SEVERANCE, GASPARRELLI LEAD MISSION WIRE TO WIRE
MISSION, B.C. – Joey Severance dominated Top Alcohol Dragster at the LORDCO Auto Parts BC Nationals, the Western Regional event at Mission Raceway, qualifying No. 1 and setting low e.t. of all three rounds en route to victory, and defending division champ Steve Gasparrelli did likewise in Top Alcohol Funny Car.
Severance was the only driver in the 5.30s and the only one to crack to 270 mph in qualifying with a best of 5.35, 270.86, half a tenth ahead of eventual runner-up Ray Martin's 5.40. He established low e.t. of the meet on his first-round single with a 5.33.
Martin ran a competitive 5.44 in the opening round to take out Greg Sereda's 5.58, and Canadian Gord Gingles dipped into the 5.30s with a career-best 5.39 in a win over quick-leaving Greg Hunter. Gingles fouled away a 5.41 in the semi's opposite Severance's 5.369, and Martin moved to within striking distance of Severance with a 5.372 on his semifinal single.
Both drivers slowed in the final, but Severance got off the mark first and streaked to a 5.39 to cover Martin's solid 5.43, reversing the outcome of the 2011 Mission final, which Martin won in his Top Alcohol Dragster debut.
In Top Alcohol Funny Car, Gasparrelli duplicated Severance's qualifying feat by being the only driver in the 5.50s and putting five-hundredths between himself and the next closest driver. Clint Thompson, who once won the Mission event three years in a row, hit a 5.64 for the No. 2 spot, just ahead of John Evanchuk's 5.67 and six-time Division 6 champion Brian Hough's 5.68.
Gasparrelli, like Severance, set low e.t. in the opening round, running a 5.57 at 261.83 mph to eliminate Dave Germain, who smoked the tires and shut off. Hough maintained his qualifying performance with a 5.64 win over Evanchuk, and Thompson did the same with a 5.66 against Jeff Ashwell.
The final was over early when Hough, who won this event in 2009 and 2010, lost traction immediately, opening the door for Gasparrelli, who would have been hard to get around anyway with a 5.63, his slowest run of the day but still quicker than any other driver's best run.
Jeff Lane and Brad Burton made it two for two in the Northwest division as each grabbed their second win of the year. Lane, the defending event champion out of North Bend, Wash., took on Alan Ellis, Mapleton, Utah, in Comp Eliminator taking the win in 8.065 seconds at 151.48 mph. Burton, Kirkwood, Wash., drove his ’72 Formula to victory over Dallas Glenn, Covington, Wash., in Stock Eliminator.
Local racer Al Omond, Surrey, B.C. defended his title from a year ago in the Sportsman Motorcycle Series presented by Harley Davidson. Omond ran down Jeff Havens, Yakima, Wash., with an 8.187 second lap at 153.11 mph on his ’97 Kawasaki.
Four other British Columbia residents scored wins this weekend with Marv Wiebe, Abbotsford, B.C., winning in Super Gas over Randy Sides, Selah, Wash; Stefan Kondolay, Chilliwack, B.C., won on a hole-shot in Super Comp; Jim Behnke, Mission, B.C., won in Pro; and Mike Shannon, Kelowna, B.C., took out Randy Beck in Super Pro.
Defending Lucas Oil Super Stock National Champion Jackie Alley, Eagle, Idaho, beat the reigning division Stock Champion Jody Lang in Super Stock; Tom Koenen, Tucson, Ariz., won in Top Dragster; and Dave Robinson, Red Deer, Alb., took home the trophy in Top Sportsman.
Northwest Division racers head to Spokane County Raceway for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, June 22-24.
The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Lordco B.C. Nationals event at Mission Raceway Park:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:
Round 1
1) Joey Severance, Woodburn, Ore., 5.332, 266.85 was unopposed
2) Ray Martin, Anchorage, Alaska, 5.443, 262.23 def. 5) Greg Sereda, Spruce Grove, Alb., 5.581, 255.39
3) Gord Gingles, Winnipeg, Manit., 5.399, 270.81 def. 4) Greg Hunter, Calgary, Alb., 5.741, 250.51
Semifinals
Severance, 5.369, 262.79 def. Gingles, foul
Martin, 5.373, 264.08 was unopposed
FINALS
Severance, 5.391, 267.59 def. Martin, 5.439, 264.29
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
Round 1
4) Brian Hough, Junction City, Ore., '09 Mustang, 5.640, 251.95 def. 3) John Evanchuk, Edmonton, Alb.,
'06 Monte Carlo, 16.925, 30.84
2) Clint Thompson, Klamath Falls, Ore., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.660, 255.43 def. 5) Jeff Ashwell, Keizer, Ore., '09 Mustang, 6.052, 241.15
1) Steve Gasparrelli, W. Covina, Calif., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.574, 261.83 def. 6) Dave Germain, Toledo, Wash., '02 Firebird, 7.571, 195.34
Semifinals
Gasparrelli, 5.593, 260.16 was unopposed
Hough, 5.646, 254.38 def. Thompson, 6.437, 163.14
Finals
Gasparrelli, 5.638, 260.91 def. Hough, 15.150, 35.92
COMP ELIMINATOR
Jeff Lane, North Bend, Wash., '11 Cobalt, B/SMA, 8.065, 151.48 def. Alan Ellis, Mapleton, Utah, '23
roadster, A/AA, 6.572, 209.98.
SUPER STOCK
Jackie Alley, Eagle, Idaho, '69 Camaro, SS/DA, 9.392, 136.70 def. Jody Lang, Puyallup, Wash., '81
Malibu, GT/KA, 10.754, 119.70.
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Brad Burton, Kirkland, Wash., '72 Formula, E/SA, 10.834, 115.60 def. Dallas Glenn, Covington, Wash.,
'96 Corvette, C/SA, 10.537, 124.41.
SUPER COMP
Stefan Kondolay, Chilliwack, B.C., dragster, 8.961, 170.47 def. Ed Hauter, Lynnwood, Wash., dragster,
8.939, 171.79.
SUPER GAS
Marv Wiebe, Abbotsford, B.C., '00 S-10, 9.914, 155.11 def. Randy Sides, Selah, Wash., '57 Corvette,
9.898, 164.57.
SUPER STREET
Allen Macham, Everett, Wash., '67 Nova, 10.910, 134.98 def. Mike Scheffler, Lynwood, Wash., '64
Chevelle, foul.
SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
Al Omond, Surrey, B.C., '97 Kawasaki, 8.187, 153.11 def. Jeff Havens, Yakima, Wash., '95 Suzuki,
8.993, 148.58.
TOP SPORTSMAN
Dave Robinson, Red Deer, Alb., '03 Grand Am, 7.455, 185.72 def. Zak Clarke, Mission, B.C., '67 Nova,
7.775, 172.39.
TOP DRAGSTER
Tom Koenen, Tucson, Ariz., dragster, 6.608, 201.64 def. Jim Morris, Olympia, Wash., dragster, foul.
SUPER PRO
Mike Shannon, Kelowna, B.C., dragster, 8.905, 174.50 def. Randy Beck, Tacoma, Wash., dragster, 8.892,
172.96
PRO
Jim Behnke, Mission, B.C., '67 Cuda, 10.313, 128.92 def. Jason Biscay, Rochester, Wash., '71 Vega,
foul.
