FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TNT Super Series final race cut short at 2am with 3 cars remaining
Jason Vitez wins 2014 TNTSS points championship!
LANCASTER, NEW YORK (September 30, 2014) This past Friday September 26 saw the Joe's Transmission TNT Super Series swarm Elegant Builders Raceway Park for the final event of 2014, presented by Sam LoVetro Automotive.
With a record number of cars on the property for EBRP's final race, the event ran into the early morning hours of Saturday and was ultimately called at 2:00am with three TNTSS cars remaining - Jeff Sobczynski, Tim Fletcher and Harry Phelps.
The 2014 TNTSS points championship will go to Jason Vitez. He won the first race of the season and led the points pretty much ever since. Going into the last race, Vitez had the championship points lead over JJ Jablonski, Tom Coonly, Ted Barnes and Harris Phelps in fifth.
The one and only qualifying session on Friday saw the top three qualify 3rd, 5th and 6th respectively... each gaining valuable qualifying points. Barnes was not so lucky and qualified at the bottom of the ladder, taking him out of championship contention.
Then in a dramatic turn of events, both Vitez and Jablonski were taken out in first round, victims of Joe Karosik and Jim Thomson. That left Tom Coonly 57 points out of first place. If he got to the final and won, he would become the points champion.
In round two, Coonly was up against Harris Phelps. Almost dead even on the tree, Coonly was .519 to Phelps .518. At the big end, it was a .005 margin of victory for Phelps running 7.012 to Coonly's 7.016.... ending Coonly's championship hopes. And with Barnes falling in round three to Sobczynski, the top five remained almost exactly as they came into the day with the exception of fifth place.
For the first time in the TNTSS eight year history, there is a tie in the top five. Harry Phelps (Harris' father) defeated Harris in round three when Harris went .001 red. This landed them both with exactly the same number of points so both will receive embroidered TNTSS jackets along with the rest of the top five drivers.
The Joe's Transmission TNT Super Series is known as the most competitive series in the country for a reason. Here's just an example of the reason why. The average reaction time in round one of all winners (except one) was .513. And that was with 24 cars taking the tree. In round two, it was .514.
Other awards determined on Friday night included the Performance Improvements DRIVER OF THE YEAR, lubricated by Royal Purple. The standings had Vitez in the lead going into the day. But Jim Thomson's first round win against Jablonski (a .512 light and 7.005 package) moved him into a tie with Vitez. The DOTY is an award based on consistent performance, so the tie-breaker was given to the driver who got past first round at the most events....and that driver is Jim Thomson.
The Balancing Act ROOKIE OF THE YEAR for 2014 was a battle of the Pete's... Pete Maduri Sr and Pete D'Agnolo. In the end it was Maduri finishing 10th, ahead of D'Agnolo by 3 spots, out of 53 drivers in the overall standings and claiming the ROOKIE title.
All of this and more will be celebrated at the Joe's Transmission TNT Super Series AWARDS NIGHT which is coming up in November at Johnny Rocco's in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Stay close to www.tntsuperseries.com for the finalized date and everything else you need to know about the most popular sportsman drag racing series in the country.
Specialty Awards
Hoosier Tire Canada $100 certificate - Number One Qualifier
J&S Collision $50 - Closest to the Index (1st Round Loser)
Joe's Transmission TNT Super Series - 2014 Championship Points Standings - FINAL
1 |
Jason | Vitez | 704 |
2 |
JJ | Jablonski | 677 |
3 |
Tom | Coonly | 657 |
4 |
Ted | Barnes | 625 |
5 |
Harris | Phelps | 614 |
5 |
Harry | Phelps | 614 |
7 |
Jamie | Stoneman | 592 |
8 |
David | Surmatchewski | 578 |
9 |
Jim | Thomson | 573 |
10 |
Peter | Maduri Sr | 568 |
Performance Improvements DRIVER OF THE YEAR lubricated by Royal Purple - FINAL Standings
1 |
Jim | Thomson | 0.035 |
2 |
Jason | Vitez | 0.035 |
3 |
Joe | Karosik | 0.036 |
4 |
Ted | Barnes | 0.041 |
5 |
Harris | Phelps | 0.044 |
6 |
JJ | Jablonski | 0.045 |
7 |
Tom | Coonly | 0.052 |
8 |
Peter | Maduri Sr | 0.061 |
9 |
Pete | D'Agnolo | 0.066 |
10 |
Mark | Herbold | 0.086 |
About the Joe's Transmission TNT Super Series (TNTSS):
Since it began in 2006, the TNT Super Series has grown into one of the strongest, most competitive sportsman drag racing series in North America and has catapulted many competitors to success on the national and divisional stages.
The TNTSS is a self-governing organization with input from its teams. Based on NHRA’s Super Street & IHRA’s Hot Rod classes, competitors run on a 10.90 index in the 1/4 mile (7.00 in the 1/8 mile) and race for a guaranteed purse that pays back more than 100% of the racer's entry fees. The yearend points fund provides cash & prizes to the top eight finishers and the Series Champion receives a prize package worth over $4000.00.
The TNTSS is committed to providing the highest level of competition backed by solid media support to showcase its participants across North America. Events are contested at various drag racing facilities in southern Ontario and western New York and put on a spectacular show for the drag racing fan.
About Joe's Transmission
Joe Boniferro has owned and operated Joe's Transmission Service in Niagara Falls, Ontario since 1984. From the original single bay location, the business has progressed to a six bay, five employee automotive complex on Arthur Street. The two storey building houses Joe's Transmission (Commercial, Fleet and Performance Divisions) and Al's Radiator Service. They sell and install aftermarket high performance parts and accessories. As a Firestone Dealer they sell and install drag racing tires. Their specialty is building and repairing high performance transmissions. Contact Joe and his team at (905) 374-6116 or visit them online at www.joestransmission.com .
photo credit: Edward Barry
For more information please contact:
Lewis Robinson
TNTSS - Media Relations
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