750, 116.56 mph, def. Thomas, .159, 5.626 on a 5.580, 122.91 mph. FINAL – Donald Norris, Conway, S.C., .018, 5.768 on a 5.750, 117.06 mph, def. Blane Parrish, Clayton, 1993 Ford Mustang, .014, 5.891 on a 5.850, 116.44 mph. SUNDAY FOOTBRAKE Round 5 – Carson Robins, .008, 6.406 on a 6.390, 102.43 mph, def. Allen Furr, Richfield, 1962 Chevy II, .045, 6.762 breakout on a 6.790, 98.40 mph; Ricky Bullock, Sanford, 1971 Chevelle, .052, 6.426 on a 6.310, 97.17 mph, def. Joel Carroll, Jefferson, S.C., .109, 6.535 on a 6.400, 105.53 mph; Chad Terry, Efland, .044, 7.222 on a 7.190, 93.91 mph, def. George Chisolm, Benson, foul; Willie Buie, St. Pauls, 1972 Chevy Nova, .058, 6.938 on a 6.900, 99.05 mph, def. Steve Alford, Angier, .028, 7.032 on a 6.960, 92.03 mph; Ricky Bullock #2, Sanford, bye. Round 6 – Buie, .047, 6.929 on a 6.910, 99.11 mph, def. Bullock #2, .018, 6.323 breakout on a 6.330, 98.97 mph; Robins, bye; Bullock, .043, 6.356 on a 6.260, 107.83 mph, def. Terry, .068, 7.191 breakout on a 7.200, 92.44 mph. Semifinals – Bullock, .007, 6.301 on a 6.270, 108.32 mph, def. Robins, .041, 6.381 breakout on a 6.390, 105.52 mph; Buie, bye. FINAL – Ricky Bullock, Sanford, 1971 Dodge, .052, 6.376 on a 6.290, 96.06 mph, def. Willie Buie, St. Pauls, 1972 Chevy Nova, .126, 6.956 on a 6.900, 99.14 mph. SUNDAY JR. DRAGSTER Round 4 – Alyssa Rabon, Florence, S.C., .085, 8.916 on an 8.900, 74.25 mph, def. Ethan Locklear, Pembroke, .150, 8.801 on an 8.800, 74.67 mph; Lane Morgan, Angier, .009, 8.949 on an 8.920, 73.02 mpph, def. Unknown #627X, foul; Connor Caulder, St. Pauls, .079, 7.919 on a 7.900, 81.22 mph, def. Alexis Whitaker, Telford, Tenn., foul; Blake Combs, Bluff City, Tenn., .034, 7.891 on a 7.900, 81.66 mph, def. Hayden Dial, Lumberton, .097, 7.870 breakout on a 7.900, 78.12 mph; Brody Callahan, Fayetteville, bye. Round 5 – Combs, .045, 8.011 on a 7.900, 70.20 mph, def. Callahan, .074, 12.073 on an 11.910, 55.23 mph; Rabon, .080, 8.916 on an 8.910, 74.00 mph, def. Caulder, .048, 7.945 on a 7.900, 79.82 mph; Morgan, bye. Semifinals – Rabon, .005, 8.966 on an 8.920, 72.58 mph, def. Morgan, .062, 8.989 on an 8.940, 72.36 mph; Combs, bye. FINAL – Alyssa Rabon, Florence, S.C., .016, 8.944 on an 8.940, 73.60 mph, def. Blake Combs, Bluff City, Tenn., foul (-.002). SATURDAY TOP ELIMINATOR Round 6 – Lee Desist, Fayetteville, .010, 6.063 on a 6.050, 112.35 mph, def. Robert Hefti, China Grove, .018, 4.523 on a 4.490, 152.37 mph; Cassie Lewis, Lumberton, .008, 4.701 on a 4.680, 140.93 mph, def. Clayton Roberts, Willow Spring, .017, 5.294 on a 5.260, 133.46 mph; Randell Blinson, Clayton, .010, 6.244 on a 6.240, 106.45 mph, def. Alan Walters, .055, 6.087 breakout on a 6.130, 111.53 mph; Jonathan King, Angier, .012, 4.896 on a 4.890, 139.08 mph, def. Michael Spencer, Raeford, .033, 4.543 on a 4.540, 151.80 mph; Blane Parrish, Clayton, 1993 Ford Mustang, .010, 5.820 on a 5.830, 117.42 mph, def. Dean Phillips, Burlington, .017, 5.626 breakout on a 5.640, 120.89 mph; Joe Hartsell, Oaksboro, .015, 5.467 on a 5.470, 124.80 mph, def. Clayton Roberts #2, Willow Spring, foul (-.001); Michael Combs, Bluff City, Tenn., bye. Round 7 – Combs, .003, 6.098 on a 6.080, 112.83 