TOMASINO TRIUMPHS AT THUNDER VALLEY

Dave Tomasino scored his first Nitro Coupe win at Thunder Valley, putting together three consistent runs to take the Mickey Thompson Nitro Coupe Challenge at the AutoZone Super Chevy Show event at Bristol Dragway, held June 24-26.

Nitro Coupe Winner Dave Tomasino

Tomasino, who hails from Holley, NY did it the hard way, taking out current World Championship points leader Wayne Torkelson in the semis. In the finals, Tomasino and his '69 Camaro Nitro Coupe faced Mike Swinarski of Hamburg, NY. Tomasino's run in the finals (6.467@ 214.92) was enough to take the win over Swinarski, whose '57 Chevy Nitro Coupe struggled in the finals. In the semis, Tomasino ran a 6.476 at 218.76 to whip Torkelson. Canadian ace Bruce Boland of Stoney Creek, Ontario was the other Nitro Coupe semi-finalist at Bristol.

Nitro Coupe Runner Up Mike Swinarski

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The Top Sportsman field was large and tough, but '63 split-window Corvettes ruled the roost at Bristol as they have at several other stops in the AutoZone Super Chevy Show's 25th Anniversary Tour. Atlanta Top Sportsman winner Matt Weston of Hendersonville, NC, took another Super Chevy Top Sportsman title, defeating low qualifier Stacy Hall of Chesnee, SC, who turned on the reds. Both racers drive '63 Vettes. In the finals, Weston ran a (1/8 mile) 4.758 off his 4.71 dial-in at 151.02 miles per hour to Hall's 4.633 on a 4.61 dial at 150.35 miles per hour after his red light.