Door Car Duel ends 2022 Final Call Promotions season with electrifying atmosphere
Final Call Promotions wrapped up their 2022 racing season with the Inaugural Moser Engineering Door Car Duel at Wabash Valley Dragway over the weekend.
Feature photo credit: Todd McGeehee
TERRE HAUTE, IN – The last event on the Final Call Promotions roster this season was also a first of sorts as Jake Hodge doubled down on door slammers to present the Inaugural Moser Engineering Door Car Duel. As race rigs continued to roll into Wabash Valley Dragway, there was no doubt this event would be one to remember. A stellar promotion team, track crew, and great facility intermixed with a lively bunch of racers and all the trimmings of big money bracket races created an intriguing climate for the weekend.
In Hodge’s own words, “The atmosphere was absolutely electric! You could hear an ‘Oh’ or ‘Yeah’ coming from people standing along the racetrack with every win light. It brought a million dollar feel to the small town race.”
Although far from the Final Call Promotions record car count, having 263 entries show up at an inaugural event is rather impressive. That said, there was plenty of round by round action live-streamed by MotorManiaTV and five big winners crowned.
Competitive Suspension Friday Gamblers Race
After Friday’s Test n’ Tune session wrapped up, it was time for racers to start dialing them in and getting ready for eliminations. First up was the Competitive Suspension Gamblers Race where No-Box and Box cars would compete separately with the last No-Box driver collecting $500 and moving into the Box side.
The semifinal would include Tony Zeller, the No-Box bonus winner, Michael Roberts Jr, and two members of the Jones family; Ken and his son, Zach.
Roberts missed the tree a bit which leaves him mathematically ineligible as Ken Jones takes the win.
Zach Jones lets go .008 red to just barely miss the opportunity to race his father, while Zeller lays down a .008 package to make it an all first-gen Camaro final round.
Ken Jones shows no nerves in the first final round of the weekend as he lets go perfect and runs two above to earn the $2,000 victory over Zeller, who was .025 up front and one above his dial.
Photo credit: Alkey Alex Photos
Photo credit: Alkey Alex Photos
Photo credit: Alkey Alex Photos
Grizzly, Inc Saturday
No-Box Results
Saturday’s No-Box final round came down to Kenny McKissack in his ’94 S-10 taking on James Gibbs in the old school cool ’66 Dodge Dart.
The race is practically settled at the starting line when Gibbs is .009 and runs dead on for the win while McKissack is a little behind on the tree and breaks out. Gibbs had purchased the No-Box High Roller tech card which advanced him to the next round of Box competition along with collecting his $2,500 No Box prize.
Photo credit: Alkey Alex Photos
Box Results
By the eighth round of competition, only four drivers remained in the running for Saturday’s $7,500 Box payout: Kevin Adams, Travis Snowden, Jason Barnes, and the No-Box winner James Gibbs.
Snowden has an .013 reaction time advantage and runs two above his dial to take the win over Gibbs who gets to the stripe first but breaks out. In the other pairing, both drivers run dead on their dial ins but Adams had a major starting line advantage to advance over Barnes.
It’s another all-Chevy final round as Adams stages his Nova next to Snowden in the Malibu. Adams is .029 total to lock out Snowden crosses the finish line in front, but runs .015 under his dial.
Photo credit: Alkey Alex Photos
Photo credit: Alkey Alex Photos
Mayes Powder Coating & Sandblasting Sunday
No-Box Results
The last bottom bulb final round of the weekend was a battle between Taylor Bowling and Charlie Lockhart with only a 2 thou margin of victory. Lockhart is .020 up front and runs one above with a nine to earn the win over Bowling who was .027 and runs .014 above his dial in.
Lockhart had also purchased the No Box High Roller weekend tech card which advanced him into the next round of the Box class after cashing in for $2,500 on the No-Box side.
Photo credit: Alkey Alex Photos
Photo credit: Alkey Alex Photos
Box Results
Sunday’s Box semifinal saw three S-10s left standing as Shawna Whitworth earned the bye run while Gerald Ingle and the No-Box winner, Charlie Lockhart, staged up to see who would join her. Ingle lays down an impressive .010 package beside Lockhart, who’s .029 light off the bottom just wouldn’t be enough.
And with that, there was only one more pair to close out not only the Inaugural Moser Door Car Duel but also the Final Call Promotions 2022 racing season.
Ingle is .006 beside the .015 light of Whitworth, but runs .018 above the dial to wind up 1 thou behind at the finish line. Whitworth runs dead on with an eight to claim the win and last $7,500 check of the weekend.
Photo credit: Alkey Alex Photos
Photo credit: Alkey Alex Photos
Always a great time with Final Call Promotions
Check out some of the bonus awards, prizes, and excitement during the Inaugural Moser Door Car Duel at Wabash Valley Dragway.
Gearing up for the 2023 season
Jake Hodge and his talented crew are already planning events for the 2023 season. You can guarantee there will be win lights, money, burnouts, and excitement on the schedule as they have already proven throughout the years.
Follow the Final Call Promotions Facebook page to stay up to date on the latest news and announcements.
For the latest in bracket racing news from DragChamp, click here.
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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