NC: Bowling Green final summary

REICHERT, WILKERSON LEAD WINNERS AT BEECH BEND RACEWAY PARK'S LUCAS OIL EVENT

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- NHRA North Central division racers converged on Beech Bend Raceway Park for the final NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event in the region. In the end, Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., won his third Top Alcohol Dragster trophy and Daniel Wilkerson, Springfield, Ill., earned his first win of the season in Top Alcohol Funny Car. Franklin, Ky., racer Adam Cline scored the win in Super Street.

Reichert squared off against Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., in the final. Reichert, who was the class's top qualifier, made his best pass of the weekend, a 5.280-second, 263.15 mph lap, against Thacker who tripped the red light for a foul start. The win here against Thacker was strictly for bragging rights as Thacker has already wrapped up the division championship on the strength of four wins in six final-round appearances. His only two losses have come against Reichert.

Wilkerson, the son of NHRA Funny Car pilot Tim Wilkerson, is the division's defending division champ. He qualified No. 2 at this event and in the final faced off against Mick Snyder of Demotte, Ind. Wilkerson's 5.751-second, 254.90 mph pass was more than enough to cover Snyder's 5.831-second, 250.69 mph effort.

Cline drove his '78 Malibu Super Street entry to the win over Tom Burnett, Mt. Orab, Ohio, in his '71 Opel. In Comp Eliminator, Craig Bourgeois, Metairie, La., grabbed the win over No. 1 qualifier David Rampy of Piedmont, Ala. The Super Stock win went to Ricky Decker, Charlestown, Ind., who beat Mike Crutchfield of Montgomery, Ala. Plant City, Fla., racer Brenda Grubbs wheeled her '69 Camaro to the win in Stock Eliminator beating out veteran racer Edmond Richardson of Greenbrier, Tenn. Ray Miller, Spring Hill, Fla., beat Brian Stxton, Fairborn, Ohio, for the Super Comp win and Aaron Witsman, Bloomington, Ind., landed the Super Gas win over David Tatum III, Palmetto, Ga. Lake Charles, La., racer Keith Raftery beat Timothy Kirman, Morris, Ill., in the Top Sportsman final and Top Dragster racer Ray Miller III, Spring Hill, Fla., beat Jeffrey Brown, Marysville, Ohio, in the final.

This was the last race in the NHRA North Central division for the season but racers may continue to earn points toward NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series divisional and national championships at out-of-division races. The final division-level race in the nation-wide series is slated for November in Las Vegas.

The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Beech Bend Raceway Park:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

Round 1

1) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.314, 266.06 def. 8) Jeff Veale, Hamilton, Ont., 6.031, 242.15

2) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.424, 266.69 def. 7) Brian Mans, Godfrey, Ill., foul

3) Jeff Bohr, Plymouth, Mich., 5.472, 263.05 def. 6) Ken Perry, Richmond Hill, Ont., 5.878, 199.08

4) Noah Condo, Monticello, Ind., 5.735, 246.53 def. 5) Dave Hirata, Lowell, Ind., 5.702, 249.44

Semifinals

Reichert, 5.281, 270.92 def. Condo, 5.508, 262.44

Thacker, 5.417, 265.85 def. Bohr, 5.458, 261.42

Final

Reichert, 5.280, 263.15 def. Thacker, foul

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR

Round 1

1) Bobby Martin, Beaver Falls, Pa., '07 Charger, 5.777, 252.28 def. 8) Steve Franke, Indianapolis, '97 Lumina, 6.273, 227.54

2) Daniel Wilkerson, Springfield, Ill., '07 Monte Carlo, 5.702, 255.48 def. 7) Mark Rogers, Highlands, N.C., '02 Firebird, foul

6) Mark Billington, Norcross, Ga., '01 Avenger, 5.793, 249.72 def. 3) Andy Bohl, Racine, Wis., '07 Mustang, 5.848, 250.51

4) Mick Snyder, Demotte, Ind., '08 Mustang, 5.851, 251.95 def. 5) Keeter Ray, Newport Beach, Calif., '08 Mustang, 6.122, 244.65

Semifinals

Wilkerson, 5.729, 254.57 def. Billington, 5.849, 247.47

Snyder, 5.771, 254.23 def. Martin, 5.821, 253.47

Final

Wilkerson, 5.751, 254.90 def. Snyder, 5.831, 250.69

COMP ELIMINATOR

Craig Bourgeois, Metarie, La., dragster, B/ND, 6.992, 179.40 def. David Rampy, Piedmont, Ala., '32 Bantam, A/EA, 7.340, 159.76

SUPER STOCK

Ricky Decker, Charlestown, Ind., '94 Camaro, GT/CA, 9.764, 133.30 def. Mike Crutchfield, Montgomery, Ala., '08 G5, SS/DM, 9.091, 148.40

STOCK ELIMINATOR

Brenda Grubbs, Plant City, Fla., '69 Camaro, C/SA, 10.610, 123.91 def. Edmond Richardson, Greenbrier, Tenn., '02 Camaro, C/SA, 10.631, 122.88

SUPER COMP

Ray Miller III, Spring Hill, Fla., dragster, 8.924, 169.98 def. Brian Sexton, Fairborn, Ohio, dragster, 8.967, 159.66

SUPER GAS

Aaron Witsman, Bloomington, Ind., '81 Monza, 9.905, 152.99 def. David Tatum III, Palmetto, Ga., '05 Cavalier, 9.909, 161.98

SUPER STREET

Adam Cline, Franklin, Ky., '78 Malibu, 10.906, 139.56 def. Tom Burnett, Mt. Orab, Ohio, '71 Opel, 10.891, 127.84

TOP SPORTSMAN

Keith Raftery, Lake Charles, La., '07 GTO, 7.019, 199.79 def. Timothy Kirman, Morris, Ill., '01 Grand Am, 10.706, 72.33

TOP DRAGSTER

Ray Miller III, Spring Hill, Fla., dragster, 6.952, 180.84 def. Jeffrey Brown, Marysville, Ohio, dragster, 6.855, 183.94

-credit: nhra