NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Sunday from Fireird International Raceway, Chandler, Ariz.
CHANDLER, Ariz. - In the final rounds from Firebird International Raceway and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Pacific Division Opener it was Duane Shields and Ron August Jr. taking home the trophies and the win in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car.
Shields, a former Pacific Division Top Alcohol Dragster Champion, raced to a 5.368 second pass at 274.78 mph to take out defending Pacific Division Champion Chris Demke and his run of 5.494 seconds, 264.34 mph. Shields beat Jeff Veale in round one with a lap of 5.357 seconds and Mike Austin in his semifinal match up with a 5.405 second run.
August, of Pleasanton, Calif., only qualified eighth but knocked out No. 1 qualifier Jason Rupert in round one with a 5.688 second pass, then ran a near identical pass of 5.689 seconds in taking out Pete Swayne in the semifinals. August met up with Sean Bellemeur of Fullerton, Calif., in the funny car final running 5.724 seconds at 253.85 mph to Bellemeur's 5.767 at 251.81 mph for the win.
Frank Aragona also took out a current Pacific Division Champion winning over Dean Carter of Glendale, Ariz., in the final of Comp Eliminator. The Old Bridge, N.J., resident covered the quarter-mile in 8.472 seconds at 146.42 mph for the win. Six-time division champion Jimmy DeFrank took the win in Super Stock when John Calvert broke on his burn out giving DeFrank a bye run while Errol Farmer won in Stock Eliminator. The Las Vegas racer held off Harry Doolittle of Wickenburg, Ariz., with a run of 11.007 seconds at 119.06 mph in his '70 Barracuda.
Keith Downing, also of Glendale, Ariz., won over Tom Gresham in Super Comp with an 8.902 second 171.21 mph pass and Joe Greco won in Super Street on a hole-shot running 10.965 seconds to Ray Carlson's 10.938 second lap.
In Super Gas it was Thomas Bayer off to a fast start in defense of this division championship from last year winning over local racer Jim Hughes of Phoenix. Bayer clocked in at 9.926 seconds at 155.17 mph with his '62 corvette.
Michael Campbell of Coos Bay, Ore., beat Jordan Miclette in the final of the Sportsman Motorcycle presented by Harley Davidson class with a 10.303 second, 125.25 mph run.
In other final rounds it was Jim Powers taking the win in the Hughes Performance Top Dragster class with a 7.334 second pass at 182.33 mph over William Boxold, and Wayne Newman had a final round bye in the Sunset Racecraft Top Sportsman class.
Pacific Division racers head to Southwestern International Raceway in Tucson, Ariz., for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event next weekend.
The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Pacific Division Opener at Firebird International Raceway:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER: Round 1 1) Duane Shields, Boulder City, Nev., 5.357, 265.43 def. 8) Jeff Veale, Hannon, Ont., 10.860, 70.17 5) Mike Austin, Medford, Ore., 5.406, 268.65 def. 4) Brandon Johnson, Shelton, Wash., 5.415, 269.03 2) Larry Miersch, Huntington Beach, Calif., 5.472, 259.06 def. 7) Jeff Isbell, Salt Lake City, foul 3) Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., 5.395, 266.64 def. 6) Edwin Schmeeckle, Gothenburg, Neb., 5.693, 258.47 Semifinals Shields, 5.405, 273.61 def. Austin, 5.765, 194.16 Demke, 5.373, 266.95 def. Miersch, 5.418, 261.42 Final Shields, 5.368, 274.78 def. Demke, 5.494, 264.34 TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR: Round 1 5) Pete Swayne, Santa Rosa, Calif., '05 Monte Carlo, 6.366, 240.21 def. 4) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '05 Monte Carlo, 6.677, 196.44 3) Sean Bellemeur, Fullerton, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.646, 251.49 def. 6) Ken Kraus, Great Falls, Mont., '02 Camaro, 6.590, 145.38 2) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.638, 257.24 def. 7) Mark Woznichak, Ontario, Calif., '02 Camaro, broke 8) Ron August Jr, Pleasanton, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.688, 255.53 def. 1) Jason Rupert, Yorba Linda, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.897, 233.08 Semifinals Bellemeur, 5.752, 253.04 def. Gordon, 11.080, 75.54 August Jr, 5.689, 253.23 def. Swayne, 8.836, 99.87 Final August Jr, 5.724, 253.85 def. Bellemeur, 5.767, 251.81 COMP ELIMINATOR Frank Aragona, Old Bridge, N.J., '32 Bantam, G/EA, 8.472, 146.42 def. Dean Carter, Glendale, Ariz., dragster, A/ND, 7.716, 151.87 SUPER STOCK Jimmy DeFrank, Chatsworth, Calif., '98 Grand Am, SS/BS, 16.976, 88.06 def. John Calvert, Lancaster, Calif., '68 Mustang, SS/G, broke STOCK ELIMINATOR Errol Farmer, Las Vegas, '70 Barracuda, D/SA, 11.007, 119.06 def. Harry Doolittle, Wickenburg, Ariz., '02 Firebird, H/FIA, foul SUPER COMP Keith Downing, Glendale, Ariz., dragster, 8.902, 171.21 def. Tom Gresham, Gresham, Ore., dragster, 8.892, 166.29 SUPER GAS Thomas Bayer, Fontana, Calif., '62 Corvette, 9.926, 155.17 def. Jim Hughes, Phoenix, '69 Camaro, 9.892, 146.42 SUPER STREET Joe Greco, San Jose, Calif., '74 Vega, 10.965, 136.97 def. Ray Carlson, 100 Mile House, B.C., '92 Trans Am, 10.938, 136.41 SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE Michael Campbell, Coos Bay, Ore., '77 Kawasaki, 10.303, 125.25 def. Jordan Miclette, Redway, Calif., '83 Suzuki, foul TOP SPORTSMAN Wayne Newman, dragster, 12.395, 105.30 was unopposed TOP DRAGSTER Jim Powers, Pocatello, Idaho, dragster, 7.334, 182.33 def. William Boxold, Orangevale, Calif., dragster, 7.167, 182.45