The ninth annual Moser Engineering Spring Fling Million presented by Optima Batteries kicked off the season for the premier series this past April , and some of the very best bracket racers in the country converged upon The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for total immersion in the Fling experience . Luke Bogacki claimed the grand prize , while Donnie Hagar , Kris Whitfield , and Sean Shaffer each hit jackpots of their own , and Jeff Serra threw down a stunningly perfect pass to score big bucks at the electrifying event . The original Fling was the brainchild of seasoned racers Peter Biondo and Kyle Seipel , who lost his life to cancer in 2021 . Their 10 brainstormed pages detailed what a dream bracket race would look like , and they first came to life as a trio of $ 20,000-to-win races at Bristol Dragway ’ s
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Thunder Valley in 2010 . With thoughtful dedication , the series known as “ the Flings ” has grown to become one of the most prestigious brands in bracket racing . Coast-to-coast , the Flings offer competitors big payouts and the opportunity to race against the best in the country at some of the finest facilities in motorsports .
The prestige of the event is not lost on anyone , particularly not accomplished bracket racer and multi-time NHRA champion Bogacki , who won the Silverstate Million Dollar main event . Bogacki made history as the first-ever two-time Fling Million winner amongst a sea of talent , and with 296 entries challenging for the $ 325,000 prize , he had to dig deep . The final eight racers – with nary a bye in sight – were a veritable who ’ s who of the sport : Garrett Griffith , Chad Sandlin , Gary Williams , Jeff Serra , Kyle Cultrera , Bogacki , Charlie
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Lockhart , and Mike Barber .
Driving wife Jessica ’ s new dragster , Bogacki had a . 005-second package in round one and consistently killer lights ahead of tight races through eight brutal rounds . In the final , Bogacki and Serra were . 003 and . 006 at the hit , respectively , but when Serra fell into trouble , Bogacki claimed an unexpectedly easy win .
“ When you dream of winning an event like this , you dream of beating Goliath in the final . For my money , Jeff Serra is the best in our game right now ,” said Bogacki . “ While our final didn ’ t go the way either of us wanted , it was an honor to stage beside him in one of the biggest rounds of my life .
“ At the top of the hill , I allowed myself probably 15 or 20 seconds to just take it all in . It was dark , and you could make out the Vegas skyline was in
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PHOTOGRAPHS BY MATT LEVONAS |