DRAG RACING ACTION ONLINE

STORY PHIL HUTCHISON

IMAGES PHIL HUTCHISON AND ROB KEISTER

The Mid Atlantic Super Series  mid point season  race at Cecil County Dragway had a lot of drama with points on the line and fun with the annual Uncle Buck BBQ Saturday night.  At the  Maryland track. the race would butt up to the NHRA D1 divisional and the NHRA National Open. It was a win/win for the racers as one tow to Maryland would get your rig to Cecil for a possible four races saving fuel and time.

Again one of the drawling points of the event was the race included the popular Uncle Buck Pig Roast now in its 33rd year. Rob Keister, President of the association went all out for special awards to the winners including custom Uncle Buck cutting boards and beautiful trophies.

The weather looked bad early in the week but by Friday, Saturday and Sunday looked good with possible rain during the Uncle Buck dinner Saturday night.

After Saturday qualifying and in the middle of R1 eliminations, a front moved in forcing the cancelation of the days racing. The track led by Jim Halsey and Chad Porter jumped in and put bonus money in for Sunday’s race. And Sunday turned out to be a great day for racing.

President Rob Keister said after the rain on Saturday, “Mother Nature wasn’t happy with us yesterday as we had a storm come out of nowhere and dump about an inch of rain on us and that concluded racing for Saturday at Cecil County.”

“Cecil will add money from the gate fee to sweeten Sunday’s pot.” 

After one qualifier on Sunday, racing got underway in all classes and by dinner time winners were crowned, photos taken, and racers were getting their rigs ready for next week’s NHRA event.

Junior Dragster 6-12

Kole Paone from Millville N.J. continued to lead the class in his KMR/Apex/ATI dragster went four rounds on Sunday at Cecil. The ‘Ice Man’ as he is known beat James Lawrence from Hamilton N.J. in the final.

Paone was dialed in at a 8.97 with Lawrence having a 12.11 dial. Both racers had nearly identical reaction times but Paone ran closer to his dial win a 9.009 to the losing 12.518 of Lawrence.

“I was really happy to finally get a .90 win,” Cole said after his win. “I have been to a few finals but haven’t been able to seal the deal.”

“It was even cooler for it to be during the Pig Roast weekend. I was very happy to extend my points lead and look forward to trying to hold on to this Championship.

Junior Dragster 13-18

NHRA Northeast Division Junior Dragster driver of the year Gabriella Held from Massapequa took her purple dragster to a win over nearly 30 other drivers. In the finals Held had a 7.90 dial on her car and her competition, Mason Artim from Boyertown N.J. was dialed in with the same 7.90.

At the green, Held had a slightly better reaction time and ran a dead on with a four 7.904 to the losing 7.920 of Artim.

Gabriella said after her Cecil win, “Sunday looked to be a great day weatherwise. We had one qualifying shot and right into first round where I was paired with my sister Giulia, which has never ever happened before in the few years that we’ve been racing together.”

“I continued to go some tough rounds that day against my opponents who happened to all be my friends. But that’s the best part of this sport that we can race each other and still support one another.”

“I got all the way down to the finals against Mason Artim and got the win. It was an amazing feeling to come out on top at such a well-known .90 race Uncle Bucks Weekend.”

The win at Cecil, puts the New York driver in the #6 place in the Mid Atlantic Jr points chase.

SUPER STREET

Twenty four cars showed up for round 1 on Sunday. After four rounds it went down to Neal Vaccaro who now calls Polk City Florida home, against the Barracuda of Eddie Bolton from Chaptico MD. Vaccaro in his white Olds had the better light and Bolton had to push his Mopar to a breaking out 10.895 as the veteran Vaccaro cruised to a 10.925 win.

The win at Cecil puts Vaccaro firmly in the #2 spot with four races left in 2026.

SUPER GAS

Bob Phillips from Oley P.A. has been racing since the 1960’s. In addition to NHRA National event wins, Phillips has also claimed NED Super Gas titles in his 78 years.Driving the ex Allen Johnson’s Pro Stock ’03 Neon Phillips won Super Gas at Cecil in an all Mopar final beating the Duster of Jason Lawrence in the finals.

