NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Sunday from Southwestern International Raceway
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - PACIFIC DIVISION SOUTHWESTERN INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY Sunday, March 26, 2006 Niver, Gordon Grab Lucas Oil Wins in Tucson TUCSON, Ariz. - Mark Niver loves Southwestern International Raceway picking up his second win here this weekend at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series presented by Budweiser. Niver went from the No. 1 qualifying position in Top Alcohol Dragster to the winner's circle with an SIR track record setting 5.359 second pass at 267.27 mph in the final against Sean O'Bannon. "We could not have had a better weekend," exclaimed the Phoenix resident. "We ran low E.T. (elapsed time) in every round and the weather cooled off for the final when we ran the best." Niver first won at SIR at the 2003 NHRA Lucas Oil event in. Joining in on the celebration was Doug Gordon taking the win in his MB Cabinets Camaro Top Alcohol Funny Car with a lap of 5.889 seconds, 243.85 mph. Gordon out ran Ross Stickler and John Patton on his way to a final round match up with No. 1 qualifier John Weaver. Weaver broke his shift lever on the burn out and was unable to challenge Gordon. The Comp Eliminator trophy went to Jeff Lion of Fresno, Calif., over division champion Dean Carter with a pass of 8.431 seconds at 161.02 while Tony DeFrank took out Jim Weakland in Super Stock running 9.941 seconds at 128.80 mph. Scott Burton of Golden, Colo., took the win in Stock Eliminator when Errol Farmer left early causing a red light foul and Andy Morris won in the Team Super Stores Top Comp class. The Olympia, Wash., racer recorded a 7.492 second run at 173.83 mph "Fast" Jack Beckman lead the super categories taking the win over Thomas Bayer in Super Comp with a 9.160 second run at 159.93 mph. Matt Constant out of Stockton, Calif., won over Ryan Herem running 10.250, 141.05 mph in Super Gas and Keith Manogue from Phoenix, won in Super Street. Garberville, Calif., resident John Widmann ran 9.190 seconds at 147.23 mph to win in the NHRA Sportsman Motorcycle Series presented by Harley Davidson and Dean Hall won in Korbel Super Eliminator with a pass of 8.137, 172.54 mph. The Pacific Division racers head to Auto Club Famoso Raceway for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, May 19-21. The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Southwestern International Raceway: TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER: ROUND 1 3) Duane Shields, Boulder City, Nev., 5.620, 254.28 def. 6) Jeff Isbell, Erda, Utah, 5.682, 252.47 4) Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., 5.502, 258.62 def. 5) Larry Miersch, Huntington Beach, Calif., 8.132, 108.32 2) Sean O'Bannon, Alta Loma, Calif., 5.551, 260.86 def. 7) Mike Austin, Medford, Ore., broke 1) Mark Niver, Scottsdale, Ariz., 5.476, 252.00 def. 8) Jim Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., 5.776, 197.59 SEMIFINALS O'Bannon, 5.540, 261.37 def. Shields, 5.624, 245.58 Niver, 5.412, 263.92 def. Demke, 5.673, 253.75 FINALS Niver, 5.359, 267.27 def. O'Bannon, 5.501, 259.56 TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR ROUND 1 3) John Patton, Peoria, Ariz., '99 Firebird, 5.857, 244.52 def. 6) Mert Littlefield, Garden Grove, Calif., '05 Monte Carlo, 14.794, 52.73 2) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.912, 243.90 def. 7) Ross Stickler, Gilbert, Ariz., '04 Corvette, 7.557, 130.03 1) John Weaver, Newport Beach, Calif., '05 Camaro, 5.884, 245.36 def. 8) Charles McLaws, Winslow, Ariz., '03 Firebird, 25.933, 24.86 4) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.858, 247.66 def. 5) Dennis Taylor, Anaheim, Calif., '02 Camaro, 10.167, 78.14 SEMIFINALS Gordon, 5.953, 236.75 def. Patton, 5.977, 243.19 Weaver, 5.959, 242.54 def. Gasparrelli, 9.644, 91.61 FINAL Gordon, 5.889, 243.85 def. Weaver, broke COMPETITION ELIMINATOR Jeff Lion, Fresno, Calif., '04 Cavalier, F/A, 8.431, 161.02 def. Dean Carter, Glendale, Ariz., dragster, A/ND, 8.709, 109.97. SUPER STOCK Tony DeFrank, Chatsworth, Calif., '91 Calais, GT/BA, 9.941, 128.80 def. James Weakland, Morrison, Colo., '68 Camaro, SS/GA, 9.827, 134.35. STOCK ELIMINATOR Scott Burton, Golden, Colo., '71 Firebird, D/SA, 10.852, 120.03 def. Errol Farmer, Las Vegas, '70 Barracuda, G/SA, foul. SUPER COMP Jack Beckman, North Hills, Calif., dragster, 9.160, 159.93 def. Thomas Bayer, Fontana, Calif., dragster, 9.147, 164.81. SUPER GAS Matthew Constant, Stockton, Calif., '02 S-10, 10.250, 141.05 def. Ryan Herem, Quartz Hill, Calif., '69 Camaro, 10.171, 139.46. SUPER STREET Keith Manogue, Phoenix, '63 Nova, 11.179, 131.96 def. Dale Gebhart, Fairland, Okla., '74 Chevy, 11.174, 131.74. MOTORCYCLE John Widman, Garberville, Calif., '97 Kawasaki, 9.190, 147.23 def. Kehea Woods, Las Vegas, '80 Suzuki, 10.674, 114.77. SUPER ELIMINATOR Dean Hall, Guerneville, Calif., dragster, 8.137, 172.54 def. John Freer, Sacramento, Calif., dragster, 8.156, 173.21. TOP COMP Andy Morris, Olympia, Wash., dragster, 7.492, 173.83 def. Ryan Priddy, Chino, Calif., dragster, 7.445, 179.21.