On an oppressively hot weekend at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, KS, past Pro Mod world champion Jason Hamstra beat all comers June 30, to earn his first victory with the Frankenstein Engine Dynamics Mid-West Pro Mod Series (MWPMS).

 

“We haven’t had a lot of racing luck this year, and it was so hot, the track was very hot and it really wasn’t like the normal prep we’re used to,” said Hamstra, who started his supercharged ’69 Camaro from second-place in the 16-car qualified field. “Conditions were definitely challenging, so it was good to finally have it all come together.”

 

After 20 entries completed four rounds of qualifying, Jonas Aleshire and his blown ’06 Corvette entered eliminations from the top spot thanks to a 3.82-seconds blast at 198.58 mph in the first session. Despite making a pass only in the opening round of qualifying, Hamstra’s 3.83 at a class-leading 205.69 mph held up for second overall, followed by Brandon Pesz, Eddie Rogers and MWPMS owner and promoter Keith Haney with the first of the nitrous entries at 3.89 seconds and 193.13 mph.

 

Once eliminations began (pushed forward to shortly after 4 p.m. due to threatening weather on the way), Hamstra made short work of Mike Bradley, then beat Justin Jones, but lost lane choice for the semis to third-place qualifier Brandon Pesz and his ’58 Vette. Once there, Hamstra posted his worst time of the weekend at 4.05, but Pesz slowed even more with traction woes to 4.35 seconds.

 

“The right lane had a pretty bad spot in it and the only time we didn’t get down was in the semi-finals when I was put over there and had to pedal it,” Hamstra said. “That was actually the first time the car didn’t go down the track since several races ago.”

On the opposite side of the ladder, number-nine starter Jim Sackuvich reached his second-straight and third final of the year.

 

Though still looking for his first MWPMS win, Sackuvich led a charmed life in Topeka as first-round opponent Kevin Maddux left before the tree was activated, Jerry Hunt jumped the start by four thousandths in round two, and Haney was a no-show for the semis after suffering transmission breakage in the quarter finals.

 

Back in his preferred left lane, Hamstra quickly overcame a slight advantage by Sackuvich and his nitrous-fed ’69 Camaro off the start and streaked to the win in 3.84 seconds at just over 205 mph, while Sackuvich ran his best pass of the weekend at 3.93 and 204 mph.

 

In the MWPMS Slammers class for non-qualifiers and first-round buybacks, Jon Stouffer of Neosho, MO, steered his blown-Hemi-powered ’71 Cuda to his first series win.

 

The next MWPMS event scheduled for Aug. 2-4, at Gateway Motorsports Park, near St. Louis, will feature all MWPMS classes, including the unique and always exciting Radial vs. the World.  [07/02/18]

Lancaster National Dragway hosted small tire racers from Ontario, Pennsylvania and Ohio on Friday night plus the hometown Buffalo Street Outlaws (BSO) in showdown for a bigger purse and bragging rights to be the top street racer.

 

Thirty-five Street Outlaw racers were on hand to challenge for a piece of the $7,000 purse.   [07/02/18]

John Sahli of Youngstown, OH, took top honors in the Buffalo Street Outlaws Street Limited class. Sahli’s Monte Carlo (0.463 RT, 5.558 ET, 112.51 mph) defeated Jonathan Kroll’s Pontiac Trans-Am (0.658 RT, 5.485 ET, 127.91 mph) in the final round.

 

The BSO Outlaw Street class finished in a three-way split due to Lancaster’s curfew. Racers on hand from all three states were represented in the final trio with Moe Alfaqih from Cheektowaga, NY, Dan Turner from Greenville, PA, and Keith Sletvold of Youngstown, OH, splitting the top prize.

 

The Franco’s Pizza Friday Night IHRA Drag Racing Program featured plenty of familiar faces in victory lane with a number of seasoned veterans taking wins. Mike Nowak of Lancaster made it to two final rounds starting with Top 8 Eliminator. Nowak got his second-straight win in Top 8 when Carl Ettipio tripped the red light at the starting line. He then went on the finals in Top Eliminator where Nowak went up against Jan Winkowski. Winkowski’s “Lunatic Fringe” Chevy Nova (0.545, 6.60 dial, 6.615 ET, 98.49) held off Nowak’s Camaro (0.545, 8.03 dial, 8.019 ET, 86.37) at top end to score his first win of the season.

