NHRA NOBLE, OK) - Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series-final results from Thunder Valley Raceway

LOCAL FAVORITE PIERCE TAKES WIN AT THUNDER VALLEY RACEWAY'S LUCAS OIL SERIES EVENT NHRA South Central division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competitors closed out the 2007 season this weekend at Thunder Valley Raceway. Although the event went one day longer than planned due to rain, for Moore resident Brandon Pierce it was worth the wait. The Top Alcohol Dragster pilot scored his second win of the season while in Top Alcohol Funny Car, Steve Harker, Gainesville, Ga., won his third straight South Central division race.

Pierce, who qualified No. 7, knocked off No. 2 qualifier, Kate Harker, Funny Car winner Steve Harker's daughter, in the first round. In the semis, he beat Oklahoma City's Aaron Tatum and in the final he made a 5.583-second, 255.82 mph pass to beat Darvin Martinets of Lake Jackson, Texas. Martinets slowed to an 18.180-second pass.

Harker carried his No. 1 qualifying effort all the way to the winner's circle. In the semifinals he faced off against Erie, Colo., racer Paul Anderson and ran 5.649 seconds at 255.02 mph to Anderson's 5.780-second, 248 mph effort. In the final, it was Harker versus the division's reigning Funny Car champ, Jimmy Jones of Cleburne, Texas. Harker ran 6.066 seconds at 180.03 mph but Jones had already lost the race with a red light start.

Todd Patterson, Augusta, Kan., earned the win in Comp Eliminator, beating Arnie Martel, Tewksbury, Mass., in the final. Korey Mawhee, Frisco, Texas, grabbed the win in Super Stock over James Paul of Fort Worth, Texas. Paul fared better in the Stock Eliminator final where he squared off against Austin Ford, Spring, Texas, for the win. The Super Comp win went to Britt Cummings of Hammond, La., who beat out another local favorite, Jackie King of Norman. Rogers, Ark., resident Bob Fuller, father of NHRA Top Fuel racer Rod Fuller, earned the win in Super Gas, besting Jesse Serna of El Paso, Texas. Chucky Wier, Fort Worth, Texas, beat Melvin Harris, Haskell, Okla., in the Super Street final and in Top Sportsman, Rip Dennis, Florence, Miss., won, beating Monroe, La., racer Michael Spruell. The Top Dragster win went to Jess Nelson, Maricopa, Ariz., who beat out Brandon Chauvin, Gonzales, La. In Sportsman Motorcycle, Ben Brown, Irving, Texas, rode to victory over David Latino, Donaldsonville, La.

This was the final 2007 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event for South Central division racers. The 43-race nationwide series will conclude next week at Silver Dollar Raceway in Reynolds, Ga. South Central division racers may compete there to earn additional points toward divisional and national championships.

Following are the final results for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Thunder Valley Raceway: