Biddle Conquers Sunday Crowd at BTE World Footbrake Challenge XVI

Randy Biddle Jr secures the final $15K win of the BTE World Footbrake Challenge XVI by defeating Caleb Ellison. Tim Douglas cashes in for $4K over Joe Foley during the completion of Saturday’s Gamblers Race.

BRISTOL, TN – Apparently, the quote that time flies when you’re having fun was written about drag racing since the BTE World Footbrake Challenge XVI has rapidly approached its final day. Sunday opened with a chapel service and new entry time trials, followed by the two remaining rounds of Saturday’s Gamblers Race. 

Saturday Gamblers Race

The surviving competitors were hoping that win lights were on the breakfast menu this morning and Joe Foley was served the bye run. A pair of Tims battled to see who would advance into the final to face him. The .004 reaction time of Tim Douglas essentially sealed the deal as he took the win over Tim Curry. 

In the final, Douglas was .004 again and runs dead on with an eight to earn a $4,000 payday beside the breakout pass of Foley. 

Sunday $15K Main Event BTE World Footbrake Challenge XVI

Quarterfinal

Another large payout was still on the table as 400 entries raced down the eighth mile first round of Sunday’s Main Event. Several rounds later there were only five drivers left in the running for $15K. The all-Chevrolet driving quarterfinalists were Caleb Ellison, Brandon White, Chad Dotson, Kaleb Greene, and Randy Biddle Jr. 

Ellison puts a stop to the impressive performance of Greene (who still had both entries up until the round of nine cars) by dropping to be three hundredths above his dial beside Greene’s breakout. White runs dead on his dial but left the red light shining on the tree which sends Biddle into the semifinal. Dotson earned the bye run courtesy of his previous .014 reaction time. 

Semifinal

In the semifinal, Dotson is .007 red and crawls down the racetrack while Biddle is .012 green to coast into the final round. On the bye run, Ellison launches to get a little data before lifting off the throttle. 

Final

A pair of skilled wheelmen who have had their share of winner’s circle appearances roll into the water box to see which will add another win to their remarkable records. The 2020 BTE Labor Day $100K winner, Ellison, ends his evening with a .002 red light and runner up honors. 

Biddle is .009 green and coasts across the finish line to win a $15K check to go along with his $10K win from the WFC IX event in 2015. 

Final Thoughts

Co-promoter, Jared Pennington, wrapped up the event with a few words. He said, “Thank you to our sponsors and this amazing group of racers, we couldn’t do it without you. Thank you to my partner, Steve, our Coalburg Racing Promotions staff, the Bristol Dragway staff, JEGS for the MotorManiaTV live feed, and BTE first and foremost for being our sponsor for 16 years.” 

After the smoke clears and all pit spots are vacant, the infamous “Thunder Valley” eventually settles into a calm and peaceful sanctuary. This is admittedly bizarre compared to the typical roaring racetrack but if you ever stick around long enough, it’s satisfying to soak it all in. With a sigh of relief and smiles of accomplishment, the Coalburg Racing Promotions team can officially mark the BTE World Footbrake Challenge XVI as complete. 

However, the season is far from over. In just two short months, everyone will be back at Bristol Dragway for the BTE Labor Day $250K where a minimum of $100,000 will be leaving with the Saturday Champion. Stay tuned for more details. 

For the latest event information and WFC content, follow the World Footbrake Challenge Facebook page or visit their website.  

Find results from each day of the BTE World Footbrake Challenge courtesy of DragChamp! Check out Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.