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NOBLE, Okla. - Big money and the Division 4 Competition Eliminator Championship was on the line for this past weekend's NHRA Division 4 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series closer at Thunder Valley Raceway Park just south of Oklahoma City, Okla. Division 5 racer/engine builder Todd Patterson took the win over Division 1 racer Arnie Martel for the event win, while Scott Benham, Joey Tanksley and Charlie Watson all split the $8,000 Roof-Tec "Last Man Standing" Bonus for qualified Division 4 participants. The Division 4 Comp Eliminator Shootout awarded an additional $6,000 in payouts to the field as well.
With over $14,000 in bonus money on the line, race enthusiasts across the country had their eyes set on Noble, Okla. The event boasted a strong turnout as well, as 41 cars attempted to make the 32 car field. Division 7 racer Jim Cowan, of Dewey, Ariz., lead qualifying with a stout 8.277 second elapsed time, which was .573 under the I/Altered Automatic Index in his 2004 Chevy Cavalier. Eventual runner-up Martel, who made the haul from Tewksbury, Mass., put his C/Altered Automatic 2007 Pontiac GTO second in the field with a 7.483, which was .557 under the index. Division 4 Title hopeful Benham, of La Grange, Texas, rounded out the top three with his E/Super Modified 2005 Pontiac Sunfire with a 8.608, which was .552 under the index.
Round one saw several upsets, but no index hits. The biggest upset of the round saw No. 25 qualifier Lee Sharp upset points leader Craig Bourgeois. Other upsets included No. 32 qualifier Greg Porter take out a red-lighting No. 16 qualifier Will Hatcher, No. 29 qualifier Chase Williams kept his title hopes alive with a holeshot win over No. 13 Royce Freeman and No. 26 qualifier Bill Morse upset No. 10 Larry Pritchett, who was late off the line. Ernest Watson, Sr., who was eligible for the Roof-Tec bonus along with Bourgeois, was eliminated.
Round two saw more hopes dashed and one index hit. Low qualifier Cowan hit his index a penny for the day with a .510 under win over Sharp. Charlie Watson kept his bonus money hopes alive by taking out a redlighting Rodger Brogdon, who qualified sixth. Patterson dashed Williams' bonus and title hopes in a double redlight win. Tanksley stayed in the fight by taking out another bonus-eligible racer Pete Carbery.
After round two, three racers entered the round eligible for the "Last Man Standing" Bonus. Tanksley and No. 8 qualifier Bub Miller opened the round. Tanksley was tardy on the tree, but Miller took the index hit and the win, running .528 under to move to the semifinals. Now only Watson and Benham remained 'standing.' Watson was up in the next pair against Martel. Watson took a slight advantage on the tree, but couldn't hold off the hard-charging Martel, who took the win with a .440 under the index win. The next pair wasn't for the bonus money, but was a monster match-up between the polesetter Cowan and the always-tough Patterson. Cowan gave the race away at the tree, advancing Patterson. The last pair of the round saw the last eligible driver Benham square off with Sean Dodd. Benham needed to win the round to take home the bonus money and gain valuable points on Bourgeois in the Division 4 title chase. Benham was late at the tree and could not run down Dodd, who took the holeshot win with a .508 under pass to Benham's .511 under effort.
With all three eligible racers going out in the same round, each racer split $2,666.66. The remaining .02 was awarded to Benham for technically being the 'last man.'
In the first pair of the semifinals, Miller did a great driving job to avoid a potential disaster, as his I/Altered Automatic broke an axle and nearly lost control. Martel took the easy win to advance to the final. The final pair of the round was over at the start, as Dodd left way early, handing the easy win to Patterson.
Just as the finals were about to be run, a major storm front moved through the area, postponing the finals until Monday morning. Much cooler conditions welcomed the finalist. Patterson took the holeshot at the line, with a .016 reaction time to Martel's .051, which was enough to take the win, as Patterson went .597 under to Martel's .614 under blast. The margin over victory was a mere .017 of a second. Martel's final round run resulted in a permanent adjustment of .01 seconds to the C/Altered Automatic Index.
Despite going out in the first round, Bourgeois left the event with the points lead, but Benham has moved within a mere 10 points of the defending Division 4 Champ. Only one race remains on the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series schedule, a Division 2 event in Reynolds, Ga., this weekend. While Bourgeois is out of races to claim towards his points, Benham has only been to six events thus far. Benham can win the championship by advancing past the second round next weekend. If he doesn't, Bourgeois will win the championship.
The Division 4 Comp Shootout Bonus Fund awards $6,000 per event to Competition Eliminator racers on top of the event payout. The Shootout is supported by sponsors Roof-Tec, NAPA Auto Parts, Southern Sand Blasting, Kent Services, Johnson Truck & Trailer, Carbery Fabrication, Ballistic Race Craft, Elite Motorsports and Medders Construction.
