It took nearly three years and 28 races to do it, but Competition Eliminator racer Don Thomas finally broke the jinx. Since the $750,000 Rooftec Comp Eliminator Bonus Fund came into play nearly three seasons ago, no driver has won more than one race in a single season.
That is until Thomas stopped Adam Hickey in the final round of Tuesday’s Competition Eliminator final at the Texas Motorplex. He was able to fend off Hickey’s charge as he drove his B/Econo Dragster to a winning 6.790, 194.11, which was -.590 under the index.
The victory puts Thomas in command of the Rooftec Competition Eliminator Bonus Fund, with a 64-point lead over Rick Brown.
“It feels good to be the guy who was able to pull this off,” Thomas said. “I can tell you that much. You’re going to have to win two or three, I think, to win it. I was so thankful. It was a great race between me and Adam Hickey. And I thought it was nice to see that win light come on. I can tell you that much. Being the first guy to win two events in the same season when no one else can do it for three years shows you how hard it is and how good the competition is. I mean, there’s 25, 30, 32. However, many cars show up, and they all can win.”
Thomas’s first win of the season came in the second race of the Texas Motorplex double-header back in May when he defeated third-place in points Rodger Brogdon, the driving force behind the Rooftec program.
On Tuesday, Thomas had a first round bye run, then stopped defending series champion Chase Williams, Brogdon, and Christopher Dodd before meeting Hickey in the final round.
“There’s so many good cars and good drivers, good cars, fast cars racing for this title,” Thomas said. “We all work. And I think it’s across the country, not just Division 4. But I mean, you watch. You go by number one qualifier, you go by, and he’s got stuff apart, and he’s still working on it. You can’t ever stop. If you’re standing still, you’re going backwards. And we all think the same way. And so, everybody’s constantly trying to make them better. I mean, the performances are incredible. I mean, look at this field. I mean, I just don’t know how it gets any better than this.”
