THOMPSON, PAYNE, STINNETT REPEAT AT HEARTLAND PARK
TOPEKA, Kan. – James Thompson, Jay Payne and Gary Stinnett each defended their event championship from a year ago taking wins at this weekend’s NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Heartland Championships at Heartland Park Topeka.
Thompson, Vernon, Texas, qualified No. 2 in Top Alcohol Dragster, defeated Jared Dreher, Clinton, Ind., and Gord Gingles, Winnipeg, Manit., in rounds 1 and 2, then outran No. 1 qualifier Jim Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., in the final for the win. Thompson ran 5.344 seconds at 267.75 mph to Whiteley’s 5.380, 265.85.
Claremont, Calif., runner Payne, ran low E.T. (elapsed time) in each round of eliminations with runs of 5.68 seconds, 5.671, and 5.709 in the Top Alcohol Funny Car final against Roger Bateman, Grand Junction, Colo. Payne defeated Billy Davis, Rogers, Ark., and multi-time division champion Vern Moats in rounds 1 and 2.
Stinnett grabbed his third West Central Division Super Comp win of the year to go along with his national event win last week in Brainerd, Minn. The defending NHRA Lucas Oil National champion from nearby Emporia, Kan., beat fellow Kansas racer Kyle Fickler of Tonganoxie with a pass of 8.909 seconds at 175.48 mph.
In Comp Eliminator it was Lou Ficco Jr., Wheatridge, Colo., taking his second win of the year at Heartland Park. Ficco defeated former national champion Bruno Massel with a lap of 8.496, 117.49 to go along with his win back in May at the NHRA Summer Nationals at HPT over David Billingsley.
Billy Graham won one for the home state in the Fineline Madcap Top Dragster class as the Manhattan, Kan., resident went 197.25 mph in 6.917 seconds over Tom Williams, Lenardville, Kan., while reigning West Central division champion Curtis Sprackin picked up his second win of the year in the Sportsman Motorcycle class presented by Harley Davidson downing Tom Gilligan, Fremont, Neb.
Joining in on the winner’s circle celebration were Bryan Chaney, Claremore, Okla., in Super Stock; Brent Bratsen, LaMarque, Texas, in Stock; Kevin Moore, Litterton, Colo., in Super Gas; Ray Dew, League City, Texas, in Super Street; and Danny Leibham, Tomball, Texas, in the Jerry Haas Race Cars Top Sportsman series.
West Central Division racers head to Tri State Raceway for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, September 9-11.
The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Heartland Championship event at Heartland Park Topeka:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:
Round 1
4) Forrest Fair, Haughton, La., 5.611, 251.67 def. 5) Eugene Tumbarello, Denver, broke
6) Gord Gingles, Winnipeg, Manit., 5.624, 248.71 def. 3) Randy Meyer, Spring Hill, Kan., 5.599, 255.39
2) James Thompson, Vernon, Texas, 5.360, 261.62 def. 7) Jared Dreher, Clinton, Ind., 5.807, 238.38
1) Jim Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., 5.420, 266.48 def. 8) Dean Dubbin, Royalton, Minn., foul
Semifinals
Whiteley, 5.336, 267.53 def. Fair, 5.616, 250.83
Thompson, 5.338, 265.85 def. Gingles, 5.542, 252.47
Final
Thompson, 5.344, 267.75 def. Whiteley, 5.380, 265.85
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
Round 1
2) Roger Bateman, Grand Junction, Colo., '10 Mustang, 5.718, 251.95 def. 7) Kris Hool, Casper, Wyo., '10 Monte Carlo, 5.772, 253.56
3) Dale Brand, Sully, Iowa, '10 Monte Carlo, 5.820, 249.90 def. 6) Lance Van Hauen, Reinbeck, Iowa, '05 Firebird, 6.147, 178.02
5) Vern Moats, Des Moines, Iowa, '10 Mustang, 5.775, 251.16 def. 4) Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, '04 Camaro, 5.853, 244.92
1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '10 Mustang, 5.681, 254.76 def. 9) Billy Davis, Rogers, Ark., '06 Avenger, 6.021, 242.45
Semifinals
Bateman, 5.749, 251.02 def. Brand, 5.797, 250.60
Payne, 5.671, 255.92 def. Moats, 6.429, 185.36
Final
Payne, 5.709, 255.48 def. Bateman, 5.812, 247.43
COMP ELIMINATOR
Lou Ficco Jr., Wheatridge, Colo., '09 GXP, B/AP, 8.496, 117.49 def. Bruno Massel, Woodridge, Ill., '10 Cobalt, DD/AT, foul
SUPER STOCK
Bryan Chaney, Claremore, Okla., '92 Camaro, GT/IA, 10.375, 126.90 def. Mike Town, Paola, Kan., '84 Regal, GT/LA, 10.913, 119.61
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Brent Bratsen, LaMarque, Texas, '69 Camaro, H/SA, 11.800, 89.67 def. Dan Fletcher, Churchville, N.Y., '69 Camaro, E/SA, 13.096, 73.94
SUPER COMP
Gary Stinnett, Emporia, Kan., dragster, 8.909, 175.48 def. Kyle Fickler, Tonganoxie, Kan., dragster, 8.889, 158.35
SUPER GAS
Kevin Moore, Litterton, Colo., '34 Chevrolet, 10.122, 129.72 def. Ron Wojtkiewicz, Blair, Neb., '67 Nova, 10.245, 135.97
SUPER STREET
Ray Dew, League City, Texas, '70 Nova, 10.900, 136.73 def. Kyle Lawrence, Manhattan, Kan., '79 Cutlass Wagon, 10.915, 132.62
TOP SPORTSMAN
Danny Leibham, Tomball, Texas, '01 Camaro, 7.195, 181.67 def. Todd Stewart, Kilgore, Texas, '67 Camaro, 7.637, 168.09
TOP DRAGSTER
Billy Graham, Manhattan, Kan., dragster, 6.917, 197.25 def. Tom Williams, Leonardville, Kan., dragster, broke
SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
Curtis Spracklin, Omaha, Neb., '05 Kawasaki, 8.799, 144.97 def. Tom Gilligan, Fremont, Neb., '77 Kawasaki, foul
