NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series -- FINAL results from Famoso Raceway

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - PACIFIC DIVISION
FAMOSO RACEWAY, BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA
SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2005

Demke Breezes, Weaver Surprises as Winners

at Famoso Raceway Lucas Drag Racing Series 

 

      BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Chris Demke solidified his hold on the NHRA
Pacific Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol Dragster
points lead by winning his third division event in three outings.  He
had a fairly easy time of it this go-round, as he ran under 5.60 seconds
in all three rounds and only final-round opponent Robert Perkins of
Bluffdale, Utah, ran quicker than six seconds flat against him.

      In Alcohol Funny Car, popular John Weaver, out of Newport Beach,
Calif., had a much tougher time of it.  He needed a hole-shot to win in
the first round over Mark Woznichak even though Woznichak had the better
elapsed time.  Weaver then took out the No. 2 points earner coming into
the event, Dennis Taylor in round two and the points leader Steve
Gasparrelli in the final.  Gasparrelli lost the chance to take his
second win of the 2005 campaign when mechanical problems forced him to
abort his final round run.  He had been the quickest driver in
competition up to that point.

      John Chamberlin, of Napa, Calif., came from the No. 1 qualifying
spot in Competition Eliminator to take the title in a final round defeat
of veteran Ed Sigmon from Chatsworth, Calif.  The win puts Chamberlin
near the top of the points list as the Pacific Division prepares for its
next round of action at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., July 1-4.

      Jimmy DeFrank, of Chatsworth, also got back into the points
picture with a win in Super Stock as did Chad Loge, who was third coming
into the event and ended up in the winners circle for Stock Eliminator.

The Team Superstores Top Comp title went to Tucson, Ariz., campaigner
Ron Amereno who defeated Escondito, Calif.'s Greg Krause. The Korbel
Super Eliminator Championship was taken by Sacramento veteran John Freer
over Gary Thompson of Santa Rosa, Calif.     

The proceedings were delayed for a couple of hours when Hannes Wernhart,
a hometown driver from Bakersfield, suffered an engine explosion and
subsequent fire in his Firebird Top Alcohol Funny Car during a first
round race against Taylor.  Wernhart's vehicle veered off course in the
shut-down area and set a brush fire when it came to rest.  Wernhart was
transported to University Medical Center in Fresno and is being held for
observation.  It took crews some time to contain and then extinguish the
brush fire.

The Pacific Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will blaze into action
again on July 1-3 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.

 

The following are Sunday's final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag
Racing Series, Pacific Division event at Famoso Raceway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER: 

ROUND ONE 
5) Kevin Brown, Clearfield, Utah, 5.599, 233.34 def. 4) Johnny Ahten,
Saugus, Calif., 5.648,
242.58; 
3) Robert Perkins, Bluffdale, Utah, 5.618, 255.02 def. 6) Larry Miersch,
Huntington Beach,
Calif., 5.769, 223.43; 
7) Frank Dischbein, Las Vegas, Nev., 5.872, 245.43 def. 2) Duane
Shields, Boulder City, Nev.,
14.709, 49.05; 
1) Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., 5.522, 259.36 def. 8) Ben Harper,
Arroyo Grande, Calif., 6.296,
243.04; 

SEMI-FINALS 
Perkins, 5.631, 246.91 def. Dischbein, 5.879, 237.96; 
Demke, 5.544, 257.36 def. Brown, 6.079, 218.49; 

FINALS 
Demke, 5.601, 255.89 def. Perkins, 5.844, 195.82. 

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR: 

ROUND ONE 
5) Larry Miner, Woodbridge, Calif., '02 Firebird, 5.845, 252.95 def. 4)
Doug Gordon, Paso
Robles, Calif., '04 Camaro, 6.786, 243.83; 
6) John Weaver, Newport Beach, Calif., '05 Camaro, 5.805, 251.18 def. 3)
Mark Woznichak,
Ontario, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.795, 248.13; 
2) Dennis Taylor, Anaheim, Calif., '05 Camaro, 5.893, 237.09 def. 7)
Hannes Wernhart,
Bakersfield, Calif., '02 Firebird, 6.261, 178.35; 
1) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '03 Firebird, 5.720, 253.23
def. 8) Bret Williamson,
Campbell, Calif., '01 Corvette, 10.446, 66.43; 

SEMI-FINALS 
Weaver, 5.834, 248.96 def. Taylor, 5.937, 240.19; 
Gasparrelli, 5.786, 249.72 def. Miner, 7.870, 118.07; 

FINALS 
Weaver, 5.873, 248.61 def. Gasparrelli, 12.690, 68.45. 



FINALS ROUNDS - ALL CATEGORIES

 

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., 5.601, 255.89  def. Robert Perkins,
Bluffdale, Utah, 5.844,
195.82. 


TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
John Weaver, Newport Beach, Calif., '05 Camaro, 5.873, 248.61  def.
Steve Gasparrelli, West
Covina, Calif., '03 Firebird, 12.690, 68.45. 



COMPETITION ELIMINATOR
John Chamberlin, Napa, Calif., dragster, B/D, 6.831, 197.36  def. Ed
Sigmon, Chatsworth, Calif.,
'34 Chevy, C/SR, 9.291, 135.13. 

 
SUPER STOCK
Jimmy DeFrank, Chatsworth, Calif., '98 Grand Am, SS/BS, 9.110, 149.37
def. Mike Hennessay,
Hermosa Beach, Calif., '87 Chevy, GT/HA, 10.661, 124.96. 

STOCK ELIMINATOR
Chad Loge, Brentwood, Calif., '70 GTX, C/SA, 10.819, 121.39  def. Ken
Passerby, Queen Creek,
Ariz., '71 Nova, H/SA, 11.846, 108.27. 

 

SUPER COMP
Matt Hartzell, Atwater, Calif., dragster, 14.353, 48.96  def. Eddie
Fischle, Twin Peaks, Calif.,
dragster, foul. 

SUPER GAS
Gerald Turczyn, Surprise, Ariz., '88 Beretta, 9.920, 152.20  def. Brad
Pierce, Riverside,
Calif., '58 Corvette, 9.888, 137.25. 

SUPER STREET
Cliff Boyles, Rancho Cordova, Calif., '74 Road Runner, 10.917, 129.70
def. Gary Thompson, Santa Rosa, Calif., '86 Corvette, 10.878, 133.23. 
      

TEAM SUPERSTORES TOP COMP
Ron Amereno, Tucson, Ariz., dragster, 7.493, 175.60  def. Greg Krause,
Escondito, Calif.,
dragster, 7.694, 171.78. 

KORBEL SUPER ELIMINATOR
John Freer, Sacramento, Calif., dragster, 7.896, 178.92  def. Chuck
Swift, Henderson, Ariz.,
dragster, 7.893, 172.77.