Foley Acquires First Win on Final Day of the BTE Labor Day $250K
Joe Foley defeats Nick Hastings on Sunday to claim the $10,000 victory at the BTE Labor Day $250K contested at Bristol Dragway.
Feature photo credit: Hobbie Lee Photography
BRISTOL, TN – Following three days of amazing weather, Sunday opened with wet grounds which proved the event was actually taking place at Bristol after all.
The slightly delayed start allowed for a little extra time for Steve Riggins to deliver the church service before the roar of engines would echo throughout Thunder Valley.
Just as expected, the hardworking Bristol Dragway staff was well-equipped to handle a little rain and had the track surface ready for racing at approximately 10 AM. Six new entries were given a time shot to get dialed in for the final day of competition at the BTE Labor Day $250K.
A nice crowd of 278 entries stayed until Sunday for their chance to take home the final $10,000 check of the weekend. After fighting their way through six rounds of cutthroat competition there were six entries but only five drivers remaining: Todd Berry, Trish Witt, Joe Foley, Ryan Butler, and Nasty Nick Hastings still double-entered.
Quarterfinal
Hastings unfortunately finds both entries paired together on the ladder, but he secures the semifinal bye run with his .013 light.
Witt is left mathematically ineligible when Foley is .014 and dead on with an eight for the win. Berry illuminates the red light which sends Butler into the semis with his .031 package.
Semifinal
In the semifinal, Butler goes .003 red while Foley is .015 green and coasts across the finish line as he advances to the final round. Hastings leaves with a .003 light just because he can and shuts off early to prepare for this eighth Coalburg Racing Promotions final round.
$10,000 Final
Hastings is looking for his sixth overall but second consecutive win while Foley is eager to earn that first Coalburg Racing Promotions win after his runner up early this season.
It’s all in Foley’s hands when they both launch with wheels up, as he pairs his .006 reaction time with a dead on four pass to leave Hastings’s .026 light mathematically ineligible. Joe Foley will leave Bristol Dragway with the $10,000 victory to add to his winning season.
Photo credit: Hobbie Lee Photography
Photo credit: Hobbie Lee Photography
Looking Forward to 2023
The BTE Labor Day $250K has crowned five winners throughout four days of racing which means the event is officially complete. That also rounds out the Coalburg Racing Promotions schedule for the season, but the team is already preparing to return to Bristol Dragway in 2023.
Half of the Coalburg Racing Promotions duo, Jared Pennington, expressed his gratitude towards the racers and sponsors as well as dropping a teaser for next season.
He revealed, “There are some discussions about possibly another event somewhere along the line, if Steve [Stites] can convince me, which he usually does. Nonetheless, we are certainly going to be back here in July and Labor Day, and we can’t wait to see everyone next year.”
Thank you to JEGS Performance and Environmental Oil Recovery, Inc. for sponsoring the MotorManiaTV.com live feed all weekend.
For more information on the BTE Labor Day $250K and the World Footbrake Challenge events, visit www.worldfootbrakechallenge.com.
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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