Swinarski sweeps Top ET & Top 8 Eliminator
LANCASTER, NY – Lancaster National Dragway partnered with the Supercharged Bounty Hunters on Friday night 
for a special event that pitted four of the top supercharged blown doorslammers against four of the fastest nitrous-powered cars on the property.
The blown engine versus nitrous challenge came down to Dave Texido of the Supercharged Bounty Hunters against the nitrous-powered Camaro of Mike Nowak. The nitrous cars earned the bragging rights at the end of the night as Nowak got the win on a holeshot. Texido had the faster elapsed time, but Nowak launched off the starting line quicker. It was the third-straight win at Lancaster for Nowak with Top 8 Eliminator victories the previous two weeks.
In Franco’s Pizza Friday Night IHRA Drag Racing action, Mike Swinarski of Orchard Park, N.Y. picked up wins in both Top 8 Eliminator and Top ET. It marked the second year in a row that Swinarski accomplished the feat. He defeated Alex Noltee in the Top 8 Final, and then dispatched of Mark Glomb in the final round of Top. Swinarski was the second car to leave the starting line in both races as his opponents had the slower dial-ins.
Dale Eckert of South Wales, N.Y. earned his third win of the year in McGard Mod and fifth win overall at Lancaster in 2018. Eckert defeated Anthony Platania in the finals after Platania broke out. In Tread City Tire Street, “Fast Eddie” Semlitsch of West Seneca, N.Y. scored his second Street win of the year and third victory overall in 2018. Semlitsch faced Deanna Winkowski in the final pairing as Winkowski was making her first ever final round appearance. Unfortunately Winkowski triggered the red light at the starting line to hand the win to Semlitsch.
Vic Puglia of Tonawanda, N.Y. won for the second week in a row in Hebeler’s Sales Bikes & Sleds. Puglia cut a perfect light in his final round win over Pete Marston with a .500 reaction time.
This Friday night, Lancaster National Dragway hosts its annual Nitro Night of Fire featuring a Top Fuel Dragster match race between Todd Paton and Dom Lagana plus the TNT Super Series and a full card of Franco’s Pizza IHRA Drag Racing.
RESULTS (Driver, hometown, vehicle, reaction time, dial-in, elapsed time and top speed)
Supercharged Bounty Hunters vs. Nitrous Doorslammers Challenge
Winner: Mike Nowak (Lancaster, N.Y.) 1967 Chevrolet Camaro .408 4.721 seconds, 145.36 mph
Runner-up: Dave Texido (Grand Island, N.Y.) 1969 Pontiac Firebird .471 4.706 seconds, 133.98 mph
Top 8 Eliminator
Winner: Mike Swinarski (Orchard Park, N.Y.) 2002 Chevrolet Camaro .549 5.18 5.196 seconds, 131.98 mph
Runner-up: Alex Noltee (Tonawanda, N.Y.) 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle .553 5.57 5.591 seconds, 123.30 mph
Top ET
Winner: Mike Swinarski (Orchard Park, N.Y.) 2002 Chevrolet Camaro .504 5.18 5.200 seconds, 132.38 mph
Runner-up: Mark Glomb (Depew, N.Y.) 1972 Chevrolet Vega .504 5.82 5.898 seconds, 115.74 mph
McGard Mod ET
Winner: Dale Eckert (S. Wales, N.Y.) 1969 Chevrolet Camaro .540 7.10 7.103 seconds, 93.51 mph
Runner-up: Anthony Platania (Rochester, N.Y.) 1969 Chevrolet Nova .532 6.60 6.595 seconds, 100.21 mph
Hebeler’s Sales Bikes & Sleds
Winner: Vic Puglia (Tonawanda, N.Y.) 2005 Kawasaki ZX10R .500 5.43 5.475 seconds, 113.07 mph
Runner-up: Pete Marston (Grand Island, N.Y.) 2002 Polaris ZR .525 6.43 6.552 seconds, 92.25 mph
Tread City Tire Street ET
Winner: Ed Semlitsch (W. Seneca, N.Y.) 1963 Chevrolet Nova .366 8.78 8.862 seconds, 75.51 mph
Runner-up: Deanna Winkowski (Depew, N.Y.) 2001 Saturn .422 FOUL
