Winnebago woman wins big at Byron Dragway event

CHRIS SIMMONS PHOTO The Gazette
Winnebago resident Kamryn Mason captured the $30,000 championship in the Firecracker Bracket Nationals finale.

By Doug Schroder
CORRESPONDENT
Kamryn Mason of Winnebago captured the $30,000 championship in the Firecracker Bracket Nationals finale on Sunday, July 7. Mason successfully defended the home turf as she drove her No Box Camaro to the race win over two-time finalist dragster driver Gary Williams of Bradenton, FLA. She advanced to Sunday’s $30,000 Final by first defeating all opponents in Door Car.
Twenty-year old Mason regularly competes at Byron Dragway in her bright pink Camaro. She started in Jr. Drags at Byron Dragway at the age of eight. The championship race against a touring pro like Williams was the biggest of her racing career. For the second consecutive day of the Firecracker Bracket Nationals, Gary Williams had mowed through the Dragster field and advanced to the overall final round, this time in the FTI Transmissions dragster winning an impressive 16 rounds. Unfortunately for him, he gave up .002 seconds at each end of the track to Mason’s Camaro
What was Mason thinking as she prepared to go up against him on that Sunday?
“I knew he was good so I didn’t really think much about who I was racing. Just that it was another race and that helped me keep focus a lot,” said Mason.
In addition to the $30,000 prize money Mason also scored $1000 for being the last No-Box Door Car racing that day, making it the largest payday of her racing career to date. The government takes about half of that in taxes. What does she plan to do with her winnings?
“Just keep racing,” said Mason.
The winnings could go away quickly as drag racing is an expensive sport, but Mason has another career to help fund her racing habit as this past May she graduated from Rock Valley College with a degree in Fire Science and was consequently hired on as an EMT for Superior Ambulance in the same month.
While she has a new career as an EMT, does she have any aspirations to be a touring pro in drag racing?
“I would love to do that. Traveling around the country doing what I love has always been a goal of mine,” said Mason.
If recent events are a sign of things to come for the young drag racer she might just be able to do that.
Upcoming next on Mason’s drag racing schedule is the Big Bucks Bracket Bash Series at Byron Dragway on July 27 and 28.
Byron Dragway’s 20th Annual Firecracker Bracket Nationals featured 256 entries consisting of 128 door cars and 128 dragsters. This format brought a door car/dragster final each of the three days with the door car side prevailing in two of the three days. The race was filled with racers from across the United States and Canada. Racing against many local bracket hitters were several touring pros and national sportsman champions, including Luke Bogacki, Nick Folk, Mia Tedesco, and Scotty Richardson.
On a side note, the Firecracker Bracket Nationals was the last event held at Byron Dragway prior to the passing of Ron Leek, long-time owner of the dragway and proponent of drag racing sports. Leek passed away on Wednesday, June 10. Many have felt the loss, including Mason.
“He was a great announcer and an even better person. He will definitely be missed,” exclaimed Mason.