NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Photos by Robert Grice

No. 1 qualifiers Megan Meyer and Sean Bellemeur cruised to Top Alcohol class victories at the Keurig Dr. Pepper Lone Star Nationals presented by Driven Automotive Protection at the Texas Motorplex. The pair of drivers were the first winners of a motorsports race in the state of Texas since every major sporting event was postponed or canceled in early March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Lucas Oil Central Regional event was able to be held after many weeks of conversation between the Texas Motorplex ownership team and Governor Greg Abbott’s office.
 
Meyer took out Buddy Domingue in the first round of Top Alcohol Dragster when she ran him down with a winning elapsed time of 5.318 seconds to his 5.387-second pass. Her run was the quickest pass of the first round and set up semifinal race with No. 4 qualifier James Stevens. In the semis Meyer was nearly perfect off the starting line with a .006 reaction time and combined that with the quickest run of eliminations, a 5.242-second pass. In the final round she avenged a first-round upset loss by her sister Rachel to Dean Dubbin outrunning the racer from Little Falls, Minnesota to the victory. Her winning time of 5.198 seconds was the quickest of eliminations.

 
In Top Alcohol Funny Car, Bellemeur easily outran No. 8 qualifier Kyle Smith in the first round. Bellemeur never trailed in the race posting a winning elapsed time of 5.544 seconds to Smith’s improved 5.658-second run. The driver from Placentia, Calif., was on top of his game in the semifinals jumping to a starting line advantage with a .013 reaction time and his quickest elapsed time of the event 5.535 seconds. In the final Bellemeur gave up lane choice to Annie Whiteley but he was able to get a narrow win with a 5.494 second elapsed time. Whiteley made her quickest pass of the weekend a solid 5.496 and made this final one of the best races of the event.
 
Earlier in the day in the final Top Alcohol Dragster qualifying session, Rachel Meyer jumped to the top spot on her final run posting a pass at 5.240 seconds at 272.12 mph. Megan Meyer reclaimed the No. 1 qualifier in the next pair of dragsters with an event quickest and fastest run of 5.165 seconds at 277.32 mph. \ Bellemeur held onto his No. 1 spot in Top Alcohol Funny Car with a stout 5.492 second at 267.27 mph run. It was the quickest and fastest fun of the weekend for the Funny Cars. He outpaced Annie Whiteley and Doug Gordon to hold the top three spots.
 
After the first day of qualifying, Megan Meyer and \ Bellemeur sat atop the Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car fields, respectively. In the second session on Friday Meyer made the quickest pass of the session, 5.270 seconds at 275.45 mph, and held on to the top qualifying spot in a crowded field of Top Alcohol Dragsters. Bellemeur improved over his first run of the day and leaped to the top spot with a 5.514-second pass at 265.90 mph.
 
On Saturday competitors in Top Alcohol Funny Car and Top Alcohol Dragster battled it out for a winner’s purse of $3,500 in prize money. In addition to the record cash purse drivers will earn valuable Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series points. 
 
The following are Saturday's final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, South Central Division Keurig Dr. Pepper Lone Star Nationals presented by Driven Automotive Protection:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:
ROUND ONE
7) Dean Dubbin, Little Falls, Minn., 5.416, 255.10 def. 2) Rachel Meyer, Mount Vernon, Mo., 5.472, 264.39; 
3) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., 5.338, 271.73 def. 6) Brandon Greco, Roscoe, Pa., 17.770,39.36; 
1) Megan Meyer, Olathe, Kan., 5.318, 274.94 def. 8) Buddy Domingue, Port Neches, Texas, 5.387, 267.75; 
4) James Stevens, Gothenburg, Neb., 5.489, 259.71 def. 5) Mike Burns, Bisbee, Ariz., foul;

SEMIFINALS
Dubbin, 5.389, 257.83 def. Samsel, broke; 
M. Meyer, 5.242, 279.79 def. Stevens, 5.332, 267.37;

FINALS

Megan Meyer, Olathe, Kan., 5.198, 279.15 def. 
Dean Dubbin, Little Falls, Minn., 5.500, 257.48.

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE
1) Sean Bellemeur, Placentia, Calif., '17 Camaro, 5.544, 265.38 def. 8) Kyle Smith, Wichita, Kan., '10 Mustang, 5.658, 253.99; 
2) Annie Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., '17 Camaro, 5.580, 267.11 def. 7) Steve Burck, Corpus Christi, Texas, '17 Camaro, 5.704, 259.76; 
3) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '20 Camaro, 5.594, 266.90 def. 6) Bryan Brown, Gainesville, Texas, '16 Camaro, 10.040, 91.45; 
4) Bob McCosh, Columbia, Mo., '19 Camaro, 5.625, 260.81 def. 5) Ray Drew, Hales Corners, Wis., '20 Mustang, 6.171, 196.59;

SEMIFINALS
Whiteley, 5.516, 268.49 def. Gordon, 17.232, 65.53; 
Bellemeur, 5.535, 267.00 def. McCosh, 5.636, 258.52;

FINALS

Sean Bellemeur, Placentia, Calif., '17 Camaro, 5.494, 266.74  def. 
Annie Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., '17 Camaro, 5.496, 268.38.

