Drag Racing Action Online

Images Phil Hutchison David Smith and Courtesy DJ Cox and Brian Lohnes

It was an Alcohol Dragster fan’s dream this weekend at Cecil County Dragway in Rising Sun Maryland held in conjunction with the Strange Engineering Outlaw Street Car Shootout. With $15,000 going to the winner over a dozen of the best cars in the country made their way to the track known as “The Traction Capitol of the East” and that moniker was evident during the event with numerous drivers clocking their career best times.

Before the event DJ Cox who lives in nearby Whiteford MD, had never driven a T/AD car, was approached by Tom Fox Jr to see if Cox would be interested in licensing and driving his Cash 2 Keys dragster. Cox has had a long and successful career behind the wheel of a Alcohol Funny car but other than his Procharger PDRA Top Dragster, had never sat in a T/AD.

Not only did he get his license, but he also drove the blown Tom Fox Jr owned dragster to an historic win over fellow Maryland racer Gary Pritchett in the finals. Cox ran a 5.301 to beat a tire shaking 5.478 of Pritchett.

“When they announced the Top Alcohol Dragster Shootout at Cecil County Dragway I thought to myself I want to get in on this, but did not think it was realistic,” Cox said. “Tom Fox Jr called a few days ago and I had to take advantage of the opportunity.”

“It was a crazy weekend, trying to license and qualify at the same time in a car that I wasn’t yet comfortable in. It was a challenge. I was oversteering on the first few runs and feeling the pressure of trying to push it to get the license wrapped up before round one”

The event was originally scheduled to be run Friday and Saturday but after rain washed Friday’s Test n Tune and qualifying away, the decision was made to hold testing Saturday during the day and give everyone two qualifying shots Saturday night.

During testing and qualifying, 2024 NHRA East Region champ Jackie Fricke from Flemington NJ in the Finke Racing A/FD set the pace with the quickest runs of the sessions and took the #1 spot in the show with a 5.135 at a booming 282.30 MPH. Just a tick behind the pole sitter was eventual runner up Pritchett with a 5.157 in Randy Meyer’s team car. Two time NHRA champ Megan Meyer in the second Meyer car slid into #3 with a 5.191.

Phoenixville PA racer Rich McPhillips Jr, who had an unmemorable weekend at Cecil, did manage to get the McPhillips Racing dragster into the show at #4 with a 5.228.

“We didn’t have the weekend we wanted,” car owner Rich McPhillips Sr said. “We had six passes down the track and the only one that stuck was the 5.22.”

Cox, after securing his license with a mid 5.30 second run, stepped up in qualifying with a 5.252 good enough for fifth spot. Second generation racer Kelly Kundratic put the LRC Racing dragster in the sixth spot with a 5.353 run a tenth in front of Brett Winward in the blown Winward Racing Line X car. Third generation Megan Smith had the Hartman Enterprises car in #8 with a 5.499.

Dan Dietrich had a weekend he would soon like to forget as after a 5.693 pass in his blown car, Dietrich lost control on the top end and put the car on its side causing enough damage to take him out of Sunday’s show. Earl Nichols, Roscoe PA’s Brandon Greco and Joe Morrison filled the 13 car field out.

Calling the action from the tower was NHRA lead broadcaster Brian Lohnes who made the trek down to the Maryland track from his home base in Boston. Lohnes, who was evidently loving his announcing duties for the weekend said. “Being able to call the action at Cecil for this $15,000 to win was unique and cool. These cars are worthy headliners, and I love the fact that many of the racers are second and third generation racers.”

With an odd number of cars, Fricke got the bye run in R1 and Pritchett, who was scheduled to race Joe Morrison in the Tom Pickett Racing blown car was a no show also got a bye.

Cox got a first-round bye because Detrich couldn’t compete after his crash.

Winward laid down a career best 5.44 defeating an up in smoke Megan Smith and fellow Wilmington driver Earl Nichols put the Samsel Racing dragster in the win column with a 5.16 over a troubled seven second run of McPhillips jr.

