Demke and Kinard lead Pacific Division to first title

JOLIET, Ill. (June 30) – With a stellar performance that included wins by Top Alcohol Dragster racer Chris Demke and Super Comp driver Aaron Kinard, the NHRA Pacific Division broke through for its first overall team title in the annual JEGS Allstars competition. The Pacific Division team scored 1,300 points, ending in a tie with the Southeast Division, which was gunning for a seventh overall title. Per the tie-breaker rules which score additional points for wins, runner-up, and semifinal finishes, the Division7 team was awarded the title, and split a $20,000 bonus from JEGS Mail Order. The Division 5 crew, also seeking their first title, finished a respectable third with 1,100 points.

Demke wounded a blower and slowed to a 7.74, but picked up the dramatic win after Randy Meyer fouled away a 5.30, the quickest run of the event. Kinard also chipped in with three big round wins when he drove his dragster to a narrow 8.911 to 8.915 win over Division 2 racer Sherman Adcock Jr., who was looking to become the first driver to double in in the JEGS Allstars race.

The Division 7 team got off to a fast start by claiming 800 out of a possible 1,000 points in the first round by sending eight of their ten drivers into the semifinals. The Division 7 team was so dominant that the Division 6 team was mathematically eliminated after round one and the Division 1 team was on life support. However, as the battle progressed, the Division 2 and Division 5 teams stay in the hunt until the very end. The final race of the day in Top Alcohol Funny Car decided the championship as Frank Manzo downed Mickey Ferro, who was the last hope for the Southeast Division, 5.58 to 5.61. For Manzo, it was the tenth JEGS Allstar title in his illustrious career.

The biggest contributors for the Division 2 team were Adcock, who drove to a close 9.901 to 9.903 win in the Super Gas final over Division 5s Kevin Moore and Dylan Stott, who shook off an early loss in Top Dragster but returned to claim the Top Sportsman title by beating blocker Joe Roubicek in the final. Stott won with a 6.89 on his 6.86 dial while Roubicek trailed with a .05-over 7.05.

Bruno Massel scored his third win in Comp Eliminator when he stopped Division 7’s Justin Lamb and J.R. Lobner won in Top Dragster for the Division 5 team when he defeated Division 3 champ James Monroe. Other winners were Jerry Emmons (Division 4) in Super Stock, Slate Cummings (blocker) in Stock, Randy Shipp (Division 3) in Super Street.

Although the event was completed on Saturday night, there is still a lot of motivation for today’s JEGS Allstars champions heading into final eliminations for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 Nationals as any racer who can repeat their win will be eligible for the JEGS double-up bonus.

2012 JEGS Allstars final points standings

Division 7 1,300 (wins on tie breaker)

Division 2 1,300

Division 5 1,100

Division 3 900

Division 4 900

Division 1 600

Division 6 300

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