Great Bend Friday notes

NHRA LUCAS OIL SERIES KICKS OFF IN GREAT BEND

GREAT BEND, Kan. -- In the first rounds of qualifying at S.R.C.A. Dragstrip and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series West Central Division season kickoff, Top Alcohol Dragster driver Brandon Pierce and Top Alcohol Funny Car pilot Bernie Harrington took the No. 1 qualifying positions in their classes.

Pierce, of Moore, Okla., outran the field with a pass of 5.743 seconds at 249.03 mph. and Apple Valley, Calif., resident Harrington made a 5.936-second, 243.85 mph run to take the pole.

Pierce, who has two final round appearances this year, is followed by Richard Putz in second with a 5.808 second, 192.25 mph run. Putz finished No. 2 in the division last year with a pair of wins.

Jimmy Jones of Cleburne, Texas, is second in funny car running 6.003 seconds, 242.19 mph and Mike Newkirk of Great Bend, Kan., sits in the number eight and final qualifying spot.

Thomas Schmidt ran 8.604 seconds in his '32 Chevy for the No. 1 spot in Comp Eliminator with Todd Patterson of Augusta, Kan., in second and Pat Nahan of St. Cloud, Minn., in third.

In the division's Renova Energy Top Dragster class it was Dean Dubbing leading the field with a run of 6.521 seconds at 209.85 mph. Dubbing is followed by Martin Schmidt in second and McPherson, Kan., resident Phil Unruh in fourth with a 7.041 second pass at 192.99 mph.

Haysville, Kan., racer Jim White is on top in the Jerry Haas Race Cars Top Sportsman division running 7.476 seconds at 184.30 mph. Dave Slatten out of Fort Collins, Colo., put his '04 Grand Am in the No. 2 spot at 7.533, at 181.18 mph.

Jim Weakland and Robert Shaw are number one in Super Stock and Stock Eliminator respectively. Weakland and his '68 Camaro covered the quarter-mile in 9.778 seconds with Ronald Roddel of Sioux Falls, S.D., in second. Shaw clocked in at 14.086 seconds out of Missouri, and is followed by fellow Missouri runner Gregory Greening in second and local favorites Anderson Schmitt of Wichita, Kan., in seventh and Bradley Grant of Great Bend, Kan., in ninth with his '69 Roadrunner.

Former Division Champion Tom Gilligan leads the Sportsman Motorcycle presented by Harley Davidson class with a .007 second reaction time. The Fremont, Neb., rider is followed by Rich Gentili in second, and Michael Shelton and Michael Ziegler of Great Bend in the No. 5 and 7 spots respectively.

Racing continues Saturday at 10 a.m. Gates open at 7 a.m. Tickets are $15 Saturday and $15 Sunday. The track is located at 455 W. Barton County Road, 2½ miles west of Great Bend on the old Air Force base. For more information, call S.R.C.A. Drag Strip, (785) 483-1980.

The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Thunder On the Plains at S.R.C.A. Drag Strip:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Brandon Pierce, Moore, Okla., 5.743 seconds, 249.03 mph
2) Richard Putz, Earlville, Iowa, 5.808, 192.25
3) Randy Meyer, Spring Hill, Kan., 5.895, 229.43
4) Edwin Schmeeckle, Gothenburg, Neb., 5.900, 249.53
5) Scott Peterson, Bellingham, Wash., 5.980, 237.88
6) John Haley, Wayzata, Minn., 7.543, 119.42

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Bernie Harrington, Apple Valley, Calif., '00 Camaro, 5.936 seconds, 243.85 mph
2) Jimmy Jones, Cleburne, Texas, '99 Camaro, 6.003, 242.19
3) Paul Anderson, Erie, Colo., '06 Stratus, 6.046, 239.10
4) Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, '99 Camaro, 6.100, 237.21
5) Vern Moats, Des Moines, Iowa, '04 Camaro, 6.102, 239.02
6) Mike Bell, Fulton, Mo., '05 Monte Carlo, 6.337, 230.92
7) Ron Morrison, Oklahoma City, '05 Monte Carlo, 6.379, 223.58
8) Mike Newkirk, Great Bend, Kan., '03 Avenger, 7.115, 186.79

Not Qualified
9) Shawn (Casey) Beal, Basehor, Kan., '99 Camaro, (no time)

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Thomas Schmidt, Lindstrom, Minn., '34 Chevy, C/SR, 8.604 seconds, -0.706 (under index)
2) Todd Patterson, Augusta, Kan., '34 Chevy, B/SR, 8.062, -0.648
3) Pat Nahan, St. Cloud, Minn., dragster, E/D, 7.672, -0.608
4) Lucky Snyder, Longmont, Colo., '62 Alpine, G/A, 8.589, -0.591
5) Clint Sallee, Glendive, Mont., dragster, B/D, 6.798, -0.582
6) Richard Freeman, Pauls Valley, Okla., '07 Cobalt, D/AA, 7.891, -0.579
7) Bill Morse, McKinney, Texas, '07 Cobalt, G/SM, 9.076, -0.554
8) Clark Smiley, Denver City, Texas, '04 Cavalier, B/SM, 8.315, -0.535
9) Lee Sharp, Louisville, Tenn., '04 Cavalier, G/SMA, 9.018, -0.532
10) Steve Kalkowski, Ogallala, Neb., '00 Firebird, B/A, 7.336, -0.464

