NHRA Summit Racing Series Finals - West Central Division, Morrison, Colo. Sunday, Sept. 14
NHRA SUMMIT RACING SERIES – WEST CENTRAL DIVISION BANDIMERE SPEEDWAY – MORRISON, COLO. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2003 SUMMIT RACING CHAMPIONS TO COMPETE AT NHRA FINALS MORRISON, COLO. – In today’s Summit Racing Series Finals held at Bandimere Speedway, four drivers earned the right to compete in the prestigious NHRA Finals, which will take place in Pomona, Calif. in November. Competition was intense, but Lane Weber, Mark Sharp, Kevin Rolph and Brian Johnson advanced to the Finals in their respective categories. Longmont, Colo. resident, Lane Weber, took top honors in the Super Pro class, defeating Larry Piper, of Wamego, Kan. in the final round. “I had a good feeling today, and hoped I would do well. Everything clicked, and I’m happy to get the win,” Weber said in the winner’s circle. “I’m looking forward to representing the division at the Finals.” Mark Sharp, of Ordway, Colo., scored a win in the Pro class, and will take his ’79 Camaro to the Finals. Sharp dedicated the win to his grandfather, who passed away two years ago. “I can’t believe it, it’s a dream come true. My Grandpa Bud loved drag racing, and he is always with me, this win is for him,” Sharp said. Kevin Rolph, 2-time runner-up in the Sportsman class earned the win in this year’s race. Rolph, who traveled from Minneapolis, Minn., said “I came close before and I was hoping to pull it off this year. These guys are all good racers so the competition is tough.” Rolph also thanked his fellow racers from Team Brainerd in Minn. for helping him to become a better racer over the years. Brian Johnson, of Burns, Minn. earned the victory in Motorcycle, with a 10.193-second, 126.68-mph run on his ’03 Suzuki. Johnson broke his transmission last week and borrowed one to run in today’s race. “Every racer wants to go to California to compete in the Finals. It means a lot to compete against the other six guys,” Johnson stated, referring to the other six divisions who will be represented in the Finals. The event also featured a High School category, with a trophy being awarded to the winner. Lacey Rowe, of Geuda Springs, Kan. won her second consecutive title, defeating Alex Conaway, of Grand Island, Neb. in the final round. Team Bandimere, competing on their home track, scored the trophy for team champions, with the most overall wins today. The NHRA Finals will be held in Pomona, Calif., on Nov. 6-9, 2003. The winners in Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman and Motorcycle classes from each of the seven divisions will compete for a national title and a purse of $5,000. Top racers from 20 racetracks across the West Central division participated in today’s Summit Racing Series Finals. The following are final results from the NHRA West Central Division Summit Racing Series Finals: SUPER PRO Lane Weber, Longmont, Colo., ’82 Dragster, 9.029 seconds, 146.42 mph def. Larry Piper, Wamego, Kan., ’02 Dragster, 8.115, 163.12 PRO Mark Sharp, Ordway, Colo., ’79 Camaro, 13.359, 97.79 def. Steve Roehrs, Grantsburg, Wis., ’82 Camaro, 12.225, 109.85 SPORTSMAN Kevin Rolph, Minneapolis, Minn., ’67 GT, 13.405, 101.54 def. Jeff Mutzenberger, Omaha, Neb., ’72 Maverick, 15.342, 88.85 MOTORCYCLE Brian Johnson, Burn, Minn., ’03 Suzuki, 10.193, 126.68 def. Buddy Robinson, Princeton, Minn, ’01 Kawasaki, 9.669, 136.37 HIGH SCHOOL Lacey Rowe, Geuda Springs, Kan., ’62 Chevy, 12.201, 108.39 def. Alex Conaway, Grand Island, Neb., ’50 Ford Pick-Up, 14.109, 92.48