Sean Bellemeur raced to the NHRA Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Funny Car World Championship then capped it off with the event win at the NHRA Carolina Nationals presented by WIX Filers at zMAX Dragway.

Bellemeur, Placentia, CA, clinched the championship on Saturday, Oct. 13, when he beat DJ Cox in his round two match up then knocked out Andy Bohl in the semifinals and Phil Burkart Jr. in the final round with a strong 5.403 second lap at 271.13 mph. Burkhart was out first then quickly lost traction as Bellemeur raced by for the win. The Championship is the second in Top Alcohol Funny Car for team owner Tony Bartone who won as a driver in 1996.

Megan Meyer, Olathe, KS, qualified third, then posted low elapsed time and top mph of the event in round one with a 5.200-second, 283.01-mph pass to defeat Tiffany Januik.

The second-generation driver met up with reigning world champion Joey Severance (far lane) in the final. Severance, who is chasing Shawn Cowie for the 2018 championship, was out first but then had problems as Meyer took the lead and held on for her fifth career win in 5.421 seconds at 218.76 mph to Severance’s 5.546 at 206.57.

Art Hodges, Terry Taylor and Corey Manuel all collected their first career wins on the NHRA national event stage.

Terry Taylor (far lane) led the way with a perfect .000 reaction time against Anthony Fetch in Stock Eliminator. Taylor then drove his Corvette to an 11.128 on a 10.88 dial at 105.87 mph for the win over the 11.105 (9.94 dial) at 111.00 for Fetch.

Corey Manuel (far lane) had a nice .010 reaction time of his own in Super Comp that forced Tom Stalba to break out as he tried to catch Manuel who clocked in at 8.930, 173.63 for the win.

Art Hodges (far lane) left first on Danny Holt in Comp Eliminator and continued to pull away to a 7.249/187.31 mph victory lap for his first career NHRA Wally trophy. Holt’s Ford Escot ran 8.171/165.99.

Joe Fisher and Phil Smida left the line together in Super Gas with Fisher (far lane) taking his second win in three final rounds running 8.912 to Smida who broke out.

Herbie Null Jr. (far lane) was better off the start and at the stripe to defeat Joe Lisa in Super Stock to earn his fifth career win. Null clocked a 9.799/129.10 to Lisa’s 10.292/130.29.

In Top Dragster and Top Sportsman presented by Racing RV’s it was Anthony Bertozzi and Ronnie Proctor taking the wins respectively. The win was number 21 for Bertozzi and the second for Proctor, both this year.

TOP DRAGSTER: Anthony Bertozzi (far lane), Dragster, 6.030, 224.21 def. J.B. Strassweg, Dragster, 6.093, 217.35.