NHRA NORTHWEST DIVISION LUCAS OIL SERIES HEADS TO SPOKANE FOR FIRST-EVER EVENT
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NHRA Northwest division racers will head to Spokane County Raceway June 12-14 for the track’s inaugural NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event. The race is the third of seven in NHRA’s Northwest division.
Courtesy: NHRA Media Relations
SPOKANE, Wash. – NHRA Northwest division racers will head to Spokane County Raceway June 12-14 for the track’s inaugural NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event. The race is the third of seven in NHRA’s Northwest division.
Top Alcohol Dragster pilot Shawn Cowie is leading the points on the strength of three wins in as many races. The Delta, B.C., racer opened the year at out-of-division races in Phoenix and Las Vegas and won both of those. Then, at the division’s first event for Top Alcohol competitors at Mission (B.C.) Raceway Park, he scored another win. Cowie has a 159-point lead on second place competitor Dale Carlson of Olympia, Wash. Carlson was runner-up to Cowie in Mission. Carlson also ran in Phoenix but was ousted in the first round.
Reigning Top Alcohol Funny Car champ Brian Hough of Junction City, Ore., is currently leading in the standings. Hough ran in Las Vegas and lost in the first round. But he rebounded at his second race, in Mission, to take the win over John Evanchuk of Edmonton, Alb. The race at Mission was Evanchuk’s first of the season.
In Comp Eliminator, there are two points separating the first and second place racers. Westminster, Colo., resident Clint Neff is leading the points after attending three races. His best showing was a runner-up finish at the division’s season opener at Firebird Raceway in Boise, Idaho. Patrick Byron, Hoquiam, Wash., is just off the pace but with four races under his belt, he has yet to advance past the second round.
There is also a tight race in Super Stock. Casey Setters of Red Deer, Alb., has a two-point lead on Don Thomas of Spruce Grove, Alb. The event in Mission was Setters’ third, and best, event. He made his first final-round appearance of the year and came away with runner-up points. Thomas has been to five races this season and his best performance came at Firebird Raceway where he went to the fourth round.
WHAT: NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, where drivers earn points leading to divisional and national championships. Categories include Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock Eliminator, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street. The event is the third of seven in Northwest Division competition. The division’s Auto Max USA Top Sportsman Series, Top Dragster Series and the Sportsman Motorcycle Series presented by Harley Davidson will also run in conjunction with the event.
WHERE: Spokane County Raceway, Spokane, Wash. Track is located at 750 N. Hayford Rd., Airway Hts., Wash.
WHEN: Friday through Sunday, June 12-14, 2009
SCHEDULE: Time trials and qualifying schedule for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series:
FRIDAY, June 12 -- Gates open at 8 a.m. Qualifying and time trials begin at 9 a.m.
SATURDAY, June 13 -- Gates open at 8 a.m. Final qualifying and time trials begin at 9 a.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualifying sessions are scheduled at 11 a.m., 1:30 and 4 p.m.
SUNDAY, June 14 -- Gates open at 8 a.m. Eliminations begin at 9 a.m. Eliminations for Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car begin at noon.
TICKETS: GENERAL ADMISSION/PIT PASS -- $15 Friday, $20 Saturday, $25 Sunday. Children 6 to 14 years old are $5 each day and kids 5 and under are admitted free. For more information please call Spokane County Raceway, (509) 244-3333, or visit www.SpokaneCountyRaceway.com.
PURSE: The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competitors will vie for cash and contingency awards of $151,875, as well as a chance at a share of the year-end purse of more than $560,000.
2008 EVENT
WINNERS: This is Spokane County Raceway’s first NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event.
BONUS
PROGRAMS:
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES POINTS
FUND -- a $561,000 point fund from Lucas Oil, which will be shared by
2009 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series divisional champions and national
champions. Divisional awards include $8,500 each to the Top Alcohol
Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car champions; $3,000 to the champions in both
Competition and Super Stock; $2,000 each to the champions in Stock, Super Comp,
Super Gas and Super
Street. The seven national champions will share
a bonus of $135,000.
JEGS
ALLSTARS: The best of the best from
each of NHRA’s seven divisions will compete for a share of the $100,000 point
fund from Jegs High Performance. The 2010 Jegs Allstars event will
culminate a year-long points battle between drivers in each of NHRA’s Lucas Oil
Drag Racing Series’ eight classes. The top points earner in each category
will qualify to represent his/her division at the 2010 Jegs Allstars.
Points are based on in-division races only.
The winning
division’s team will share $20,000 and individual awards include $7,000 each to
the Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car champions, $6,000 to
champions in Comp Eliminator and Super Stock, and $4,500 to the Stock, Super
Comp, Super Gas, and Super
Street champions. Runners-up in all categories
will earn $2,000 apiece. Each Allstars competitor will also receive a
share of a $20,000 towing fund to get to the event.
Event sponsor,
Jegs High Performance, is offering a “double up” bonus to Jegs Allstars
participants. Any 2010 Jegs Allstars champion who also wins the national
event will have his/her Allstars prize doubled.
NHRA SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE SERIES presented by HARLEY DAVIDSON: The NHRA Sportsman Motorcycle Series presented by Harley Davidson, run in conjunction with the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, is an opportunity for competitors in NHRA’s Sportsman Motorcycle class to earn points toward divisional championships. The $14,000 champions’ purse posted by Harley Davidson will be paid to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place points finishers in NHRA divisions that host Sportsman Motorcycles.
AUTO MAX USA TOP SPORTSMAN SERIES: The Auto Max USA Top Sportsman Series, run in conjunction with the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, is an opportunity for competitors in the Northwest division’s Top Sportsman class to earn points toward divisional championships. The $3,500 champions’ purse Posted by Auto Max USA will be paid to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place points finishers.
NORTHWEST DIVISION TOP DRAGSTER SERIES: The Northwest Division Top Dragster Series, run in conjunction with the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, is an opportunity for competitors in the Northwest division’s Top Dragster class to earn points toward divisional championships. The $3,500 champions’ purse will be paid to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place points finishers.
FEATURES: More than 400 drivers in the eight racing categories. Eight-car fields in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car, featuring five-second, 260 mph side-by-side racing.