NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Rachel Meyer, Sean Bellemeur, and Bruno Massel Jr. had a lot to celebrate during the Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals with event victories that also helped secure world titles. Meyer won her first title in Top Alcohol Dragster, and Bellemeur and Massel are now three-time champs in Top Alcohol Funny Car and Comp eliminator, respectively. They were joined in the winner’s circle by Chris Hall (Super Stock), Justin Lamb (Stock), Steve Williams (Super Comp), Evan Kowalski (Super Gas), and Nick Alejandre (Super Street).

Meyer’s victory was easily the most dramatic as she clinched her first title after a winner-take-all Top Alcohol Dragster final round against Jackie Fricke. Both drivers were solidly in the 5.2s as they worked their way through eliminations. Meyer’s team, in search of their third straight title, had something left for the final, and they unleashed it with a 5.19 to cover Fricke’s competitive 5.26. [video]

Bellemeur has now secured his third title in the last four years after wheeling Tony Bartone’s Hussey Performance Camaro to a Las Vegas victory in Top Alcohol Funny Car. Bellemeur locked up the title early in eliminations after his rival, reigning champ Doug Gordon, lost. Bellemeur continued to advance to the final, where he knocked out Brian Hough, 5.53 to a slowing 5.97. [video]

Massel needed only to stage his turbocharged Cobalt for his semifinal bye run to clinch the Comp title, and there were a few anxious moments when the car wouldn’t start, but they were addressed quickly, and he went on to win the title and the final round against former champ Dean Carter’s front-engine dragster. Massel finished with a (-.521) 7.099 to make it official. [video]

Appearing in his second career final, Hall won for the first time when he wheeled his COPO Camaro past Larry Zavala in the Super Stock final. Hall, who also beat Pete Peery, Justin Lamb, and Terry Emmons on his way to the final, won in a double breakout with his .02-under 8.99 holding off Zavala’s .03-under 9.89. [video]

Lamb quickly shook off his loss in Super Stock to reach the final in Stock, where he defeated championship contender Todd Hoven to win his 28th career national event. In another double-breakout final round, Lamb drove his COPO Camaro to a 9.918 on his 9.93 dial to beat Hoven’s 9.986 on a 10.00 prediction. [video]

After watching his daughter, Shelby, win her first national event title in Stock earlier this season, Steve Williams took his turn in the winner’s circle after beating Cody Webber in the Super Comp final. Williams ran a 9.052 on the 9.05 adjusted index, and Webber broke out with a 9.031. The win was No. 14 for Williams, who is also a past world champ. [video]

Kowalski lit the win light in the final of Super Gas to claim his third career national event title. In the money round, Kowalski got the best of former world champ Mike Ferderer in another double breakout, 10.038 to 10.034 against the 10.05 index. Kowalski’s road to the final also includes wins against Marko Perivolaris and Val Torres Jr. [video]

The Super Street final between Alejandre and Kenny Snow was also a great race with both drivers recording identical 11.029 elapsed times against the 10.05 index. It was Alejandre who turned on the win light for his first NHRA national event victory thanks to a slight .009 to .015 starting-line advantage. [video]