6th Annual FRBR Promotions Door Wars Spoils Racers with Riches
The 6th Annual Competitive Suspension Door Wars presented by BNM Performance sent six drivers to winner’s circle over four days of racing at Maryland International Raceway.
MECHANICSVILLE, MD – Andy Anderson and Shane Sweigart, co-founders of FRBR Promotions, continue to deliver first class events for their participants. The 6th Annual Competitive Suspension Door Wars: A Footbrake Experience, presented by BNM Performance was just the latest example of their work ethic.
The four-day event took place at the legendary Maryland International Raceway and rewarded winning racers with thousands of dollars. Just like many other big money bracket races across the globe, this event was live streamed for all those watching at home courtesy of Diamond State Digital.
A number of bonuses were also available throughout the weekend, including Friday’s complimentary coffee and donuts, Saturday’s Racer Appreciation meal, and either a free bowl of ice cream or roll of ISC Racer’s Tape with every buyback entry all weekend long.
Cam Murray, Jesse Betterton, and Chad Burch all received $100 cash for cutting .00x lights during the Reaction Time Challenge while Joe Dukin’s half-track burnout was deemed Best In Show for the $100 prize. The In The Way Bonus was for all the drivers who were eliminated by Saturday’s main event winner, AJ Jenkins, where a consoling $100 bill was handed to Soggy Dunn, Kurt Holland, John Madison, Louis Estevez, Jason Parker, and Wade Giles.
Needless to say, the FRBR Promotions gang is known for spoiling their racers and coming up with new ways to spice up their events, including the long-running Door Wars.
Thursday Nitro Fish Gamblers Race
Day One of Door Wars opened with a Test n’ Tune session, followed by the Nitro Fish $3,000 to win Gamblers Race. First round of competition kicked off with 85 entries before eventually winding down to three. Brandon Skelly earned the bye run to the final while Austin Youndt packaged up David Harvey Jr to earn his spot.
In the final. Skelly leaves a bit too early beside Youndt who is .032 green and runs one above to earn $3,000 and the first win of the weekend.
Friday KKC Performance $10k Main Event
On Friday, 200 entries swarmed the staging lanes in hopes of claiming the $10,000 victory. By seventh round, only five drivers remained: Darrell Holmes, David Saunders, Brandon Michaels, Jesse Betterton, and Gary Simpers.
Holmes lays down .015 total to get the best of Betterton, while Simpers takes the win over Saunders’ breakout pass. Michaels uses the bye run to advance into the semifinal round.
Simpers turns it 1 thou red but Michaels is .022 on the green side to continue in the competition. The previous .009 reaction time of Holmes earns him the bye into the final.
Only 3 thou separate the pair on the starting line, but Holmes is one above while Michaels runs dead on to take the $10,000 win on Friday.
Friday Nitro Fish Gamblers Race
The winning was far from over as Friday featured the second Nitro Fish $3,000 Gamblers Race. After starting with 106 entries, by sixth round the field was narrowed to the semifinal. Jonathan Martin had two entries and would face Travis Hill and Steve Dustin.
During the first pairing, Martin is .004 red to advance Hill who coasts across the finish line. Dustin runs one above his dial in while Martin is two above to come up .013 short of the final round.
Hill turns up the heat in the final and puts together an .023 package to leave Dustin mathematically ineligible and earns Friday’s $3,000 Gamblers Race win.
Saturday C2 Competition $20k Main Event
Fittingly, for Saturday’s $20,000 main event, the car count rose to 220 entries. Eventually there were only five drivers eligible for the weekend’s largest prize: Matt Ricchezza, AJ Jenkins, Peter Kivett, Dicky Bodmer, and Stephen Dunn.
Kivett coasts across the finish line on his bye run. Two red lights determine the other semifinal drivers as Bodmer is .004 red on Ricchezza and Dunn is .001 red against Jenkins.
Ricchezza’s .035 reaction time is locked out by Kivett’s .021 total package while Jenkins earns his spot in the final courtesy of a bye run.
In the final, Kivett has an .010 starting line advantage but isn’t close enough to his dial as Jenkins is three hundredths above to take the $20,000 victory.
Saturday $2k Gamblers Race
An impromptu Gamblers Race was offered on Saturday night with a $60 entry fee and $2,000 payout. After battling through 162 entries there were only two remaining: Trish Witt and David Harvey Jr.
Witt is .008 and runs one above to take the win over Harvey who was .011 and three above his dial in. John Madison was the lone semifinalist.
Sunday Pep Boys Speed Shop $10k Main Event
As the 6th Annual Competitive Suspension Door Wars presented by BNM Performance neared it’s close, there was still one winner left to be crowned. The final $10,000 main event began with 200 entries but in the seventh round only five drivers remained: Matt Ricchezza, Jesse Betterton, Jonathan Martin, Devin Dudley, and David Harvey Jr.
Ricchezza is .026 total to leave Martin mathematically ineligible while Betterton’s .033 package gives him the .012 margin of victory over Dudley. Harvey breaks out 2 thou on his bye run to get dialed in for the semifinal.
Ricchezza’s previous .011 light awards him the bye into the final while Betterton and Harvey stage up to see who will join him. Both drivers run dead on with a two, but Betterton’s 9 thou advantage on the tree gives him the winning edge over Harvey.
In one of the closest runs of the weekend, Betterton is .017 on the tree and runs dead on with a one, but it’s not enough to turn on the win light. In the opposite lane, Ricchezza is .015 and runs dead on with a two, earning the $10,000 prize.
Next Stop: Delaware
FRBR Promotions has one more event on the schedule and it’s only one month away! The 2nd Annual Champion Coastal Clash presented by Blittersdorf’s Automotive will take place September 16-18, 2022 at US 13 Dragway.
This three day event features separate main events for Top Bulb, Bottom Bulb, and Junior Dragster competitors. Each day will pay $10,000 to win Top, $5,000 to win Bottom Bulb, and $1,000 to win the Junior Dragster class.
Each class will also have their own Shootout Saturday night along with a Racer Appreciation dinner in memory of Wayne Cox. Get all the latest information by following the FRBR Promotions Facebook page.
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Jessica was born into a family of drag racers and fell in love with the sport at a young age. She began competing at 13 and has been hooked ever since! She even met her husband at the World Footbrake Challenge VII. Jessica works full time as an Ultrasound Technologist but spends almost every weekend chasing win lights at IHRA and NHRA bracket races.
You can contact her at Jessica@dragchamp.com or on her Facebook page.
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