Pacific Division HOTLINECharlie Neilson, Division Director Paul Jager, Division Tech Director Lena Billington, Administrative Assistant Tech Line: Tuesday & Thursday, 7-9 p.m. September 2003 2035 Financial Way, Glendora, CA 91741 (626) 963-2454 • Fax, (626) 963-2454 (626) 914-4761 • Fax, (626) 914-8963 Bob Johnson, Photographer, (661) 943-0855 NEWS FROM THE PACIFIC DIVISION Severance, August add their names to 2003 Pacific Division winners’ list by John Jodauga n a Division 7 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series season dominated by two-time winners Morgan ILucas, Mark Niver, and Doug Gordon, the status quo was shaken up by Joey Severance and Ron August Jr.’s respective victories in Top Alcohol Drag- ster and Top Alcohol Funny Car. Ross Wilson also broke into the winner’s circle with his Comp triumph. The rest of the victors included more familiar names, such as Jimmy DeFrank (Super Stock), Kyle Seipel (Stock), Jack Beckman (Super Comp), Kevin McClel- land (Super Gas), Gary Thompson (Super Street), Scott Pollacheck (Kerker Sportsman Motorcycle), and Tom Hall (Korbel Super Eliminator). NHRA Division 7 Director Charlie Neilson said, Bob Johnson "This was the rescheduled running of the Sacra- Ron August Jr. drove his ‘02 Camaro, far lane, to a Top Alcohol Funny Car victory over mento event that had been postponed from its Steven Gasparrelli’s ‘02 Firebird when Gasparrelli crossed the centerline at the top original date of April 25-27 because of heavy rain. We end and hit the two cones at the finish line. had a car count of 421, which is outstanding for the middle of August, and, despite the warmer tempera- August, competing in only his third Division 7 event tweiler’s BB/AT ’96 Cutlass had a decidedly more tures, we still managed to set a pair of national of the year, established his presence early with a No. 1 successful run in the semi’s with a 6.996 to stop records in Comp. All in all, it was an excellent event. qualifying clocking of 5.750 that stood as low e.t. of the Wayne Ramay’s A/ND, which clocked a 7.282 on the Now, we can focus our attention on our Division 7 event. August’s ’02 Camaro defeated Tom Bristow’s ’03 7.70 standard. Duttweiler had run so quick that he finale in Las Vegas Oct. 30-Nov. 2, which is one of the Firebird in the first round, 5.863 to 6.428, then quick- had his 7.66 index CIC’d to a 7.50 for the final. biggest races of the year in terms of car count and ened slightly to a 5.843 in the second round to best the DeFrank repeated his Sonoma victory, driving his impact on the final national standings." 6.108 of Robert Lee’s ’02 Camaro. Steve Gasparrelli, family’s California Car Cover Co. GT/HA ’87 Camaro to Severance, who normally competes in Division 6, still looking for his first Division 7 win of the year after a final-round victory over his brother Tony’s GT/GA ’98 quietly entered the Top Alcohol Dragster field with a a runner-up finish in Phoenix, reached the final again Grand Prix. DeFrank took the win with a shutoff 10.605 fifth-best 5.554 against Don Hudson’s pole-position after putting away Bill Gallio and Bret Williamson with on his 10.33 dial as Tony was well off his 10.22 dial shot of 5.488. Severance defeated No. 4 qualifier respective times of 5.921 and 5.685. with a slowing 11.118. Tony earned his final-round Mitch Myers in the first round, 5.594 to 5.692, then In the runoff, Gasparrelli actually reached the berth with a .014-over 10.234 against Jim Grossi’s upset Hudson in the semi’s, 5.561 to 5.600. On the finish line first in a close side-by-side contest, but red-lighting ’96 Olds Achieva, and DeFrank had a other side of the ladder, Duane Shields ran quicker because his car crossed the centerline and knocked 10.339 bye. The win enabled DeFrank to move past with times of 5.571 and 5.512 to earn respective out the last two cones, he was disqualified and the Tony for second place in the Division 7 Super Stock wins over Chris Demke and Larry Miersch. Severance win was given to August. standings behind points leader Tibor Kadar. picked up the pace with a 5.455 (low e.t. of the meet) Wilson’s Comp victory came at the expense of Seipel’s Stock victory enabled him to leap from in the final to easily outdistance Shields’ 5.581. turbocharger veteran Ken Duttweiler as Wilson’s third to first in the Division 7 standings, and he capped Shields came away with top speed honors for his D/SMA ’95 Olds Achieva ran an 8.834 on the 9.30 the winning weekend by driving his B/FIA ’98 Firebird 262.02 in the second round. index to defeat Duttweiler’s shutoff 9.535. Dut- to page 3 EVENT LAS VEGAS GAMBLER SHOOTOUT SCHED ULE ATTENTION RACERS: THERE WILL BE NO TEST & TUNE AT THIS EVENT. