Moncks Corner, SC (July 6, 2002) – The Draglist.com Southern Fuel Coupes invaded Cooper River Dragway in force on July 6 for a patriotic Independence Day showdown. Ten teams were on hand, including circuit newcomers Tom Story in a beautiful ‘38 Chevy Pro Mod and Mac Burris in a 1982 Dodge Charger funny car. Tom and Mac joined the following eight Draglist.com Southern Fuel Coupes veterans to create the largest field of the year to date: Jim Dickey from Fairborn, GA, Don Roddy from Rockmart, GA, Jerry Davis from Greenwood, SC, Keith Floyd from Lexington, NC, Rickey Bowie from Greenwood, SC, Harold Barnhardt from Lexington, NC, Brad Bowen from Sebring, FL, and Greg Loflin from NC.

First Round qualifying started with temperatures still in the high 90s at 6:00 p.m. Qualifying round two started promptly at 7:30 p.m. with thunder in the background. After the first two pairs of cars went down the track, the rain started. At 9:26 p.m., qualifying resumed. After two rounds, the qualifiers lined up as follows:

# 1 Jim Dickey 4.506 156.25
# 2 Don Roddy 4.581 155.71
# 3 Jerry Davis 4.803 148.03
# 4 Tom Story 4.939 147.06
# 5 Harold Barnhardt 4.953 134.73
# 6 Rickey Bowie 5.548 125.35
# 7 Greg Loflin 5.767 123.29
# 8 Keith Floyd 6.499 75.25
# 9 Mac Burris 6.908 87.04
# 10 Brad Bowen Broke

Kicking off round one, three time Southern Fuel Coupes champ Jim Dickey stopped Keith Floyd's two-race winning streak, 4.967/113.35 to 7.582/71.09. Floyd, whose Pro Mod '63 Corvette ran nothing but low 4.50s in the last two races, never went quicker than 6.49 here. Newcomer Tom Story then got his first Draglist.com Southern Fuel Coupes round win with a 4.933/147.06 over Harold Barnhardt's blown '68 Camaro at 6.229/75.63

Don Roddy lined up his 1993 Corvette Funny Car against Greg Loflin's blown Ford Mustang and took a 4.757/139.32 to 6.130/82.87 decision. Jerry Davis in the Carolina Wildman Firebird Funny Car then faced its former longtime driver, Rickey Bowie in the Nightfire '48 Anglia A/Gasser. The flopper proved too much for the unruly doorslammer, winning at 4.808/148.03 to 5.780/111.66 to end the round.

Round two began with Jim Dickey taking his "My Favorite Charity" blown altered to an easy 4.732/126.76 win as Tom Story's gorgeous Pro Mod car suffered problems and slowed to a 16.573/21.48. A battle of the plastic fantastics was up next with Roddy's yellow "All Girl Crew" 1993 Corvette facing circuit director Jerry Davis and the professional-looking black and red Carolina Wildman '94 Firebird. The cars were welded together all the way down the eighth mile, but at the end, Roddy and the "All Girl Crew" took the decision, 4.916/117.80 to a fast-closing 5.013/147.06

The final was a rematch of the first race of the year at Ware Shoals. There, Jim Dickey took the measure of Don Roddy. Don got a measure of payback at Cooper River, however, as he and the "All Girl Crew" found the 4.50 zone and denied Jim Dickey the winner's circle, 4.541/133.93 to 4.637/156.25. It was a terrific final to a terrific race.

Jim Dickey had Low ET and Top Speed of the Meet with his 4.506/156.25 numbers in qualifying. Tom Story rounded out his impressive debut by recording the event's best reaction time at .461 seconds.

Updated Draglist.com Southern Fuel Coupes points are as follows:

1. Jim Dickey Jim Dickey Racing 302
2. Don Roddy 1993 Corvette 240
3. Walton & Floyd 1963 Corvette Pro Mod 234
4. Jerry Davis Carolina Wildman 174
5. Harold Barnhardt 1968 Chevy Camaro 73
6. Rickey Bowie 1948 Anglia 2 Door Coupe 48
7. Greg Loflin Mustang 46
8. Tom Story 1938 Chevy Pro Mod 45
9. Cecil Roberson Trimmer Racing 33
10. Mac Burris 1982 Dodge Charger 10
11. Brad T. Bowen 2001 Corvette Roadster 10