FUNNY CAR CREWMAN CARMICHAEL WINS AT ROCKINGHAM Williams Narrowly Misses Double in Annual Racers Appreciation Bracket Shootout ROCKINGHAM – The race car on which Randy Carmichael regularly serves as a crewman routinely reaches speeds exceeding 300 miles per hour so the Mullins, S.C., resident must have felt like he was standing still Sunday when he crossed the finish line at a paltry 103 mph to win the last big race of the annual Racers Appreciation Free Entry Bracket Shootout at Rockingham Dragway. Carmichael used a .021 of a second package to deny Lumberton’s Joe Williams a sweep of the weekend’s Top Eliminator races. After winning Saturday, Williams appeared to be on his way to a double when he rang up a reaction time just .001 short of perfect. Unfortunately, he couldn’t run his target number and was guilty of a breakout foul that handed the victory to Carmichael. The pace will intensify for Carmichael this weekend when he goes back to work at the 51st annual NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., as a crewman on the fuel Funny Car owned by drag racing legend “Big Jim” Dunn and driven by veteran Jim Campbell. Other weekend winners at The Rock included 2017 track champion Mark Soles of Delco, the Sunday Footbrake winner, and Jonathan McCandless of Burlington, grandson of former NHRA Pro Stock standout Herb “Mr. Four-Speed” McCandless, whose .014 final round package was good enough to win the Saturday Footbrake final. Lumberton’s Hayden Dial and Rowland’s Maxson Locklear were the winners in the Jr. Dragster category. ROCKINGHAM – Results from the 2020 Racers Appreciation Free Entry Bracket Shootout completed Sunday at Rockingham Dragway. Hometowns are North Carolina unless otherwise indicated. Results include reaction time, track time compared to target time and finish line speed: TOP ELIMINATOR SUNDAY Round 4 – Bert McBride, Jackson Springs, .021, 6.730 on a 6.710, 88.14 mph, def. Andrew Davis, Fayetteville, foul; Tom Utz, Butler, Ky., 1978 Chevy Malibu, .009, 6.340 on a 6.340, 104.19 mph, def. Ron Phipps, Salisbury, 1968 Chevy Camaro, .027, 6.188 on a 6.160, 112.12 mph; Randy Carmichael, Mullins, S.C., .012, 6.585 on a 6.570, 103.57 mph, def. Jermaine McCaskill, Elgin, S.C., 1997 Chevy Camaro, .030, 5.827 on a 5.800, 117.55 mph; Barry Nall, Eagle Springs, .012, 5.780 on a 5.770, 117.02 mph, def. Willie Lytch, Southern Pines, 1967 Chevy Camaro, foul (-.004); Alan Walters, Southern Pines, 1969 Chevy Camaro, .035, 6.091 on a 6.090, 110.28 mph, def. Trey Sikes, Cordova, 1968 Chevy Nova, .039, 6.811 on a 6.800, 96.14 mph; Joe Williams, Lumberton, bye. Round 5 – Carmichael, .014, 6.576 on a 6.580, 104.07 mph, def. McBride, .062, 6.634 breakout on a 6.710, 104.62 mph; Walters, .007, 6.091 on a 6.090, 108.46 mph, def. Utz, .009, 6.343 on a 6.330, 106.41 mph; Williams, .008, 5.334 on a 5.320, 130.49 mph, def. Nall, foul. Semifinals – Williams, .004, 6.448 on a 5.320, 79.52 mph, def. Walters, foul; Carmichael, bye. FINAL – Randy Carmichael, Mullins, S.C., .017, 6.594 on a 6.590, 103.07 mph, def. Joe Williams, Lumberton, .001, 5.400 on a 5.320, 129.83 mph. TOP ELIMINATOR SATURDAY Round 4 – Charlie Gilbert, Fayetteville, Chevy Cavalier, .043, 5.048 on a 5.000, 138.88 mph, def. unknown #565, .082, 7.785 breakout on a 7.790, 87.46 mph; Mark Soles, Delco, .005, 5.675 on a 5.510, 110.85 mph, def. Jackie Taylor, Lumberton, 1973 Chevy Vega, .023, 8.926 on a 6.120, 59.84 mph; Ron Phipps, Salisbury, 1968 Chevy Camaro, .015, 6.201 on a 6.190, 111.79 mph, def. Dean Phillips, Burlington, 1967 Chevy, foul; Joe Williams, Lumberton, .012, 5.358 on a 5.320, 130.63 mph, def. Jermaine McCaskill, Elgin, S.C., 1997 Chevy Camaro, .000, 5.771 breakout on a 5.790, 120.08 mph; Alan Walters, Southern Pines, 1969 Chevy Camaro, bye. Round 5 – Soles, .003, 5.538 on a 5.530, 125.83 mph, def. Gilbert, foul (-.002); Phipps, .027, 6.205 on a 6.190, 111.06 mph, def. Walters, .079, 6.100 breakout on a 6.120, 111.68 mph; Williams, bye. Semifinals – Williams, .038, 5.354 on a 5.320, 130.18 mph, def. Soles, .027, 5.520 breakout on a 5.530, 123.78 mph; Phipps, bye. FINAL – Joe Williams, Lumberton, .024, 5.358 on a 5.340, 130.25 mph, def. Ron Phipps, Salisbury, 1968 Chevy Camaro, .025, 6.223 on a 6.190, 112.12 mph. FOOTBRAKE SUNDAY Round 5 – Tim Davis, Fayetteville, .014, 7.820 on a 7.760, 78.73 mph, def. Eric Watts, Rockingham, 1979 Chevy Malibu, .154, 7.293 breakout on a 7.300, 93.21 mph; Chip Bullock, .017, 7.438 on a 7.390, 91.41 mph, def. James Lockhart, Charlotte, 1970 Oldsmobile, .021, 7.667 breakout on 7.670,, 88.74 mph; Matt Ward, Anderson, S.C., 1969 Chevy Camaro, .037, 6.218 on a 6.230, 109.94 mph, def. Ricky Little, Concord, foul; Ross Freeman, Westville, S.C., .030, 6.456 on a 6.400, 101.97 mph, def. Edward Freeman, Kershaw, S.C., 1968 Chevy Chevelle, .129, 6.775 breakout on a 6.780, 99.33 mph; Mark Soles, Delco, .015, k5.574 on a 5.570, 118.70 mph, def. Shane Thiele, Darlington, S.C., 2019 Copo Camaro, .038, 5.794 on a 5.790, 116.75 mph. Round 6 – Freeman, .044, 6.405 on a 6.400, 105.67 mph, def. Bullock, .030, 7.402 breakout on a 7.420, 91.86 mph; Soles, .024, 5.568 on a 5.570, 126.20 mph, def. Ward, foul (-.002); Davis, bye. Semifinals – Davis, .037, 7.791 on a 7.770, 83.23 mph, def. Freeman, .051, 6.416 on a 6.390, 106.29 mph; Soles, bye. FINAL – Mark Soles, Delco, .015, 5.596 on a 5.570, 125.19 mph, def. Tim Davis, Fayetteville, .012, 7.747 breakout on a 7.770, 87.06 mph. FOOTBRAKE SATURDAY Round 4 – Chris Gibson, .036, 6.416 on a 6.400, 102.09 mph, def. Allen Furr, Richfield, 1962 Chevy II, .043, 6.524 on a 6.500, 101.19 mph; Jonathan McCandless, Burlington, .050, 6.940 on a 6.950, 94.86 mph, def. Brandon Williams, Eagle Springs, .064, 6.295 breakout on a 6.310, 107.70 mph; James Lockhart, Charlotte, 1970 Oldsmobile, .033, 7.686 on a 7.690, 88.22 mph, def. Charlie Gibson, Lexington, 1968 Chevy Camaro, .053, 6.043 breakout on a 6.050, 113.47 