For Mt. Olive’s Eric Aman, the reward was worth the wait.  After three consecutive postponements due to weather, the former Rockingham Dragway track champion claimed a $6,000 top prize Sunday as the Top Eliminator Champion in the rain-shortened opening event in the Hoosier Tires Carolina Coalition Bracket Series.

In addition to the cash, Aman also took the Coalition points lead as well as lead in the race for the 2013 track championship in the Ronnie Roberts Racing dragster.

Track owner Steve Earwood, who was forced to postpone his two-day season opener and the first day of the Coalition opener, doubled the purse for racers who had stuck with him through the opening two weeks.

For Mt. Olive’s Eric Aman, the reward was worth the wait.  After three consecutive postponements due to weather, the former Rockingham Dragway track champion claimed a $6,000 top prize Sunday as the Top Eliminator Champion in the rain-shortened opening event in the Hoosier Tires Carolina Coalition Bracket Series.

In addition to the cash, Aman also took the Coalition points lead as well as lead in the race for the 2013 track championship in the Ronnie Roberts Racing dragster.

Track owner Steve Earwood, who was forced to postpone his two-day season opener and the first day of the Coalition opener, doubled the purse for racers who had stuck with him through the opening two weeks.

That meant that Aman got a double dose as did Footbrake champion Daniel T. Leggett of Lumberton ($3,000) and Jr. Dragster winner Nicholas Rabon on Florence, S.C. ($400).

The race also paid double points while serving not only as the opening race in the Carolina Coalition Series but also the first in the battle for track championships and positions on the team Rockingham Dragway will send to the Bracket Finals this fall.

Aman used a .008 reaction time to get past Raleigh’s Gary Ingold in the final after both drivers went exactly .011 under their target numbers.  In Footbrake, Leggett got a free pass to the cash when Benson’s Wesley Roberts, also part of the Ronnie Roberts Racing stable, was guilty of a final round foul start.


 
Results from Sunday’s Hoosier Tires Carolina Coalition bracket racing series opener at Rockingham Dragway:

TOP ELIMINATOR

            Round 5 – David Lowe, Raeford, 1969 Camaro, .032, 6.534 on a 6.550, 103.95 mph, def. Gabe Taylor, Elizabethtown, foul; Mike Joyner, Rocky Mount, .022, 6.420 on a 6.420, 106.52 mph, def. Eric Thomas, Fairmont, .046, 5.563 on a 5.540, 121.76 mph; Ken Batchelor, Leland, .021, 4.725 on a 4.720, 138.14 mph, def. Howie Adams, NA, .014, 5.049 on a 5.020, 137.05 mph; Joe Julsrud, Stony Point, .006, 4.875 on a 4.880, 135.61 mph, def. Tommy Strickland, Raeford, .020, 4.660 breakout on a 4.690, 147.46 mph; Tommy Plott, Winston-Salem, .031, 4.801 on a 4.790, 142.07 mph, def. Terrance Sessoms, Roseboro, .034, 6.302 breakout on a 6.310, 108.32 mph; Gary Ingold, Raleigh, .016, 4.682 on a 4.670, def. Chad Duke, Wilmington, 1970 Chevy Nova, .064, 6.257 on a 6.250, 107.30 mph; Eric Aman, Mt. Olive, .021, 4.746 on a 4.560, 114.51 mph, def. Ernest McNeill, NA, .016, 5.872 on a 5.270, 93.56 mph; Chuck Bowman, Stone Point, bye.

            Round 6 – Batchelor, .020, 4.756 on a 4.700, 139.79 mph, def. Lowe, .063, 6.554 on a 6.540, 101.17 mph; Bowman, .035, 4.944 on a 4.930, 138.98 mph, def. Julsrud, .028, 4.866 breakout on a 4.870, 139.82 mph; Ingold, .027, 4.679 on a 4.670, 146.96 mph, def. Joyn, foul; Aman, .009, 4.590 on a 4.560, 145.34 mph, def. Plott, .053, 4.805 on a 4.800, 141.56 mph.

            Semifinals – Ingold, .017, 4.682 on a 4.680, 140.91 mph, def. Batchelor, .009, 4.762 on a 4.740, 141.92 mph; Aman, .013, 4.569 on a 4.560, 148.40 mph, def. Bowman, .017, 4.935 breakout on a 4.940, 139.41 mph.

