Pro Sportsman Association
Reichert Wins TA/D, Bohl Locks Up TA/FC Title
Written by Todd Veney/Pro Sportsman Association
Bowling Green, KY – At the North Central Region in Bowling Green, Ky., former Top Alcohol Dragster world champ Bill Reichert earned 
his first win since the opener at Indianapolis, and in Top Alcohol Funny Car, Andy Bohl, who also won the Indy race, clinched his first regional championship with his third win of the season. Both won from the No. 7 qualifying spot.
For Reichert, it was his 10th career win at Beech Bend Raceway, including five in a row from 1994 to 1998 and four in a row from 2008 to 2011. “I think I’ve done better here than I have at any other track,” he said, “but we struggled almost all weekend.”
Gingles Wins 2nd Straight, Payne His This Season
Written by Todd Veney/Pro Sportsman Association
Topeka, KS – Canadian Top Alcohol Dragster racer Gord Gingles stayed hot at the WIBW Thunder in the Heartland regional event in 
Topeka, and in Top Alcohol Funny Car, Jay Payne, one of the most prolific drivers in divisional/regional history, may have turned his season around with his first victory in 10 starts.
Gingles, who drove “The Bull” A/Fueler to a tight final-round decision over defending national champ Jim Whiteley last week in Brainerd for his first national event win, got off the line first and pounded out low e.t. of the meet – 5.354, a slight improvement on his 5.358 semifinal time – to put away Randy Meyer this time in a final-round battle of the top two drivers in the region in 2012.
Stalba, Anderika Complete Comebacks at Cecil County
Written by Todd Veney/Pro Sportsman Association
At the East Region closer in Cecil County, Md., Karen Stalba, who endured a disappointing title defense last year after winning the 2011 
Division 1 championship, got back on top in Top Alcohol Dragster, and incoming points leader John Anderika clinched the championship by personally taking out the only two drivers who had a mathematical shot at overtaking him in Top Alcohol Funny Car.
Stalba, who DNQed at five of six regional event last year and had won just one round so far this season, went from the No. 8 qualifying spot to victory, taking a final-round decision over current points leader Dan Page, 5.51 to 5.70. “For a year and a half, it’s been nothing but frustration,” Stalba said. “We got lost. Nothing went right all year last year, nothing went right all year this year, and nothing was going right at this race. We smoked the tires on both test runs on Thursday and when we did it again in the first qualifying session, I thought, ‘Man, I hope we can just qualify. There were a lot of long faces around here.”
Gingles Wins His First, Manzo His First This Year at Brainerd
Written by Todd Veney/Pro Sportsman Association
At the Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, defending Central Region champ Gord Gingles upset reigning national champ Jim Whiteley for 
his first career national event victory in Top Alcohol Dragster, and Frank Manzo rode a string of 5.50s to what surprisingly is his first national event win all year in Top Alcohol Funny Car.
In the final, Gingles left with a .030-second lead and crossed the finish line first by the same amount when both drivers ran almost identical e.t.s – 5.313 for Gingles and 5.314 for Whiteley, who lost for just the sixth time in 26 career national finals.
Whiteley’s J&A Service/YNot Racing blown-alcohol dragster and Gingles’ Manitoba-based Bull A/Fueler qualified 1-2 and ran within a hundredth of a second of each other all day. Following a first-round single Saturday afternoon when Dr. Jerry Powell was unable to appear, Gingles ran a 5.28 against many-time national event champion Marty Thacker in round two. Earlier in that round, Whiteley made the only other run in the 5.20s in eliminations, a 5.277 that held up for low e.t., to cover Robin Samsel’s 5.43.
Demke Pads TA/D Lead, Gasparrelli Wins TA/FC
Written by Todd Veney/Pro Sportsman Association
At the West Regional at Pacific Raceways, Chris Demke picked up his second win of the season to strengthen his tenuous lead in the 
most wide-open Top Alcohol Dragster points race in years, and in Alcohol Funny Car, Steve Gasparrelli conquered a deep and talented field for his latest win at Seattle, where he does better than at any other track.
