Drag Racing Action Online

Images Phil Hutchison and courtesy Rob Keister

The Mid Atlantic Super Series held their annual banquet in Trevose PA the weekend of March 15. The event put a close to 2024 by crowning champs in all the classes including Jr Dragster and Stock/Super Stock, Top 32 along with all the .90 classes the association is known for.

The party also was a kick starter/pep rally for the 2025 season which looks to rank up there as one the best that series President Rob Keister has had. All this from an association that just a few decades ago held their annual party in a VFW in Williamstown, NJ with about 30-40 people in attendance. Things have changed for the group with 2025 featuring new sponsors in the eight-race series.

Keister, along with his second in command, Dana Nahill, kept the party going with all the awards handed out before the much-anticipated silent auction that caps the evening.

In addition to recognizing the Top 10 in each class, other racers, tuners, and sponsors were acknowledged for their contributions to the 2024 season. Members of the association got to vote for the best in various categories such as Wrench of the Year and the first award went to Junior Wrench of the Year Bryan Blittersdorf. Bryan was unable to attend the event so as in other award shows, his trophy was graciously accepted by the presenters.

JUNIOR ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Junior Rookie of the Year was in Keister’s words, a no brainer as the recipient, Austin Ecks was also the 2024 Junior champ. Ecks, who’s family calls Quarryville PA home, recently turned 12 in December said after his award, “The banquet was a great time, and it was really cool seeing so many of my race friends.”

TOP 32 WRENCH OF THE YEAR

Top 32 Wrench of the year went to Delaware Top Sportsman racer Donnie Teague’s tuner Bert Walton.

.90 WRENCH OF THE YEAR

The .90 Wrench of the year went to long time supporter and racer Pete “Lucky” Luciano. Luciano, who is one of the most sought-after racers at the track when it comes to getting air tanks filled and some emergency welding. Lucky along with his daughter Leanne kept the series from going under during the bleak years when the payouts weren’t even talking about and deservedly won the 2024 Wrench award

“I was sitting there and didn’t really know what or who Rob was introducing but I heard ‘air tanks and welding and my hearing isn’t as good as it was, but I knew I was getting some award,” Luciano said. “I was walking up to the stage wondering what I won. Maybe for being a good guy.”

Lucky who calls Malvern PA home adds, “When I got back to the table I realized the award was for Wrench of the Year. At my age, you go from driver to wrench. I really love racing Super Gas. I love the racers, the comradery everything. Plus, I can race at two races during the weekend and if the track has a bracket race going on with the Mid Atlantic series, I can race in that too. It requires us to turn the car around quickly, but I have family and friends to help me.”

.90 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Although 2024 didn’t produce a lot of new racers in the association but all it took was one win and a runner up and to get a third place in Super Street for Jeremy Stoker to claim the Rookie of the Year award.

“I am honored to receive the rookie of the year for the mid Atlantic .90 series,” Stoker said.  “Just being able to race with everyone was great. My only goal for the year was to try something new and not make a fool out of myself. I guess I did pretty good and was able to win one race and finish 3rd overall in super street. I can’t wait to see what challenges the 2025 season will bring”

SPONSOR OF THE YEAR

2024 sponsor of the year is The Fuel Factory.

COMEBACK OF THE YEAR AWARD

Two time champ Don Bangs, after a terrible 2023 season that included crashing his Super Comp dragster in an off track incident bounced back in 2024. After getting his car rebuilt for the 2024 season, The Southhampton, Pa driver was consistent enough to win the Super Comp championship for the third time. And in dramatic fashion waiting until the final round of the final race to make it #3

MOST IMPROVED DRIVER

After a 2023 season that only produced two round wins on his way to a 17th place finish, racer Tony Barrett lit the win light a total of 13 times putting the Long Island NY driver in 2nd place in the Super Comp class.

“Saturday’s Mid Atlantic .90 Banquet was a great experience,” Barrett said. “Rob and his team put on a memorable event. It was my first time attending but I don’t plan on missing it again. It was a total surprise to win the most improved driver award. This really means a lot to me based on the high caliber of racers in all the classes.”

DRIVER OF THE YEAR

During the awards ceremony, Keister said picking Driver of the Year was tough. A Real tossup with six drivers vying for the title. But in the end, it was quite easy. It was Ellendale DE racer, 2024 NHRA D1 Super Gas champ Keith Mayers taking the Driver of the Year award back to Delaware. Mayers who has the most series championships at eight in Super Street, moved up to Super Gas in 2024 and it resulted in a championship in the 9.90 class in both NHRA and Mid Atlantic.

