By JM Hallas
Marble Falls, Tx. (Aug. 9, 2015) With two days of qualifying in the books, it was time for Sunday eliminations at the 24th Annual Lakefest with the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series. So far this weekend has been clean of incidents with the exception of some broken parts and pieces. Hopefully the final day can run as smooth as the previous two.
Final eliminations should be anyone’s chance after none of Friday’s fast qualifiers in the Pro Classes survived on Saturday and only half of the Sportsman class leaders from Friday were still number one after Saturday.
At the end of Saturday qualifying it was Scotty Lumbert (Top Fuel Hydro), Mike DeClark (Top Alcohol Hydro), Randy Ball (Top Alcohol Flat), Jim Richards (Pro Outlaw) and Shawn Reed (Pro Modified) holding on to the top qualifying spots in the Pro Classes.
Ronnie Hodge (Quick), Shelby Ebert (Pro), GW Goff (Top), Greg Carr (Modified), Steve Walls (Stock), Michael Ratliff (River Racer), Becky Sternadel (PWC1) and Cole Tutle (PWC2) finished their qualifying at the head of the class.
After a clean and safe first two days during qualifying, Sunday’s eliminators had two major incidents. In Top Fuel Hydro, Mike Fry crashed hard at the top end destroying his boat. The capsule was quickly retrieved by safety crews and Fry was Care Flighted to an Austin area hospital.
Mike Babin, in his Pro Eliminator boat, got airborne and had the boat catch an edge, breaking apart. Babin was thrown clear of the wreck and was seen swimming towards the safety boat. He was taken in to a local hospital complaining of a leg injury. He returned to the pit area before the end of the day.
Lumbert Lengthens Points Lead
Scott Lumbert (near) and Tommy Rice launch off the line in Top Fuel Hydro round 1
Top qualifier and current points leader, Scott Lumbert in the MavTV, Spirit of Texas, Top Fuel Hydro had no trouble making it to the finals where he was paired with Friday’s top qualifier, Bryan Sanders in the General Tire, Nitrochondriac. Lumbert got a tenth on the lights then busted off a 3.582 @ 256.323 pass against Sanders 3.723 @ 243.506.
Top Fuel Hydro
Round 1
Bryan Sanders, Nitrochondriac, 3.713 @ 237.567
Kyle Brawley, E3/Safety Kleen Whiskey River, 4.478 @ 166.704
Jarrett Silvey, Speed Sport Special, 3.781 @ 229.568
Todd Plate, Problem Child, 3.693 @ 223.547 (red)
Scott Lumbert, MavTV, Spirit of Texas, 3.501 @ 258.264
Tommy Rice, Liquid Voodoo, N/T broke off line
Round 2
Scott Lumbert, 3.588 @ 242.640
Bye
Bryan Sanders, 3.704 @ 233.499
Jarrett Silvey, 3,926 @ 201.721
Finals
Scott Lumbert, 3.582 @ 256.323
Bryan Sanders, 3.723 @ 243.506
Top Alcohol Hydro Tribute to Mike Fry R.I.P
Top Alcohol Hydro Steve Streeter (near) and Rick Allen tribute lap to Mike Fry
The final race of the weekend was supposed to pit Rick Allen, Total Kaos against Steve Streeter, Untouchable. After an emotional announcement it was turned into a tribute pass honoring Mike Fry who had succumbed to the injuries he received in his round 1 crash. Both drivers ran slowly, side by side, with capsules open in memory of their fallen friend. Fry had been extremely instrumental in reviving the failing Top Alcohol Hydro over the past year.
Top Alcohol Hydro
Round 1
Rick Allen, Total Kaos, 5.410 @ 104.573
Mike DeClark, Little White Lie, N/T crossed center markers.
Steve Streeter, Untouchable, 4.510 @ 195.925
Mike Fry, Mean Streak II, 4.526 @ 162.725
Finals
Steve Streeter, N/T
Rick Allen, N/T
Ball a Beast in Top Alcohol Flat
Randy Ball gets the nose of his Top Alcohol Flat out of the water
After setting a new ET record in Saturday qualifying, Randy Ball, The Oklahoman had only one thing left to complete the weekend, taking a win. Ball and Don Bausher, Habit Forming squared off in the finals with Ball laying down another big number. Ball and Bausher had nearly identical reaction times, but it was Ball putting up a 5.041 @ 162.338 to Bausher’s 5.207 @ 149.522. Ball’s 5.041 couldn’t be backed up by his previous 5.111 which will stand as the record.
Top Alcohol Flat
Round 1
Randy Ball, The Oklahoman, 5.379 @ 150.180
Bye
Bill Miller, Party to the Max, 5.421 @ 154.959
Ronnie Hayes, Flying Dutchman, 5.618 @ 147.261
Don Bausher, Habit Forming, 5.201 @ 161.568
Bill Diez, War Party, N/T broke off line
Round 2
Don Bausher, 5.241 @ 159.303
Bye
Randy Ball, 5.379 @ 150.180
Bill Miller, 5.397 @ 147.162
Finals
Randy Ball, 5.041 @ 162.338
Don Bausher, 5.207 @ 149.522
Richards Run Tops in Pro Outlaw
Jim Richards (far) and Lee Warren side by side in Pro Outlaw finals
Number one qualifier, Jim Richards, Alka Hauler went up against number three man, Lee Warren, Say When. Warren had only 9/1000th advantage on the tree, but Richards, 5.466 @ 153.909, drove around Warren, 5.494 @ 165.089, edging him out by 28/1000th.
