LODRS at Las Vegas

Champions Crowned at Season Finale

 

Words by Keith Yazdanseta

Photos by Bob Johnson

The 2017 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series concluded its final regional event Sunday night, Nov. 5, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, as champions celebrated with their teams in winner’s circle.

 

Several World championships were clinched this weekend along with all the 2017 NHRA Lucas Oil Divisional and Regional Championships. After clinching the 2017 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Super Stock World championship at the resent Toyota NHRA Nationals, Justin Lamb, Henderson, Nev., clinched the Stock World championship to become just the third driver in NHRA history to win two world championships in the same season.

 

Austin Williams, Burleson, Texas, locked up the Super Comp World championship, and Lynn Ellison, Central City, Ky., captured the 2017 Top Dragster presented by Racing RV’s World championship

Top Alcohol Dragster rivals Shawn Cowie, Surrey, B.C., and Joey Severance, Woodburn, Ore., squared off for the last regional event of the season. Severance (far lane) cut a great light (.019 second reaction time), but lost traction at the beginning of the run. Cowie took the lead running 5.260 seconds, 273.66 mph to earn his 21st divisional Wally trophy and the 2017 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series West Regional title.

John Lombardo Jr.

 

The 2017 Central Region Champion, John Lombardo Jr., Brea, Calif., stuck to his winning ways in the Top Alcohol Funny Car final round. Lombardo left the starting line and Brian Hough, Junction City, Ore., lost traction, recovered but was unable to catch the California runner who scored a winning pass of 5.583 seconds, 267.32 mph. Hough followed with a runner-up pass of 5.719 seconds, 262.74 mph.

David Rampy, Piedmont, Ala., placed an exclamation point on his 2017 championship season by defeating Frank Aragona, Freehold, N.J., in the final round of Comp Eliminator. Aragona (far lane) triggered a great light (.007 second) running 7.590 seconds, 158.06 mph. However, Rampy recovered and went around Aragona peaking at 7.462 seconds, 159.85 mph.

Ryan Mangus brought two divisional Wally’s back to his home in Rialto, Calif., doubling up in Stock and Super Comp. In the Stock final round, Magnus gave ground to Mike McMahan, Port Charlotte, Fla., but was able to outlast him for the the double break out victory. Magnus repeated his double breakout performance in Super Comp against Gary Wamboldt, Arvada, Colo., running 9.043 seconds, 160.06 mph.

In the Top Sportsman final round, Daryl Hemley, Burley, Wash., ran 7.149 seconds, 196.27 mph to outpace Joe Roubicek, Camarillo, Calif., for the victory. Roubicek runner-upped at 6.703 seconds, 206.67 mph.

Northern Californians faced off in the final round of Top Dragster. John Richardson of Santa Clarita took a strong lead, powering his dragster down the strip at 6.144 seconds, 222.58 mph to eliminate Kyle Seipel of Pleasanton, who came in second at 6.874 seconds, 196.93 mph.

 

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:

Round 1

5) Alex Laughlin, Bluff Dale, Texas, 5.418, 258.71 def. 4) Julie Nataas, Santa Barabara, Calif., 5.321, 264.29;

2) Joey Severance, Woodburn, Ore., 5.265, 272.78 def. 7) Fred Hanssen, Afjord, Norway, 5.429, 238.81;

1) Shawn Cowie, Surrey, B.C., 5.289, 271.13 def. 8) Jackie Fricke, Flemington, N.J., 10.020, 87.24;

6) Duane Shields, Boulder City, Nev., 5.447, 264.18 def. 3) Bill Litton, La Jolla, Calif., 5.530, 276.35;

 

Semi-finals

Severance, 5.271, 272.45 def. Shields, 5.344, 268.33

Cowie, 5.283, 272.12 def. Laughlin, 5.432, 259.96;

 

Finals

Cowie, 5.260, 273.66 def. Severance, 6.019, 179.83.

 

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:

Round 1

6) Shane Westerfield, Anaheim, Calif., '16 Camaro, 5.546, 265.06 def. 3) Annie Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., '15 Camaro, 14.701, 57.87;

4) Brian Hough, Junction City, Ore., '16 Camaro, 6.477, 254.23 def. 5) Ulf Leanders, Viksjofors, Sweden, '17 Camaro, 6.774, 234.90;

2) John Lombardo Jr., Brea, Calif., '16 Camaro, 5.678, 265.95 def. 7) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '14 Camaro, 10.770, 109.20;

1) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '15 Camaro, 5.478, 267.96 def. 8) Chris Marshall, McMinnville, Ore., '17 Camaro, foul;

 

Semi-finals

Lombardo Jr., 5.917, 234.57 def. Westerfield, 13.993, 78.64

Hough, 5.545, 265.17 def. Gordon, 5.964, 264.49;

 

Finals

Lombardo Jr., 5.583, 267.32 def. Hough, 5.719, 262.74.

 

COMP ELIMINATOR: David Rampy, Piedmont, Ala., '32 Bantam, A/EA, 7.462, 159.85  def. Frank Aragona, Freehold, N.J., N&P, E/DA, 7.590, 158.06.

SUPER STOCK: Jimmy DeFrank, Thousand Oaks, Calif., '10 Cobalt, SS/CM, 9.357, 121.61  def. Jason DeForrest, Andover, Minn., '05 Cavalier, GT/EA, 10.380, 102.58.

 

STOCK ELIMINATOR: Ryan Mangus, Rialto, Calif., '70 Camaro, E/SA, 10.949, 115.47  def. Mike McMahan, Port Charlotte, Fla., '71 Corvette, H/SA, 11.579, 113.87.

 

SUPER COMP: Ryan Mangus, Rialto, Calif., dragster, 9.043, 160.06  def. Gary Wamboldt, Arvada, Colo., dragster, 9.009, 167.03.

SUPER GAS: Casey Plaizier, Edmonton, Alb., '63 Corvette, 10.065, 145.96  def. Bradley Johnson, Morrison, Colo., '67 Camaro, 10.040, 159.93.

 

SUPER STREET: Todd Sims, Puyallup, Wash., '66 Nova, 11.057, 132.02  def. Trey Vetter, Henderson, Nev., '77 Nova, 11.047, 128.32.