COWIE, O’BANNON WIN AT FIREBIRD
PHOENIX – In the final results from Firebird International Raceway and the NHRA Pacific Division Season Opener Shawn Cowie and Sean O’Bannon took wins and the early lead in the division points battle. Weather pushed final eliminations to Monday as 11 racers made the wait worth wild taking home trophies.
Cowie, Delta, B.C., CAN., qualified No. 3 in Top Alcohol Dragster, then took out a pair of Arizona racers in Art Trautman, Wadell, Ariz., and James Butler, Prescott, Ariz., on his way to a final round match up with last year’s event winner and defending Pacific Division Lucas Oil Champion Jim Whiteley. Cowie went 5.331 seconds at 272.01 mph in defeating Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., with a 5.429, 269.51.
O’Bannon of Ontario, Calif., ran 5.50’s (seconds) in defeating John Lombardo Jr. and Ken Webster, Red Deer, Ala., in rounds 1 and 2 of Top Alcohol Funny Car. He then faced off with veteran racer and former alcohol dragster national champion Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., for the win. O’Bannon clocked in at 5.604 seconds, 258.86 mph taking the win easily as Payne crossed the centerline and was disqualified.
Art Hoover defended his event title from last year in the Hughes Performance Top Dragster class. The Concord, Calif., racer drove to a 6.912 second lap at 195.34 mph taking the win over Randolph Scott, Henderson, Nev.
Two local racers did battle for the Super Street trophies with John Bycroft, Phoenix, taking the win over Ed Breunig, Chandler, Ariz. Bycroft went 10.904, 131.70 in his ’69 Dart to Breunig’s 10.883 at 127.59 in his ’67 Nova. Grabbing wins in the other super classes were Todd Barton, Norwalk, Calif., over Aaron Kinard, San Marcos, Calif., in Super Comp and Thomas Bayer, Fontana, Calif., in Super Gas over Kevin Sexton, Lancaster, Calif.
Other winners included Justin Lamb, Henderson, Nev., in Comp Eliminator against Mike DePalma, Glendale, Ariz.; Mike Cotton, Broken Arrow, Okla., in Super Stock in his ’70 Barracuda; Ryan McClanahan, Alta Loma, Calif., in Stock; Tom Medlin, La Mirada, Calif., in Sportsman Motorcycle presented by Harley Davidson; and Ray Martin out of Anchorage, Alaska, in Top Sportsman.
Most of the Pacific Division racers will head to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona for the Kragen O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals this coming weekend then to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, March 25-27.
The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Firebird International Raceway and the Pacific Division Season Opener:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:
Round 1
7) James Butler, Prescott, Ariz., 5.548, 255.97 def. 2) Duane Shields, Boulder City, Nev., 5.687, 253.42
3) Shawn Cowie, Delta, B.C., 5.319, 270.54 def. 6) Art Trautman, Wadell, Ariz., 5.640, 243.85
5) Chase Copeland, Gainesville, Texas, 5.361, 271.08 def. 4) Kyle Rizzoli, San Luis Obispo, Calif., 5.461, 263.26
8) Jim Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., 5.347, 274.00 def. 1) Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., broke
Semifinals
Whiteley, 5.335, 273.66 def. Copeland, 5.397, 267.59
Cowie, 5.284, 271.46 def. Butler, broke
Final
Cowie, 5.331, 272.01 def. Whiteley, 5.429, 269.51
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
Round 1
4) Sean O'Bannon, Ontario, Calif., '08 Monte Carlo, 5.564, 259.61 def. 5) John Lombardo Jr., Brea, Calif., '10 Monte Carlo, 13.718, 58.58
3) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '07 Monte Carlo, 5.611, 259.26 def. 6) John Patton, Surprise, Ariz., '10 Mustang, 5.824, 251.81
2) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '10 Mustang, 5.583, 257.92 def. 7) Shane Westerfield, Lake Forest, Calif., '11 Monte Carlo, foul
8) Ken Webster, Red Deer, Alb., '10 Monte Carlo, 5.811, 244.60 def. 1) Tony Bartone, Long Island City, N.Y., '09 Mustang, 7.015, 144.26
Semifinals
Payne, 5.549, 262.08 def. Gordon, 5.821, 212.16
O'Bannon, 5.578, 259.41 def. Webster, broke
Final
O'Bannon, 5.604, 258.86 def. Payne, broke
COMP ELIMINATOR
Justin Lamb, Henderson, Nev., '09 Cobalt, G/SMA, 8.733, 151.68 def. Mike DePalma, Glendale, Ariz., '00 S-10, C/T, 8.160, 163.57.
SUPER STOCK
Mike Cotten, Broken Arrow, Okla., '70 Barracuda, SS/JA, 14.080, 77.62 def. Steve Couch, Sidney, Neb., '09 Challenger, SS/JA, foul.
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Ryan McClanahan, Alta Loma, Calif., '69 Camaro, AA/SA, 11.639, 82.17 def. Kyle Rizzoli, San Luis Obispo, Calif., '69 Camaro, A/SA, foul.
SUPER COMP
Todd Barton, Norwalk, Calif., dragster, 8.906, 170.67 def. Aaron Kinard, San Marcos, Calif., dragster, 8.924, 170.75.
SUPER GAS
Thomas Bayer, Fontana, Calif., '62 Corvette, 10.328, 131.29 def. Kevin Sexton, Lancaster, Calif., '77 Vega Wagon, 10.445, 147.09.
SUPER STREET
John Bycroft, Phoenix, '69 Dart, 10.904, 131.70 def. Ed Breunig, Chandler, Ariz., '67 Nova, 10.883, 127.59
SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
Tom Medlin, La Mirada, Calif., '93 Suzuki, 8.353, 157.83 def. Jay Thompson, Phoenix, '73 Kawasaki, 9.922, 127.80
TOP SPORTSMAN
Ray Martin, Anchorage, Alaska, '63 Corvette, 7.254, 188.67 def. Chip Rumis, Ramona, Calif., '05 Cobalt, 19.403, 47.75
TOP DRAGSTER
Art Hoover, Concord, Calif., dragster, 6.912, 195.34 def. Randolph Scott, Henderson, Nev., dragster, 7.300, 168.62