 

In McGard Mod, Jeff Kerl of Cheektowaga, N.Y. picked up his first win of 2018. Kerl got the win when Ryan RIcketson ran under his dial-in and broke out in the final round. Hebeler’s Sales Bikes & Sleds got their fifth different winner to start the season when Vic Puglia (0.522, 5.49 dial, 5.495 ET, 123.05) of Tonawanda, N.Y. defeated Lucas Salemi (0.520, 6.56 dial, 6.579 ET, 101.56) in the finals.

 

Tread City Tire Street also got its fifth different winner of 2018 as Tim Markle ((0.559, 9.2 dial, 9.530 ET, 64.49) beat Wade Schneckenberger (0.660, 9.74 dial, 9.810 ET. 68.39) for his victory of the season.   [07/02/18]

The Palmyra Drag Racing Club played host to a successful running of round two of the 2018 Summit Racing Queensland Championships last weekend.

 

Claiming the event honors after two days of on-track action at the Mackay race track were Anthony Walker (Super Street), Matt Halpin (Street Bike), Earl McCallum (Super Sedan), Rodney Hansen (Supercharged Outlaws), Dale Sonogan (Modified/Top Sportsman), Tayla Kelly (Junior Dragster), Sonja Wagensveld (Street) and Laeith Skinner (Modified Bike).

After coming home as the runner-up for round one in the Outlaws bracket, Rodney Hansen was happy to go one better at Palmyra Raceway for round two.

 

“It was a good weekend, it is always good to turn up at a race track and see huge improvements, that is always a great thing,” said Hansen, who thanks Gilroy’s Automatics, Paigepower Race Engines and Hansen’s Automotive for their support of his racing.

 

“We were happy with where we qualified and then went into racing and unfortunately there were a few guys with some breakages which left a few bye runs and so forth.

 

“All in all though the car went well, and my crew Jason Page and Cory Hess did a great job – it makes my job easy when we have the car doing everything as it should.”

Another racer going building on their round one efforts to take the win at the weekend was Street Bike racer Matt Halpin, going all the way to the win after taking the runner-up honors at round one.

 

“I ran both of the bike classes at the weekend, Street Bike and Modified Bike,” Halpin said. “We had a bit of luck I think in the Street Bike class and in Modified Bike I just wasn’t quite as good as a few of the others on the day.”

 

The third and final round of the 2018 Summit Racing Queensland Championship will be held at Benaraby Raceway on September 22.  (Rogue Snapper Photography photos)  [07/02/18]

With over 1,500 cars pre-registered, the Danchuk Tri-Five Nationals held Aug. 9-11 in Bowling Green, KY, is sure to attract the fans. For more information or to pre-register go to here.

 

As an added attraction, one lucky registrant will win a 1955 Chevy sedan assembled with an all-new Woody’s Hot Rodz body and chassis.  [07/02/18]

Roger Robertson and William Daniels came away with the biggest prizes at Saturday’s IHRA Summit Sportsman Spectacular races at Wilkesboro Dragway.

Robertson from Blowing Rock, NC, scored the victory in the Moser Engineering Saturday $10,000-to-win race with a .030 reaction time and a 5.87-second run at 116.67 mph on a 5.86 dial-in. Runner-up Jeff Bowman from Asheboro, NC., red-lighted to negate a 5.71-second run at 119.30 mph. Beyond getting an IHRA Ironman trophy and a large championship check, Robertson received another $500 as an IHRA Summit SuperSeries member.

 

Phillip Harrison from Sugar Grove, NC, picked up the bonus and ended up with a total of $2,000 as the final No Box racer along with his position and a $500 bonus for being a Summit SuperSeries member. He posted a run of 6.20 seconds at 109.46 mph on a 6.19 dial-in. Runner-up Johnny Hodges posted a time of 7.17 seconds at 94.02 mph on a 7.17 dial-in.

 

Macey Oxentine of Mountain City, TN, took home the $700 Junior Dragster winner’s purse and a $250 Summit SuperSeries member bonus after posting a .085 reaction time coupled with an 8.035 elapsed time at 79.77 mph on an 8.02 dial-in in the final round. Runner-up Jeff Batts posted an 8.032 at 80.14 mph after a .044 reaction time.

