CUMMINGS BASKING IN THE GLOW OF DOUBLE-UP

Slate Cummings drove each of his Moser Engineering backed machines to victory in a rare “Double” at last weekend’s NHRA Division 4 LODRS event in Tulsa, OK.  Cummings earned the title in Super Stock, driving his familiar Moser Engineering-backed Chevrolet Cavalier, and in Stock Eliminator behind the wheel of his Moser Engineering Pontiac Firebird.  The Stock victory marked Cummings’s second consecutive Stock LODRS crown.

“It’s always a good feeling to win,” said Cummings.  “But I always laugh and say that I’m never satisfied; you come to the track to win, and I normally drive two cars.  So when I win in one, I say that I’m not satisfied because I lost one of them.  This weekend I didn’t lose, so I don’t really know what to say!”

Cummings came into the Tulsa event hot on the heels of a Stock Eliminator victory at his hometown LODRS event at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, LA.  He continued his Stock eliminator winning streak in Tulsa, defeating Gary Emmons, Darrell Erwin, and Billy Lynn to earn a single into the semi-final round.  There, he knocked off Dean Oliver to setup an all-Moser Engineering final round alongside teammate Jody “Cool” Simoneaux.  Simoneaux ended the drama early with a foul-start, handing Cummings the victory.

Meanwhile, Slate was working his way through the Super Stock field as well.  He opened eliminations with a victory over 2011 top-ten finisher David Bogner.  He then advanced through rounds two and three with victories over Division 5 standouts Mark Jenkins and Mike Town.  After a quarterfinal bye run, Cummings dispensed of Justin Jenkins to advance to his second final round of the day.  There, he used a slight .015 to .026 starting line advantage over Jared Swinehart  to win a double breakout affair: 9.308 (9.34 dial) to 9.596 (9.63 dial).

The victories strengthened Cummings’s 2012 title hopes.  A top five finisher in the NHRA Stock Eliminator standings in each of the last two seasons, Cummings has moved into third place in the 2012 NHRA national standings.  The victory also moved Cummings into the 2nd spot in the NHRA Division 4 Stock Eliminator points chase.  Slate’s Super Stock success pushes him atop the NHRA Division 4 standings, and into the 13th spot in the NHRA Lucas Oil national standings.

The Moser Engineering-backed Cummings Motorsports Team left Tulsa headed north to Joliet, IL for the NHRA Route 66 Nationals.  There, Slate will once again compete in Super Stock and Stock, and he also has the opportunity to once again represent the NHRA South Central Division in the prestigious JEGS All-Stars competition.  In that elite shootout, Slate will attempt to defend his JEGS All-Stars Super Stock title, and is one of three drivers to have earned a berth in the All-Stars shootout in two categories (Stock and Super Stock).

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