The Fifth Midwest Drags Is Complete: Graham Hayes, Randy Seward, Bradley Arnold and Adam Buntley Lead List of Winners
For the fifth time since 2019, the Midwest Drags was completed last week. Starting in Kentucky and visiting two tracks in the state, the visited a single track in Ohio.
The group then returned to Kentucky to complete the week, and crown ten class winners.
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The event got under way at Kentucky Dragway in Clay City, Kentucky, and Graham Hayes would throw down the quickest runs of the day at 7.52 and a 7.47 in the Ironman class. Moving to Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Hayes improved to a 7.37 and a 7.29 to keep the class and overall lead.
Edgewater Park in Cleves, Ohio would find Hayes stumbling a bit, only turning in an 8.96 and an 8.40. But upon returning to Kentucky Dragway, Hayes found his mojo, back in the 7.3-second range twice to turn in a 7.32 and a 7.38 for a 7.718 average, the Ironman class win and the overall Midwest Drags quickest average.
Scott Muller’s 1934 3-window averaged 8.66 for second, and an 8.84 average got third for Mike Miller.
A man that has truly embodied the drag-and-drive lifestyle for well over a decade, Randy Seward picked up his second event victory of the season. Starting his season with a victory at Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, Seward would find himself one of three competitors in the 8.5-second range on day one in the Street Race Small Block Power Adder class.
Seward and Barry Cook would tangle back-and-forth throughout the week, with both putting up at least one 8.50 pass, with Cook laying down a perfect 8.500 pass in his 2002 Pontiac Trans Am on the final day. But his 8.544 average would come up just short of Seward’s 8.533 average from his Ford Mustang. Robert Perry scored third with his ’87 Chevy pick-up.
Bradley Arnold would be the class of the field in Super Street Small Block Power Adder class, laying down the best runs of the class on day one with a 7.57 and 7.59 to turn in.
Arnold kept the 7-second performance rolling in on day two with a pair of 7.6-second time slips. He slowed on day three to a 9.23 and a 9.15 in Ohio, but rebounded to an 8.22 best performance in Kentucky to average an 8.17, securing the class win.
Blaine Thiessen earned second with an 8.71 average, and Joe Pirretti landed third with an 8.85 average.
The Manual H class had solid competition from day one, and by the end of the week, five competitors averaged out in the 9-second range. The top three would be locked up by Ford Mustangs, with Adam Buntley’s 2001 model doing the best with a 9.065 average to earn the class victory.
Christopher ‘CJ’ Roberts would be close behind in second, with a 9.114 average from his ’83 Mustang, and the ’88 Mustang of Kyle Buntley in third with a 9.325 average.
The Modified Power Adder class might have only had two rides in the mix, but it would be a close competition between the ’72 Chevy Nova of Jeremy Kroger and Wender Gomes’ 2016 Mustang.
Gomes started the week in front with a pair of 8.5-second performances at Kentucky Dragway, but by the time they completed the event three days later, Kroger’s 8.668 average would edge out the 8.77 average from Gomes for the trophy.
Street Race Naturally Aspirated would have competition on both the small block and the big block side. Guy Protano would be the class of the Street Race Naturally Aspirated Big Block field, the lone ride to achieve a 9-second average.
A multi-time drag-and-drive winner, Protano used a 9.08 best pass on the final day for a 9.46 average from his ’68 Camaro for the win. Jeff Lingenfelter scooped up second in his ’70 Duster, and Raymond Hagemann landed third in his classic Mustang.
The Street Race Naturally Aspirated Small Block class would be an all-Chevrolet top three, with Devon Madison doing the best of the Bowties.
Madison’s ‘95 Chevrolet S-10 would average out at 10.491, holding off the 10.811 average from ’68 Camaro of Tim Grabiak in second. Frank Diana rounded out the top three with his ’55 Bel Air in third thanks to a 10.834 average.
The closest competition of the event would be in the Street Machine Eliminator classes. The 10-second class would be the tightest amongst the top three, with Roland Lella earning the win with a 10.050 average in his 1996 Camaro. Jay Grabiak was a close second with his ’67 Chevy II laying down a 10.068 average, and third went to Timothy Smallwood thanks to a 10.074 average.
The Street Machine Eliminator 11-Second class would have Frank Fernandez at the front of the pack with his ’72 Mercury Comet. His 11.020 average would earn the victory, with Brad Francis in second with an 11.057 average, and an 11.089 average getting Blake Billings Ford pick-up the third spot.
The 12-Second side of the Street Machine Eliminator had the closest margin between the top two, with the ’69 Camaro of Paul Fisher averaging a 12.027 for the win.
Just fourteen thousandths of-a-second back if second would be James Reeves 12.041 average from his 1996 Dodge Viper, and Harry Bronson picked up third with a 12.212 average from his 2008 Pontiac G8.
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine.
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