NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Sunday from Firebird
International Raceway, Chandler, Ariz.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - PACIFIC DIVISION
FIREBIRD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, CHANDLER, ARIZ.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Contact: Eric Lotz, NHRA (626) 688-8646
Three Local Racers Take Wins at Firebird
CHANDLER, Ariz. - If there is such thing as home field
advantage in NHRA Drag Racing it took place this weekend at Firebird
International Raceway for the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series with three
local racers taking home wins and another advancing to the final round.
Kevin Kleineweber of Phoenix, led off with a win in the
Hughes Performance Top Dragster class over Steve Casner of Sheridan,
Calif., running 7.039 seconds at 180.65 mph to Casner's 7.219, 180.69
mph. Joining Kleineweber were Keith Manogue in Super Street and Matt
Hartford in the Sunset Racecraft Top Sportsman class. Both of Phoenix,
Manogue drove his '63 Nova to a 10.905 second pass at 139.52 mph over
Jeff Jackson while Hartford beat Martin Vazquez in his '63 Corvette with
a lap of 7.779 seconds, 161.29 mph.
Dan Fletcher won over Glendale, Ariz., resident and
defending division champion Dean Carter in Comp Eliminator. The
Churchville, N.Y., racer recorded an 8.630 second, 120.12 mph pass to
hold off Carter.
In the top alcohol classes it was Brandon Johnson outrunning Bob Perkins
in Top Alcohol Dragster and Doug Gordon of Paso Robles, Calif., over No.
1 qualifier Clint Thompson in Top Alcohol Funny Car. Johnson, of
Sheldon, Wash., beat Mark Niver of Phoenix, in the semifinals before
running a 5.558 second 246.93 mph to beat Perkins in the final. Gordon
slowed in the final but held on for the win with a 6.208 second, 246.17
mph pass.
Defending NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Super Comp National Champion
Shawn Langdon of Mira Loma, Calif., went to the final round in two
categories picking up the win in Super Comp over Aaron Kinard before
loosing to Tommy Phillips of Forney, Texas, in the final of Super Gas.
Phillips ran 9.906 seconds at 151.27 mph in his '63 Corvette.
Rounding out this weekend's winners were Ryan McClannahan of Alta Loma,
Calif., in Super Stock; Mike Cotten of Broken Arrow, Okla., in Stock;
and Tom Medlin of La Mirada, Calif., in the Sportsman Motorcycle Series
presented by Harley Davidson.
Pacific Division racers head to Southwestern International
Raceway in Tucson, Ariz., for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series
event, next weekend, March 7 and 8.
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
6) Mark Niver, Phoenix, Ariz., 6.070, 193.02 def. 9) James Stevens,
Gothenburg, Neb., 10.770,
73.64
4) Larry Miersch, Huntington Beach, Calif., 5.421, 252.19 def. 5) Shawn
Cowie, Delta, B.C., 5.470,
267.80
7) Brandon Johnson, Sheldon, Wash., 5.414, 259.26 def. 2) Jim Whiteley,
Grand Junction, Colo.,
5.867, 258.76
8) Bob Perkins, Bluffdale, Utah, 5.402, 264.86 def. 1) Duane Shields,
Boulder City, Nev., 10.688,
84.78
Semifinals
Perkins, 5.410, 263.46 def. Miersch, 5.470, 260.97
Johnson, 5.592, 253.52 def. Niver, 6.462, 161.54
Final
Johnson, 5.558, 246.93 def. Perkins, 5.746, 250.41
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Round 1
7) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.767, 256.02 def.
2) Terry Ruckman, Grand
Junction, Colo., '01 Firebird, foul
1) Clint Thompson, Klamath Falls, Ore., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.957, 250.74
def. 8) Rian Konno,
Rosemead, Calif., '02 Trans Am, 11.181, 76.28
6) Von Smith, Santa Clarita, Calif., '08 Mustang, 5.635, 256.55 def. 3)
Brian Hough, Junction City,
Ore., '06 Monte Carlo, 6.268, 201.85
4) Sean O'Bannon, Ontario, Calif., '07 Charger, 5.754, 251.63 def. 5)
Ron August Jr, Pleasanton,
Calif., '08 Mustang, 6.001, 199.46
Semifinals
Thompson, 5.656, 257.33 def. O'Bannon, 5.686, 256.75
Gordon, 5.670, 258.12 def. Smith, 6.085, 171.84
Final
Gordon, 6.208, 246.17 def. Thompson, 15.690, 73.30
COMP ELIMINATOR
Dan Fletcher, Churchville, N.Y., '07 Cobalt, C/EA, 8.630, 120.12 def.
Dean Carter, Glendale,
Ariz., dragster, B/ND, 7.483, 134.19
SUPER STOCK
Ryan McClannahan, Alta Loma, Calif., '08 Cobalt, SS/BM, 9.361, 111.80
def. Abe Loewen, Regina,
Sask., '98 Grand Am, SS/EM, foul
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Mike Cotten, Broken Arrow, Okla., '73 Duster, H/SA, 11.343, 107.85 def.
Mark Faul, Tacoma, Wash.,
'69 Chevelle, C/SA, 10.837, 120.05
SUPER COMP
Shawn Langdon, Mira Loma, Calif., dragster, 8.931, 154.47 def. Aaron
Kinard, San Marcos, Calif.,
dragster, 8.891, 165.29
SUPER GAS
Tommy Phillips, Forney, Texas, '63 Corvette, 9.906, 151.27 def. Shawn
Langdon, Mira Loma, Calif.,
'02 Corvette, 9.919, 143.08
SUPER STREET
Keith Manogue, Phoenix, Ariz., '63 Nova, 10.905, 139.52 def. Jeff
Jackson, Wilsonville, Ore., '68
Mustang, 10.880, 149.13
SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
Tom Medlin, La Mirada, Calif., '86 Suzuki, 8.709, 149.12 def. Augustine
Herrera, La Mirada,
Calif., '05 Suzuki, 9.090, 158.48
TOP SPORTSMAN
Matt Hartford, Phoenix, Ariz., '63 Corvette, 7.779, 161.29 def. Martin
Vazquez, Downey, Calif.,
'04 Dakota, 7.883, 167.49
TOP DRAGSTER
Kevin Kleineweber, Phoenix, Ariz., dragster, 7.039, 180.65 def. Steve
Casner, Sheridan, Calif.,
dragster, 7.219, 180.69
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