NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series - HARKER, AND ANDERSON LEAD
EVENT
BRAINERD, Minn. - Diana Harker and Paul Anderson led the
winner's at this weekend's NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event
presented by Grand Casino at Brainerd International Raceway. Harker
grabbed her first win on a holeshoot in Top Alcohol Dragster with a lap
of 5.528 seconds at 252.38 mph. The Gainesville, Ga., racer left the
starting line ahead of Ed Schmeekle of Gothenburg, Neb., to take the
early lead and hold off the quicker 5.512, 259.66 mph run by Schmeekle.
Harker ran 5.40's and 5.50's throughout eliminations to take home the
trophy.
In Top Alcohol Funny Car it was reigning Division Champion
Paul Anderson saving his best lap of the day for his final round
match-up with former division and national champion Cy Chesterman of
Sioux City, Iowa. Anderson clocked in at 5.739 seconds at 250.51 mph
for the win over Chesterman's 5.830 at 250.92.
Local favorite Travis Sorokie of Saint Cloud, Minn.,
captured the honors in Super Stock picking up the win in his '85 Camaro
with a lap of 10.737 seconds at 120.36 mph. The Minnesota racer was
joined by fellow home state runner Ben Line of Cromwell, Minn., who ran
down James Findell of Zimmerman, Minn., in the final of Stock
Eliminator.
Other Minnesota winners included Michael Freischel of
Cottage Grove, Minn., in the division's Jerry Haas Race Cars Top
Sportsman class and Brian Johnson of Anoka, Minn., in the Sportsman
Motorcycle class presented by Harley Davidson. Freischel covered the
quarter mile in 7.753 seconds at 176.81 for the win in his '01 Firebird
while Johnson road his '05 Suzuki to a lap of 9.345 seconds at 132.96
mph.
In Comp Eliminator it was Bruno Massell of Woodbridge, Ill.,
winning over Brian Antony; Bob Fuller of Rogers, Ark., defeated Terry
Edwards in Super Comp; Mike Wiblishouser took the win in Super Gas out
of Blair, Neb., in his '07 Corvette; Rick Milinazzo drove his '61 Impala
to victory in Super Street; and Clarence Mayo of Manly, Iowa won in the
Ethanol Top Dragster class.
NHRA West Central Division racers head to Bandimere Speedway, for the
next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, June 13-15.
The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series event presented by Grand Casino at Brainerd International
Raceway:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Round 1
1) Diana Harker, Gainesville, Ga., 5.537, 237.71 def. 6) Jared Dreher,
Clinton, Iowa, 6.174, 227.65
2) Scott Murray, Winnipeg, Manit., 5.459, 265.95 def. 5) Jeff Hamelink,
Savage, Minn., 5.561, 256.06
4) Edwin Schmeeckle, Gothenburg, Neb., 5.495, 263.20 def. 3) Richard
Putz, Earlville, Iowa, broke
Semifinals
Schmeeckle, 5.503, 262.54 def. Murray, 5.576, 254.90
Harker, 5.450, 232.91 was unopposed
Final
Harker, 5.528, 252.38 def. Schmeeckle, 5.512, 259.66
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Round 1
4) Cy Chesterman, Sioux City, Iowa, '08 Mustang, 5.842, 251.11 def. 5)
Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, '99 Camaro, 5.884, 243.11
6) Hank Coolidge, Sunbrst, Mont., '02 Firebird, 5.844, 242.89 def. 3)
Roger Bateman, Calgary, Alb.,
'08 Mustang, 5.985, 246.12
2) Paul Anderson, Erie, Colo., '07 Charger, 5.760, 248.84 def. 7) Scott
McVey, Winnipeg, Manit., '00 Avenger, 5.815, 249.35
1) Vern Moats, Des Moines, Iowa, '08 Mustang, 5.660, 254.62 def. 8)
Bruce Carlson, Prior Lake, Minn., '06 Corvette, 6.060, 238.98;
Semifinals
Anderson, 5.764, 249.44 def. Coolidge, 5.836, 243.37
Chesterman, 5.738, 252.00 def. Moats, 5.703, 252.47
Final
Anderson, 5.739, 250.51 def. Chesterman, 5.830, 250.92
COMP ELIMINATOR
Bruno Massel, Woodbridge, Ill., '08 Cobalt, DD/AT, 7.458, 172.65 def.
Brian Antony, Lonsdale,
Minn., '00 Avenger, B/AP, 7.534, 175.80
SUPER STOCK
Travis Sorokie, Saint Cloud, Minn., '85 Camaro, GT/HA, 10.737, 120.36
def. Grant Singer, Regina,
Sask., '83 Firebird, SS/CM, 9.306, 146.13
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Ben Line, Cromwell, Minn., '69 Mustang, B/SA, 10.723, 118.56 def. James
Findell, Zimmerman, Minn., '73 Duster, F/SA, 11.333, 115.18
SUPER COMP
Bob Fuller, Rogers, Ark., dragster, 8.907, 175.27 def. Terry Edwards,
Cameron, Mo., dragster,
8.898, 172.59
SUPER GAS
Mike Wiblishouser, Blair, Neb., '07 Corvette, 9.957, 148.49 def. Todd
Nielsen, Fremont, Neb., '90
Firebird, 9.954, 141.12
SUPER STREET
Rick Milinazzo, Windsor, Colo., '61 Impala, 10.910, 140.55 def. Ed
Holmgren, Foley, Minn., '80
Malibu, 19.358, 53.49
SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
Brian Johnson, Anoka, Minn., '05 Suzuki, 9.345, 132.96 def. Jason
Clampitt, Lino Lakes, Minn., '93
Harley, 10.362, 119.30
TOP SPORTSMAN
Michael Freischel, Cottage Grove, Minn., '01 Firebird, 7.753, 176.81
def. Jamie Schwartzkopf,
Torrington, Wyo., '63 Corvette, 7.069, 193.99
TOP DRAGSTER
Clarence Mayo, Manly, Iowa, dragster, 7.194, 183.49 def. Andy
Nicholson, Waterloo, Iowa, dragster,
7.612, 172.92
