Article by Jessica Spears
The valley at Bristol Dragway echoed with sounds of stalling converters as the 6th Annual BTE Labor Day Footbrake Challenge rolled into the stage beams on Thursday. Complimentary perks of the weekend include a fantastic autumn forecast, the gorgeous green backdrop only found at Bristol, and all the bottom-bulb action your heart desires to go along with the substantial cash flow up for grabs.
Early bird racers took advantage of the test-and-tune session before buckling up for eliminations during Thursdayβs Gamblers Race. Before the event, Coalburg Racing Promotions co-owners Jared Pennington and Steve Stites raised both Gamblers Races purses from the advertised $3,000 to $ 4,000 to win. Double entries were permitted, but no buybacks could save you from a first-round mistake, so Thursdayβs 216-car field quickly divided throughout the day.
Seven drivers found themselves squared up in round number six: Jordan Wilhelm, Chris Hester, Justin Buckles, Zach Combs, Andrew Ellis, Edmond Ellison, and Caleb Ellison. The eldest Ellison brother, Edmond, advanced into the semifinal by taking the four-thousandths margin of victory over Hester. Wilhelm used his .018 reaction time to take the win over Ellis, who ran dead-on his 6.08 dial in. Caleb Ellison illuminates the dreaded red bulb beside Buckles, who was .008 on the tree and took the free time shot into the next round. Combs earned the last bye run of the race and launched wheels up with a .009 reaction time.
In the first semifinal pairing, both drivers run dead-on their respective dials, but Combsβ .010 light gives him room to take the .009 margin of victory over Wilhelm, who was .023 up front. Ellison has the starting line advantage and turns it into a win light beside Buckles, who breaks out one-thousandth in an attempt to take the finish line.
Itβs the first Coalburg Racing Promotions final for Combs as he rolls his β79 Oldsmobile Starfire into the waterbox beside Ellisonβs β68 Camaro during his fifth final round appearance. Ellison has an eight-thousandths better reaction time, but Combs is five-thousandths ahead at the stripe to earn the $4,000 victory while taking home the first big check of the weekend.
All eyes are on Zach βAnimalβ Combs as the winnerβs circle interview begins in front of the massive Bristol tower while he reflects on what just happened. βItβs unbelievable to be standing here. Iβve dreamed of this my whole life, and to be talking on the microphone with you is something special,β he tells Jared Pennington. Combs continues, βLast couple weeks have been rough on me, but I knew if I just kept making runs and kept doing what I was doing, eventually it was going to turn around. They canβt keep kicking my teeth in my whole life.β
The 6th Annual BTE Labor Day Footbrake Challenge is just at its 60-foot cone, so if youβre not on the property, you still have to put it in gear and compete for three more days! Friday kicks off with the one and only time trial at 8:30 am, followed by round one eliminations of the first $15,000-to-win main event. Later in the evening, another $4,000 Gamblers Race will give racers another opportunity to battle at Bristol.
Catch the rest of the action live on Motormaniatv courtesy of Laris Motorsports Insurance and GoDeadOn.
For more information on Coalburg Racing Promotions, visit www.worldfootbrakechallenge.com.
Winnerβs circle photos provided by RLR Photography on behalf of BME Photography.
