NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Justin Ashley and Johan Lindberg won titles in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car, respectively, during the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, while former Major League Baseball player Eric Bell earned his first national event win in the Super Stock class. The other champions crowned during the event were Ben Line (Stock), Trevor Larson (Super Comp), Jim Davis (Super Gas), Bob Fischer (Top Dragster presented by Racing RVs), and Brian Heath (Top Sportsman presented by Racing RVs).

Rookie driver Ashley, who won his first race earlier this season in Gainesville, picked up a second Wally when he drove the Meyer family dragster to a final-round win in Top Alcohol Dragster over Gord Gingles. Ashley made his best run of eliminations in the final with a 5.237, 268.60 but didn’t need it after Gingles slowed to a 12.344. Ashley posted a 5.241 in his quarterfinal win against former national champion Alan Bradshaw, then caught a break in the semi’s when current champ Joey Severance broke. [Watch video]

After getting married in his native Sweden a week earlier, Lindberg and his new bride, Coco, began their honeymoon in Brainerd, and the former FIA European champ left with a Wally in Top Alcohol Funny Car as a wedding present. Driving the same Landmeco Camaro that his younger brother, Jonnie, drove to back-to-back championships, Lindberg got progressively quicker in his first three round-wins against Andy Bohl, John Lombardo Jr., and Bill Bernard, improving to a 5.487. In the final against Kris Hool’s SK Tools Camaro, Lindberg drove to a 5.489 to 5.575 victory. [Watch video]

The same drive and discipline that helped Bell overcome long odds to reach the big leagues has helped him become a competitive Super Stock racer. After several near misses, Bell collected his first NHRA national event title in Brainerd after Canadian Darrell Dietz red-lighted in the final round. A week earlier, Bell won five rounds to reach the final of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event before losing to Brett Speer. This time, Bell qualified No. 1, then went the distance. All told, Bell compiled an 11-1 record in eliminations rounds during the two events. [Watch video]

Line became the third member of his family to win an NHRA national event title, joining his older brothers, three-time Pro Stock champion Jason and Lance, after claiming the Brainerd Stock title. Line opened eliminations with a win against his brother-in-law Johnny Diekema and also topped national event winners Trista Fenner, Speer, and Cal Method to reach the final. Paired with two-time Brainerd winner Bill Feist in an all-Mustang final, Line was almost perfect with a .005 reaction time and a 10.533 on his 10.52 dial-in. Feist had won 13 straight rounds in Brainerd before losing the close final to Line. [Watch video]

The Super Comp final featured Larson and Jeremy Demers, two of the most accomplished racers in Division 5. Larson won the close double-breakout final with an 8.891 to Demers’ 8.886. Larson was also quicker off the starting line by three-hundredths. Larson’s path to the final included a near-perfect run against defending national champion Nick Folk and an equally competitive holeshot win against four-time national champ Gary Stinnett in the semifinals. For Larson, the win was his sixth in NHRA competition. [Watch video]

There were a number of first-time winners in Brainerd, including Super Gas champ Davis, who wheeled his Sea Foam ’92 Camaro to a win against Ken Griffiths in the final. Davis gave up a slim lead but prevailed in a close 9.917 to 9.995 decision. Davis topped Super Stock racer Tim Nicholson in the semifinals and also defeated Chad Covert and Matthew Larson in eliminations. [Watch video]

Fischer collected his first title in the Top Dragster presented by Racing RVs class after stopping Michael Kritzky in the final. The Top Dragster class typically offers some of the best racing in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, and this was no exception. Fischer won with a 7.403 on his 7.37 dial, holding off Kritzky’s 6.411 (6.38 dial) by just nine-thousandths. Fischer’s best performance came in the semifinals, where he ran a 7.381 on his 7.38 dial to stop 2015 JEGS NHRA SPORTSnationals winner Joe Hessling. [Watch video]

Top Sportsman presented by Racing RVs champ Heath made the trip to Brainerd from his home in Texas and worked his way to the final with wins against Doug Woody, low qualifier Paul Pittman, and Larry Demers. In the final, Heath drove his Camaro to a 7.152 on his 7.13 dial for the win against Joseph Mohana, who slowed to a 6.841 from his 6.77 dial. Earlier this season, Heath opened his season with a victory at the Division 4 Lucas Oil Series event at Royal Purple Raceway near Houston. [Watch video]