NHRA
BOURGEOIS AND GUALTIERE TAKE HOME WINS FROM ROYAL PURPLE RACEWAY
HOUSTON – In the final results from Royal Purple Raceway and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Craig 
Bourgeois, Metairie, La., and Craig Gualtiere, Amarillo, Texas, took home the wins in Comp Eliminator and Super Stock respectively.
Bourgeois, worked his way through the field in his ’05 Nostalgia Dragster and ran 7.422 seconds at 130.57 mph in his final round victory over Raymond Martin, Mt. Belvieu, Texas, who red-lighted at the starting line.
Gualtiere faced off against Pete Perry, Bowie, Texas, and posted a winning run of 9.625 seconds, 135.55 mph in his ’67 Chevy II. Perry left early and fouled at the starting line.
In the division’s SDPC Raceshop Top Sportsman class, it was Earl Folse, Raceland, La., taking the win in his ’86 Camaro against Kirk Piepke, while Mark Jones, Marrero, LA., won in Top Dragster who ran 6.305 seconds at 220.12 mph against Aaron Stanfield. Robert Sanders, Cypress Texas, took the win with a run of 8.882 seconds at 144.03 against William Keele Jr. in the NHRA Sportsman Motorcycle Series.
DEMKE AND BELLEMEUR TAKE HOME WINS AT GATORNATIONALS
GAINESVILLE, FL – In the final results from Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals Nationals and the NHRA 
Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Chris Demke, Valencia, Calif., and Sean Bellemeur, Placentia, Calif., took home the wins in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car respectively.
Demke, worked his way through the field and ran 5.305 seconds at 273.33 mph in his final round victory over Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., who clocked in at 5.313 seconds at 270.70 mph.
Bellemeur faced off against Annie Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., and posted a winning run of 5.460 seconds at 268.28 mph in his Chevy Camaro. Whiteley drove to a 5.483 second, 270.43 mph lap for her runner-up finish.
ROYAL PURPLE RACEWAY HOSTS THE NHRA SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION TEXAS SPORTSMAN CHALLENGE
BAYTOWN, TX – Royal Purple Raceway will host the second NHRA South Central Division race of the 2018 season on March 23-25 with the NHRA Texas Sportsman Challenge. The event is one of 44 scheduled across the country where drivers 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 NHRA Sportsman Motorcycle Series will run in conjunction with the event along with the Division’s SDPC Raceshop Top Sportsman and Top Dragster classes.
Gates at Royal Purple Raceway open at 7 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Qualifying and time trials start at 9 a.m. Friday and Saturday with round 1 to follow in some classes. Eliminations will continue Sunday at 9a.m.
Tickets for Royal Purple Raceway are $20 Friday, $20 Saturday and $20 Sunday. Children 12 years old and under are admitted free with a paid adult.
For more information call Royal Purple Raceway, (281) 383-7223, or visit www.RoyalPurpleRaceway.com.
CHAMPIONS CROWNED IN PRELUDE TO THE GATORS
GAINESVILLE, FL -Duane Shield, Sean Bellemeur, and Greg Kamplain celebrated with their teams in winner’s circle 
this past weekend at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Southeast Division, Prelude to the Gators in Gainesville Raceway.
In the Top Alcohol Dragster final round, Jeff Veale, Stoney Creek, Ont., left the starting line first mounting a lead, a peaking out 5.346 seconds, 280.89 mph. However, Shields of Boulder City, Nev., erased the deficit, chasing down his Canadian adversary for the final round victory, running 5.279 seconds, 274.78 mph.
Bellemeur, Placentia, Calif., attained a small starting line advantage and maintained it throughout the entire pass, beating out Kris Hool, Evansville, Wyo., for the Top Alcohol Funny Car Wally trophy. Bellemeur won his ninth Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Wally, hitting a full stride at 5.427 seconds, 270.81 mph. Hool runner upped at 5.748 seconds, 233.08 mph.
JUSTIN ASHLEY SETS HIS SIGHTS ON YEAR TWO IN TAD
GAINESVILLE, FL – Second-generation nitro racer Justin Ashley learned a lot in his first season of Top Alcohol 
Dragster.
Ashley, who pilots the Epic Motorsports Marketing/Realty Warehouse A/Fuel Dragster for Randy Meyer, learned quickly to keep his emotions in check, even when he had plenty to get emotional about.
“What works best for me is keeping the emotions out of it – being mechanical.,” explained Ashley, a two-time winner in 2017. ” And that’s something I learned from my father and Frank Hawley. Get in the car and do the same thing every time. It doesn’t matter if it’s the first round of qualifying or the fourth round of eliminations on Sunday. You just put all your emotions to the side, don’t get too high, don’t get too low. Just get in the car, do your job. There’s plenty of time at the finish line to show your emotions.”
