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NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals
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Daily
coverage of the NHRA's official all-sportsman national event
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Photos by Dave Kommel, www.autoimagery.com |
Local favorite Laris among NHRA Cajun SPORTSNationals winners
(4-27-2004) -- Local favorite Ross Laris, from nearby Raceland, was among winners Monday at the rain-delayed NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals at No Problem Raceway Park. Laris powered his Corvette to the victory in Super Gas, defeating Corky Markwart, who drove a Chevy S-10 to the runner-up finish. Six other category winners were crowned at the event, a special NHRA national event featuring NHRA Lucas Oil Series categories exclusively. Vince Deceglie, Tim Cole, Jeff Hefler, Craig Anderson, Jason Buckner and Greg Lair also were winners in their respective categories. Deceglie, from Alta Loma, Calif., captured the victory in Comp Eliminator, driving a Corvette. He earned the automatic victory when final round opponent Glen Treadwell fouled at the start in hi 23-T Ford. Super Stock winner Cole, from Collierville, Tenn., also raced a Corvette to the winner's circle, defeating Buz Post, who drove a Pontiac Grand Am. Mansfield, Texas' Hefler, the '98 NHRA national champion in Stock, continued his winning ways in the category by racing his Pontiac Formula to the win over Bobby Roper, who drove a Camaro. Anderson, from Waxahachie, Texas, won Super Comp over Jeff Strickland in a close battle between dragsters, while Jason Buckner, from New Waverly, Texas, drove a Plymouth Barracuda to the Super Street victory over the Chevy Camaro of Mike Frederick. Lair, from Canyon, Texas, earned the Top Sportsman victory, powering his Pontiac Grand Am to a 6.990 second run at 188.89 mph to defeat Tommy Turner, who posted a 7.313 at 187.78 in a Chevy Cavalier.
Final round results for the rain-delayed NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals, completed Monday at No Problem Raceway Park. COMPETITION ELIMINATOR SUPER STOCK STOCK ELIMINATOR SUPER COMP SUPER GAS SUPER STREET TOP SPORTSMAN  |
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| Top Sportsman shootout winner Ronnie Davis. |
(4-23-2004) – Baton Rouge racer David Robinson was crowned King of the Bayou for taking the win in the Super Shootout today at the NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals at No Problem Raceway. The fields were locked for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series as the 575 racers made their final qualifying passes along with competition in several specialty races.
Joining Robinson with victories today were Charlie Wescott and Jonathan Tarrance in the SS/AA and the U/SA Shootouts respectively. Wescott took out Harry Holton with a hole-shot in a battle of ’68 Barracudas with a pass of 8.712 seconds to Holton’s 8.676 second run. Wescott’s reaction time of 0.024 seconds was nearly four hundredths of a second quicker, and enough to hold off Holton.
Tarrance of Bremen, Ky., drove his ’84 Monte Carlo to victory over fellow Kentucky resident
John McCarthy covering the quarter mile in 14.120 seconds to McCarthy’s 14.151 second lap.
In Top Fuel exhibition runs, Houston resident Darrell Russell set a track record of 305 mph at 4.80 seconds. The Joe Amato owned dragster faced off against Scott Palmer and his O’Reilly Auto Parts sponsored dragster with Palmer running a 4.96 second lap at 288 mph.
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| SS/AA shootout winner Charlie Westcott. |
Former NHRA Pro Stock Champion Jeg Coughlin made a side by side run with Jeg’s Mail Order teammate and brother Troy Coughlin in Pro Stock. Jeg got the best of Troy with a run of 6.91 seconds to Troy’s 6.92.
Going into Sunday’s eliminations, Greg Porter held on to the number one spot in Comp Eliminator with a 8.840-second run, 0.620 seconds under the index with Colt Mikel jumping into the second spot with a 8.417, 0.603 seconds under.
