WC: Topeka Friday summary

WHITELY, PAYNE LEAD QUALIFIERS AT HEARTLAND PARK TOPEKA'S NHRA LUCAS OIL EVENT

TOPEKA, Kan. -- In the opening rounds of qualifying at the NHRA Heartland Championships presented by Aeromotive, a round of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at Heartland Park Topeka, Jim Whiteley of Grand Junction, Colo., leads the Top Alcohol Dragster class while Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., heads up the Top Alcohol Funny Car category. The two-day race continues Saturday with additional qualifying and time trials in the morning and eliminations beginning at noon.

Whiteley laid down a 5.389-second, 264.75 mph pass to take the No. 1 qualifying spot while No. 2 qualifier, Shawn Cowie, who hauled nearly 2,000 miles from Mission, B.C., clocked in at 5.411 seconds at 264.86 mph.

Payne wheeled his '07 Mustang to a 5.694-second, 253.33 mph pass to take the top spot in Top Alcohol Funny Car. Reigning division champ Paul Anderson of Firestone, Colo., is the second-place qualifier with a 5.806-second, 248.84 mph effort. Payne is also campaigning in the Comp Eliminator class this weekend and is qualified in the No. 2 spot, just ahead of his wife, Shelly Anderson-Payne, a former NHRA Top Fuel pilot.

Leading the Comp Eliminator qualifiers is Bruno Massel of Woodbridge, Ill., in his '07 Cobalt. Super Stock racer Carroll Warling Brighton, Colo., set the pace while in Stock Eliminator, Robert Shaw, Sedalia, Mo., is the best qualifier. Spencer, Iowa's Charley Whittenburg drove his '63 Corvette to the head of the Top Sportsman class, Clif Bakx, Grunthal, Man., leads in Top Dragster and Robert Cooper rode his '94 Suzuki to the head of the Sportsman Motorcycle class.

Racing continues Saturday at Heartland Park Topeka. Final qualifying and time trials will run until noon when eliminations are slated to start. Racers in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car will have one more qualifying pass, at 11:30 a.m., and begin eliminations at 6 p.m.

Tickets are $15 and children 2 to 12 years old are $5. For more information call Heartland Park Topeka or visit www.HPT.com.

The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA Heartland Championships presented by Aeromotive, a round of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at Heartland Park Topeka:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

1) Jim Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., 5.389 seconds, 264.75 mph
2) Shawn Cowie, Delta, B.C., 5.411, 264.86
3) Aaron Tatum, Oklahoma City, 5.448, 271.84
4) Richard Putz, Earlville, Iowa, 5.495, 257.97
5) Jeff Hamelink, Savage, Minn., 5.551, 256.50
6) Edwin Schmeeckle, Gothenburg, Neb., 5.562, 256.84
7) Brandon Lewis, Broken Arrow, Okla., 5.570, 254.09
8) Jared Dreher, Clinton, Iowa, 5.620, 238.17

Not Qualified
9) Darryl Hitchman, Greenville, Texas, 5.636, 253.33
10) Diana Harker, Gainesville, Ga., 5.699, 239.65
11) Dana Stripe, Galesburg, Ill., 5.945, 238.13
12) Doug McCann, Owensville, Mo., 7.219, 214.96

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR

1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '07 Mustang, 5.694 seconds, 253.33 mph
2) Paul Anderson, Firestone, Colo., '07 Charger, 5.806, 248.84
3) Scott McVey, Winnipeg, Man., '00 Avenger, 5.859, 245.36
4) Bruce Carlson, Prior Lake, Minn., '06 Corvette, 5.939, 239.44
5) Roger Bateman, Calgary, Alb., '08 Mustang, 5.990, 244.52
6) Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, '02 Camaro, 6.231, 175.48
7) Nancy Matter, Austin, Texas, '02 Camaro, 6.306, 217.60
8) Steve Harker, Gainesville, Ga., '05 Monte Carlo, 9.651, 88.80

Not Qualified
9) Robert Kanenwisher, Conifer, Colo., '01 Camaro, 15.828, 49.31
10) Vern Moats, Des Moines, Iowa, '08 Mustang, 20.232, 56.47

COMP ELIMINATOR

1) Bruno Massel, Woodbridge, Ill., '07 Cobalt, DD/AT, 7.249 seconds, -0.781 (under index)
2) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '06 Stratus, AA/PM, 6.233, -0.617
3) Shelly Payne, Claremont, Calif., '05 Stratus, AA/PM, 6.305, -0.545
4) Scott Parks, Burlingame, Kan., dragster, A/ND, 7.000, -0.500
5) Lou Ficco Jr., Wheat Ridge, Colo., '04 Cavalier, B/AP, 7.424, -0.456
6) Tom Schmidt, Lindstrom, Minn., '03 S-10, C/T, 8.531, -0.439
7) Will Hatcher, Satanta, Kan., dragster, A/DA, 6.711, -0.429
8) Steve Kalkowski, Ogallala, Neb., '02 Fierbird, B/A, 7.212, -0.428
9) Matthew Harris, Nebraska City, Neb., '05 Grand Am, D/A, 7.952, -0.408
10) Leslie Carson, Odessa, Texas, '07 Cobalt, B/A, 7.248, -0.392

