NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series-Sunday from California
Dragway
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - PACIFIC DIVISION
California Dragway, Fontana, Calif.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
DEMKE MAKES IT TWO IN A ROW, WILLIAMSON SCORES FIRST WIN AT THE NHRA
LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES EVENT IN FONTANA
FONTANA, Calif. - After four days of NHRA drag racing at
California Dragway, the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event is in
the books. Mike Austin took his No. 1 qualifying position to the
winner's circle for his second Top Alcohol Dragster win in as many weeks
and Bret Williamson took the Top Alcohol Funny Car win.
Austin, who is driving the dragster originally piloted by
current Pacific Division points leader Chris Demke of Sunland, Calif.,
beat Johnny Ahten of Saugus, Calif. in the final. The Medford, Ore.,
resident was the No. 1 qualifier and made a 5.589-second, 255.73 mph
pass to Ahten's 5.925-second, 243.81 mph effort in the final.
Demke has been sidelined since he was injured at the
divisional event in Sonoma, Calif. However, after starting the season
with three consecutive wins, Demke scored enough points to keep him in
the lead for his second consecutive division title.
In the closest race of the day, Williamson, a Campbell,
Calif., resident, scored his first win of the season over reigning
division champ Doug Gordon of Paso Robles, Calif. Williamson left the
line a fraction of a second before Gordon and ran 5.913 seconds at
239.36 mph to edge out Gordon at the finish line. Gordon ran 5.912
seconds at 246.35 mph.
San Dimas, Calif., racer Steve Gasparrelli, who qualified in
the No. 3 spot, lost in the first round of eliminations when his Top
Alcohol Funny Car got out of shape past half-track and he sideswiped the
wall. Gasparrelli was uninjured in the incident and the damage to the
car appears to be cosmetic. The team plans to compete at the PowerAde
Series event in Dallas next weekend.
Ryan Tietz of Ontario, Calif., a former NHRA Jr. Drag Racing
League competitor, took the win in Top Comp over No. 1 qualifier Joe
Roubicek of West Lake Village, Calif. Las Vegas' Curtis Coulter won in
Stock Eliminator over San Dimas resident Dave Moreno. John Richardson,
Santa Clarita, Calif., won in Super Eliminator and Tom McBride,
Lakeside, Calif., took the win in Super Comp. In Super Gas, Rick
Beckstrom, Novato, Calif., went to the winner's circle where he was
joined by David Adams, Livermore, Calif., in Super Street; Greg Luneack,
Vista, Calif., in Super Stock; and Tulare, Calif., racer Michael Stone
who took the win in Comp Eliminator.
Pacific Division racers head to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor
Speedway in Las Vegas for the final NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series
event of the year. The race is scheduled October 28-30.
The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series event at California Dragway:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Round one
1) Mike Austin, Medford, Ore., 5.490, 261.93 def. 8) Mark Niver,
Scottsdale, Ariz., 6.327, 226.01
2) Duane Shields, Boulder City, Nev., 5.674, 239.27 def. 7) Frank
Dischbein, Las Vegas, foul
3) Johnny Ahten, Saugus, Calif., 5.783, 248.89 def. 6) Larry Miersch,
Huntington Beach, Calif., 6.082, 230.49
4) Joe Windham, Fairfield, Calif., 5.815, 248.57 def. 5) Darby Neagle,
Las Vegas, 10.413, 113.14
Semifinals
Ahten, 5.875, 243.15 def. Shields, 5.883, 231.36
Austin, 5.611, 255.19 def. Windham, 5.884, 240.59
Final
Austin, 5.589, 255.73 def. Ahten, 5.925, 243.81
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Round one
1) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '04 Camaro, 5.817, 251.06 def. 10)
Rian Konno, Rosemead, Calif., '02 Firebird, foul
11) Jeff Carroll, Santa Barbara, Calif., '05 Monte Carlo, 6.587, 183.00
def. 2) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '02 Firebird, broke
3) Bret Williamson, Campbell, Calif., '01 Corvette, 5.888, 239.95 def.
8) Jason Rupert, Yorba Linda, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.979, 240.29
4) Mark Woznichak, Riverside, Calif., '02 Camaro, 6.006, 242.58 def. 9)
Sean Bellemeur, Fullerton, Calif., '98 Cutlass, 11.306, 74.54
Semifinals
Williamson, 5.883, 237.17 def. Carroll, 6.039, 236.88
Gordon, 5.837, 248.80 def. Woznichak, foul
Final
Williamson, 5.913, 239.36 def. Gordon, 5.912, 246.35
COMPETITION ELIMINATOR
Michael Stone, Tulare, Calif., dragster, C/ED, 7.432, 179.06 def. Dean
Carter, Glendale, Ariz.,
dragster, A/ND, 7.064, 187.16
SUPER STOCK
Greg Luneack, Vista, Calif., '65 Nova Wgn, SS/KA, 11.277, 116.67 def.
Eddie Leabo, Alta Loma,
Calif., '02 Firebird, GT/IA, foul
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Curtis Coulter, Las Vegas, Nev., '69 Cyclone, D/S, 11.219, 116.67 def.
Dave Moreno, San Dimas,
Calif., '69 Mustang, B/S, 11.146, 120.06
SUPER COMP
Tom McBride, Lakeside, Calif., dragster, 8.951, 143.58 def. Greg
Boutte, Stockton, Calif., dragster, 8.941, 171.58
SUPER GAS
Rick Beckstrom, Novato, Calif., '03 Grand Am, 9.995, 159.10 def. Darryl
Mitchell, Thousands
Oaks, Calif., '04 Cavalier, 9.966, 150.66
SUPER STREET
Dave Adams, Livermore, Calif., '88 Mustang, 10.930, 139.56 def. Gary
Thompson, Santa Rosa,
Calif., '86 Corvette, 10.892, 131.16
TOP COMP
Ryan Tietz, Ontario, Calif., dragster, 7.624, 171.79 def. Joe Roubicek,
West Lake Village,
Calif., dragster, 7.097, 188.75
SUPER ELIMINATOR
John Richardson, Santa Clarita, Calif., dragster, 7.896, 176.33 def.
Timothy Height, Richmond,
Calif., dragster, 7.870, 174.93
