Kayden Wicke drove the K&K Racing Team 2006 Dodge Stratus Top Sportsman entry to the Quick 32 Sportsman Series win at Leicester, New York’s Empire Dragway this past weekend.
From Stratford, ON, Wicke defeated Craig Chadderdon’s Big Blue Top Dragster in the Top Dragster vs. Top Sportsman Quick 32 Sportsman Series final. Wicke ran 4.3862 seconds on a 4.39 dial-in at 158.90 mph, to Chadderdon’s 4.36-second run on a 4.36 dial-in at 164.41 mph.
Qualifying number one in the Top Dragster division was Buddy Forrest from Spencerport, NY, with a 4.0944 second, 177.51 mph pass, but he was eliminated in the semi-finals. Chadderdon defeated Don Kiekel in the Top Dragster final. The other semi-finalist was Raymond Agro Jr., and the quarter-finalists were Craig Giordano, Billy Leber, Jessica Bennett and Burt Lyon.
Luke DeJonge of Puslinch, ON, paced the Top Sportsman teams, qualifying first with a 4.3403 second, 165.14 mph pass, but was taken out in the final round of the Top Sportsman Series division by Wicke. Semi-finalists were Ron Szewczyk and Tom Simone, quarter-finalists were Doug Lynden, Bob Jaus Jr. and Tony Madonia.
The Pro Bike & Sled Series (PBSS) eliminator was won by Josh Costa of Retsof, NY, riding his 2009 Suzuki Hayabusa. In the final, Costa ran 5.372 seconds on a 5.52 dial-in to defeat Lee Burgess from Canton, PA, riding his 2008 Suzuki Hayabusa and running 5.7268 seconds on a 5.70 dial-in at 122.62 mph.
Number one qualifier Josie Brooks from Arkona, ON, led the field with a 4.9969 second 139.10 mph pass on her 1997 GSXR 750 Pro Bike. Semi-finalist was Bill Pippard’s Pro Bike from Ransonville, NY, quarter-finalists were Tom Varney’s Pro Bike from Lancaster, NY and Nicole Albin’s 2011 Arctic Cat Pro Sled from Paris, ON.
Two-time Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Association (NEOPMA) champion Mike Decker Jr. raced to victory Saturday night at the Empire Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Challenge VI. In the final round, Decker defeated a red-lighting Derek Ward, the reigning NEOPMA champion.
The next event for the Quick 32 Sportsman Series and Pro Bike & Sled Series will be the weekend of August 16 – 17, 2024, when they join the NEOPMA / PMRA Pro Modifieds for the Empire Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Challenge VII at the northern New York State facility in Leicester, NY.
Qualifying will be held Friday, August 16, at 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm and Saturday, August 17, at 11:00 am, with eliminations starting at 2:00 pm Saturday.
Visit the Quick 32 Sportsman Series at www.facebook.com/quick32, the Pro Bike & Sled Series (PBSS) at www.facebook.com/probikeandsledseries and the Empire Dragway at EmpireDragway.com for more information and event updates.
This story was originally published on June 26, 2024. 
