CALIFORNIA RACERS WIN BIG IN VEGAS
LAS VEGAS – Steven Shearer led a quartette of California racers taking wins in Saturday’s Race of Champions for the NHRA Pacific Division Summit Racing Series Finals at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Shearer, Exetez, Calif., used a near perfect reaction time of 0.005 seconds in his ’10 dragster to hold off Kyle Seipel, Pleasanton, Calif., for the win in Super Pro. Shearer went on to post a run of 7.828 seconds at 167.20 mph to the quicker Seipel at 7.788, 170.15 in his ’09 dragster.
Steven Parrish, Richmond, Calif., and Ryan Mangus, Rialto, Calif., took the ROC wins in the Pro and Sportsman classes respectively. Parrish faced Mark Warmouth, Lodi, Calif., in his final round match up posting a 10.700 second lap at 117.57 mph to Warmouth’s 10.400, 127.44 in his ’78 Camaro while Rialto, Calif., racer Mangus, running for Auto Club Dragway at Auto Club Speedway, put his ’71 Nova in the winners circle in 13.401 seconds at 102.40 mph. Mangus beat Maryo Mendez, San Jose, Calif., who left early with a red-light foul.
Jay Thompson, Phoenix, will join these three Calif., racers advancing to the Summit National Championship next month in Pomona, Calif., with a victory in the Motorcycle class on his ’73 Kawasaki. Thompson ran dead-on his dial at 10.020 (10.02 dial) at 129.94 mph to defeat Denny Alves, El Cerrito, Calif., at 10.184, 128.68.
Katelyn Whynaught will bring the fourth Championship trophy back to California with a win in the High School category. The Oceanside, Calif., racer covered the quarter-mile in 13.113 seconds at 98.18 mph to Daniel Henderson, Boulder City, Nev., who broke out with a 17.164 second pass on a 17.26 dial-in.
Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, Calif., took the Track Managers Race with a 34 point total. Auto Club Dragway, Fontana, Calif., and Speedworld Dragstrip, Wittmann, Ariz., finished 2nd and 3rd.
Racing continues on Sunday with the Pacific Division Finals eliminations and Team Championship.
The following are the final results from the NHRA Pacific Division Summit Racing Series Race of Champions event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:
Super Pro
Steven Shearer, Exetez, Calif., '10 dragster, 7.828 seconds, 167.20 mph def. Kyle Seipel, Pleasanton, Calif., ‘09 dragster, 7.788, 170.15
Pro
Steven Parrish, Richmond, Calif., 10.700, 117.57 def. Mark Warmouth, Lodi, Calif., ‘78 Camaro, 10.400, 127.44
Sportsman
Ryan Mangus, Rialto, Calif., ‘71 Nova, 13.401, 102.40 def. Maryo Mendez, San Jose, Calif., '69 Torino, 18.882, 72.58
Motorcycle
Jay Thompson, Phoenix, '73 Kawasaki, 10.020, 129.94 def. Denny Alves, El Cerrito, Calif., 10.184, 128.68
High School
Katelyn Whynaught, Oceanside, Calif., 13.113, 98.18 def. Daniel Henderson, Boulder City, Nev., 17.164, 78.31
Track Managers Challenge
Infineon Raceway 34
Auto Club Dragway 24
Speedworld Dragstrip 22
Toyota Dragstrip at Irwindale 20
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway 19
Auto Club Famoso Raceway 17
Barona 1/8th Mile Drags 13
Sacramento Raceway 13
Firebird International Raceway 12
Top Gun Raceway 9
Albuquerque Dragway 6
