Moser Engineering $100,000 main event Friday was slated to be the most action-packed day of the week at the RAD Torque Systems Fall Fling presented by Optima Batteries at Bristol Dragway where 425 drivers battled head to head for the biggest payout of the weekend.

At round seven, ten cars remained including Dustin Smiley, John Labbous, Steve Dunn, Joe Meece, Shelley Elrod, Josh Baker, Noah Lewis, Cory Gulitti, Stephen McCrory, and Steve Witherow. Labbous was behind Smiley by .003 on the tree but put it dead-on five for the win, while Dunn was perfect to the .004 redlight of Meece. Elrod earned the door car bye and Witherow had the bye on the dragster side. Baker was .014 to knock out Lewis, while McCrory fouled out by eight thousandths to Gulitti.

As racers gathered at the trackside Laris Motorsports Insurance steak dinner, the six remaining drivers agreed on the split and rolled into the quarterfinals. Baker won on a double red after being -.003 to the five red of Labbous, while Witherow also turned it five thousandths red to the .008 of Elrod. Dunn and Gulitti were separated by just two thousandths and Dunn ran dead-on eight getting to the stripe by .010 to earn the bye to the final round.

In a door car versus door car final round, Dunn laid down .016 total taking .010 for the win over Elrod to win his first ever Fling event on Moser Engineering $100,000 Friday in his ‘67 vinyl top Camaro that received the 2022 Fall Fling Best Appearing Award.

After the conclusion of the $100,000 main event, the 18 remaining drivers in the Advanced Product Design 15K event pulled into the lanes to wrap up the Warm-Up race that previously rained out on Wednesday. The last six standing included Matt Cooke, Jesse York, Paul Moore, Jeremy York, Todd Barton, and Brian Thompson.

In the semifinals, Jesse York had a three thousandths advantage on the tree and took .006 to run dead-on nine over Cooke to meet his brother Jeremy in the final round. The all-York final saw Jesse redlight by two thousandths, and Jeremy scored his third Fling event win for the APD $15,000 just two weeks after a $30,000 win at the Summer Fling in Ohio where he also earned the MVP award.

Racers will head straight into the first round on JEGS Performance $30,000 Saturday, where the final winner of the event - and the year - will be determined. The driver that earns the most points Thursday through Saturday will receive the Fall Fling Points Champion trophy, $5,000 bonus, and a Todd’s Extreme custom-painted Impact helmet.

 

 

FIRST-TIME FLING WINNER MIKE BARBER SEALS THE DEAL ON THURSDAY

 

 

A day after Mother nature came up big during Wednesday's action at the RAD Torque Systems Fall Fling presented by Optima Batteries at Bristol Dragway, she was no match for Mike Barber during the ATI Performance Products $30,000 Thursday.

Barber outlasted 424 other competitors for the big payday, the first main event big check of the weekend. In the end, he beat Chris Ferguson in a double-breakout match. 

The quarter-finals opened with a 50/50 mix of dragsters and doorslammers. Barber and Ferguson entered the six-car round,  and used super quick reactions to pave the way for the semi-finals. Barber was .005 at the hit, and wasted little time in eliminating Matthew Holmes. Ferguson was brutal at both ends of the track with a .008 light, and finish line package of .003 to eliminate Josh Baker. Michael Paschal was .009 and dead-on eight against Michael Jackson to earn a spot in the next round.

At three cars, Ferguson ended Paschal’s streak by laying down .010 total for the win. Barber took a solo trip down the track with an .012 light.

The final was a match of two potential first-time Fling event winners. Barber sealed the deal in a double breakout after running just .003 under. Ferguson, who had the advantage off the starting line with a .009 light, ran .005 under. Not only did Barber collect the $30,000 payday, but he will start the Fall Fling Points chase off in the lead.

The Moser Engineering $100,000 main event on Friday will see the 25 drivers for the Fall Fling Reaction Time Challenge hit the track to try their luck at collecting $100 cash for a “double-O” light. If they let go perfect, they win $1,000 and the opportunity to come back and do it again for $10,000.

There will be a special announcement during opening ceremonies in the morning from the Fling Team regarding the 2024 event schedule.

Everything will be streamed live as it happens on the MotorManiaTV YouTube channel free to the viewer courtesy of JEGS Performance and Mickey Thompson with new exclusive content produced by the Fling Team.

 

 

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WEDNESDAY - FALL FLING ADVANCED PRODUCT DESIGN PUT ON HOLD DUE TO WEATHER 

Advanced Product Design $15,000 Wednesday at the RAD Torque Systems Fall Fling presented by Optima Batteries at Bristol Dragway began with a time run session for all racers on property to get their equipment dialed in for the rest of the weekend.

