MANNERS, BATEMAN WIN; FAMILY AFFAIR IN STOCK
Noble, Okla., (October 13, 2011) – The Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series crowned champions today for the Thunder in the Heartland event at Thunder Valley Raceway Park. Michael Manners and Roger Bateman took the honors in the alcohol classes while it was a family affair for the Hidalgos in Stock Eliminator.
Manners, Willis, Texas, ran down local racer Brandon Peirce, Moore, Okla., in the Top Alcohol Dragster class for the win and the trophy. Pierce got off the starting line first by about four hundredths of a second but Manners made up the difference with a lap of 5.412 seconds at 267.30 mph. Pierce crossed the line at 5.549, 256.77.
Bateman, making the trip down Calgary, AB, CAN, defeated Vern Moats as the pair ran ’08 Mustangs in the final of Top Alcohol Funny Car. Bateman clocked in at 5.695, 253.02 with Moats, Des Moines, Iowa, right on his tail at 5.728, 251.60.
Stock Eliminator came down to a family battle in the final round with Jimmy Hidalgo Sr. facing off with his son Jimmy Jr. Jr. got the best of Dad this weekend taking home the bragging rights to Donaldsonville, La., with a run of 10.672 at 170.82 mph in his ’02 Firebird. Jimmy Sr., driving a ’91 Corvette, left the line early by 5-thousandths of second with a foul start.
Local racer Steve Evans, Moore, Okla., joined Oklahoma City resident Cory Lytle in securing a pair of wins for the home state in Super Comp and Super Street respectively. Evans, ran a near perfect run at 8.907 seconds on an 8.90 dial-in with a .013-second reaction time to knock out Roger Warren, Jacksonville, Texas, who ran 8.932, 168.19. Lytle ran down Steve Domingues at the strip with a 10.920, 121.00 mph lap to the Derby, Kan., Domingues at 10.954.
Former Comp Eliminator Lucas Oil National Champion Bruno Massel, Woodridge, Ill., wheeled his ’10 Cobalt to the win over Kevin Self, Caddo, Okla., running 7.216, 170.84 mph to Caddo’s ’32 roadster at 7.937, 160.34 while former Super Gas champion Todd Stewart won in the Suburban Chevrolet Top Sportsman class in his ’67 Camaro. Stewart, Kilgore, Texas, ran 7.341, 175.19 mph in beating Doug Woody, Independence, Mo., 7.568, 182.48
Rounding out the winners at Thunder Valley were Jimmy Arabie, Baytown, Texas, in the TCI Comp Cams Top Dragster class over Rob McKinley, Conroe, Texas; David Bogner, Kearney, Neb., beating Terry Emmons, League City, Texas, in Super Stock; Kohlby Sasich, Bartonville, Texas, in Super Gas over Rustin, Mayse, Grandview, Texas; and Curtis Spracklin, Omaha, Neb., downing Robert Sanders, Katy, Texas, in Sportsman Motorcycle presented by Harley Davidson.
NHRA South Central Division racers head to Houston for the final Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event in the division, next weekend, October 21-23.
The following are final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Thunder in the Heartland event at Thunder Valley Raceway Park:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:
Round 1
1) Randy Meyer, Spring Hill, Kan., 5.393, 264.86 def. 8) James Thompson, Vernon, Texas, 15.307, 73.01
4) Michael Manners, Willis, Texas, 5.379, 274.05 def. 5) Richard Putz, Earlville, Iowa, broke
2) Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., 5.376, 265.33 def. 7) Forrest Fair, Haughton, La., 5.795, 260.34
6) Brandon Pierce, Moore, Okla., 5.460, 265.25 def. 3) Chase Copeland, Gainesville, Texas, 5.461, 272.14
Semifinals
Manners, 5.340, 274.39 def. Meyer, foul
Pierce, 5.394, 265.40 def. Demke, 5.427, 263.85
Final
Manners, 5.412, 267.30 def. Pierce, 5.549, 256.77
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
Round 1
5) Clint Thompson, Klamath Falls, Ore., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.794, 247.59 def. 10) Ron Morrison, Oklahoma City, '06 Monte Carlo, 6.030, 239.61
3) Brian Hough, Junction City, Ore., '11 Mustang, 5.833, 243.17 def. 6) Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, '04 Camaro, broke
2) Vern Moats, Des Moines, Iowa, '10 Mustang, 5.834, 240.64 def. 7) Steve Burck, Corpus Christi, Texas, '02 Camaro, broke
1) Roger Bateman, Grand Junction, Colo., '10 Mustang, 5.639, 254.38 def. 8) Steve Griboski, Aurora, Colo., '04 Firebird, broke
Semifinal
Moats, 5.690, 253.23 def. Hough, 5.794, 245.90
Bateman, 5.666, 253.30 def. Thompson, 5.768, 254.16
Final
Bateman, 5.695, 253.02 def. Moats, 5.728, 251.60
COMP ELIMINATOR
Bruno Massel, Woodridge, Ill., '10 Cobalt, DD/AT, 7.216, 170.84 def. Kevin Self, Caddo, Okla., '32 Bantam, F/EA, 7.937, 160.34.
SUPER STOCK
David Bogner, Kearney, Neb., '92 Daytona, SS/CS, 9.614, 141.15 def. Terry Emmons, League City, Texas, '69 Camaro, SS/FA, 10.133, 127.56.
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Jimmy Hidalgo Jr, Donaldsonville, La., '02 Firebird, A/SA, 10.672, 101.82 def. Jimmy Hidalgo Sr., Donaldsonville, La., '91 Corvette, G/SA, foul.
SUPER COMP
Steve Evans, Moore, Okla., dragster, 8.907, 175.78 def. Roger Warren, Jacksonville, Texas, dragster, 8.932, 168.19.
SUPER GAS
Kohlby Sasich, Bartonville, Texas, '00 Firebird, 9.905, 163.84 def. Rustin Mayse, Grandview, Texas, '03 Corvette, 9.875, 152.56.
SUPER STREET
Cory Lytle, Oklahoma City, '66 Chevelle, 10.920, 121.00 def. Steve Domingues, Derby, Kan., '67 Camaro, 10.954, 133.35.
SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
Curtis Spracklin, Omaha, Neb., '78 Kawasaki, 8.755, 146.00 def. Robert Sanders, Katy, Texas, '10 Kawasaki, foul.
TOP SPORTSMAN
Todd Stewart, Kilgore, Texas, '67 Camaro, 7.341, 175.19 def. Doug Woody, Independence, Mo., '67 Camaro, 7.568, 182.48.
TOP DRAGSTER
Jimmy Arabie, Baytown, Texas, dragster, 7.340, 169.93 def. Rob McKinley, Conroe, Texas, dragster, 6.331, 218.23.
