St. Louis Sunday final summary

THACKER, NOTHSTEIN SCORE BIG WINS AT GATEWAY INT'L RACEWAY

ST. LOUIS -- Gateway Int'l Raceway's Rage at the River, a round of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series is complete. Marty Thacker wheeled his Top Alcohol Dragster to his second consecutive final-round appearance to earn the win while Marty Nothstein earned his second win of the year in Top Alcohol Funny Car.

Thacker, a former division champion from Robinson, Ill., qualified in the No. 2 spot this weekend and made his way to the final where he was slated to face off against Noah Condo, Monticello, Ind. Condo pulled to the line but was unable to fire his car. However, Thacker still made an impressive 5.443-second, 267.43 mph pass in the final. Thacker was runner-up at the division's last race, at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill.

Nothstein, an Orefield, Pa., resident, was also the No. 2 qualifier this weekend. He laid down a 5.801-second, 253.47 mph pass to take out Dan Wilkerson of Springfield, Ill., in the final and extend his points lead in the class. Wilkerson, the son of NHRA Funny Car racer Tim Wilkerson, ran 5.953 seconds at 234.74 mph. Before earning his Top Alcohol Funny Car license, Nothstein was a professional cyclist and has earned a gold and a silver medal from two separate Olympics.

Jason Coan earned the win in Comp Eliminator. The Greentown, Ind., resident beat David Eaton, Merritt Island, Fla., in the final. Jeremy Duncan, Charlestown, Ind., wheeled his '02 Cavalier to the Super Stock win over Nick Morris, Bardstown, Ky. In Stock Eliminator, David Forbes, Horse Cave, Ky., got to the winner's circle behind the wheel of his ''71 Chevelle, beating George Widuch, Hermitage, Tenn., in the final. The Super Comp win went to Dave Dahlem, Tremont, Ill., who beat Mike Fuqua, Hendersonville, Tenn. In Super Gas, Mike Wiblishouser, Blair, Neb., earned the win over Larry Roedel, Evansville, Ind., and Mark Hackett, Quincy, Ill., beat Louis Murray, Eureka, Mo., in the Super Street final. Chamois, Mo., racer J.R. McKague got the win in Top Dragster, besting Brian Buch, Steelville, Ill., and in Top Sportsman, Anthony Munao, Elgin, Ill., made his way to the winner's circle after downing Keith Raftery, Lake Charles, La.

-credit: nhra