Loose Rocker ’ s twin- $ 15k footbrake race takes over Piedmont Dragway By Van Abernethy

into North Carolina ’ s Piedmont Dragway in late August to hold the ATI Performance Products L ’ il Big Foot Twin $ 15k Footbrake event , and while an unfavorable forecast for Friday prompted a slight schedule revision , things went off without a hitch on Saturday and Sunday with a heavily-attended field of cars battling it out for cash , trophies and lots of sponsor prizes .

Picking up the action in Saturday ’ s gamblers race , Nick Hastings once again found the winner ’ s circle , as he continues to reap rounds and rake in piles of cash with his Ohio-based Chevrolet Chevette . In the finals , Hastings squared off against Alabama ’ s Cody Barnett , who was in a great position to take home the win after a holeshot start , but failed to run the dial-in , stopping the clocks at 6.407 on a 6.35 dial . Hastings got the win after posting a 6.109 on a dial of 6.08 .

In Saturday ’ s main event , 24-year-old Nathan Sexton continued to make headlines in Footbrake circles after once again putting his streetlegal 2001 Mustang in the winner ’ s circle after a history-making outing that saw Sexton defeating Brandon White in the semis , while also holding the semifinal bye run to secure both the win and runner-up ! White was slightly better off the starting line (. 008 to . 014 ) but couldn ’ t run the number as his Chevrolet S-10 clocked 6.873 on a 6.84 dial . Sexton was dead-on his 8.42 dial with an 8.422 elapsed time .

Loose Rocker co-founder Michael Beard interviewed Sexton in the winner ’ s circle and reminded the young man that his win streak currently totals three after winning the main event at Virginia ’ s Colonial Classic in early August ,

then running himself in the finals at Piedmont . “ I ’ m speechless ... I don ’ t even know what to say !” Sexton commented during his winner ’ s circle spotlight .

As he reflected on squaring off against a who ’ s- who list of Footbrakers at Piedmont , Sexton summarized his outing as “ just out here making time runs ,” as he posed beside his beautiful Golden Eagle trophy and a pair of giant checks .

Sunday ’ s main event win came at the hands of one of the winningest racers in Loose Rocker competition , “ Deadly ” Devin Dudley , who used a well-timed holeshot to dispatch Adam Davis in the ninth and final round . Davis ran slightly closer to his dial-in ( 6.431 on a 6.42 dial ) but Dudley ’ s . 008 at the start made the difference on the big end , clocking 6.755 on a 6.74 dial .

Beard described Dudley as “ versatile at being deadly ” while Loose Rocker co-founder Anthony Walton handed out the hardware and check to Devin after yet another victory .

Special awards were also bestowed at the Piedmont gathering , including the Gibb ’ s Race Cars Best Engineered award , which was given to Ray Jacobs and his great-running Chevy Z71 truck . Seth Williams and his gorgeous Plymouth Barracuda took home the California Car Cover Best Appearing award , while Ron the Announcer ’ s Choice Award went to the McCandless brothers , Jonathan and Jason . DI

PHOTOS : CHIP BRALLEY

22 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 160