SUPER STOCK
1) James Weakland, Morrison, Colo., '68 Camaro, SS/GA, 9.778 seconds, -1.312 (under index)
2) Ronald Roddel, Sioux Falls, S.D., '02 Grand Am, GT/MA, 11.011, -1.309
3) Carroll Warling, Arvada, Colo., '74 Grand Am, SS/MA, 11.241, -1.179
4) Tom Meyer, Pierce, Neb., '66 Chevy II, SS/LA, 10.852, -1.158
5) Mike Town, Paola, Kan., '84 Regal, GT/MA, 11.172, -1.148
6) Ron Parness, Conifer, Colo., '67 Chevy II, SS/HA, 9.996, -1.144
7) Geoff Hanson, Omaha, Neb., '87 Regal, GT/HA, 10.462, -1.138
8) Gene Bichlmeier, Norfolk, Neb., '66 Chevy II, GT/I, 10.386, -1.114
9) David Bogner, Kearney, Neb., '92 Daytona, SS/CS, 9.789, -1.101
10) Tony Shaffer, Independence, Mo., '80 Malibu, GT/MA, 11.235, -1.085

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Robert Shaw, Sedalia, Mo., '79 Seville, K/FIA, 14.086 seconds, -1.404 (under index)
2) Gregory Greening, Columbia, Mo., '96 S-10, I/FIA, 12.822, -1.238
3) Scott Burton, Golden, Colo., '72 Firebird, E/SA, 11.131, -1.139
4) Don Duke, Indianola, Iowa, '68 Camaro, B/S, 10.628, -1.132
5) Steve Brack, Lawrence, Kan., '87 Camaro, E/FI, 11.658, -1.122
6) Mike Koppien, Sioux Falls, S.D., '69 Camaro, B/SA, 10.699, -1.111
7) Anderson Schmitt, Wichita, Kan., '68 Camaro, E/S, 11.131, -1.089
8) Troy Henderson, Tecumseh, Kan., '68 Camaro, A/S, 10.414, -1.086
9) Bradley Grant, Great Bend, Kan., '69 Roadrunner, C/SA, 10.886, -1.074
10) Terry Lacy, McPherson, Kan., '80 Capri, U/SA, 14.419, -1.071

TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Jim White, Haysville, Kan., '04 Cavalier, 7.476 seconds, 184.30 mph
2) Dave Slatten, Fort Collins, Colo., '04 Grand Am, 7.533, 181.18
3) J.J. Heber, Centennial, Colo., '06 Mustang, 7.666, 180.14
4) Mark Metrokotsas, Overland Park, Kan., '63 Corvette, 7.832, 175.39
5) Lou Rausch, Traer, Iowa, '95 Beretta, 7.860, 174.93
6) Ryan Julius, Frederick, Colo., '66 Chevelle, 7.956, 170.47
7) Craig Amerine, Great Bend, Kan., '88 Camaro, 8.439, 159.61

TOP DRAGSTER
1) Dean Dubbing, Royalton, Minn., dragster, 6.521 seconds, 210.67 mph
2) Martin Schmidt, Oak Grove, Minn., dragster, 6.815, 193.85
3) Larry Traugott, Woodward, Okla., dragster, 6.847, 211.43
4) Phil Unruh, McPhearson, Kan., dragster, 7.041, 192.99
5) Brent Camerlinck, Leonardsville, Kan., dragster, 7.128, 187.34
6) Mark Grame, Overland Park, Kan., dragster, 7.133, 189.12
7) Les Feist, Clearwater, Minn., dragster, 7.250, 185.49
8) Clif Balex, Kleefield, Manit., dragster, 7.360, 131.96
9) Christine Chambless, Scott City, Kan., dragster, 7.394, 180.04
10) Jamie Shwartzkopf, Torrington, Wyo., dragster, 7.400, 181.08

SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
1) Tom Gilligan, Fremont, Neb., '00 Kawasaki, ETMX, 0.007 seconds reaction time
2) Rich Gentili, Humble, Texas, '83 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.009
3) Ryan Sparke, Hays, Kan., '05 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.017
4) Robert Cooper, Plattsmouth, Neb., '89 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.018
5) Michael Shelton, Great Bend, Kan., '02 Honda, ETMX, 0.030
6) Zachary Barta, Wilson, Kan., '77 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.083
7) James Bloesser, Wilson, Kan., '84 Kawasaki, ETMX, 0.202
8) Michael Ziegler, Great Bend, Kan., '88 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.299

-credit: nhra