DEMKE SCORES ANOTHER WIN AT BAKERSFIELD
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Coming off a trip to the final round in Las Vegas, Chris Demke took home the win on Sunday in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Pacific Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Auto Club Famoso Raceway. Demke, Sunland, Calif., also brought home a win during the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals in March and was the 2004, 2005 and 2006 Pacific Division Top Alcohol Dragster champion. In the final round, Demke met Megan McKernan, Sierra Madre, Calif., who faced some engine troubles during the burnout and was unable to make the run.
John Lombardo, Jr. started off the weekend in the top spot after qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car and stayed there all weekend. Roger Bateman, Calgary, Alb., was his challenger in the finals, but after a red light start, Lombardo, Brea, Calif., earned his first divisional race win of the 2011 season.
Sportsman Motorcycle driver, Tom Medlin, La Mirada, Calif. continued his winning streak on Sunday when he defeated Jim Bowling, San Juan Capistrano, Calif. Medlin has won all three Pacific Division Lucas Oil Series events this season in Sportsman Motorcycle presented by Harley Davidson.
Local boy, Tom Mettler, Bakersfield, Calif., raced his way to the finals in Comp Eliminator to face Steve Graham, S. San Francisco, Calif. Mettler took the early lead with a .016 second reaction time and never relinquished it for the win. In Super Stock, Tony Mandella, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., also had a great start to his run in the finals with a .003 reaction time. Racing Justin Lamb, Henderson, Nev., Mandella’s great start and run of 9.688 seconds at 136.84 mph was enough to send him home with the win.
Stock Eliminator saw a close run in the finals between Chad Loge, Brentwood, Calif., and Clark Holroyd, Chino, Calif. Loge ran for 10.610 seconds at 121.47 mph against Holroyd’s 10.424 second, 125.87 mph and won by less than a foot. Super Comp was another close finish when Greg Boutte, Loma Linda, Calif., faced Aaron Kinard, San Marcos, Calif. Boutte, who had a win at the Summitracing.com NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas earlier this year, won by less than two feet with his run of 8.919 seconds at 177.30 mph.
Arizona drivers were the big winners in Top Dragster and Super Street classes in Bakersfield. Jon Bradford, Tucson, Ariz., had an easy pass in the finals when Jonathan Fiello, Beaumont, Calif., had car troubles in Top Dragster. In Super Street, Nik Downing, Glendale, Ariz., came across a similar situation when Bob Richmond experienced issues with his vehicle as well in the finals.
Other winners include Val Torres, Valinda, Calif., who drove his ’63 Corvette to a victory in Super Gas over Darryl Mitchell, Thousand Oaks, Calif., and his ’03 Cavalier, and Richard Okerman, Torrance, Calif., who had a six inch victory over Jeffrey Gillette, Benicia, Calif., in Top Sportsman.
Pacific Division racers will head to Top Gun Raceway June 10-12 for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event.
The following are Sunday's final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Pacific Division event at Auto Club Famoso Raceway:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Round 1
1) Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., 5.303, 272.23 was unopposed
3) Kenny Buzdas, Yuba City, Calif., 5.549, 260.64 def. 4) Larry Miersch, Huntington Beach, Calif., 9.839, 89.38
2) Megan McKernan, Sierra Madre, Calif., 5.408, 265.64 def. 5) Johnny Ahten, Santa Clarita, Calif., 5.669, 238.09
Semifinals
McKernan, 5.394, 265.64 was unopposed
Demke, 5.328, 272.14 def. Buzdas, 5.588, 224.04
Final
Demke, 5.660, 192.26 def. McKernan, broke
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Round 1
5) Shane Westerfield, Lake Forest, Calif., '11 Monte Carlo, 5.746, 243.50 def. 4) Steve Gasparrelli, W. Covina, Calif., '11 Monte Carlo, 6.137, 239.17
2) Roger Bateman, Calgary, Alb., '10 Mustang, 5.696, 253.80 def. 7) Brian Smith, Fullerton, Calif., '07 Camaro, broke
1) John Lombardo Jr., Brea, Calif., '10 Monte Carlo, 5.609, 257.43 def. 8) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '07 Monte Carlo, 5.852, 254.66
6) Sean Bellemeur, Tustin, Calif., '04 Camaro, 5.839, 248.68 def. 3) Sean O'Bannon, Ontario, Calif., '08 Monte Carlo, broke
Semifinals
Lombardo Jr., 5.622, 258.62 def. Westerfield, 5.751, 244.03
Bateman, 5.662, 254.30 def. Bellemeur, 5.876, 248.13
Finals
Lombardo Jr., 5.641, 256.04 def. Bateman, foul
COMP ELIMINATOR
Tom Mettler, Bakersfield, Calif., '01 Dakota, PSTA, 7.636, 166.88 def. Steve Graham, S. San Francisco, Calif., '06 Stratus, C/A, 7.390, 184.12
SUPER STOCK
Tony Mandella, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., '87 Camaro, GT/CA, 9.688, 136.84 def. Justin Lamb, Henderson, Nev., '10 Mustang, SS/AA, 9.205, 134.95
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Chad Loge, Brentwood, Calif., '70 GTX, B/SA, 10.610, 121.47 def. Clark Holroyd, Chino, Calif., '69 Nova, A/SA, 10.424, 125.87
SUPER COMP
Greg Boutte, Loma Linda, Calif., dragster, 8.919, 177.30 def. Aaron Kinard, San Marcos, Calif., dragster, 8.938, 172.77
SUPER GAS
Val Torres, Valinda, Calif., '63 Corvette, 9.927, 155.95 def. Darryl Mitchell, Thousands Oaks, Calif., '03 Cavalier, 9.946, 164.86
SUPER STREET
Nik Downing, Glendale, Ariz., '79 Arrow, 10.895, 133.29 def. Bob Richmond, Glendora, Calif., '50 Ford, broke
TOP SPORTSMAN
Richard Okerman, Torrance, Calif., '89 Beretta, 7.597, 180.65 def. Jeffrey Gillette, Benicia, Calif., '96 Firebird, 7.095, 189.47
TOP DRAGSTER
Jon Bradford, Tucson, Ariz., dragster, 6.647, 206.04 def. Jonathan Fiello, Beaumont, Calif., dragster, broke
SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
Tom Medlin, La Mirada, Calif., '93 Suzuki, 8.455, 155.09 def. Jim Bowling, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., '91 ZX7R, 9.173, 145.91
