WC: Bandimere final summary

WHITELEY, BATEMAN CLAIM WINS AT BANDIMERE SPEEDWAY'S LUCAS OIL SERIES EVENT

MORRISON, Colo. (June 21, 2009) -- The Grease Monkey Thunder on the Mountain event, a round of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at Bandimere Speedway, is in the books. Grand Junction, Colo., racer Jim Whiteley took his Top Alcohol Dragster to the winner's circle for the second time in two weeks and Roger Bateman, Winnipeg, Manit., won his second Top Alcohol Funny Car title of the season.

Whiteley was the event's No. 1 Top Alcohol Dragster qualifier and due to a short field of cars, there were only two rounds of eliminations instead of three. However, Whiteley more than earned the win when he ousted Denver's Eugene Tumbarello in the first round and then laid down a 5.580-second, 259.26 mph pass to beat Ed Schmeeckle of Gothenburg, Neb., in the final. Schmeeckle ran 5.649 seconds at 252.85 mph in his first final-round appearance of the year.

Bateman was also the No. 1 qualifier in his class. In the opening round of eliminations he jettisoned Robert Kanenwisher of Conifer, Colo., and he had a bye into the final. In the final Bateman laid down a 5.854-second, 244.38 mph pass which was enough to beat veteran racer Vern Moats of Des Moines, Iowa, who ran 5.937 seconds at 243.37 mph.

In Comp Eliminator, Dennis Smiley of Denver City, Texas, scored the win over Matthew Harris, Nebraska City, Neb., and Super Stock racer David Bogner, Kearney, Neb., wheeled his '92 Daytona to the win, beating Justin Jenkins, Beatrice, Neb., in his '09 Cobalt. The win in Stock Eliminator went to Dic Geary, Broomfield, Colo., when he dispensed with Golden's Brad Burton in the final. Michael Miller, Sante Fe, N.M., won in Super Comp, beating out another Golden resident, Troy Grant. Bob Fuller, Rogers, Ark., scored the Super Gas title over Bill Cawsey, Regina, Sask., and in Super Street Arvada's Tim Schell took his '75 Duster to the winner's circle, beating Littleton racer Brian Wagner in his '74 Nova. Henderson, Nev., racer Brad Wagner beat Joshua Vettel, Phillips, Neb., for the Top Sportsman win and Steve Johnson of Arvada grabbed the win in Top Dragster over David Oenes of Henderson, Colo. In Sportsman Motorcycle presented by Harley Davidson, Ken Niesen, Brooklyn Park, Minn., rode to the win over Tom Gilligan of Freemont, Neb.

NHRA West Central division racers head back to Great Bend, Kan., for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, June 27. Racers will be completing the event that rained out in April.

The following are the final results from the Grease Monkey Thunder on the Mountain event at Bandimere Speedway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

Round 1
1) Jim Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., 5.775, 254.28 def. 4) Eugene Tumbarello, Denver, 5.899, 223.58

3) Edwin Schmeeckle, Gothenburg, Neb., 5.602, 257.83 def. 2) Richard Putz, Earlville, Iowa, 5.612, 252.10

Final
Whiteley, 5.580, 259.26 def. Schmeeckle, 5.649, 252.85

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR

Round 1
1) Roger Bateman, Winnipeg, Manit., '09 Mustang, 5.858, 243.41 def. 6) Robert Kanenwisher, Conifer, Colo., '04 Camaro, 6.217, 231.75

2) Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, '04 Camaro, 5.905, 241.28 def. 5) Lance Van Hauen, Reinbeck, Iowa, '02 Firebird, 6.095, 234.49

3) Vern Moats, Des Moines, Iowa, '09 Mustang, 5.928, 245.09 def. 4) Paul Anderson, Firestone, Colo., '03 Camaro, 6.031, 238.55

Semifinals
Moats, 5.887, 245.90 def. Williams, 5.959, 239.10
Bateman, 5.862, 245.00 def. bye

Final
Bateman, 5.854, 244.38 def. Moats, 5.937, 243.37

COMP ELIMINATOR
Dennis Smiley, Denver City, Texas, Spitzer, A/DA, 7.532, 131.61 def. Matthew Harris, Nebraska City, Neb., '05 Grand Am, E/A, broke

SUPER STOCK
David Bogner, Kearney, Neb., '92 Daytona, SS/CS, 10.368, 129.83 def. Justin Jenkins, Beatrice, Neb., '09 Cobalt, GT/DA, foul

STOCK ELIMINATOR
Dic Geary, Broomfield, Colo., '72 Camaro, H/SA, 12.409, 105.71 def. Brad Burton, Golden, Colo., '72 Formula, E/SA, 11.596, 111.94

SUPER COMP
Michael Miller, Santa Fe, N.M., dragster, 9.518, 147.50 def. Troy Grant, Golden, Colo., dragster, 9.534, 164.17

SUPER GAS
Bob Fuller, Rogers, Ark., '00 Corvette, 10.546, 152.54 def. Bill Cawsey, Regina, Sask., '09 Mustang, foul

SUPER STREET
Tim Schell, Arvada, Colo., '75 Duster, 11.515, 118.83 def. Brian Wagner, Littleton, Colo., '74 Nova, 11.528, 123.02

TOP SPORTSMAN
Brad Wagner, Henderson, Nev., '97 Cutlass, 7.402, 184.50 def. Joshua Vettel, Phillips, Neb., '04 Stratus, 7.250, 190.83

TOP DRAGSTER
Steve Johnson, Arvada, Colo., dragster, 6.839, 184.70 def. David Oenes, Henderson, Colo., dragster, 6.790, 200.83

SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
Ken Niesen, Brooklyn Park, Minn., '85 Suzuki, 10.763, 121.21 def. Tom Gilligan, Fremont, Neb., '00 Kawasaki, foul

-credit: nhra