SEVERANCE, WHITELEY WIN; FATHER-SON SHARE WINNER’S CIRCLE
WOODBURN, Ore. – Joey Severance and Annie Whiteley raced to wins this past weekend at Woodburn Dragstrip for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series while Jeff and Jake Havens shared the winner’s circle in a family celebration.
Local racer Severance, Woodburn, Ore., dominated the Top Alcohol Dragster field qualifying No. 1 and running low elapsed time in each round of eliminations, taking home his 19th win. Severance ran a 5.387 and a 5.397 in rounds one and two before his 5.368 second lap to defeat Shawn Cowie of Surrey, B.C., in the final. Cowie was out first but slowed allowing Severance, who recently won the 2015 JEGS Allstars, to streak by for the win.
Whiteley, out of Grand Junction, Colo., also qualified No. 1 and ousted Chris Marshall and Shane Westerfield on her way to the final to face Jirka Kaplan who beat out Sean Bellemeur and Doug Gordon in rounds one and two. Whiteley had the dominate car of the weekend recording a 5.690 second pass at 262.77 mph to Kaplan’s 5.764, 256.84 for her 10th win.
Jeff Havens led a list of first time winners including his son Jake as both took home wins and the coveted NHRA Wally trophy. Jeff, Yakima, Wash., took the easy win in the Rig Rentals Top Dragster class when Stewart Koch, Mountain View, Calif., left early with a red-light foul start. Jeff ran it out to post a 7.137 second, 188.28 mph lap for the win. Moments earlier, it was Jake with a stellar .005 second reaction time and a run of 8.063, 152.80 for his first win in the Sportsman Motorcycle Series presented by Harley-Davidson. Jake, Edmonds, Wash., knocked out Don DePeel, Gladstone, Ore., who was looking for his first career win.
Other racers winning for the first time were Shawn Blair in Super Stock, Curt Geise in Super Gas and Danny Wargnier in the RH Racecars Top Sportsman. Blair, Sumas, Wash., used a .009 second reaction time to win with his ’68 Dart over Rick McKinney, Richmond, B.C. Geise, Auburn, Wash., and David Biancalana, Springfield, Ore., were identical off the line before Geise pulled ahead for the win in 10.018 seconds, 147.71 mph. Wargnier, Keizer, Ore., put his ’08 GTO in the winner’s circle running 7.673 at 180.07 mph when Jake Neibauer, Billings, Mont., broke out in his ’63 Corvette.
Rounding out the list of Lucas Oil Series winners were Dale Giroux, Canyon Creek, Alb., who won for the first time since 2008 as he ended Dan Barton’s day in Comp Eliminator; Brad Burton, Snohomish, Wash., out ran Dave Flett in Stock; Mike Shannon, Kelowna, B.C., held on for the win in Super Comp; and Justin Sibley, Puyallup, Wash., ousted Dwight Downing in Super Street.
Running in conjunction with the event was the division’s Summit Racing Series Super Pro and Pro classes as Dan Provost and Dave Jung captured the wins. Provost, Abbotsford, B.C., won over Sallie Sylvester, Clackamas, Ore., in Super Pro and Jung defeated Randy Shipley in Pro.
In the Super Shootout specialty events, Ed Hauter won in Super Comp; Ken Heard took the trophy in Super Gas; and Otto Schulte won with his ’64 Falcon in Super Street.
Northwest Division racers head to Pacific Raceways where they will meet up with the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and the NHRA Northwest Nationals August 7-9.
