Dirt
Bo Knows Big-Money Bracket Racing
Bo Butner wins Spring Fling Million in Las Vegas By Gary Don Free
Two hundred and thirty-one competitors entered the main event at the K & N Spring Fling Million , which set the winner ’ s purse at $ 250,000 . After a long day of racing at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway , it was 2017 NHRA Pro Stock world champion Bo Butner walking away with the winner ’ s prizes .
The fields in both Gearwrench Pro and Super Pro included a who ’ s who of bracket racers from over 30 states . The Pro field was absolutely brutal as the small field of 22 racers were some of the best in the country . As an example , the opening pair of the Spring Fling Million saw Kyle Rizzoli and Nick Hastings square off . In that pairing both drivers were . 00x with Rizzoli sending Hastings to the buyback window .
As the day progressed , racers ’ million-dollar dreams were crushed as they fell from competition while those remaining chased fame and fortune . Going into round five , only three Gearwrench Pro drivers remained while there were 20 racers left in Super Pro .
Racers that fell one round from “ the split ” included Randy Biddle Jr . in Pro and Rod Taylor , Shawn Langdon , Ryan Mangus , Dylan Hough , Randi Lyn Shipp , Val Torres , David Myhre , Sean Shaffer , Austin Williams , and Shane Carr in his second entry in Super Pro .
The remaining 12 racers met in the lanes for round six and quickly worked out an equitable split . Once the payout was determined , Hastings and Justin Lamb squared off in the Gearwrench
Pro class final . Lamb missed the tree for the first time all day , sending Hastings to the quarterfinals . Hastings also collected the $ 500 Gearwrench Pro bonus .
Round six of Super Pro saw Shane Carr fall to Matt Lee by virtue of a - . 003 red-light . Alexis Thompson advanced when Jon Corbin was - . 003 too quick in his ’ 68 Camaro . Hunter Patton turned it red to advance Val Torres Jr . and Peeps Pennington did the same against Butner . Kris Whitfield used a . 009-pack to stop AJ Ashe and his Grand Am .
The quarterfinals included five dragsters and the lone door car of Hastings . Hastings ’ Mustang was sporting a damaged rear bumper from
PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRYAN EPPS , BO BUTNER RACING AND KRIS WHITFIELD
38 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 167