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PAC: Firebird final summary

Cowie, O'Bannon Crowned at Firebird Int'l Raceway's Lucas Oil Event CHANDLER, Ariz. (March 1, 2009) - Eliminations are complete from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event held at Firebird International Raceway. Top Alcohol Dragster pilot ...

Cowie, O'Bannon Crowned at Firebird Int'l Raceway's Lucas Oil Event

CHANDLER, Ariz. (March 1, 2009) - Eliminations are complete from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event held at Firebird International Raceway. Top Alcohol Dragster pilot Shawn Cowie of Delta, B.C., and Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Sean O'Bannon from Ontario, Calif., took home the goods. This event concludes the first of seven in Pacific division competition in which racers earn points towards divisional and national championships.

Cowie ran a 5.385-second pass at 267.80 mph in the final defeating the No.2 qualifier, Del Cox Jr. of Downey, Calif., who shut it down mid-track. This is Cowie's first win of the season and jumps out to the early lead of divisional competition.

O'Bannon went up against Doug Gordon of Paso Robles, Calif., in the Top Alcohol Funny Car final and ran a time of 5.678 seconds at 255.19 mph to take the victory. O'Bannon, who ran preseason testing at the track, took the No.1 qualifying position all the way to the winner's circle.

Other top winners included Tom Mettler, Bakersfield, Calif., in Comp Eliminator; Emmett Mikolajczyk, San Antonio, Texas, was victorious in Super Stock; and Stock Eliminator honors went to Brian McClanahan of Alta Loma, Calif. Thomas Bayer from Fontana, Calif., captured the top spot in Super Comp, Scott Rollins, Phoenix, Ariz., won the Super Gas class, and Tim Landis of Glendale, Ariz., went to the Super Street winner's circle.

Top Sportsman honors went to Ray Martin, Anchorage, Alaska, and his '63 Corvette; J.R. Lobner of Gardne, Kan., won the Hughes Performance Top Dragster crown; and Bill Burkhart from Anaheim, Calif., seized the winning run in the NHRA Sportsman Motorcycle Series presented by Harley Davidson.

The next Pacific division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event is at Southwestern Int'l Raceway. The race is slated for March 6-8.

The following are Sunday's final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Pacific Division 2009 bluemedia NHRA Opener at the Firebird International Raceway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:

Round 1
5) Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., 5.443, 258.86 def. 4) Johnny Ahten, Saugus, Calif., 5.729, 185.87;

3) Shawn Cowie, Delta, B.C., 5.385, 267.80 def. 6) Jim Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., 5.376, 266.00;

1) Mark Niver, Phoenix, Ariz., 5.408, 262.69 def. 8) Dale Carlson, Olympia, Wash., 5.897, 184.22;

2) Del Cox Jr., Downey, Calif., 5.317, 280.60 def. 7) Edwin Schmeeckle, Gothenburg, Neb., 7.383, 120.38;

Semifinals
Demke, 5.479, 259.06 def. Niver, 9.448, 114.18;
Cowie, 5.386, 266.48 def. Cox Jr., 5.486, 271.73;

Final
Cowie, 5.383, 266.74 def. Demke, 7.406, 120.68.

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:

Round 1
2) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '07 Monte Carlo, 5.745, 255.39 def.

7) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '08 Mustang, 5.736, 254.28;

4) Roger Bateman, Calgary, Alb., '08 Mustang, 5.752, 250.69 def. 5) Mark Woznichak, Riverside, Calif., '03 Camaro, 7.442, 110.60;

3) Tony Bartone, Long Island City, N.Y., '09 Mustang, 5.701, 250.27 def. 6) Clint Thompson, Klamath Falls, Ore., '06 Monte Carlo, 13.110, 64.08;

1) Sean O'Bannon, Ontario, Calif., '08 Monte Carlo, 5.650, 257.63 def. 8) Ken Webster, Red Deer, Alb., '08 Monte Carlo, 5.735, 252.57;

Semifinals
Gordon, 6.119, 209.23 def. Bartone, 6.819, 143.19;
O'Bannon, 5.696, 256.50 def. Bateman, 5.974, 235.80;

Final
O'Bannon, 5.678, 255.19 def. Gordon, broke.

COMP ELIMINATOR
Tom Mettler, Bakersfield, Calif., '01 Dakota, PST, 7.433, 182.21 def. Mike DePalma, Glendale, Ariz., '98 Firebird, I/A, 8.190, 154.42.

SUPER STOCK
Emmett Mikolajczyk, San Antonio, Texas, '69 Corvette, SS/AA, 9.620, 133.83 def. Byron Setters, Red Deer, Alb., '09 G5, GT/BA, 9.509, 133.00.

STOCK ELIMINATOR
Brian McClanahan, Alta Loma, Calif., '02 Pontiac, A/SA, 10.167, 124.33 def. Jim Meador, Yorba Linda, Calif., '67 Camaro, D/SA, 10.903, 119.81.

SUPER COMP
Thomas Bayer, Fontana, Calif., dragster, 8.890, 165.70 def. Rich Camou, Redondo Beach, Calif., dragster, 9.737, 104.03.

SUPER GAS
Scott Rollins, Phoenix, Ariz., '95 Grand Prix, 9.940, 151.02 def. Mike Ferderer, Buckley, Wash., '03 Grand Am, 9.924, 168.75.

SUPER STREET
Tim Landis, Glendale, Ariz., '67 Chevy II, 10.927, 122.27 def. Ryan Giacone, Phoenix, Ariz., '88 Thunderbird, 10.892, 133.43.

TOP SPORTSMAN
Ray Martin, Anchorage, Alaska, '63 Corvette, 7.167, 192.08 def. Gary Forkner, Temecula, Calif., '06 GTO, 7.386, 181.67.

TOP DRAGSTER
J.R. Lobner, Gardne, Kan., dragster, 7.204, 179.28 def. Kevin Kleinweber, Phoenix, Ariz., dragster, 7.221, 172.50.

SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
Bill Burkhart, Anaheim, Calif., '00 Suzuki, 9.191, 140.30 def. Rick Newport, West Valley, Utah, '95 Suzuki, 9.240, 115.28.

-credit: nhra

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