Back-to-Back Finals for Holbrook at the BTE Labor Day Footbrake Challenge

Combs, Wilhelm, Holbrook, Sowers, and Beard claim wins at the 6th Annual BTE Labor Day Footbrake Challenge at Bristol Dragway.

Recap provided by World Footbrake Challenge

Photos by RLR Photography / BME Photography

BRISTOL, TN- Footbrake racers from around the country flocked to Bristol Dragway on August 28-31, 2025 for the 6th Annual BTE Labor Day Footbrake Challenge. This Labor Day weekend footbrake bracket race featured three $15,000-to-win main events and two $4,000 Gamblers Races. Unfortunately, rain brought racing to a halt on Sunday, but racers voted to wrap up the weekend with a practice tree shootout.

See full results below!

Thursday $5K Gamblers Race

The valley at Bristol Dragway echoed with sounds of stalling converters as the 6th Annual BTE Labor Day Footbrake Challenge rolled into the stage beams on Thursday. Complimentary perks of the weekend include a fantastic autumn forecast, the gorgeous green backdrop only found at Bristol, and all the bottom-bulb action your heart desires to go along with the substantial cash flow up for grabs.

Early bird racers took advantage of the test-and-tune session before buckling up for eliminations during Thursday’s Gamblers Race. Before the event, Coalburg Racing Promotions co-owners Jared Pennington and Steve Stites raised both Gamblers Races purses from the advertised $3,000 to $ 4,000 to win. Double entries were permitted, but no buybacks could save you from a first-round mistake, so Thursday’s 216-car field quickly divided throughout the day.

Seven drivers found themselves squared up in round number six: Jordan Wilhelm, Chris Hester, Justin Buckles, Zach Combs, Andrew Ellis, Edmond Ellison, and Caleb Ellison. The eldest Ellison brother, Edmond, advanced into the semifinal by taking the four-thousandths margin of victory over Hester. Wilhelm used his .018 reaction time to take the win over Ellis, who ran dead-on his 6.08 dial in. Caleb Ellison illuminates the dreaded red bulb beside Buckles, who was .008 on the tree and took the free time shot into the next round. Combs earned the last bye run of the race and launched wheels up with a .009 reaction time.

In the first semifinal pairing, both drivers run dead-on their respective dials, but Combs’ .010 light gives him room to take the .009 margin of victory over Wilhelm, who was .023 up front. Ellison has the starting line advantage and turns it into a win light beside Buckles, who breaks out one-thousandth in an attempt to take the finish line.

It’s the first Coalburg Racing Promotions final for Combs as he rolls his ’79 Oldsmobile Starfire into the waterbox beside Ellison’s ’68 Camaro during his fifth final round appearance. Ellison has an eight-thousandths better reaction time, but Combs is five-thousandths ahead at the stripe to earn the $4,000 victory while taking home the first big check of the weekend.

All eyes are on Zach “Animal” Combs as the winner’s circle interview begins in front of the massive Bristol tower while he reflects on what just happened. “It’s unbelievable to be standing here. I’ve dreamed of this my whole life, and to be talking on the microphone with you is something special,” he tells Jared Pennington. Combs continues, “Last couple weeks have been rough on me, but I knew if I just kept making runs and kept doing what I was doing, eventually it was going to turn around. They can’t keep kicking my teeth in my whole life.”

Friday $15K

Fridays are infinitely more enjoyable when spent at the racetrack, although having an opportunity to take home $15,000 at the World’s Greatest Footbrake Race certainly sweetens the deal. That is precisely what was at stake for day two of the BTE Labor Day Footbrake Challenge as drivers geared up for another action-packed day of bottom-bulb racing at Bristol Dragway.

After everyone received their time trial and the opening ceremonies were completed, 294 entries staged up for the first round of competition. By the seventh round only seven drivers remained: Aaron Richards, Brian Holbrook, Danny Peery, Chris Yates, Jake Magee, Lil Phil Combs, and Jordan Wilhelm.

