LUCAS OIL WINNERS CROWNED AT NHRA EASTERN REGIONAL IN BOWLING GREEN
In the final results from Beech Bend Raceway Park and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, incoming East Region points leader Rich McPhillips won Top Alcohol Dragster at the final North Central regional of 2012, and Todd Veney did likewise in Top Alcohol Funny Car.
McPhillips, who had three runner-up finishes but no wins in regional competition this season, got the best of a classic final against North Central points leader and five-time world champ Bill Reichert, 5.53 to 5.54. McPhillips got the jump at the starting line with a .056 reaction time and had it all the way.
"This still doesn't guarantee anything," said McPhillips, who also won the Summer Nationals at Topeka this year. "We did everything we could by winning this race, but John Finke is running good out in Topeka (at the Central Region event that eventually was postponed by rain), and Duane Shields and Richard Bourke still have multiple races left that they can claim."
McPhillips took a crucial semifinal victory over Lebanon Valley winner Dan Mercier, who climbed to second place in the East Region this weekend, when Mercier's chutes deployed before half-track. McPhillips advanced to his fourth regional final of the season and fifth overall with his worst run all weekend, 5.64, while Mercier dragged the laundry to a 6.70 at 111 mph. Reichert, who had won his previous three regional starts this season and had won this event in each of the past four years, took the other semi over Mike Kosky, who qualified on one shot and ran low e.t. of the first round, 5.38.
Veney won Alcohol Funny Car over a short field, edging Mickey Ferro in a rematch of the previous week's Cecil County final, 5.67 to 5.74. "I'd never beat Mickey until last weekend, so to do it twice in the final was unbelievable," he said. "I really want to thank Jay Blake and Tom Howell for making the car run this well and all the guys who made the sacrifice to fill in for our regular crew when we decided to come here at the last minute."
Veney got around Ray Drew in the opening round in a close race, 5.76 to 5.74. Ferro fought to maintain control in route to a 5.74 in the same round against two-time Division 3 champ Chris Foster in a monumental matchup with major points implications. Foster, who had the North Central lead coming into the event, and Ferro both have two regional victories this season, but Ferro has runner-ups in his other three regional starts and now leads Foster by 52 points.
In Comp Eliminator it was Brian Browell, Lafayette, Ind., taking out one of the best in the class and veteran David Rampy with a 7.318 second lap at 171 mph for the win while former Lucas Oil National Champion Larry Stewart took home the trophy in Super Stock. The Mississippi racer ran down Zack Running from Michigan in his ’10 Challenger posting a 10.059 second run at 127.85 mph.
Jerry Emmons went deep in to eliminations in both Stock and Super Stock collecting the hardware in Stock in his ’69 Camaro. The Pasadena, Texas, racer defeated Fred Connell, Nashville, Tenn., in 10.363 seconds. Emmons fell to Mike Morris in round five of Super Stock.
Gary Songy Jr. and Al Peavler each joined in on the fun as Songy gabbed the win in the Brodix/Steve Schmidt Top Sportsman class and Peavler did the same in the Spitzer Race Cars Top Dragster category. Songy, Lacombe, La., clocked in at 194 mph in his final round win over Tom Stultz and Peavler, Olney, Ill., went 195 mph to beat James Monroe, Bloomington, Ind.
Rounding out Sunday’s winners were Todd Ewing, Vinemount, Ala., in Super Comp over Jason Kenny; Alan Bush, Erie, Ill., holding off Jason Lynch, Pleasant View, Tenn. in Super Gas; and Louis Murray, Eureka, Mo., in Super Street taking out Joey Shipp, Whiteland, Ind.
The event included several race with-in-a-race competitions which saw Chuck Haubiel win against Jason Coan in the Miller/JEGS Comp Shootout presented by Hughes Performance. The Super Shootout presented by Moser Engineering titles went to Bill Riddle in Super Comp, Rob Moser in Super Gas and Chris Runnels in Super Street who took out local racer Mark Smith of Bowling Green, Ky.
This was the final event in the North Central Division, however, racers can travel outside their division to score additional points toward divisional, regional and national championships. Most of these racers will head to Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, Aug. 29-Sept. 3.
