NHRA
BRAINERD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY RUMBLES WITH THE THUNDER AT THE LAKES
BRAINERD, MN – Brainerd International Raceway hosts the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series West Central 
Division for Thunder at the Lakes on August 11-12. The event is one of 44 scheduled across the country where drivers in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series earn points leading to divisional and national championships as well as a chance at a share of the year-end purse of more than $519,000. Categories include Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock Eliminator, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street. The division’s Advance Product Design Top Sportsman, Fineline Graphics Madcap Racing Top Dragster and NHRA Sportsman Motorcycle Series are also in competition.
Gates at Brainerd International Raceway open at 7 a.m. every day. Qualifying and time trials start Saturday at 9 a.m. Top Sportsman, Top Dragster and Comp Eliminator qualify Saturday at 11 a.m., 2 and 5 p.m. Eliminations start Sunday at 9 a.m.
Tickets for the Thunder at the Lakes at Brainard International Raceway are $25 each day. Children 12 and under are admitted free with a paid adult. For more information call the track, (866) 444-4455, or visit www.brainerdracewayandresort.com.
CHAMPIONS CROWNED IN CATSPOT NHRA NORTHWEST NATIONALS
KENT, WA – Champions celebrated with their teams in winner circle as the CatSpot NHRA Northwest Nationals 
concluded Sunday evening at Pacific Raceways
Northwest Top Alcohol Dragster rivals Joey Severance, Woodburn, Ore., and Shawn Cowie, Surrey, B.C., clashed in the final round. Severance took the lead out of the gate running 5.278 seconds, 274.16 mph. But Cowie was able to reel him in and pass him for the national event Wally trophy running 5.230 seconds, 277.26 mph.
In the Top Alcohol Funny car final round, Chris Marshall, McMinnville, Ore., made his final round debut lining up against defending 2017 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series World Champion, Shane Westerfield, Anaheim, Calif. Westerfield took a strong lead running 5.510 seconds, 269.78 mph. But Marshall caught him down the stretch and outran Westerfield for the final round victory at 5.455 seconds, 269.19 mph.
The defending 2017 Lucas Oil Super Stock World champion, Justin Lamb, Henderson, Nev., worked his way through the field, squaring off against Kory Alby, Coos Bay, Ore. Kirby hit a perfect reaction time, .000 seconds, but broke out giving Lamb the win. Lamb ran 8.519 seconds, 158.82 mph.
NHRA LUCAS OIL SERIES HEAD TO ATCO DRAGWAY
ATCO, NJ – Atco Dragway hosts the NHRA Lucas Oil Points Series event on August 3-5. The event is one of 44 
scheduled across the country where drivers in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series earn points leading to divisional, regional and national championships as well as a chance at a share of the year-end purse of more than $519,000. Categories include Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock Eliminator, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street. The division’s MXI/Magnaflux Top Dragster and Top Sportsman Series’ presented by Select Performance will run in conjunction with the event.
Gates at Atco open at 7 a.m. every day. Time trials are Friday and Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Comp Eliminator qualify on Friday at 3 and 6:30 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m. with eliminations at 1 p.m. Top Dragster and Top Sportsman qualify on Friday and Saturday at 11 a.m. eliminations beginning at 5:45 p.m. on Saturday. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualify Friday at 1, 4 and 7 p.m with eliminations at 3:30, 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Eliminations will continue Sunday at 9:30 a.m. with Top Dragster and Top Sportsman at 10:30 a.m.
FIRST TIME CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT SONOMA RACEWAY
SONOMA, CA – John Richardson and Ken Ratzloff celebrated with their teams in the winner’s circle
receiving their first National event win during the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals.
Richardson, Santa Clarita, Calif., worked his way through the field in Top Dragster and ran 28.098 seconds
192.66 mph in his final round victory over Andy Spiegel, Acton. Calif.