Lawrence, whose son James just had a runner up in Jr Dragster 6-12, left second and finished second with a breaking out 9.897 to the winning 9.914 of Phillips.

“Anytime you win a race it feels good,” Phillips said.  “The competition in the Mid Atlantic Series is the best in the division.”

“Anyone of the races can win. I have raced in the circuit since the beginning. All the people that have run the series has done a great job and Rob puts his heart and soul in it for us racers.”

“I would like to thank my wife Kathy for she lets me do this crazy sport, And thanks to my friend Dave E’nama, Ray Barton for great engines, Lee Ream of C2 convertors, Jeff Stricker and family of Road Runner Fuels, Fuel Factory Race Fuels, Hoosier Tires.”

After his good weekend Lawrence from Hamilton N.J. adds “Me and James both came up one win light short of winning today. James made his first final round, and I runner upped in Super Gas. Great weekend!!!!”

 “Very cool to get to the finals the same time James does. Few days home then headed to Norwalk for No Box Bonanza. Also shout out to Scott Franks Jr. for all the help with James in the lanes!!!

SUPER COMP

The Super Comp eliminator, a mainstay of the series since its inception had a who’s who of racers including recent NHRA winners Kara Kusy, Kelly Kundratic Ausherman, and Tom Stalba.

After four touch rounds, it was a battle of the women with former D1 champ Amanda Boicesco against Ausherman from Manchester Pa.

Drag racing often goes down to who gets the better reaction time and in the finals at Cecil it was no different. Boicesco from Hatboro Pa. got off the line first with a 0.008 light to Ausherman’s 0.099 and it mattered.

Boicesco ran an 8.938 to the better 8.921 of Ausherman for the Mid Atlantic Uncle Buck win.

“Sunday was probably the best day on the starting line that I have ever and will ever have,” Amanda said after her win.  “After five rounds of racing my reaction times ranged from .005 to .008.”

“A few weeks ago, I made a Facebook post that I had lost five rounds of racing by a total of .013. Then I made a statement that the reason we keep coming back for more as racers is because we hold out hope that eventually those few thousandths of a seconds are going turn your way.”

 “Yesterday was just my day. I started the day by pulling into the lanes against Tom Stalba. I just remember thinking “so that’s how today’s gonna go”, but I managed to turn the win light on and that gave me the confidence I needed to get through the rest of the day. Fast forward to the final, I found myself in my third all female final against Kelly Kundratic. The other two were against Heather Fetch and Kara Kusy.”

“This was actually my third pig roast win. It means a lot to me because I was fortunate enough to know Uncle Buck and grow up at the track eating his delicious cooking and enjoying his company! The Pig Roast is very special to many of us. Thank you to the Donhauser family and the Moose Lodge as well as Rob Keister and Dana Nahill for putting on this fantastic event.”

“I am very grateful that I have the support of my dad, our crew guy – Jello, Shawn and Jackie Fricke, and Kevin Cooke. Special thanks to Beal Racing Engines, Hoosier tire, and Fuel Factory. Fuel Factory not only sponsors me and my father but is also the presenting sponsor of this event and the Mid Atlantic series.”

In a photo from Amanda’s childhood. a young Amanda is flanked by Uncle Buck, George Donhauser, and  her dad Iggie

MID ATLANTIC STOCK/SUPER STOCK

The Stock/Super Stock group came out in full force for the Uncle Buck event. Including series and ex president Dave Ley on Saturday calling the race along with D1 star Lee Zane.

 

Nearly 32 cars made the first round bell with the wheel standing black ’86 Mustang of Duane Eiskant from Alexanderia Va. up against multi time champ Anthony Fetch’s ’92 Camaro.

Fetch had beaten Doug Hoven’s Ford and Kevin Fogerty’s ’68 Camaro in earlier rounds as Eiskant got around Herb Sullivan and Brian Stianchi to get to the final.

 

At the green Eiskant had the better light but lost in a double breakout. Eiskant ran a 10.862 on his 10.89 dial as Fetch won with a 10.159 on a 10.18 dial.

After his Cecil win Fetch said, “Great day, Rob, Dana and team really make winning one of their events feel extremely special!! was cool to have all my sons. Jr dragster friends in the winner circle.”

