FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2010

Hundreds of racers and passengers turned out today for the 11th Annual Hangover Nationals at Dragway 42.

The competition which now holds the title as the longest running New Year's Day drag racing event in the world saw participants from Michigan and Pennsylvania join with racers from all over Ohio in the competition in separate 2-wheel drive and 4-wheel/all-wheel drive classes, this year running on a 20.10 second index.

The recent weather cycle of "snow, thaw some, refreeze" made for some interesting traction opportunities and some unique tactics from participants to make their way down track.

Several observers questioned the need for a tach and slapper bars on the 1984 Buick Regal of Clear Lake Michigan's Ron Hager, but his decision to launch hard on the clearest part of the starting line, then make a sudden move to the unmolested snow along the guardrail turned out to be a solid plan that resulted in win light after win light in the 2-wheel drive class eliminations.

But no one's tactic approaches the success of the team of Brian Chillik as driver and brother Tim Chillik as coach, spotter, navigator, and timer in the 4-wheel/all-wheel drive class.

Team Chillik entered the 11th edition of Dragway 42's Hangover Nationals as the only multi-time winner, recording victories at the 2005 and 2008 events at the wheel of extended cab Chevrolet trucks. With that kind of success, it is hard to maintain a low profile.

In time trials it was obvious that racers had brought their "A" Game as "double oh" reaction times were plentiful and a few "triple oh" reaction times (on both the red and green light side) were recorded.

In eliminations, those "A" Games again showed themselves as a pair of 2-wheel drive racers recorded dead-on, 20.10 runs on the 20.10 index in the 4th round.

When the snowflakes cleared, the 4-wheel/all-wheel drive class final came down to the aforementioned "Team Chillik" out of Barberton in Brian's 2006 Chevy truck matching up against Lonnie Smith's 2009 Dodge Ram truck out of Powell, Ohio.

Four hundredth's of a second separated the drivers on reaction time, then Chillik and Smith raced door handle to door handle at over 70 mph through the traps. When the timers were stopped, it was Chillik taking the stripe and recording a 21.5304 to Smith's 21.7548 for the class win.

In the 2-wheel drive eliminator, Ron Hagar's 'launch, then head for the snow' program moved his Michigan based Buick Regal into the finals against the dog and pony (ok, there was no pony in the car) show of North Olmsted's Doug Richards at the wheel of the family 1997 Saturn.

Richards took a significant advantage on the starting line, recording a very respectable .0750 reaction time as the falling temperatures were refreezing the moisture on the starting line while Hagar's Regal moved out with a more leisurely .4281 RT.

But as he had all day long, the Michigan Buick steered to the snow and picked up a head of steam, and barely 'plowed' past the Saturn with a finish line margin of just 14/1,000ths of a second.

This set up the "Summit Retail Runoff" between the two class winners for the bragging rights as the world's first drag racing event champion of the new decade.

Chillik and Hagar were even off the line (.0031 separating them in reaction time) but this time the snowy path for the Buick Regal was not enough to keep up with the Chevy truck and it was "Team Chillik" taking the 'final final' win light with a 21.8727 to Hagar's 23.6198

Congratulations go out to all of the participants at this year's event and everyone can mark their calendar for Saturday, January 1, 2011 when Dragway 42 will host the 12th Annual Hangover Nationals.

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Lou Sattelmaier, a longtime competitor in the altered classes of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s at Dragway 42 passed away on December 28th at the age of 74.

Sattelmaier teamed with his brother George as part-time racers back into the 50s, but earned special recognition with a series of beautiful, green 1932 Ford Coupes that for decades ran as good as they looked.

In 1971 Lou began a one-man cruisade to curb youth drug abuse and used his race car as a tool to get kid's attention during presentations at schools.

Family and friends may call Saturday, January 2nd from 6-8 PM and Sunday, January 3rd from 2-4 and 6-8 PM at the Waite & Son Funeral Home located at 3300 Center Road in Brunswick, Ohio.

Service will be Monday, January 4th at 10 AM at the funeral home. Contributions may be to Hospice of Medina County, 797 N. Court Street, Medina, OH 44256.