“On Friday night we had 160 cars in the Test ‘n’ Tune.”

            As a way to thank the racers for their support, Hester and his son Thomas, the track manager, throw a party on Saturday night each year of the event.

            “We started racing on Saturday and at the end of the night we had a racer party. We fed everyone, about 450 people. We had Spanish food, chicken, corn on the cob. We had a big time and we do that every year for them,” Hester explained.

            The Hesters have operated Immokalee since its inception in 1999. Hester’s son, Thomas, is proud of the event, the track and his father.

            “The Pro-Am is not only our best race, it’s also our favorite race,” said Thomas. “No other time of the year am I going to have people from 15 different states and Canada come to Immokalee. We’ve got a drag strip here on the airport and we’ve put our heart and soul into it over the last 14 or 15 years. We call it our little slice of paradise. Every year, the racers tell us the same thing. They wish it was closer so they could race here every weekend. They make the most of it. I had one guy from Ohio spend almost two weeks here.

            “I’m the track manager and my father’s the owner, promoter, cook – he prepares the food on Saturday night for the racers. We don’t go by titles. We just do what needs to be done. I’ve seen him in the concession stand cooking hamburgers. I came down here from Henderson, North Carolina, in 2006 to help with this race so this is my ninth year. He gives me a lot of credit but I only do what I do because of him. He’s given me the knowledge which allows me to succeed at the race track. I’ve never met a racer who knew my dad that had a bad thing to say about him.

            “Our track has been an IHRA facility since it opened. Having 276 cars travel in from all over the country to the furthest point in the United States, it seems, is Immokalee – I think that says a lot.”

            Two complete races were contested and there were no repeat winners in any classes.

RESULTS FOR IHRA SUMMIT PRO AM SERIES EVENT

IMMOKALEE REGIONAL RACEWAY, FEB. 6-8:

HOT ROD

Winner: Troy Williams Jr. (Bradenton, Fla.) 7.00 sec./108.67 mph.

Runner-up: Matt Beer (Naples, Fla.) 6.99 sec./113.55 mph.

Winner: Larry Flynn (Lutz, Fla.) 7.025 sec./103.64 mph.

Runner-up: Troy Williams Jr. (Bradenton, Fla.) 7.085 sec./101.86 mph.

STOCK

Winner: Merrill Schrimscher (Lake Mary, Fla.) 7.165 sec./93.38 mph.

Runner-up: Jeff Adkinson (Damascus, Ga.) (fouled) 6.64 sec./93.42 mph.

Winner: Leonard Mattinsly 6.382 sec./103.95 mph.

Runner-up: Larry Hambey 7.468 sec./81.45 mph.

QUICK ROD

Winner: John Brannen 5.70 sec./137.45 mph.

Runner-up: John Labbous Jr. (Whitehouse, Tenn.) 5.699 sec./138.72 mph.

Winner: John Labbous Jr. (Whitehouse, Tenn.) 5.697 sec./134.17 mph.

Runner-up: Brandon James (Loxahatchee, Fla.) (fouled) 5.664 sec./135.26 mph.

TOP SPORTSMAN

Winner: John Taylor (Naples, Fla.) 4.99 sec./117.96 mph.

Runner-up: Jim Perry (Niota, Tenn.) 19.56 sec./44.07 mph.

Winner: David O’Bryon (Naples, Fla.) 5.154 sec./130.26 mph.

Runner-up: Bill Powell (Stuart, Fla.) (fouled) 8.060 sec./55.70 mph.

SUPER ROD

Winner: Steve Furr 6.413 sec./125.10 mph.

Runner-up: Michael Ruff (Orlando, Fla.) 6.397 sec./121.75 mph.

Winner: Wayne Bogle (Cocoa, Fla.) 6.403 sec./123.97 mph.

Runner-up: Todd Thompson (Naples, Fla.) 6.404 sec./121.13 mph.

TOP DRAGSTER

Winner: Steve Dweck (Hollywood, Fla.) 4.924 sec./131.73 mph.

Runner-up: Gary Marshall (Ft. Myers, Fla.) 4.831 sec./140.41 mph.

Winner: Stanley Albritton Jr. (Bradenton, Fla.) 4.681 sec./141.38 mph.

Runner-up: Keith Russell (Jupiter, Fla.) 4.733 sec./139.93 mph.

SUPER STOCK

Winner: Mike Pearson (Tampa, Fla.)6.322 sec./106.69 mph.

Runner-up: Anthony Bertozzi (Ashland, Va.) 5.690 sec./118.05 mph.

Winner: Mark Nowicki 5.968 sec./106.61 mph.

Runner-up: Jeff Lewis 6.229 sec./107.76 mph.

JR. DRAGSTER BEGINNER

Winner: William Craft (Melbourne, Fla.) 13.008 sec./47.93 mph.

Runner-up: Troy Carpenter (Melbourne, Fla.) 12.023 sec./54.39 mph.

Winner: Julian Puya (Pompano Beach, Fla.) 11.85 sec./54.43 mph.

Runner-up: Logan Westmoreland (Greenwood, S.C.) (fouled) 11.982 sec./52.13 mph.

JR. DRAGSTER ADVANCED

Winner: Brooke Debonis (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) 9.168 sec./67.61 mph.

Runner-up: Troy Carpenter (Ft. Myers, Fla.) 9.067 sec./67.75 mph.

Winner: Courtney Mee (Naples, Fla.) 8.904 sec./68.10

Runner-up: Michael Carpenter (St. Petersburg, Fla.) 8.8610 sec./72.02 mph.

 JR. DRAGSTER MASTER

Winner: Camryn Fredrickson (Palm Harbor, Fla.) 8.577 sec./66.03 mph.

Runner-up: Gage Burch (Palmetto, Fla.) (fouled) 8.242 sec./64.75 mph.

Winner: Samantha Hollingsworth (Greenwood, S.C.) 7.934 sec./80.70 mph.

Runner-up: Camryn Fredrickson (Palm Harbor, Fla.) 8.298 sec./75.03 mph.