“At the beginning of the year, my Porsche which I ran mostly in Super Street, needed to be certified. I took the Alfa to the spring Cecil Lucas race to run Super Street and during the weekend I went home and got the Porsche and got it certified and ran Super Gas. Went a few rounds but I missed a few events after that and didn’t get back after it until two events were run.

“By the time I got back to the Lucas events, Shawn Fricke had won two Super Street events, so I said ‘I ain’t gonna catch him’ and decided to focus on Super Gas in the Mid Atlantic series and the NHRA division which worked out.”

Mayers, who also won NED Sportsman Driver of the Year adds, “To be honest, 2024 for all my success, was not a great year. I only won a few of Keister’s races and a few Lucas races but it all worked out.”

Most Sportsman racers would be happy with a year that Mayers had but after winning as much as he has, he sets the bar a little higher for himself.

“I plan on hitting all the Mid Atlantic races this year, Mayers says. “I took delivery of a new stacker trailer and will run both cars in 2025. I slowed the Porsche down a bit and upgraded the aluminum motor in the Alfa so it will run 160.

2024 SPECIAL AWARD

After only a few years in D1, Chaplin Kevin Cooke from Racers for Christ was recognized for his great work at the track making drivers feel safe before a run and having a presence with his Sunday morning sermons. Kevin, a true racer at heart, is inspirational at NHRA events and the Mid Atlantic series events.

“I am grateful to Rob for giving me the opportunity to serve as the Racers For Christ chaplain with the Mid-Atlantic Super Series.” Cooke said. “I was at a loss for words when I was announced as the Person of the Year award winner. All glory goes to God!”

SUPER GAS

Keith Mayers made history in 2024. After the 2024 champ had did all his damage in the 10.90 class by winning 7 championships and tying himself with the great Iggie Boicesco, it took him coming over to the land of Boicesco to break that tie and claim his 8th  Mid Atlantic title

In 2024 Mayers won five events. Two MASGA, two Lucas divisional events and one NHRA national event on his way to both MASGA and NED titles. And Mayers travelled to Pomona to try and cement a national title.

“2024 was a wild one,” Mayers said. “During the year I drove three different homebuilt 150 MPH cars in Super Gas. Once I saw I had a chance to be NHRA champ, Pete Bothe reached out to me and offered me the chance to drive his Porsche at the NHRA World Finals. We got together through Sal Biondo and we are brothers from another mother as we both have Porsche Super Gassers.”

Mayers did what is humanly possible taking Bothe’s car to the semis losing to eventual winner and eventual NHRA World Champ Val Torres on a tie breaker. Mayers didn’t lose for trying.

MID ATLANTIC JUNIOR CHAMP

It’s rare that a racer come out in their first season, win, and capture a championship in the first season. With rainouts and only four races counting toward the points total, every round counted. In fact, the Junior championship had a 44 point spread between 10th place and a championship.

Austin Ecks, a third generation racer held off Abby Martin and Gabby Maclosky by the slimmest of margines to capture his first ever title. Ecks was runner  up at race #2 and went to the fourth round at race #1

Austin and his mom Nicole Ecks celebrate his big night 

“Thank you to the Mid Atlantic team for everything they do and appreciate all the really cool items they awarded us. It was a great night,” Ecks said. “I’m excited to get the 2025 season started in a few weeks at Mason Dixon for the first series event.

SUPER STREET

During the 2024 two dominant performances from Jeremy Stoker and Jay Neville appeared to have the edge on the competition. But nobody apparently was watching Scott Lang. Lang from Slatington, PA was driving the trusty Lang family Nova. Scott won the title on the strength of round wins and did not park the Nova in the winner’s circle on his way to the 2024 championship.

Lang said, “It was one heck season and I’m looking forward this year and seeing if we can duplicate the success of last season.”

TOP 32

In the world of bracket racing, there’s nothing quicker than Top Sportsman and Top Dragster. The Top 32 has been part of the Mid Atlantic series since 2023 and gives the quick cars a place to race other than the NHRA and PDRA events.

The Top 32 concept is easy. The door cars race in their side of the ladder as the dragsters duel it out on their own. Once a winner is declared in the two, the winners face each other to decide Top 32 champ. 2024 was the last year of the two winners facing each other as 2025 will feature separate eliminators for each class.

