Alan Ellis, Justin Lamb and Rick Beckstrom each locked up their 2013 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series World Championships this weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  The three join Jim Whiteley, Frank Manzo and Luke Bogacki who had already clinched their championships.
 
Ellis, out of Mapleton, Utah, left nothing to chance as he marched through eliminations in Comp Eliminator and took out the final racer who could catch him, Donald Thomas in the final round.  Driving his familiar ’23 roadster, Ellis clocked in at 6.887 seconds at 160.90 mph to defeat Thomas, Amarillo, Texas, who got out of the grove, got out of the throttle and could only watch as Ellis drove away for the win and the championship.  This was Ellis’ 4th win of the year and his first NHRA Lucas Oil World Championship.

Alan Ellis, Justin Lamb and Rick Beckstrom each locked up their 2013 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series World Championships this weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  The three join Jim Whiteley, Frank Manzo and Luke Bogacki who had already clinched their championships.
 
Ellis, out of Mapleton, Utah, left nothing to chance as he marched through eliminations in Comp Eliminator and took out the final racer who could catch him, Donald Thomas in the final round.  Driving his familiar ’23 roadster, Ellis clocked in at 6.887 seconds at 160.90 mph to defeat Thomas, Amarillo, Texas, who got out of the grove, got out of the throttle and could only watch as Ellis drove away for the win and the championship.  This was Ellis’ 4th win of the year and his first NHRA Lucas Oil World Championship.
 
Stock Eliminator saw a number of racers come into the weekend with a shot at the title with Drew Skillman leading the points and Justin Lamb having the best chance to catch him.  Michael Brand, Bo Butner and Austin Williams all lost in the early rounds leaving Lamb, Henderson, Nev., the lone threat to catch Skillman.  Lamb beat Ted Romero in round 4 which virtually gave him the championship with a 5th round bye run advancing to the semifinals and assuring him of passing Skillman with 645 points to Skillman’s 644.  The championship is Lamb’s first as he went three for three in final rounds this year.
 
In Super Gas it was Jason Lynch leading the points at 646 and out of races in which to earn additional points while Rick Beckstrom and Peter Bothe still had a divisional and a national event to claim toward the championship.  Bothe lost in round one ending his title hopes as Beckstrom out of Novato, Calif., was winning rounds and gaining points.  Beckstrom, needing to advance to the 5th round to overtake Lynch did so with a 4th round win and jumping to the top with 657 points giving him the 2013 Championship.  Beckstrom had three wins in four final rounds this year including a pair of national event wins and his first world championship.
 
The final NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Championship to be decided is in Super Stock with Byron Worner leading the points with 644.  Jimmy DeFrank and Dan Fletcher fell out of contention this past weekend needing to win the event to overtake Worner.  That leaves Jeff Dona as the only driver standing in the way or Worner and the championship.  Dona needs to win the final event this coming weekend at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona to overtake Worner.
 
Doug Horne put an exclamation point on his Top Fuel Harley NHRA Harley-Davidson Drag Racing Series Championship beating No. 2 finisher Tommy Grimes in the final with a lap of 6.403 seconds at 225.82 mph to Grimes’ 6.536, 193.77.   Horne clinched the championship with his fifth win of the season last month at Bristol Dragway
 
Joining Ellis and Horne in the event winner’s circle this weekend were the husband and wife team of Jim and Annie Whiteley who took home both the Top Alcohol Dragster and the Top Alcohol Funny Car trophies to Grand Junction, Colo.  Jim, who clinched the alcohol dragster world championship last week, won again defeating Garrett Bateman in the final and Annie beat Claremont, Calif., racer Jay Payne in the funny car final.  Jim posted times of 5.272, 5.287 and 5.317 seconds in beating Shawn Cowie, Chris Demke and Bateman in eliminations for the win.  Annie outran John Lombardo, Ufl Leanders, and Payne for her trophy including a pair of 5.596 second runs in her semifinal and final rounds.
 
Newly crowned Stock Eliminator Champion Lamb was pulling double duty this weekend and took home the event win in Super Stock as was DeFrank who won in Stock.  DeFrank, Chatsworth, Calif., held off Chuck Rayburn in his ’69 Camaro running 10.465 at 125 mph to Rayburn’s 10.039 at 131.
 
Mera Silvia and Ted Carli outlasted the fields in Top Dragster and Top Sportsman.  Mera, Upland, Calif., won easily over Jess Adams, Yuba City, Calif., when Adams broke and Carli also won an easy final round when Gary Miserva, Sherwood Park, Alb., left early with a red light foul start.
 
Other winners in the Lucas Oil Series were Gary Wamboldt, Lakewood, Colo., over Michael Dalrymple in Super Comp; Clint Fishel, Phoenix, defeated Brad Pierce in Super Gas; and Brad Vinje, Langley, B.C., beat Jimmy Galante in Super Street.
 
Local racer Sean Conner, Boulder City, Nev., won a close one against Tom Medlin in the Sportsman Motorcycle Series presented by Harley-Davidson.  Conner’s 8.398, 150.53 beat Medlin’s 8.355, 157.26.
 
