NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Lucas Oil Raceway took the Team Championship on a tie-breaker over National Trail Raceway at the NHRA Summit Racing Series North Central Division Finals. Michael Sturgill, Dustin Loynes, Brian Hendrickson and Jeremy Hicks grabbed individual wins and now advance to the NHRA Summit National Championship in November in California at the Auto Club NHRA Finals.
 
Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis and National Trail Raceway both scored 52 points for the team championship with Lucas Oil Raceway taking the trophy on a tie-breaker being which team had the most racers advance to the semifinals.  Milan Dragway, Kil-Kare Dragway and Route 66 Raceway rounded out the top five.
 
Sturgill, out of Beavercreek, Ohio, turned the win light on eight times in route to the Super Pro championship over Nathan Jones. Sturgill posted a .018 package running 4.916 on the 4.91 dial at 137.81 for the win. This was Sturgill’s second trophy of the weekend having also won the Race of Champions earlier in the weekend.
 
Loynes put together a string of great reaction times during Pro eliminations including a .002 in the final in defeating Nick Hastings in his ‘80 Firebird. Loynes, Walled Lake, Mich., went 6.327 seconds at 103.75 mph to Hastings, Shelby, Ohio, clocking in at 6.725, 100.28 in his ’77 Mustang.
 
In Sportsman it was Hendrickson, Hamilton, Ohio, with the early lead and a lap of 12.751 on the 12.75 dial to take the trophy over Shawn Pitts, London, Ohio. Pitts tripped the clocks in 12.065, 104.65 for his runner up finish.
 
Willard, Ohio, racer Hicks took a big lead off the line with a run of 8.302, 147.07 as Mike Krueger tried to chase him down but could not make up the difference at 8.462, 154.09.
 
Joining the four racers in California for the Summit National Championship will be the Motorcycle Race of Champions winner Bruce Damewood. The North Central division was selected in a wild card drawing earlier this year to determine who will bring the extra racer to make up the 8-man field. Damewood, Clinton, Iowa, road his ’83 Suzuki to a 9.045, 122.96 mph pass after Joe Novak Sr. left early with a foul start to give Damewood the win.
 
Strugill posted a .005 second reaction time in his ROC Super Pro win over Gary Peters with a lap of 4.909, 140.42 in his ’15 dragster.
 
Herman Zehnder, Edmond Ellison and Ryan Dovenbarger also earned Race of Champion wins. Zehnder and Jon Tignor ran a close final round in Pro as the pair left the line together as Zehnder went 6.462 on his 6.46 dial and Tignor broke out by just .005 seconds.
 
Ellison scored in Sportsman taking the early lead with a .010 reaction time with both drivers running to quick in a double breakout. Dovenbarger, Caldwell, Ohio, tagged the Tree with a .003 second reaction time in his ’75 Duster taking the win in High School with a lap of 11.869, 114.53.
 
The following are final results from the 2018 NHRA Summit Racing Series 43rd Annual North Central Division Finals: 
 
TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Lucas Oil Raceway: 52
National Trail Raceway: 52
Milan Dragway: 47
Kil-Kare Dragway: 42
Route 66 Raceway: 40
Coles County Dragway USA: 37
Summit Motorsports Park: 37
Crossroads Dragway: 35
Byron Dragway: 35
Gateway Motorsports Park: 35
Pacemakers Dragway: 31
Wagler Motorsports Park: 30
Ohio Valley Dragway: 30
Edgewater Sports Park: 30
Beech Bend Raceway: 28
 
SUPER PRO
Michael Sturgill, Beavercreek, Ohio, '15 Mcilvain, 4.916, 137.81 def. Nathan Jones, Wheatland, Ind., '14 Racecraft, 4.680, 147.83. 
 
PRO ET
Dustin Loynes, Walled Lake, Mich., '80 Firebird, 6.327, 103.75 def. Nick Hastings, Shelby, Ohio, '77 Mustang, 6.725, 100.28. 
 
SPORTSMAN
Brian Hendrickson, Hamilton, Ohio, '72 Demon, 12.751, 100.17 def. Shawn Pitts, London, Ohio, '00 Camaro, 12.065, 104.65. 
 
ET MOTORCYCLE
Jeremy Hicks, Willard, Ohio, '16 Suzuki, 8.302, 147.07 def. Mike Krueger, Lowell, Ind., '86 Kawasaki, 8.462, 154.09. 
 
The following are final results from the 2018 NHRA Summit Racing Series North Central Division Race of Champions:
 
SUPER PRO
Michael Sturgill, Beavercreek, Ohio, '15 Mcilvain, 4.909, 140.42 def. Gary Peters, Elizabethtown, Ky., '94 Mustang, foul. 
 
PRO ET
Herman Zehnder, Tinley Park, Ill., '98 Cobra, 6.462, 101.62 def. Jon Tignor, Hillsboro, Mo., '79 Malibu, 6.265, 108.83. 
 
SPORTSMAN
Edmond Ellison, Beavercreek, Ohio, dragster, 12.540, 104.75 def. Doug Thompson, Columbus, Ohio, '00 Trans Am, 12.501, 108.53. 
 
ET MOTORCYCLE
Bruce Damewood, Clinton, Iowa, '83 Suzuki, 9.045, 122.96 def. Joe Novak Sr., Carleton, Mich., '87 Kawasaki, foul. 
 
HIGH SCHOOL
Ryan Dovenbarger, Caldwell, Ohio, '75 Duster, 11.869, 114.53 def. Logan Gardner, Horse Cave, Ky., '77 Nova, foul. 

PREVIEW

Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis will be hosting the 43rd annual NHRA Summit Racing Series North Central Division Finals, Sept.14-16. 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. Nearly 700 drivers are expected to compete in Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, Super Pro Bike, and High School categories. Racers in the High School class will run for trophies while the others will compete for cash awards of more than $60,000.

Gates at Lucas Oil Raceway will open at 8 a.m. each day. Time trials will start Friday morning at 9 and continue Saturday at 8 a.m. Eliminations will start Saturday at 1 p.m. and continue Sunday at 8 a.m. 

Friday’s action will also feature the Sunoco Race of Champions, starting at 3 p.m., where the best of the best in Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman and Super Pro Bike will compete for top honors. Sunday’s winners will move on to compete for a national championship at the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Calif., in November. They will run against the winners from NHRA’s other six divisions for more than $100,000 in prize money.

Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis is located on Indiana Highway 136, four miles west of I-465, exit 16. For more information call the track, (317) 291-4090 or visit www.LucasOilRaceway.com.