Taylor Bowling Cashes in for $50K on Sunday at the BTE World Footbrake Challenge XVII

The final day of the BTE World Footbrake Challenge XVII wraps up just prior to curfew with Taylor Bowling claiming the $50,000 prize.

Feature photo courtesy of Holloway Saunders Photography

BRISTOL, TN – This year the BTE World Footbrake Challenge XVII attendees have encountered hot temperatures, two perfect runs, staggering car counts, summer thunderstorms, Footbrake Fast Facts, an oil down or two, and some of the best bottom bulb racing in the country. Racers and staff could be reasonably worn out on day four, but when the time came to get down to business everyone was ready and willing to get the job done at Bristol Dragway.

Just like every Coalburg Racing Promotions event, Sunday morning begins with a church service led by Racers For Christ. Afterward, new entries receive one time trial before the rest of the field goes directly into first round of eliminations, this time with $50,000 on the line.

The biggest purse of the weekend started with a healthy 502 entries which created an opportunity to crown a winner if blessed with perfect conditions. Remarkably, the race would be completed despite another rain shower, a top end oil spill, and the impending curfew – thanks to the hardworking track staff and hustle from our racers.

Quarterfinals

The quarterfinals would take place in the eighth round where six drivers had their eyes on that $50K prize: Tim Stuckey, Devin Dudley, Taylor Bowling, Brandon Bailey, Charlie Lockhart, and Nick Kay.

Bowling is .004 on the tree and puts together an .018 total package to leave Stuckey’s .023 reaction time mathematically ineligible. Only 1 thousandth separated the drivers on the starting line, but Kay runs closer to his dial to take the .011 margin of victory over Bailey. The last pairing was a double breakout race where Lockhart’s .013 and 2 thou under gave him the win over Dudley who was 9 thou under his dial.

Semifinal

In the semifinal, Kay is .011 red while Lockhart is .014 green to take the win. Bowling coasts through his bye run to save his ride for the final round.

Final

With 15 minutes to spare before the 1 am curfew, the two finalists roll into the water box where $50,000 was only one win light away. Bowling was obviously determined to find himself in the Bristol Dragway winner’s circle since he was .006 and dead on with a six for the win over Lockhart, who breaks out 8 thousandths.

Mike Mo MVP Award

After the winner and runner-up interviews were complete, Devin Dudley was presented with the first Mike Mo MVP award after an incredible performance throughout the WFC XVII. Dudley won Thursday’s $5,000 Gamblers Race, went rounds each day, and was still double entered at 23 cars in today’s $50K before losing his last entry in the quarterfinals.

This award is in remembrance of the late Mike Moore, Jenny Pennington’s father, who was planning to make his first trip to the WFC this year. Mike Mo, as he was affectionately called, was known for his kind smile and a heart that was as big as the cowboy hat on his head. The Coalburg Racing Promotions staff will continue to recognize a racer each year with exceptional performance and personality through the Mike Mo MVP award.

The BTE World Footbrake Challenge XVII has been one to remember with a record-high attendance and the first $50,000 payout since 2008. We said hello to many first-time WFC racers and were able to spend time with racers that we see every year.

Coalburg Racing Promotions will return to the beautiful Bristol Dragway in eight short weeks for the BTE Labor Day $250K. Thank you to all the racers, sponsors, staff and families for their support. As always, the racers are what make this race so special.

For more information about the BTE World Footbrake Challenge and BTE Labor Day $250K, visit our website at www.worldfootbrakechallenge.com.

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Find the rest of the results from the World Footbrake Challenge XVII courtesy of DragChamp. We have recap articles from Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.