HITCHCOCK, SALEMI & BANAS WIN AGAIN AT LANCASTER DRAGWAY
Jewell & Astyk take Buffalo Street Outlaws victories
LANCASTER, NY – Lancaster National Dragway kicked off the final month of the season for the Franco’s Pizza 
IHRA Drag Racing on Friday night with a jam packed program that included the Buffalo Street Outlaws.
Brian Hitchcock of Amherst, N.Y. earned his second win in a row in Top 8 Eliminator. Hitchcock ran his 5.18 dial-in in the final round as he defeated Wayne Cleveland for his third win overall in 2017. The loss denied Cleveland his third win of the year in Top 8.
In Mallare Enterprises Top ET, veteran Billy Leber of Tonawanda, N.Y. took the win aboard Joe Masullo’s rear engine dragster. Leber made a phenomenal pass in the finals as he had a near-perfect .501 reaction time and just missed his 4.99 dial-in with a 5.009 ET.
Keith Banas of Tonawanda, N.Y. earned his second-straight win in McGard Mod. Banas held off Jeff Kerl in the finals as he matched his 6.73 dial-in.
The final round in Hebeler’s Sales Bikes & Sleds featured two of the class’s biggest winners this season in Lucas Salemi and Vic Puglia. Salemi got the win over Puglia on Friday night for his fourth win of the season. The win helped Salemi to get within 10 points of Mike Peters for the Bikes & Sleds points lead with three races left this season.
The chase for the championship was also on in Tread City Tire Street as Mason Fix of Amherst, N.Y. earned his first class victory of the year. That puts Fix just two rounds behind Ed Semlitsch for the points lead.
Rachel Jewell of Rochester was victorious in the final round of the Buffalo Street Outlaws. Jewell’s 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle beat the Buick Grand National of Grant Farmer to score the win. Aaron Astyk of Tonawanda, N.Y. won the BSO Street Limited class. Astyk got the victory when Don Belkota red lighted in the finals.
Lancaster National Dragway’s jam packed September continues next Friday with Alcohol Funny Cars plus a full card of racing. Joe’s Transmission TNT Hot Rod, the Junior Dragster 7.90 class plus a $250-to-win special for Tread City Tire will join the rest of the weekly classes of Franco’s Pizza IHRA Drag Racing.