mph; Ron Williams, Eagle Springs, .074, 6.727 on a 6.650, 103.06 mph, def. Matt Ward, Anderson, S.C., 1969 Chevy Camaro, foul; Kenneth Alexander, Mocksville, 1969 Chevy Nova, .041, 5.803 on a 5.760, 108.33 mph, def. Chris McBee, St. Pauls, 1968 Chevy Camaro, .079, 6.482 on a 6.470, 105.41 mph; Unknown #565, .024, 7.869 on a 7.780, 76.52 mph, def. Steve McIntosh, Winnsboro, S.C., 2000 Ford Mustang, .157, 6.585 on a 6.510, 104.55 mph; Chad Terry, Efland, 1969 Chevy Camaro, .011, 6.607 on a 6.540, 94.64 mph, def. Ricky Little, Concord, .169, 7.156 on a 7.110, 88.32 mph; Allen Furr #2, Richfield, 1967 Chevy II, .012, 6.534 on a 6.500, 100.34 mph, def. Ben Roberts, Ridgeway, S.C., 1995 Chevy Camaro, .047, 6.833 on a 6.800, 97.83 mph. Round 5 – McCandless, .000, 6.963 on a 6.940, 91.53 mph, def. Furr, .080, 6.520 on a 6.500, 101.97 mph; Alexander, .007, 5.783 on a 5.760, 116.02 mph, def. Unknown #565, .030, 7.787 on a 7.780, 87.33 mph; Gibson, NA, 6.341 on a 6.500, 107.93 mph, def. Lockhart, foul (-.002); Terry, .020, 6.599 on 6.530, 99.66 mph, def. Williams, .037, 6.792 on a 6.690, 100.52 mph. Semifinals – Terry, .018, 6.602 on a 6.530, 105.06 mph, def. Alexander, foul; McCandless, .035, 6.946 on a 6.940, 95.60 mph, def. Gibson, foul. FINAL – Jonathan McCandless, Burlington, .009, 6.945 on a 6.940, 93.71 mph, def. Chad Terry, Efland, 1969 Chevy Camaro, .008, 8.539 on an 8.530, 105.19 mph. JR. DRAGSTER SUNDAY Round 3 – Ava Ward, Anderson, S.C., .074, 8.925 on an 8.900, 74.61 mph, def. Maxson Locklear, Rowland, .201, no time; Reece Branton, Conway, S.C., .101, 8.865 on an 8.850, 75.88 mph, def. Gabe Williamson, Marion, S.C. .151, 8.848 breakout on an 8.900, 73.28 mph; Gavin Whisnant, Dallas, .106, 7.907 on a 7.900, 82.60 mph, def. Unknown #2029, .125, 7.867 breakout on an 7.910, 83.28 mph; Hayden Dial, Lumberton, .053, 7.866 on a 7.900, 82.93 mph, def. Cam Whisnant, Dallas, foul (-.005); Logan Westmoreland, Troy, S.C., .008, 8.065 on an 8.000, 76.96 mph, def. Kristen Brady, Liberty, .061, 7.887 breakout on a 7.900, 81.10 mph. Round 4 – Branton, .079, 8.886 on an 8.850, 74.72 mph, def. Ward, .013, 9.004 on an 8.900, 73.32 mph; Dial, .021, 7.993 on a 7.900, 79.28 mph, def. Whisnant, .034, 7.991 on a 7.900, 82.16 mph; Westmoreland, bye. Semifinals – Branton, .060, 8.886 on an 8.870, 74.69 mph, def. Westmoreland, .099, 8.068 breakout on an 8.100, 76.73 mph; Dial, bye. FINAL – Hayden Dial, Lumberton, .048, 7.856 on a 7.900, 82.01 mph, def. Reece Branton, Conway, S.C., foul. JR. DRAGSTER SATURDAY Semifinals – Maxson Locklear, Rowland, .035 12.035 on a 12.000, 53.66 mph, def. Hayden Dial, Lumberton, .020, 8.006 on a 7.900, 74.09 mph; Ava Ward, Anderson, S.C., .124, 9.030 on an 8.940, 72.12 mph, def. Budd Trammell II, Aynor, S.C., .120, 8.147 on an 8.050, 80.64 mph. FINAL – Maxson Locklear, Rowland, .148, 12.086 on a 12.000, 53.71 mph, def. Ava Ward, Anderson, S.C., .142, 8.952 breakout on a 9.010, 73.61 mph. Photo Credit: Terry Clark