Ratzloff, Idaho Falls, Idaho, faced off against Ted Kellner San Jose, Calif., in Top Sportsman with an impressive reaction time of .004 seconds, posting a winning run of 7.230 seconds, 191.35 mph in his ’53 Studebaker. Kellner drove to a 7.314 seconds, 187.29 mph pass for his runner up finish.
Don Keen, Palmdale, Calif., was victorious in a close final round in Super Stock against Mark Kirby,
Bakersfield, Calif. Keen had a great reaction time of .021 with a run of 10.315 seconds, 127.86 mph
against Mark Kirby, Bakersfield, Calif., who had a close follow up finish of 10.242 seconds, 136.07 mph.
CHAMPIONS CROWNED IN HEARTLAND MOTORSPORTS PARK DOUBLE-HEADER FINALE
TOPEKA, KS – Champions celebrated with their teams in winner circle as the NHRA West Central division 
concluded it’s Double-Header Weekend at Heartland Motorsports Park Topeka Sunday evening.
Rachel Meyer, Spring Hill, Kan., successfully avenged her sister, Megan’s third round loss to Jared Dreher, Clinton, Ind., in the Top Alcohol Dragster final round. Dreher looked to sweep the Meyer sisters, leaving the starting line first, but Meyer was able to move around him for the victory. Meyer earned her first Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series win, in only her second final round appearance, running 5.298 seconds, 268.65 mph. Dreher, 5.839 seconds, 201.22 mph.
Top Alcohol Funny Car standout John Lombardo Jr., had a smooth pass to victory as his opponent Bob McCosh, Columbia, Mo., had technical issues. Lombardo ran 7.915 seconds, 118.35 mph.
After working his way through the field. Austin McClure, secured his first Super Comp win with a double breakout in the final round in front of his hometown crowd. McClure ran 8.892 seconds, 177.77 mph. Kyler Hergemueller, Brighton, Colo., runner upped at 8.880 seconds, 181.47 mph.
GALBRAITH, WAGNER, AND LOBNER WIN IN FIRST HALF OF HEARTLAND DOUBLE
TOPEKA, KS – The NHRA West Central division concluded the first half of it’s double header Friday evening at Heartland Motorsports Park, Topeka, Kan. Troy Galbraith, Wyatt Wagner, and J.R. Lobner paraded down the return into the winner’s circle with their teams.
Galbraith, Indianapolis, got off the line first and held off Chad Voges, St. Peters, Mo., by a few feet at the finish line for the Comp Eliminator divisional Wally trophy. Galbraith recorded a victory pass of 6.752 seconds, 183.67 mph. Voges followed up at 7.601 seconds, 169.98 mph.
Local runner, Wagner of Baschor, worked his way through the field to score his first Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series final round victory; upending Brett Speer, Pierz, Minn. Wagner ran 9.995 seconds, 129.97 mph.
In the Advanced Product Design Top Sportsman final round, Lobner of Gardner, Kan., ran 7.442 seconds, 180.52 mph to send J.J. Heber, Centennial, Colo., packing home.
HEARTLAND MOTORSPORTS PARK HOSTS NHRA DOUBLE-HEADER WEEKEND
TOPEKA, KS – The NHRA West Central division’s Double-Header Weekend takes place at Heartland Motorsports Park Topeka on July 26-29. The double-header is two of six events in the NHRA West Central division and of the 44 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series events scheduled across the country where drivers earn points leading to divisional, regional and national championships, as well as a chance at a share of the year-end purse of more than $519,000. Categories include Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock Eliminator, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street. The division’s Advanced Product Design Top Sportsman, Fineline Graphics & Madcap Racing Top Dragster and NHRA Sportsman Motorcycle Series are also in competition.
Gates at Heartland Park open at 7 a.m. every day. The first race on the double-header starts with qualifying and time trials Thursday at 8 a.m. Top Sportsman, Top Dragster and Comp Eliminator qualify at 11:45 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. Eliminations begin on Friday at 7:45 a.m.
