Classic cars dealer Ron Lane of Hixson edged his wife, Eva, for the Super Pro victory at Brainerd Optimist Drag Strip last Saturday. In their head-to-head finals matchup, which happened once before at the strip, Ron won the $1,500 top prize with a 5.10-second run on a 5.10 dial-in in his 620-cubic-inch Chevrolet dragster with alcohol injection and nitrous oxide assist. Eva lost to a red-light start with a 5.09 run. David Bigham was third in a 1969 Dodge Dart. Michael Garner was the Foot Brake winner with a 6.72 run on a 6.70 dial in a '69 Chevy Nova; Chris Hammon was second with a 6.96 run on a 6.95 dial in an '85 Chevy S-10 pickup. Chloe Keener of Whitwell was the Junior Dragster winner over Mattie Keener of Dunlap. Cynthia Farrow had the low elapsed time (4.77 seconds) and top speed (143.25 mph) of the meet.
• CHATSWORTH, Ga. -- Biddle Ridley of Murray County's Jody Ridley Racing team died Monday at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta after a two-year battle with lung cancer. Ridley spent much of his life as a crew chief and otherwise top lieutenant for younger brother Jody, who reached NASCAR's top series. The team was legendary for short-track success and had more than 500 wins in three decades, with six national championships and induction into the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame.
Football
• Former Tyner standout Desmond Hendricks repeated this season as the Central Europe Football League's defensive player of the year, and his Ljubljana Silverhawks won their first championship of the league that plays American football. The Slovenia team won 34-21 in the July 21 championship game after taking a 34-6 lead against the SBB Vukovi from Belgrade, whose quarterback was the offensive player of the year. SBB Vukovi had given the Seahawks their only loss in eight league games, 28-25 on April 14. Hendricks, who was his conference's defensive MVP in 2007 at Rhodes College, didn't play in all of the Silverhawks' games but led the CEFL for the regular season with 43 solo tackles, including nine for lost yardage and three sacks, and he returned an interception for a touchdown. The Silverhawks beat the Cineplexx Blue Devils 43-0 in the semifinal.
Golf
• Emily Javadi led the stroke-play qualifying Monday for the 75th anniversary Chattanooga Women's Amateur Championship with a 76 at Chattanooga Golf & Country Club, followed by Carlene Ryon at 77 and Haley Cothran and Janet Horton at 78. Also in the championship flight for match play today are Sarah Dolmovich, Haley Davidson, Laurie Smickley, Rosalie Basten, Blakesly Warren, Karen Burns, Georgia McCravey, Carol Burns, Lynn Holland, Jeanie Reedy, Kristy Snow and Linda Carter. Anna Cunningham was the nine-player senior flight medalist with an 85, one better than Eleanor Mitchell and two ahead of Deedee Raulston.
• Andrew Weathers shot a 72 for the first-round lead Monday in the CDGA City Junior Championship at WindStone Golf Club. Chase Cole is a shot behind in the boys' 16-18 division with Zac Bombassi at 74 and Zach Madewell at 75. Tucker Venable has a three-stroke lead in the 14-15 age group with a 73. Katherine Holmes' 78 leads the 12-14 girls by 10 strokes; Natalie Javadi has a five-shot edge in 15-18 at 82.
Tennis
• The Chattanooga Lightning won the 14-under state championship in Junior Team Tennis this past weekend in Murfreesboro. Coached by Raul Fernandez of the Racquet Club, the Lightning had the second best winning percentage in a local 18-under league this year and in the 21-team 14-under state beat Williamson County 40-9, the Knoxville Racquet Club 37-24, Murfreesboro 38-13, Memphis 36-31 and, in the final, Cedar Bluff Racquet Club of Knoxville 33-25. The coed format includes boys' singles and doubles, girls' singles and doubles and mixed doubles for each team match. The Lightning players were Sarah Faith Ingell, Olivia Crawley, Mary Margaret Haywood, Kinsey Anderson, Hannah Dattilo, Will Ingell, Jackson Gravitt, Alex Condra and Carl Phillips. They will play Aug. 17-19 in the Southern Sectional team event in Auburn, Ala.