SC: Houston Sunday final summary

ODOM, BURKE SCORE WINS AT HOUSTON RACEWAY PARK

BAYTOWN, Texas (May 17, 2009) -- The winners in both the Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car categories at the Texas Sportsman Challenge, a round of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at Houston Raceway Park, took on the No. 1 qualifiers in the final round. Todd Odom, Lake Dallas, Texas, took his dragster to the win while Corpus Christi, Texas's Steve Burke won in Funny Car.

Odom who started the day from the No. 3 slot squared off against Claremore, Okla., resident Malcolm Wahle in the final. Odom blasted a 5.294-second, 269.08 mph pass to Wahle's 5.358-second, 255.15 mph effort.

Burke was the second-place qualifier in Funny Car and in the final he took on Tony Bartone of Long Island City, N.Y. Burke's 5.700-second, 249.76 mph lap was more than enough as Bartone red-lighted.

Brian Self, Magnolia, Texas, beat Keith Hall, Ravenna, Texas, for the win in Comp Eliminator while Byron Latino, Donalsonville, La., won in Super Stock. He beat Hagen Gary, Youngsville, La., in the final. In Stock Eliminator, Jarrod Granier, Labadieville, La., grabbed the win over Hot Springs, Ark., racer S.E. Buchanan. Archie Fruge, Lake Charles, La., ousted Westley Scott, Greenville, Texas, for the Super Comp win; Rick Prudhomme, George West, Texas knocked out Gary Free, Cedar Park, Texas, in the Super Gas final; and the win in Super Street went to Ray Todd of Friendswood, Texas, when he beat Melvin Curry of Mingus, Texas. Keith Raftery, Lake Charles, La., jettisoned Johnny Shook, Lamesa, Texas to get the Top Sportsman win and Michelle LeBleu, Lake Charles, La., got the win in Top Dragster, beating Shane LeJeune, Eunice, La. In Sportsman Motorcycle presented by Harley Davidson, Larry Eperjesi of Lake Dallas, Texas, beat Ben Brown of Irving, Texas, for the win.

South Central division racers will be back at Houston Raceway Park for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event. The track will host the second of two events scheduled at the facility for two days, July 24 and 25.

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

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

Round 1
1) Malcolm Wahle, Claremore, Okla., 5.483, 256.16 def. 8) Karl Brounkowski, Magnolia, Texas, 5.679, 248.84

7) Darryl Hitchman, Celeste, Texas, 5.465, 250.92 def. 2) Michael Manners, Willis, Texas, 5.540, 269.89

3) Todd Odom, Dallas, Texas, 5.435, 253.47 def. 6) Brandon Pierce, Moore, Okla., 5.543, 253.66

4) Del Cox Jr., Downey, Calif., 6.724, 255.58 def. 5) Brandon Lewis, Broken Arrow, Okla., 9.645, 111.19

Semifinals
Wahle, 5.346, 257.19 def. Cox Jr., 5.441, 268.54
Odom, 5.401, 270.00 def. Hitchman, 13.547, 81.44

Final
Odom, 5.294, 269.08 def. Wahle, 5.358, 255.15

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR

ROUND ONE
1) Tony Bartone, Long Island City, N.Y., '09 Mustang, 5.634, 254.42 def. 8) Steve Harker, Gainesville, Ga., '06 Monte Carlo, foul

2) Steve Burck, Corpus Christi, Texas, '02 Camaro, 11.429, 59.45 def. 7) Ro Yale, Houston, Texas, '98 Daytona, broke

6) Lee Callaway, Baytown, Texas, '09 Mustang, 5.759, 249.86 def. 3) Burl Brown, Gainesville, Texas, '00 Avenger, 10.114, 82.03

4) Kebin Kinsley, Kennedale, Texas, '02 Camaro, 5.818, 249.07 def. 5) Jimmy Jones, Cleburne, Texas, '06 Monte Carlo, 7.021, 135.76

Semifinals
Burck, 5.703, 248.43 def. Callaway, 5.698, 253.18
Bartone, 5.669, 253.33 def. Kinsley, 5.872, 249.35

Final
Burck, 5.700, 249.76 def. Bartone, foul

COMP ELIMINATOR

Brian Self, Magnolia, Texas, '63 Corvette, C/A, 7.688, 148.04 def. Keith Hall, Ravenna, Texas, '92 Camaro, E/SM, foul

SUPER STOCK

Byron Latino, Donaldsonville, La., '08 G5, SS/BS, 8.835, 141.12 def. Hagen Gary, Youngsville, La., '02 Camaro, GT/EA, 10.158,127.67

STOCK ELIMINATOR

Jarrod Granier, Labadieville, La., '97 Camaro, D/SA, 11.073, 115.72 def. S.E. Buchanan, Hot Springs, Ark., '67 Barracuda, F/SA, 11.019, 116.50

SUPER COMP

Archie Fruge, Lake Charles, La., dragster, 8.913, 152.85 def. Westley Scott, Greenville, Texas, dragster, 8.893, 173.43

SUPER GAS

Rick Prudhomme, George West, Texas, '57 Corvette, 9.892, 162.06 def. Gary Free, Cedar Park, Texas, '94 Lumina, 9.908, 159.40

SUPER STREET

Ray Todd, Friendswood, Texas, '68 Chevy II, 10.894, 123.19 def. Melvin Curry, Mingus, Texas, '66 Chevy II, 10.870, 134.39

TOP SPORTSMAN

Keith Raftery, Lake Charles, La., '07 GTO, 6.805, 202.85 def. Johnny Shook, Lamesa, Texas, '08 Cobalt, foul

TOP DRAGSTER

Michelle LeBleu, Lake Charles, La., dragster, 6.863, 196.67 def. Shane LeJeune, Eunice, La., dragster, broke

SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE

Larry Eperjesi, Lake Dallas, Texas, '00 Suzuki, 8.271, 161.48 def. Ben Brown, Irving, Texas, '04 Hayabusa, 8.214, 156.95

-credit: nhra