CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
LAS VEGAS, (March 28, 2011) – After a weekend of intense racing, winners in 11 different classes were crowned Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the NHRA Pacific Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event.
Joey Severance drove down from Woodburn, Ore., to take home the big win in Top Alcohol Dragster this past Sunday in Las Vegas. In his final run against Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., Severance took the early lead to his victory with a time of 5.409 seconds at 263.82 mph. In Top Alcohol Funny Car, the number one qualifier, Jay Payne, kept his spot on top all weekend. The division 7 racer from Claremont, Calif., came off a runner-up finish at Firebird International Raceway, Chandler, Ariz., last month and faced fellow Southern California resident, John Lombardo Jr., Brea, Calif. in the finals on Sunday. Despite Lombardo Jr.’s early lead and time of 5.875 seconds at 218.65 mph, Payne made a pass at the end, leading to a win at 5.614 seconds at 258.02 mph.
A pair of Washington based drivers took home victories in Comp and Stock Eliminator on Sunday. Driving his ’69 Camaro, Brandon Huhtala, Puyallup, Wash., faced Justin Lamb, Henderson, Nev., in the final round of Comp Eliminator. Huhtala’s final time of 7.445 seconds at 183.07 mph defeated Lamb’s ’09 Cobalt and final time of 8.882 seconds at 151.00 mph. The other Puyallup, Wash., driver, Jody Lang, raced his ’81 Malibu Wagon to the Stock Eliminator Winner’s Circle after Doug Gibson, Diamond Bar, Calif., broke out.
Super Stock saw the first of the remaining five California drivers take the win. A resident of Devore, Calif., Dave Bridgewater faced Chatsworth, Calif., resident, Jimmy DeFrank in the final round. After DeFrank’s red light, Bridgewater’s victory was sealed with his final run of 10.624 seconds at 125.42 mph. Travis Balough was the next Californian to claim a victory in Super Gas. In the battle of the ‘60s Corvettes, Balough’s ‘63 faced Lance Trujillo, Gillette, Wyo., and his ’62 Corvette. Balough’s final run of 10.046 seconds at 155.13 mph earned him the win.
Hailing from Quartz Hill, Calif., Ryan Herem defeated Virgil Dalluge, Redlands, Calif., in Super Street. Herem had a final run of 11.004 seconds at 137.58 mph in his ’69 Camaro. Tom Medlin, La Mirada, Calif., continued his winning ways from Firebird last month through Las Vegas this past weekend when he won his second consecutive Pacific Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event in Sportsman Motorcycle. Medlin faced local Dave Phillips, from Las Vegas, in his ’93 Suzuki and won with his time of 8.617 seconds at 143.26 mph.
The final Californian, Chip Rumis from Ramona, not only took home the victory in Top Dragster, but also left Vegas with a runner-up finish in Top Sportsman. In Top Dragster, Rumis defeated Dave Morgan, Concord, Calif., with a final time of 6.718 seconds at 201.67 mph. In Top Sportsman, Shane Thompson, Las Vegas, defeated Rumis when he ran at 7.989 seconds at 165.72 mph.
Curt Stewart, Lake Havasu, Ariz., also took home a win on Sunday. Facing Dick Vander Meer, Nampa, Idaho, in the Super Comp category, Stewart’s final run was victorious when Vander Meer red lighted.
Pacific Division racers head to Auto Club Famoso for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, May 20-22.
The following are Sunday's final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Pacific Division event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Round 1
6) Jim Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., 5.388, 267.69 def. 3) Cody Perkins, Bluffdale, Utah, foul
2) Joey Severance, Woodburn, Ore., 5.402, 249.58 def. 7) Don St. Arnaud, Edmonton, Alb., broke
8) Aaron Olivarez, Sandy, Utah, 6.260, 229.47 def. 1) Shawn Cowie, Delta, B.C., 6.389, 143.06
4) Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., 5.355, 262.95 def. 5) Megan McKernan, Sierra Madre, Calif., 5.384, 263.56
Semifinals
Severance, 5.547, 235.06 def. Whiteley, 5.597, 252.05
Demke, 5.437, 262.69 def. Olivarez, 5.514, 256.75
Final
Severance, 5.409, 263.82 def. Demke, 5.407, 265.85
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Round 1
4) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '07 Monte Carlo, 5.636, 255.10 def. 5) Roger Bateman, Calgary, Alb., '10 Mustang, broke
6) John Lombardo Jr., Brea, Calif., '10 Monte Carlo, 5.681, 254.38 def. 3) Steve Gasparrelli, W. Covina, Calif., '11 Monte Carlo, 9.182, 97.50
7) Mark Woznichak, Ontario, Calif., '03 Camaro, 5.709, 250.97 def. 2) Alexis De Joria, Venice, Calif., '11 Monte Carlo, 9.717, 85.87
1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '10 Mustang, 5.611, 255.10 def. 8) Brian Smith, Fullerton, Calif., '07 Camaro, 12.424, 70.16
Semifinals
Lombardo Jr., 5.758, 248.07 def. Woznichak, 6.187, 191.40
Payne, 5.630, 256.31 def. Gordon, 11.036, 79.71
Final
Payne, 5.614, 258.02 def. Lombardo Jr., 5.875, 218.65
COMP ELIMINATOR
Brandon Huhtala, Puyallup, Wash., '10 GXP, C/A, 7.445, 183.07 def. Justin Lamb, Henderson, Nev., '09 Cobalt, G/SMA, 8.882, 151.00
SUPER STOCK
Dave Bridgewater, Devore, Calif., '99 Firebird, SS/GA, 10.624, 125.42 def. Jimmy DeFrank, Chatsworth, Calif., '11 Cobalt, SS/CM, 9.373, 115.67
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Jody Lang, Puyallup, Wash., '81 Malibu Wgn, M/SA, 12.846, 92.80 def. Doug Gibson, Diamond Bar, Calif., '85 Camaro, H/SA, 11.942, 114.25
SUPER COMP
Curt Stewart, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., dragster, 9.044, 169.27 def. Dick Vander Meer, Nampa, Idaho, dragster, foul
SUPER GAS
Travis Balough, Long Beach, Calif., '63 Corvette, 10.046, 155.13 def. Lance Trujillo, Gillette, Wyo., '62 Corvette, 10.024, 155.92
SUPER STREET
Ryan Herem, Quartz Hill, Calif., '69 Camaro, 11.004, 137.58 def. Virgil Dalluge, Redlands, Calif., '72 Duster, 11.017, 125.80
TOP SPORTSMAN
Shane Thompson, Las Vegas, '94 Camaro, 7.989, 165.72 def. Chip Rumis, Ramona, Calif., '06 Cobalt, 6.995, 197.22
TOP DRAGSTER
Chip Rumis, Ramona, Calif., dragster, 6.718, 201.67 def. Dave Morgan, Concord, Calif., dragster, 7.177, 182.62
SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
Tom Medlin, La Mirada, Calif., '93 Suzuki, 8.617, 143.26 def. Dave Phillips, Las Vegas, Nev., '77 Kawasaki, 8.970, 148.33