Ashley proved a quick study as he laid down a No. 1 qualifier in his first outing, the NHRA Division 2 opener in Gainesville, Fla. A week later, he drove his way to the winner’s circle at the NHRA Gatornationals. And for good measure, he added a No. 1 qualifier at the prestigious NHRA U.S Nationals and a second win in Brainerd, Minn.
PRELUDE TO THE GATORS HOSTED AT GAINESVILLE RACEWAY
GAINESVILLE, FL – The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Southeast Division arrives at Gainesville Raceway for the Prelude to the Gators on March 9-10. The event is one of 44 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, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street. The division’s Stott’s Ford Top Sportsman Series and Hickory Enclosed Trailer Sales Top Dragster Series will also be run in conjunction with the event.
Gates at Gainesville Raceway open at 8 a.m. each day. Qualifying and time trials start at 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Top Dragster, Comp Eliminator and Top Sportsman qualify Friday at 11:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualify Friday at noon and 8:30 p.m. with all three rounds of eliminations set for Saturday beginning at 11:00 a.m. and continuing throughout the day with final rounds starting at 8:45p.m.
COWIE AND WESTERFIELD TAKE PACIFIC OPENER WINS
CHANDLER, AZ– In the final results from Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing 
Series Pacific Division Opener, Shawn Cowie, Surry, B.C., and Shane Westerfield, Anaheim, Calif., took home the wins in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car respectively.
Cowie worked his way through the field and ran 5.261 seconds at 277.26 mph in his final round victory over Joey Severance, Woodburn, Ore., who clocked in at 5.666 seconds, and 226.13 mph.
Westerfield faced off against Nick Januik, Las Vegas, Nev., and posted a winning run of 5.440 seconds, 272.23 mph in his ’16 Camaro. Januik drove to a 5.600 second, 264.49 mph lap for his runner up finish.
Clint Neff and Ed Niquette took home trophies in Comp and Super Stock respectively. Neff beat out Ross Wilson with a lap of 7.680 seconds at 164.65 mph, while Super Stock winner Niquette drove his ’05 Cavalier to the win over George Stassi.
FRICKE, WHITELEY WIN AT BELLE ROSE
BELL ROSE, LA – Jackie Fricke, Flemington, N.J., and Annie Whitley, Grand Junction, Colo., took home the wins in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car respectively at this weekend’s NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at No Problem Raceway, Belle Rose, La.
Fricke worked her way through the field beating Terry Schmidt in round one and No. 1 qualifier Megan Meyer in round two for a chance to take on Duane Shields in the final. Fricke then ran 5.309 seconds at 272.28 mph in her final round victory over Shields, Boulder City, Nev., who clocked in at 5.341, 272.25 mph.
Whiteley faced off against Kris Hool, Evansville, Wyo., and posted a winning run of 5.512 seconds, 270.50 mph in her ’15 Camaro. Hool, left early with a red light foul start, giving the win to Whitley right from the start.
THE NHRA PACIFIC DIVISION OPENS AT WILD HORSE PASS MOTORSPORTS PARK
CHANDLER, AZ –Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park will host the NHRA Pacific Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series opener March 2-4. The event is one of 44 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, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street. The Pacific Division Top Sportsman Series, Top Dragster Series and Sportsman Motorcycle Series will also run in conjunction with the event.
Gates at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park open at 7 a.m. each day. Qualifying and time trials start at 8 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Top Dragster and Top Sportsman qualify on Friday at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. with Sportsman Motorcycle at 2 p.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualify at 3 p.m. followed by Comp Eliminator at 4:30. Saturday Top Dragster and Top Sportsman qualify at 11:00 a.m. followed by Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny car at 12:30 and 4:30 p.m. Eliminations begin Saturday afternoon and continue on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. with Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car running round 1 at 11:30 a.m.
NO PROBLEM RACEWAY HOST NHRA SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION FOR NITRO ON THE BAYOU
BELLE ROSE, LA – NHRA South Central Division returns to No Problem Raceway for Nitro on the Bayou on March 2-4. 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, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street. The division’s SDPC Raceshop Top Sportsman and Top Dragster Series and NHRA Sportsman Motorcycle Series will also be run in conjunction with the event.
Gates at No Problem Raceway will open at 8 a.m. on each day. Qualifying and time trials start at 9 a.m. Friday and continues Saturday at 9 a.m. Top Dragster, Top Sportsman and Comp Eliminator qualify Friday at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. and Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualify Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at 12:30 and 6:00 p.m. Eliminations start Saturday afternoon and continue on Sunday. Round 1 of eliminations for Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car is scheduled to begin at noon on Sunday.
