Sunday June 28th, 2020
Sunday June 28th was an unscheduled day, but with the postponement from Saturday, Sunday turned from leisure day to race day for a handful of racers. All of the Pro classes and Unlimited ATV were canceled due to weather on Saturday, but Top Eliminator (2.95 Index, TE) and Top Alcohol (TA) got to finish their race on Sunday. From the would be 18 car field in TE, only 8 stayed for the continuation of the race. Top Alcohol started with a 4 car field, but was left with only 2 on Sunday. Action started off with the 8 cars from TE making their final qualifying passes of the day. Only a couple of changes were made in the field after this session. Vicki Hall bested her 2.984 with a 2.979 @104mph, Russ Bailey also ran a 2.979 in the 2nd session Friday but he had a 106MPH which gave him the #3 qualifying spot over Hall. Pat Ross made his first pass slower than the 2.95 index with a 3.048 which moved him up to #5 from #8.
Here is the final qualifying order from Sunday June 28th:
1. Jeremy Click – 2.956
2. Burt VanBennekom – 2.966
3. Russ Bailey – 2.979 @106 MPH
4. Vicki Hall – 2.979 @104 MPH
5. Pat Ross – 3.048
6. Rusty Payne – 3.070
7. Randy Kimbley – 3.111
8. Johnny Dreher – 3.283
Here is what the qualifying field would have looked like with all 18 competitors:
1. Jeremy Click – 2.956
2. Burt VanBennekom – 2.966
3. Russ Bailey – 2.979 @106 MPH
4. Vicki Hall- 2.979 @104 MPH
5. Mark Punos – 2.979 @102MPH
6. Kyle Farwick – 3.003 (better MPH)
7. Adam Roe – 3.003
8. Wade Schulz – 3.012
9. Dennis Burrows – 3.022
10. Pruett Schulz – 3.032
11. Pat Ross – 3.048
12. Rusty Payne – 3.070
13. Randy Kimbley – 3.111
14. Mike Belcher – 3.13
15. Cody Trice – 3.194
16. Johnny Dreher – 3.283
17. Matthew Wilson – 3.291
18. Jeff Sieg – NT
TE first round results:
(W) J. Click – 3.066 vs. J. Dreher – 3.274
Ross – 3.31 vs. (W) Hall – 3.006
R. Payne – 3.219 vs. (W) R. Bailey – 3.232 *holeshot
(W) B. VanBennekom – 3.027 vs. R. Kimbley – 2.832 *breakout
Randy Kimbley who was running the same car in TE and TA went back to change the fuel pills in his whipple super charger and came back to run in the Top Alcohol final. Friday evening Top Alcohol competitor, Jim Hammond, ran faster than the track record at Thunder Valley Sand Drags with a 2.429. The record is a 2.455 by Rod Trower. Hammond had the TA finals pass to attempt to back up his 2.429 and claim the new record at TVSD (to back it up Hammond needed to run a 2.477, 2% back up for the track record). But Randy Kimbley, the man Hammond had to race in the final, was the only person standing in Hammonds way to win the Top Alcohol title for the weekend.
TA Final results:
TA Final results: (W) J. Hammond – 2.517 @119MPH vs. R. Kimbley – 2.851 @115MPH *red light
Top Eliminator Semi Finals were waiting in the staging lanes.
TE Semi Finals:
(W) J. Click – 3.043 .021 RT vs. V. Hall – 2.982 .106 RT *holeshot
R. Bailey – 3.593 *Red light vs. (W) B. VanBennekom – 2.977
There was a run off for TE 3rd place between Bailey and Hall followed by the TE final. Bailey had an engine explosion at the 60 ft mark that gave Vicki Hall the win. Hall ran a 2.999 @103MPH
Vicki Hall – 3rd Place Top Eliminator 
Russ Bailey with a massive engine explosion!
In the Top Eliminator final we saw the top two qualifiers, #1 Jeremy Click and #2 Burt VanBennekom. VanBennekom driving the small block Mopar and nitrous powered car had lane choice over Click who was driving the blown big block chevy. The finals didn’t go as exactly planned, VanBennekom had issues off the starting line and coasted down the track, Jeremy Click took the win running a 3.057 @101 MPH .025 RT. This was Click’s first ever win in TE.
After an exhibition run by Pat Ross who ran a 2.980 @103MPH. Jim Hammond came up for a final time to try to claim the TVSD track record. Hammond and crew have worked tirelessly to try to get the car fully down the track. Hammond came up short once again running a 2.629 @129 MPH. After a word with Hammond and crew chief Brian Suggs, the team found out that part of the rear end actually broke on Friday and wasn’t caught until the races were finished. Hammond said he and the crew would be back to try again.
Top Alcohol
1st – Jim Hammond
2nd – Randy Kimbley
Top Eliminator
1st – Jeremy Click
2nd – Burt VanBennekom
3rd – Vicki Hall
4th – Russ Bailey
