FORT WORTH, Texas (July 8, 2019)
For the third straight week more than 300 local car enthusiasts chased glory an eighth-mile at a time at Texas Motor Speedway, and four of those competitors decided to hold onto their bragging rights another week, backing up their Week Two wins in Week Three of Universal Technical Institute Friday Night Drags.
It all starts with the high-powered Summit Racing Equipment Outlaw Division where Tyler Cavett (Saginaw,Tex.) continues to impress. His 1982 Ford Mustang has three wins in as many weeks, putting him firmly in position to sweep the class as the second half of the season begins. For the third straight week, Cavett topped Chris Wolfe (Boyd, Tex.) in the final.
He was far from the only one providing fireworks in front of a record crowd on Fireworks Night presented by Snap-on Tools.
Joe Watson (Haltom City, Tex.) and his 1983 Chevrolet C10 pickup are looking even better than the form they showed in winning the Texas Born Performance Black Smoke Warrior Division a year ago. Watson blitzed to victory for the second straight week, backing up a runner-up finish in Week One. Watson now has a commanding eight points in the season standings with 11 other drivers trailing with three each.
In the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Modified Division, John Apple (Euless, Tex.) has also proven that Week One was a fluke for his 1966 Chevrolet Nova. Apple didn’t make a pass the first week with mechanical issues, but he’s already a two-time winner in 2019 with back-to-back top finishes. He beat Chris Thompson’s 1932 Ford Coupe in the final and leads Thompson in the season standings seven-to-five.
106 cars entered in the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Division, but for the second straight week Michael Phillips took his 2016 Chevy Camaro SS to Victory Lane. This time, though, while the crowd was still basking in a No Limits, Texas, sized fireworks show, Phillips capped his win by strolling down the TMS frontstretch, American flag waving from his hands. Phillips has seven points in the season standings, while three drivers trail with four a piece.
In the final three divisions, there are no true favorites at the season’s midway point.
Bryan Pomeroy and his 2019 Corvette seemed poised to repeat in the Supercar Division, but one of the fan favorites, the 2013 Cadillac CTSV Wagon driven by Arlington’s Wes Coleman, was too much for the newer car in the final. Pomeroy holds a one-point lead in the season standings over Coleman and Week One winner Matt Owen’s five. Two more drivers have four points.
Former winner Andreis Van Der Westhuizen returned to the Snap-on All Wheel Drive Division for the first time this year, and it was a smart idea. The 1991 Nissan GTR outpaced all comers, taking the win and vaulting him into the title hunt. John Kuethe leads with five points, Glenn Twardowsky has four, and Van Der Westhuizen and seven others have three.
Finally, in the FastSigns Bandit Division, Jorge Velez and his 1991 Porsche Cabriolet turned back time and rose to the top in the 60-car class, beating last week’s winner Gerard Cuellar in the final. Velez (4) is third in the points standings behind Cuellar (6) and Week One winner Jason Magallon (5).
Earlier in the night, awards were given for the In-N-Out Show-N-Shine competition:
- Best in Show – Robert Drinks
- Best Classic – Danny Newton
- Best Current – Tony Edwards
Round Four of the six-week journey starts with gates and grandstands opening at 6 p.m. this Friday night for Jeep Night and a concert by Tim Montana. All cars will be welcome, as usual, but Jeeps will invade TMS en masse before competition starts for a celebration of one of the most popular vehicles on and off the road.
Competitors can practice from 6 p.m. – 8:15 p.m. while other car lovers bring their rides for the In-N-Out Show-N-Shine car show.
Competition kicks off at 9:15 p.m.
UTI Friday Night Drags competitors must be 18 or older to participate with the entry fee being $20 per week. All vehicles must pass pre-race inspection, and all drivers must wear an approved helmet. Helmets can be rented at Texas Motor Speedway for $10 per night.
Spectator tickets may be purchased at Gate 6 at $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12. Parking is free outside Gate 6 or $20 in the infield. Coolers are allowed in both the grandstands and the infield.
The Torchy’s Tacos located in the TMS infield will be open for each event from 6 p.m. – 11 p.m.
The 2019 Universal Technical Institute Friday Night Drags schedule is:
- July 12 – Jeep Night/Tim Montana concert
- July 19 – TBD
- July 26 – Fan Appreciation Night
For more information, CLICK HERE.
About Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway, with a crowd capacity in excess of 190,000, is among the largest sports stadiums in the United States and features an array of amenities such as the world’s largest TV that make it one of the premier venues in the world of sports. The 1.5-mile superspeedway located in Fort Worth hosts all three NASCAR national series as well as the NTT IndyCar Series among its various races and specialty events throughout the year. Since opening in 1997, Texas Motor Speedway has generated an annual economic impact of approximately $300 million to the North Texas region. Texas Motor Speedway is owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., a publicly traded company that is a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. For more information, please visit texasmotorspeedway.com.
