DIALED IN
Luck of the Irish
Bracket racers pack VMP for St. Patrick’s Classic
By Van Abernethy
C
redit a booming economy, the
luck of the Irish, or maybe some other
contributing factor that brought out
600 race cars in mid-March for a three-
day bracket race at Virginia Motors-
ports Park. One things for certain, though:
the 10th annual House of Payne Performance
St. Patrick’s Classic shattered all expectations
during the running of this popular event put
on by Loose Rocker Promotions.
Even with Friday’s event eventually being
rained out, cars continued flowing through the
gates until 600 tech cards had been turned in
by Saturday. After a gallant effort to complete
Saturday’s eliminations, the event fell slightly
short of being finished in time to beat the 11:00
May 2019
p.m. curfew. Sunday’s Abruzzi $10K Finale
kept up the pace to crown two champions out
of the 533 entries starting the day in less than
10 hours.
In Top E.T., door cars dominated, having dis-
patched all the dragsters before the quarterfinals.
In the end, it was Mike Nelson Jr.’s very quick
and dead-on 5.128 that earned the big check
and Loose Rocker Eagle trophy. Runner-up was
2013 American Doorslammer Nationals champ
Ray Holmes. Herb Bailey was the semifinalist.
In Footbrake, Nicole Talbert put on a domi-
nating display to earn her first big check and
Loose Rocker Eagle, stopping Ernie Humes in
the final. Brock Moshier was the lone semifinal-
ist. Amazingly, there were also two perfect runs
at this event, turned in by Jose Diaz and Chad
Duke, respectively.
“We’re dumfounded at this turnout,” insists An-
thony Walton, who launched this event a decade
ago when it was held at Coastal Plains Dragway.
Neither he nor business partner Michael Beard
could offer a legitimate reason as to what prompt-
ed so many racers to make the trip to compete
at the St. Patrick’s gathering. “It’s the same race
we’ve always done, so I don’t have a good explana-
tion for this huge crowd,” marvels Beard.
Two years ago, when 489 entries showed up,
everyone involved referred to the turnout as
“phenomenal,” assuming the ceiling had been
reached. “I thought the days of getting 400 cars
for an event like this were over...I didn’t know
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