Drag Illustrated Issue 139, December 2018 | Page 104

30 UNDER 30 · 2018
■ FOR BROTHERS Caleb (19) and Edmond (22)
Ellison, the only thing better than racing is racing
with family. Growing up in Beavercreek, Ohio, the
boys followed in their father Boomer’s footsteps.
They began racing Jr. Dragsters then transitioned
to full-size cars when they aged out of the half-
scale program.
Always a family effort including their mother,
Sherri, and their sister, the brothers discov-
ered they had a knack for bottom-bulb no-box
racing. They had no problems proving their
worth and others took notice – it wasn’t long
before friends were offering rides to the Ellison
brothers, and they became known for being
fierce hired guns capable of wheeling practical-
ly anything. Racing different cars at different
tracks practically every weekend helped both
of them to quickly hone their skills, and the
wins followed suit.
For Caleb, the challenge of no-box racing keeps
him motivated and daily practice keeps his re-
action times sharp. At his second race ever, he
wound up in the finals. At the age of 17, Caleb
cashed out to the tune of $12,500 at a single event
and, in the span of just four short years, he accu-
mulated roughly $120,000 in prize money thanks
to wins at footbrake races. In 2018, Caleb enjoyed
a $15,000 payday and multiple other wins. In that
same season, he was trusted to drive over a dozen
different cars, including a menacing 6-second
Chevy II owned by Phil Case, and the success
has been surreal for the young man.
Meanwhile, Edmond also made a name
for himself in no-box racing and got his first
big-money win for $15,000 when he was only
18. With multiple weekend points champion-
ships and other prize checks in his possession,
Edmond’s accolades include wins at the Summit
Motorsports No Box Bonanza, the Bottom Bulb
Shootout, NHRA Race of Champions Division
3 Bracket Finals, and the Southern Footbrake
Challenge for a grand total of approximately
$75,000 over the years. Although he’s piloted a
number of different machines in 2018, the one
he put the most laps on was a ’67 Camaro owned
by a family friend, Willie Chrenk, that runs 6.40s
in the eighth.
Working together, Caleb and Edmond also took
the initiative to host a school at their local track
of Kil-Kare Speedway in 2018 for people who
wanted to learn about drag racing. Three ses-
sions each saw approximately 20 eager students
show up, and the brothers enjoyed being able to
answer questions and help introduce others to
the sport they love.
In addition to racing, both men also hold down
jobs and live busy lives, yet they always find time
to help others. The Ellison brothers have proven
to be responsible beyond their years and made
names for themselves based off their maturity,
great work ethics, and their pure talent. While
they work hard to help one another, they know the
most important element of their success has been
the support they’ve received from others along the
way and they’re endlessly appreciative of the trust
that has been given to them. – AI N S LE Y JACO DI
B S DI DI
DI DI DI DI
DI DI DI
104 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
Issue 139
EDMOND & CALEB ELLISON