NW: Series Acton Friday notes

COWIE, O'BANNON LEAD FIELDS AT YELLOWSTONE DRAG STRIP

ACTON, Mont. (August 21, 2009) -- In the first rounds of qualifying at Yellowstone Drag Strip, for the 6th Annual Summer Championships and the second to last event in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Northwest Division Top Alcohol Dragster driver Shawn Cowie, Delta, B.C., CAN., and Top Alcohol Funny Car pilot Sean O'Bannon, Ontario, Calif., took the No. 1 qualifying positions in their classes.

Cowie outran the field with a pass of 5.579 seconds at 257.19 mph with Kevin Wayman and defending event champion Jim Whiteley landing in the No.'s 2 and 3 positions. Cowie has all but clinched the Northwest Division Championship with a 168 point lead but sits second in the national points chase just twelve points behind 2008 Champion Bill Reichert.

O'Bannon who is in a battle for second place in national points made a 5.839-second, 246.53 mph run to take the pole. Defending Northwest Division Champion Brian Hough is in second at 5.958, 242.41 and is looking to break the tie he is in for the division funny car points lead with Ken Webster who is qualified fifth.

A pair of Colorado racers are one and two in Comp Eliminator with Clint Neff, Arvada, Colo., putting his '23 Ford on top followed by Kevin Smith, Parker, Colo.

Steve Cook and Barry Daniluk took the pole positions in Top Dragster and the Auto Max USA Top Sportsman classes respectively. Cook, Rexburg, Idaho, ran 6.903 seconds at 195.08 mph and is followed by Barry's son Steve Daniluk at 6.980, 191.97 mph.

Barry Daniluk, Red Deer, Alberta, CAN., clocked in at 6.834 seconds, 199.52 for the only 6-second run in the top sportsman field. Todd Fleck, Medicine Hat, Alberta, CAN., and Dave Slatten, Ft. Collins, Colo., are second and third.

Carroll Warling, Brighton, Colo., leads the Super Stock field followed by Byron Setters, Red Deer, Alberta, CAN., and Tony Hernandez of Denver, is on top in Stock Eliminator in his '66 Corvette while Mike Coe, Grand Junction, Colo., sits in second.

In the Sportsman Motorcycle Series presented by Harley Davidson, Miles Hauer of Seattle is No. 1 on his '04 Koenig followed by Rick Newport in second out of West Valley, Utah.

Racing continues Saturday and Sunday at Yellowstone Drag Strip with racers earning points toward both national and divisional championship and a share of more than a half of a million dollars in year end prize money. Gates open at 8 a.m. each day with racing scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Top Alcohol Dragsters and Funny Cars will receive two additional qualifying runs on Saturday at noon and 4 p.m.

Tickets are $15 on Saturday and $20 on Sunday. The track is located at 8405 Raceway Road, north of Billings. Take US 3 from Billings, 17 miles to Acton and follow the signs to Yellowstone Drag Strip. For more information, call (406) 669-3300 or visit www.YellowstoneDragStrip.com.

The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series 6th Annual Summer Championships at Yellowstone Drag Strip:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Shawn Cowie, Delta, B.C., 5.579 seconds, 257.19 mph
2) Kevin Wayman, South Jordan, Utah, 5.586, 253.42
3) Jim Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., 5.599, 256.60
4) Justin Davis, Murrieta, Calif., 5.630, 252.00
5) Ashley Bart, High River, Alb., 5.648, 251.72
6) Cody Perkins, Bluffdale, Utah, 5.718, 249.16
7) Greg Tacke, Great Falls, Mont., 5.782, 241.80
8) Eugene Tumbarello, Denver, 5.791, 242.58

Not Qualified
9) Joey Severance, Spanaway, Wash., 5.857, 246.75
10) Jaren Mott, Salt Lake City, 6.286, 167.36
11) Don St Arnaud, Edmonton, Alb., (no time)

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Sean O'Bannon, Ontario, Calif., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.839 seconds, 246.53 mph
2) Brian Hough, Junction City, Ore., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.958, 242.41
3) Brian Thiel, Pleasant Grove, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.986, 211.16
4) Clint Thompson, Klamath Falls, Ore., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.987, 243.15
5) Ken Webster, Red Deer, Alb., '09 Monte Carlo, 6.014, 242.36
6) Robert Kanenwisher, Conifer, Colo., '04 Camaro, 6.092, 220.76
7) Jordan Pawlick, Calmar, Alb., '02 Avenger, 6.348, 230.17
8) Dave Germain, Toledo, Wash., '02 Firebird, 7.101, 161.19