SUPER STOCK

1) Carroll Warling, Brighton, Colo., '74 Grand Am, SS/MA, 11.061 seconds, -1.089 (under index)
2) Travis Sorokie, St. Cloud, Minn., '85 Camaro, SS/KA, 10.596, -0.954
3) Michael Mans, Rogers, Minn., '00 Firebird, SS/CS, 9.700, -0.950
4) Steve Wann, Modesto, Calif., '69 Barracuda, SS/IA, 10.062, -0.938
5) Tony Shaffer, Independence, Mo., '80 Malibu, GT/MA, 11.112, -0.938
6) David Bogner, Kearney, Neb., '92 Daytona, SS/CS, 9.740, -0.910
7) Don Little, Westley, Calif., '70 Challenger, SS/JA, 10.416, -0.884
8) Jim Voth, Buhler, Kan., '86 Monte Carlo, GT/E, 9.920, -0.880
9) Bryan Chaney, Claremore, Okla., '92 Camaro, GT/GA, 10.321, -0.879
10) Tom Meyer, Pierce, Neb., '66 Chevy II, SS/LA, 10.890, -0.860

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Robert Shaw, Sedalia, Mo., '79 Seville, T/SA, 13.501 seconds, -1.199 (under index)
2) Brad VanLant, Linn Creek, Mo., '71 Duster, D/SA, 10.765, -1.085
3) Jim Hale, Van Buren, Ark., '67 Barracuda, G/SA, 11.307, -0.993
4) Brad Burton, Golden, Colo., '72 Formula, E/SA, 11.049, -0.951
5) Steve Wann, Modesto, Calif., '74 Dart, F/SA, 11.207, -0.943
6) Mike Cotten, Broken Arrow, Okla., '73 Duster, H/SA, 11.525, -0.925
7) Stephen Hagberg, Berthoud, Colo., '64 Savoy, A/SA, 10.377, -0.923
8) Scott Burton, Golden, Colo., '71 Formula, D/SA, 10.958, -0.892
9) Paula Cotten, Broken Arrow, Okla., '73 Duster, G/SA, 11.432, -0.868
10) David Buckner, New Waverly, Texas, '72 Duster, E/SA, 11.133, -0.867

TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Charley Whittenburg, Spencer, Iowa, '63 Corvette, 7.016 seconds, 196.44 mph
2) Allen Firestone, Velma, Okla., '01 S-10, 7.048, 197.08
3) Benjamin Board, Spirit Lake, Iowa, '03 S10, 7.049, 198.99
4) Dave Slatten, Fort Collins, Colo., '05 Grand Am, 7.086, 195.70
5) Gregory Porter, Edmond, Okla., '08 Pontiac, 7.182, 193.43
6) J.J. Heber, Centennial, Colo., '06 Mustang, 7.192, 193.43
7) Duane Robison, Gardner, Kan., '69 Camaro, 7.214, 193.05
8) Rick Smith, Wentzville, Mo., '04 Cavalier, 7.442, 186.20
9) Tom Donovan, Olathe, Kan., '02 Mustang, 7.460, 182.72
10) Joel Finley, Amarillo, Texas, '92 Camaro, 7.560, 183.82

TOP DRAGSTER
1) Clif Bakx, Grunthal, Manit., dragster, 6.415 seconds, 207.27 mph
2) David Oenes, Henderson, Colo., dragster, 6.487, 207.69
3) Les Feist, Clearwater, Minn., dragster, 6.691, 201.82
4) Paul Moore, Hutchinson, Kan., dragster, 6.788, 203.55
5) Monroe Guest, Mannford, Okla., dragster, 6.967, 189.31
6) Darin Long, Mitchell, S.D., dragster, 6.968, 190.83
7) Mitch Mustard, Arvada, Colo., dragster, 7.017, 190.70
8) Mark Grame, Overland Park, Kan., dragster, 7.027, 189.60
9) Matt Driskell, Wellsville, Kan., dragster, 7.033, 189.95
10) Dean Dubbin, Royalton, Minn., dragster, 7.122, 198.41

SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
1) Robert Cooper, Plattsmouth, Neb., '94 Suzuki, 0.001 seconds reaction time
2) Curtis Spracklin, Omaha, Neb., '00 Kawasaki, 0.003
3) Michael Nash, Texarkana, Texas, '83 Honda, 0.008
4) Larry Eperjesi, Lake Dallas, Texas, '00 Koenig, 0.009
5) Zachary Schrupp, Mound, Minn., '05 Kawasaki, 0.011
6) Aaron Schrupp, Mound, Minn., '01 Polaris, 0.018
7) Curtis J. Nichols III, Alvin, Texas, '00 Suzuki, 0.018
8) Craig Vogt, Mead, Neb., '73 Kawasaki, 0.019
9) Tom Gilligan, Fremont, Neb., '00 Kawasaki, 0.020
10) Brian Johnson, Anoka, Minn., '05 Suzuki, 0.020

-credit: nhra