DEMKE, WILLIAMS SCORE AT THUNDER VALLEY
NOBLE, Okla. – After two days of rain, racers in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series got their shot at the Thunder Valley Raceway quarter mile for the Thunder in the Heartland event. At the end of the day, Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., and Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, took home the trophies in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car respectively.
Demke qualified No. 1 and took out Edwin Schmeeckle and David Brounkowski on his way to a final round match up with Forrest Fair, Haughton, La., where the California racer recorded the quickest run of the day for the win. Demke went 5.396 seconds at 266.98 mph to Fair’s 5.550 at 258.54 mph.
Williams also qualified on top and squared off with Sean O’Bannon, Ontario, Calif., in the funny car final posting a run of 5.669, 253.09 to O’Bannon’s 5.704 at 255.10. Williams beat fellow Iowa racer Lance Van Hauen and Tony Bartone, Long Island City, N.Y., on his way to the final.
In other final round action it was Bruno Massel, Woodridge, Ill., taking the win in Comp Eliminator over Shaun Vincent, Omaha, Neb; Brenda Kay, Humble Texas, winning in the Sportsman Motorcycle presented by Harley Davidson class against Jason Clampitt; and a pair of Kansas racers, Heidi Robison and Larry Piper winning in Top Sportsman and Top Dragster respectively. Robison, Gardner, Kan., beat out Doug Woody, Independence, Mo., and Piper, Wamego, Kan., defeated local racer Ronald Gibson, Norman, Okla.
Racing will continue on Monday with Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street. All racers will get one qualifying/time trial followed by eliminations which are expected to be completed Monday afternoon.
The following are Sunday’s final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Thunder in the Heartland event at Thunder Valley Raceway Park:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:
Round 1
5) David Brounkowski, Cypress, Texas, 5.571, 241.22 def. 4) Christine Chambless, Scott City, Kan., 5.698, 256.62
6) Forrest Fair, Haughton, La., 5.560, 260.41 def. 3) Brandon Pierce, Moore, Okla., 5.915, 229.18
7) Chase Copeland, Gainesville, Texas, 5.531, 261.02 def. 2) James Thompson, Vernon, Texas, 5.987, 258.76
1) Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., 5.604, 236.84 def. 8) Edwin Schmeeckle, Gothenburg, Neb., 5.558, 248.00
Semifinals
Demke, 5.429, 267.61 def. Brounkowski, 5.602, 249.79
Fair, 5.570, 262.00 def. Copeland, 5.673, 248.27
Final
Demke, 5.396, 266.98 def. Fair, 5.550, 258.54
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
Round 1
1) Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, '04 Camaro, 5.674, 252.10 def. 8) Lance Van Hauen, Reinbeck, Iowa, '05 Firebird, 5.815, 247.45
6) Chris Foster, Davenport, Iowa, '06 Monte Carlo, 5.693, 252.03 def. 3) Thomas Carter, Cuero, Texas, '08 Mustang, 5.733, 251.53
4) Tony Bartone, Long Island City, N.Y., '09 Mustang, 5.591, 258.32 def. 5) Andy Bohl, Racine, Wis., '08 Mustang, 5.735, 251.18
2) Sean O'Bannon, Ontario, Calif., '08 Monte Carlo, 5.704, 252.10 def. 7) Bryan Brown, Gainesville, Texas, '10 Monte Carlo, broke
Semifinal
O'Bannon, 5.694, 255.31 def. Foster, 5.745, 251.18
Williams, 5.652, 254.95 def. Bartone, 5.642, 257.58
Final
Williams, 5.669, 253.09 def. O'Bannon, 5.704, 255.10
COMP ELIMINATOR
Bruno Massel, Woodridge, Ill., '10 Cobalt, DD/AT, 7.205, 161.63 def. Shaun Vincent, Omaha, Neb., '02 S-10, C/TA, 8.620, 154.82.
TOP SPORTSMAN
Heidi Robison, Gardner, Kan., '63 Corvette, 7.453, 161.95 def. Doug Woody, Independence, Mo., '67 Camaro, 8.169, 168.66.
TOP DRAGSTER
Larry Piper, Wamego, Kan., dragster, 7.317, 182.59 def. Ronald Gibson, Norman, Okla., dragster, 7.160, 190.15.
SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
Brenda Kay, Humble, Texas, '85 GSXR, 9.239, 134.48 def. Jason Clampitt, Lino Lakes, Minn., '79 Kawasaki, 9.679, 135.74.
