SPORTS
STORM CENTER: Ratcliff revels in nationals victory
The Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis took place on Labor Day weekend from Sept. 2-7.
The event, sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association, is regarded as The Masters of drag racing, and no one was more masterful than former Bowie High School graduate Kyle Ratcliff.
See, Ratcliff won the stock championship with an elapsed time of 10.608 seconds and a top speed of 120.55 miles per hour – defeating veteran driver Tom Rambo.
Ratcliff overcame plenty of odds to win the title – including a field of 181 other drivers.
“It was very grueling,” said Ratcliff, who also works as a financial planner in Denton, “especially the heat. It was very hot over that weekend. I was hot, and I was tired.”
Pete Peery, Kyle’s stepfather who lives in Bowie, serves as the crew chief. Peery was understandably proud with the accomplishment.
“It’s the Super Bowl of drag racing,” Peery said. “It’s the biggest race you’ll ever win in the NHRA. There are more entries at this event, and there’s much more prestige than any other race.”
Ratcliff’s road to the title wasn’t easy, having to win seven rounds to take the trophy.
In the opening round, all Ratcliff had to do was defeat 95-time national winner Dan Fletcher, and that’s exactly what he did.
Ratcliff said he had a “little bit better light” to defeat Fletcher, as was told to senior editor Kevin McKenna in National Dragster magazine, the official publication of the NHRA.
Then Ratcliff was challenged by four-time national champion Jimmy DeFrank. Ratcliff defeated DeFrank because he fouled by one one-thousandth of a second.
That’s how drag racing works. Every second counts. But every thousandth of a second means even more than that ever will.
The sport takes its toll mentally and physically.
Ratcliff said his ribs were sore after the final day because he beats his chest to prepare for every race.
In the final versus Rambo, Ratcliff dialed at 10.58. He took a lengthy lead and eventually claimed his second career win. Kyle also won at Topeka, Kan., a couple of years ago. Read more in the weekend Bowie News.
Editor’s Note: The Storm Center column is the expressed written views of sports editor Eric Viccaro and not The Bowie News.
Kyle Ratcliff, a 1983 Bowie High School graduate, won the stock division at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis in September. Click on the image itself for the complete photo. (Courtesy photo from National Dragster magazine/NHRA)
Bellevue’s girl’s basketball team led at halftime but a quick 9-0 Jacksboro run in the opening moments of the second half would prove the difference in a 28-25 Lady Eagle loss June 15 in a Nocona Summer League game.
Leading 12-9 at the half, Bellevue continued to shut down the inside game of the Tigerettes. Jacksboro switched tactics and began firing from outside. Three 3-pointers in the span of just under two minutes gave Jacksboro an 18-12 lead.
Bellevue kept things close, however, getting on the second half scoreboard with Mattie Broussard’s basket and free throws cutting the deficit to two, 18-16. A Haven Jones 3-pointer put the Lady Eagles up 19-18 midway through the second half.
The Tigerettes had just one 3 -pointer the rest of the way but got inside for a pair of buckets to take a 25-21 lead with 4:50 to go. Both offenses shut down late.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
Most school-age athletes start off playing everything. By the time they graduate, they whittle it down to just one or two.
New Bowie girl’s track and overall cross country coach Shawnda Childers is no exception. While at Iowa Park she competed in volleyball, cross country and track before cutting out volleyball and focusing on track and cross country to close out high school.
Childers did not stay with athletics while moving on to Midwestern State University, where she received her bachelor’s and master’s Degrees. After graduation, shestarted coaching in Electra. She came to Bowie for one year, then went back to her old stomping grounds in Iowa Park where she spent the next four years.
The return home also put her in contact with now-Bowie Coach Griffin Fields, who was a coach there at the time. From Iowa Park, she spent the next three years at City View.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
New Saint Jo Girl’s Basketball Coach Grant Gooch isn’t completely unfamiliar with the area.
“We went to Muenster quite a bit when I was a kid,” Gooch, who will be going into his 20th year as a coach, said. “We’d load up the cooler from the meat markets. It’s good to be back.”
Gooch worked with Saint Jo Athletic Director CJ Hantz when the pair were in Throckmorton. Gooch comes to town from Menard where he spent three years at the West Texas school.
Gooch says coaching and education kind of come naturally to him.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
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