GLENDORA, Calif.  (March 20, 2012) – Larry Meacham led the four winners for the NHRA Southeast Division Summit Racing Series Race of Champions held recently at Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville.  The event pits the best racers for each of the NHRA Member Tracks in the Southeast division in head to head competition to crown the Race of Champions. 

Meacham, Cantonment, Fla., and running for Emerald Coast Dragway took the trophy in Super Pro over Jack Ivey, Albant, Ga., (US 19 Dragway).  Meacham left first in his ’09 dragster and crossed the finish line in 5.238 seconds at 129.95 to Ivey’s 5.905, 114.68.

            In the Pro class, it was Manny Sousa with a near perfect reaction time of 0.007 seconds in his ’76 Vega leading him to victory over Jeff Harrington from Kathleen, Fla., and Silver Dollar Raceway.  The Bradenton, Fla., resident went 6.642 seconds at 99.85 mph for the win.

            A third Florida racer made his way to the winner’s circle at Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville as Orlando Speed World Dragstrip runner Robert Ward, Sanford, Fla., ran down Pope Sellers, Byron, Ga., (Silver Dollar Raceway).  Ward’s ’72 Maverick went 8.386 at 75.89 against Sellers ’63 Nova running 8.520, 80.64

            Rounding out the event that was run in conjunction with the recent NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series in Gainesville, Fla., was Tim Sutton running for Atlanta Dragway taking the win in the Motorcycle class on an ’83 Suzuki.  The Clearmont, Ga., racer covered the quarter-mile in 5.692 seconds at 121.59 mph to defeat Dennis Steward, St. Pete, Fla., clocking in at 5.796, 112.66.

The following are the final results from the NHRA Southeast Division Summit Racing Series Race of Champions event at Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville:

SUPER PRO

Larry Meacham, Cantonment, Fla., ’09 dragster, 5.238 seconds, 129.95 mph def. Jack Ivey, Albant, Ga., ’69 Camaro, 5.905, 114.68

PRO

Manny Sousa, Bradenton, Fla., ’76 Vega, 6.642, 99.85 def. Jeff Harrington, Kathleen, Fla., ’81 Malibu, 6.398, 105.27

SPORTSMAN

Robert Ward, Sanford, Fla., ’72 Maverick, 8.386, 75.89 def. Pope Sellers, Byron, Ga., ’63 Nova, 8.520, 80.64

MOTORCYCLE

Tim Sutton, Clearmont, ’83 Suzuki, 5.692, 121.59 def. Dennis Stewart, St. Pete, Fla., ’78 Kawasaki, 5.796, 112.66