Christmas in Dixie 2008 Sees Double Triples

“It was pretty tough.  I’ve been out of the kart for a while so this is a pretty big win for me,” said the 26-year-old Jacksonville, Fl native.  “I got to race my buddy Tommy (Townsend) for it and that was pretty special.  The kart handled pretty good until the last five laps.  I think I ran out the tires at the end, but I had a big enough lead to hold them off at the end.  The Radical Racing Engines motor was awesome we just got it freshened up and it was incredible.  They did a fabulous job on it, it was excellent.”

Jerry Mullis and Dustin McGraw dominated Animal Heavy.  Mullis started on the outside pole while McGraw started on the pole. David Brekke clocked Saturday’s pole time in 14.220-seconds.  Mullis grabbed the early lead showed them a full lap and then led them through a caution restart.  Brekke and Victor Peters were behind him battling for second. When Mullis took the white flag Peters was nearly a second behind him. At the stripe Mullis was 1.920-seconds ahead of Peters.  McGraw, of Okatie, S.C., was third across the finish line followed by Bryan Bourgeois and Matt Collier for the top five.

“It got a little rough there at the end with lapped traffic and everybody getting all bunched up, but it worked out, we still got what we deserved,” said Mullis of Belmont, N.C.  “The Ultramax kart was perfect.  I wouldn’t ride anything else and Tim’s (Fishel) motor was excellent.”

McGraw returned Sunday ready to rumble.  He blistered the track with a 13.981-seconds pole-winning lap.   From there he led the 25-racer field flawlessly through an early race restart.  Shay Chavous trailed him across the stripe 1.957-seconds late followed by Dillon Jackson, Josh Robinson and Clint Jack.

“I kind of thought someone was closer to me than they were so I wanted to really get going at the start,” McGraw, 22, said. “The kart worked pretty good and we finally got the tires right today.  I’d like to thank John Hall for the motor, Brandon Burr for the kart and Greg Vanburg for helping me out a little bit and my dad for the tires.”

Brad Bowman and Justin McRAE ruled Junior Sportsman Champ offerings.  Dustin Smith spun Saturday’s fastest qualifying lap in 15.694-seconds.  Bowman secured the outside pole with a 15.831-seconds rounding.  Smith shot into the early lead with McRAE and Dylan Colding threatening from behind.  With the pressure behind him Smith over drove his kart spinning out.  Colding inherited the lead briefly as Spencer Davis was quick to snatch it from him. 

Bowman and McRae began working together and soon the shot by Davis for the top two spots dropping Davis to third.  Colding and Smith clung to fourth and fifth with Nick Hebrank and Brandon Yates close behind.  Smith’s Victor Peters Racing Engines powered Shadow Racing Chassis ruled keeping the 12-year-old Clearwater, Fl based Bowman in the lead during the race’s second half.    McRae kept Bowman on his toes finishing just 0.218-seconds behind him at the stripe.  Davis was a distant third. Further back Colding and Smith crossed fourth and fifth.

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