Drag Racing Action  Images Rob Keister

The Mid Atlantic .90 Association got the 2025 season up and running with the first race of the year at Mason Dixon Dragway in Boonsboro MD.

The association has eight events scheduled for 2025 with four weekends at two different tracks. For 2025 Cecil County Dragway along with Mason Dixon will be home for the group. A group that has increased in size with the addition of Top Dragster and Top Sportsman joining in the fun along with the East Coast Stock/Super Stock racers at select events adding to the mix.

Unfortunately for the racers and promoter Rob Keister, Saturday’s weather was not cooperative and even with the hard work of the track personnel trying to keep the track race worthy, the decision was made to scrub the day’s activities and concentrate on Sunday’s action. And Sunday’s weather was the exact opposite of Saturdays with sunny skies greeting the racers and fans.

Winning the first Super Comp event of the year was New York racer Tony Barrett. In the finals Barrett was up against long time .90 racer Dave Rowe in his Blue Chip dragster. The race was over quickly as Rowe trying to get the advantage off the line, left 0.0122 too soon giving Barrett the win.

After his win Barrett said,” I had a great start to the racing season this weekend. It was the first race of the Mid Atlantic .90 Association at Mason Dixon Dragway. I was very fortunate to come away with a win. I would like to thank Ron Ross for being my crew chief for the weekend. Angela Forster and George Forster for their help and food as well Greg Fischer for staying to the end. I can’t thank Rob Keister, Dana, Ashely and the crew at Mason Dixon for putting on another great race.”

“Last and not least I have to thank my wife Zohra Barrett for her support and understanding of my crazy obsession with this sport.”

Super Gas went down to two veteran racers with Bob Phillips in his Mopar and Tom Goldman’s classic Corvette facing each other for the first win of 2025. Phillips, who defeated the 2024 champ Keith Mayers in his semi-final, started with a 0.024 light and won with a surgically precise 9.904 time against Goldman’s 9.884 break out run.

Winning Super Street to no one’s surprise was 2024 Racer of the Year Keith Mayers from Ellendale DE in his unique Porsche. In a double breakout final, Mayers ran a 10.868 to his competition, the ’69 Camaro of 2024 Rookie of the Year Jeremy Stoker ran a 10.830 in the loss.

“It was great getting a win at the first race of the season,” Mayers said. “It’s the first time I have had the Porsche out racing at Rob’s series in a long time. Last year I only raced it a few local bracket events and one NHRA race that I ran Super Gas.”

“I almost doubled at my first race back. In the semis of Super Gas, I had  zero zero four red and tightened it up on the top end and crossed the finish line first and I went, ‘Damn’ I coulda won that race.”

Top Dragster went to local racer Bobby Spence from Rockville MD. Spence had a 4.30 dial on the tree and clocked a nearly perfect 4.306 with a 0.035 RT for the win over a breaking out 4.554 (4.57 dial) of Lin Bowie.

John Richmond got his 2025 season off to a great start taking the Top Sportsman title at MD beating Mike Grafas in the finals. Richmond’s Chevy Nova got off the line first but it didn’t matter as Grafas went red in his blue Corvette.

Former champion Paul Stalba drove his AA Auto Salvage dragster to the 13 and up Jr Dragster title with a right on 7.994 on 7.94 dial to defeat Carley Baumman’s close 9.029 on her 8.99 dial. Stalba had the slower RT but ran the number when it counted.

Taking the 6-9 Junior Dragster win was Cassidy Fields over Braxton Sencindiver. Sencindiver ran closer to their dial with a 12.01 on a 11.90 dial but a 0.305 RT to Cassidy’s better 0.108 made the difference as her 12.127 on a 11.96 gave her the first win of 2025.

Once the race was in the books and he had time to take it all in, Mid Atlantic president Rob Keister said. “Mason Dixon Dragway hosted us for the MA Super Series Season Opener, for those who haven’t been to MD need to put this track on their schedule. We understand it’s a little off the beaten path for most racers but it’s a very smooth ride and this being our 2nd visit to the western Maryland track they have done nothing but rolled out the red carpet to the racers of the series and the racers have noticed it.”

 “This year we added the juniors to the schedule, and they showed up in force with almost 50 cars, in September we will add the high flying Stock / SS series. We can’t thank Elmer, Jake, Mike and the rest of the MD crew for all the hard work over the weekend!”

Top Sportsman runner up Mike Grafas, who had been in the winner’s circle before at the Cecil race in 2024 had nothing but good things to say after the race. “My first time going to Mason-Dixon, and my initial reaction was wow this place is cool, I never thought it would be as good as it was, the prep was out of this world, the track crew was amazing, even though we only got the race Sunday because of rain on Saturday, we already made the decision that we’re going back for the next .90 race.”

Mike, who lives in Point Pleasant NJ and had one of the longest tows of the racers adds, “It was a far drive for us but worth every bit of it. As always, the. 90 crew does a great job at organizing, first race this year in the Northeast and I made it to the finals, can’t be mad about that.”

Next Race: Cecil County Dragway May 17-18