NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Sunday from Famoso Raceway
in Bakersfield, Calif.
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - PACIFIC DIVISION
FAMOSO RACEWAY, BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA
SUNDAY, MAY 23, 2004
Hudson, Capps Take Surprising Wins at Famoso
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Neither Don Hudson nor Jon Capps where on the
long lists of probable winners at Famoso Raceway's Pacific Division
Lucas Oil Series event, but they went home with the trophies in Top
Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car.
With such notables as Morgan Lucas, Chris Demke and Darryl Hitchman
leading the pack after qualifying, Hudson was indeed a long shot to make
it to the finals. But when Lucas ripped off a 5.521-second, 265.09 mph
performance in the first round, Hudson answered back with a 5.520 at
259.74 mph shot in the semi-finals. So regardless of how the pre-race
qualifying had stacked up, it looked to be anybody's race when the two
met in the final. Actually, it was over very quickly as Lucas
overpowered the race track and smoked the tires to give Hudson the win.
In Top Alcohol Funny Car, Capps, of Las Vegas, qualified fourth,
defeated Jeff Carroll in the first round and then watched as the low
qualifier, Brett Williamson, was shut off with an oil leak before their
race in the semifinals. That left No. 2 qualifier Dennis Taylor and
Capps in the final. That too was over quickly as Taylor fouled.
Wayne Ramay, of Simi Valley, Calif., drove his nostalgic looking
dragster to the Comp Eliminator title beating Jim Cowan's Arizona-based
'02 Pontiac Grand Am altered.
Pacific Division racers head to Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.,
for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, July 2-4.
The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series presented by Budweiser at Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif.:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:
Round 1
6) Don Hudson, Stockton, Calif., 5.537, 259.06 def. 3) Darryl Hitchman,
Hanford, Calif., 7.297, 118.07;
4) Eric Morris, Madera, Calif., 5.532, 258.47 def. 5) Duane Shields, Las
Vegas, 9.116, 89.01;
1) Morgan Lucas, Riverside, Calif., 5.521, 265.09 def. 8) Randy Johnson,
Whittier, Calif., 5.729, 245.49;
2) Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., 5.827, 198.85 def. 7) Larry Miersch,
Huntington Beach, Calif., 12.296, 63.10;
Semifinals
Hudson, 5.520, 259.74 def. Demke, broke; Lucas, 5.693, 255.60 def.
Morris, 5.617, 253.73;
Final
Hudson, 5.539, 258.47 def. Lucas, 13.500, 65.82.
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
Round 1
3) Robert Lee, Whittier, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.991, 243.96 def. 6) Doug
Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '04 Camaro, 8.279, 110.72;
1) Bret Williamson, Campbell, Calif., '01 Corvette, 5.788, 243.11 def.
8) John Patton, Peoria, Ariz., '02 Firebird, 5.930, 222.05;
2) Dennis Taylor, Anaheim, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.790, 246.17 def. 7)
Hannes Warnhart, Bakersfield, Calif., '02 Firebird, 6.007, 243.63;
4) Jon Capps, Las Vegas, '01 Camaro, 5.854, 246.50 def. 5) Jeff Carroll,
Santa Barbara, Calif., '97 Firebird, 6.128, 242.52;
Semifinals
Taylor, 5.782, 244.36 def. Lee, 5.894, 242.52; Capps, 5.839, 247.93 def.
Williamson, broke;
Final
Capps, 6.020, 243.17 def. Taylor, foul.
COMP ELIMINATOR
Wayne Ramay, Simi Valley, Calif., dragster, A/ND, 7.923, 107.69 def.
Jim Cowan, Glendale, Ariz., '02 Grand Am, E/AA, foul.
SUPER STOCK
Bob Bales, Chino, Calif., '99 Pontiac, GT/BA, 9.871, 134.18 def. Chad
Loge, Brentwood, Calif., '79 Plymouth, SS/KA, 11.484, 113.93.
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Gene Buell, Hesperia, Calif., '70 Challenger, D/SA, 10.647, 123.18 def.
Bernie Cunningham, Riverside, Calif., '98 Firebird, B/FIA, foul.
SUPER COMP
Sean O'Bannon, Ontario, Calif., dragster, 8.924, 174.62 def. Kevin
Kleineweber, Phoenix, dragster, 8.913, 156.25.
SUPER GAS
Kevin McClelland, Rohnert Park, Calif., '27 roadster, 10.011, 131.13
def. Loreen Johnson, Seligman, Ariz., '94 Grand Prix, 10.196, 150.93.
SUPER STREET
Charlie Allen, Gardena, Calif., '71 Vega, 10.891, 135.64 def. Gary
Reust, Rancho Cordova, Calif., '55 Chevrolet, 10.885, 125.94.
SUPER ELIMINATOR
Kevin Quinlan, Yucca Valley, Calif., dragster, 7.877, 175.78 def. Chris
McNicol, Palm Desert, Calif., dragster, broke.
KERKER MOTORCYCLE
Ray Raines, Garden Grove, Calif., '82 Suzuki, 9.771, 124.00 def. Trace
St. Germain, San Jose, Calif., '78 Kawasaki, 9.703, 132.13.
