Welcome to Drag City News

Here's a breif history of what Drag City News was and is now. It was a newspaper started back in 1976 by then Farmington Dragway track operators Jim Turner and Jerry Joyce to PROMOTE racing at Farmington, but to also give their racers extra exposure to the world. Enter Norman Drouilard, Sr, with out his connections in the newspaper printing world, there wouldn't have been a DCN. Again it featured Race Results, Up coming events and features on racers ...but most importantly it had PICTURES. Later I brought it back to life PROMOTING the Carolina Coalition. Like everything else in this world it has gone to computers. There quicker to update and don't cost as much to do. BUT there is still nothing like seeing pictures in news print. What I hope to do here is bring back a little of that past and mix it with todays modern blog.

I want to go back it time, but not get stuck there. I want to keep a posting on local track races, race results and it's racers. Bascicly have a daily newspaper for anyone interested in the world of drag racing.

Thanks,

Mark Joyce

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Farmington Dragway's Banquet 2012

A supportive crowd was on hand for Farmington Dragway’s annual Racer’s Banquet to officially crown the 2011 champions David Dean (Top Eliminator), Tim Cowick (Foot Brake), Hannah Blevins, Colt Buckner (Super Street0 Tia Tutterow (Farm Teen Racer) and Wesley Hardin (Motorcycle). New Farmington Dragway track owners Everett and Holly Justice welcomed everyone in attendance and thanked them for their support. They announced new reduce gate admissions for Friday Night Thunder to just $5.00 and the weekly points races (with no special attractions) just $10.00 for spectators. So pass the word…..in this day and age of the PRICE going up. The Justice Family as reduced the PRICE down. They promised to keep the Farm a Family Friendly race facility, with plenty of new improvements for the upcoming 2012 race season. Also, announced was a new guaranteed weekly race purse and points fund for 2012. Plus the end of the year Shootout races for Top Eliminator and Foot Brake classed are back this year. The Shootout for the Beach starts March 17 and 18, the first two Farm Points races to start off the road to see who’ll be the lucky sixteen qualifiers. The two Shootout race winners will receive a 4 day and 3 night expense paid trip to Myrtle Beach, SC... The Farm will definitely be the place to race in 2012.
 Holly Justice presented long time Junior Dragster Shootout race director and supporter Denise Tutterow a special award for her outstanding effort in the Farm’s annual October event. Kim Craver, Garry & Michelle Black, Robert & Julie Vogler and Aggie Eggers were presented outstanding volunteer awards for their helping hand of the Farm’s Junior Dragster event.  Long time Farm employee of twenty years Gerald Ayers was awarded the Employee of the Year. Also, Garry “Hooter” Hoots, RV Landscaping, Mike Hutchens Racing, Dark Horse Racing, Bobby & Tony Williams and A1 Marine & Brokerage were presented special Appreciate awards for their support of Farm racers in 2011. Holly Justice also presented Mark Joyce and Sandy Collins was presented a beautiful crystal awards for their unwavering dedication to Farmington Dragway for the last four years. Satch Gregg with IHRA was on hand to present the 2011 Summit Super Series checks to “Box” Champion David Dean and “No Box” Champion Tim Cowick. Racers get those “X” numbers.
 Other special award recipients included:
Sportsman of the Year
 Ricky “Fat Boy” Greer

 Rookie’s of the Year
TOP Eliminator - Ty Tutterow and Jeff Houser
 Foot Brake - Sherry Crane and Curtis Crandall
 Junior Dragster - Savannah Adams, Ashleigh Stafford and Brandon Wiant

 Racing Family/Team of the Year
 Top Eliminator – The Stanley’s
  Foot Brake- Eric Shoemaker and Kelly Stevens
 Junior Dragster – the Eggers

MJ’s Outstanding Performance Award
 Top Eliminator- Brandon Hutchens
 Foot Brake- Tesz Powell
 Junior Dragster- Robert Vogler, Jr

Once again Thanks to Everyone that was able to attend Saturday Night’s Banquet.

Keep posted to the website for more information about the all new Farmington Dragway….America’s
Drag Way
!

Banquet Time

Slammin Sammy Bryant was the first Street Champion at Farmington Dragway.
The Englebert Brothers won three Farmington Dragway championships.