Holton held on to the top spot in Super Stock and Californian Ed O’Brien is number one in Stock. Holton bettered his Friday qualifying with a run of 8.647 seconds and is followed by Buz Post of Arlington, Texas with a lap of 8.245 seconds.
O’Brien’s ’72 La Baron clocked in at 14.240 seconds, 1.210 seconds under the index while Bruce Noland is second at 11.539 seconds, 1.211 seconds under. Terry Landry of Baton Rouge is tenth, running 11.370 seconds in his ’69 Camaro.
Ronnie Davis of Commerce, Ga., took over the number one spot in Top Sportsman with a 200.95 mph pass at 6.915 seconds. Raceland, La., racer Earle Folse is second with a run of 6.927 seconds at 200.86 mph with Greg Lair in third and Keith Raftery of Lake Charles, La., qualified fourth.
The following are Saturday’s final qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Cajun SPORTSnationals at No Problem Raceway:
COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Greg Porter, Edmond, Okla., ‘03 Cavalier, H/A, 8.840 seconds, -0.620 (under index)
2) Colt Mikel, Hempstead, Texas, ‘02 S-10, B/TA, 8.417, -0.603
3) Raymond Martin, Mt Belvieu, Texas, ‘32 Bantam, K/AA, 7.977, -0.603
4) Tim Freeman, Roan Mtn, Tenn., ‘04 Cavalier, H/SM, 9.183, -0.597
5) David Rampy, Piedmont, Ala., ‘32 Bantam, A/EA, 7.410, -0.580
6) Brian Self, Hempstead, Texas, ‘01 S-10, PST, 7.510, -0.580
7) Cordis Johnson, Springdale, Ark., ‘03 Cavalier, G/SMA, 9.041, -0.579
8) Mike Saye, Johnston, S.C., ‘92 Cutlass, H/A, 8.885, -0.575
9) Glen Treadwell, Sorrento, Fla., ‘23 Roadster, E/EA, 8.502, -0.568
10) Vincent Deceglie, Alta Loma, Calif., ‘63 Corvette, A/A, 6.625, -0.565
SUPER STOCK
1) Harry Holton, Modesto, Calif., ‘68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 8.647 seconds, -1.353 (under index)
2) Buz Post, Arlington, Texas, ‘01 Grand Am, SS/AM, 8.245, -1.305
3) Charlie Wescott, Parma, Mich., ‘68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 8.746, -1.254
4) Jerry Jenkins, Modesto, Calif., ‘68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 8.763, -1.237
5) Michael Ogburn, Mission Viejo, Calif., ‘68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 8.791, -1.209
6) Eddie Smith, Sandyville, W.V., ‘68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 8.804, -1.196
7) Bo Butner III, Floyds Knobs, Ind., ‘02 Grand Am, SS/BM, 8.508, -1.192
8) Randy Hopkins, Cable, Wis., ‘68 Dart, SS/AA, 8.817, -1.183
9) Gilbert Johnson Sr, Lecompte, La., ‘66 Chevy, SS/NA, 11.275, -1.175
10) John Baughman, York, Pa., ‘68 Dart, SS/AA, 8.825, -1.175
STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Ed O'Brien, Yorba Linda, Calif., ’72 LeBaron, BF/S, 14.076 seconds, -1.374 (under index)
2) Bruce Noland, Leesburg, Va., ’72 Camaro, J/SA, 11.539, -1.211
3) Jim Wahl, Deltona, Fla., ‘91 Dodge, AF/S, 13.748, -1.202
4) Keith Lynch, West Jordan, Utah, ‘70 Nova, B/SA, 10.364, -1.186
5) Amy Faulk, Collierville, Tenn., ‘01 Firebird, C/FIA, 10.845, -1.155
6) Judy McCormack, Lake Orion, Mich., ‘02 Dakota, F/FIA, 11.821, -1.129
7) Jerry Bennett, Hickory, Ky., ‘79 Aspen, H/SA, 11.340, -1.110
8) Joe Schaechter, Moline, Ill., ‘65 Malibu, M/S, 12.053, -1.097
9) R.J. Sledge, Boerne, Texas, ‘67 Fairlane, E/SA, 10.919, -1.081
10) Terry Landry, Baton Rouge, La., ‘69 Camaro, H/SA, 11.370, -1.080
TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Ronnie Davis, Commerce, Ga., ’63 Corvette, 6.915 seconds, 200.95 mph