Taking the final Top 32 title was Joe Heffernan racing out of Aston PA. Heffernan who campaigned the crowd favorite Opel GT switched to a ’68 Camaro formally owned by Andy Jensen. The Camaro was much more consistent than the Opel and as he only raced at 5 of the seven events Heffernan won at Race #2 at Maple Grove, runner up’d at Cecil and had another R/U at Cecil. This along with three semi final appearances, put Heffernan in the #1 spot for 2024.

“They say once was old is new again,” Heffernan said. “The Heffernan’s know this too well. Joe Sr had Bob Thompson Corvette. Took that too many many finals. Then the famous Bob Kaiser Opel Gt. Put Joey behind the wheel and magic struck. Winning the D1 championship, Gatornationals. Let the little car rest for 17 plus years and coming back to win the Yellow Bullet Nationals, going to win the Cecil County track championship. After getting the Andy Jensen 68 Camaro, the Heffernan’s are at it once again.”

STOCK/SS

The Mid Atlantic Stock / SS Series is basically an off-set of the East Coast Stock / SS Series that Dave & Gloria Ley ran for  many years, when Dave decided to hang up the clipboard at the end of 2023, a lot of racers didn’t know what was next. A call between Jeff Eastburn of Hoopes, Chad Porter from Cecil County and Rob Keister led into the formation of a test series to see if there was interest. For the longest time Atco was the home to the ECSSSA but with Atco no longer in operation the racers needed a new home and Cecil County jumped up to the task. The first two races were washed out  but the series finally got going at the Uncle Buck event

 Nazareth PA. racer Todd Hoven, a long time racer in the East Coast Stock/SS series took the 2024 title. Hoven who also was a champ in Dave Ley’s series, became the first driver to win in both series. Hoven won Race #2 and almost won a second with a runner up but he had the points needed to claim the title.

Hoven said, “I had a great time at the banquet getting to know the other champions and members of the Mid Atlantic .90 Association. Hopefully we can get more people from the stock, super stock contingent at next year‘s banquet. we have to work on that. I didn’t really think much about it until Bob introduced me and mentioned me about being the first stock super stock champion in the Mid Atlantic Association, and he also mentioned that I was a past East Coast Stock Super Stock champion many years ago. 20 years to be exact.”

“I feel honored and privileged to have won the first stock super stock championship of the mid Atlantic Association. I look forward to participate again this year and getting to race with everybody again. I wish luck to all the competitors for the upcoming season.”

SUPER COMP

Don Bangs,the 2024 champ didn’t get out of the starting blocks as quickly as he would have wanted starting with two first round losses after a nearly total rebuild of the car after his off track accident at Numidia but by the Mason Dixon race Bangs got a runner up on Saturday and finally the elusive win on Sunday.

Now back in the hunt, Bangs needed a great finish at Cecil to make his move. After a first round loss on Saturday all looked lost but a late afternoon shower canceled the race and it was now down to Sunday’s race to decide a champ. Bangs overtook Bill Hardifer and Tony Barrett to claim his third MASCS title in dramatic style

 First and foremost, I’d like to thank my Wife Beth for her support and our four sons, especially Donnie and Corey along with the rest of our collective “Racing Family” for their comradery and always offering to help, support and encourage,” Bangs said. “I’d also like to recognize and thank Mike and Justin Butler and the Team at Victory Gardens, Lee at C2, the “Eddie’s” at Select, Roy Freeman at Hoosier Tire, Jeff and Kim Stricker at Road Runner Race Fuels, “Jason A.” at POR-15 and Billy Carroll at the Comp Group for their ongoing support of not just my program but the whole Mid-Atlantic Series.”

“Last but definitely NOT least, THANK YOU to Rob Keister and Dana Nahill for their leadership along with their “Support Team” of Dave, Ashley, Sarah and Matt for all they do to make this Series run and continue to grow.  Their passion for our sport and the Series is unrivaled. We all appreciate everything you do. Good Luck to everyone and best wishes for a successful 2025 season!”

 After the party was over and all the awards handed out series president Rob Keister reflected, “I can say that the MA Super Series banquet is one of my pride and joys, the team of Ashley, Dave, Dana and I really try to make the night special for our Champs, Top 5 & 10 finishers.”

“The team is made up of people who grew up in a racing family or have become racers, we understand that finishing 9th or 3rd could be a lifelong achievement for some, so giving them a coffee mug or jacket to show off could mean the world to them. We’re glad that these racers take the time to come race with us for 4 or 5 weekends out of the year because it’s not always easy, sometimes you need to pick and choose who you race with. All I can say is give us a shot, the tracks we run at are welcoming and take pride in having us be apart of there events….check out the new website at www.midatlanticsuperseries.net for more details and ways to pre-enter if you’d like too.”