San Antonio Raceway kicks off 2016 drag racing season

by Jay Hallas | Posted on Sunday, February 21st, 2016

Marion, TX., – San Antonio Raceway kicked off it’s 2016 season with its ‘Back to the Track’ weekend of racing on the track just east of San Antonio. After undergoing some track repair last weekend, the track was ready for business with an open test-n-tune on Friday night. Saturday featured a triple-header of sorts with a non-points Summit Super Series bracket race during the day, followed by another test-n-tune session in the evening along with family night.

Electronics co-winner Brett Zampese. (Photo by JM Hallas)

Family gives the kids a chance to try their hand as they race their tricycles and big wheels, plus other kids entertainment on the midway.

During a break in rounds, Nancy Matter’s Guardian for Heros, Alcohol Funny Car made a test hit. Unfortunately for her, either the parachutes failed or throttle got hung sending her long at the top end into the hay bales. The car had some body damage, but she was alright.

Saturday morning kicked off the events with a Summit Super Series non-points bracket race for Electronics(Box), Foot brake(No-box), Jr. Dragster and a trophy Street Car class.

Electronics co-winner Chris Keylich. (Photo by JM Hallas)

The morning started out with damp foggy/drizzly conditions that delayed the start an hour or so, but once that burned off it was time to get the show on the road, literally and figuratively. By the time time trails were over track temperatures were nearing ideal conditions as the first rounds of eliminations began.

Electronics(Box)

Zampese/Keylich Split Finals

With no points on the line yet this season, Brett Zampese(San Antonio) and Chris Keylich(San Antonio) opted to split the 1-2 purse in the Electronics final. In the semi finals B. Zampese, in his Dragster, got by Leroy O’Bryants Chevy Monza with Zampese nailing his dial in(4.874 on a 4.87 dial). C. Keylich in his Keylich Electric Dragster had a bye run in the semi’s.

Foot Brake winner David Bixler taking a green. (Photo by JM Hallas)

Brett Zampese and Chris Keylich, DNR, Split money

In earlier rounds, B. Zampese took out Greg Meuth, Candace Ritter, T. Leason and M. Rodriguez, plus a round 5 bye. Keylich knocked out Peeps Pennington, Todd Robinson, David Johns, J. Garza and Tony Farmer.

Foot Brake(No-box)

Bixler Best in No-Box

San Antonio’s David Bixler made his buy back pay off scoring the win in the Foot Brake(No-box) finals over Bryan Day. D. Bixler, in his Chevy powered ’49 Ford Coupe cut a .004 light on Day and that was pretty much all she wrote for Day in his ’86 Chevy S-10 Pick-up.

David Bixler(6.84) 6.8602 @ 95.66 defeats Bryan Day(6.92) 6.9456 @ 87.51

After losing in round 1 to R. Dunsirn, D. Bixler rebounded to beat, T. Barber, Sherman Davis jr., B. Spain and Rhett Floyd. Day trailered Sherman Davis jr., B. Waite, J. Bixler, H. Aguilera and Motorcycle Mike.

Emily Ball gets focused before Jr DRagster a run. (Photo by JM Hallas)

Jr. Dragsters

Ball Bounces Back for Jr. Dragster Win

Losing to Caden Meuth in round 1 on eliminations didn’t deter Emily Ball(San Antonio) from grabbing the first victory of the year. After a timing snafu, the finals had to be run twice against Gianna Carrola. Ball, in her 2012 Greg Hubbell Chassis, got out on Carrola by .058 and needed every tenth to hold off Carrola, in his All In Designs, Half Scale Chassis, at the stripe

Emily Ball(7.92) 7.9808 @ 79.42 defeats Gianni Carrola(7.97) 7.9924 @ 81.89

Ball won the rematch with Meuth in round 2 and had a round 3 bye. Carrola bested Kathrine Keylich and her cousin, Matthew Keylich on his way to the finals.

Caitlin Mitchan with husband Brandon watching on during Street Car class launch. (Photo by JM Hallas)

Street Cars

The Street Car finals was supposed to be a revisit of the old childern’s story, ‘The Tortoise and the Hare.’ Caitlin Mitchan, on her Suzuki GSXR 1000, would give up nearly four and half seconds to Rhett Floyd in his 2008 GMC Sierra, on the line. Floyd tried to cut a light, but gave the race away going red, and leaving Mitchan the win while she waited on her light.

Caitlin Mitchan(6.12) 6.2904 @ 120.68 defeats Rhett Floyd(10.49) 10.5586 @ 68.68(-.0158 red)

Next weekend San Antonio Raceway hosts The Pride of Texas Carnival, Feb. 25-28, with racing on Friday nights test-n-tune/reaction time challenge and Saturdays 8^th Annual LS1 Truck Race. For more info visit www.saraceway.com or San Antonio Raceway’s facebook page.