SONOMA, Calif. – Hundreds of racers were on hand to do battle for this past weekend’s Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals and the action continued today at Infineon Raceway for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and the previously postponed NHRA Phoenix Nationals.
In today’s Lucas Oil Series action, racers in Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, and Super Gas completed their eliminations from back in February. Tony Mandella, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., held off Super Stock ace Dan Fletcher with a hole shot win for his second trophy in as many days. Mandella knocked out reigning Super Stock National Champion Jimmy DeFrank in Sunday’s Fran Autolite Nationals.
In Super Gas it was Justin Lamb of Henderson, Nev., going seven rounds for the win with a near perfect run against Jim Hughes of Phoenix, in the final. Lamb ran a 9.901 second lap on a 9.90 index with a 0.008 second reaction time. Other winners today were Kyle Rizzoli, San Luis Obispo, Calif., who won over Toby Lang in the Stock class and Greg Boutte of Stockton, Calif., beating Steve Casner in the final of Super Comp.
Joining Mandella with wins this past weekend for the Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals were local racer Kyle Seipel, Pleasanton, Calif., in Super Comp and Jimmy DeFrank, Thousand Oaks, Calif., who just missed a rare double falling to Mandella in the Super Stock final but taking the win over Jim Durham in the Stock Eliminator Final. Mike DePalma, Glendale, Ariz., won in Comp Eliminator over Tom Mettler, Bakersfield, Calif., while Miek Ferderer, Buckley Wash., picked up his twenty-second NHRA national event win and Top Fuel pilot Shawn Langdon, Brownsburg, Ind., won in Super Gas over Val Torres, Valinda, Calif.
The series continues this coming weekend, July 23-25 at Infineon Raceway with the NHRA Division 7 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Sereis event presented by Korbel. Headlineing the event are the 260 mph Top Alcohol Dragsters and Top Alcohol Funny Cars which get their first shot at the track on Friday at 3 p.m. followed by two more qualifying sessions on Saturday at noon and 4 p.m. Racing kicks off each day at 8 a.m. and runs until approximately 5 p.m. each day. Friday and Saturday are time trials and qualifying with elimination rounds on Sunday. For more information visit www.infineonraceway.com.
