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New track owners , sponsor bring popular Civil Wars event back to Rockingham Dragway By Wes Taylor
Big things are happening at the new and revised Rockingham Dragway . New owners Dan VanHorn and Al Gennarelli have been all ears , listening to the racers and fans when it comes to new and exciting events to bring back the heart of what “ The Rock ” was once known for . When Mark Rasberry , owner of NC Speed Lab , approached the duo about bringing back a series Rasberry used to race in from the late ‘ 90s to the early 2000s , they jumped on board . With NC Speed Lab as the headlining sponsor , it not only sweetened the deal but took Rasberry back to the golden years of the series . That series
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was named the Holcomb Motorsports Civil Wars , which was started in 1993 by Kenny Holcomb as an outlet for Ford guys to have fun at the racetrack . The series was later opened to all makes and models and became the pinnacle for 10.5 racing through the 2010s . Civil Wars was one of the longest-running series in 10.5 drag racing before the radial tire craze took over , continuing as a spring race for two decades .
Things have changed for those original Civil War gearheads , such as Holcomb , who was on the property , since VanHorn and Gennarelli ’ s takeover . They walked into a completely new track surface , updated bathrooms , timing system , paint , and overall updated amenities .
Rasberry ’ s reinvented Civil Wars is an all-inclusive event for everyone . He had classes for daily drivers , bracket racers , and even a Mid-Track Madness no-prep race presented by At The Beach RV and hosted by no-prep guru John Phillips , also known as “ Turbo John .”
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Kevin Helmick piloted his Challenger they call “ Grumpy Cat ” to a 4.565 at 168.92 mph , taking the win in Outlaw Heavyweight . True Street ventured over to Rockingham Speedway , where they did laps around the track before going straight to the lanes for their competition passes ; David Muth came out on top in his four-door Ford LTD , taking home the trophy . George Cunningam ’ s Nova , known as “ Bad Apple ” and driven by Landrum Gentry , wheelied into first place in Mid-Track Madness . Colman Heath was the top dog in Small Block Boost / Nitrous , taking home |
PHOTOGRAPHS BY WES TAYLOR |