WHITELEY, BOHL WIN IN EARLVILLE
EARLVILLE, Iowa – Jim Whiteley and Andy Bohl led all winners this weekend at Tri-State Raceway, Earlville, Iowa, and the NHRA West Central Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Whiteley nabbed his 4th win of the year in Top Alcohol Dragster qualifying No. 1 and running low elapsed time for each round of eliminations. The Grand Junction, Colo., racer faced off with Michael Manners, Willis, Texas, in the final, covering the quarter mile in 5.372 seconds at 269.62 mph to Manners’ 5.410, 268.28.
Bohl, Racine, Wis., drove his ’07 Mustang through the elimination rounds posting a 5.687 second lap at 250.74 mph in the Top Alcohol Funny Car final against Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, who slowed to a 6.054, 202.67 mph. Bohl knocked out Vern Moats, Des Moines, Iowa, and John Lombardo Jr., Brea, Calif., in rounds one and two. Williams’s final round appearance leaves him in second place in the division points standings just 21 points behind Roger Bateman, who lost in round 1.
Lou Ficco Jr., made a big move in the national points standings jumping to the No. 2 slot with a win in Comp Eliminator. Ficco, Wheatridge, Colo., held on to beat Scott Chamness, Bourbonnais, Ill., in his ’09 GXP. Also making a move in the points was Iowa’s Kyle Olson of Moorland who jumped into the top 5 in the Sportsman Motorcycle presented by Harley Davidson class. Olson downed Mike Voss, Maplewood, Minn., on his ’02 Suzuki running 7.866 seconds at 168.07 mph.
In Super Stock it was Jason DeForrest, Andover, Minn., taking the win against David Bogner, Kearney, Neb., and Brett Speer, Ottertial, Minn., drove past Rob Turkal, Rapid City, Ill., in Stock Eliminator.
The Super categories were led by a pair of Illinois racers with Jeff Spierling, Streator, Ill., beating Dave Dahlem, Tremont, Ill., and Larry Bernshausen, Manito, Ill., upending Doug Legner, Pierre, S.D., with this ’77 Vega Wagon in Super Gas. Spierling went 8.927 second, 158.17 mph against Dahlem’s 8.937, 162.78 and Bernshausen won on a holeshot with a 9.903, 148.53 to Pierre’s 9.876, 151.37. In Super Street, Battendorf, Iowa, resident Dennis Lund came up a round short falling to Dan Condon, Avon, Minn., who took his ’72 Camaro to the winner’s circle.
Rounding out the winner’s were Dan Varn, Omaha, Neb. who won in the Jerry Haas Race Cars Top Sportsman class with his ’63 Corvette against Don Baxter, Granville, Ill; Nick Folk, Durand., Ill., won in the division’s Fineline Madcap Top Dragster class; and Devin Nielsen, Fremont, Neb., defeated Laura Keuter, Anamosa, Iowa, in the Junior Dragster division.
This was the final event in the NHRA West Central Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series yet racers can still earn points toward both division and national championships at events outside the West Central Division and at NHRA National events.
The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Tri-State Raceway:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:
Round 1
4) Randy Meyer, Spring Hill, Kan., 5.503, 264.13 def. 5) Jared Dreher, Clinton, Ind., foul
6) Gord Gingles, Winnipeg, Manit., 5.572, 257.33 def. 3) Richard Putz, Earlville, Iowa, foul
2) Michael Manners, Willis, Texas, 5.390, 269.08 def. 7) Dave Hirata, Lowell, Ind., 5.697, 222.44
1) Jim Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., 5.350, 269.78 def. 8) Dean Dubbin, Royalton, Minn., 9.540, 97.51
Semifinals
Manners, 5.409, 268.22 def. Gingles, 5.918, 248.57
Whiteley, 5.343, 269.51 def. Meyer, 5.499, 264.29
Final
Whiteley, 5.372, 269.62 def. Manners, 5.410, 268.28
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
Round 1
8) Billy Davis, Rogers, Ark., '01 Avenger, 6.160, 241.02 def. 1) Roger Bateman, Grand Junction, Colo., '10 Mustang, 6.484, 232.99
2) Andy Bohl, Racine, Wis., '07 Mustang, 5.657, 253.52 def. 7) Vern Moats, Des Moines, Iowa, '08 Mustang, broke
3) John Lombardo Jr., Brea, Calif., '10 Monte Carlo, 5.717, 253.04 def. 6) Dale Brand, Sully, Iowa, '10 Monte Carlo, 5.774, 250.23
5) Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, '04 Camaro, 5.747, 250.64 def. 4) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '10 Mustang, 8.190, 107.11
Semifinals
Bohl, 5.684, 252.61 def. Lombardo Jr., 6.117, 176.88
Williams, 5.717, 251.58 def. Davis, 5.867, 247.57
Final
Bohl, 5.687, 250.74 def. Williams, 6.054, 202.67
COMP ELIMINATOR
Lou Ficco Jr., Wheatridge, Colo., '09 GXP, B/AP, 7.225, 190.83 def. Scott Chamness, Bourbonnais, Ill., dragster, B/D, 6.753, 200.47.
SUPER STOCK
Jason DeForrest, Andover, Minn., '87 Camaro, GT/DA, 9.900, 125.89 def. David Bogner, Kearney, Neb., '92 Daytona, SS/CS, 9.965, 109.62.
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Brett Speer, Ottertail, Minn., '70 Nova, B/SA, 10.565, 118.97 def. Rob Turkal, Rapids City, Ill., '80 Camaro, H/S, 11.239, 117.53.
SUPER COMP
Jeff Spierling, Streator, Ill., dragster, 8.927, 158.17 def. Dave Dahlem, Tremont, Ill., dragster, 8.937, 162.78.
SUPER GAS
Larry Bernshausen, Manito, Ill., '77 Vega Wagon, 9.903, 148.53 def. Doug Legner, Pierre, S.D., '92 Camaro, 9.876, 151.37.
SUPER STREET
Dan Condon, Avon, Minn., '72 Camaro, 10.904, 136.88 def. Dennis Lund, Bettendorf, Iowa, '01 Beretta, 10.864, 134.15.
TOP SPORTSMAN
Dan Varn, Omaha, Neb., '63 Corvette, 7.468, 184.98 def. Don Baxter, Granville, Ill., '08 Stratus, 7.041, 196.27.
TOP DRAGSTER
Nick Folk, Durand, Ill., dragster, took the green light, was unopposed.
SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
Kyle Olson, Moorland, Iowa, '02 Suzuki, 7.866, 168.07 def. Mike Voss, Maplewood, Minn., '07 Kawasaki, foul.
JUNIOR DRAGSTER
Devin Nielsen, Fremont, Neb., dragster, 9.085, 69.58 def. Laura Keuter, Anamosa, Iowa, dragster, foul.
