CHAMPIONS CROWNED IN VEGAS
LAS VEGAS – The 2017 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series concluded its final regional event Sunday night at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, as champions celebrated with their teams in winner’s circle.
Several World championships were clinched this weekend along with all the 2017 NHRA Lucas Oil Divisional and Regional Championships. After clinching the 2017 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Super Stock World championship at the recent Toyota NHRA Nationals, Justin Lamb, Henderson, Nev., clinched the Stock World championship to become just the third driver in NHRA history to win two world championships in the same season. Austin Williams, Burleson, Texas, locked up the Super Comp World championship, and Lynn Ellison, Central City, Ky., captured the 2017 Top Dragster presented by Racing RV’s World championship
Top Alcohol Dragster rivals Shawn Cowie, Surrey, B.C., and Joey Severance, Woodburn, Ore., squared off for the last regional event of the season. Severance cut a great light (.019 second reaction time) but lost traction at the beginning of the run. Cowie took the lead running 5.260 seconds, 273.66 mph to earn his 21st divisional Wally trophy and the 2017 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series West Regional title.
2017 Central Region Champion John Lombardo Jr., Brea, Calif., stuck to his winning ways in the Top Alcohol Funny Car final round. Lombardo left the starting line, Brian Hough, Junction City, Ore., lost traction, recovered but was unable to catch the California runner who scored a winning pass of 5.583 seconds, 267.32 mph. Hough followed with a runner-up pass of 5.719 seconds, 262.74 mph.
David Rampy, Piedmont, Ala., placed an exclamation point on his 2017 championship season by defeating Frank Aragona, Freehold, N.J., in the final round of Comp Eliminator. Aragona triggered a great light (.007 second) running 7.590 seconds, 158.06 mph. However, Rampy recovered and went around Aragona peaking at 7.462 seconds, 159.85 mph.
Ryan Mangus brought two divisional Wally’s back to his home in Rialto, Calif., doubling up in Stock and Super Comp. In the Stock final round, Magnus gave ground to Mike McMahan, Port Charlotte, Fla., but was able to outlast him for the double breakout victory. Magnus repeated his double breakout performance in Super Comp against Gary Wamboldt, Arvada, Colo., running 9.043 seconds, 160.06 mph.
In the Top Sportsman final round, Daryl Emley, Burley, Wash., ran 7.149 seconds, 196.27 mph to outpace Joe Roubicek, Camarillo, Calif., for the victory. Roubicek runner-upped at 6.703 seconds, 206.67 mph. Northern Californians faced off in the final round of Top Dragster. John Richardson of Santa Clarita took a strong lead, powering his dragster down the strip at 6.144 seconds, 222.58 mph to eliminate Kyle Seipel of Pleasanton, who came in second at 6.874 seconds, 196.93 mph.
The other drivers visiting the winner’s circle were Jimmy DeFrank in Super Stock, Casey Plaizier in Super Gas, Tod Simms in Super Street, and Rick Newport in Sportsman Motorcycle.
The following are Sunday’s final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Pacific Division event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:
Round 1
5) Alex Laughlin, Bluff Dale, Texas, 5.418, 258.71 def. 4) Julie Nataas, Santa Barabara, Calif., 5.321, 264.29;
2) Joey Severance, Woodburn, Ore., 5.265, 272.78 def. 7) Fred Hanssen, Afjord, Norway, 5.429, 238.81;
1) Shawn Cowie, Surrey, B.C., 5.289, 271.13 def. 8) Jackie Fricke, Flemington, N.J., 10.020, 87.24;
6) Duane Shields, Boulder City, Nev., 5.447, 264.18 def. 3) Bill Litton, La Jolla, Calif., 5.530, 276.35;
Semi-finals
Severance, 5.271, 272.45 def. Shields, 5.344, 268.33
Cowie, 5.283, 272.12 def. Laughlin, 5.432, 259.96;
Finals
Cowie, 5.260, 273.66 def. Severance, 6.019, 179.83.
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
Round 1
6) Shane Westerfield, Anaheim, Calif., ’16 Camaro, 5.546, 265.06 def. 3) Annie Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., ’15 Camaro, 14.701, 57.87;
4) Brian Hough, Junction City, Ore., ’16 Camaro, 6.477, 254.23 def. 5) Ulf Leanders, Viksjofors, Sweden, ’17 Camaro, 6.774, 234.90;
2) John Lombardo Jr., Brea, Calif., ’16 Camaro, 5.678, 265.95 def. 7) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., ’14 Camaro, 10.770, 109.20;
1) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., ’15 Camaro, 5.478, 267.96 def. 8) Chris Marshall, McMinnville, Ore., ’17 Camaro, foul;
Semi-finals
Lombardo Jr., 5.917, 234.57 def. Westerfield, 13.993, 78.64
Hough, 5.545, 265.17 def. Gordon, 5.964, 264.49;
Finals
Lombardo Jr., 5.583, 267.32 def. Hough, 5.719, 262.74.
COMP ELIMINATOR
David Rampy, Piedmont, Ala., ’32 Bantam, A/EA, 7.462, 159.85 def. Frank Aragona, Freehold, N.J., N&P, E/DA, 7.590, 158.06.
SUPER STOCK
Jimmy DeFrank, Thousand Oaks, Calif., ’10 Cobalt, SS/CM, 9.357, 121.61 def. Jason DeForrest, Andover, Minn., ’05 Cavalier, GT/EA, 10.380, 102.58.
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Ryan Mangus, Rialto, Calif., ’70 Camaro, E/SA, 10.949, 115.47 def. Mike McMahan, Port Charlotte, Fla., ’71 Corvette, H/SA, 11.579, 113.87.
SUPER COMP
Ryan Mangus, Rialto, Calif., dragster, 9.043, 160.06 def. Gary Wamboldt, Arvada, Colo., dragster, 9.009, 167.03.
SUPER GAS
Casey Plaizier, Edmonton, Alb., ’63 Corvette, 10.065, 145.96 def. Bradley Johnson, Morrison, Colo., ’67 Camaro, 10.040, 159.93.
SUPER STREET
Todd Sims, Puyallup, Wash., ’66 Nova, 11.057, 132.02 def. Trey Vetter, Henderson, Nev., ’77 Nova, 11.047, 128.32.
SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
Rick Newport, Bluffdale, Utah, ’95 Suzuki, 8.439, 157.26 def. Denny Alves, El Cerrito, Calif., ’83 GS, 9.885, 132.37.
TOP SPORTSMAN
Daryl Hemley, Burley, Wash., ’02 Cavalier, 7.149, 196.27 def. Joe Roubicek, Camarillo, Calif., ’68 Camaro, 6.703, 206.67.
TOP DRAGSTER
John Richardson, Santa Clarita, Calif., dragster, 6.144, 222.58 def. Kyle Seipel, Pleasanton, Calif., dragster, 6.874, 196.93.
