NW: Woodburn final summary

BAYER, HOUGH MAKE FIRST FORAY INTO WINNER'S CIRCLE IN 2008 AT WOODBURN DRAGSTRIP'S LUCAS OIL SERIES EVENT

WOODBURN, Ore. -- NHRA Northwest division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competitors tackled the quarter-mile at Woodburn Dragstrip this weekend in the 31st Les Schwab Challenge. In the end, defending division champions Thomas Bayer in Top Alcohol Dragster and Brian Hough in Top Alcohol Funny Car logged their first wins of 2008.

Fontana, Calif., resident Bayer, who is wheeling the rail owned and tuned by former division champ Steve Federlin of Oregon City, Ore., qualified in the No. 1 spot and had a bye run in the first round due to an odd number of entries for the TAD class. In the semis he beat Justin Davis of Murietta, Calif., before taking on another former division champ in Joey Severance of Spanaway, Wash. Bayer laid down a 5.556-second, 258.24 mph pass that was more than enough to cover Severance's abbreviated 9.478-second run.

Hough, who hails from Junction City, Ore., started the day from the No. 4 qualifying spot. In the first round he beat Klamath Falls, Ore., racer Clint Thompson and in the semifinals Hough got the win over No. 1 qualifier Sean O'Bannon of Fontana, Calif. In the final, Hough made a 6.015-second, 245.83 mph pass against Jason Rupert of Yorba Linda, Calif. Rupert's run got out of control about mid-way through and resulted in a crash. Rupert was unhurt in the incident but he handed the win to Hough.

Glendale, Ariz., resident Dean Carter earned the win in Comp Eliminator, beating out Doug Lambeck of Corona Del Mar, Calif. Super Stock racer Tony Mandella, Upland, Calif., wheeled his '90 Camaro to the win over Art Congdon, Calgary, Alb., in his '91 Calais. Jody Lang, Puyallup, Wash., drove his '81 Malibu to the win in Stock Eliminator, ousting Hal Sorensen, Vancouver, Wash., in the final. In Super Comp, John Young, Vancouver, Wash., bested Bob Woodruff, Maple Valley, Wash. Buckley, Wash., racer Mike Ferderer earned the win in Super Gas, taking out John Whitmore, Myrtle Creek, Ore. The Super Street winner was Thomas Golden, Aloha, Ore., over Tony Hernandez of Buckley, Wash. Top Sportsman winner, Seattle's Barry Hobson, beat Daryl Hemley of Burley, Wash., while in Top Dragster, Bill Maness, Vancouver, Wash., took home the hardware over Mike Henderson, Tacoma, Wash. Eric Johns, Milwaukie, Ore., rode his '05 Kawasaki to the winner's circle in Sportsman Motorcycle, beating out Al Omond of Surry, B.C.

Northwest division Lucas Oil Series racers head to Acton, Mont., for the next race. Yellowstone Drag Strip will host the event Aug. 15-17.

The following are the final results from the 31st Les Schwab Challenge, a round of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at Woodburn Dragstrip:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

Round 1
1) Thomas Bayer, Fontana, Calif., 5.541 seconds, 258.10 mph def. Bye

2) Joey Severance, Spanaway, Wash., 6.453, 184.31 def. 7) Doug Hegge, Vancouver, Wash., 7.723, 105.64

3) Shawn Cowie, Delta, B.C., 5.769, 248.27 def. 6) Gregg Lawrence, Salem, Ore., 5.748, 246.23

4) Justin Davis, Murrieta, Calif., 5.614, 255.24 def. 5) Brandon Johnson, Shelton, Wash., 6.015, 242.84

Semifinals
Bayer, 5.569, 260.55 def. Davis, 5.617, 256.55
Severance, 5.592, 255.31 def. Cowie, 5.671, 256.33

Final
Bayer, 5.556, 258.24 def. Severance, 9.478, 79.05

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR

Round 1
1) Sean O'Bannon, Fontana, Calif., '08 Monte Carlo, 5.940 seconds, 246.98 mph def. 8) Larry Miner, Lodi, Calif., '06 Monte Carlo, 10.396, 81.82

2) Jason Rupert, Yorba Linda, Calif., '03 Firebird, 6.074, 240.77 def. 7) Jeff Ashwell, Keizer, Ore., '99 Firebird, 6.065, 239.74

3) John Evanchuk, Edmonton, Alb., '02 Firebird, 5.919, 242.78 def. 10) Alexis De Joria, Venice, Calif., 80.65, 133.05

4) Brian Hough, Junction City, Ore., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.909, 249.16 def. 5) Clint Thompson, Klamath Falls, Ore., '06 Monte Carlo, 11.403, 77.06

Semifinals
Hough, 5.954, 247.93 def. O'Bannon, 5.961, 242.65
Rupert, 6.002, 239.68 def. Evanchuk, 5.993, 241.93

Final
Hough, 6.015, 245.83 def. Rupert, 16.966, no speed

COMP ELIMINATOR
Dean Carter, Glendale, Ariz., dragster, A/ND, 7.021, 168.13 def. Doug Lambeck, Corona Del Mar, Calif., '06 Sunfire, D/SMA, 8.620, 161.92

SUPER STOCK
Tony Mandella, Upland, Calif., '90 Camaro, GT/CA, 9.575, 138.22 def. Art Congdon, Calgary, Alb., '91 Calais, GT/CA, 9.674, 135.72

STOCK ELIMINATOR
Jody Lang, Puyallup, Wash., '81 Malibu, M/SA, 12.537, 91.90 def. Hal Sorensen, Vancouver, Wash., '69 Camaro, A/SA, 10.848, 108.43

SUPER COMP
John Young, Vancouver, Wash., dragster, 8.894, 161.05 def. Bob Woodruff, Maple Valley, Wash., dragster, 8.886, 182.48

SUPER GAS
Mike Ferderer, Buckley, Wash., '05 Grand Am, 9.904, 171.13 def. John Whitmore, Mrytle Creek, Ore., '34 Roadster, 9.899, 149.97.

SUPER STREET
Thomas Golden, Aloha, Ore., '57 Chevy, 10.907, 123.00 def. Tony Hernandez, Buckley, Wash., '66 Nova, 10.939, 146.48

TOP SPORTSMAN
Barry Hobson, Seattle, Wash., '06 Grand Am, 7.233, 182.88 def. Daryl Hemley, Burley, Wash., '02 Cavalier, 7.654, 179.67

TOP DRAGSTER
Bill Maness, Vancover, Wash., dragster, 7.933, 153.92 def. Mike Henderson, Tacoma, Wash., dragster, 7.168, 182.85

SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
Eric Johns, Milwaukie, Ore., '05 Kawasaki, 9.525, 135.19 def. Al Omond, Surry, B.C., '94 ZX9, 8.325, 165.31

-credit: nhra