Stock Eliminator Bryce Granier racer was 11 years away from being born when Houston Raceway Park was built in 1988 as an NHRA response to Billy Meyer taking away the flagship national event facility over to the rival IHRA. Suffice to say; he didn't know the politics of the track being constructed. 

What he did know was the magnitude of being the final NHRA Stock Eliminator winner at the famed facility in Baytown, Texas. And for it to be his first career victory, he will never forget it. 

Granier stopped Rylie Trumble in the final round for a monumental victory. 

"It's so unexplainable," Granier said. "It's the greatest feeling in the world. It's a great experience to get to do. I love it."

The race was anything but easy for Division 4, thanks to Mother Nature, who appeared not eager to turn the legendary drag strip loose. Rain forecasts in excess of 70-percent chance of rain on two of the three days played havoc with the schedule. And, on the one day sun was shining, the action was ended prematurely due to weepers on the track. 

Sunday dawned with rain and a slim prospect racing would transpire. However, the D4 crew, armed with determination for the ages, worked tirelessly to bring the track around to finish the event. 

RELATED STORY: RICK BROWN TRUCKS HIS WAY INTO D4 COMP ELIMINATOR WIN

Age is but a number, or at least that's how Competition Eliminator champion Rick Brown sees it. The 71-year-old B/Truck Automatic racer drove his Chevrolet pick-up to victory, stopping heavy-hitter Craig Bourgeois in the finals and inserting himself in the thick of the Rooftec Competition Eliminator Bonus fund points, which pays $100,000 to the champion, and also rewards an invite to the top 16 point earners for a $55.000 shootout at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. 

"I've raced here a few times but never gone this far," Brown said. "I felt the momentum this morning and yesterday that we were going to really take this, and the wife was the same way and the crew.

"It just had that feeling, and the driving that I did was, I got to say, for almost 71 years old, was sort of like an 18-year-old like I used to be, but I've been that way most of my life," Brown admitted. "So glad to get that done, to put some fear in a few people, I hope."

Division 4 stale James Caro took home the Super Stock honors, driving his Mopar past Jimmy Hildago in the final round. It's been a long dry spell for Caro at Houston, which was anything but dry throughout the weekend. 

"I won a national event here in '89, which is a year after it started, so it's a big deal to come back here and win the last race," Caro said. "In Super Stock, it's tough. You have to win round by round. You can't look past anyone around you; you have to win it round by round and see where things go."

Other winners included Rick Huffman (Super Comp), Jim Caudle (Super Gas), Dennis Haralson (Super Street), and Darian Boesch completed a double-up, winning both Top Dragster and Top Sportsman.

Boesch's Top Sportsman victory came in the final pair of cars to cover the Houston Raceway Park quarter-mile as he stopped Kevin Wilson. As the drivers went through the finish line, a final display of fireworks sent off in the sunset, a track that provided decades of excitement.