Drop The Hammer Doubles Up for Its Second Year – Steve Morris, David Diehl, Brian Acton and Justin DeWeerd Among Michigan Winners
Following a successful first year in 2024, the Drop The Hammer event would gain a second showing in the drag and drive world for the 2025 season.
The first event, based in Michigan, would visit Mid Michigan Motorplex and Lapeer International Dragway in a three-day format.
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Carl Stancell, the creator of the Drop The Hammer event, is no stranger to participating in events with his wheelstanding Chevrolet Blazer, and the second edition of Drop The Hammer would mirror the first one in many ways, but more than doubled in size to 117 competitors and 14 cruisers.
The classes, competing on the eighth-mile distance, include the class without limits, Unlimited, the 28/275 class (requiring a 28-inch-tall x 10.5-inch-wide maximum slick, or a 275/60/15 radial tire), and the 5.45 index and 6.40 indexes rounded out the classes. There was also a Quick 16 Shootout, as well as a Close 8 race, both held on the final day, June 1st.
Getting its start at Mid Michigan Motorplex, competitors would complete day one at a track that celebrates 70 years of drag racing this year, before hopping on the streets of Michigan to drive from Stanton to Lapeer, Michigan for day two of racing action.
For the final day, participants would return to Stanton, Michigan, completing just over 270 street miles, and the chance to lay claim to a top three finish in the four classes.
The Unlimited class would have a battle between Steve Morris and Les Smith, with each competitor claiming the quickest pass on one day of the event. On day three, the ‘Boostmaster’ station wagon of Morris got the edge via a 4.55 to 4.59 best from Smith, giving Morris a winning 4.54 average for the class win and his second-straight Drop The Hammer overall win.
Smith’s 4.60 average would be good enough to claim second, and multi-time Roadkill Nights winner Jimmer Kline would score third thanks to a 5.09 average from his 1966 GTO.
The 28/275 class had the clean 1985 Ford Mustang of Bob Morrison in the initial lead with a 4.87 pass on day one. But the brother team of David and Nick Diehl claimed the lead on day two, and the LS-swapped 2001 Mustang finished the job on day three for a 4.75 average and the class win.
Morrison claimed second with a 4.92 average, and third would go to Sick The Mag Ice Cream truck driver Scott Klepinger, who took his ’86 Camaro to a 5.20 average. Morrison would meet Klepinger in the Quick 16 Shootout final, and the Mustang took out the Camaro for the $5000 first place payout.
Brian Acton and Roger Wardell would battle it out for the title in the 5.45 Index class in 2024, and the pair of Nova drivers would once again claim the top two positions in 2025.
John Maher’s ’69 Chevelle did hold the lead with a 5.456 lap on day one, over Wardell’s 5.459 run and the 5.46 from Acton. But by day two, Acton had climbed into the lead, with his 5.452 time slip best over the 5.471 from Wardell and Maher’s 5.541.
Day three had Maher claiming the best run of the day with a 5.465, giving him a 5.487 average. Wardell’s 5.482 was the second best of the day, tabulating him a 5.470 average over the three days. But Acton would once again claim victory over Wardell, with his 5.491 final day time slip getting him a 5.467 average, for a mere three thousandths of-a-second victory!
The 6.40 Index was in full control of Justin DeWeerd from the very first day. The ’67 Chevelle driver laid down his slowest run on day one, a 6.406, before claiming back-to-back perfect 6.400 time slips at Lapeer International Dragway on day two, and then Mid Michigan on day three for a solid 6.402 average.
Timothy Contreras claimed the second spot with a 6.439 average from his ’57 Chevy, and 2024 top five class finisher Ken Johnson earned third with a 6.469 average.
The Close 8 winner would be Gay Pate taking out David England for the title on day three.
Round two of Drop The Hammer will bring Carl and crew south to North Carolina in September, and registration opens Saturday, June 7th.
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Hard Target Images, Jimmer Kline, Harley Town.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com