The inaugural race here at GoFantasyDragRacing.com got underway with the races at Sonoma, California this past weekend.

With the GoFDR season just rolling into the staging lanes, we only had 12 different players purchase 23 total teams. We pay out to the top 25 finishers, so that means everybody who played this weekend at least made their entry fee back!

This weekend's race results from the Fram Autolite Nationals had to have left many GoFDR players a little bewildered. Who would have predicted John Force would go out in the first round of Funny Car eliminations? Or that Tom Martino, valued at a meager $250,000, would break out and win in the Pro Stock category after a three-year absence from victory lane?

The bizarre occurances at Sonoma didn't hinder player Joe Wingate however. Mr. Wingate launched off of the pad like a rocket, setting the first GoFDR track record by winning a grand total of $525!

Joe used multiple strategies to take the lion's share of the $1,000 purse. First, he had the drag racing knowledge and foresight to make excellent team selections, including picking Martino from the bottom of the price ladder.

"I thought I could win based on the results of the test sessions, but then again, anyone can win," Wingate said of his team selection strategy coming into the race. "I read National Dragster and check out NHRA.com to see what's going on but mostly rely on past performances and luck."

Where Wingate really rose above the competition was by entering multiple teams. The Mission Viejo, California-resident played a total of five different team selections, including picks from his wife. By doing so, Wingate cleaned house in regard to this week's prize money--securing the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th and 10th place slots. With his $50 investment into playing GoFDR, he came out $475 richer than he was coming in!

It was his wife who scored the third position for the family, while Joe took the other four slots--including first place. Wingate had this to say, "My wife knows about drag racing but only as a casual fan. She picked her team based on her thoughts. She picked the funny car winner on her own and some of the 'underdogs' that did well. I'm sure glad I did better than her or I would never hear the end of it!"

We asked Mr. Wingate what he was going to do with all the extra income GoFDR was going to provide for him this month. "I'll probably spend the prize money on myself...unless my wife gets the mail."

We will ask the mailman to slip it under your doormat Joe!

We are happy to report that there were no oildowns or disqualifications of any kind in our inaugural race. All players who participated got their picks in on time, with the top-five opting to make their picks early enough to earn the 40-point pre-qualifying bonus. Forty points are automatically awarded for anyone who makes their final team selection one hour prior to the scheduled start of first round professional qualifying.

Although we would have liked to see more people participating in the fun here at GoFDR, we are still very pleased with how efficiently our new game ran. We are also looking forward to the next event at Brainerd International Raceway, taking place the weekend of August 16-19.

One thing is for sure, Mr. Wingate will be back to play!

"It was a pleasure playing the game," Wingate stated. "The site is well designed and it works, unlike some other sites. Thanks again for putting this together. I can't wait until the next race!"

We invite everyone to come join us once again for the Fantasy Drag Racing game that makes your NHRA enjoyment that much more fun! See you in two weeks!