5/25/2015
US 13 Dragway
FOURTH GENERATION DRIVER CHAD CATHELL SCORES FIRST SUPER PRO WIN OF THE YEAR AT U.S. 13
By Charlie Brown, Delmar, DE – Fifty-two years ago William J. Cathell opened the U.S. 13 Dragway as a safe venue for his son Charlie and others to race their cars. He probably would have never dreamed that on Sunday, his great grandson Chad Cathell would again enter the record books at the quarter-mile by winning Top Eliminator for the first time as an IHRA member track, second of his career. Other winners on a big day of racing were: Vienna, Md.’s Chad Thurman in Pro; John Ferguson of Cambridge, Md. in Pro Bike; Sharon Landry of Townsend, Del. in Street Eliminator; Dean Foster of Princess Anne, Md. in Hot Rod; Keith Riddle of Millsboro, Del. in Jr. Dragster 1; Dacia Powell of Salisbury, Md. in Jr. Dragster 2; Lawrence Currie of Philadelphia, Pa. in Crazy 8 for Bikes and “Fast EddieWho?" Chapman of Pocomoke, Md. in the “Bike Brawl� Grudge Eliminator.
Chad Cathell advanced to the Top semi-finals by defeating Ken Morley and earning the bye run that put him in the final round against Brooks Moore in his ’67 Camaro. Moore would have a good .032 reaction light but it would be no match for Cathell’s “secret agent� .007. Cathell would take the win with a 7.773/165.85 on a 7.76 dial-in for the win. Moore, who defeated Vic Gordy in the semi-finals to advance, ran a solid 9.985/133.84 on a 9.96 dial.
In the Pro final it was the ’69 Camaro of Chad Thurman taking on Ryan Groton in his ’78 Camaro. Thurman had a near perfect .001 reaction and took the double break out win with a 9.702/132.39 on a 9.71 dial. Groton was too quick running an 11.962 on an 11.98. Semi-finalists were Billy Collingsworth who lost to Thurman and Andy Davenport who lost to Groton.
The “Bike Brawl� brought lots of top riders on Sunday. In Pro Bike it was John Ferguson it was a pair of GSXR 1000’s with John Ferguson pair against Brice Cornish, Jr. Ferguson had a great run starting with a .014 reaction light then running a 9.397/149.03 on a 9.39 dial for the win. Cornish had a 9.603/139.62 on a 9.49 dial. In the Crazy 8 final it was Lawrence Currie taking the win over Marquise Blake. Blake left early and red-lighted while Currie rode to the win with an 8.963/156.22 on an 8.88 dial. The Grudge Eliminator final paired Eddie Chapman on his seven second Suzuki against Blake who made his second final round of the day. Blake was no match for Chapman who blasted an 8.126/183.56 to Blake’s 9.584/134.62.
The Street Eliminator final matched a pair of tough racers: Sharon Landry in her ’02 Camaro and Gary Stickles in his ’78 Fairmont. Stickles left early and fouled ad Landry took the win with a 13.203/104.39 on a 13.35 dial. In Hot Rod it was the Mustang of Dean Foster matched with the Corvette of Butch Harmon. Harmon left too early and fouled and Foster took the win with a 13.245/108.80 on a 12.88 dial.
The Jr. Dragster 1 final found three time winner this season, Keith Riddle taking on defending Jr. 1 Champion, Nicholas Bowie. Riddle had the better reaction in the heads-up run and drove to win number four with a 9.009/70.19 on an 8.97. Bowie ran a 9.025/68.74 on an 8.97. In the Jr. Dragster 2 final Dacia Powell met Kody Mariner. Powell had a .011 reaction and drove to the win with an 8.200/80.02 on an 8.18 dial. Mariner had a 7.922/80.22 on a 7.90.
