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DENTON, TX
Andy Mears’ Lubbock, Texas based 1957 Chevy bodied “Dragon Slayer” made a run through the
‘B’ field and defeated Jordan Ballew in the final round to go down as winner of the inaugural event.
Story by Paul Caster
Photos by Chris Graves, Tera Graves, Steve Scott and Wes Ramsey
After many years of what I call What does this mean? Well, if round of eliminations, which was
“sanitization of drag racing,” you have a funny car collecting the biggest field of funny cars
someone finally stepped up and dust in your garage and no place Texas has seen at an independent
promoted a true old style drag to race it due to rules or light drag race in over twenty years!
racing event. How does one wallet syndrome, you do now!
do this in 2017 and draw cars The only rules are that there are I had a chance to interview some
and spectators from across the ‘no rules’ other than safety. Any of the owners/drivers before and
country? You hand the keys to a engine size, any supercharger, any after the race. A few that come to
young, knowledgeable, enthusiastic overdrive, any magneto(s), any mind are John Hale, Gary Doak,
promoter like Chris Graves and size fuel pump(s), any legal fuel, Chris Morel, Debra Ousley, Nick
say ‘let ‘er eat’. He then promotes no minimum weight, any funny car Poloson, Daniel Butherus, Ray
a true grass roots, run whatcha body style, open qualifying with no Stringer, Mike Buchanan, Jordan
brung, no holds barred, heads up, breakout rule (this ain’t no bracket Ballew, Nancy Matter along with
pro tree drag race. What better race). The quickest eight cars many others. I wanted their views;
way to do this than with Funny qualified for the A Field and the why did they decide to support
Cars, Floppers, Plastic Fantastics remaining car count qualified for this drag race? One commonality
or whatever you want to call them. the B Field with sixteen available surfaced in every conversation. It
Like Tony the Tiger says ‘They’re spots. Out of 23 Floppers on the gives everybody with a big bucks/
Great!’ property, 21 made the call for first low bucks Funny Car a place to
Spring 2018 Nitro Madness Magazine 21