BRISTOL BANDITS MAKE DEBUT IN SUNOCO SHOOTOUTS SERIES’ RETURN TO THUNDER VALLEY

BRISTOL, TN. (Monday, September 10, 2007) – With music blaring and fog machines blowing smoke, the Charter Communications Bristol Bandits made their debut last weekend with a final round match up between two evenly matched cars that left the crowd wondering who would come out on top.

Larry Snead of Bristol, Tenn. and his final round opponent, Erwin’s Jon Phillips, ran a close race with Snead’s 9.043 elapsed time besting Phillips’ 9.048 E.T. Snead’s 1985 Ford left the line first with a reaction time of .050 seconds. Phillips was just behind with a .064 reaction. Snead flashed through the timing lights at 150.08 mph, with Phillips finishing the quarter-mile at 144.61 mph.

In Super Pro competition, Jonesborough’s Bill Griffin used a .029 reaction time with a 5.044 E.T. at 136.25 mph to defeat Kingsport’s Van Greer. Greer completed the eighth-mile pass in 6.809 seconds at 99.55 mph.

The final round of the Pro class was a battle of the Chevy Bowties, as Matthew Buckles from Piney Flats used a 1983 Malibu Wagon to beat Larry Barr’s 1985 Corvette from Johnson City. Buckles’ .076 reaction time and 7.934 E.T. at 81.77 mph was good enough to out-do Barr’s .088 reaction time