Both drivers in the first quarterfinal pairing run dead-on their respective dial ins, but Peery’s .008 reaction time gives him the winning edge over Magee. Wilhelm has an .016 starting line advantage and illuminates the win light as Richards runs too far off the dial in. Yates launches a bit too early to send Holbrook into the semifinal, while Combs earned the last bye run of the event to secure his spot.

In the wheel-standing semifinal, Wilhelm is perfect on the tree and runs .016 above his dial to leave Combs mathematically ineligible. Only one thousandth separated the pair on the starting line, but Holbrook ran closer to his dial to take the .022 margin of victory.

Two beautiful second-generation Camaros make their way down the eighth-mile in Friday’s $15K final round as surrounding family and friends eagerly wait for a win light to shine. Holbrook is .001 on the tree and agonizingly breaks out one-thousandth, while Wilhelm is dialed dead-on with a zero to claim his first Coalburg Racing Promotions main event victory during his fifth final round appearance.

Wilhelm explains in his winner’s circle interview, “It’s incredible and pretty unbelievable, especially the way the final went, but I’d rather be lucky than good every day…I want to thank Mariah for all her support, TJ at Wired Designs, [Coalburg Racing Promotions] for a great track, all of my buddies for keeping me going when I’m .040 and somehow turn a win light on. Lucas Walker, I have his engines in my car, and I appreciate all of his help, Ford’s Transmissions, Final Touch Performance, and my Uncle Hoyt – it wouldn’t be possible without him.”

Friday’s excitement continued with the $4,000-to-win Gamblers Race, however, the decision was made to pause the race after round three with the 22 remaining entries to be completed near the conclusion of Saturday’s $15K.

Saturday $15K

The 6th Annual BTE Labor Day Footbrake Challenge put together another perfect run on Saturday, as sunny skies and a predominantly fluid-free racing surface made for a smooth-sailing event. If you were in attendance during last year’s torrential downpour at Bristol Dragway, this weekend sounds more like a fairy tale than nonfiction; however, Coalburg Racing Promotions welcomes the good fortune.

A few new faces graced the property overnight and were granted a time trial before diving headfirst into Saturday’s $15,000 main event. The first round featured 296 entries, and after a few hours of foot-swapping action, the onlooking crowd grew larger as the car count whittled to the last lucky seven. Those drivers were Brandon Michaels, Nick Craker, Edmond Ellison, Brian Holbrook, Adam Davis, and Brian Yerger, Jr.

Quarterfinals

Ellison launches with a .002 red light while Davis is .010 green and holding a few hundredths for the win. A pair of double-zero reaction times ends with Pollard getting the win running dead-on zero while Craker breaks out two-thousandths. Then Holbrook takes his bye run while Michaels shows a multitude of sportsmanship while waiting for Yerger to fix the fuel pump in his truck. Once they are able to stage, Michaels has an .010 starting line advantage but breaks out three-thousandths while Yerger runs two above for the win.

Semifinals

The semifinal was supposed to contain three Camaros and an S-10; however, Yerger continues to face equipment issues and is forced to borrow the Mustang of Ernie Humes. Holbrook has a perfect reaction time to earn his second consecutive final round appearance, while Pollard is .001 red and dead-on three for the loss. Only four thousandths separate the second pairing on the tree as Yerger runs 6.351 on his 6.35 dial for the win over Davis, who breaks out four thousandths.

Final

Holbrook is on a mission for redemption after last night’s runner-up and faces the former BTE Labor Day $250K winner, Yerger. Holbrook is in control at the starting line with a .008 light and runs two above to snatch the $15,000 victory.

“I said last night that I didn’t expect to be here, and I really didn’t expect to come back today. I was a little disappointed last night after messing up in the finals, but I was glad to redeem myself. I got back to the trailer and told my wife, I don’t think I thanked God, and I always want to do that, so thank you, Lord. I try not to miss church too much, and I planned just to run Friday and Saturday and go home for church,” said Holbrook after the incredible back-to-back finale.

