NHRA
DIVISION 5 DOUBLES DOWN FOR THUNDER ON THE PLAINS AT SRCA DRAGSTRIP
GREAT BEND, KS – The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series West Central Division arrives at SRCA Dragstrip on 
September 27-30, for a double-header weekend. The event combines the weather postponed Lucas Oil Cornbelt Classic from Tri-State Raceways with SRCA Dragstrip’s annual Thunder on the Plains. The event is combined with the Great Bend Airfest Airshow for an action packed weekend. NHRA categories include Top Alcohol Dragster and Funny Car, 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.
For the first race of the double header, qualifying and time trials begin on Thursday at 8:45 a.m. Top Dragster, Comp and Top Sportsman qualify at 11 a.m., 3 and 6 p.m. On Friday eliminations beginning at 8:45 a.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car will compete in just a single event over the weekend with opening round of qualifying set for 4 p.m. on Friday.
SOUTHEAST DIVISION HEADS TO SILVER DOLLAR RACEWAY
REYNOLDS, GA – Silver Dollar Raceway host the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Southeast Division on 
September 27-29. 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 Stott’s Ford Top Sportsman Series and Hickory Enclosed Trailer Sales Top Dragster Series will also be in competition.
Gates at Silver Dollar Raceway open at 8 a.m. each day. Hickory Enclosed Top Dragster & Stott’s Ford Top Sportsman qualifies Friday at 1, 3 and 6 p.m. with Elimination rounds beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
Tickets for Silver Dollar Raceway are $20 each day. Children 12 and under are admitted free with a paid adult.
Silver Dollar Raceway is located on State Highway 96 West, just west of U.S. Highway 341. For more information call the track, (478) 847-4414, or visit ww.silverdollarraceway.com.
RAMPY SCORES NUMBER 99 AT GATEWAY MOTORSPORTS PARK
MADISON, IL – In the final results from the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals and the Lucas Oil Drag 
Racing Series, David Rampy claimed victory and took home is his 99th NHRA national event win this weekend at Gateway Motorsports Park.
Rampy, Piedmont, Ala., worked his way through the field and ran 7.240 seconds at 166.13 mph in his final round victory over Allen Wilson, Kokomo, Ind., who clocked in at 8.238 seconds, 163.75 mph. Wilson took the starting line advantage off the line but could not hold off Rampy, giving Rampy win number 99 at the national level.
Leah Pritchett was victorious over Stephen Bell in the SAM Factory Stock Showdown for her second win in as many races having won in Factory Stock at the US Nationals earlier this month. Pritchett clocked in at 8.001 seconds at 172.36 mph in her ’15 Challenger. Bell left the line but quickly had problems and watched Pritchett disappear down track.
COUGHLIN JR. AND BELLEMEUR VICTORIOUS AT MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY
MOHNTON, PA – In the final results from Maple Grove Raceway and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Troy Coughlin Jr., Delaware, Ohio, and Sean Bellemeur, Placentia, Calif., took home the wins in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car respectively.
Coughlin qualified number one and worked his way through the field taking out Brandon Greco and Duane Shields in rounds two and three, then went 5.328 seconds at 272.89 mph in his final round victory over Josh Hart, Ocala. Fla., who clocked in at 5.366 seconds, 273.66 mph.
Bellemeur faced off against Phil Burkart, Yorkville, N.Y., and posted a winning run of 5.489 seconds, 268.28 mph in his ‘17 Chevy Camaro. Burkart drove to a 5.745 second, 261.52 mph lap for his runner up finish. The win is Bellemeur’s third in a row at Maple Grove and the Dodge NHRA Nationals.
PARKER, HOUGH WIN IN WOODBURN
WOODBURN, OR – In the final results from Woodburn Dragstrip and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Kim 
Parker closed the deal in Top Alcohol Dragster for her first Lucas Oil Series win while Brian Hough collected his 18th in Top Alcohol Funny Car.
Parker defeated Garrett Bateman and Casey Grisel in rounds one and two for the right to race No. 1 qualifier Shawn Cowie in the final. Parker, Graham, Wash., saved her best run of eliminations in a 5.239 second, 275.90 mph lap to defeat Cowie who slowed to a 5.582, 195.27 for his runner up finish.
