Chaz Silance Gets Biggest Share of ATI Performance ‘Big John’ Purse
Freeman, Hartsell Also Win in Top ET; Ward, Sikes, Green Claim Footbrake Titles at ATI Performance Big John Memorial Weekend Bracket Championships at Rockingham Dragway.
Press Release provided by Rockingham Dragway.
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. – Eight years after taking home the biggest share of the purse in the ATI Performance Big John Memorial Weekend Bracket Championships at Rockingham Dragway, Carolina hog farmer Chaz Silance did it again Sunday, beating Troutman’s Ernie Humes III in the Top ET final for a $10,000 payday in the 24th renewal of the holiday classic.
Then, just as he did in 2014, the Jacksonville driver applied an exclamation point, claiming a winner-take-all showdown with Rockingham track champion and Sunday Footbrake winner Matt Ward that earned him a little extra hardware.
In 2014, the bonus trophy was an IHRA Ironman. This time, it was an NHRA Wally trophy just like those awarded to Top Fuel and Funny Car winners at events on the Camping World pro tour.
Although he was the only driver to take home a double-digit check, Silance was not the only one to leave with a Wally. The PDRA Top Dragster standout was joined by Jamie Freeman of Westville, S.C., who won the initial Wally on Saturday, Lake Waccamaw’s Perry Green, who won one for the Footbrake crowd on Monday when he upset Top ET champ Joe Hartsell of Stanfield, and Gavin Whisnant of Dallas who won the only Wally on the line in Jr. Dragster.
Whisnant, whose brother Cam made it to the round of six Monday in Top ET, narrowly missed a clean sweep of the Jr. races. The winner on Saturday and Monday, he was a semifinalist on Sunday before beating Ava Ward, daughter of Sunday Footbrake winner, in the Run for the Wally.
Silance was not the only repeat winner. Freeman added this year’s victory to the one he earned in 2018 when he and son Ross won on the same day. They almost duplicated that feat on Saturday when the younger Freeman took his 1970 Chevy Nova to the Footbrake final before losing to Cordova’s Trey Sikes on a breakout foul.
Hartsell got the Monday Top ET win when final round opponent Joel Hinson, a winner at the 2011 event, was guilty of a narrow .004 foul start.
Full Results
MONDAY NATIONAL DRAGSTER CHALLENGE (Run for the Wally) – Perry Green, Lake Waccamaw, 1971 Chevy Nova, .033, 7.093 on a 7.090, 95.50 mph, def. Joe Hartsell, Stanfield, .004, 5.617 on a 5.580, 119.69 mph.
SUNDAY NATIONAL DRAGSTER CHALLENGE (Run for the Wally) – Chaz Silance, Jacksonville, .009, 4.632 on a 4.630, 147.88 mph, def. Matt Ward, Anderson, S.C., 1969 Chevy Camaro, 017, 6.324 breakout on a 6.330, 103.87 mph.
SATURDAY NATIONAL DRAGSTER CHALLENGE (Run for the Wally) – Jamie Freeman, Westville, S.C., .041, 4.692 on a 4.680, 146.77 mph, def. Trey Sikes, Cordova, 1968 Chevy Nova, .011, 6.869 breakout on a 6.880, 98.08 mph.
MONDAY JR. DRAGSTER CHALLENGE (Run for the Wally)
Semifinals – Gavin Whisnant, .038, 8.259 on an 8.140, 74.00 mph, def Tripp Phipps, .135, 9.156 on a 9.090, 67.15 mph; Ava Ward, bye.
FINAL – Gavin Whisnant, Dallas, .042, 8.203 on an 8.140, 77.43 mph, def. Ava Ward, Anderson, S.C., .043, 9.069 on a 9.000, 71.10 mph.
MONDAY TOP ET
Semifinals – Joel Hinson, .012, 5.646 on a 5.640, 123.19 mph, def. Cody Strickland, .047, 4.615 breakout on a 4.620, 144.29 mph; Joe Hartsell, .019, 5.564 on a 5.580, 123.45 mph, def. Shannon Joseph, foul.
