As the saying goes, the third time is the charm. 

Jeff Cameron, can you give us an "amen!" 

In his third 'A' field final round of the season, Cameron outlasted Kirk Williams, the winner of the previous four Funny Car Chaos events, to reach the winner's circle for the first time. Cameron did so behind the wheel of an alcohol-fueled 2000 Pontiac Firebird.

Joining Cameron in celebration at Kearney Raceway Park on Aug. 5-6 were Colorado's Dave Hill, who grabbed top honors in 'B' field competition, and Mike Buchanan, who transported the 'C' field trophy home to Goddard, Kansas, thanks to his "Hombre" entry.

Cameron knew if he had any hope of catching Kirk Williams for the FCC championship -- the first not won by Ken Singleton -- he desperately needed to make a move at Kearney. That's exactly what he did to keep his slim title hopes alive with two races remaining.

Cameron, who qualified in the bottom half of the field at No. 6. The information he gleaned during qualifying came in handy on race day, as his times and speeds improved in each round of eliminations.

He took down the higher-qualified Chuck Loftin in the opening round with a 3.993-second pass at 189 mph. A 3.906, 196, sidelined Jim Chase to earn Cameron another berth in the finals.

Williams, meanwhile, in addition to entering the show as the points leader, qualified No. 1, and made short work of Shayne Lawson and Lance Vanhauen for the right to square off against Cameron in the finals  for the second consecutive event.

When Williams stumbled in the money run, Cameron was more than ready to capitalize. He stopped the timers with a race-best 3.820 at more than 199 for his first 'A' field win.

"I can't tell you what that feels like," Cameron said. "So many people to thank: Ed, Chris, Performance Motor Coaches, Maxima Oil. My wife. she goes up and down the road with her husband, doing dumb stuff. My kid, I can't say enough about her. She's the star of the show everywhere she goes. I'm just lucky enough to be her dad."

Despite the defeat, Williams is still in a comfortable position atop the standings. With 63 points the maximum available at a Funny Car Chaos event, Williams is a comfortable plus-54.

Hill piloted his "Zeus" 2000 Dodge Avenger to the win in the 'B' ranks. And just like Cameron, he got better with each run during eliminations.

He began the day with a solid 4.14, 160 solo run when the "Made In America" entry of fellow Coloradoan Tom Furches broke on the burnout. Chris Schneider was the next to fall, unable to match the pace of Hill's 4.08, 162.

Dustin Bradford would be Hill's competition after he knocked off Nick Johnson and Don Knoblauch with the "American Dream" 1970 Dodge Challenger. In the trophy showdown, Hill made the first move at the flash of the green, taking an ultra-slim .007-second reaction time advantage. He coupled that with a 4.062, 179 to capture 'B' honors.

"It is awesome. I have no words," Hill said. "Everything that's gone on today ... something special for sure. I want to thank my parents, I couldn't do this without them. My dad was tuning two cars today, and he tuned them both well. We made some really good laps today with both cars, and we got a lot of information we can use for future Chaos races."

Buchanan and the '72 Chevy Vega-bodied ride conquered the 'C' field. After enjoying a bye run in the opening round of action, Buchanan used a holeshot to oust Steve Griboski, who was making his debut in the "Mile HIgh Express" nitro-burning Mustang. Buchanan grabbed the win light, 4.74 to 4.73, to clinch his spot in the final round.

In his showdown with Ballew, Buchanan used a tenth-of-a-second performance edge to claim the victory. He covered the eighth-mile at 4.492, 144, to cover the 4.598, 151 from "Ballew Thunder."

All that remains on the 2022 FCC schedule is the Sept. 2-show at Eddyville (Iowa) Raceway Park and the Oct. 5-6 finale at Texas Motorplex.