National: Series final summary

THACKER, LOMBARDO MAKE A TRIP TO THE WINNER'S CIRCLE AT TEXAS MOTORPLEX

GLENDORA, Calif. (Sept. 28, 2009) -- NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster pilot Marty Thacker scored his first national event win of the season this weekend at Texas Motorplex's O'Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals. The Robinson, Ill., racer joined John Lombardo Jr., Brea, Calif., in the winner's circle after Lombardo earned his first ever NHRA national event win in Top Alcohol Funny Car.

Thacker started eliminations from the No. 9 qualifying spot and made his best runs of the weekend in the semifinal and final rounds -- identical 5.372-second laps. In the final he squared off against Delta, B.C., resident Shawn Cowie who ran 5.418 seconds at 265.74 mph. This was Cowie's first final-round appearance at a national event this year but he has notched wins at each of the six divisional races he has attended.

Lombardo made his best eliminations run in the Top Alcohol Funny Car final. He took on Alexis De Joria of Bronson, Fla., and laid down a 5.691-second, 252.61 mph run. De Joria actually made her worst run of eliminations in the final when she slowed to a 5.861-second, 242.54 mph effort.

Comp Eliminator racer Bruno Massel, Woodbridge, Ill., cushioned his lead in the Comp Eliminator point standing by scoring a win at the Motorplex. He faced off in his '08 Cobalt against Tom Schmidt, Lindstrom, Minn., who was in his '03 S-10 truck. Massel also won the national event at Heartland Park Topeka and was runner-up at Brainerd Int'l Raceway.

Claremore, Okla., resident Bryan Chaney wheeled his '92 Camaro Super Stocker to the win over veteran racer Bobby Dennis of Shorter, Ala., who was driving his '90 Calais. In Stock Eliminator, Monty Bogan, Centerville, Va., ousted former NHRA national champion Kevin Helms, Shriever, La., in the final, while Baytown, Texas's Lloyd Parfait scored the win in Super Comp. Parfait knocked out Mark Powers, Buda, Texas, in the final. The win in Super Gas went to Kemp, Texas, racer David Jones, who wheeled his '86 Firebird to the win over Roger Warren, Jacksonville, Texas, in his '97 Cutlass.

-credit: nhra