Gods Speed and prayers goes out to long time Farmington Dragway racer Randy Wood of Yadkinville, NC

Our God Speed Chaplin Stuart Smith in the Monza

Monday, January 23, 2012

In Memory of Doug McGraw

We've lost another member of our great racing family today Doug McGraw. Doug was a truly great racer and a true weekly warrior. I was proud to have presented him the LeftOver National weekend Points Championship back in 2006, when Mike and I were operating Mooresville. It was always a pleasure to see Doug and his family, "the Cooterback crew" , riding the golf cart around the track. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Good Bless.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

North Carolina Drag Racing Hall of Fame 2012 Inductees this Saturday, January 14, 2012

 Please don’t forget that this Saturday, January 14th, 2012 at the annual Shriners Drag Racing & Hot Rod Expo will induct Tommy Mauney, Doug Herbert, Ralph Seagraves and Curtis Smith into the North Carolina Drag Racing Hall of Fame at 11 AM at the Greensboro Coliseum.
2012 NCDRHoF Inductee "TM" Tommy Mauney..back in the day.
Tommy was an original member of Farmington Dragway's one and only....4&5 second CLUB.
TM also captured the first 4&5 second Shootout race in 1983 driving the Reese & Anderson '81 Chevrolet Camaro.

Tommy Plott Crowed First 4&5 second SHOOTOUT Champion at PTRA Banquet

The 2011 Million Dollar Race runner-up Tommy Plott of Winston-Salem, NC was officially crowned the first champion of the 4&5 second SHOOTOUT Series this past Saturday Night, January 6th, at the Unviersity Hilton in Concord, NC The Multi- time weekly track champion Plott accepted his championship in front of a capacity crowd on hand for PTRA Awards Banquet. Plott, drove his TSR, Hank Thomas Performance, Beal Racing Engines Ford Mustang to the championship with a first career 4&5 Shootout victory this past year at the Mooresville Dragway. Plott said “it was an honor to be the first 4&5 champion and said he may take a look at doing a little pro tree PTRA racing”.
  The 4&5 second Shootout race is made up of entries running from 0 to 5.99 ET, with all the Door cars running together and all the Open Bodied entries doing the same. Then the two class winners square of for the overall Shootout race victory. The Shootout series director Mark Joyce is looking forward to a great year. “I’ve teamed up with PTRA’s Tony Brown to help represent the new 4 & 5 second class at all six PTRA events in 2012” said Joyce. He is also planning to have a separate 4&5 second Shootout Series of his own. Eight 4&5 second Shootout “NATS” are planned.
The tracks and dates so far include:
“the 4&5 sec. SHOOTOUT Series Gets kicked Off With a Blast at ROCK”
Rockingham Dragway (Richmond County)- Wed. July 4th
Elk Creek Dragway (Independence, VA) – Saturday, August 4th
Piedmont Dragway (Greensbroro, NC)- Monday, September 3rd
Farmington Dragway (Mocksville, NC) - Sunday, September 16th
Mooresville Dragway (Mooresville, NC)- Saturday, October 20th
. “The great think about the 4&5 second Shootout series is that the first race want start till after July 1st. Traditionally the shootout has always been in the late summer and fall of the year, said the former Farmington Dragway owner Joyce.
 Full 4&5 second Shootout race and series details will be released at this weekend’s Shriners Drag Racing & Hot Rod Expo in Greensboro, NC January 13-14.

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Remember the Ones We Lost......in 2012

 Big Gil Carty long time drag racer will be truly missed. I loved that laugh!
 The women behind the man. Deana Bunton passed away in May the wife of BIG 5 sec. Shootout winner and runner-up James Bunton.
Always in my thoughts my dad!

More Photos for the New Year!

 The Million Dollar Man Tommy Plott back in the day!
 Mike "Too Tall" Westmoreland drove Mike and Dan Englebert's Bill Weavil tuned Chevrolet Nova in the day. William and Harry Bird own it now.
 "JUst PiCK YOU one and RIDE with 'em" from the late great Tommy Greene. Announcer at Farmington and WRP back in the early '90's.  He was a GOOD one!
 My dad Jerry (on the left)  and his partner Norman, Sr presenting the ACE Speedway champion his chassis and trophy.
 Frank Teague in a classic winner's photo from his second of two BIG 5 second Shootout wins. Get ready for the all new 4&5 second Shootout Series that starts the second half of 2012.

 Mendenhall, Joyce and Turner doing there thing at Piedmont back in the days..... of run what you brung Southern Style Pro Stock.
 Three time Farmington Dragway champion Mike Hutchens back in the day with the NOVA. Where did this car end up?
 One of Farmington's best employee's Jeff "Bo Bo Weavil picking up Employee of the Year
Banquet time: PTRA's Sat. Jan. 7th, Piedmont's Sat. Jan.14th, Mooresville's Sat. Jan. 28th and Farmington's Sat. Feb. 11th. Go to their websites for more information