Dale Milles and Clint Rabb took home Harley-Davidson Series trophies as Nilles, Purlear, N.C., took out Bill Bentz and Rabb knocked off Jeff Marsh with a 7.620, 161 mph lap.
 
Rounding out the Harley-Davidson winners were Larry Fore taking the double win in Draggin Bagger and Hot Street while Edward Golson won in Street Pro.
 
The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:
 
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:
Round 1
5) Garrett Bateman, Albany, Ore., 14.209, 77.80 def. 4) Johnny Ahten, Santa Clarita, Calif., broke
1) Joey Severance, Woodburn, Ore., 5.284, 271.13 def. 8) Megan McKernan, Sierra Madre, Calif., 14.280, 54.35
3) Chris Demke, Tujunga, Calif., 5.411, 270.32 def. 6) Ray Martin, Anchorage, Alaska, 10.542, 58.70
2) Jim Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., 5.275, 272.34 def. 7) Shawn Cowie, Delta, B.C., 5.359, 266.58
 
Semifinals
Bateman, 5.515, 255.82 def. Severance, 8.914, 125.19
Whiteley, 5.287, 271.19 def. Demke, 5.498, 212.96
 
Finals
Whiteley, 5.317, 271.02 def. Bateman, 5.322, 261.83
 
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
Round 1
4) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '09 Mustang, 5.708, 256.45 def. 5) Steve Harker, Gainesville, Ga., '06 Monte Carlo, 9.037, 97.49
3) Ulf Leanders, Viksjotors, SWEDEN, '06 Monte Carlo, 5.615, 263.26 def. 6) Shane Westerfield, Anaheim, Calif., '06 Monte Carlo, broke
2) Annie Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., '10 Mustang, 5.630, 256.26 def. 7) John Lombardo Jr., Brea, Calif., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.777, 256.60
8) Clint Thompson, Klamath Falls, Ore., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.604, 257.04 def. 1) Tony Bartone, Long Island City, N.Y., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.670, 259.26
 
Semifinals
Whiteley, 5.596, 256.99 def. Leanders, 5.595, 261.88
Payne, 5.730, 255.10 def. Thompson, 11.880, 72.60
 
Finals
Whiteley, 5.596, 257.73 def. Payne, 5.638, 257.24
 
COMP ELIMINATOR
Alan Ellis, Mapleton, Utah, '23 roadster, A/AP, 6.887, 160.90 def. Donald Thomas, Amarillo, Texas, dragster, C/ED, 12.123, 69.68.
 
SUPER STOCK
Justin Lamb, Henderson, Nev., '10 Cobalt, SS/CM, No Time, was unopposed.
 
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Jimmy DeFrank, Chatsworth, Calif., '69 Camaro, B/SA, 10.465, 125.54 def. Chuck Rayburn, Castro Valley, Calif., '64 Belvedere, CC/SA, 10.039, 131.15.
 
SUPER COMP
Gary Wamboldt, Lakewood, Colo., dragster, 9.049, 165.74 def. Michael Dalrymple, Sunnyside, Wash., dragster, 9.048, 170.92.
 
SUPER GAS
Clint Fishel, Phoenix, Ariz., '88 Beretta, 10.061, 141.16 def. Brad Pierce, Riverside, Calif., '58 Corvette, 10.060, 141.05.
 
SUPER STREET
Brad Vinje, Langley, B.C., '68 Camaro, 11.061, 139.52 def. Jimmy Galante, Sun Valley, Calif., '67 Nova, 11.059, 141.88.
 
TOP DRAGSTER
Mera Silvia, Upland, Calif., dragster, 16.022, 78.06 def. Jesse Adams, Yuba City, Calif., dragster, broke.
 
TOP SPORTSMAN
Ted Carli, Temecula, Calif., '09 Cobalt, 6.794, 204.98 def. Gary Miserva, Sherwood Park, Alb., '07 Stratus, foul.
 
SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE PRESENTED BY HARLEY DAVIDSON
Sean Conner, Boulder City, Nev., '98 Kawasaki, 8.398, 150.53 def. Tom Medlin, La Mirada, Calif., '93 GSXR, 8.355, 157.26.
 
TOP FUEL HARLEY
Doug Horne, Aberdeen, Md., '10 Harley, 6.403, 225.82 def. Tommy Grimes, Winston Salem, N.C., '12 Harley, 6.536, 193.77.
 
PRO DRAGSTER HARLEY
Dale Nilles, Purlear, N.C., '11 Weekend, 7.525, 132.00 def. Bill Bentz, Prescott Valley, Ariz., '08 Weekend, broke.
 
PRO GAS HARLEY
Clint Rabb, Lloydminster, Alb., '09 Street Glide, 7.620, 161.09 def. Jeff Marsh, Woodburn, Ore., dragster, 11.877, 72.10.
 
DRAGGIN BAGGER HARLEY
Larry Fore, Commerce City, Colo., '03 Harley, 13.116, 102.09 was unopposed.
 
STREET PRO HARLEY
Edward Golson, Conifer, Colo., '08 Harley, 11.485, 122.34 was unopposed.
 
HOT STREET HARLEY
Larry Fore, Commerce City, Colo., '00 Buell, 21.425, 56.38 was unopposed.