MCKERNAN SCORES FIRST WIN, LOMBARDO TAKES FUNNY CAR
CHANDLER, Ariz. – Megan McKernan scored the first win of her career in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series this past weekend at Firebird International Raceway. The Sierra Madre, Calif., racer defeated 2011 NHRA Northwest Division Champion Joey Severance in the final with her best lap of the day at 5.371 seconds at 269.78 mph. Severance clocked in at 5.486, 261.57.
McKernan, driving the Jerry Darien owned Truck-Lite sponsored alcohol dragster, beat out Johnny Ahten, Santa Clarita, Calif., and Don St. Arnaud, Edmonton, Alb., CAN, in rounds one and two to advance to the final round.
Napa Monte Carlo Top Alcohol Funny Car driver John Lombardo Jr. outran No. 1 qualifier Jay Payne in the funny car final round posting a 5.711 second, 257.58 mph pass to Payne’s 5.805, 252.19. The 2011 NHRA Pacific Division Champion out of Brea, Calif., qualified No. 2 and defeated Mark Woznichak, Ontario, Calif., and Brian Hough, Junction City, Ore., to advance to the final.
Phoenix racer Matt Hartford took the win in Comp Eliminator in his dragster running 7.204 seconds at 146.61 mph when Alan Ellis, Mapleton, Utah., left early with a red-light foul start. Joining Hartford in the winner’s circle was George Slatten, Santa Fe., N.M., beating George Clark , Phoenix, in the final of the Hughes Performance Top Dragster class and Jeffrey Gillette, Benicia, Calif., in Top Sportsman who beat John Baker, Grand Junction, Colo., in the final race of the day.
Others taking wins for the second event of the doubleheader weekend were three California racers in Thomas Bayer, Fontana, Calif., in Super Comp; Staci Smith, Lancaster, Calif., in Super Stock and Joseph Greco, San Jose, Calif., in Super Street. Scott Burton won in Stock Eliminator beating fellow Colorado racer Michael Brand II in his ’70 Formula and Jimmy Lewis, Forney, Texas won in Super Gas.
Tom Medlin , La Mirada, Calif., had arguably the best weekend of more than 500 racers in competition as he advanced to the final for both events in the Sportsman Motorcycle class presented by Harley Davidson. Medlin fell to Jay Thompson, Phoenix, on Friday, in the first event of the doubleheader weekend then roared back on Sunday to take the win over Travis Patridge, Kennewick, Wash., posting a lap of 8.354 seconds, 157.50 mph on his ’93 Suzuki. Thompson held off Medlin on his ‘73 Kawasaki, for the first win of the weekend and event number one.
Justin Lamb grabbed the win and trophy in Comp Eliminator in Friday’s final round competition as did Jon Bradford, Tucson, Ariz., in the Hughes Top Dragster class. Lamb raced to an 8.833, 121.56 mph win over Ross Wilson, Rancho Cucamonga in his ’08 Cobalt, while Bradford held off Joe Roubicek, Westlake Village, Calif., in 7.267 seconds at 184.98 mph.
Lynsi Torres, Glendora, Calif., drove her ’84 Camaro to the Super Gas title beating Aaron Kinard in 9.897 seconds at 168.03 mph to Kindard’s run of 9.895 at 168.30 in his ’63 Corvette.
Rounding out Friday’s winners were Brad Wagner, Henderson, Nev., in Top Sportsman over Mera Silvia, Upland, Calif.; Ken Etter, Riverside, Calif., defeating Gregg Luneack, Vista, Calif., in Super Stock; Leo Glasbrenner, Chino, Calif., beating Toby Lang, Auburn, Wash., in Stock; Ken Mostowich, Calgary, Alb., CAN, downed Greg Krause, Escondido, Calif., in Super Comp and Gary Reust, Pahrump, Nev., in his ’55 Bel Air over Kyle Lawrence, Manhattan, Kan.
NHRA Pacific Division racers head to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for their next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event March 23-25. Up next for Firebird International Raceway is their Friday Night Drag and Drift “run what you brung” event this Friday, March 2.
