Sorokin, Adams, and Clevenger victorious at the Governor’s Cup
Report and Photos by Stephen Justice
Adam Sorokin and Champion Speed Shop is the “Big Cheese” at Sacramento Raceway
having now won two straight Governor’s Cups with their SBC.
Adam Sorokin drove Bobby McLennan’s Champion Speed Shop dragster to a second consecutive Governor’s Cup title at Sacramento Raceway Park’s 44th Annual Governor’s Cup and his third win in the last four years. The Governor’s Cup is Sacramento Raceway’s signature event, and has been held continuously since Rance McDaniel first won it in 1970. Sorokin also set low elapsed time of the race with a 6.195, a run that had five seconds all over it until Adam had to click it early, slowing to a mere 181.15. In the final round against John Powers driving the “California Trucker” nitro funny car, Sorokin’s 377 cid hybrid SBC dragster took a huge starting line advantage (.053 to .166), and held off the funny car in a very entertaining side-by-side duel that saw both drivers on and off the throttle. Sorokin’s winning time was 6.618 to Powers’ close 6.674. In other eventful races, Jesse Adams, driving the “Machine Gun Keli” alcohol funny car, defeated Mike Fuller’s potent “Forever Young” nitro dragster, and “The Beast” jet dragster bested Kevin Sarginson’s “Driven Animosity” funny car.
Sharing the spotlight with the top fuel dragsters and funny cars was a full field of Nostalgia Pro Comp, Pro Gas Dragster, West Coast Pro Gas, and NorCal Drag Bikes.
When not making runs against the nitro dragsters, Jesse Adams wrapped up the 2013 Nostalgia Pro Comp series title as the result of his win at the Governor’s Cup. It was Adams’ third win of the year and he did it in a dominating fashion. After qualifying number one at 6.915, Adams beat Lawton Ferreira II and Bill Windham in E! and E2, respectively, setting up a showdown with the number two qualifier Todd Ellingson. Ellingson looked solid, too, running a 6.919 in qualifications, and a near perfect 6.901 against Don Dicero in E1. But, Ellingson had a terrible RT in the final round, (.171) and Adams was never seriously challenged and won comfortably with a 7.040-169.08 pass.
In Pro Gas Dragster, it was 18-year-old Joshua Clevenger coming out on top over a talented field of veteran drivers. No rookie jitters for young Clevenger in his first competition driving a “big “ car. In E1, the ex-junior dragster champion left on Fox Hunt winner, Greg Means, who subsequently broke out in his pursuit of Joshua. The final round was a classic dragster versus funny car clash between Kevin Sarginson’s Mustang and Clevenger’s dragster. The cup and cash went to Clevenger who watched Sarginson foul, and then ran it out the back door with a winning run of 7.572-171.82.
In drag bike, the largest field in recent memory, twenty-one bikes, vied for the big $1000.00 prize. Brian Jennings fought his way through five rounds of competition, which included wins over #1 qualifier, Ron Alves in the semis, and #3 qualifier Michael Pires in the final.
Other winners were:
A/G: Tony Jurado 7.611-163.53 def. Karl Whisenhunt 7.524-180.80 <BO>*
B/G: Kevin McClain 8.539-157.74 def. Roy Castagnetto 8.525-157.66 <BO>*
C/G: Mike Mangano 9.613-134.71 def. Kent Coomes 9.609-136.92
D/G: Gene Bradell 10.629-112.28 def. Mike Kopping 10.651-123.59
E/G: Ken Parks 11.601-106.92 def. Steve Cochran 11.737-116.01
*BO=breakout
Joshua Clevenger won his Pro Gas Dragster debut with wins over Greg Means, Randall Shipman, and Kevin Sarginson.
Jesse Adams has been the dominant driver in Nostalgia Pro Comp all year. The points leader from day one back in April, Adams secured the 2013 series championship with his win at the Governor’s Cup.
Brian Jennings clawed his way through five rounds of competition to win Drag Bike over the largest field of riders (21 bikes) in recent time.
