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Southlake’s Terrell wins Mayor’s Cup
By Chris Roark, croark@starlocalnews.com
Southlake Mayor John Terrell got a little aggression out of his system Friday at Texas Motor Speedway, and he hopes the event will help teenagers in the area do the same thing in a safe way.
Terrell joined five other mayors from North Texas in the fourth annual Mayor’s Cup, an event in which mayors compete in a drag race competition. Terrell won the event, which was set up as a double-elimination format, by winning four consecutive races. He defeated Roanoke Mayor Scooter Gierisch.
The Mayor’s Cup kicks off a new season of Friday Night Drags, presented by SCION. The event aims to help stop illegal street racing in the Metroplex.
There have been 992 different drivers who have participated in the event, and 227 racers competed during the season finale in 2009.
“We don’t really have a [street racing] problem in Southlake,” Terrell said. “But you never know when our kids may go to other communities to street race. This is more of a regional effort, so the mayors came together.”
The other mayors who competed were Ronald Jones (Garland), Brian Loughmiller (McKinney), Mayor Pro Tem Carol Langdon (Westlake) and Mayor Pro Tem David Speicher (Justin).
Friday Night Drags runs for six consecutive weeks with the season finale set for July 27. Racers accumulate points during the six weeks, competing in six divisions: Tuner, Street Bandit, Sportsman, Super Cars, Street Outlaw and Black Smoke Warrior. The driver who collects the most points in each division is crowned the champion.
But the mayors say that participating in the series is a win-win for everyone. Not only does it allow teens to race in a safe environment, but it lets people know about a problem that some communities face.
“This is an opportunity to raise awareness,” Terrell said.
As far as the mayors’ race, Terrell said he had a blast.
“Just being at the venue was a thrill,” Terrell said.
Winning the race made it even better.
“I was very fortunate,” Terrell said. “It was a close race between me and Scooter Gierisch, but Southlake pulled it out. It was very hot. To get maximum efficiency out of my car, I had to drive without the air conditioner on. And I didn’t want wind resistance, so I rolled my windows up in the spirit of competition.”
For information on Friday Night Drags, go to www.texasmotorspeedway.com.
Terrell joined five other mayors from North Texas in the fourth annual Mayor’s Cup, an event in which mayors compete in a drag race competition. Terrell won the event, which was set up as a double-elimination format, by winning four consecutive races. He defeated Roanoke Mayor Scooter Gierisch.
The Mayor’s Cup kicks off a new season of Friday Night Drags, presented by SCION. The event aims to help stop illegal street racing in the Metroplex.
There have been 992 different drivers who have participated in the event, and 227 racers competed during the season finale in 2009.
“We don’t really have a [street racing] problem in Southlake,” Terrell said. “But you never know when our kids may go to other communities to street race. This is more of a regional effort, so the mayors came together.”
The other mayors who competed were Ronald Jones (Garland), Brian Loughmiller (McKinney), Mayor Pro Tem Carol Langdon (Westlake) and Mayor Pro Tem David Speicher (Justin).
Friday Night Drags runs for six consecutive weeks with the season finale set for July 27. Racers accumulate points during the six weeks, competing in six divisions: Tuner, Street Bandit, Sportsman, Super Cars, Street Outlaw and Black Smoke Warrior. The driver who collects the most points in each division is crowned the champion.
But the mayors say that participating in the series is a win-win for everyone. Not only does it allow teens to race in a safe environment, but it lets people know about a problem that some communities face.
“This is an opportunity to raise awareness,” Terrell said.
As far as the mayors’ race, Terrell said he had a blast.
“Just being at the venue was a thrill,” Terrell said.
Winning the race made it even better.
“I was very fortunate,” Terrell said. “It was a close race between me and Scooter Gierisch, but Southlake pulled it out. It was very hot. To get maximum efficiency out of my car, I had to drive without the air conditioner on. And I didn’t want wind resistance, so I rolled my windows up in the spirit of competition.”
For information on Friday Night Drags, go to www.texasmotorspeedway.com.
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