The second race in the double-header starts on Saturday with qualifying and time trials at 7:45 a.m. Top Sportsman, Top Dragster and Comp Eliminator qualifying at 11:45 a.m. and 3 p.m. Eliminations begin Saturday evening and continue at 8 a.m. on Sunday.
RACERS FROM COAST TO COAST COME TO COMPETE AT SONOMA RACEWAY
SONOMA, CA – In the final results from Sonoma Raceway and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Doug Lambeck, Irvine, Calif., and Justin Lamb, Henderson, Nev., took home the wins in Comp Eliminator and Super Stock respectively.
Lambeck, worked his way through the field and ran 8.351 seconds at 185.74 mph in his final round victory over Tony Mandella, Eastvale, Calif., who clocked in at 7.912 seconds, 163.31 mph.
2017 Super Stock World Champion Justin Lamb and 2016 Super Stock World Champion Jimmy De Frank met in the final round. DeFrank was quicker off the line but Lamb was quick to outrun DeFrank with a winning pass of 8.620 seconds, 149.50 mph in his ’10 Cobalt. DeFrank drove to a runner-up finish with a pass of 8.957 seconds, 150.05 mph.
With excellent reaction times in the Super Gas final round, Dennis Sato, Westminster, Calif., and Roger Kato, Las Vegas Nev., went head to head with Sato coming out on top. Sato had a reaction time of 0.02 seconds, and a run of 9.960 seconds, 122.86 mph. Kato triggered the light at 0.004 seconds but was not able to catch up with a time of 9.961 seconds, 172.23 mph in his runner-up lap.
SONOMA RACEWAY TO HOST NHRA DIVISION 7 DRAG RACE PRESENTED BY KORBEL
SONOMA, CA – Sonoma Raceway will host the NHRA Division 7 Drag Race presented by Korbel on July 20-22. The event is one of 44 scheduled across the country where drivers in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series earn points leading to divisional and national championships as well as a chance at a share of the year-end purse of more than $519,000. Categories include Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock Eliminator, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street. The Pacific Division Top Sportsman Series, Top Dragster Series and the NHRA Sportsman Motorcycle Series will also run in conjunction with the event.
The event will be highlighted Saturday night under the lights with “The Beast” vs “The Warhawk” Jet Cars, five-second door slammers of the Xtreme Pro Mods West Series, and Boddie’s 1/8th Mile Racing Association “No Time” Classes.
This year’s event will be a new 2 Day format with a test and tune on Friday at 9:30 a.m., time trials and Qualifying will start Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and eliminations for all classes will be on Sunday starting at 8:30 a.m.
ELROD BROTHERS VICTORIOUS AT ROUTE 66 RACEWAY
JOLIET, IL -Tony Elrod, Howell, Mich., and Jacob Elrod, Harrod, Ohio celebrated with their family Sunday, after 
they both reeled in victories during this past weekend’s Lucas Drag Racing Series, Burndown at Sundown at Route 66 Raceway.
In the Super Comp finale, Tony Elrod squared off against Larry Bernshausen, Manito, Ill. Elrod scored the holeshot win running 8.924 seconds, 175.80 mph and took home the divisional Wally trophy. Bernshausen followed up at 8.925 seconds, 177.07 mph.
Jacob Elrod took on Justen Moser, of Portland, Ind. Elrod took the lead and held off Moser for the Super Gas final round victory. Elrod ran 9.902 seconds, 159.19 mph. Moser 9.878 seconds, 152.38 mph.
Local runner, Matt Sackman, of Channahon, made his debut in Top Alcohol Dragster, and made it count, earning his second career victory; scoringthe holeshot against Julie Nataas, Santa Barbara, Calif.. Sackman ran 5.357 seconds, 273.83 mph. Nataas runner upped at 5.414 seconds, 275.17 mph.
