Newberry Clinches NHRA Lucas Oil National Title with a Trip Down South

REYNOLDS, Ga. - Bob Newberry took the win in Top Alcohol Funny Car at Silver Dollar Raceway and locked up the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol Funny Car National Championship. The now, 3-time National Champion from Schenectady, N.Y., choose to head down to the NHRA Southeast Division and race outside his home division which proved to be the right decision as he ran 5.70’s (seconds) all day taking the win over Mark Billington with a run of 5.761 seconds at 250.02 mph.

Newberry's win, knocks former National Champion Frank Manzo out of contention for the Championship. Manzo is competing at Atco Raceway this weekend and trailed Newberry by 20 points going into this weekend's competition. Even if Manzo wins at Atco, he would only gain 5 points on Newberry.  The Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competitors score points at a set number of national and divisional events toward the national championship. West Coast runner Steve Gasparrelli can still earn points at next week's Lucas Oil event in Las Vegas and at the season ending Auto Club NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway. However, wins at both these events land him in a tie with Newberry with Newberry winning the tie-breaker of head to head competition during the season.

Mark Billington's final round appearance moves him into the lead for the Southeast Division Funny Car Championship over Jay Payne who was competing in the Pro Mod class at this weekend's PowerAde Drag Racing Series event.

Joining Newberry in the winner's circle was Richard Putz taking the win in Top Alcohol Dragster over Marty Thacker. Putz qualified No. 1 and saved his best run of the weekend for the final tripping the clocks at 5.500 seconds at 257.58 mph. Thacker had mechanical problems after his burnout and was forced to shut off leaving Putz unchallenged in the final.

Hugh Meeks increased his lead, and betted his run for the Super Stock National Championship with a final round win over Michael Tueffel. Meeks worked his way through the field and took home the trophy when Tueffel fouled at the staring line in the final.

Van Puckett of Monroe, Ga., knocked out Dick Maris in the final of Comp Eliminator with an 8.611 second pass at 136.61 mph while fellow Georgia racer and local favorite Larry Cox of Reynolds, Ga., drove his '67 Chevy II to victory over Matt Tankersly with a 10.887 second, 137.44 mph pass.

Also taking wins this weekend were Mickey Whaley over Woodro Josey in Stock; Ryan Bolin over Terry Cross in Super Gas; Todd Ewing over Jim Perry in Super Com; and Jimmy Fallon over Joe Endzelis in the TracStar Systems Satellites Top Sportsman Series.

Whaley's win in Stock should lock up the NHRA Southeast Division title for the Kinston, N.C., racer. The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Silver Dollar Raceway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:  ROUND 1 4) Jared Dreher, Clinton, Ind., 5.675, 250.97 def. 5) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 8.592, 110.00 3) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.582, 258.52 def. 6) Dick Garlets, Lowell, Ind., 5.755, 242.23 2) Guy Kelly, Wadley, Ala., 5.522, 258.47 def. 7) Don Fiorelli, Palm Bay, Fla., broke 1) Richard Putz, Earlville, Iowa, 5.504, 255.87 def. 9) Ray Hack, Valpraiso, Ind., 9.467, 92.56

SEMI-FINALS Thacker, 5.573, 259.21 def. Kelly, 13.070, 56.50  Putz, 5.451, 259.16 def. Dreher, foul

FINALS Putz, 5.500, 257.58 def. Thacker, broke

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:  ROUND 1 2) Mark Billington, Norcross, Ga., '01 Avenger, 5.871, 246.03 def. 7) Brian Greer, Warner Robins, Ga., '04 Alero, 14.613, 42.72 4) Monty Todd, Montgomery, Ala., '02 Camaro, 6.099, 231.32 def. 5) Brian Grisham, Chicago, Ill., '92 Probe, 6.289, 216.38 3) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '02 Camaro, 5.954, 243.28 def. 6) Steve Franke, Indianapolis, Ind., '98 Lumina, 7.414, 185.21 1) Bob Newberry, Schenectady, N.Y., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.751, 250.69 def. 8) John Sullivan, Montgomery, Ala., '03 Firehawk, 6.166, 227.04

SEMI-FINALS Billington, 5.879, 245.63 def. Ferro, 5.942, 245.09  Newberry, 5.769, 251.02 def. Todd, broke

FINALS Newberry, 5.761, 250.23 def. Billington, 7.776, 120.46

COMP ELIMINATOR Van Puckett, Monroe, Ga., '04 Cavalier, G/AA, 8.611, 136.61 def. Dick Maris, Valrico, Fla., dragster, C/D, 7.069, 183.64.

SUPER STOCK Hugh Meeks III, Montgomery, Ala., '93 Achieva, GT/AA, 10.353, 93.37 def. Michael Tueffel, Greensboro, N.C., '98 Grand Am, SS/BM, broke.

STOCK ELIMINATOR Mickey Whaley, Kinston, N.C., '69 Camaro, D/SA, 11.060, 111.96 def. Woodro Josey, Byron, Ga., '98 Firebird, B/FIA, 10.762, 115.09.

SUPER COMP Todd Ewing, Cullman, Ala., dragster, 8.913, 159.66 def. Jim Perry, Orlando, Fla., dragster, 8.868, 175.34.

SUPER GAS Ryan Bolin, Wilmington, Ill., '93 Mustang, 9.927, 137.34 def. Terry Cross, Brunswick, Ga., '66 Chevy II, 9.893, 139.44.

SUPER STREET Larry Cox, Reynolds, Ga., '67 Chevy II, 10.887, 137.44 def. Matt Tankersly, Prospect, Tenn., '70 GTO, 10.871, 135.28.

TOP SPORTSMAN Jimmy Fallon, Hamilton, Ohio, '63 Corvette, 7.363, 186.85 def. Joe Endzelis, Riverton, Ill., '01 Camaro, 7.499, 180.19.