Pro Outlaw (5.40)
Round 1
Jim Richards, Alka Hauler, 5.350 @ 173.050
Bye
Tommy Thompson, 5.434 @ 150.180 (hole shot)
Shannon Beal, Spilt Decision 3, 5.375 @ 165.893
Gus Ward, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, 5.515 @ 143.239 (hole shot)
Travis Tutle, Short Fuse, 5.452 @ 166.704
Lee Warren, Say When, 5.535 @ 156.022
Terry Kain, Racing Kain, N/T broke off line
Round 2
Lee Warren, 5.386 @ 166.297 (hole shot)
Gus Ward, 5.373 @ 143,239
Jim Richards, 5.418 @ 156.740
Tommy Thompson, 5.463 @ 157.464
Finals
Jim Richards, 5.466 @ 153.909
Lee Warren, 5.494 @ 165.089
Lamb Lands in Pro Modified Winners Circle
Mike Lamb (far) gets up on launch against Randy Benson in Pro Mod finals
Mike Lamb, Just One More, used consistent 7.0 runs on his way into the finals to face Randy Benson, Texas Bounty Hunter. Lamb again put down a 7.0 run to catch Benson at stripe and take the win with a 7.044 @ 161.002 to Benson’s 7.127 @ 171.429.
Pro Modifieds (7.00)
Round 1
Shawn Reed, Top Secret, 6.953 @ 175.781
Bye
Casey Beal, Another Split Decision, 6.993 @ 172.084
Marty Logan, Livin’ Tha’ Dream, 6.973 @ 167.286
Tyler Speer, Climax, 6.993 @ 169.173
Chris Armstrong, Alcohol Dependent, 6.985 @ 167.589
Mike Lamb, Just One More, 7.079 @ 159.574
Chris Bean, Team Sound Design, DNR
Jacob Schneider, Blown Crazy Too, 7.020 @ 168.856
Jimmy Booher, Fist Full of Dollars, 7.175 @ 144.462
Randy Benson, Texas Bounty Hunter, 6.974 @ 172.084
Doug Maderer, Outta Reach, 6.928 @ 178.218
Mickey Snider, Top Gun, 7.087 @ 142.405 (hole shot)
Travis Tutle, Short Fuse, 7.069 @ 172.414
Round 2
Mickey Snider, N/T
Bye
Randy Benson, 7.022 @ 170.788
Jacob Schneider, 7.034 @ 171.103
Casey Beal, 7.141 @ 169.492
Shawn Reed, 6.991 @ 169.811
Mike Lamb, 7.044 @ 164.324
Tyler Speer, 6.994 @ 171.429
Round 3
Randy Benson, 7.049 @ 172.745
Mickey Snider, DNR
Mike Lamb, 7.060 @ 162.455
Casey Beal, 6.988 @ 173.745
Finals
Mike Lamb, 7.044 @ 161.002
Randy Benson, 7.127 @ 171.429
Sportsman Finals
Quick Eliminator (6.00)
Jeff LeBlanc, Blown Crazy, used a huge hole shot in the Quick Eliminator finals to get past local Favorite, Ronnie Hodge, Ripsaw. Leblanc cut a .025 light to get over a tenth advantage on Hodge. Hodge ran a better elapsed time, but couldn’t catch LeBlanc at the line.
Jeff LeBlanc, 6.099 @ 131.625 defeats Ronnie Hodge, 6.035 @ 133.168
Pro Eliminator (8.00)
In Pro Eliminator, Shelby Ebert, Can’t Touch This, got the advantage off the line then ran better numbers to take the win over Gary Payne, National Debt VII.
Shelby Ebert, 8.050 @ 148.026 defeats Gary Payne, 8.101 @ 143.084
Top Eliminator (9.00)
Frank Carter, Flat Flyin, took home the honors in Top Eliminator after Sambo Smith, Crapshooter, ran under the index, breaking out.
Frank Carter, 9.076 @ 107.143 defeats Sambo Smith, 8.968 @ 101.237(broke out)
Modified Eliminator (10.00)
Modified Eliminator was determined at the tree with Thurl Howard, Gone Ballistic, sleeping on the starting line. Brent Riley’s, Payton Me Crazy, had a less than great light, but Howard had a .511 reaction time giving Riley over two tenths on green.
Brent Riley, 10.230 @ 91.093 defeats Thurl Howard, 10.172 @ 104.287
Stock Eliminator (11.00)
Paul Hodges, Banana Spit, got the Stock Eliminator victory on the big end after Steve Walls, Sotally Tober broke out. Hodges would have been tough to beat anyway running a 11.017 on the 11.00 index.
Paul Hodges, 11.017 @ 90.000 defeats Steve Walls, 10.955 @ 90.543
River Racer (12.00+ dial in)
The River Racer finals saw Kody Bryant give away the win to Tyler Boehme, The Slippery Pickle, going red by .049.
Tyler Boehme, 12.237 @ 82.192 defeats Kody Bryant, 12.285 @ 81.448(red)
PWC1 (dial in)
Becky Sternadel, Nuff Said, was on the money all weekend throughout qualifying, and the finals were no different. B. Sternadel left one the kids on line with a .051 light, than ran closer to her dial in than PJ Sternadel, Whita Maker.
Becky Sternadel, 13.503 @70.478 defeats PJ Sternadel, 12.841 @ 73.409
PWC2 (dial in)
It was another Sternadel finding the Winners Circle in PWC 2 with Dakota Strernadel getting the victory over Nate Stephenson.
Dakota Sternadel, 16.244 @ 56.782 defeats Nate Stephenson, 17.519 @ 53.763
