Southeastern Drag Bike Association - Voodoo Components Season Opener Results
- Jacob Green
- Apr 29, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 29, 2024
BRAINERD MOTORSPORTS PARK - RINGGOLD, GA
THE SCHNITZ RACING SOUTHEASTERN DRAG BIKE ASSOCIATION (SDBA) has completed its first stop of the year, and as always, provided one hell of a show for spectators and fellow racers. I have come to appreciate and very highly respect the SDBA for its tight-knit community of racers and staff, as well as the high level of competition that you should always expect when attending an event in the Southeastern United States. I myself have attended several SDBA events, and even competed at one (Capital City 2022,) and I will tell you right now that it is a level of bracket racing that you need to bring your top-shelf game to. Going red in the third round of Hard Times Parts and Service Street ET is not something that you should do against Cody Spires, and yes, I speak from experience. (Don't worry Cody, I won't talk about what your light was. I still have that timeslip as a reminder.)
The week prior was plagued by rain showers, but gave way to clear North Georgia skies and gorgeous April conditions for the first weekend 'family reunion' since October of 2023 right in the very same spot. The off-season didn't appear to provide too much of a hurdle to get over, as the racing margins were tight and true to SDBA fashion.
Friday afternoon's testing session brought a massive head wind, and mother nature decided to give way for the Hard Times Parts and Service shootouts. Dustin Lee took the last win light of Friday night against fellow friend Wes Brown in the Box shootout, and John "Spooky" Markham would leave Cody Spires with some notes for next time in No Box.
Saturday morning's test session and qualifying runs took place without a hitch. First round of competition kicked off right on schedule, and racing went all the way to 12:30 the next morning. 10 hours of solid competition will keep everyone in the late rounds on their game -- tell me I'm wrong!
The first winner of the night was crowned in the University of Win Proving Grounds class. Jessica Hatley aboard her Kawasaki ZX-6 found the win light against Terrell "Zo" Thompson in the final round. If Jessica keeps this trend up throughout 2024, it might be time to move up!
Burnout Cycles V-Twin ET was a battle between Loren Potter and Alphonso 'Butchie' Thompson in the final round. Potter turned the bike loose just 79 ten-thousandths (.0079) of a second too early to reach over and hang the cherry on the bottom of the Christmas Tree, posting the win light on Butchie's scoreboard 660 feet down Main Street.
Voodoo Custom Motorcycle Components Ultra Sportsman is qualified against an index of 6 seconds, and I've always said that this is where the Super Gas bikes of years' past have gone to find new life, but there is a massive representation of modern muscle in 6.0 as well. And boy, there were some heavy hitters in the late rounds this time around!
Nicklas Bowling would upset the rough and tough Ronnie Woodall, Jr. to find Bam Rucker in the final round. However, true to the Rucker fashion, Bam would park his Kawasaki ZX-14 where it mattered most at the end of the day. It wasn't about SDBA racing, now it was about "SBDA" racing with "Mr. SBDA" himself, Boo Rucker standing proud with his brother Bam on the dance floor. The Rucker's program has come far in the past couple of years, and success is a regular thing around the "SBDA" camp!
RingTuned, LLC. True Street ET takes hand sliders out of the equation, and brings bracket racing back outside of the Tennessee State Lines. Bob Burt, Hardy Batey, and Curtis Cochran found theirselves to be the last three men standing in True Street ET, but it was Cochran who found a bye run to the final round and would not let his Suzuki GSX-R1000 stop there. Many congratulations to Curtis on his first ever SDBA Event Victory!
Whatagraphic! and ACE of Lookout Valley Junior Dragster is the only four-wheeled category in the Schnitz Racing SDBA, where the young men and women of our sport hop in their cars and dish it out Sportsman style. Caeson Markham incredibly took two entries to the semifinal round, but as the smoke settled, it was his cousin Luka Markham and Briley Tipton in the final round. True to SDBA fashion, the racing was very tight to the end, and it was Tipton who took home the big hardware.