Benham, Tanksley and Watson split Roof-Tec Bonus
Patterson takes event win in Noble
NOBLE, Okla. - Big money and the Division 4 Competition Eliminator Championship was on the line for this past weekend's NHRA Division 4 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series closer at Thunder Valley Raceway Park just south of Oklahoma City, Okla. Division 5 racer/engine builder Todd Patterson took the win over Division 1 racer Arnie Martel for the event win, while Scott Benham, Joey Tanksley and Charlie Watson all split the $8,000 Roof-Tec "Last Man Standing" Bonus for qualified Division 4 participants. The Division 4 Comp Eliminator Shootout awarded an additional $6,000 in payouts to the field as well.
With over $14,000 in bonus money on the line, race enthusiasts across the country had their eyes set on Noble, Okla. The event boasted a strong turnout as well, as 41 cars attempted to make the 32 car field. Division 7 racer Jim Cowan, of Dewey, Ariz., lead qualifying with a stout 8.277 second elapsed time, which was .573 under the I/Altered Automatic Index in his 2004 Chevy Cavalier. Eventual runner-up Martel, who made the haul from Tewksbury, Mass., put his C/Altered Automatic 2007 Pontiac GTO second in the field with a 7.483, which was .557 under the index. Division 4 Title hopeful Benham, of La Grange, Texas, rounded out the top three with his E/Super Modified 2005 Pontiac Sunfire with a 8.608, which was .552 under the index.
Round one saw several upsets, but no index hits. The biggest upset of the round saw No. 25 qualifier Lee Sharp upset points leader Craig Bourgeois. Other upsets included No. 32 qualifier Greg Porter take out a red-lighting No. 16 qualifier Will Hatcher, No. 29 qualifier Chase Williams kept his title hopes alive with a holeshot win over No. 13 Royce Freeman and No. 26 qualifier Bill Morse upset No. 10 Larry Pritchett, who was late off the line. Ernest Watson, Sr., who was eligible for the Roof-Tec bonus along with Bourgeois, was eliminated.
Round two saw more hopes dashed and one index hit. Low qualifier Cowan hit his index a penny for the day with a .510 under win over Sharp. Charlie Watson kept his bonus money hopes alive by taking out a redlighting Rodger Brogdon, who qualified sixth. Patterson dashed Williams' bonus and title hopes in a double redlight win. Tanksley stayed in the fight by taking out another bonus-eligible racer Pete Carbery.
After round two, three racers entered the round eligible for the "Last Man Standing" Bonus. Tanksley and No. 8 qualifier Bub Miller opened the round. Tanksley was tardy on the tree, but Miller took the index hit and the win, running .528 under to move to the semifinals. Now only Watson and Benham remained 'standing.' Watson was up in the next pair against Martel. Watson took a slight advantage on the tree, but couldn't hold off the hard-charging Martel, who took the win with a .440 under the index win. The next pair wasn't for the bonus money, but was a monster match-up between the polesetter Cowan and the always-tough Patterson. Cowan gave the race away at the tree, advancing Patterson. The last pair of the round saw the last eligible driver Benham square off with Sean Dodd. Benham needed to win the round to take home the bonus money and gain valuable points on Bourgeois in the Division 4 title chase. Benham was late at the tree and could not run down Dodd, who took the holeshot win with a .508 under pass to Benham's .511 under effort.
With all three eligible racers going out in the same round, each racer split $2,666.66. The remaining .02 was awarded to Benham for technically being the 'last man.'
In the first pair of the semifinals, Miller did a great driving job to avoid a potential disaster, as his I/Altered Automatic broke an axle and nearly lost control. Martel took the easy win to advance to the final. The final pair of the round was over at the start, as Dodd left way early, handing the easy win to Patterson.
Just as the finals were about to be run, a major storm front moved through the area, postponing the finals until Monday morning. Much cooler conditions welcomed the finalist. Patterson took the holeshot at the line, with a .016 reaction time to Martel's .051, which was enough to take the win, as Patterson went .597 under to Martel's .614 under blast. The margin over victory was a mere .017 of a second. Martel's final round run resulted in a permanent adjustment of .01 seconds to the C/Altered Automatic Index.
Despite going out in the first round, Bourgeois left the event with the points lead, but Benham has moved within a mere 10 points of the defending Division 4 Champ. Only one race remains on the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series schedule, a Division 2 event in Reynolds, Ga., this weekend. While Bourgeois is out of races to claim towards his points, Benham has only been to six events thus far. Benham can win the championship by advancing past the second round next weekend. If he doesn't, Bourgeois will win the championship.
The Division 4 Comp Shootout Bonus Fund awards $6,000 per event to Competition Eliminator racers on top of the event payout. The Shootout is supported by sponsors Roof-Tec, NAPA Auto Parts, Southern Sand Blasting, Kent Services, Johnson Truck & Trailer, Carbery Fabrication, Ballistic Race Craft, Elite Motorsports and Medders Construction.
