122 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
Issue 110
PHOTO GRAPH BY BO B HARRIS
Rockingham Dragway | Rockingham, North Carolina | Saturday, April 9, 2016
Renee Bingham of God Speed Ministry blesses a helicopter departing for UNC Medical Center in Chapel
Hill, NC, with DRAG ILLUSTRATED Sr. Editor Ian Tocher aboard. Tocher was photographing the top end at
Rockingham Dragway during the final Top Sportsman qualifying session for the Professional Drag Racers
Association (PDRA) 3rd annual Spring Nationals when he was severely injured by the ’63 Corvette of
reigning series champion Ronnie Davis after it crashed and came over the wall well past the quarter-mile
mark to strike him. Tragically, Davis passed away the next day from injuries sustained in the accident. Track
and PDRA medical staff are credited with saving Tocher’s life and he continues to recover at home in Atlanta.
Recognizing Davis’ tremendous contribution to Top Sportsman racing in general and specifically to the
PDRA, the all-eighth-mile organization renamed the class in his honor for the remainder of the 2016 season.
GOD SPEED
DRAG ILLUSTRATED PHOTO of the MONTH
THE STRIPE