Coker Crowned Hot Rod Reunion Champion
Bowling Green, Kentucky - June 18/20th, 2015

The 2015 Southwest Junior Fuel Association season finally got underway June 18-20th at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky at the Holley Hot Rod Reunion. Plagued with rain, the SWJFA teams were kept from making any runs in competition until mid-June as the first two events of the season were postponed due to weather. Defending series Champion Odie Coker along with Ken Hawkins, Mike Buchanan and Mike Millsap were on hand in Kentucky to kick off the season at this special three day reunion event.

Coker has enjoyed tremendous success at this event in the past and that continued in 2015 as the Ron Ussery owned and tuned entry blasted to the top qualifying position with a 7.33 at 181 mph. Millsap took the number two spot with a 7.45 at 178, while Hawkins' 7.47 and Buchanan's 7.52 rounded out the field after qualifying was concluded Thursday and Friday.

(Odie Coker)

Final Qualifying Order:

Final Qualifying Order:
1. Odie Coker (Dallas, TX) - 7.33 @ 181
2. Mike Millsap (Sachse, TX) - 7.45 @ 178
3. Ken Hawkins (Poolville, TX) - 7.47 @ 176
4. Mike Buchanan (Goddard, KS) - 7.52 @ 177

(Mike Buchanan)

Eliminations:

Saturday was eliminations and time to play for keeps as Coker and Buchanan rolled through the water box for their first round match-up. Buchanan took a slight starting line advantage, but Coker quickly closed the gap and pulled ahead for the win with a 7.32 at 180 mph to Buchanan's 7.50 at 175 mph. Millsap and Hawkins were out next as Hawkins got the jump off the starting line in this one. At half-track Millsap had a nose on Hawkins and carried that lead through the traps, Millsap's 7.47 at 176 mph beating Hawkins' 7.59 at 173 mph. This advanced Coker and Millsap to the final round.

(Ken Hawkins)

(Mike Millsap)

First Round Results

(W) Odie Coker (.083 rt) 7.32 @ 180 vs. (L) Mike Buchanan (.076 rt) 7.50 @ 175
(W) Mike Millsap (.102 rt) 7.47 @ 176 vs. (L) Ken Hawkins (.056 rt) 7.59 @ 173

Under the eyes of a capacity crowd in Bowling Green, it was time to crown a Junior Fuel champion under the lights at the Holley Hot Rod Reunion. Millsap knew he had to get all he could off the starting line as Coker had lived in the 7.30's all weekend, but a -.013 red light for Millsap ended this race on the starting line. Coker blasted to a 7.27 at 181 mph to post low elapsed time of the event in his winning effort. This marked the fifth win for the Ussery & Coker team at the Holley Hot Rod Reunion and will place the team atop the points standings heading into the next event. The SWJFA series would like to thank Lubrication Engineers Inc, Hilborn Fuel Injection, Hayden Enterprises and Champion Spark Plugs for their support of the 2015 racing season.

(Final Round - Coker vs. Millsap)

Final Round Results

(W) Odie Coker (.095 rt) 7.27 @ 181 vs. (L) Mike Millsap (-.013 rt) 7.44 @ 176

(Ussery & Coker - Bowling Green Champions)