Lakefest 2014 Final Elimination Results

Lakefest 2014 at Lake Marble Falls, August 8-10, 2014

By JM Hallas

Marble Falls, TX. (Aug. 10th, 2014) With qualifying done and the ladders set, the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series began eliminations in all the Pro and Sportsman classes on Sunday. The top drivers in each of the Pro classes looked to use their number one ranking to their advantage.(Top Fuel Hydro, Scotty Lumbert, Randy Ball, Top Alcohol Flat Bottom and Marty Logan, Pro Mod)

After an event filled round one of qualifying Saturday, Sunday’s first round looked like a carbon copy as the the Top Alcohol Flat Bottoms came up for round one. The second pair up was Chuck Hartsfield’s Son of Speed against multi-time class champ, Tony Scarlatta, Shazam.

As both boats fired up, Hartsfield’s lurched forward with the starting rope getting hung on the wing end plate. As the rope recoiled, it swamped the back of the boat and sent it down. As the boat went nose up, Hartsfield turned on his capsule air supply and was alright, but upset, after divers freed him. Scarlatta coasted through the starting beams for the win.

Sanders Sneaks By with Top Fuel Hydro Win

Eliminations didn’t go well for the top qualifiers, but it gave Bryan Sanders, Nitrochondriac and Jeff Gregory, E3/Safety Kleen (fourth and fifth) the chance to run for the win from the bottom of the bracket. Sanders got the jump off the start by a tenth, but his boat sputtered with Gregory going by at mid-track. Gregory had his own problems and slowed, with Sanders sneaking past at the line for victory.

Top Fuel Hydro Eliminations

Finals

Bryan Sanders, Nitrochondriac, 4.337 @ 221.370

Jeff Gregory, E3/Safety Kleen, 4.261 @ 157.101

Round 2

Bryan Sanders, Nitrochondriac

Bye

Jeff Gregory, E3/Safety Kleen, 3.871 @ 238.398

Scotty Lumbert, Spirit of Texas, N/T

Round 1

Scotty Lumbert, Spirit of Texas

Bye

Bryan Sanders, Nitrochondriac, 3.799 @ 227.273

Daryl Ehrlich, Problem Child, 5.012 @ 114.016

Jeff Gregory, E3/Safety Kleen, 3.906 @ 235.110

Glen Wilson, Toxic Rocket, 4.540 @ 146.000

Ball Best All Weekend for Flat Bottom Sweep

Randy Ball, The Oklahoman, swept the Top Alcohol Flat Bottoms after taking the pole in qualifying Saturday and following it up with a finals win over Bill Miller, Party to the Max. But it wasn’t without some excitement along the way.

As Ball launched it double jumped and was still airborne going past the starting buoy. As the boat landed it nearly clipped a lane marker and went down the track almost sideways. Miller, who saw Ball having problems, coasted through the top end hoping Ball had a lane disqualification, which he didn’t.

Top Alcohol Flat Bottom Eliminations

Finals

Randy Ball, The Oklahoman, 7.269 @ 136.637

Bill Miller, Party to the Max, 13.857 @ 52.488

Round 2

Randy Ball, The Oklahoman, 6.009 @ 99.390

Bye

Bill Miller, Party to the Max, 20.849 @ 34.822

Tony Scarlatta, Shazam, 5.299 @ 159.303 (Red light)

Round 1

Bill Miller, Party to the Max, 5.929 @ 95.896

Mike Martin, Dazed and Confused, 6.361 @ 121.526

Chuck Hartsfield, Sons of Speed, N/T (sank on line)

Tony Scarlatta, Shazam, N/T

Randy Ball, The Oklahoman, 5.292 @ 151.853

Don Bausher, Habit Forming, 5.646 @ 147.900

Logan Outlasts Stout Pro Mod Field

Marty Logan, Livin’ Tha Dream, had the best boat all weekend and it showed as he made his way through the 19-car field to the finals against Randy Benson in Texas Bounty Hunter. Benson tried to jump Logan on the start but went red handing the victory to Logan, who outran the index on the top end.

Pro Modified (7.00)

Finals

Marty Logan, Livin’ Tha Dream, 6.996 @ 174.757

Randy Benson, Texas Bounty Hunter, 7.194 @ 167.900 (Red light)

Round 4

Marty Logan, Livin’ Tha Dream, 6.998 @ 176.817

Tim Ortiz, Empty Pockets, 7.110 @ 168.224 (Red light)

Randy Benson, Texas Bounty Hunter

Bye

Round 3

Tim Ortiz, Empty Pockets, 7.012 @ 169.811

Shawn Reed, Top Secret, 7.076 @ 170.132

Randy Benson, Texas Bounty Hunter, 7.031 @ 168.856

Rick Allen, Total Kaos, 7.095 @ 162.162

Marty Logan, Livin’ Tha Dream, 6.970 @ 174.081

Bye

Round 2

Tim Ortiz, Empty Pockets, 8.341 @ 99.668

Terry Kain, Razing Kain, 7.226 @ 155.172 (Red light)

Randy Benson, Texas Bounty Hunter, 7.692 @ 121.131

Reagan Everett, Alcohol Dependent, 7.851 @ 100.559

Marty Logan, Livin’ Tha Dream, 7.005 @ 173.077

Shannon Beal, Split Decision 2, 6.966 @ 164.234 (Broke out)

