Roan Mountain Teen Races To Final Round Of NHRA Junior Dragster Event At Bristol Dragway

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Tears streamed down Jonathan Hill’s face as he recounted his dream sequence at Bristol Dragway.

For the past four years, the Roan Mountain, Tenn., resident had failed to advance past the opening round of the National Hot Rod Association Junior Drag Racing League Eastern Conference finals.
With a mix of planning, calculation and guile, Hill survived and thrived Saturday en route to the finals in the 15-year-old division.

“It feels pretty good because 595 cars didn’t make it this far,” Hill said. “I will remember this day forever. It’s pretty emotional.”

In addition to a $5,000 savings bond for each winner, competitors from more than 25 states and more than 30 dragstrips chased the most coveted prize in drag racing, a one-foot tall brass statue of NHRA founder Wally Parks.

Battling heat and nerves, Hill did everything right on Friday and Saturday. The Cloudland High School sophomore was quick off the starting line and steady down the track in his sleek rail. The tension gradually rose, and then culminated Saturday afternoon.

Hill, representing one of the three Bristol Dragway teams, was matched against Cody Knott of Indianapolis, Ind., in the finals. Hill executed a pass of 8.012 seconds at 82.18-miles per hour, but the time was not good enough to defeat Knott.

“Right before the finals I realized this wasn’t just another bracket race … it was a national event,” said Hill, who has won three bracket races this season. “Every year, I’ve always thought about of making it to the finals.

“I thought it was my day, but my car just popped off the starting line. We had fun, though.”

Hill has a well-earned passion for drag racing. His sister (Ariel) and uncle (Kevin) are both competitors in the 11-event bracket racing series at Bristol Dragway.

“I want to thank my dad [Todd] and pap-paw (Johnny) for helping me it this far,” said Hill, who earned a $2,500 savings bond.

While Ariel Hill lost her first round matchup, it was still a memorable weekend for Todd Hill.

“We had been disappointed every year we’ve come here until today,” Hill said. “I couldn’t be more proud of my son.”

The championship rounds in all the age groups were packed with emotion. Fans from each dragway came equipped with air horns, color-coded cheering sections and homemade decorations.

Todd Hill knew his son had mentally rehearsed the process hundreds of times, yet he still admitted to feeling nerves when the big moment finally arrived.

“I actually wasn’t as nervous in the finals as I was in the first round [Saturday] morning,” Hill said. “I was really nervous then because we didn’t know what to expect.”

Seconds after his son was doused with a bucket of water by his happy teammates, Todd Hill reflected on the big picture.

“It’s been a special weekend,” Hill said. “Jonathan wants to drag race for a living, so this is great experience.”

Joseph Denton, a Bristol, Va., resident who competed in the 8-9-year-old division, advanced to the semifinals Saturday. Mitch Ellison, from Rogersville, Tenn., was eliminated in third round of the 14-year-old age group.

Ohio’s National Trail Raceway captured the team championship.

One of the most interesting story lines involved the Serra family from Reinholds, Pa. Sean Serra, a fourth-generation racer, earned a victory in the 13-year-old division during last year’s Eastern Conference event in Bristol. He prepared for this year’s race by playing a video game which featured a simulated version of Bristol Dragway.

Serra has won nearly 30 Junior Dragster races the past seven years, but nothing compares to his Wally.

“It’s very cool to be able to say you’ve won one of these national events,” said Serra, whose 10-year-old sister Miranda lost in the first round.

Serra’s father Craig said his family races almost every weekend the April to November. The Serras have also made the nine-hour drive to Bristol to watch the regular NHRA national event.

“My dad [Charlie] raced [Top] fuel cars in the 60 against the likes of Don Garlits, and his dad raced back in the forties,” Serra said. “We’ve taken things to another level now with my oldest (Jeffrey) who races a 200-mph Top Alcohol Dragster.”

The Serras own Total Racing Components, a distributor of high-performance racing equipment.

“Drag racing has been in our blood from the beginning,” Serra said. “This is a sport you don’t want to do halfway. You have to spend the money and put in a full effort or you don’t do it all.”

Judging from his reaction, no driver at Bristol Dragway was more delighted with his redemptive performance than Hill.

“I want to go as far I can go in drag racing,” Hill said. “This is motivation.”

agregory@bristolnews.com|(276) 645-2544