WC: Topeka Saturday summary

WINNERS CROWNED AT HEARTLAND PARK TOPEKA'S NHRA LUCAS OIL SERIES EVENT

TOPEKA, Kan. -- Heartland Park Topeka's NHRA Summer Championships presented by Aeromotive, a round of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, ran late into the night on Saturday -- in fact, finishing after midnight -- the but wait was worth it for those who found themselves in the winner's circle afterward. Oklahoma City's Aaron Tatum led the way in his Top Alcohol Dragster and Roger Bateman of Calgary, Alb., got his Top Alcohol Funny Car there. Emporia, Kan., racer Gary Stinnett also made his way to the winner's circle in Super Comp and Olathe, Kan., racer Mark Grame earned the win in Top Dragster. The Super Street final was a battle of locals as John Dasher, Silver Lake, Kan., beat Topeka's Ted Ash Jr.

In the Top Alcohol Dragster final, No. 2 qualifier Tatum peeled off is best run of the event at 5.281 seconds and 276.92 mph. He needed it as he was taking on the event's No. 1 qualifier, Shawn Cowie of Delta, B.C. Cowie ran 5.370-seconds at 268.76 seconds. This was Tatum's third win of the year and Cowie's third runner-up finish of the season. He is still looking for that elusive first win.

Veteran Top Alcohol Funny Car racer and former division champion Bateman finally earned his first win of the year. He squared off against the event's top qualifier Steve Harker of Gainesville, Ga., in the final. Bateman had qualified in the No. 2 spot. In the final, Bateman's 5.699-second, 254.57 mph run was enough to cover Harker's 5.754-second, 252.43 mph effort.

Stinnett, who also competes in the Super Stock class, earned his second Super Comp win of the season when he beat Tommy Phillips, Forney, Texas, in the final. Grame wheeled his Top Dragster entry to the win over Phoenix racer Kevin Kleineweber.

In Comp Eliminator, Tom Schmidt, Lindstrom, Minn., scored the win over Bill Riemenapp of La Crosse, Wis., and Justin Jenkins of Beatrice, Neb., earned the win in Super Stock beating David Bogner, Kearney, Neb. The Stock Eliminator win went to Dwayne Scheitlin, Brighton, Colo., when he wheeled his '71 Challenger around Stephen Hagberg, Berthoud, Colo., in a '64 Savoy. Blair, Neb., resident Mike Wiblishouser beat Olathe's Heidi Robison in the Super Gas final while Larry Demers, Carroll, Iowa, took the win in Top Sportsman over J.J. Heber, Aurora, Colo., and Tom Gilligan rode his Kawasaki to the win in Sportsman Motorcycle, beating out Brian Johnson of Anoka, Minn.

NHRA West Central division racers will close out the 2008 season at Tri-State Raceway in Earlville, Iowa, September 5-7.

The following are the final results from the NHRA Summer Championships presented by Aeromotive, a round of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, at Heartland Park Topkea:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

Round 1

1) Shawn Cowie, Delta, B.C., 5.402, 266.58 def. 8) Jared Dreher, Clinton, Iowa, 5.582, 241.07

2) Aaron Tatum, Oklahoma City, 5.384, 275.00 def. 7) Richard Putz, Earlville, Iowa, 5.441, 260.61

6) Edwin Schmeeckle, Gothenburg, Neb., 5.444, 262.85 def. 3) Jim Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., 5.532, 264.23

5) Brandon Lewis, Broken Arrow, Okla., 5.389, 44.08 def. 4) Diana Harker, Gainesville, Ga., 10.355, 98.59

Semifinals

Cowie, 5.466, 261.32 def. Lewis, foul

Tatum, 5.329, 278.81 def. Schmeeckle, 5.418, 263.56

Final

Tatum, 5.281, 276.92 def. Cowie, 5.370, 268.76

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR

Round 1

1) Steve Harker, Gainesville, Ga., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.682, 250.51 def. 8) Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, '02 Camaro, 5.851, 249.58

2) Roger Bateman, Calgary, Alb., '08 Mustang, 5.656, 255.10 def. 7) Bob Alberty, Muskogee, Okla., '02 Camaro, 5.849, 246.89

3) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '07 Mustang, 5.810, 254.62 def. 6) Nancy Matter, Lewisville, Texas, '02 Camaro, 5.839, 248.93

5) Paul Anderson, Firestone, Colo., '07 Charger, 5.722, 252.85 def. 4) Scott McVey, Winnipeg, Man., '00 Avenger, 5.788, 248.34

Semifinals

Harker, 5.698, 236.13 def. Anderson, 9.206, 96.18

Bateman, 5.820, 250.51 def. Payne, 5.836, 253.14

Final

Bateman, 5.699, 254.57 def. Harker, 5.754, 252.43

COMP ELIMINATOR

Tom Schmidt, Lindstrom, Minn., '03 S-10, C/T, 8.405, 159.16 def. Bill Riemenapp, La Crosse, Wis., '06 GTO, C/EA, 8.304, 163.91

SUPER STOCK

Justin Jenkins, Beatrice, Neb., '08 Cobalt, GT/CA, 9.929, 132.05 def. David Bogner, Kearney, Neb., '92 Daytona, SS/CS, 9.693, 137.64

STOCK ELIMINATOR

Dwayne Scheitlin, Brighton, Colo., '71 Challenger, B/SA, 10.575, 124.36 def. Stephen Hagberg, Berthoud, Colo., '64 Savoy, A/SA, 10.475, 122.89

SUPER COMP

Gary Stinnett, Emporia, Kan., dragster, 8.917, 171.53 def. Tommy Phillips, Forney, Texas, dragster, 8.899, 175.78.

SUPER GAS

Mike Wiblishouser, Blair, Neb., '07 Corvette, 9.915, 157.04 def. Heidi Robison, Olathe, Kan., '63 Corvette, 9.912, 157.76

SUPER STREET

John Dasher, Silver Lake, Kan., '68 Camaro, 10.897, 124.68 def. Ted Ash Jr., Topeka, Kan., '61 Corvette, 10.881, 147.46

TOP SPORTSMAN

Larry Demers, Carroll, Iowa, '88 Corvette, 7.675, 178.24 def. J.J. Heber, Aurora, Colo., '06 Mustang, 7.090, 188.31

TOP DRAGSTER

Mark Grame, Overland Park, Kan., dragster, 7.005, 173.34 def. Kevin Kleineweber, Phoenix, dragster, 7.228, 170.00

SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE

Tom Gilligan, Fremont, Neb., '00 Kawasaki, 9.067, 142.81 def. Brian Johnson, Anoka, Minn., '05 Suzuki, 9.137, 140.11

-credit: nhra