Carter Scores Delayed Win At Nhra Jegs Pacific Sportsnationals
 Justin Lamb (near lane) vs. Darren Smith |
he NHRA's Pacific Sportsnationals was completed a day after its scheduled finish after the Sunday's Eliminations were postponed due to high winds that made racing unsafe the for wheelstanding door-cars of the Sportsman classes. As with the previous two NHRA-sanctioned "Sportsnationals" on the 2007 schedule the quickest and fastest of the Lucas Oil-backed circuit weren't invited to this race and Top Dragster and Top Doorslammer classes were added.
Despite that restriction almost 500 entries came through the gate at the new Fontana drag strip located on the grounds of the California Speedway.
Former national champion Dean Carter was the winner of the Competition Eliminator classes in a battle of two cars that could have just as easily been running for a Jr Fuel title at the long gone Orange County Raceway than at a 2007 Sportsnationals event. Carter drove his fuel-injected, Alky-burning, front-motored B/ND to the win over California racer John Zink driving his similar A/ND. Carter's B/ND ran 7.202/161.65 to defeat J.D. Zink’s quicker but losing 7.050/187.29.
The Super Stock “Wally” went to Nevada racer Justin Lamb who drove his SS/CM Chevy Cobalt to the win taking out Mopar Racer Darren Smith’s ’67 Dart SS/FA car. Lamb ran a 9.205/142 on a 9.18 dial while leaving first by .02 to easily cover Smith’s 9.628/134 on a 9.61 dial.
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Stock Eliminator winner was Tibor Kadar, Peoria, Ariz., who drove his ’77 L/SA Firebird to the winner’s circle over former NHRA Jr. Dragster racer Kyle Rizzoli. Kadar left first and got to the stripe first by about ten feet to take the win. Kadar ran a 12.191/103 to Rizzoli’s 11.824 on an 11.74 dial.
The Super Street title went home with Dwight Downing of Glendale, Ariz., giving the Mopar faithful a winner. Downing drove his ’79 Arrow to the win over Joe Lokhaug of Bakersfield, Calif., driving a ’68 Camaro. Downing had a .013 light and ran a dead-on 10.90 for the victory.
Aaron Kinard, San Marcos, Calif., earned his first national event win in Super Comp nearly duplicating Dwight Downing’s perfecto running a 8.907 on his 8.900 index to put Michael Mangili of Stockton, CA, on the trailer.
Another first time national event winner was Val Torres who earned his first national event win of the season in what had to be one of the closest races of the 2007 NHRA season. Torres had a .011 light and ran a 9.922 while in the other lane Greg Harrison cut a .026 light and ran a 9.912. Torres’s holeshot was just barely enough to get him to the stripe just .0055 of a second before Harrison!
In other doorslammer competition Top Sportsman racer Rick Takahashi, San Gabriel, CA, got his second win of the 2007 season taking out Washington racer Robert Mathews. Takahashi and his 2000 model Firebird cut a stellar .005 light and ran a 7.98 on a 7.97 dial while Mathews in his ‘67 Nova was trying to make up ground and broke out with a 7.704 on a 7.71 dial.
Colt Dwyer of Palmdale, CA, made his way to the winner’s circle in Top Dragster, beating out Norco’s Pat Jones.