It is worth mentioning here that Luka and his family lost a close friend, Brian Lemley in Early April. Luka has carried this memorial on his Junior Dragster at several notable 'big-dollar' events.
Joey would comment following the event,
"Made it to the finals and car wouldn't run the number, but heading to Beech Bend with some money. Luka's Angel was with him all day. Thanks to all our sponsors, couldn't do it without your help."
MTC Engineering Super Comp provided hair-raising competition as always, among 26 other entries, Dustin Lee took the Number One Qualifying Position all the way to the final round, true to his very own fashion. Sonny Vick, Wes Brown, and John Markham had managed to make it to the semifinal round, where then it turned into the final between Dustin and Wes Brown. Talk about a show to be seen!
It was Wes Brown who upset the reigning MTC Engineering Super Comp Champion in the final round to secure his first SDBA event win of the year.
"I was able to pull off the victory! Always tight racing with the champ!" Wes remarked.
Top Gas was filled with newcomers who have made their presence known in 2024, one of which being Evan Stevens, who took the pole position at 5.108. Evan would have a mechanical failure that wouldn't allow him to continue the race, and from there it was all up to Chris Blythe, Shane Collins, Dustin, and the highly competitive Mantez Thompson, Jr. Lee and Thompson, Jr. met in the final round as they have many times in the past, and Dustin packed away .029 on Mantez on the starting line to secure a holeshot victory by two thousandths of a second. (5.144 to 5.118)
See how two No. 1 plates are sitting with Dustin's bikes in the winner's circle? You don't have double-vision, so hold off on getting the Foreigner LP out; you don't need to consult an optometrist for anything. Dustin Lee pulled off the double-up victory in MPS Pro ET, plowing his way through a minefield of 26 other entries to meet Warren Eldred in the final round. Warren hurt a motor and hoped for the best that his rocket would make just one more flight, but it was Dustin Lee who found the winner's circle for a second consecutive time within the same event.
Lee would also learn earlier in the day that the great Jay Eshbach of APE had passed away. Lee dedicated both of these event victories to Eshbach and his family with some remarks following the event,
"I received some news yesterday that sent a shock through me. We lost a true LEGEND of our sport and a great person and friend of mine. Jay Eshbach was a young man at heart and will always cherish the friendship we had. As I said last night I dedicated my wins to APE for Jay. Both bikes have all 'the good stuff' as I call it from APE especially the billet strokers! I know one day I will see you again and we can talk! Till then I will continue to fly your brand you dedicated your life to!
Please keep the Eshbach family in your prayers especially Mrs. Dianne.
Love you Jay! Thank you for everything you done for motorcycle drag racing!
On the phone with Jay's daughter last night I told her I was about to run the final with Jay's crank. I told her if I win I am sending the trophy to them for Jay. She said I know you will win. When the win light came on tears filled my eyes and I am 100% sure Jay was smiling!
Trophy is on the way!"
Hard Times Parts and Service Street ET was jam-packed with modern and classic superbikes as usual, with crazy competition through every round. Defending Champion Grady Powell was with Chris Johnson, Sonny Vick, and Alphonso 'Butchie' Thompson racing in the semis in search of an event win. It was Thompson and Vick squaring off on the starting line for the final round, and square off they did. Away with nearly identical reaction times, Butchie and Vick were looking at eachother the whole trip, super-glued wheel to wheel. It was the SDBA Commander in Chief, Sonny Vick who parked his Suzuki Hayabusa in the Winner's Circle!
It is from North Georgia that the SDBA now ventures off into the Rebel South territory for the Voodoo Custom Motorcycle Components "Battle in 'Bama" on May 24th and 25th, at Alabama International Raceway located in Steele.
The Top Gas "Top Gun" Shootout will take place Friday night, with a $5000 total prize purse. The Top Gun shootout was a smash-hit last year and the competition was tighter than ever. It is this 16-bike shootout that shows the world who is the baddest of the bad when it comes to Top Gas index racing!
For more information regarding the Schnitz Racing Southeastern Drag Bike Association, contact Sonny Vick, or visit their Facebook Group online.
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