TALIAFERRO AND FOSTER WIN NATIONAL EVENT AT BRAINERD
BRAINERD, Minn. – At the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Mark Taliaferro upset heavily favored Joey Severance for his second win in five final round appearances, in Top Alcohol Dragster. Chris Foster rode a string of 5.50s to his first national event win this year in Top Alcohol Funny Car.
In the Top Alcohol Dragster final, reaction times within .003 seconds led to a great race with Taliaferro of Odessa, Texas, trailing Joey Severance of Woodburn, Ore., for the first half of the race. Taliaferro gained speed and stuck his nose out front and kept it there for the win. Both racers ran almost identical times Taliaferro, 5.292 seconds at 270.64 mph, and Severance, 5.304 seconds at 274.00 mph which made for a margin of victory of 0.0155 seconds, approximately 6 feet.
In Top Alcohol Funny Car, Foster, Davenport, Iowa, won thanks to an advantage at the starting line and pulled farther ahead down the lane to his second-ever national event win, in his fourth career final round appearance. Foster faced off against Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., and posted a winning run of 5.686 seconds, 259.11 mph in his ’15 Mustang. Payne drove to a 5.694 second, 260.16 mph lap for his runner up finish.
Gene Mosbek, Elk River, Minn., took the stripe by 0.0230 seconds (approximately 5 feet) in a double breakout defeating Curtis Hieb, Chamberlain, S.D. This was Mosbek’s 5th career Wally trophy, first in Super Stock to go along with four previous wins in Stock. Mosbek’s last wins in Minnesota were in 1983 and 1985 in Stock.
Other racers visiting the winner’s circle this weekend were Randi Lyn Shipp, Floyd Knobs, Ind., in Stock Eliminator; Luke Bogacki held a starting line advantage for his 9th National event win, his 5th win in Super Comp; and Brian Folk, Durand, IL took his 11th National event trophy and 7th in Super Gas.
The following are the final results from the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Mark Taliaferro, 5.292, 270.64 def. Joey Severance, 5.304, 274.00.
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Chris Foster, Ford Mustang, 5.686, 259.11 def. Jay Payne, Chevy Camaro, 5.694, 260.16.
SUPER STOCK
Gene Mosbek, Plymouth Savoy, 10.239, 128.08 def. Curtis Hieb, Ford Mustang, 9.947, 134.74.
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Randi Lyn Shipp, Pontiac Firebird, 10.568, 124.69 def. Jeff Adkinson, Chevy Camaro, foul.
SUPER COMP
Luke Bogacki, Dragster, 8.929, 165.64 def. Gary Stinnett, Dragster, 8.930, 186.79.
SUPER GAS
Brian Folk, Chevy Camaro, 9.865, 151.32 def. Russ Ginger, Dodge Aspen, 9.821, 163.06.