Hough, Junction City, Ore., just out powered Doug Gordon of Paso Robles, Calif., in a great final round with Hough covering the quarter-mile in 5.513 at 268.17 to Gordon’s 5.591, 268.17. Hough downed Tyson Parker and reigning NHRA World Champion Shane Westerfield in early rounds.
NHRA NORTHWEST DIVISION SEASON ENDS AT WOODBURN DRAGSTRIP
WOODBURN, OR – The NHRA Northwest Division returns to Woodburn Dragstrip on September 14-16. 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 JBS Top Sportsman Series, RAD Top Dragster Series and the Sportsman Motorcycle Series will also run in conjunction with the event.
Gates at Woodburn Dragstrip opens at 8 a.m. each day. Qualifying and time trials are Friday and Saturday at 9 a.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Funny Car have test sessions Friday at noon and 4 p.m. and qualifying rounds on Saturday at noon, 2:30 and 5 p.m. Eliminations start Sunday at 9 a.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Funny Car run round 1 at noon.
HIDALGO WINS STOCK, JUST MISSES DOUBLE
CECIL, GA – Jimmy Hidalgo Jr. raced his way into the final round in not one by two classes this weekend for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at South Georgia Motorsports Park and took home the win in Stock Eliminator.
The second-generation driver, Hidalgo worked his way through the fields in both Stock and Super Stock and posted a solid .024 second package in Stock to take out Daniel Young, Palm Harbor, Fla., for the first half of the possible double-up. Young ran too quick as he tried to chase Hidalgo down.
In the Super Stock final, Hidalgo, Donaldsonville, La., faced off with Jeff Longhany, Wade, N.C., who got the jump off the start and took the win as Hidalgo was forced to run too quick and broke out. Longhany posted a 9.842 second lap at 133.91 mph.
Top Thrills in Top Fuel Harley Finale as Tii Tharpe Takes Title
Stow, OH – Tii Tharpe is the champion of the NHRA Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels Top Fuel Harley Drag 
Racing Series after clinching the win over the Labor Day weekend at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis — a new event for the Harley series this year. Tharpe defeated Doug Vancil in dramatic fashion after the two entered the finale separated by less than a round’s worth of points.
Tharpe and Vancil competed head-to-head throughout the season, with Tharpe going into the weekend’s showdown with a slight edge. The duo recorded identical 0.43 reaction times to kick off the final round before Tharpe surged ahead on the strength of a 6.44 pass on his Spevko, recording his fifth win of the season.
“Congratulations to Tii and his team on earning the Mickey Thompson Tires Top Fuel Harley title,” said Ken Warner, Vice President of Marketing for Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels. “It doesn’t get any more exciting than the kind of finish Tii and our other elite competitors treated fans to, and we’re looking forward to building on that excitement next year.”
TRI-STATE RACEWAY HOST NHRA WEST CENTRAL DIVISION
EARLVILLE, IA – The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series West Central Division arrives at Tri-State Raceway on September 7-9. 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 Advance Product Design Top Sportsman, Fineline Graphics & Madcap Racing Top Dragster and NHRA Sportsman Motorcycle Series are also in competition.
Gates at Tri-State Raceway open at 7 a.m. each day. Qualifying and time trials are Friday at 9 a.m. and Saturday at 8 a.m. Comp Eliminator, Top Sportsman and Top Dragster qualify Friday at 2 and 4 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualify at 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at noon and 4 p.m. The first round of Sportsman eliminations will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday and continue Sunday at 9 a.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car first round of eliminations is Sunday at noon.
Tickets for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Tri-State Raceway are $20 Friday, $25 Saturday and $25 Sunday. Children 6-12 are $5 each day and children 5 and under are admitted free with paid adult.
SOUTH GEORGIA MOTORSPORTS PARK HOSTS THE NHRA LUCAS OIL DIVISIONAL
CECIL, GA – The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Southeast Division arrives at South Georgia Motorsports Park September 7-8 for the make-up of the rained-out event from May.
The event is one of 44 scheduled across the country where drivers in the NHRA Lucas Oil 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 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 South Georgia Motorsports Park open at 8 a.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. on Saturday. Qualifying and time trials start at 9 a.m. on Friday. Top Dragster, Comp Eliminator and Top Sportsman qualify Friday at noon, 3 and 6 p.m. Eliminations for all classes begin on Saturday at 9 a.m. Top Dragster, Comp Eliminator and Top Sportsman start eliminations at 11 a.m.
