MCCANN, KINNER LEAD VP FUELS RACE OF CHAMPIONS IN INDIANAPOLIS
INDIANAPOLIS – NHRA North Central Division racers took to the track at Lucas Oil Raceway yesterday for day one of the division’s Summit Racing Series Finals. Highlighting Friday’s action was the VP Racing Fuels Race of Champions featuring the top point’s earners from each track with Ryan McCann, Madison, Wis., leading the way with the victory in Super Pro over Nick Cryer of Manhattan, Ill. McCann drove his ’08 dragster to a lap of 4.953 seconds at 139.83 mph to Cryer’s losing efforts with a 6.153, 89.29 mph.
Smithville, Ind., racer Eddie Kinner gave the home state something to cheer about in the Pro class taking his ’79 Camaro through eliminations and into the winner’s circle with a 6.850 second lap on the 6.84 second dial-in at nearly 100 mph. Kinner beat fellow Indiana racer Mike McKinney, Richmond, Ind., who clocked in at 6.434, 104.43 in his ’72 Vega.
Douglas Thompson and Michael Nugent joined in as VP Racing Fuels Champions with Thompson, Columbus, Ohio, knocking out the ’68 Cuda of Ralph Bower, Mt. Vernon, Ohio, with a near perfect run of 13.393 seconds on the 13.39 dial-in to go along with a .004 second reaction time equating to a .007 second package for the win in Sportsman. Bower put up a fight with a 12.150 second lap on his 12.13 dial. Nugent, Medway, Ohio., took the honors in the 2-wheeled Super Pro Motorcycle class running 9.605 seconds on his ’79 Kawasaki at 132.02 mph to defeat Tyrone Greene, Princeton, Ind., ’08 Suzuki at 9.507, 140.39.
Friday also saw action in the Super Shootouts for each of the four classes in competition. Winners in Super Pro included a pair of Ohio racers in Tim Buckley, Rossford, Ohio, and Matt Robbins, Fairfield, Ohio, joined by Craig Richardson, Shelbyville, Ind., and Robert Clark, Louisville, Ky.
Eastern Indiana racers Marty McKinney, Centerville, Ind., and Evan Shoopman, Redkey, Ind., won in the Pro Super Shootouts along with Rod Risner of Wixom, Mich., in his ’87 Mustang, and Ken Litschqui, Hamilton, Ohio, with a ’69 Camaro.
Christi Yielding, Humboldt, Ill., was the lone female winner of the day leading the Sportsman Shootout winners past Mike Rehl, Heath, Ohio, in her ’07 Mustang while Randy Wolf, Bunker Hill, Ind; Jim Rouse, Hamilton, Ohio; and David Vaughn, Terre Haute, Ind., also took home trophies in the Sportsman class.
In Super Pro Bike, Matt Short and Roger Wilhelm Jr. rounded out the shootout winners as Short, Cleveland, ran down John Markham, Bowling Green, Ky., and Wilhelm, Lirbana, Ohio, held off Sean Robson, Gahanna, Ohio.
Early elimination rounds for the North Central Division Summit Series Championship are scheduled for Saturday afternoon/evening and will continue on Sunday morning at 8 a.m. followed by winner’s circle and the awarding of champions Sunday afternoon.
The following are the final results from the NHRA Summit Racing Series VP Racing Fuels Race of Champions event and the Super Shootouts at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis:
VP RACING FUELS RACE OF CHAMPIONS
Super Pro
Ryan McCann, Madison, WI, 4.953 seconds, 139.83 mph def. Nick Cryer, Manhattan, IL, 6.153, 89.29
Pro
Eddie Kinner, Smithville, IN, '79 Camaro, 6.850, 98.98 def. Mike McKinney, Richmond, IN, '72 Vega, 6.434, 104.43
Sportsman
Douglas Thompson, Columbus, OH, '00 Trans Am, 13.393, 100.45 def. Ralph Bower, Mt Vernon, OH, '68 Cuda, 12.150, 108.25
Super Pro Motorcycle
Michael Nugent, Medway, OH, '79 Kaw, 9.605, 132.02 def. Tyrone Greene, Princeton IN, '08 Suzuki, 9.507, 140.39
SUPER SHOOTOUT FINALS
Super Pro (4 winners)
Tim Buckley, Rossford, OH, '93, 5.037, 122.51 def. Josh Woods, Glasgow, KY, 6.684, 71.94
Craig Richardson, Shelbyville, IN, 4.833, 143.05 def. Tim Louderback, Xenia, OH, 5.033, 135.29
Matt Robbins, Fairfield, OH, 5.152, 106.26 def. Shorty Rader, Martinsville, IN, 5.395, 94.94
Robert Clark, Louisville, KY, 5.855, 114.56 def. Bryan McDaniel, Evansville, IN, 4.998, 136.14
Pro (4 winners)
Marty McKinney, Centerville, IN, '68 Firebird, 6.588, 99.67 def. Jerry Ashcraft, Mount Vernon, OH, '70 Dart, 6.730, 101.55
Evan Shoopman, Redkey, IN, '86 Cutlass, 6.819, 97.01 def. Chase Batt, Muncie, IN, '67 Nova, 7.176, 93.07
Rod Risner, Wixom, MI, '87 Mustang, 6.433, 107.43 def. Mike Heden, Evergreen Park, IL, '73 Camaro, 6.565, 104.15
Ken Litschqi, Hamilton, OH, '69 Camaro, 6.130, 111.35 def. PJ Fouts, Gahanna, OH, '65 Chevelle, 6.445, 106.60
Sportsman (4 winners)
Christi Yielding, Humboldt, IL, '07 Mustang, 15.322, 87.10 def. Mike Rehl, Heath, OH, '72 Vega, 12.453, 103.21
Randy Wolf, Bunker Hill, IN, '75 Nova, 13.776, 92.96 def. Kassie Edwards-Wilson, Charleston, IL, '99 Camaro Z28, 12.971, 108.36
Jim Rouse, Hamilton, OH, '80 Chevette, 12.196, 103.95 def. Matt Spradlin, Springfield, OH, '02 Cavalier, 17.685, 66.70
David Vaughn, Terre Haute, IND, '71 Torino, 12.155, 109.34 def. Dustin Loynes, Novi, MI, '80 Firebird, 12.029, 111.60
Super Pro Motorcycle (2 winners)
Matt Short, Cleveland, OH, 'Kaw, 8.927, 145.97 def. John Markham, Bowling Green, KY, 'Kawasaki, 9.249, 135.84
Roger Wilhelm Jr., Lirbana, OH, '72 Kawasaki, 9.967, 115.36 def. Sean Robson, Gahanna, OH, '03 Suzuki, 9.860, 140.44