Not Qualified
9) Paul Anderson, Firestone, Colo., '03 Camaro, 10.339, 79.81

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Clint Neff, Arvada, Colo., '23 roadster, K/A, 8.166 seconds, -0.684 (under index)
2) Kevin Smith, Parker, Colo., '04 Cavalier, B/AA, 7.340, -0.570
3) Clint Sallee, Glendive, Mont., dragster, B/D, 6.977, -0.553
4) Dale Giroux, Canyon Creek, Alb., '04 Cavalier, B/AA, 7.361, -0.549
5) Bruce Schmiedl, Regina, Sask., '32 Bantam, A/EA, 7.735, -0.415
6) Casey Plaizer, Edmonton, Alb., '04 Cavalier, C/SMA, 11.621, 2.481

SUPER STOCK
1) Carroll Warling, Brighton, Colo., '74 Grand Am, SS/MA, 11.408 seconds, -1.312 (under index)
2) Byron Setters, Red Deer, Alb., '09 G5, GT/BA, 9.910, -1.140
3) Rob Youngblood, Nampa, Idaho, '76 Corvette, SS/J, 10.513, -1.107
4) Alan Falcone, Seattle, '91 Calais, GT/CA, 10.152, -1.058
5) Jim Storms, Renton, Wash., '98 Avenger, GT/FA, 10.567, -1.053
6) Norm Lapointe, Sherwood Park, Alb., '07 Cobalt, GT/AA, 9.873, -1.017
7) Grant Singer, Regina, Sask., '90 Camaro, SS/BS, 9.465, -0.955
8) Caitlin Setters, Red Deer, Alb., '96 Camaro, GT/EA, 10.516, -0.954
9) Glenn Snow, St. George, Utah, '85 Trans Am, GT/EA, 10.601, -0.869
10) Rick Paton, Edmonton, Alb., '02 Camaro, SS/AS, 9.523, -0.847

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Tony Hernandez, Denver, '66 Corvette, F/S, 11.343 seconds, -1.327 (under index)
2) Mike Coe, Grand Junction, Colo., '73 Dart, G/S, 11.519, -1.261
3) Bob Gullett, Calgary, Alb., '68 Nova, G/S, 11.542, -1.238
4) Charlene Gullett, Calgary, Alb., '80 Malibu, L/SA, 12.484, -1.126
5) Terry Hembree, Idaho Falls, Idaho, '69 Camaro, E/SA, 11.475, -1.095
6) Glenn Person, Regina, Sask., '70 Challenger, C/SA, 11.173, -1.077
7) Jeff Parker, Casper, Wyo., '70 Camaro, E/S, 11.513, -0.997
8) Alan Messer, Richardton, N.D., '68 Camaro, A/S, 10.793, -0.987
9) Jon Irving, Boulder City, Nev., '78 Aspen Wagon, N/SA, 12.994, -0.936
10) Bob Swan, Belle Fourche, S.D., '67 Shelby, C/SA, 11.351, -0.899

TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Barry Daniluk, Red Deer, Alb., '68 Camaro, 6.834 seconds, 200.20 mph
2) Todd Fleck, Medicine Hat, Alb., '06 GTO, 7.220, 190.97
3) Dave Slatten, Ft. Collins, Colo., '05 Grand Am, 7.224, 191.95
4) Roy Trees, Riverton, Wyo., '08 Grand Am, 7.295, 188.17
5) Brian Steif, Billings, Mont., '63 Corvette, 7.517, 182.50
6) Todd Litton, Billings, Mont., '04 Cavalier, 7.606, 179.28
7) John Baker, Grand Junction, Colo., '08 Cobalt, 7.722, 179.35
8) Jake Neibauer, Billings, Mont., '63 Corvette, 7.752, 175.39
9) Ken Tupper, Spokane, Wash., '49 Ford, 7.836, 134.24
10) Paul Menholt, Billings, Mont., '09 Cobalt, 8.113, 171.40

TOP DRAGSTER
1) Steve Cook, Rexburg, Idaho, dragster, 6.903 seconds, 195.08 mph
2) Steve Daniluk, Red Deer, Alb., dragster, 6.980, 191.97
3) Barbara Heggie, Laramie, Wyo., dragster, 7.141, 178.92
4) Darren Stettner, Regina, Sask., dragster, 7.199, 185.41
5) Annie Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., dragster, 7.250, 186.41
6) Anita Olsen, Grand Junction, Colo., dragster, 7.253, 185.33
7) Denny Menholt, Billings, Mont., dragster, 7.304, 184.22
8) Jim Caudill, Littleton, Colo., dragster, 7.386, 176.49
9) Jeff Scheller, Billings, Mont., dragster, 7.418, 186.05
10) Sarah Smith, Worland, Wyo., dragster, 7.448, 181.74

SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
1) Miles Hauer, Seattle, '04 Koenig, SMC, 0.016 seconds reaction time
2) Rick Newport, West Valley, Utah, '95 Suzuki, SMC, 0.016
3) Leeland King, Shelton, Wash., '90 ZX-7, SMC, 0.033
4) Mark Biernbaum, Billings, Mont., '95 Buell, ETMX, 0.068

-credit: nhra