Sigmon and Faul head JEGS Pacific SPORTSnationals champions

FONTANA, Calif. (April 19) – Ed Sigmon won his first NHRA national event title in more than 40 years and Mark Faul triumphed for the second straight year as champions were crowned Sunday at the sixth annual JEGS NHRA Pacific SPORTSnationals at Auto Club Dragway in Fontana. Calif. High wind gusts forced race officials to shorten the racing distance to an eighth-mile for Sunday’s final eliminations, providing a unique challenge for the nearly 400 competitors in attendance. In addition to Sigmon and Faul, those who were best able to adjust to the new distance and claim victories were Leo Glasbrenner (Stock), Thomas Bayer (Super Comp), Hollis Colleasure (Super Gas), Michael Blodgett (Super Street), Tom Yancer (Top Dragster), Jed Bourquin (Top Dragster) and John Widmann (Sportsman Motorcycle).

The most popular winner of the day was Sigmon, of Chatsworth, Calif., who captured his first national event win since the 1968 Winternationals when he defeated Mike DePalma in the Comp Eliminator final. After gaining a big lead at the start, Sigmon drove his ’34 Chevy roadster to a 5.68 elapsed time to secure his long-awaited second victory.

Faul, of Tacoma, Wash., reached his third final round in the last two years in Fontana. Last September, he drove to a win and a runner-up finish while racing two cars in the JEGS NHRA Pacific SPORTSnationals. This year, Faul drove his Pontiac Grand Am to a final round victory against former two-time national champion Jimmy DeFrank.

Glasbrenner, of Chino, Calif., won for the first time in Stock when his final round opponent, Clark Holroyd, also of Chino, fouled at the start. The Super Comp title was decided in a similar manner as Jack Freckman left the starting line early, allowing Fontana native Bayer to drive his dragster to an uncontested victory.

The Super Gas final pitted Colleasure, of San Dimas, Calif., against his son-in-law, Brad Pierce of Riverside, Calif. Colleasure prevailed by driving his ’27 Ford to a 6.30 elapsed time on the 6.30 index.

Second generation racer Blodgett, of Signal Hill, Calif., claimed the win in Super Street, following the lead of his brother, Matt, who won the same class at last year’s JEGS Pacific SPORTSnationals event. Blodgett drove his Vega to a final round win against Brian Griffey.

Yancer, of Chandler, Ariz., builds race cars for a living and can also drive them, as he proved on Sunday with a win in the Top Dragster class against Chris Forsythe. After an almost perfect start, Yancer drove to a 4.48 on his dial-in time of 4.48-seconds for the win. Bourquin, of Canyon Country, Calif., put the wraps on the Top Sportsman title when he defeated Gary Ross in the final round and Widmann, who resides in Garberville, Calif., became the first winner of the Sportsman Motorcycle class at the JEGS Pacific SPORTSnationals when he rode his Kawasaki to a win against Tom Medlin in the final round.

The nine winners of the JEGS NHRA Pacific SPORTSnationals will now have a chance to win the coveted JEGS Crown trophy if they can also claim a win at the final SPORTSnationals race of the season, the JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals at National Trail Raceway in Columbus, Ohio, Sept. 25-27.


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