            FINAL – Eric Aman, Mt. Olive, .008, 4.581 on a 4.560, 146.46 mph, def. Gary Ingold, Raleigh, .034, 4.681 on a 4.670, 145.96 mph.

                                                                                              

FOOTBRAKE

            Round 5 – William Roberts, Benson, .037, 5.972 on a 5.970, 114.61 mph, def. Joe Lewis, Elizabethtown, 1970 Plymouth Duster, .048, 7.177 breakout on a 7.240, 93.30 mph; Allen Short, Travelers Rest, S.C., .033, 6.389 on a 6.390, 103.78 mph, def. Roger Rhodes, Goldsboro, 5.070, 6.952 breakout on a 6.970, 96.98 mph; Lee Norton, Grover, .032, 8.080 on an 8.070, 77.17 mph, def. Kevin Pollard, Fincastle, Va., .044, 6.763 on a 6.720, 97.04 mph; Daniel T. Leggett, Lumberton, .006, 6.998 on a 6.980, 96.87 mph, def. Ross Williard, NA, .055, 6.813 breakout on a 6.840, 95.97 mph; Westly Roberts, Benson, .074, 5.997 on a 5.980, 114.67 mph, def. Tommy Lumley, Charlotte, 1940 Chevy coupe, .089, 6.153 on a 6.140, 111.95 mph; Unknown #1X0RX, .040, 6.708 on a 6.590, 102.86 mph, def. Scott Welborn, West Columbia, S.C., .070, 9.675 breakout on a 9.700, 70.07 mph; Unknown #1X90, bye.

            Round 6 – Short, .058, 6.436 on a 6.380, 97.29 mph, def. Unknown #1X90, .093, 6.542 on a 6.520, 103.22 mph; Unknown #1X0RX, .021, 6.588 on a 6.590, 100,13 mph, def. William Roberts, .060, 5.960 breakout on a 5.970, 115.07 mph; Wesley Roberts, .029, 6.004 on a 5.980, 114.89 mph, def. Norton, foul; Leggett, bye.

            Semifinals – Leggett, .057, 6.990 on a 6.990, 95.25 mph, def. Unknown #1X0RX, .151, 6.557 breakout on a 6.580, 100.57 mph; Wesley Roberts, .028, 5.991 on a 5.990, 112.43 mph, def. Short, .032, 6.391 on a 6.350, 105.13 mph.

            FINAL – Daniel T. Leggett, Lumberton, .046, 6.971 on a 6.980, 97.06 mph, def. Wesley Roberts, Benson, foul.

 

JR. DRAGSTER

            Round 2 – Dawson Wiggins, Dunn, .161, 9.121 on a 9.040, 67.13 mph, def. Rayce Blackmon, Whiteville, broke; Blake Denton, Lillington, 083,8.893 on an 8.820, 72.69 mph, def. Brittney Dial, Maxton, .105, 7.987 on a 7.900, 80.30 mph; Morgan Tedder, NA, .005, 8.094 on an 8.080, 75.34 mph, def. Janna Vogler, Lewisville, .063, 7.925 on a 7.900, 79.94 mph; Nicholas Rabon, Florence, S.C., .106, 7.992 on a 7.900, 75.82 mph, def. Savanah Adams, NA, .239, 8.730 on an 8.690, 73.96 mph; Luke Eggers, Crumpler, .027, 8.222 on an 8.190, 78.80 mph, def. Hayden Dial, Rowland, foul; Ashleigh Stafford, Kernersville, bye.

            Round 3 – B. Dial, .035, 7.950 on a 7.930, 81.06 mph, def. Stafford, .093, 8.095 on an 8.050, 75.90 mph; Rabon, .003, 8.004 on a 7.900, 75.90 mph, def. Denton, .256, 8.849 breakout on an 8.850, 74.04 mph; Eggers, .068, 8.153 on an 8.220, 79.73 mph, def. Vogler, .091, 7,832 breakout on a 7.910, 80.70 mph; Tedder, .026, 8.083 on an 8.070, 76.98 mph, def. Wiggins, .015, 9.105 on a 9.050, 68.79 mph.

            Semifinals – Tedder, .058, 8.090 on an 8.070, 78.17 mph, def. B. Dial, .041, 7.982 on a 7.930, 81.87 mph; Rabon, .050, 7.946 on a 7.910, 83.14 mph, def. Eggers, foul.

            FINAL – Nicholas Rabon, Florence, S.C., 7.908 on a 7.950, 82.98 mph, def. Morgan Tedder, NA, foul.

 

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