ROCKINGHAM — Brandon Peterson of Randleman prevented an outsider sweep of Friday’s Sportsman Shootout by driving his 1995 Camaro to victory in the combined Super Stock-Stock category on the first day of NHRA Lucas Oil Series racing at Rockingham Dragway.
Peterson shared the Friday podium with Tony Morris of Winter Garden, Florida, winner in Super Comp; veteran Iggy Boicesco of Warminster, Pennsylvania, who drove his 2002 Corvette to victory in Super Gas; and John Rollins of High Springs, Florida, who won Super Street in his 1972 Chevy Nova.
The action heats up Saturday with final qualifying sessions in all standard NHRA categories followed by the first round of eliminations for Lucas Oil points at 5 p.m. Racing will resume Sunday morning with champions ultimately crowned in TopDragster, Top Sportsman, Competition, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street and the special 11.00 index class.
Sunday’s race will be the fourth of six in which racers can earn points that will determine divisional championships in each of the aforementioned categories. The Southeast Division is comprised of the Carolinas, Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida and Georgia.
It was all Barkers, all the time in the qualifying portion of Friday’s program as Lindsey Barker set the qualifying pace in Top Dragster and Jeffrey Barker led the way in Top Sportsman.
The Lucas Oil Series is the first major NHRA event contested at the Rock since 1998.