Derek Wilson
Marinscope
Chris Burton of Fairfax drove his 2007 Mustang to the winner’s circle in the Comp Rod class during Sonoma Raceway’s Wednesday Night Drags on June 23.
Burton got the jump on Carlos Godinez at the start line, with a reaction time of .060 to Godinez’s .164 as the Christmas Tree turned green. Godinez kept it close down the stretch, outpacing Burton 116.17 mph to Burton’s 93.97 speed. Burton’s fast start held up, however, for the victory.
Burton stopped San Rafael veteran Scott Sterley and his 1964 El Camino in the second round.
Novato’s Joe Piazza was the top qualifier in the class with his 1050 Chevy.
Drew Keeler of San Rafael advanced to the fourth round in the Street class with his 2003 Benz, before fouling out against eventual runner-up Spencer Marcil of Rohnert Park.
John Lemos of Novato fouled out against Marcil in the second round. San Rafael’s Joshu Lake in his 2021 Chevy fouled out against Hayward’s Nenad Radmarone in the first round.
In the Motorcycle class, Doug Love took down Carl Stevenson in an all-Novato first-round matchup. Love, aboard his 2001 Triumph, narrowly edged Stevenson’s 2002 Harley Davidson. Love lost in the second round to Hayward’s Joe Sisk, riding a 2008 Suzuki.
In the new Gear Jammer series, Novato’s Scott Frazier drove his 2014 Fiat past Novato’s Claire Patrick and her 1986 VW in the first round. Frazier lost in the second round to Benicia’s Patrick Lannoo.
Carlos Hillson of Ross fell in the first round with his 1999 Mazda Miata against a 2018 VW.
In the Jackpot round, the 2014 Mustang GT of Novato’s Bobby Grabrian fell in the second round to the 1994 Camaro of Clayton’s Brandon Hoover. Grabrian outdrove Sterley in the first round.
The weekly Wednesday Night Drags series at Sonoma Raceway’s dragstrip allows people a safe, legal, controlled setting in which to race their cars away from city streets. Anyone with a driver’s license can compete, providing their street-legal vehicle passes a technical inspection at the track.
The series features the popular Top the Cops competition, giving high school students the chance to race against law enforcement officers in their patrol vehicles … without getting a ticket.
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