Brad Edwards has had some issues with his car this weekend loosing the head gasket three times this week on number seven, he has been a 4.13 Friday and a 4.08 Saturday and qualified at twenty first position. He faced off with Norman Bryson in round one of RVW scoring a win and taking the gasket.. They found the issue late last night with a thread insert pulled slightly above the deck surface so it was holding the head from clamping properly and were buttoning the engine back up this morning prepping for round two.

The Lights Out 9 No Escape Radial Vs the World class unbelievably wound up just where some predicted in the final round with the Stevie Fast and Steve Jackson Racing/KTR crew and Keith Haney Racing’s Enigma meeting up for a rematch. Jackson played the gap band on Haney in Q3. The cars were nearly matched in ET through three rounds of racing in facing various opponents, with Haney facing a tough match with Paolo Giust in the semifinal. He pulled out a .017 reaction to Giust’s .048 and needed it with both cars running hard to the stripe and improving over prior passes. Haney tripped the beam first with a 3.798 at 198.47 earning his way to the final round on a hole-shot over Giust’s 3.787 at 198 flat.

Tim Slavens was the underdog in the semi final fight coming in from nineteenth position, Lester Johnson’s round one red light and a foul/timeout start by number three qualifier Daniel Pharris in round two. He brought his A game in the semi with Jackson with a .037 reaction and 3.838 at 209 swinging hard at the fence but could not get around the 3.786 in the other lane which would earn lane choice against Haney.

The pair staged for the final and it would be Stevie Fast who got away first with a .027 light to Haney’s .081, a margin that would be too much to over come as both cars improved with Haney running a 3.77 at 199.52, his best run of the weekend. Jackson had more in it though getting his way down to a 3.742 at 199.67 to seal the deal earning the No Escape event win after an epic battle on the baddest cars on the planet.

The Pro 275 final pit number one qualifier and No Mercy 8 class champ Josh Klugger against number two man Greg Powrie based out of Michigan. The tree flashed and Powrie struck the tires immediately, putting an end to the match early with Klugger’s record-setting Fiscus Klugger Racing Mustang on route to back to back wins with a 4.21 at 184.

The Outlaw 632 class showed why it has some of the best racing at any DXP event at Lights Out 9. Ken Quartuccio took the number one spot during qualifying and proceeded to smash everyone he faced each round. The other half of the final was X275 star Dean Marinis won only qualified number 15, but was able to pick the field apart on his way to the money round. Quartuccio showed why he is one of the best in the class by leading Marinis wire to wire and picking up the win.

The rumors of X275’s death have been greatly exaggerated, to say the least, with over 50 cars trying to make the 32 car field. With a ladder filled with top-level racers X275 eliminations was a five-round heavyweight boxing match on wheels. In the finals number nine qualifier Shane Heckel lined up against number two qualifier John Keesey. When the tree dropped Heckle took an early lead, but the KBX turbo power of Keesey was just too much for Heckle and he picked up the win.

The debut of the DXP 235 class lived up to its billing as the racers put on a huge show on their tiny tires. The top racers in the class lived in the 5.20 zone all weekend with turbo, blower, nitrous, and all-motor combinations being represented on the track. The final round came down to a number one vs number two match-up between Jason Anderson and Martin Connelley. When the tree dropped number two qualifier Connelley took out Anderson on a huge holeshot to bring home the money, glory, and DXP sword trophy.

Limited 275 would wind up an all blue final with Round Rock, Texas based Mike Terry facing off with Charlie Johnson from Grand Ridge, Florida. It would be Terry who made the full trip to the finish line scoring a 4.632 at 151 with Johnson losing traction in an effort to run with the faster more consistent Terry.

The Ultra Street class faced some attrition with multiple cars also entered in Limited 275 with number one qualifier Alex Hays out after eating a valve in round one on his earned single. Brian Keep would go red against Rodney Regan, (near lane) a hard loss for him after running a 4.74 to Regan’s 4.82. Bart Tobener earned his way to the final from eighth spot and put up a .027 reaction but wheelied and slowed to a 4.81 to Regan’s winning 4.73 at 149.

Limited Drag Radial Champion Shane Stack faced off with Princeton, West Virginia’s Terry Parks in a turbo vs Procharger battle with number two qualifier Stack earning the starting line advantage, a .056 to .062 for Parks who faced an uphill battle against the higher qualified car. Stack would put up a repeat of his semi final run 4.17 as Parks faltered and struck the tires early in the run. Stack took back to back class wins and is set to defend his LDR championship for 2018.

Six Oh Index was filled with tough competitors and faced six rounds of racing with Bankston, Alabama’s Hunter Burgess facing off with Dennis Smith based out of the carpet capital Dalton, Georgia in a Chevy vs Mopar final. Smith went .006 on the tree to take the early lead and kept it to the stripe in a double break out match taking the loss to Burgess’ 1966 Chevelle with his winning 5.988.
Open Comp also faced six round of grueling racing with Ken Grant taking the win in an all Nova battle with Joe Soucea Jr.