William Daniels from Newland, NC, claimed the top prize at the $5,000-to-win race. He had a .024 reaction time and matched his dial-in with a 7.02-second run 95.08 mph to emerge victorious in the $5,000-to-win race. Runner-up Scotty Johnson from Roan Mountain, TN, went 5.88 seconds 112.64. mph on a 5.91 dial-in along with a .040 reaction time in the final round.  (photos courtesy IHRA)

 

Johnny Hodges from Millers Creek, NC, won $1,100 as the final No Box racer. He posted a run of 7.18 seconds at 93.79 mph on a 7.18 dial-in. Runner-up Austin Greer of Vilas, NC, clocked in with a run of 6.62 seconds at 101.31 mph on a 6.63 dial-in.

 

The Junior Dragsters final saw Jeff Batts capture the win and the with a .010 reaction time coupled with an 8.268 elapsed time at 70.57 mph. Runner-up Piper Corey from Banner Elk, NC. went 9.108 at 71.00 mph after a .292 reaction time for the $200 runner-up purse.

 

The next stop for the IHRA Summit Sportsman Spectacular will be at Keystone Raceway Park in New Alexandria, PA, on August 3-5.  [07/02/18]

The Lucas Oil Drag Series, NHRA Northeast Division event concluded at Lebanon Valley Dragway, West Lebanon, NY, on Sunday evening, July 1.

Duane Shields, Boulder City, NV, traveled across the country and took the victory in the Top Alcohol Dragster final round. Shields ran 5.431 seconds, 269.65 mph to outrun Karen Stalba, Hammonton, NJ, who clocked in at 5.992 seconds, 236.67 mph.  (DRO file photo by Ron Lewis)

 

In the Top Alcohol Funny Car finale, Dan Pomponio, Berlin, NJ, took the starting line advantage and never let Phil Burkart, Yorkville, NY, back into the race, completing a victory pass of 5.829 seconds, 253.52 mph. Burkart runner upped at 6.593 seconds, 154.08 mph.

 

Comp Eliminator standout Frank Aragona, Freehold, NJ, had an easy final round as the 2016 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series World Champion, Doug Doll, Douglas, MA turned on the red light, giving Aragona the win. The New Jersey racer cruised down the track at 7.907 seconds, 129.94 mph.

 

Brian Bell, Lowell, MA, earned his first win in the Top Sportsman class as Hong Lee, Epping, NH, triggered the red light at the starting line. Bell ran 7.601 seconds, 180.40 mph in the Top Sportsman final round.

 

In the Top Dragster final round; Bob Vojtila, Southington, CT, activated the red light at the starting line and gave the win to Shawn Fournier, Georgia, VT. Fournier scored his first win, running 6.917 seconds, 194.52 mph.

 

SUPER STOCK: Jerry Hatch, Lubec, ME, '70 Dodge, SS/HA, 9.866, 131.73 def. Michael Iacono, Wading River, NY, '87 Camaro, GT/GA, 10.006, 132.23.

 

STOCK ELIMINATOR: Thomas Fletcher, Churchville, NY, '69 Camaro, G/SA, 12.439, 74.96 def. Clint Walters, Poughkeepsie, NY, '67 Nova, F/SA, foul.

 

SUPER COMP: Joey Cambria, Shillington, PA, '03 Kens Cust Chas, 8.940, 163.94 def. Kevin Scholl, Eagleville, PA, '95 Dragster, 8.914, 163.76.

 

SUPER GAS: Iggie Boicesco, Warminster, PA, '17 Corvette, 9.918, 165.00 def. Michael Handras, Hicksville, NY, '04 Cavalier, 9.894, 171.83.

 

SUPER STREET: Grant Nichols, Marlborough, CT, dragster, 10.919, 125.44 def. Drew Wonderly, Hurley, NY, '70 Camaro, 10.939, 131.95.

 

JR DRAGSTER 13–17: Brandon Miller, Canterbury, CT, dragster, 8.091, 81.56 def. Cassie Diamond, Saugerties, NY, dragster, foul.

 

JR DRAGSTER 10–12: Jenna Nichols, Marlborough, CT, dragster, 8.949, 72.53 def. Paul Stalba, Hammonton, NJ, dragster, 9.032, 72.16.

 

JR DRAGSTER 6–9: James Stack Jr., Gilbertsville, PA, '04 Halfscale, 14.470, 42.01 def. Emily Stalba, Hammonton, NJ, dragster, 12.091, 52.57.

 

PRO STOCK SNOWMOBILE: Brian Garbus, Terryville, CT, '18 Yamaha, 8.499, 148.82 def. John Paranteau Sr., Brentwood, NH, '12 Artic CAT, 8.483, 151.77.   [07/02/18]