REICHERT, CHEESEMAN OPEN LUCAS OIL SEASON WITH WINS AT IRP (NHRA)

INDIANAPOLIS – The first NHRA North Central division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event of the season was completed at Indianapolis Raceway Park this weekend. In Top Alcohol Dragster competition, Bill Reichert scored the win while Chuck Cheeseman took the Top Alcohol Funny Car win.

Reichert, a resident of Owosso, Mich., knocked off Dave Hedges Jr. in the opening round of eliminations and in the semis he beat Noah Condo of Monticello, Ill., who was disqualified when his car crossed the centerline. In the final round, Reichert, the No. 2 qualifier at the event, took on the top qualifier, Dave Hirata of Lowell, Ind. It was a close race but Reichert’s 5.354-second, 269.51 mph pass was enough to hold off Hirata’s 5.378-second, 261.88 mph run.

Galena, Ohio, racer Cheeseman was the third-place qualifier and picked off Bobby Martin, Beaver Falls, Pa., in the first round. In the semifinals Cheeseman beat the No. 2 qualifier, Danny Townsend, Muncie, Ind., before he laid down a 5.774-second pass at 252.80 mph in the final against the weekend’s top qualifier, Mick Snyder of Demotte, Ind., to earn his first win in more than a year.

Jeff Taylor of Floyds Knobs, Ind., led from wire to wire to take the win in Comp Eliminator while Jeff Dona, Gordonville, Mo., won in Super Stock, and Gregory Hill, Louisville, Ky., earned the Stock Eliminator win. Joining them in the winner’s circle were Butch Kleewein, North Platte, Neb., in Super Comp; Rock Haas, White Lake, Mich., in Super Gas; Dave Gardner, Convoy, Ohio, in Super Street; and Tim Kirman, Morris, Ill., in Top Sportsman.

North Central division racers head to Stanton, Mich., for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event. The race at Mid-Michigan Motorplex is scheduled July 1-2.

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

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Round 1
1) Dave Hirata, Lowell, Ind., 5.361, 262.18 def. 8) Timothy Bowgren, Valparaiso, Ind., 5.621, 248.80
2) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.312, 263.20 def. 7) Dave Hedges Jr., Plainwell, Mich., 5.476, 255.73
3) Noah Condo, Monticello, Ind., 5.473, 261.07 def. 6) Jeff Hamelink, Savage, Minn., 9.845, 72.73
5) Randy Meyer, Spring Hill, Kan., 5.395, 257.38 def. 4) Ken Perry, Gormley, Ont., 5.463, 253.85
Semifinals
Hirata, 5.491, 255.77 def. Meyer, foul
Reichert, 5.336, 267.43 def. Condo, broke
Final
Reichert, 5.354, 269.51 def. Hirata, 5.378, 261.88

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Round 1
1) Mick Snyder, Demotte, Ind., ’02 Firebird, 5.716, 249.63 def. 8) Brian Grisham, Chicago, ’92 Probe, 6.715, 208.07;
2) Danny Townsend, Muncie, Ind., ’05 Stratus, 5.724, 245.32 def. 7) Rick Cortino, Wheaton, Ill., ’97 Firebird, 6.326, 221.85
3) Chuck Cheeseman, Galena, Ohio, ’02 Firebird, 5.705, 245.94 def. 6) Bobby Martin, Beaver Falls, Pa., ’01 Avenger, broke
5) Andy Bohl, Racine, Wis., ’00 Firebird, 5.831, 234.90 def. 4) Bruce Carlson, Prior Lake, Minn., ’97 Firebird, 5.828, 239.78
Semifinals
Snyder, 5.733, 251.91 def. Bohl, 6.812, 148.01
Cheeseman, 5.725, 252.43 def. Townsend, 5.784, 252.43
Final
Cheeseman, 5.774, 252.80 def. Snyder, 6.007, 225.75

COMP ELIMINATOR

Jeff Taylor, Floyds Knobs, Ind., ’05 Grand Am, H/SMA, 14.732, 75.92 def. Robert Bailey, Wabash, Ind., dragster, A/ED, broke

SUPER STOCK

Jeff Dona, Gordonville, Mo., ’69 Camaro, SS/IA, 10.033, 126.47 def. Rusty Perkins, Bowling Green, Ky., ’70 Corvette, SS/EA, 9.746, 135.40

STOCK ELIMINATOR

Gregory Hill, Louisville, Ky., ’71 Camaro, E/SA, 10.959, 119.43 def. Lyn Smith, Pontiac, Ill., ’72 Gran Sport, F/SA, 11.274, 115.32

SUPER COMP

Butch Kleewein, North Platte, Neb., dragster, 8.902, 169.23 def. Ron Erks, Clinton, Ohio, dragster, 8.899, 172.78

SUPER GAS

Rock Haas, White Lake, Mich., ’05 Corvette, 9.921, 154.47 def. Donald Schultz Jr., Brillion, Wis., ’91 Calais, 9.858, 141.65

SUPER STREET

Dave Gardner, Convoy, Ohio, ’83 Mustang, 10.927, 133.29 def. Dan Carter, Georgetown, Ky., ’68 Camaro, 10.991, 121.84

TOP SPORTSMAN

Tim Kirman, Morris, Ill., ’01 Grand Am, 7.279, 189.63 def. Keith McPherson, Leonard, Mich., ’06 GTO, 7.200, 192.44