NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series-finals from National Trail Raceway
HEBRON, Ohio - Although the first two days of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at National Trail Raceway were shortened by rain, Sunday's action was not affected by weather. However, because there was still qualifying to be made up in the morning, eliminations went on until late into the night. When it was over, division points leader Bill Reichert was in the winner's circle with his fifth division win of the year after being the No. 1 qualifier in the class. In the Top Alcohol Funny Car ranks, Todd Veney scored his first trophy of the season.
The win at National Trail Raceway put Reichert, an Owosso, Mich., resident, in a stronger position to earn his first career national title. Reichert saved his best run of the weekend, 5.289 seconds at 270.64 mph, for the final round against Todd Datweiler of Herscher, Ill. Datweiler ran 6.999 seconds at 140.20 mph.
Indianapolis resident Veney made his best showing of the season at National Trail Raceway, having failed to make the eight-car field once and suffering a first-round loss in his second outing. Veney's final-round opponent, former division champion Danny Townsend of Muncie, Ind., was taken to a local hospital after his car went out of control and hit both retaining walls.
In Comp Eliminator, Chad Voges, Lafayette, Ind., scored his first win in the division after beating Robert Bailey, Wabash, Ind., in the final. This was Voges' second final-round appearance in as many races in the division. Super Stock competitor Nick Morris, Bardstown, Ky., wheeled is '98 Mustang to the winner's circle over David Turner of Fresno, Ohio, while in Stock Eliminator Peter Biondo, Maspeth, N.Y., drove his '69 Camaro to the win over Buddy Hughes, Louisville, Ky., and his '66 Chevy II. Super Comp racer Rock Haas, White Lake, Mich., earned the win over Clinton, Ohio's Ron Erks. Ryan Bolin of Wilminton, Ill., took home the Super Gas trophy after beating Dale Barnard, Meadville, Pa., in the final round and in the Super Street final, local favorite Tony Hall got the win in his '85 S-10, beating Tom Zahn Jr., Louisville, Ky., and his '78 Malibu in the final. The Top Sportsman winner, Michael Radtke of Tinley Park, Ill., drover his '92 Camaro around Don Peden of Edinburg, Ill., and his "05 Cobalt.
This was the last NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event on the North Central Division calendar but racers may compete at out-of-division events and continue to earn points toward a championship.
The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at National Trail Raceway:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER Round 1 1) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.336, 269.46 def. 8) Ken Perry, Gormley, Ont., 5.427, 261.37 2) Dave Hirata, Lowell, Ind., 5.405, 266.79 def. 7) Jeff Bohr, Plymouth, Mich., 8.391, 103.06 3) Todd Datweiler, Herscher, Ill., 5.443, 260.71 def. 6) Ray Hack, Valpraiso, Ind., 5.640, 255.00 4) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.525, 259.11 def. 5) Dave Hedges Jr., Plainwell, Mich., 5.743, 229.66 Semifinals Datweiler, 5.500, 248.75 def. Hirata, foul Reichert, 5.353, 269.73 def. Thacker, foul Final Reichert, 5.289, 270.64 def. Datweiler, 6.999, 140.20 TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR Round 1 1) Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.668, 255.77 def. 8) Jeff Wilson, Winfield, Mo., '06 Monte Carlo, foul 2) Danny Townsend, Muncie, Ind., '05 Stratus, 5.806, 248.02 def. 7) Andy Bohl, Racine, Wis., '00 Firebird, 6.099, 233.80 5) Todd Veney, Indianapolis, '06 Monte Carlo, 5.853, 247.38 def. 4) John Bojec, Chardon, Ohio, '03 Avenger, 6.010, 237.46 3) Mick Snyder, Demotte, Ind., '02 Firebird, 5.790, 251.49 def. 6) Jeff Burnett, Brownsburg, Ind., '00 Avenger, 5.782, 244.65 Semifinals Veney, 5.736, 251.95 def. Manzo, 5.794, 254.28 Townsend, 5.794, 248.80 def. Snyder, 5.830, 251.53 Final Veney, 11.916, 64.23 def. Townsend, DQ COMP ELIMINATOR Chad Voges, Lafayette, Ind., '02 Camaro, L/AA, 9.061, 145.27 def. Robert Bailey, Wabash, Ind., dragster, A/ED, 7.176, 189.47 SUPER STOCK Nick Morris, Bardstown, Ky., '98 Mustang, GT/MA, 11.607, 91.43 def. David Turner, Fresno, Ohio, '70 Challenger, SS/DA, broke. STOCK ELIMINATOR Peter Biondo, Maspeth, N.Y., '69 Camaro, C/SA, 10.745, 112.63 def. Buddy Hughes, Louisville, Ky., '66 Chevy II, K/SA, 12.206, 106.99 SUPER COMP Rock Haas, White Lake, Mich., dragster, 8.924, 176.35 def. Ron Erks, Clinton, Ohio, dragster, 8.898, 176.90 SUPER GAS Ryan Bolin, Wilmington, Ill., '93 Mustang, 9.894, 145.27 def. Dale Barnard, Meadville, Pa., '34 Chevy, 9.891, 151.87 SUPER STREET Tony Hall, Columbus, Ohio, '85 S-10, 10.892, 134.06 def. Tom Zahn Jr, Louisville, Ky., '78 Malibu, 10.875, 135.95 TOP SPORTSMAN Michael Radtke, Tinley Park, Ill., '92 Camaro, 7.227, 184.65 def. Don Peden, Edinburg, Ill., '05 Cobalt, 7.166, 189.73