|
 BRAINERD,
MN (August 14-17) -- It seems if you want to make it to the finals in
the NHRA Drag Racing Series these days, you'd better be bolting on
some Hoosier slicks to increase your odds. The NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series traveled to Brainerd, MN for the Lucas Oil NHRA
Nationals. Of the 14 finalists, eight of them rode on Hoosier tires in
the seven classes in which Hoosier tires competed--more than any other
tire brand. The USA-made Hoosier tires carried four drivers to
National event wins bringing the season total to 53 National wins for
Team-Hoosier in the seven classes in which they compete. Among the
Hoosier-shod drivers making their respective class finals were; David
Wells in Top Alcohol Dragster, Jay Payne and Kirk Williams in Top
Alcohol Funny Car, Lance Line and Bill Rink, Jr. in Stock, Bob Noyes
and Lonnie Grim in Super Comp, and Darren Erickson in Super Gas.
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
David Wells carried the purple Hoosier banner into the T/A Dragster
final, but red lighted giving the win to his opponent who experienced
tire shake, lost multiple cylinders and ultimately expelled his chute
early and yet still got the win in one of the uglier finals in recent
history.
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
It was one of three all-Hoosier finals contested during the event
with #1 qualifier Jay Payne in the Valvoline Camaro meeting Kirk
Williams in the Williams Brothers Firebird. Williams (.037 RT vs. .069
RT) gets off the line first, but Payne makes up the difference with a
5.715 ET (252.19 mph) to Williams' 5.877 ET (244.34 mph) to capture
his 25th National event win of his career and first of the season.
STOCK
In another Hoosier vs. Hoosier final, Lance Line met Bill Rink, Jr. in
the Stock final with both drivers looking for their first career
National event win. Rink gets the advantage at the starting line with
a .029 RT to Line's .056 RT. But Line posts a 10.706 ET on a 10.69
dial (.016) to Rink's 12.061 ET on a 11.98 dial (.081) to take
his first-ever National win. The difference between these two warriors
was a mere six feet at the finish.
SUPER COMP
A third pair of Hoosier-shod cars made the Super Comp final with Bob
Noyes and Lonnie Grim going head-to-head. Grim gains an advantage at
the starting line with a .023 reaction time to Noyes' .035 RT. But
Noyes erased the edge with a 8.907 ET (.007) to Grim's 8.939 ET (.039)
to capture his first career National event win. The margin at the line
was estimated to be approximately five feet.
SUPER GAS
Darren Erickson was the only Hoosier-shod finalist in Super Gas and
was also looking for his first career National event win. Erickson,
coupled with his pair of Hoosier drag slicks, posted a near perfect
light of .004 seconds along with a 9.876 ET (-.024) on the 9.90 index
to capture the win when his opponent also broke out but by a larger
margin.
Congratulations to Lance Line, Bob Noyes and Darren
Erickson on earning their first-ever National wins, as well as, Jay
Payne for capturing his milestone 25th National win.
The four National wins by Hoosier-shod drivers now
brings Team-Hoosier's season-long NHRA Series win total to 53 National
wins.
Team Hoosier and the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
will take a week off before returning to action August 27, in
Indianapolis for the 49th annual Mac Tool U.S. Nationals where more
than 1,000 cars are expected to be in competition.
|