In the afternoon during the second round, a storm with heavy rain and lightning overtook the track and by the time it passed the sun had set. As the Bristol Dragway track staff made an effort to clear off the track with jet dryers, the dew point increased which would create unsafe conditions by the time the track was projected to be fully prepped.

The Fling Team made the decision to begin ATI Performance $30,000 Thursday as scheduled with a new entry time trial in the morning before going straight into first round. “Our racers pre-entered this race for the 30K, 100K, and 30K main events,” said promoter Peter Biondo. “We want to deliver as promised, and we’ll see how the week progresses as far as coming back to continue eliminations of the 15K event.”

 

 

 

TUESDAY - KELLEY COMES UP BIG IN FIRST DAY OF RAD TORQUE SYSTEMS FALL FLING

Tim Kelley came away as the big winner on the first day of the fourth and concluding installment of the Fling Race Series, the RAD Torque Systems Fall Fling presented by Optima Batteries.

Rob’s Automotive and Collision Test and Tune Tuesday coincided with the eliminations of the fiercely contested American/Race Tech Dragster Shootout. Among the 425 racers on the premises, 32 racers vied for the coveted 2024 chassis offered by two renowned builders in the sportsman racing industry.

In the end, Kelley came up as the big winner, stopping Gary Williams in the final. 

When the quarter-final round commenced, joining Kelley and Gary Williams were Jon Corbin, Timothy Thomas, Chase McKay, Jamie Holston, Tanner Miller, and Troy Williams Jr. In a closely fought contest, Troy Williams Jr. edged out Jon Corbin with a .004 margin, while Williams secured victory with a .007 starting line advantage over McKay. Kelley’s impressive performance off the line propelled him to the semifinals, where he overcame Miller. Holston showcased a .007 reaction, winning by .003 over Thomas.

In the semifinals, Troy Williams Jr. held a .004 advantage over Kelley. However, Kelley’s performance at the stripe, with a .009 finish, secured his spot in the final. Holston, who had displayed consistent excellence throughout the day, faced an unexpected defeat, coming up .004 short against Gary Williams’ .015 package.

The final round saw Kelley seize victory with a .009 reaction while Gary Williams suffered a rare .002 redlight. Kelley’s triumph earned him the American Race Cars chassis, while Williams still walked away with a Race Tech Race Cars chassis.

The action continues on Wednesday as all racers on the property participate in a time run, inching closer to the crowning of the Advanced Product Design $15,000 Warm-Up Champion.

 

 

BIONDO CAPS PARTICIPATION IN FALL FLING EVENT TO 425 ENTRIES

You know you have a good thing going on when you have to limit participation.

That’s exactly what happened for promoter Peter Biondo and his RAD Torque Systems Fall Fling presented by Optima Batteries at Bristol Dragway. Biondo’s event will host 425 of the best bracket racers in the country at this unique single-entry event. This weekend marks the final event for the final stop on the 2023 Fling Race Series Tour.

“With 677 entries at our 2022 Bristol event, we felt we needed to cap the field in order to deliver the experience our racers have come to expect,” said promoter Peter Biondo. “We decided to only accept 425 single entries to allow us to finish before the track gets too cold or humid at night. Our goal is to provide a safe racing surface and end each day at a reasonable hour.”

Rob’s Automotive Tuesday will host a track-operated test and tune run in conjunction with the American Race Cars/Race Tech 32-Car Dragster Shootout, where the finalists will each win a chassis, with the winner having a choice of builder. 

Advanced Product Design Wednesday will get racers warmed up for $15,000. ATI Performance Products Thursday will see the first $30,000 big check of the weekend handed out, while the Moser Engineering Friday main event will crown a $100,000 champion. JEGS Performance Friday concludes the weekend with a final $30,000 big check.

The Fling Team has replaced the MVP Award with a Fall Fling Points Championship presented by Hubbard Heating & Cooling, where the top points earner Thursday-Saturday will receive a $5,000 bonus, a Fling trophy, and a Todd’s Extreme custom-painted helmet. Cash bonuses will also be awarded to second through fifth place. 

Additionally, the full ‘Fling Experience’ will be in effect with over $55,000 in racer appreciation giveaways (product and cash), a free Laris Motorsports Insurance steak dinner with live music Friday night, and a Fling Kids Treasure Hunt at 6 pm on Friday in the Premier Moving Fun Zone to be set up all week down the hill from the tower.