When news broke on February 1st, 2021, that D1 Super Comp Racer Dave Stine was killed the night before in an ATV accident the racing community was in shock. With only a private family celebration in place, racers wanted to give a proper goodbye to Dave the only way they knew possible, by throwing a giant party with a race mixed in. Only, a few weeks after Dave’s passing his Father-in-Law Jeff had the idea to throw together the largest paying Super Comp Race on the East Coast with a guaranteed $10,000 presented by VP to win to be held on the first race of the Mid Atlantic .90 Series May 22-23.
With over 230 cars on property, Tom Stalba, the multi-time Division 1 one champion and one of Dave’s best friends went on a mission to win one for his Buddy that day. With 10k on the line, it came down to Stalba & Davy Markle in the 8.90 final. Stalba got the slight advantage on the tree (.020 to .021) and paced it all the way down for an 8.910 to 8.923 victory and the 10k victory. Stalba then stopped the car at the end of the track and did a polish victory lap in honor of one of his best friends Dave Stine in an emotional winner circle celebrations that was for the ages.
The other two .90 classes along with Top Dragster and Sportsman were also decided on Sunday Morning as Markle turned around and took down 5x MASSA Champ Keith Mayers when Mayers broke out with a 10.898. Markle would take home the Wayne’s Auto Body MVP award for his performance throughout the weekend. In Super Gas Paul Laino laid down a .004 thousandths package in the finals to make Jason Kenny mathematically ineligible and take home his first MASGA victory with his 73 Mustang. In Race #1 of the Top Challenge series presented by Competitive Suspension, Dave and Brandon Miller made it a 1-2 punch with a double up in Top Sportsman and Dragster. Miller drover his 2000 S-10 truck to victory over Mike Newman’s 2013 S-10 in a battle of the pick-ups. In Top Dragster Brandon Miller took his brand-new dragster to victory when Mark Kelley turned on the red-light in the finals.
With Saturday in the books, the attention was turned to Race # 2 of the weekend and a normal Mid Atlantic .90 event. After a record car count on Saturday, Sunday was no slouch.
In Super Gas, 7x MASGA Champ Iggie Boicesco led off in style with yet another victory to add to his mantle back home in Warminster, Pa. In the finals, Boicesco took down Ron Ross. At the flash, both cars were pretty much even with Boicesco taking a .007 to .010 advantage over Ross and parlaying that into a 9.945 to 9.964 victory.
In Super Street, Chris DePasquale took the Split Decision Vega Wagon to victory when first time finalist in the series Tommy Muller lit the red bulb in his 1957 Chevy by -.008. The Super Comp final was also decided on the red-light as Rhode Island’s Don Milson went -.003 red to hand the win to Narvon, Pa Lee Ream who picked up where he left off at when he claimed the victory at the August 2020 event also held at Maple Grove.
The Top Challenge also completed Race # 2 of the season with Jeff Taylor who lives primary in Arizona but, keeps his race equipment in Pa took the victory over Saturday’s finalist Mike Newman who had to settle for runner-up yet again. This was the first win for Taylor and his dad John since losing their mom / Wife Linda during the off season. In Top Dragster, Ron Anders took home his first ever victory when Val DiGenova lit the red bulb in the finals handing the win to the Maryland resident.