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29 Gate B open to racers that did not participate in the OCTOBER 30- AC Delco Nationals (No line-up prior to 6 a.m. OCTOBER 30- permitted) . .6 a.m. Credential Sales/Pit Parking/NHRA Tech . .9 a.m. - 6 p.m. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30 NOV. 2, 2003 Credential Sales . .6 a.m. - 5 p.m. NOV. 2, 2003 NHRA Tech . .7 a.m. - 6 p.m. Time Trials & Qualifying . .7 a.m. (Run Order: STK, SST, SS, SG, SMC, SE, SC, TC) Comp Qualifying . .1:30 p.m. Secure Track . .8 p.m. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31 Credential Sales . .6 a.m. - 5 p.m. NHRA Tech . .7 a.m. - 4 p.m. (No new entries after 4 p.m.) Time Trials & Qualifying . .7 a.m. (Run Order: STK, SST, SS, SG, SMC, SE, SC, TC) Comp Qualifying . .1:30 & 4 p.m. TAD & TAFC Qualifying . .3 p.m. Secure Track . .6 p.m. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1 Credential Sales . .6 a.m. - 5 p.m. Eliminations . .7 a.m. (Run Order: STK, SST, SS, SG, SMC, SE, SC, TC) Comp - Round 1 . .2:30 p.m. TAD & TAFC Qualifying . .11 a.m. & 3 p.m. Secure Track . .6 p.m. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2 Credential Sales . .6 a.m. - 5 p.m. Resume Eliminations . .7 a.m. FEATURING TAD & TAFC - Round 1 . .11 a.m. 260 MPH Secure Track . .5 p.m. Dragsters & ENTRY FEES Car & Driver . $140 Funny Cars Crew . $60 GENERAL ADMISSION CHILDREN’S ADMISSION Saturday, Nov 1 . $20 Saturday, Nov 1 . $6 FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL (702) 644-4444 • www.lvms.com Sunday,SPECTATOR NovA 2DMISSION . $20(FREESunday, pit pass Nov w/purchase) 2 . $6 FREE PIT PASS WITH ALL GENERAL ADMISSION PURCHASES CHILDREN 5 & UNDER FREE ALL TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTERS & FUNNY CARS MUST PRE-REGISTER BY OCTOBER 17 AT 702-632-8213. ALL LATE ENTRIES WILL BE CHANGED AN ENTRY FEE. from page 1 Korbel Super Eliminator Series to a .026-over 11.556 win against Tommy Gaynor’s J/SA ’85 Camaro. Gaynor had the misfortune of breaking out by .005-second with a clocking of 11.85. Seipel advanced in the semi’s with a win over George Barr’s H/SA ’70 Chevelle Tom Hall defeats nephew Dean in final when Barr fouled with a -.055 light. Gaynor recorded a .025-over 11.815 win SACRAMENTO against Gary Humrighouse’s F/SA ’69 Camaro, which ran slightly quicker with a RACEWAY PARK, .022-over 11.382 after a late .080 light against Gaynor’s quicker .058. Sacramento, 2003 Winternationals winner Beckman continued to practice what he Calif. (Aug. 15-17) preaches at Frank Hawley’s NHRA Drag Racing School and scored his first — Tom Hall won Division 7 win of the year. Beckman reached the winner’s circle thanks to his his first Korbel 8.925 victory over Dustin Hentges, who fouled with a -.066 light. Hentges Super Eliminator Bob Johnson advanced to the final with an 8.946 to 8.986 win over Dean Hall, who runner- Series event of upped in the Korbel Super Eliminator final, and Beckman had an 8.866 bye. the season when Former national event winner McClelland scored his first Division 7 Super he drove Gary Gas victory since the 2001 Bakersfield event by driving his ’27 Ford roadster Heck’s Korbel Champagne–sponsored ’62 Chevy Impala to a final-round win over his to a 9.934 to 9.913 holeshot win over Terry Keddington’s ’67 Camaro in the nephew, Dean Hall. It was the first time in series history that the Korbel-sponsored final. McClelland earned his victory with a .028 reaction time against Ked- cars had met in a title round. dington’s .056. Keddington had pushed out Wally Jacks’ ’74 Vega with a too Jim Luttrell’s record-setting 204.80-mph blast took some of the shine off the all- quick 9.893 in the semi’s, and McClelland had a bye run. Korbel final round. The awesome performance will go into the books as the first Super Thompson became Division 7’s most prolific winner of the year after Eliminator run to eclipse the 200-mph mark. scoring his third Super Street triumph. The victory boosted his lead over Luttrell made three qualifying passes that surpassed 200 mph with his 470-inch second-place Dennis Paz to a 395 to 352 margin.