Shawn Reed, Top Secret, 7.114 @ 162.455

Kyle Brawley, Wild Child, 7.234 @ 164.234

Rick Allen, Total Kaos, 7.035 @ 161.580

Travis Tuttle, Short Fuse, 7.066 @ 169.173

Round 1

Terry Kain, Razing Kain

Bye (Mickey Snider, Top Gun failed to show)

Tim Ortiz, Empty Pockets, 7.019 @ 167.910

Todd MacAnally, Mayhem, 6.544 @ 182.566 (Broke out)

Shawn Reed, Top Secret, 7.015 @ 170.132

Tommy Thompson, For a Few Dollars More, 7.037 @ 170.132

Travis Tuttle, Short Fuse, 7.069 @ 169.811

Rick Blethroade, Wild Thing, 7.880 @ 157.342

Kyle Brawley, Wild Child, 7.072 @ 167.910

Chad Cupit, Warpath, 6.975 @ 170.778 (Broke out)

Reagan Everett, Alcohol Dependent, 7.082 @ 164.835

Jim Richards, Alka-Hauler, 7.097 @ 169.173

Randy Benson, Texas Bounty Hunter, 7.170 @ 172.084

Kevin Helm, The Woody, 6.960 @ 165.138 (Broke out)

Rick Allen, Total Kaos, 7.011 @ 154.374

Lee Warren, Say When, N/T

Marty Logan, Livin’ Tha Dream, 7.074 @ 158.451

Robert Leas, Desperado, 7.162 @ 175.097

Shannon Beal, Split Decision 2, 7.027 @ 164.835

Jimmy Booher, Hillbilly Xpress, 7.080 @ 168.539

Pro Outlaw (5.50)

The Pro Outlaw class is basically a second chance race for the Pro Mod round one losers, run to 1,000′. Chad Cupit, Warpath, threw away a near perfect 5.516 going red by .137 handing the win to Jim Richards, Alka-Hauler.

Jim Richards, Alka-Hauler, 5.617 @ 167.464

Chad Cupit, Warpath, 5.516 @ 163.514 (Red light)

Quick Eliminator (6.00)

Tyler Tuttle, Lucas Oil Texas Outrigger, got the jump on David Cooper from the start and never looked back taking the victory.

Tyler Tuttle, Lucas Oil Texas Outrigger, 6.043 @ 152.532

David Cooper, Gambler, 6.397 @ 110.658

Pro Eliminator (8.00)

Joe McIntyre, Hydro Commando had a slight advantage at the start then held on to edge out James Salesberry by .0240 at the stripe.

Joe McIntyre, Hydro Commando, 8.069 @ 131.387

James Salesberry, 8.090 @ 132.158

Top Eliminator (9.00)

Top qualifier Sambo Smith, Crapshooter didn’t need much help, but GW Goff gave it to him anyway going red at the start by .048.

Sambo Smith, Crapshooter, 9.189 @ 91.650

GW Goff, Blurred Lines, 9.040 @ 109.622 (Red light)

Modified Eliminator (10.00)

Johnny Lackey, Redneck Foreplay got a hundredth at the start then inched away to beat Kenneth Tullar by .076.

Johnny Lackey, Redneck Foreplay, 10.041 @ 106.509

Kenneth Tullar, High-n-Dry, 10.106 @ 103.211

Stock Eliminator (11.00)

Brian Winslet, Flat Fancy gave Hoppy Harris, Livin’ Large, the win early when he went .078 red.

Hoppy Harris, Livin’ Large, 11.118 @ 90.909

Brian Winslet, Flat Fancy, 11.150 @ 83.256

River Racer

It was two outboards in the River Racer finals with top qualifier, Denise Hodges, Aquatic Therapy, holding serve. Hodges was a hundredth behind on the start, but drove around Mike Carter, Long Shot to win by .204.

Denise Hodges, Aquatic Therapy, 12.451 @ 84.826

Mike Carter, Long Shot, 12.668 @ 89.109

PWC1

It was son versus mother in the Personal Watercraft 1 finals with PJ Sternadel, Whita Maker, finally returning a whipping from his mom, Becky Sternadel, Nuff Said, PJ hit a .041 light getting a little more than three tenth in the bank then held on to win by only .074 at the stripe.

PJ Sternadel, Whita Maker, 12.949 @ 67.771

Becky Strenadel, Nuff Said, 13.507 @ 70.367

PWC2

Two young friends paired off in the Personal Watercraft 2 finals with Kevin Walton, Water Warrior and Dakota Sternadel in a double break out run. Walton was the lesser of the offenders to take the win.

Kevin Walton, Water Warrior, 17.476 @ 53.412

Dakota Sternadel, Ghost Rider, 16.066 @ 58.480 (Broke out)

Last Chance

It was David versus Goliath in the 2nd Chance finals with JJ Sternadel on his jet ski going against River Racer, Tyler Boehme who gave up almost four seconds on the dial-in. Boehme was a wee bit early going red by a mere .002 (two thousandths!) giving the win the Sternadel.

JJ Sternadel, Water Bender, 16.202 @ 59.016

Tyler Boehme, Slippery Pickle, 12.375 @ 82.192 (Red light)

Photos:

1) Chuck Hartsfield Top Alcohol Flat Bottom sinks after getting swamped on the starting rope. Driver was alright in the capsule with his air supply until divers freed him
2) Bryan Sanders (far lane) gets air on launch in finals against Jeff Gregory
3) Randy Ball picked the nose up in Top Alcohol Flat Bottom eliminations
4) Marty Logan takes a quiet moment to reflect before his Pro Mod finals