PRO DOORSLAMMER

Run on an 1/8 mile, the quick door cars, nearly 20 strong, did all they could to unseat defending champion John Richmond. Driving his ’63 Nova Richmond worked his way through the field to meet the quickest car in Pro Doorslammer, the Pro Mod style Camaro of Scott McCracken.

It was all over at the green as McCracken from Maple Shade N.J. left -0.002 too soon handing Richmond, who lives in Baltimore, the win and the lead in the Mid Atlantic series.

Earlier Richmond beat Brian Moody and Joey Hefferman and a competition bye to make the finals. McCracken’s quick Camaro took out Frank Sergi Jr. and Don Teague on his way to the money round.

PRO DRAGSTER

Like the Pro Doorslammers, the dragsters ran the 1/8 mile. Winning the MiD Atlantic Sunday race was part time racer Greg Anders from nearby Street Md. Driving his dad Ron Anders’ beautiful dragster Anders defeated New York racer Eddie Fischer in the finals

Anders cut a 0.006 light to Fischer’s good 0.051 and on the top end it was Anders’ right on with a four, 4.784 on his 4.78 dial defeating the super dead on 4.100 on a 4.10 of Fischer. 

“If you had told me a week ago that I’d be standing in the winner’s circle at the drag strip, I probably would have laughed. I had no plans of racing this year, and this entire weekend came together at the last minute,” Anders said.

“In fact, I hadn’t raced since Father’s Day of 2024. My dad stopped by my shop on Monday afternoon and asked if I’d like to drive his car at the Uncle Buck Race this coming weekend.

“At first, I was hesitant because I had planned on taking my boat out—pretty much my routine every summer weekend. It wasn’t until Thursday night that I finally decided it would be a nice change of pace to get back behind the wheel, especially for an event held in memory of one of our family’s longtime friends. Some of my earliest drag racing memories are from going to Cecil County Dragway with my dad for the Lucas Oil Division 1 races—back when it was the Federal Mogul Drag Racing Series.”

“My dad was close friends with the Donhauser family and spent countless weekends at the drag strip with them, Uncle Buck, and the rest of that large group of friends. I was no stranger to the pig roasts and the amazing food you could always count on whenever Ronnie “Uncle Buck” Harple was around. It’s great to see that tradition continue today, and it made this race even more meaningful.”

“I struggled during my two qualifying runs trying to find my rhythm on the starting line. Heading into eliminations I wasn’t confident I was going to do my job behind the wheel. Luckily, I lost lane choice in the first round and got put in the left lane, where things started to click. I turned on the win light with a .016 reaction time, and from there I settled in.”

“My dad had the car absolutely dialed in—it never moved on ET all weekend. To end up in the winner’s circle after nearly a two-year break, and to do it at an event that means so much to so many people, is a memory I’ll never forget.”

“A huge thank you to my mom and dad for the opportunity and for making this weekend happen. Thanks to Rob Keister, the entire Mid Atlantic Super Series staff, and the Cecil County Dragway staff for putting on a first-class event. Thank you to the Donhauser family and everyone involved in organizing another incredible Pig Roast Pit Party that makes this particular race so special.”

After the dust had settled and the smoke had cleared, Mid Atlantic president Rob Keister looked back on the weekend and said. “The Uncle Buck Pig Roast has been going on for 33 years plus; it’s an amazing time to celebrate Ronnie Harple who has been gone almost 14 years now. Ronnie was a guys who laughed, cried and made sure you left his out area full  from his cooking. “

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It was a Hot & Humid weekend and one that took a toll on everyone, I think we don’t realize how we’re not as young anymore and we don’t recover as fast as we used too, we can’t thank the Donhauser Crew & Bel Air Moose Lodge enough for all their help and support over the years making this happen.”

“And the racers ? and we can’t thank the racers for showing up also, almost 200 cars for Saturday & 165 for Sunday when everyone is counting pennies and the NHRA schedule is coming down to the wire so it’s a tough thing to have 3 weekends back to back then Indy.”

“Congrats to all the winners, we 5 new piggy winners to add to the family with their wins. We take things off for a month before back to back weekends at Mason Dixon & Maple Grove.”