PHOTOGRAPHS BY VAN ABERNETHY |
Back in 2009 when Red Whitmore insisted that he could transform Bristol Dragway’ s fledgling bracket series into a viable and successful program, he was reasonably sure he could pull it off, but he certainly didn’ t expect to still be doing it 17 seasons later! Bristol Dragway’ s then-president, Jeff Byrd, had already cancelled the bracket program when Whitmore – an employee of the oval track with a distant past in drag racing – persuaded Byrd to allow him one season to try and turn things around.
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Byrd, along with pretty much everybody else, was shocked when Whitmore did exactly that, and now he’ s hoping to keep the good times rolling for 20 seasons, and he’ s even made it something of a retirement goal.“ I’ ll be almost 80 years old at the 20-season mark, so that’ s what I’ m shooting for,” Whitmore smiles.
Even though the DER Bracket Racing Series that Whitmore founded and manages is seemingly hitting on all cylinders, he never gets complacent or thinks it can’ t be improved upon. From day one, Whitmore was a huge believer of
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Red Whitmore, founder of the DER Bracket Racing Series |
May / June 2025 |
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