Team Bradenton scores the win at NHRA Southeast Division Summit Finals

More than 400 of the best bracket racers in NHRA’s Southeast division came to Atlanta Dragway to compete for individual and team honors in the Southeast Division Summit Racing Series Finals. In the end, the team from Bradenton (Fla.) Motorsports Park scored the win for the second straight year. They beat the two teams that tied for second, Silver Dollar Raceway in Reynolds, Ga., and Montgomery (Ala.) Motorsports Park, by a whopping 18 points.

The individual winners, who were racing for a share of the purse worth nearly $16,000, included Roy Hagadorn of Venice, Fla., in the Super Pro Bike category who was running for Bradenton. Hagadorn was runner-up in Super Pro Bike last year when he lost to his wife, Candy, in the final. This year, Hagadorn bested his teammate Lonny Rueckert, a Bradenton resident.

The win in Super Pro went to Mark Padgett, Dublin, Ga., racing for South Georgia Motorsports Park. He beat out Montgomery Motorsports Park racer Michael Rastall of Rainsville, Ala. Bruce Wilson, Tallapoosa, Ga., wheeled his ’70 Nova to the win in Pro ET, scoring points for Huntsville Dragway. He ousted Lucas Walker, Wingo, Ky., representing Northwest Tennessee Motorsports Park.

In the Sportsman category final, Steve Foley, Barbourville, Ky., made his way to the winner’s circle in his ’74 Duster, scoring points for Montgomery Motorsports Park. Foley jettisoned Jeremy Jarosz of Boca Raton, Fla., in his ’93 Mustang.

Today’s winners will advance to compete against winners from NHRA’s other six divisions at the NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif., in November. They will each receive $3,500 for running at the Finals and the winner in each class will receive an additional $5,000.

The following are Saturday’s final results from the NHRA Summit Racing Series Southeast Division Finals at Atlanta Dragway:

SUPER PRO Mark Padgett, Dublin, Ga., South Georgia Motorsports Park, dragster, 4.641, 147.01 def. Michael Rastall, Montgomery Motorsports Park, Rainsville, Ala., dragster, 4.689, 146.16

PRO ET Bruce Wilson, Tallapoosa, Ga., Huntsville Dragway, '70 Nova, 6.628, 99.29 def. Lucas Walker, Wingo, Ky., Northwest Tennessee Motorsports Park, '93 Mustang, 6.436, 106.82

SPORTSMAN Steve Foley, Barbourville, Ky., Montgomery Motorsports Park, '74 Duster, 8.202, 76.44 def. Jeremy Jarosz, Boca Raton, Fla., '93 Mustang, 8.828, 76.36

SUPER PRO BIKE Roy Hagadorn, Venice, Fla., Bradenton Motorsports Park, '07 Suzuki, 5.725, 116.97 def. Lonny Rueckert, Bradenton, Fla., Bradenton Motorsports Park, 82 Suzuki, 5.833, 121.09.

- Jerry Foss -