Southern Bracket Finals

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Anthony Vestal IHRA Director of Communications

October 31, 1997

McKinney is IHRA Southern Bracket Grand Champion

STEELE, Ala. -- John McKinney earned the status of Grand Champion at the IHRA Sunoco Southern Bracket World Finals, held Oct. 18-19 at the Alabama International Dragway. It was an all Volunteer State final round duel as Sevierville, Tenn.'s McKinney, driving a 1987 dragster, just edged Kent Tankersley of Pulaski, Tenn. McKinney, who won the Top E.T. division, ran 5.325 seconds at 129.47 seconds to take the win. Tankersley, winner of the Modified E.T. category, ran 6.757, 101.39 in his 1967 Nova. Other event winners included Lowell Thomas of Waterloo, S.C. (Super E.T.) driving a 1973 Comet and Corryton, Tenn.'s Rick Perry (Motorcycle) on a 1976 Kawasaki. U.S. 43 Dragway, located in Etheridge, Tenn., claimed the team championship over 12 other track entries. Ware Shoals (S.C.) Dragway, English Mountain (Tenn.) Dragway, Atmore (Ala.) Dragway and Alabama International Dragway completed the top-five in track team standings. McKinney and Thomas will represent the IHRA Southern Region in a special reaction time tournament at the upcoming IHRA Championship Banquet, held Jan. 17 at the Grove Park Inn, Asheville, N.C. All IHRA Bracket World Champions entered in the practice tree event will compete for a new Sea Ray Boat.