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER B-FIELD
Brandon Greco wins the $1,500 B-race prize with the quickest pass.

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR B-FIELD
Steve Burck wins the $1,500 B-race prize with the quickest pass.
 

FRIDAY

After one day of qualifying at the Keurig Dr. Pepper Lone Star Nationals presented by Driven Automotive Protection at the Texas Motorplex Megan Meyer and Sean Bellemeur sit atop the Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car fields, respectively.
 
In the second session on Friday Meyer made the quickest pass of the session, 5.270 seconds at 275.45 mph and held on to the top qualifying spot in a crowded field of Top Alcohol Dragsters. Bellemeur improved over his first run of the day and leapt to the top spot with a 5.514 second pass at 265.90 mph.
 
The first round of qualifying wrapped up with Top Alcohol Dragster world champion Megan Meyer sitting at the top of the field with a 5.245-second run at 275.17 mph just ahead of Robin Samsel’s 5.313 and Mike Burns’ 5.340 second passes. In Top Alcohol Funny Car it was Robert McCosh posted a Q1 quick elapsed time of 5.631 seconds at 256.50 mph to outpace Sean Bellemeur’s 5.686 second and Steve Burck’s 5.724-second runs.   

 On Saturday competitors in Top Alcohol Funny Car and Top Alcohol Dragster will battle it out for a winner’s purse of $3,500 in prize money. Additionally Mid-West Pro Mod drivers will be tearing up the track throughout the weekend. In addition to the record cash purse, drivers will earn valuable Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series points.
 
Following a late-afternoon announcement by Texas Governor Greg Abbott which allows outdoor motorsports events to operate at up to 25 percent of the normal operating limits as determined by the venue owner the Texas Motorplex will allow fans to attend the race on Saturday. Fans will be charged $15 per car and can order tickets online now. 
 
The event, previously a participant only race, will still be broadcast on PPV. NHRA.tv subscribers can log in to watch while fans will be able to enjoy the racing action for the low price of $15 by purchasing the event Pay Per View livestream on TheFoat.com Ticketing with BangShift.  The entire event from the first burnout to the last win light will be broadcast with wildly entertaining Al Tucci calling the action.
 
The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, South Central Division Keurig Dr. Pepper Lone Star Nationals presented by Driven Automotive Protection:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Megan Meyer, Olathe, Kan., 5.245 seconds, 275.45 mph
2) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., 5.313, 270.54
3) Rachel Meyer, Mount Vernon, Mo., 5.324, 270.81
4) Mike Burns, Bisbee, Ariz., 5.340, 271.95
5) Brandon Greco, Roscoe, Pa., 5.346, 267.80
6) Buddy Domingue, Port Neches, Texas, 5.399, 254.33
7) James Stevens, Gothenburg, Neb., 5.413, 258.37
8) Terry Schmidt, Tuttle, Okla., 5.425, 248.20
Not Qualified
9) Brandon Pierce, Cypress, Texas, 5.469, 247.57
10) Spencer Massey, Fort Worth, Texas, 5.557, 267.80
11) Dean Dubbin, Little Falls, Minn., 6.232, 139.72
12) Karl Brounkowski, Magnolia, Texas, 7.083, 125.72

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Sean Bellemeur, Placentia, Calif., '17 Camaro, 5.514 seconds, 265.90 mph
2) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '20 Camaro, 5.557, 265.12
3) Annie Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., '17 Camaro, 5.606, 265.59
4) Bob McCosh, Columbia, Mo., '19 Camaro, 5.617, 260.16
5) Ray Drew, Hales Corners, Wis., '20 Mustang, 5.634, 256.70
6) Steve Burck, Corpus Christi, Texas, '17 Camaro, 5.711, 258.86
7) Bryan Brown, Gainesville, Texas, '16 Camaro, 5.722, 256.70
8) Kyle Smith, Wichita, Kan., '10 Mustang, 5.724, 251.72
Not Qualified
9) Jonathan Johnson, Woodway, Texas, '20 Camaro, 5.843, 237.09
10) Bill Bernard, Littleton, Colo., '09 Mustang, 5.902, 240.72