The best matchup of the opening round was Megan Meyer beating the blown car of Greco with a 5.233 to Greco’s close 5.243.

Kelly Kundratic punched her ticket to the second round with a win over first year racer Joe Gerdelmann with a consistent 5.308

Round Two began with Finke running down the blown car of Winward with a 5.195 to a 5.403 of Winward after Winward got a huge jump off the line.

Cox got his first taste of a win in Alcohol Dragster with a hole shot 5.289 over a better 5.26 of Nichols.

“It was awesome to get to race against the dragster teams that we have become close with through the years,” Cox said. “I have known Earl Nichols for a long time, and this is the first time we have ever raced each other in competition.”  

Megan Meyer had an uncharacteristic red light in her race against Kundratic and Pritchett got the completion bye run into the semifinals.

Fricke slowed from her torrid pace to a 5.351 putting Cox in the finals with a winning 5.259. “Jackie and I go way back, and bracket raced at Cecil years ago. All the way back in my teens. It was cool to get to line up next to her,” Cox said after the all-important win.

In losing to Cox, Fricke said, “We had the car to beat. We (mostly me) made a bad call that made a hole go out almost immediately.”

On the other slide of the ladder Pritchett ended Kundratic’s dream day with a quick 5.179 to a losing 5.415 setting up an all Maryland final of Cox against Pritchett.

At the green Cox had the advantage with a 0.024 RT to Pritchett’s close 0.036 but Pritchett rattled the tires slowing to a 5.478 to the winning 5.301 of Cox

“Gary smoked the tires past the 60’ and did a great job pedaling the car, luckily, we made a clean lap for the win. Pritchett is a close friend, and we grew up together on the East Coast funny car match race scene. He can drive anything and it I’m glad that the two hometown boys got the chance to go at in the finals.”

Car owner Tom Fox Jr had this to say after the win at Cecil.” Cox, Fox, and Goldilocks merge two families and teams to conquer the Top Alcohol Dragster Shootout. There was a crazy weather swing from rain to sun and a tricky track as the sun and temperature’s changed.”

“We were able to get the clutch just right to slip enough to lets the Goodyear sneakers do their job. DJ is an amazing driver who made the crossover from Funny Car to Dragster license, and we were able to keep the power planted for the win! Crew Chiefs Tom Fox Sr and Tom Fox Jr along with spot on Driver feedback were key! Both crews worked seamlessly together to service the car between rounds and make the car fast and consistent.

“DJ entered this weekend and had no TAD license until right after Q1 when he reset both ends of his personal best at 5.25 ET @ 272 MPH. We are very Proud of this win and of our teams and sponsors! Together we accomplished something truly amazing.”

“Thanks to AnnieMac Home Mortgage Crower VP Fuels NGK Carrillo Pistons Christman rears B&J Trnasmissions Brad Anderson Engineering Randy Anderson Norm Grimes Boninfante Olsen Machine AC Grinding PennGrade1 High Performance Motor Oil Hillock Anondizing FastSigns of Maple Shade Simpson Taylor DJ Safety and Goodyear tires.”

“And a big thank you to Jim Halsey and Chad Porter and the entire team at Cecil County for giving us a consistent and safe race track! Gary Pritchett let’s do this again Next Year!”

Cox adds “ I want to make sure I thank my team. I brought my guys and girls from the funny car team, and they performed great. I’m so appreciative they were there on such short notice and it really made it possible. I’m just comfortable with our guys and girls and it put me at ease. Also want to thank Tom, Tom Jr and his team for the opportunity and hard work. And of course my wife Melissa and our family to make all this possible.

Finally, Brian Lohnes adds” The fans got a killer show with header flames, track records, and 280+ mph runs, which was the whole goal of the concept that the racers put together.

“The final being an all Maryland affair, specifically with DJ Cox who had to cross over his alcohol funny car license the day before and had never sat in one, was killer. The guy grew up at Cecil County Dragway and when he took the fight to Gary Pritchett in the final, it was poetry in motion.”

“Top to bottom this has been one of my most favorite experiences in years.”