2) Earle Folse, Raceland, La., ‘86 Cutlass, 6.927, 200.86
3) Greg Lair, Canyon, Texas, ‘03 Grand Am, 7.002, 197.59
4) Keith Raftery, Lake Charles, La., ‘03 Firebird, 7.153, 191.40
5) Don Peden, Edinburg, Ill., ’04 Cavalier, 7.196, 191.87
6) Phillip Muse, Tomball, Texas, ’97 Pontiac, 7.271, 189.63
7) Billy Vaughn, Knoxville, Tenn., ‘92 Camaro, 7.277, 188.52
8) Britt Cummings, Hammond, La., ‘98 Firebird, 7.279, 188.67
9) Kyle Cannon, West Helena, Ark., ‘03 Cavalier, 7.296, 189.20
10) T J Tracey, Bartlett, Tenn., ‘63 Corvette, 7.316, 189.79
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FRIDAY - INAUGURAL NHRA CAJUN SPORTSNATIONALS KICKS INTO HIGH GEAR
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| Floyd Russo (near lane) redlighted against Joey Wilkes in Thursday's Top Stock final. |
(4-23-2004) – Nearly 550 racers took to the track today for the first rounds of qualifying for the NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals at No Problem Raceway. This weekend’s event, the first of its kind since 1986 when Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Ky., hosted the NHRA SPORTSnationals, features six of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Categories along with Top Sportsman and exhibition runs in Top Fuel, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Activity actually started on Thursday when the track hosted the Top Stock Shootout along with a test & tune session for racers competing this weekend. Local racer Floyd Russo of Gonzales, La., qualified number one for the shootout, but it was Ohio resident Joey Wilkes taking the win over Russo in the final round with a run of 10.092 seconds at 130.28 mph. Russo tripped the clocks at 10.204 seconds, 128.80 mph but left early with a red-light giving the win to Wilkes.
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| Super Stock low qualifier Harry Holton. |
In Friday’s action, Greg Porter of Edmond, Okla., grabbed the number one sport in Comp Eliminator with a pass of 7.571 seconds in his ’03 Cavalier. Porter is followed by Tim Freeman in the second spot and David Rampy, who has 54 NHRA national event wins to his credit, in third.
Harry Holton is on top in Super Stock with his ’68 Barracuda with a pass of 8.688 seconds, 1.312 seconds under the index. Holton who runs in the SS/AA Super Stock class will join the rest of the SS/AA participants in the SS/AA Hemi Shootout, a special race within a race, on Saturday. Buz Post of Arlington, Texas, is second in Super Stock with Charlie Wescott following in third.
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| Comp low qualifier Greg Porter. |
Local favorite Jimmy Hidalgo is twelfth in the 130-car Stock Eliminator field in his ’97 Camaro with Ed O’Brien of Yorba Linda, Calif., leading the class in his ’72 La Baron and Bruce Noland in third.
In the A.R.T. Top Sportsman class, Greg Lair of Canyon, Texas is currently qualified number one with a pass of 7.033 seconds at 197.28 mph and is followed by Ronnie Davis in his ’63 Corvette. Louisiana residents Keith Raftery and Earle Folse are 3rd and 4th respectively.
Qualifying continues Saturday at 8 a.m. with Stock and Super Stock
class eliminations throughout the day. In addition to the SS/AA
Hemi Shootout, the U/SA shootout, Super Shootout King of the Bayou,
and the Top Sportsman Quick 8 are also special features scheduled
for Saturday.
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