NHRA Summit Racing Series - Sunday from Texas Motorplex
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHRA SUMMIT DRAG RACING SERIES - SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION
TEXAS MOTORPLEX
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2002
WARREN, CROUCH, HEFLER & KEELE WILL HEAD TO POMONA
Ennis, Texas - 710 competitors raced down Texas Motorplex's quarter-mile during the NHRA South Central Division Summit Racing Series Finals, a new division record for the event. After three days of racing, Roger Warren of Jacksonville, Texas, in Super Pro; Daniel Martinez of S. Houston, Texas, in Pro; Donnie Crouch of Holiday, Texas, in No-Electronics Quick; Jerry Hefler of Kennedale, Texas, in No Electronics Street; and William Keele of San Antonio, Texas, in Motorcycle came out victorious.
Racing this weekend in a borrowed vehicle, Crouch earned the win lights in No-Electronics Quick after making an 11.495-second, 113.15 mph pass.
"I borrowed the car and truck to race here," said Crouch. "The owner hates the car and lent it to me to race all year."
By defeating Danny Echols of Ft. Worth, Texas, in the No-Electronic Street final, Hefler earned his fourth divisional E.T. finals championship ('91, '92, '99, '02), fifth overall for his family after his son earned a win at this event last year. Hefler also uses the '65 Chevy he in raced this weekend to compete in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Chasing divisional points for the first time in his racing career, Hefler is currently in fourth place in the division in Stock Eliminator.
"I plan on going next week to Noble, then Dallas' national, the two Vegas races, and Pomona this year," said Hefler.
The NHRA Kerker Motorcycle Series was also well represented this weekend as Keele took the win in the Motorcycle final. A two-time division champion in Motorcycle, the current points leader in the series was ecstatic after what Keele referred to as the biggest win of his career.
"I'm just shaking like a leaf right now," said Keele. "It's the biggest race I've ever won."
Event winners this weekend in No-Electronics Quick, No-Electronics Street, and Motorcycle automatically qualified to compete at the NHRA Summit Racing Series National Championship held later this year at the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals. Crouch will compete at Pomona Raceway in Pro, Hefler in Sportsman, and Keele in Motorcycle.
With only four invitations for the NHRA Summit Racing Series National Championship available to this weekend's competitors, a run-off was held between the event winner in Super Pro and Pro to determine the final spot. Unfortunately, Martinez's '67 Camaro suffered mechanical problems after the Pro final, handing Warren the trip to Pomona to race in the Super Pro category.
The racers of Texas Raceway were also awarded the Team Championship for their performance this weekend at the NHRA South Central Division Summit Racing Series Finals. Texas Raceway was tied with Texas Motorplex with 71 points at the end of competition today, but a tiebreaker granted Texas Raceway the Team Championship trophy. Tiebreaker points were calculated based on giving each track one point per round win in the quarterfinals and beyond. This new system allocated Texas Raceway 17 points, two more than Texas Motorplex for the championship.
The following are final round results from the NHRA South Central Division Summit Racing Series Finals at Texas Motorplex:
SUPER PRO
Roger Warren, Jacksonville, Texas, '01 Undercover, 7.727 seconds, 171.00 mph def. Steve Evans, Oklahoma City, Okla., '00 Cameron, 7.947, 166.54
PRO
Daniel Martinez, S. Houston, Texas, '67 Camaro, 10.819, 118.48 def. Jeremy Wilson, Moore, Okla., '80 Corvette, 11.252, 128.51
NO-ELECTRONICS QUICK
Donnie Crouch, Holiday, Texas, '77 Camaro, 11.495, 113.15 def. David Burrow, Garland, Texas, '71 Camaro, 11.010, 117.60
NO-ELECTRONICS STREET
Jerry Hefler, Kennedale, Texas, '65 Chevy, 13.035, 101.39 def. Danny Echols, Ft. Worth, Texas, '72 Nova, 13.477, 98.32
MOTORCYCLE
William Keele, San Antonio, Texas, '82 Kawasaki, 9.401, 132.52 def. Ben Brown, Irving, Texas, '83 Suzuki, 10.757, 123.11
