NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series-Sunday from Las Vegas Motor Speedway

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - PACIFIC DIVISION

THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, LAS VEGAS

November 5, 2006

BATEMAN AND BATEMAN CASH IN ON THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

LAS VEGAS - NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competitors wrapped up the 2007 divisional season this weekend at the Short Line Express Market Gambler Shootout at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The event was the last of 43 on the season contested around the country. In the end, there were two Batemans in the winner's circle. Top Alcohol Dragster newcomer Garrett Bateman took the win after qualifying in the No. 4 spot, and veteran racer Roger Bateman, who also qualified fourth, earned the win in Top Alcohol Funny Car.

Top Alcohol Dragster's Bateman, who resides in Cameron Park, Calif., faced Sunland, Calif., resident, Chris Demke in the first round of eliminations and then took on No. 1 qualifier Duane Shield of Boulder City, Nev., in the semis, running 5.584 seconds at 254.71 mph to Shields' 5.717-second, 228.31 mph run. In the final round, Bateman took on John Finke of Selkirk, N.Y. Bateman's 5.574-second, 255.87 mph run was more than enough to cover Finke's 7.037-second, 131.05 mph pass.

Roger Bateman, of Calgary, Alb., took on another veteran racer, Jay Payne of Claremont, Calif., in round one and faced one of the class's hottest drivers, Steve Harker of Gainesville, Ga., in the semis. In the final, Bateman beat Clint Thompson of Klamath Falls, Ore. Bateman ran 5.828 seconds at 249.35 mph to Thompson's 8.591-second pass at 109.40 mph.

In Comp Eliminator, Craig Bourgeois, Metairie, La., scored the win over Jacklyn Gebhardt, Jacksonville, Ill. Super Stock racer Larry Zavala, San Gabriel, Calif., beat out Abe Loewen, Regina, Skask., in the final and in Stock Eliminator, Jim Waldo, Richland, Wash., grabbed the win from Peter Biondo, Maspeth, N.Y. The Super Comp winner was Jeff Cheney, Cambridge, Minn., who beat Fallon, Nev., racer Mike Hiatt. Raymond Sawyer, Acton, Mass., won in Super Gas, beating Phoenix's Kevin Kleinweber. In Super Street, Rodger Sauder, Sidney, Neb., was the winner over Carl Hagen, Napa, Calif., and in Top Comp, Canyon, Texas' Greg Lair beat Steve Swenson of Valley Springs, S.D., while in Super Eliminator, Dean Hall, Guerneville, Calif., out ran Jed Bourquin, Canyon Country, Calif. In Sportsman Motorcycle presented by Harley Davidson, Brian Johnson, Anoka, Minn., beat NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle competitor Craig Treble of Hensley, Ark., in the final.

NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competitors may compete at the NHRA Finals at Auto Club Racing in Pomona, Calif., November 9-12, for their final opportunity to earn points toward a national championship.

The following are the final results from the Short Line Express Market Gambler Shootout at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

Round 1

1) Duane Shields, Boulder City, Nev., 5.590, 258.42 def. 8) Larry Miersch,
Huntington Beach, Calif., 5.720, 245.09

3) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.380, 265.53 def. 6) Mark Niver, Phoenix,
5.493, 255.58

4) Garrett Bateman, Cameron Park, Calif., no time def. 5) Chris Demke,
Sunland, Calif., foul

7) Cody Perkins, Bluffdale, Utah, 5.419, 260.56 def. 2) Sean O'Bannon, Alta
Loma, Calif., 5.421, 264.18

 

Semifinals

Bateman, 5.584, 254.71 def. Shields, 5.717, 228.31

Finke, 5.410, 264.03 def. Perkins, 5.705, 214.28

 

Final

Bateman, 5.574, 255.87 def. Finke, 7.037, 131.05

 

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR

Round 1

1) Steve Harker, Gainesville, Ga., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.645, 254.28 def. 8)
Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.963, 246.75

2) Brian Hough, Junction City, Ore., '02 Firebird, 5.649, 255.10 def. 7) Ron
August Jr., Pleasanton, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.881, 250.83

3) Clint Thompson, Klamath Falls, Ore., '05 Monte Carlo, 6.300, 246.75 def.
6) Larry Miner, Lodi, Calif., '05 Monte Carlo, 9.450, 127.52

4) Roger Bateman, Calgary, Alb., '02 Camaro, 5.738, 250.60 def. 5) Jay
Payne, Claremont, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.795, 254.42

 

Semifinals

Bateman, 5.692, 250.23 def. Harker, 5.744, 251.16

Thompson, 6.817, 166.89 def. Hough, foul

 

Final

Bateman, 5.828, 249.35 def. Thompson, 8.591, 109.40

COMP ELIMINATOR

Craig Bourgeois, Metarie, La., dragster, A/ND, 7.009, 186.92 def. Jacklyn
Gebhardt, Jacksonville, Ill., dragster, A/ED, 6.700, 200.20

 

SUPER STOCK

Larry Zavala, San Gabriel, Calif., '96 Achieva, GT/FA, 10.475, 125.35 def.
Abe Loewen, Regina, Sask., '98 Grand Am, SS/DM, 9.319, 143.32

 

STOCK ELIMINATOR

Jim Waldo, Richland, Wash., '02 Firebird, A/FI, 10.422, 127.88  def. Peter
Biondo, Maspeth, N.Y., '69 Camaro, C/SA, 11.881, 85.55

 

SUPER COMP

Jeff Cheney, Cambridge, Minn., dragster, 9.049, 163.47 def. Mike Hiatt,
Fallon, Nev., dragster, foul

 

SUPER GAS

Raymond Sawyer, Acton, Mass., '02 Camaro, 10.073, 162.86 def. Kevin
Kleineweber, Phoenix, '06 Corvette, 10.101, 146.61

 

SUPER STREET

Rodger Sauder, Sidney, Neb., '72 Barracuda, 11.093, 127.73 def. Carl Hagen,
Napa, Calif., '00 Avenger, 11.083, 142.45

 

TOP COMP

Greg Lair, Canyon, Texas, '04 Grand Am, 7.053, 189.66 def. Steve Swenson,
Valley Springs, S.D., dragster, 7.273, 176.72

 

SUPER ELIMINATOR

Dean Hall, Guerneville, Calif., dragster, 8.038, 176.88 def. Jed Bourquin,
Canyon Country, Calif., '93 Daytona, 8.029, 172.28

 

SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE

Brian Johnson, Anoka, Minn., '04 Suzuki, 9.091, 142.58 def. Craig Treble,
Hensley, Ark., '02 Suzuki, foul