In the most consistent performance of his career, Demke qualified No. 1 with a 5.32 at 267 mph and ran three straight 5.32s at 268 in eliminations for his second win in eight 2013 finals. “Over the years we’ve been pretty consistent, but not that consistent,” he said. “No way have I ever run the same e.t. in every single round of a race until this weekend.”
Cowie Does It Again in TA/D, Thompson Takes TA/FC
Written by Todd Veney/Pro Sportsman Association
Kent, WA – Continuing the monumental comeback he launched with an epic win at Woodburn Dragstrip in his first appearance in more 
than two years, Shawn Cowie won the Northwest Nationals Top Alcohol Dragster final, running down Garrett Bateman, who had the early lead with an outstanding .011 reaction time. In Top Alcohol Funny Car, Clint Thompson, another driver whose only previous start this season came three weeks ago at Woodburn, turned back Sean Bellemeur in the final for his fifth career win and third at this event.
For Cowie, critically injured in April 2011 when a drunk driver plowed into his motorcycle on an Interstate ramp in Nashville, this actually was his third win in a row; he won his last start before the accident, the 2011 SummitRacing.com Nationals in Las Vegas.
When Your Hot, Your Hot! Booher wins third in a row, Bohl second of 2013
Written by Todd Veney/Pro Sportsman Association
Hebron, OH – At National Trail Raceway in Columbus, Brandon Booher collected his third straight victory and took a commanding lead for the 2013 North Central championship in Top Alcohol Dragster and Andy Bohl won for the second time this season and assumed the favorite’s role for the North Central Top Alcohol Funny Car title.
Booher, who never won a race until last month, padded his lead with a close final-round decision over Marty Thacker, who now has three final-round appearances this year. Thacker delivered by far his best run of the weekend, 5.48, and Booher his slowest, 5.46, but Booher’s 5-mph better speed, 266 to 261, made for a car-length lead at the finish line.
Anderika breaks through, Finke takes 2nd straight at Division 1 Points Meet
Written by Todd Veney/Pro Sportsman Association
Epping, NH – With an upset win over The Man himself, Frank Manzo, John Anderika put years of final-round futility behind him for an overdue first Top Alcohol Funny Car title, and in Top Alcohol Dragster, John Finke won for the second time in a row in regional competition and the second year in a row at New England Dragway.
“Finally,” exclaimed Anderika, who went the distance for the first time in 11 career finals, including four this year. “Now, I won’t have to go through life being that guy who never won.”
Cowie Makes Triumphant Return in TA/D, Lombardo Takes TA/FC
Written by Todd Veney/Pro Sportsman Association
Woodburn, OR – Sidelined Top Alcohol Dragster star Shawn Cowie, critically injured in a motorcycle accident two years ago in Nashville and told repeatedly that he’d never race again, won the Les Schwab Challenge at Woodburn Dragstrip his first time back in the seat, qualifying No. 1 and defeating red-hot Chris Demke in the final. In Top Alcohol Funny Car, John Lombardo Jr. returned to early season form with a hard-fought win over the second-quickest field ever assembled.
Cowie’s triumphant return began with a 5.45 test run on Thursday that was a victory in itself. Just getting the car down the track would have been a major accomplishment, but Cowie qualified No. 1 with a 5.33 that held up throughout eliminations for low e.t. and ran low e.t. of two of three rounds, including the final, where he edged Demke, 5.41 to 5.43, to cap a fairytale weekend.
Hirata, Hool Take Upset-Filled Summit Racing Equipment Nationals Alcohol Titles at Norwalk
Written by Todd Veney/Pro Sportsman Association
Norwalk, OH – At the wide-open Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, Dave Hirata broke through for his first national 
event victory in 13 years and Kris Hool earned his second career title. Seven of the eight semifinalists in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car – everyone but superstar Frank Manzo – had combined for one national event win since the turn of the century. Hirata, who last scored at the rain-delayed Englishtown race in September 2000, won Top Alcohol Dragster with an 18-second pass when No. 1 qualifier Ray Martin red-lighted in the final, and Hool ran a consistent 5.65 to take out Fred Tigges in Top Alcohol Funny Car.
