NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

TOPEKA, Kan. – Bandimere Speedway took home the team title at this weekend’s NHRA Summit Racing Series West Central Division Finals at Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, Kan. The team from Bandimere shared the winner’s circle with five individual winners including Kanas racers Todd Piper and Eugene Lamb.

Bandimere Speedway racked up 52 points and needed everyone one of them as I-29 Dragstrip and the host track of Heartland Park landed in a tie for second at 51.

Piper, Wamego, Kan., raced his ’14 dragster to a lap of 7.230 seconds at 180.24 mph to knock out Dustin Smiley, Emerson, Iowa. Piper was out first with a great .003 second reaction time as Smiley closed in hard but ran out of track coming up a few hundredths of a second short.

Chris Mang, Brighton, Colo., was out first on Lamb, Garnett, Kan., in the Sportsman class only to see Lamb make it all up on the top end running 12.291 seconds on his 12.29 dial to win by about 11 inches. Mang went 12.201 at 107.59 and a .037 package for the runner up finish.

Eric Johnson took the win in Pro using a near perfect .003 second reaction time to force Ernie Raile, Lakewood, Colo., to breakout in his ’68 Firebird. Johnson, North Bend, Neb., clocked in at 9.037, 148.54 in his ’72 Oldsmobile.

Curtis Spracklin and Brayden Staab posted victories in Motorcycle and High School respectively. Spracklin, Omaha, Neb., grabbed a big lead at the start and held on easily to win over John Fitzpatrick, Park City, Kan., with an 8.588, 141.27 mph run. Staab also took the early lead in his ’89 Mustang and ran 12.074, 110.06 for the win over Valerie Steffens and her ‘10 Camaro running 12.245, 109.10.

Piper, Johnson, Lamb and Spracklin will now make the trip to California for the NHRA Summit National Championship in November when they will face off with the champions for the six other NHRA Division Summit Finals.

Friday’s action saw the top points earners from each track go head to head in the Summit Race of Champions competition. 

Tom Williams, Leonardville, Kan., scored the win in Super Pro running 7.092 seconds at 190.94 mph over Mike Secrest who fouled at the start while Courtney Glover, Aurora, Colo., bagged the win in Pro ET. Glover raced his ’68 Camaro to the win over local runner Luke Siebert, Topeka, Kan., posting a 10.528, 124.83 to the quicker Siebert at 10.249, 127.57.

In Sportsman it was Blaine Flanscha, Fowler, Colo., ending the day for John Dost II, Olathe, Kan. Flanscha went 12.500 in his ’70 Bonneville to a 12.478 for Dost in his ’92 Camaro.

Mike Voss and Blaine Anderson took the Race of Champions trophies in Motorcycle and High School as Voss powered his ’10 Kawasaki past Dave Primrose, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 9.613 seconds at 122.18 mph. Anderson, Eau Claire, Wis., beat out Tanner Asti of Henderson, Colo., posting a 17.124, 81.86 mph lap in his ’01 Sierra. Tanner went 13.935 at 97.18 in his ’03 Pontiac for his runner up finish.

The following are final results from the 2017 NHRA Summit Racing Series West Central Division Finals:

SUPER PRO
Todd Piper, Wamego, Kan., '14 Racecraft, 7.230, 180.24 def. 
Dustin Smiley, Emerson, Iowa, '95 Grand Prix, 8.554, 156.10. 

PRO ET
Eric Johnson, North Bend, Neb., '72 Olds, 9.037, 148.54 def. 
Ernie Raile, Lakewood, Colo., '68 Firebird, 9.998, 134.82. 

SPORTSMAN
Eugene Lamb, Garnett, Kan., '70 Camaro, 12.291, 108.00 def. 
Chris Mang, Brighton, Colo., '87 Mustang, 12.201, 107.50. 

ET MOTORCYCLE
Curtis Spracklin, Omaha, Neb., '05 Athanis, 8.588, 141.27 def. 
John Fitzpatrick, Park City, Kan., '82 Suzuki, 8.481, 154.19. 

HIGH SCHOOL
Brayden Staab, Enid, Okla., '89 Mustang, 12.074, 110.06 def. 
Valerie Steffens, Sherrill, Iowa, '10 Camaro, 12.245, 109.10. 

RACE OF CHAMPIONS
SUPER PRO
Tom Williams, Leonardville, Kan., dragster, 7.092, 190.94 def. 
Mike Secrest, Wichita, Kan., '11 Jim White, foul. 

PRO ET
Courtney Glover, Aurora, Colo., '68 Camaro, 10.528, 124.83 def. 
Luke Siebert, Topeka, Kan., '89 Camaro, 10.249, 127.57. 

SPORTSMAN
Blaine Flanscha, Fowler, Colo., '70 Bonneville, 12.500, 99.79 def. 
John Dost II, Olathe, Kan., '92 Camaro, 12.478, 96.78. 

ET MOTORCYCLE
Mike Voss, Maplewood, Minn., '10 KAW, 9.613, 122.18 def. 
Dave Primrose, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, '96 ZX14r, 9.177, 140.21. 

PREVIEW

TOPEKA, Kan. – Heartland Park Topeka will host the NHRA Summit Racing Series West Central Division Finals, Sept. 15-17.  The event will feature teams of the series’ best racers representing NHRA Member Tracks from across the region.  Top points earning drivers in five classes will be on hand to compete for team and individual honors.  Classes include Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, Motorcycle and High School.

Gates at Heartland Park Topeka will open at 7 a.m. on Friday and 7:30 a.m. on Saturday.  Time trials will start Friday morning at 8 a.m. followed by the Race of Champions. Time trials will continue Saturday followed by all rounds of eliminations and the Bruce Kamada Celebration of Champions. Heartland Park Topeka will also be hosting the Gambler/Fun race on Sunday.  

Saturday’s winners in Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman and Motorcycle will advance to the Summit National Championship at the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Calif., in November.  They’ll run against the winners from NHRA’s other six divisions for a purse of more than 100,000.   

Heartland Park Topeka is located at 7530 SW Topeka Blvd., Topeka, Kan., 66619.  For more information call the track, (785) 862-4781, or visit www.HPT.com or www.NHRAdiv5.com