FINAL – Joe Hartsell, Stanfield, .010, 5.580 on a 5.580, 123.63 mph, def. Joel Hinson, Monroe, foul (-.004).
MONDAY FOOTBRAKE
Semifinals – Chris Thompson, .057, 8.193 on an 8.200, 86.38 mph, def. Rickey Greer, .057, 7.078 on a 7.040, 95.98 mph; Perry Green, bye.
FINAL – Perry Green, Lake Waccamaw, 1971 Chevy Nova, .076, 7.101 on a 7.080, 95.64 mph, def. Chris Thompson, Cordova, foul (-.002).
MONDAY JR. DRAGSTER
Semifinals – Gavin Whisnant, .074, 8.203 on an 8.150, 79.01 mph, def. Maxson Locklear, .111, 8.991 on an 8.940, 71.31 mph; Lane Morgan, bye.
FINAL – Gavin Whisnant, Dallas, .021, 8.180 on an 8.150, 79.33 mph, def. Lane Morgan, Angier, .066, 7.976 on a 7.900, 72.56 mph.
SUNDAY TOP ET
Semifinals – Chaz Silance, bye; Ernie Humes III, .009, 6.095 on a 6.070, 110.81 mph, def. Hayden Lambert, .012, 4.795 on a 4.770, 141.59 mph.
FINAL – Chaz Silance, Jacksonville, .005, 4.639 on a 4.630, 146.96 mph, def. Ernie Humes III, Troutman, .016, 6.075 breakout on a 6.080, 111.39 mph.
SUNDAY FOOTBRAKE
Semifinals – Matt Ward, bye; Jamie Carroll, .027, 6.263 on a 6.250, 106.93 mph, def. Chad Hodge, .011, 6.709 on a 6.670, 102.28 mph.
FINAL – Matt Ward, Anderson, S.C., 1969 Chevy Camaro, .008, 6.344 on a 6.340, 103.65 mph, def. Jamie Carroll, Clayton, 1971 Chevy Nova, .023, 6.254 on a 6.250, 107.10 mph.
SUNDAY JR. DRAGSTER
Semifinals – Jaidyn Phillips, .020, 7.937 on a 7.930, 81.97 mph, def. Gavin Whisnant, .083, 8.227 on an 8.160, 72.45 mph; Tripp Phipps, bye.
FINAL – Tripp Phipps, Kenansville, .021, 9.124 on a 9.080, 69.82 mph, def. Jaidyn Phillips, Evans, Ga., foul.
SATURDAY TOP ET
Semifinals – Cody Strickland, .018, 4.610 on a 4.600, 145.17 mph, def. Hayden Lambert, .011, 4.768 on a 4.750, 138.54 mph; Jamie Freeman, bye.
FINAL – Jamie Freeman, Westville, S.C., .004, 4.692 on a 4.680, 144.74 mph, def. Cody Strickland, Raeford, .020, 4.598 breakout on a 4.600, 145.16 mph.
SATURDAY FOOTBRAKE
Semifinals – Ross Freeman, .024, 7.465 on a 7.400, 85.29 mph, def. Cline, foul; Sikes, .063, 6.871 on a 6.880, 93.38 mph, def. Tyler, foul
FINAL –Trey Sikes, Cordova, 1968 Chevy Nova, .042, 6.888 on a 6.870, 97.60 mph, def. Ross Freeman, Westville, S.C., 1970 Chevy Nova, .050, 7.427 breakout on a 7.430, 91.41 mph.
SATURDAY JR. DRAGSTER
Semifinals – Gavin Whisnant, .038, 8.192 on an 8.180, 74.00 mph, def. Jaidyn Phillips, .010, 7.919 breakout on a 7.920, 82.06 mph; Ava Ward, .027, 9.021 on an 8.990. 72.51 mph, def. Branton, .038, 9.024 breakout on a 9.030, 74.58 mph.
FINAL – Gavin Whisnant, Dallas, .025, 8.203 on an 8.160, 77.98 mph, def. Ava Ward, Anderson, S.C., .058, 9.018 on a 9.000, 72.63 mph.
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