ELGIN- Sophia, N. C.’s Roy Hill beat Jeff Velde of Vero Beach, Fla., to the line in the finals to win the NHRA Winston World Championship Series event at Blaney Drag Strip Sunday.

After a weekend spoiled by rain, Hill outraced Veldt to finish line with a 7.96-second, 172.41 m.p.h run down the quartermile strip to take the winner’s share of the $81,000 purse. Velde made the final run in 8.04, 171.25.

“The rain really hurt the crowd and the show,” said track owner Johnny Dowey today. “Rain hurt most of the qualifying and lightning almost knocked out the clocks again, so we had to stop for that.” (Lightning from a thundershower short-circuited the timing clocks at an earlier event at the track this year.)

Darrell Gwynn of Miami, Fla., defeated Bruce Horner of Bergenfield, N.J. with a 6.60, 204.5 run in the Alcohol Dragster class and Bob Newberry of Schenectady, N. Y. turne in a 6.74, 209.7 time to beat Atlantan Bogey Kell in the finals of Alcohol Funny Car competition.

Buford, Ga.’s Gary Brown wond the Competition class with an 8.18 second, 170 m.p.h. run over Ronnie Traffanstedt of Piedmont, Ala.

In Super Stock, Jacksonville, Fla.’s Paul Forte topped Clinton, N. C.’s Jeff Warren with a 11.32, 118 and Kenneth Horner of Fayetteville, N. C., trim David Crume of Orlando, Fla., with a 12.15, 110 run in Stock.

Richard Foytik of Hialeah, Fla., carded a 9.04, 124 time in Super Comp to beat Thaire Hudgins of Douglasville, Ga.

Richard Godley of Moultrie, Ga., beat Steve Cohen of Clearwater, Fla. with a 9.95, 131 time in Super Gas and Craig miller of Savannah took the super Street title with a 11.01, 116 clocking against Dick Maxwell of Oakland Park, Fla.