BY JIM NEW

LAKELAND, TENN. — In spite of rain clouds hanging over the strip all day, over two thousand avid match race fans showed up at Lakeland to watch one of the finest match races yet. Star attraction of the day was Mr. Ford himself — Dick Brannan. Dick, now head of the Ford Drag Racing Division, was down from Detroit with his new lightweight (2600 lbs.) injected Mustang. To try and stand off the Fomoco attack was one of the big stars from Dodge - Bob Harrop. Bob was down from Camden, New Jersey with his famed Flying Carpet Dodge.

    Harrop was running his usual good times in time trails. He had a best of 9.81 at 145.39 mph. While this is a very decent time it just wasn't a match for the Fomoco Whiz. Brannan set a new all time low for an injected stocker at Lakeland (or maybe anywhere else for that matter. He stopped the clocks at 9.21 seconds with a speed of 152.02 mph! This is a half second and ten miles an hour better than his last appearance here. Seems as how the Ford boys have learned some this winter!

    In case you think this is a freak time, it isn't, as the Ford wonder quickly proved. Brannan took the match race in three straight with a 9.29 - 9.27 and a 10.61 shutting off early. Harrop wasn't far behind however, as he ran a couple more 9.80's. Brannan also turned the top speed of the day at 153.32 mph!

    With shows like this it's no wonder that Lakeland is now being called, "the match racing capitol of the mid—South!" Larry Reyes was on hand with the "Kingfish" blown Barracuda as a back up for the match. Reyes made one easy pass for the crowd and stopped the clocks at 9.62 with a top speed of 154.10 mph. If any of you strip managers need a real show, then it's the "Kingfish" for you.

    Among the regular classes, Dennis Kyle put his D/SA record holding Dodge in the Junior Stock Eliminator's win circle. In the street division, Joe Lunati was up to his old tricks with a best of 10.56 at 140 mph. Other big class winners included Leland Stanton, Gene McLanahan's A/FD, and the Monday and Davis B/GD.

    If you are in the Memphis area on March 27, be sure and see the next big match race between Chicago's own Ed Rashanskl in his Marauder Comet and the Golden Commandos at Lakeland Dragstrip, the match race capitol of the mid-South.