The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Beech Bend Raceway Park:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:
Round 1
2) Dan Mercier, LaPrairie, Quebec, 5.393, 263.20 def. 7) Jerry Powell, Kokomo, Ind., 20.945, 34.27
4) Mike Kosky, Cuddy, Pa., 5.381, 264.75 def. 5) Ken Perry, Markham, Ont., broke
3) Rich McPhillips, Audubon, Pa., 5.573, 255.73 def. 9) Jared Dreher, Clinton, Ind., 5.786, 173.09
1) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.444, 261.67 def. 8) Don Nolan, Manchester, Ky., 5.776, 248.66
Semifinals
McPhillips, 5.646, 251.44 def. Mercier, 6.708, 111.39
Reichert, 5.499, 251.44 def. Kosky, 20.250, 24.59
Finals
McPhillips, 5.530, 254.28 def. Reichert, 5.544, 254.28
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
Semifinals
2) Todd Veney, Indianapolis, Ind., '08 Impala SS, 5.766, 250.04 def. 3) Ray Drew, Hales Corner, Wis., '04 Firebird, 5.748, 245.94
4) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '12 Monte Carlo, 5.749, 252.85 def. 1) Chris Foster, Davenport, Iowa, '11 Mustang, 9.417, 102.98
Final
Veney, 5.678, 254.28 def. Ferro, 5.748, 252.85
COMP ELIMINATOR
Brian Browell, Lafayette, Ind., dragster, D/D, 7.318, 171.12 def. David Rampy, Piedmont, Ala., '32 Bantam, A/EA, 9.875, 92.21.
SUPER STOCK
Larry Stewart, Clinton, Miss., '10 Challenger, SS/IA, 10.059, 127.85 def. Zack Running, Lapeer, Mich., '95 Acheiva, GT/HA, 10.306, 128.95.
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Jerry Emmons, Pasadena, Texas, '69 Camaro, B/SA, 10.363, 117.50 def. Fred Connell, Nashville, Tenn., '88 Cutlass, O/SA, 12.796, 100.90.
SUPER COMP
Todd Ewing, Vinemount, Ala., dragster, 18.100, 64.84 def. Jason Kenny, Kutztown, Pa., dragster, foul.
SUPER GAS
Alan Bush, Erie, Ill., '77 Nova, 9.916, 152.04 def. Jason Lynch, Pleasant View, Tenn., '63 Corvette, 9.889, 157.36.
SUPER STREET
Louis Murray, Eureka, Mo., '73 Camaro, 10.910, 150.51 def. Joey Shipp, Whiteland, Ind., '68 Camaro, 10.877, 140.63.
TOP SPORTSMAN
Gary Songy Jr., Lacombe, La., '11 GXP, 7.114, 194.83 def. Tom Stultz, Terre Haute, Ind., '92 Firebird, 6.694, 207.40.
TOP DRAGSTER
Al Peavler, Olney, Ill., dragster, 6.747, 195.68 def. James Monroe, Bloomington, Ind., dragster, 6.481, 209.33.
COMP SHOOTOUT PRESENTED BY HUGHES RACING ENTERPRISES
Chuck Haubiel, Gahanna, Ohio, '10 Cobalt, 9.252, 108.44 def. Jason Coan, Kokomo, Ind., dragster, foul.
SUPER COMP SHOOTOUT PRESENTED BY MOSER ENGINEERING
Bill Riddle, Fowlerville, Mich., dragster, 8.936, 160.16 def. Jim Nash, Ooltewah, Tenn., dragster, 8.926, 157.36.
SUPER GAS SHOOTOUT PRESENTED BY MOSER ENGINEERING
Rob Moser, Portland, Ind., '10 Corvette, 9.899, 161.30 def. Ryan Dillman, Indianapolis, Ind., '03 Corvette, foul.
SUPER STREET SHOOTOUT PRESENTED BY MOSER ENGINEERING
Chris Runnels, Joelton, Tenn., '70 El Camino, 10.942, 126.77 def. Mark Smith, Bowling Green, Ky., '82 Mustang, 10.984, 119.37.
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