The following are Sunday's final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Pacific Division event at Firebird International Raceway:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:
Round 1
7) Don St. Arnaud, Edmonton, Alb., 5.552, 258.81 def. 2) Cody Perkins, Bluffdale, Utah, 5.811, 196.33
3) Megan McKernan, Sierra Madre, Calif., 5.393, 262.74 def. 6) Johnny Ahten, Santa Clarita, Calif., 5.729, 213.57
8) Joey Severance, Woodburn, Ore., 5.435, 259.66 def. 1) Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., 5.443, 270.05
4) James Butler, Prescott, Ariz., 5.394, 264.86 def. 5) Larry Miersch, Huntington Beach, Calif., 5.538, 257.87
Semifinals
McKernan, 5.442, 256.75 def. St. Arnaud, broke
Severance, 12.046, 87.11 def. Butler, broke
Final
McKernan, 5.371, 269.78 def. Severance, 5.486, 261.57
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
Round 1
3) Brian Hough, Junction City, Ore., '09 Mustang, 5.941, 252.00 def. 6) Shane Westerfield, Lake Forest, Calif., '06 Monte Carlo, 6.037, 235.47
5) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.699, 253.61 def. 4) Annie Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., '09 Mustang, 5.963, 244.56
2) John Lombardo Jr., Brea, Calif., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.645, 255.15 def. 7) Mark Woznichak, Ontario, Calif., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.687, 254.4
1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '09 Mustang, 5.612, 258.96 def. 8) Steve Griboski, Aurora, Colo., '04 Firebird, foul
Semifinals
Lombardo Jr., 5.654, 256.02 def. Hough, 5.787, 245.72
Payne, 5.641, 258.27 def. Gordon, 5.708, 254.86
Final
Lombardo Jr., 5.711, 257.58 def. Payne, 5.805, 252.19
COMP ELIMINATOR
Matt Hartford, Phoenix, Spitzer, B/DA, 7.204, 146.61 def. Alan Ellis, Mapleton, Utah, '23 roadster, A/AA, foul.
SUPER STOCK
Staci Smith, Landcaster, Calif., '93 Daytona, GT/DA, 9.842, 129.17 def. Michael Wesolowski, Mesa, Ariz., '12 Mustang, SSA/A, 8.784, 157.28.
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Scott Burton, Golden, Colo., '70 Formula, B/SA, 10.371, 122.11 def. Michael Brand II, Thornton, Colo., '73 Firebird, F/SA, 10.957, 114.62.
SUPER COMP
Thomas Bayer, Fontana, Calif., dragster, 8.921, 162.78 def. Val Torres, Valinda, Calif., dragster, 8.938, 167.59.
SUPER GAS
Jimmy Lewis, Forney, Texas, '58 Corvette, 9.931, 153.23 def. Gary Mignacca, Lawndale, Calif., '27 roadster, 9.929, 140.83.
SUPER STREET
Joseph Greco, San Jose, Calif., '69 AMX, 10.924, 143.60 def. Al Alguire, Las Vegas, '68 Barracuda, broke.
TOP SPORTSMAN
Jeffrey Gillette, Benicia, Calif., '96 Firebird, 7.080, 174.01 def. John Baker, Grand Junction, Colo., '08 Cobalt, 16.867, 44.67.
TOP DRAGSTER
George Slatten, Santa Fe, N.M., dragster, 7.084, 166.89 def. George Clark, Phoenix, dragster, foul.
SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
Tom Medlin, La Mirada, Calif., '93 Suzuki, 8.354, 157.50 def. Travis Patridge, Kennewick, Wash., '90 Suzuki, 8.642, 146.16.
The following are Friday's final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Pacific Division event at Firebird International Raceway:
COM ELIMINATOR
Justin Lamb, Henderson, Nev., '08 Cobalt, F/SMA, 8.833, 121.56 def. Ross Wilson, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., '05 Sunfire, B/SM, foul.
SUPER STOCK
Ken Etter, Riverside, Calif., '93 Shadow, GT/GA, broke def. Gregg Luneack, Vista, Calif., '65 Nova, SS/KA, broke.
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Leo Glasbrenner, Chino, Calif., '68 Firebird, C/SA, 10.545, 116.77 def. Toby Lang, Auburn, Wash., '69 Chevelle, H/SA, 11.728, 110.77.
SUPER COMP
Ken Mostowich, Calgary, Alb., '05 Cavalier, 8.908, 174.37 def. Greg Krause, Escondido, Calif., dragster, 8.878, 165.38.
SUPER GAS
Lynsi Torres, Glendora, Calif., '84 Camaro, 9.897, 168.03 def. Aaron Kinard, San Marcos, Calif., '63 Corvette, 9.895, 168.30.
SUPER STREET
Gary Reust, Pahrump, Nev., '55 Bel Air, 10.910, 133.61 def. Kyle Lawrence, Manhattan, Kan., '79 Cutlass Wagon, 10.919, 133.88.
TOP SPORTSMAN
Brad Wagner, Henderson, Nev., '97 Cutlass, 7.127, 195.53 def. Mera Silvia, Upland, Calif., '04 Cavalier, 7.431, 187.70.
TOP DRAGSTER
Jon Bradford, Tucson, Ariz., dragster, 7.267, 184.98 def. Joe Roubicek, Westlake Village, Calif., dragster, 6.735, 196.64.
SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
Jay Thompson, Phoenix, '73 Kawasaki, 9.943, 126.27 def. Tom Medlin, La Mirada, Calif., '93 Suzuki, 8.392, 157.47.
