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HUNDREDS OF RACERS,THOUSANDS OF FANS, AND RAIN CONVERGED ON THE S & S THUNDER IN THE VALLEY NATIONALS PRESENTED BY SMITH BROTHERS HARLEY-DAVIDSON, AUGUST 9TH AND 10TH

WINSTON-SALEM, NC, August 15, 2003 - A standing-room-only field of racers invaded the pits at Bristol Dragway on Friday, August 8th, in preparation for a huge weekend of two-wheel competition on the quarter-mile strip at Bristol Dragway.

On Saturday, the three hundred-plus field of entries took the track under favorable conditions for a thrilling day of qualifying with a hearty crowd on hand for the action. The stage was set for the best of the best to compete for cash and prizes on Sunday. Then the skies opened up, forcing a competition hold after the first round of eliminations.

Track officials were able to get the track dried and prepped, and the racing action continued - briefly. As efforts continued late into the night to resume racing, the rains returned, and Mother Nature won the battle, forcing the event to end incomplete. AHDRA rules state that if at least one round is complete in all classes of competition, racers will receive points earned until the round of interruption; purses remaining in each class will be split with racers still in the competition. That's exactly how it ended, and although both participants and fans were disappointed, it was a good weekend overall.

Here is a look at where a few of the classes stood before the event was called off.

Screamin' Eagle Top Fuel - Doug Vancil was the #1 qualifier with a quick 6.449 on Saturday, and his day ended in the second round on Sunday after the current points leader spit a pushrod at the starting line, sending Jay Turner to the semis.

The #2 qualifier, Steve Stordeur, was on his way to the semis as well after a 6.624 at 221.45 mph over rookie fueler Tii Tharpe. Tharpe had a stellar weekend on his Top Fuel ride, qualifying tenth out of twenty-three entries, and running his personal best, 6.661 at 214.72 mph. Mark Conner struggled in qualifying on his brand-new DJ Johnson ride but managed a #14 spot in qualifying. Conner was on his way to the semis after a 6.794 over Drums Brancaccio. After fighting his way there, Conner said he wants his banana back!

In S & S Pro Stock competition, a fantastic semi round was set with the #1 qualifier and champion, Tom Bradford, still in the show, along with the #2 and #3 qualifiers, Dave Feazell and Dirk Higgins. Mike Lozano (#5 qualifier) was also on the way to the semis after a round-one win over Kurt Matte.

In the Kresto Pro Drag field, Steve Dorn's quest for a six pack of wins was interrupted by the rain, but the #1 qualifier was giving it his best shot, winning his first two rounds and anxious for a win in the semis. Scott Truett was back in the Pro Drag action following a brief absence, and after thrashing to get a spot in qualifying, the Kansas rider was on the ladder for the semis along with tough contenders Chuck Jones and Gary Stroud.

In JIMS Pro Fuel, the top four qualifiers made up the semifinal round with Jimmy Doyle (#1), Steve Simmons (#2), Russ Hildenbrand (#3), and Sam White (#4) on the ladder for another round before the rain took over.

In Hayes Jewelers Pro Gas, Tom Bradford was still in the show, and it was sure to be a battle to the finish with Frank Dove, Richard Meck, and Brook McCabe also still in contention.

The Joker Machine Modified fans would have seen Junior Pippin, Paul Smith, Kurt Matte, and Oregon native Cliff Dwy going head-to-head in the semis.

In Rivera Primo Street Pro racing, Nicholas Gonatas was on a streak with a #1 qualifying spot, following a 9.220 and a blazing 152.57 mph pass, but mechanical problems ended his mission in the semis against Donnie Huffman. The final round was set for this class after champion Travis Lummus defeated Randy Borho, giving him a spot in the finals against Huffman.

The only class to name a winner was the Screamin' Eagle V-Rod category. Despite the class being the only group that had not made any passes at the time of competition hold, the track was marginally dried enough for eighth-mile passes. The V-rod machines finished their day in the late hours of the night, and Jamie McNaughton was able to grab a win over current points leader Tripp Nobles.

The staff of AHDRA would like to thank all of the racers and fans for supporting the S & S Cycle Thunder in the Valley Nationals presented by Smith Brothers Harley-Davidson. A special thank you to this year's title sponsor, S & S Cycle, and to presenting sponsor Smith Brothers Harley-Davidson, for putting on a top-notch event that will be back bigger and better in 2004. AHDRA returns to racing action August 23rd and 24th at the Midwest Nationals presented by Topeka Harley-Davidson, Topeka, KS.

For more information on the 2003 AHDRA National Points Series, please contact 336-924-2095 or visit www.ahdra.com.

Photo credits Jerry Cummings - Eaglestar Photography and Kevin Steen.