Friday’s $4K Gamblers Race- Continued

Friday’s $4,000-to-win Gamblers Race began with 174 entries, but only twenty-two were left to battle as the race resumed Saturday evening. A few rounds later, the quarterfinal round was set with BJ Bianchi, Lucas Walker, Jesse Betterton, Jeff Sowers, Dennis Coffey, and David Harvey, Jr.

Quarterfinals

Walker is .006 on the tree, but gets to the finish line nine thousandths too quickly beside Sowers, who drops to be safely above his dial in. Seven thousandths separate the next pairing on the tree as Betterton runs one above to seal the deal over Harvey’s two above pass. Bianchi has an .021 starting line advantage but finds himself nine-thousandths behind at the finish line while the win light shines in Coffey’s lane.

Semifinals

In the semifinal, Sowers launches with a .006 light and runs two above to take the .015 margin of victory over Coffey. Betterton sails through the final round courtesy of the bye run.

Final

It continued to be more like a Chevy show on the mountain as the two Nova drivers meet for the last pass of the evening. The red light glows for Betterton while Sowers is .039 green and cruises into the winner’s circle.

Co-promoter Jared Pennington explains how the Ohio native told him that he’s usually a top bulb or no box competitor but decided to come here and footbrake after making a few passes last weekend at a local facility. Sowers continued, “I have to thank my friends and family for hanging out with me, my friends at home have been texting me every lap, giving me advice, and cheering me up. Yesterday wasn’t too good, but we came around today and pulled it off.”

Sunday $15K

Sunday opened with a refreshing chill in the air, starkly contrasting the heat of the competition as each driver fought for the final $15,000 prize during the BTE Labor Day Footbrake Challenge.

After church service led by racer and announcer, Steve Riggins, a handful of new entries rumbled down Bristol Dragway before the first round of eliminations was called to the staging lanes. The concluding main event featured 288 entries eager for the opportunity to celebrate in the winner’s circle Sunday evening.

The BTE Labor Day Footbrake challenge had passed the 330-mark, shifted into high gear, and was rapidly approaching the finish line as looming clouds decided that two consecutive Coalburg Racing Promotions events were one too many without an untimely summer shower.

As the racing surface continued to get saturated, a meeting was held with the thirteen remaining drivers and co-promoters, Jared Pennington and Steve Stites. Option A was to hope the rain would end and get back on track after dark, where the race might have to be postponed until the next day if more weather issues arose. Option B was to split the purse evenly among all competitors and have a practice tree one-shot runoff to determine who left with the big and little checks. The voting consensus was Option B, and Coalburg Racing Promotions offered $250 to the winner, while Bristol Dragway generously matched the offer with an additional $250.

The practice tree shootout took place in the top floor of the Bristol Dragway tower, where each racer received one test hit followed by a second attempt that counted toward the prize money. Matt Ricchezza kicked off the action before Nick Bowman, Lucas Walker, Kevin Pollard, Michael Beard, Jerry Cline, Lil Phil Combs, Jordan Wilhelm, Jerry Hunt, Seth Lancaster, Tyler Green, Garrett Holston, and Cody Sowers made their attempts.

In a way, Beard rolled into his home track as he supplied the portable practice tree and earned the win with a .000 reaction time. Green snagged the runner-up honors with a .002 light, followed by Lancaster in the semifinal spot with a .005 reaction time.

This year, Coalburg Racing Promotions adds another stop to the bottom-bulb tour as the Inaugural BTE Thanksgiving Footbrake Challenge is set to take place at Montgomery International Dragway on November 28-30, 2025. Make plans to celebrate the holiday with your racing family and have a chance to compete for three $15,000 main events and two $3,000 gamblers races.

Laris Motorsports Insurance and GoDeadOn sponsored the Motormaniatv livestream, so if you missed any of the 6th Annual BTE Labor Day Footbrake Challenge, you can rewatch it at any time.

For more information on Coalburg Racing Promotions events, visit www.worldfootbrakechallenge.com.

Congratulations to all winners and finalists from the 6th Annual BTE Labor Day Footbrake Challenge on August 28-31, 2025 at Bristol Dragway.

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