SC: Ennis finale Sunday summary

HOUSTON RACEWAY PARK TAKES TEAM HONORS AT SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION SUMMIT FINALS HOSTED BY TEXAS MOTORPLEX

ENNIS, Texas -- The top bracket racers in NHRA's South Central division, more than 600 in all, came to Texas Motorplex this weekend in search of team and individual championships. In the end, the team from Houston Raceway Park came away with the team honors, No. 1 out of 16 tracks, led by Super Pro class winner Bart Nelson of Laporte, Texas. Last year's winner, Texas Raceway in Kennedale, Texas, came in No. 2 and the team from the Motorplex was fourth.

Nelson beat out Jim Callaway Jr. of Artesian N.M., who was running for Hobbs Motorsports Park. In Pro E.T., another Hobbs racer, Jordan Echols of Plano, Texas, wheeled his '67 Camaro to the win over teammate Rodney Parks, Venus, Texas, driving a '70 Camaro. In No Electronics Quick, Red River Raceway competitor Dennis Cameron Sr. of Mt. Pleasant, Texas ousted Lee Bannister of Lavernia, Texas. Bannister was flying the Edinburg Int'l Raceway colors. Mike Griggs, Tuttle, Okla., running for Thunder Valley Raceway, earned the win in No Electrons Street in his '01 Camaro over Derek Lewis of Longview, Texas, who was racing his '70 Maverick for Paris Dragstrip. Another Thunder Valley racer, Oklahoma City's Dan Rollman, rode his '77 Suzuki to the winner's circle when he bested the Motorplex's J.J. Hughes in Super Pro Bike. Hughes is from The Colony, Texas, and rides a '00 Suzuki.

Today's winners in four classes have earned the right to compete in Pomona, Calif., for a national championship against the winners from NHRA's other six divisions at the NHRA Finals in November. Because only four categories compete in Pomona, the division stages a run-off between the winners in Super Pro and Pro to determine who will go to Pomona. This year, Nelson beat Echols for the chance to run in Pomona. Each racer who advances to Pomona will receive $3,500 for competing in the Finals event and the winner in each class at Pomona will receive a $5,000 payday.

The following are Sunday's final result in the NHRA Summit Racing Series South Central Division Finals at Texas Motorplex:

SUPER PRO

Bart Nelson, Laporte, Texas, Houston Raceway Park, dragster, 7.550, 168.85 def. Jim Callaway Jr., Artesia, N.M., Hobbs Motorsports Park, dragster, 8.266, 159.85

PRO ET

Jordan Echols, Plano, Texas, Hobbs Motorsports Park, '67 Camaro, 10.858, 123.63 def. Rodney Parks, Venus, Texas, Hobbs Motorsports Park, '70 Camaro, 10.768, 124.11

NO E QUICK

Dennis Cameron Sr., Mt. Pleasant, Texas, Red River Raceway, '27 roadster, 8.463, 156.48 def. Lee Bannister, Lavernia, Texas, Edinburg Int'l Racetrack, '73 Firebird, 11.898, 105.21

NO E STREET

Mike Griggs, Tuttle, Okla., Thunder Valley Raceway, '01 Camaro, 12.659, 96.90 def. Derek Lewis, Longview, Texas, Paris Dragstrip, '70 Maverick, 12.439, 107.32

SUPER PRO BIKE

Dan Rollman, Oklahoma City, Thunder Valley Raceway, '77 Suzuki, 9.410, 135.08 def. J.J. Hughes, The Colony, Texas, Texas Motorplex, '00 Suzuki, 9.335, 135.74

Super Pro/Pro Run-off

Bart Nelson, Laporte, Texas, Houston Raceway Park, dragster, 7.599, 153.84 def. Jordan Echols, Plano, Texas, Hobbs Motorsports Park, '69 Camaro, 11.372, 99.85

-credit: nhra