NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series - Final Round Results from Woodburn Dragstrip
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NORTHWEST DIVISION WOODBURN DRAGSTRIP SUNDAY, JULY 13, 2003 LAWRENCE WINS SECOND CONSECUTIVE LES SCHWAB EVENT WOODBURN, Ore. - Over 450 competitors raced down Woodburn Dragstrip's quarter-mile track during the Les Schwab Tires Challenge, race five of seven in Northwest Division competition of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. As racing concluded at this three day event, Greg Lawrence and Bucky Austin took home wins in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car. On Sunday, Lawrence and his CBM racing crew used a mechanical combination similar to the one they used during Saturday's first qualifying session, which resulted in a 5.524-second, 242.19-mph pass and a number two qualifying position. The Salem, Ore., resident then came out of the blocks to set a new track record during the first round of eliminations with a 5.372-second, 255.82 mph run. After coasting through the semifinals where he was uncontested, Lawrence then powered his way past Joey Severance in the finals with a 5.537-second, 247.72 mph pass for the event win. This was Lawrence's first race of the year and the win earns him a second straight trip to the winner's circle at the Les Schwab Tires Challenge. Austin of Fife, Wash., earned his fourth Northwest Division event win in as many races by defeating John Weaver in the final with a 5.778-second, 251.18 mph pass. Although other racers in the Northwest still have a mathematical chance to win the division, Austin has all but secured his fifth division championship with the win this weekend. The win also moves the Top Alcohol Funny Car racer into first place in the national points standings. Winners in other racing categories were Randy Jones of Monarch Beach, Calif., in Comp; Tibor Kadar of Peoria, Ariz., in Super Stock; Brad Plourd of Covington, Wash., in Stock; Rodger Comstock of Bradbury, Calif., in Super Comp; Ronnie Lahn of Norwalk, Calif., in Super Gas; Dave Smythe of Portland, Ore., in Super Street, Adam Drzayich of Auburn, Wash, in Super Pro; Charlie Tiller of Portland, Wash., in Jr. Lightning; and Sean Holm of Eagle Creek, Ore., in Jr. Thunder. Scott Pollacheck also earned a win in Sportsman Motorcycle competition of the NHRA Kerker Motorcycle Series. Super Comp racer Larry Scarth and Top Comp competitor Wes Garvin III were also each involved in accidents at the top end of the track. Both were taken to the hospital where they were later cleared by medical officials. Northwest Division competition of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series makes its next stop at Mission Raceway Park in Mission, B.C., August 22-24. For more information, call Woodburn Dragstrip at (503) 982-4461 or NHRA at (626) 818-1896. The following are final round results from the Les Schwab Tires Challenge at Woodburn Dragstrip: TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER Round 1 1) Morgan Lucas, Riverside, Calif., 5.620 seconds, 249.30 mph def. 8) Mark Hentges, Federal Way, Wash., 8.499, 128.51 2) Greg Lawrence, Salem, Ore., 5.372, 255.82 def. 7) Brandon Johnson, Shelton, Wash., 5.531, 255.24 6) Mike Cofini, Spokane, Wash., 5.548 (.022 reaction time), 248.20 def. 3) Duane Shields, Las Vegas, 5.526 (.052 reaction time), 258.54 5) Joey Severance, Spanaway, Wash., 5.537, 247.72 def. 4) Mitch Myers, Hermiston, Ore., 13.020, 61.67 Semifinals Severance, 5.768, 241.48 def. Lucas, 9.334, 112.07 Lawrence, 5.481, 255.53 def. Cofini, no time Final Lawrence, 5.482, 250.27 def. Severance, 7.063, 140.84 TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR Round 1 1) Bucky Austin, Fife, Wash., '02 Firebird, 5.746 seconds, 252.03 mph def. 8) Clint Thompson, Klamath Falls, Ore., '02 Camaro, 11.667, 64.02 2) John Evanchuk, Edmonton, Alta., '99 Firebird, 6.338, 229.35 def. 7) Roger Bateman, Calgary, Alta., '97 Firebird, 10.182, 85.16 3) John Weaver, Hanford, Calif., '98 Firebird, 5.874, 243.04 def. 6) Ed Marx, Discover Bay, Calif., '98 Avenger, 5.919, 245.03 4) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '03 Pontiac, 8.498, 203.66 def. 5) Henry Coolidge, Sunburst, Mont., '97 Firebird, 10.095, 80.00 Semifinals Austin, 5.796, 249.51 def. Gasparrelli, 6.030, 193.34 Weaver, 5.892, 242.71 def. Evanchuk, 6.038, 232.07 Final Austin, 5.778, 251.18 def. Weaver, 5.934, 232.43 COMP ELIMINATOR Randy Jones, Monarch Beach, Calif., '03 Cavalier, D/SMA, 8.755 seconds, 135.70 mph def. Dennis Myers, Prosser, Wash., '98 Dakota, G/AA, 10.215, 97.45 SUPER STOCK Tibor Kadar, Peoria, Ariz., '92 Firebird, GT/GA, 10.823, 121.67 def. Bill Blakeney, Bell, Calif., '68 Camaro, SS/IA, 10.134, 128.58 STOCK ELIMINATOR Brad Plourd, Covington, Wash., '96 Corvette, B/FIA, 10.789, 111.91 def. Steve Hanby, Salem, Ore., '66 Biscayne, P/SA, 13.082, 99.80 SUPER COMP Rodger Comstock, Bradbury, Calif., '01 Dragster, 8.972, 125.40 def. Frank Cervelli, Brentwood, Calif., '97 Santos, 8.894, 161.31 SUPER GAS Ronnie Lahn, Norwalk, Calif., '88 Corvette, 9.909, 142.09 def. Stefan Kondolay, Sardis, B.C., '67 Camaro, 9.987, 146.65 SUPER STREET Dave Smythe, Portland, Ore., '86 Mustang, 10.904, 131.34 def. Stephanie Warn, Danville, Calif., '98 Firebird, 10.930, 142.31 TOP COMP Andy Morris, Olympia, Wash., '03 Hadman, 7.736, 166.11 def. Chris Jaggers, Boise, Idaho, '96 Soran, 7.719, 178.28 SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE Scott Pollacheck, Medford, Ore., '76 Kawasaki, 8.822, 142.90 def. John Widmann, Garberville, Calif., '89 Kawasaki, 8.891, 139.72 SUPER PRO Adam Drzayich, Auburn, Wash., '99 Undercover, 8.878, 161.46 def. Shane Molinari, Vancouver, Wash., '68 Le Mans, 8.882, 151.61 JR LIGHTNING Charlie Tiller, Portland, Ore., '01 JD Motorsports, 9.370, 69.68 def. Jamie Hoffman, University Place, Wash., '00 Motivational, 7.968, 79.90 JR THUNDER Sean Holm, Eagle Creek, Ore., Jr. Dragster, 11.745, 52.19 def. Kevin Will, Fortuna, Calif., '03 Motivational, 12.866, 48.15 -- 30 --