JEGS Allstars champions highlights
In a thrilling, down-to-the-wire battle, the host team from the NHRA North Central Division claimed the overall team title during the JEGS Allstars competition at Route 66 Raceway on Saturday of the Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by K&N Filters. The Division 3 squad welcomed new Division Director Jeff Conley with an overall victory that was fueled by wins from Brian Browell (Comp), Andrew Hill (Stock), and Mark McDonald (Top Sportsman). It was the eighth time the Division 3 team has won the prestigious title, including a four-year unbeaten streak from 1996-1999.
The alcohol portion of the show was decided early when the West Region put four racers into the second round, which officially clinched the title.
The other individual champions from the special event included Joey Severance (Top Alcohol Dragster), Andy Bohl (Top Alcohol Funny Car), James Antonette Jr. (Super Stock), Nick Folk (Super Comp), Ken Mostowich (Super Gas), John Dalrymple (Super Street), and Steven Furr (Top Dragster).
West Region representative Joey Severance won his second JEGS Allstars Top Alcohol Dragster title as the reigning and two-time champ defeated reigning Super Gas champ Mia Tedesco, representing the North Central Region, in the final round, 5.25 to 5.34. []
Andy Bohl, representing the North Central Region, scored his first JEGS Allstars win by escaping with a thrilling final-round victory against the West Region’s Chris Marshall, whose parachutes deployed prematurely as he was pulling away from Bohl, who slipped by for the win with a 5.55. []
Brian Browell’s victory put an emphatic stamp on the team victory for the Division 3 squad as his blistering (-.70) 7.13 in his D/Dragster stopped the (-.50) 8.86 from Division 6’s Brian Hyerstay and his VW-powered G/Dragster. []
James Antonette Jr. and his family celebrated their win in the prestigious JEGS Allstars race. Antonette scored the lone win for the Northeast Division team when he drove to the Super Stock title over Division 3’s Jeff Dona. Antonette was flawless in the final with a perfect .000 reaction time and a 9.822 on his 9.80 dial. []
Andrew Hill provided a valuable contribution to the Division 3 championship effort when he drove to the Stock title over Division 7 racer Tibor Kadar. Hill was first off the line with a .008 light in his ’70 Camaro and held on for the double-breakout win with a 10.697 on his 10.70 dial. []
Fresh off his double-up performance in Norwalk, Nick Folk took home the JEGS Allstars Super Comp title with a killer .013-second package against fellow West Central Division competitor and class blocker Trevor Larson in the final. Larson’s .015-second reaction time advantage forced him to break out by .003, giving Folk the victory and the West Central Division 100 points. []
A slim advantage off the starting line only grew for Pacific Division representative Ken Mostowich, who defeated Northwest Division driver Dave Kelly to win the JEGS Allstars Super Gas trophy. Mostowich also has four national event Wallys (three in Super Gas) on his résumé, including a final-round victory against John Labbous Jr. in 2016. []
A great reaction time for Josh Dalrymple got him the Super Street victory against Southeast Division driver Jonathan Anderson in a double-breakout final. Both drivers posted identical 10.886 elapsed times, but Dalrymple’s .002 light scored him, and the Northwest Division, the Super Street title. Dalrymple has one national event Wally on his scorecard; he captured it in Seattle in 2015. []
After a runner-up finish in 2016, Division 2 ace Steven Furr was able to return to the JEGS Allstars and finish the job with a win over Division 5’s Phil Unruh in the final. Furr cruised to the win after Unruh fouled by three-thousandths of a second in his Specialty Metals dragster. []
Mark McDonald got his weekend off to an excellent start at a track that he calls one of his favorites. The North Central Division racer advanced to his first Top Sportsman final at Route 66 Raceway in 2016 and made good on that appearance a year later by capturing the JEGS Allstars Top Sportsman title against the West Central Division’s JJ Heber on Saturday, then completing the double when he took home the Top Sportsman national event Wally on Sunday. []