The following are final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Northwest Division event at Woodburn Dragstrip:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:
Round 1
5) Kim Parker, Graham, Wash., 5.604, 251.11 def. 4) Garrett Bateman, Albany, Ore., 5.649, 266.58
2) Johnny Ahten, Santa Clarita, Calif., 5.544, 262.31 def. 7) Todd Swinford, Kinser, Ore., 5.695, 225.56
3) Shawn Cowie, Surrey, B.C., 5.447, 266.82 def. 6) Jeff Ashwell, Salem, Ore., 5.579, 258.62
1) Joey Severance, Woodburn, Ore., 5.387, 266.98 def. 8) Megan McKernan, Sierra Madre, Calif., 5.475, 268.25
Semifinals
Cowie, 5.503, 267.69 def. Ahten, 8.441, 101.89
Severance, 5.397, 267.14 def. Parker, broke
Final
Severance, 5.368, 269.05 def. Cowie, 7.656, 129.90
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
Round 1
1) Annie Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., ’15 Camaro, 5.601, 265.64 def. 8) Chris Marshall, McMinnville, Ore., ’06 Mustang, 6.147, 224.27
2) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., ’15 Camaro, 5.679, 260.79 def. 7) Clint Thompson, Klamath Falls, Ore., ’06 Monte Carlo, 13.817, 60.41
3) Jirka Kaplan, Calgary, Alb., ’09 Mustang, 5.678, 253.73 def. 6) Sean Bellemeur, Long Beach, Calif., ’12 Monte Carlo, 5.716, 257.06
5) Shane Westerfield, Anaheim, Calif., ’06 Monte Carlo, 5.717, 257.14 def. 4) Hannes Wernhart, Bakersfield, Calif., ’09 Mustang, 5.683, 252.66
Semifinals
Whiteley, 5.628, 263.69 def. Westerfield, 10.213, 85.85
Kaplan, 5.659, 258.62 def. Gordon, 5.826, 258.32
Final
Whiteley, 5.690, 262.77 def. Kaplan, 5.764, 256.84
COMP ELIMINATOR
Dale Giroux, Canyon Creek, Alb., ’14 Camaro, B/AA, 7.040, 183.56 def. Dan Barton, Post Falls, Idaho, ’05 Cavalier, F/SMA, 8.835, 154.90.
SUPER STOCK
Shawn Blair, Sumas, Wash., ’68 Dart, SS/JA, 10.444, 114.21 def. Rick McKinney, Richmond, B.C., ’84 Cutlass, SS/LA, foul.
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Brad Burton, Snohomish, Wash., ’72 Formula, D/SA, 10.989, 103.21 def. Dave Flett, Tillamook, Ore., ’67 Mustang, D/SA, 11.141, 118.96.
SUPER COMP
Mike Shannon, Kelowna, B.C., dragster, 8.914, 166.23 def. Allison McKoane, Clovis, Calif., dragster, 8.937, 174.38.
SUPER GAS
Curt Geise, Auburn, Wash., ’02 Firebird, 10.018, 147.71 def. David Biancalana, Springfield, Ore., ’70 Barracuda, 10.395, 155.06.
SUPER STREET
Justin Sibley, Puyallup, Wash., ’68 Camaro, 10.923, 120.20 def. Dwight Downing, Glendale, Ariz., ’79 Arrow, 10.884, 129.19.
TOP SPORTSMAN
Danny Wargnier, Keizer, Ore., ’08 GTO, 7.673, 180.07 def. Jake Neibauer, Billings, Mont., ’63 Corvette, 7.010, 193.84.
TOP DRAGSTER
Jeff Havens, Yakima, Wash., dragster, 7.137, 188.28 def. Stewart Koch, Mountain View, Calif., dragster, foul.
SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE PRESENTED BY HARLEY-DAVIDSON
Jake Havens, Edmonds, Wash., ’95 Suzuki, 8.063, 152.80 def. Don DePeel, Gladstone, Ore., ’74 Kawasaki, 8.608, 149.82.
SUPER PRO
Dan Provost, Abbotsford, B.C., dragster, 7.063, 178.60 def. Sallie Sylvester, Clackamas, Ore., ’08 Parker, 7.295, 187.30.
PRO
Dave Jung, Surrey, B.C., ’81 Malibu, 12.489, 96.90 def. Randy Shipley, , , ’88 Rx-7, 9.769, 140.66.
SUPER COMP SHOOTOUT
Ed Hauter, Lynnwood, Wash., dragster, 8.947, 154.00 def. Garrett Quinlan, Nampa, Idaho, dragster, 8.877, 178.18.
SUPER GAS SHOOTOUT
Ken Heard, Ridgefield, Wash., ’86 Mustang, 9.888, 158.31 def. Ross Childers, Gladstone, Ore., ’84 Thunderbird, 9.871, 153.68.
SUPER STREET SHOOTOUT
Otto Schulte, Black Creek, B.C., ’64 Falcon, 10.862, 133.09 def. Steve Reynolds, Nampa, Idaho, ’71 Nova, 10.845, 135.89.
