NHRA Sportsman racers gear up for JEGS Northern SPORTSnationals
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/1/jegs_northern.jpg" alt="jegs_northern" align="left"borders="0"/>
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Sept. 18-21) – For the fourth-straight year several hundred of the best sportsman drag racers from all over the country will descend on National Trail Raceway near Columbus for the JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals. Designed as a showcase for racers in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the SPORTSnationals is one of the last opportunities for competitors to earn points towards national championships. Racers will also be competing for a share of nearly $65,000 in cash and an additional $400,000 in contingency awards.
One of the highlights of this year’s event will be the JEGS Bonus Bracket Bash, which is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 19. The special E.T. bracket event, which is open to all SPORTSnationals competitors, will award a guaranteed $5,000 to the winner.
Another race that is sure to attract a lot of interest is the latest round of the popular Mopar Hemi Challenge which is reserved exclusively for Super Stock drivers racing in the SS/AH class. The heads-up race, which is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 20, and will feature a host of vintage 1968 Dodge Dart and Plymouth Barracuda factory race cars vying for a $5,000 top prize. Charlie Westcott Jr., of Parma, Mich., won the most recent round of the Mopar Hemi Challenge held during the recent Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O’Reilly Raceway Park.
The eight drivers who scored wins earlier this year at the JEGS NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals in Belle Rose; Kevin Self (Comp), Jeff Strickland (Super Stock), Kevin Helms (Stock), Charles Roth (Super Comp), Craig Anderson (Super Gas), Trevor Land (Super Street), Stan Leerkamp (Top Dragster) and Keith Raftery (Top Sportsman); will also have an added incentive to perform well as they are the only drivers eligible at this point to claim the prestigious JEGS Crown trophy if they can duplicate their success in Columbus. To win a driver must win two out of the three JEGS SPORTSnational event in the same class during the same competition year. The JEGS Crown is a special limited edition trophy that was handcrafted by renowned artist and automotive fabricator Dan Dreisbach. In four years, the only driver to win the JEGS Crown is current nitro Funny Car racer Mike Ashley, who was then competing in the JEGS ProMod Challenge series.
Qualifying for the JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals will begin on Friday, Sept. 19 at 10 a.m. and continue through Saturday, Sept. 20. Final eliminations will begin at 8 a.m. on Sunday morning, Sept. 21.
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/1/jegs_northern.jpg" alt="jegs_northern" align="left"borders="0"/>
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Sept. 18-21) – For the fourth-straight year several hundred of the best sportsman drag racers from all over the country will descend on National Trail Raceway near Columbus for the JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals. Designed as a showcase for racers in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the SPORTSnationals is one of the last opportunities for competitors to earn points towards national championships. Racers will also be competing for a share of nearly $65,000 in cash and an additional $400,000 in contingency awards.
One of the highlights of this year’s event will be the JEGS Bonus Bracket Bash, which is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 19. The special E.T. bracket event, which is open to all SPORTSnationals competitors, will award a guaranteed $5,000 to the winner.
Another race that is sure to attract a lot of interest is the latest round of the popular Mopar Hemi Challenge which is reserved exclusively for Super Stock drivers racing in the SS/AH class. The heads-up race, which is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 20, and will feature a host of vintage 1968 Dodge Dart and Plymouth Barracuda factory race cars vying for a $5,000 top prize. Charlie Westcott Jr., of Parma, Mich., won the most recent round of the Mopar Hemi Challenge held during the recent Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O’Reilly Raceway Park.
The eight drivers who scored wins earlier this year at the JEGS NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals in Belle Rose; Kevin Self (Comp), Jeff Strickland (Super Stock), Kevin Helms (Stock), Charles Roth (Super Comp), Craig Anderson (Super Gas), Trevor Land (Super Street), Stan Leerkamp (Top Dragster) and Keith Raftery (Top Sportsman); will also have an added incentive to perform well as they are the only drivers eligible at this point to claim the prestigious JEGS Crown trophy if they can duplicate their success in Columbus. To win a driver must win two out of the three JEGS SPORTSnational event in the same class during the same competition year. The JEGS Crown is a special limited edition trophy that was handcrafted by renowned artist and automotive fabricator Dan Dreisbach. In four years, the only driver to win the JEGS Crown is current nitro Funny Car racer Mike Ashley, who was then competing in the JEGS ProMod Challenge series.
Qualifying for the JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals will begin on Friday, Sept. 19 at 10 a.m. and continue through Saturday, Sept. 20. Final eliminations will begin at 8 a.m. on Sunday morning, Sept. 21.
