NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series-Sunday from Bandimere Speedway

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - WEST CENTRAL DIVISION

BANDIMERE SPEEDWAY, MORRISON, COLO.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Contact: Jerrie Foss, NHRA (626) 278-1956

 

WHITELEY, BATEMAN CLAIM WINS AT BANDIMERE SPEEDWAY'S LUCAS OIL SERIES EVENT

 

            MORRISON, Colo. (June 21, 2009) - The Grease Monkey Thunder on
the Mountain event, a round of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at
Bandimere Speedway, is in the books.  Grand Junction, Colo., racer Jim
Whiteley took his Top Alcohol Dragster to the winner's circle for the second
time in two weeks and Roger Bateman, Winnipeg, Manit., won his second Top
Alcohol Funny Car title of the season.

            Whiteley was the event's No. 1 Top Alcohol Dragster qualifier
and due to a short field of cars, there were only two rounds of eliminations
instead of three. However, Whiteley more than earned the win when he ousted
Denver's Eugene Tumbarello in the first round and then laid down a
5.580-second, 259.26 mph pass to beat Ed Schmeeckle of Gothenburg, Neb., in
the final.  Schmeeckle ran 5.649 seconds at 252.85 mph in his first
final-round appearance of the year.

            Bateman was also the No. 1 qualifier in his class.  In the
opening round of eliminations he jettisoned Robert Kanenwisher of Conifer,
Colo., and he had a bye into the final.  In the final Bateman laid down a
5.854-second, 244.38 mph pass which was enough to beat veteran racer Vern
Moats of Des Moines, Iowa, who ran 5.937 seconds at 243.37 mph.

            In Comp Eliminator, Dennis Smiley of Denver City, Texas, scored
the win over Matthew Harris, Nebraska City, Neb., and Super Stock racer
David Bogner, Kearney, Neb., wheeled his '92 Daytona to the win, beating
Justin Jenkins, Beatrice, Neb., in his '09 Cobalt.  The win in Stock
Eliminator went to Dic Geary, Broomfield, Colo., when he dispensed with
Golden's Brad Burton in the final.  Michael Miller, Sante Fe, N.M., won in
Super Comp, beating out another Golden resident, Troy Grant.  Bob Fuller,
Rogers, Ark., scored the Super Gas title over Bill Cawsey, Regina, Sask.,
and in Super Street Arvada's Tim Schell took his '75 Duster to the winner's
circle, beating Littleton racer Brian Wagner in his '74 Nova.  Henderson,
Nev., racer Brad Wagner beat Joshua Vettel, Phillips, Neb., for the Top
Sportsman win and Steve Johnson of Arvada grabbed the win in Top Dragster
over David Oenes of Henderson, Colo.  In Sportsman Motorcycle presented by
Harley Davidson, Ken Niesen, Brooklyn Park, Minn., rode to the win over Tom
Gilligan of Freemont, Neb.

            NHRA West Central division racers head back to Great Bend, Kan.,
for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, June 27.  Racers will
be completing the event that rained out in April.

 

The following are the final results from the Grease Monkey Thunder on the
Mountain event at Bandimere Speedway:

 

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

Round 1 

1) Jim Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., 5.775, 254.28 def. 4) Eugene
Tumbarello, Denver, 5.899, 223.58

3) Edwin Schmeeckle, Gothenburg, Neb., 5.602, 257.83 def. 2) Richard Putz,
Earlville, Iowa, 5.612, 252.10

 

Final

Whiteley, 5.580, 259.26 def. Schmeeckle, 5.649, 252.85 

 

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR

Round 1

1) Roger Bateman, Winnipeg, Manit., '09 Mustang, 5.858, 243.41 def. 6)
Robert Kanenwisher, Conifer, Colo., '04 Camaro, 6.217, 231.75

2) Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, '04 Camaro, 5.905, 241.28 def. 5) Lance
Van Hauen, Reinbeck, Iowa, '02 Firebird, 6.095, 234.49

3) Vern Moats, Des Moines, Iowa, '09 Mustang, 5.928, 245.09 def. 4) Paul
Anderson, Firestone, Colo., '03 Camaro, 6.031, 238.55

 

Semifinals

Moats, 5.887, 245.90 def. Williams, 5.959, 239.10 

Bateman, 5.862, 245.00 def. bye 

 

Final

Bateman, 5.854, 244.38 def. Moats, 5.937, 243.37

 

COMP ELIMINATOR

Dennis Smiley, Denver City, Texas, Spitzer, A/DA, 7.532, 131.61 def. Matthew
Harris, Nebraska City, Neb., '05 Grand Am, E/A, broke

 

SUPER STOCK

David Bogner, Kearney, Neb., '92 Daytona, SS/CS, 10.368, 129.83 def. Justin
Jenkins, Beatrice, Neb., '09 Cobalt, GT/DA, foul

 

STOCK ELIMINATOR

Dic Geary, Broomfield, Colo., '72 Camaro, H/SA, 12.409, 105.71 def. Brad
Burton, Golden, Colo., '72 Formula, E/SA, 11.596, 111.94

 

SUPER COMP

Michael Miller, Santa Fe, N.M., dragster, 9.518, 147.50 def. Troy Grant,
Golden, Colo., dragster, 9.534, 164.17

 

SUPER GAS

Bob Fuller, Rogers, Ark., '00 Corvette, 10.546, 152.54 def. Bill Cawsey,
Regina, Sask., '09 Mustang, foul

 

SUPER STREET

Tim Schell, Arvada, Colo., '75 Duster, 11.515, 118.83 def. Brian Wagner,
Littleton, Colo., '74 Nova, 11.528, 123.02

 

TOP SPORTSMAN

Brad Wagner, Henderson, Nev., '97 Cutlass, 7.402, 184.50 def. Joshua Vettel,
Phillips, Neb., '04 Stratus, 7.250, 190.83

 

TOP DRAGSTER

Steve Johnson, Arvada, Colo., dragster, 6.839, 184.70 def. David Oenes,
Henderson, Colo., dragster, 6.790, 200.83

 

SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE

Ken Niesen, Brooklyn Park, Minn., '85 Suzuki, 10.763, 121.21 def. Tom
Gilligan, Fremont, Neb., '00 Kawasaki, foul

 

 

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