Spradlin Motorsports Doubles at NOPI Nationals Supershow Atlanta

Takes home Top Sportsman and Top Dragster wins

(9/22/14) ATLANTA, GA — Spradlin Motorsports, mulit-time division champion Top Dragster and Top Sportsman team, entered into its first NOPI Nationals Supershow at Atlanta Dragway this past weekend and came away with its first “double up,” winning in both classes!

The Southeastern Hose sponsored team decided to make the short trip over to Atlanta Dragway as a last minute add on to their regular NHRA Lucas Oil division schedule to support the growing number of drag racing sanctions that are realizing the fan appeal of the sportsman ranks fastest classes. The NOPI Nationals Supershow has not been the traditional place to find ultrafast door slammers and dragsters. However, for the 2014 events they have added Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, and Pro Modified racing to offer the typical import car fan a peak at what eight cylinder, large cubic inch, full chassis racing looks and sounds like. With all the traffic in the pits and fans in the stands it seems to be a success.

“When we made the decision last week to give the NOPI Top Sportsman/Top Dragster race a try, we knew to expect a different fan base, and it was definitely different,” team driver Casey Spradlin explains of the difference between more traditional Top Sportsman/Top Dragster venues. “When we pulled in the gate, the pits were totally different from the NHRA national/divisional events we are used to at Atlanta Dragway. Instead of a sea of toterhomes, it was max capacity imports of all kinds. I even saw a right hand drive Nissan 300Z! It was an up tempo festival atmosphere with live bands, DJs, lots of skin, burnout contests, hydraulic car “hop off,” and even a large drift course. It was wild and it was packed with fans,” Spradlin continues.

The NOPI format is 1/8-mile qualifying on Saturday followed by the fastest in each class participating in a “Quick 16” race that night, then final eliminations on Sunday. At the end of qualifying the team had grabbed its first pole in their beautiful supercharged ’37 Chevy Coupe Top Sportsman with a 4.51 E.T. at 159 MPH. Casey just missed the Top Dragster pole in his supercharged dragster by two hundredths of a second, ending up 2nd with a 4.15 E.T. at 166 MPH.

“Getting our first pole in the coupe was a much needed shot in the arm, especially in the wake of the early season engine woes after changing from nitrous to supercharged combination this winter,” says Spradlin. The carnage continued however, this time at the back of the car. During the first round bye- run the ring gear and pinion shattered on the launch. “We were pretty pumped about the race prospects in both cars, especially with the first round bye in the coupe. We were planning on making a full pass in order to get data for the dragster first round that immediately followed Top Sportsman. The rearend locked up on the track and I jumped out in full safety gear and said to dad…I’m going to get the other car, you got this?… Then I jumped on the scooter and took off! Meanwhile the track crew is looking around like where in the world is this guy going!”

Casey returns with the dragster to win round one and then continues all the way to the finals where he meets local racer Brittney Vancica, also in her supercharged dragster. Casey is able to get the hole shot and force Brittney under her index to start off the weekend with a win. “The first win of the season always gets the monkey off your back and gives you confidence. I just hate it came so late in the season, but I’m not complaining. God continues to bless our team and we are very thankful,” says Spradlin.

The celebration was short lived as the team had to start to work replacing the coupe rearend, making an already late night go into the wee hours of the morning. Fellow Top Sportsman racer Craig Cain loaned the team his spare rearend. “I can’t thank Craig enough for his generosity, we had no spare and would have been on the sidelines without his help,” Spradlin says humbly. “Drag racers camaraderie is second to none.”

What most consider a successful weekend with one victory, Spradlin motorsports set its sights on two more. As the Sunday final eliminations started, both cars were running great and advanced all the way to the semifinals. In Top Sportsman, a laddered bye run cemented the second final of the weekend. However, in the dragster a four thousandths foul start to fellow NHRA Southeast division competitor, Shannon Roberts, ended the Top Dragster sweep attempt. Shannon went on to face her dad in the Top Dragster final. Waiting to meet Casey in the Top Sportsman final was recent NHRA Bristol, TN Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series champion, Shawn Morrow. “Shawn and I were parked right next to each other, he was also helping NOPI run the Top Sportsman/Top Dragster program, so like myself, he was running ragged by late Sunday night and was just glad to make it to the end. I had never gotten both cars to the finals in the same weekend so I was determined to get the win. I got the holeshot and was able to get the win with a dead on the index pass,” exclaims Spradlin!

The team plans to continue this momentum at the NHRA Southeast Division’s final two LODRS races in Gainesville, FL and Reynolds, GA in mid-October. In 2012, Casey was able to win the last two races in a come-from-behind fashion to claim the Top Dragster championship.

Spradlin Motorsports is grateful for the support of great marketing partners like Southeastern Hose, Smith Brothers Push Rods, Jet Hot Performance Coatings, Tim Gaines Performance, TCI Transmissions, and S.T.T Safety Equipment. For more information about the team please visit our website at spradlinmotorsports.com and also our facebook page at facebook.com/spradlinmotorsports.