mph, def. Hartsell, .027, 5.452 breakout on a 5.470, 125.16 mph; Desist, .007, 6.052 on a 6.050, 112.72 mph, def. King, .033, 4.800 on a 4.890, 139.96 mph; Blinson, .004, 6.240 on a 6.230, 107.75 mph, def. Parrish, .003, 5.832 on a 6.820, 115.65 mph; Lewis, bye. Semifinals – Lewis, .011, 4.678 on a 4.680, 145.99 mph, def. Desist, foul; Combs, .021, 6.085 on a 6.090, 112.13 mph, def. Blinson, .014, 6.230 breakout on a 6.240, 106.68 mph. FINAL – Cassie Lewis, Lumberton, .020, 4.691 on a 4.680, 140.76 mph, def. Michael Combs, Bluff City, Tenn., .053, 6.128 on a 6.080, 111.40 mph. SATURDAY FOOTBRAKE Round 5 – Jacob Ritchie, Kannapolis, 1980 Chevy Malibu, .002, 6.675 on a 6.670, 101.26 mph, def. Dennis Coppe, Shallotte, 1974 Dodge, .070, 6.351 breakout on a 6.380, 107.32 mph; Ernie Humes, Troutman, .021, 6.477 on a 6.460, 100.333 mph, def. Art Laselle, Fayetteville, .030, 6.416 on a 6.400, 104.15 mph; Eric Watts, Rockingham, .055, 7.502 on a 7.480, 91.30 mph, def. Brandon Williams, Eagle Springs, foul; Levi Boozer, Kannapolis, .009, 6.279 on a 6.240, 105.89 mph, def. Kaden Jenkins, Heath Springs, S.C., .088, 7.292 on a 7.290, 93.27 mph; Chris “Hot Rod” Gibson, Lexington, .024, 6.788 on a 6.700, 87.09 mph, def. Bradley Hoffman, Richlands, 2004 Ford Mustang, .095, 7.832 on a 7.780, 86.67 mph; Jacob Ritchie #2, Kannapolis, .022, 6.679 on a 6.670, 101.49 mph, def. Larry Jollie, Loris, S.C., 1986 Chevy S-10 truck, foul; Ryan Snipes, Lancaster, S.C., bye. Round 6 – Gibson, NA, 6.549 on a 6.680, 106.43 mph, def. Ritchie #2, foul; Humes, .017, 6.470 on a 6.460, 100.78 mph, def. Watts, .054, 7.472 breakout a 7.500, 91.38 mph; Boozer, .022, 6.296 on a 6.250, 107.79 mph, def. Snipes, .067, 6.653 breakout on a 6.670, 102.72 mph; Ritchie, bye. Semifinals – Humes, .019, 6.727 on a 6.460, 83.80 mph, def. Gibson, foul; Boozer, .035, 6.301 on a 6.270, 106.09 mph, def. Ritchie, .096, 6.681 on a 6.670, 102.14 mph. FINAL – Ernie Humes, Troutman, .049, 6.454 on a 6.460, 99.44 mph, def. Levi Boozer, Kannapolis, .057, 6.258 breakout on a 6.270, 108.47 mph. SATURDAY JR. DRAGSTER Round 4 – Bladen Clint Core, Benson, .017, 8.931 on an 8.900, 72.52 mph, def. Tanner Brayboy, Maxton, .143, 11.909 on an 11.900, 52.37 mph; Emma Freeman, Mount Airy, .124, 11.465 on an 11.470, 55.97 mph, def. Lane Morgan, Angier, .086, 8.889 breakout on an 8.900, 71.87 mph; Connor Caulder, St. Pauls, .073, 7.941 on a 7.900, 79.88 mph, def. Cameron Majors, .073, 7.954 on a 7.910, 82.83 mph; Kristen Brady, Liberty, .024, 7.947 on a 7.920, 81.92 mph, def. Blake Combs, Bluff City, Tenn., .052, 7.927 on a 7.900, 80.78 mph; Budd Trammell II, Aynor, S.C., .055, 7.922 on a 7.900, 80.56 mph, def. Reece Branton, Conway, S.C., .220, 11.805 breakout on an 11.830, 56.94 mph. Round 5 – Trammell, .012, 7.931 on a 7.900, 82.12 mph, def. Caulder, .033, 7.943 on a 7.900, 79.89 mph; Brady, .016, 7.992 on a 7.940, 75.41 mph, def. Freeman, .253, 11.473 on an 11.460, 55.77 mph; Core, bye. Semifinals – Brady, .036, 7.921 on a 7.940, 83.01 mph, def. Core, foul (-003); Trammell, bye. FINAL – Budd Trammell II, Aynor, S.C., .002, 7.923 on a 7.900, 81.12 mph, def. Kristen Brady, Liberty, .079, 7.961 on a 7.920, 81.43 mph. Terry Clark Photos