ENNIS, Texas -- The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Texas Motorplex will be completed on Monday. After high winds forced NHRA and track officials to halt racing action on Saturday, they wanted to give racers who did not get to run an opportunity to make a pass this morning and complete qualifying before going into eliminations. However, with nearly 500 cars in competition they were unable to complete eliminations.
Racers in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car did finish eliminations. James Thompson Jr. took the win over Brandon Pierce in Top Alcohol Dragster and Steve Harker earned the Top Alcohol Funny Car win over Jimmy Jones.
Thompson was the No. 2 qualifier coming into eliminations. In the final round the Vernon, Texas, resident ran 5.313 seconds at 268.65 mph to beat Pierce of Moore, Okla., who made a 5.388-second, 269.78 mph pass. Randy Meyer, Spring Hill, Kan., was the No. 1 qualifier in Top Alcohol Dragster but he lost in the first round to reigning division champion Spencer Massey of Fort Worth.
After two straight runner-up finishes, Harker, a Gainesville, Ga., resident, earned his first win of the season. Harker qualified in the top spot and in the final his 9.606-second, 88.28 mph effort was enough to beat a red-lighting Jones.
In Comp Eliminator, Michael Johnson, Springdale, Ark., maintained his top qualifying position as did Bill McClister, Shoreacres, Texas, in Stock Eliminator. Top Sportsman's Keith Raftery, Lake Charles, La., stayed in the No. 1 spot and so did Sportman Motocycle competitor Rich Gentili of Humble, Texas. In Super Stock, Slate Cummings, Hammond, La., took over the top qualifier spot and in Top Dragster Joey Marcotte, Denham Springs, La., jumped to the top seat.
NHRA South Central division racers will continue eliminations at Texas Motorples on Monday.
The following are the final results Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car as well as final qualifying for other classes from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Texas Motorplex:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTERRound 1
8) Spencer Massey, Fort Worth, Texas, 5.416, 269.51 def.
1) Randy Meyer, Spring Hill, Kan., 5.483, 263.31
2) James Thompson Jr., Vernon, Texas, 5.335, 268.92 def.
7) Darryl Hitchman, Celeste, Texas, 6.799, 152.16
6) Chris Holley, Freeport, Texas, 6.301, 171.62 def.
3) Kate Harker, Gainesville, Ga., 10.966, 78.88
4) Brandon Pierce, Moore, Okla., 5.351, 272.56 def.
5) Brandon Lewis, Broken Arrow, Okla., 5.406, 265.06
Semifinals
Pierce, 5.401, 269.46 def. Massey, 7.863, 109.71
Thompson Jr., 5.329, 267.48 def. Holley, 5.795, 233.44
Final
Thompson Jr., 5.313, 268.65 def. Pierce, 5.388, 269.78
