Wed, 16 Sep 2009, 08:58 PM Bateman Finishes Up the West Central Division with a Bang

Courtesy of Jeffrey Porth

EARLVILLE, Iowa -- The National Hot Rod Association's (NHRA) West Central Division wrapped up in the pastoral countryside of America's heartland this weekend. The town of Earlville, IA welcomed the Friesen Motorsports/Docsholiday.com Top Alcohol Funny Car team for stop number fifteen on their racing calendar with hopes of putting a stranglehold on the division championship. The team has won three divisional events and was the runner up at the fourth divisional event this season. Now the team has to keep the momentum going to keep their second place position in the national points standings.

The team qualified number one on Friday, with a time of 5.684/248.98, and held off the other combatants all weekend to retain it and hold the all-important lane choice for Sunday's eliminations. Roger and crew would face fellow Manitoba-based race team of Scott McVey of Winnipeg in round one and handed the river city resident a 5.772/245.23 to a 6.031/243.94 defeat.

Now Roger and crew had to face another tough competitor in Ken Webster of Red Deer, Alberta. With the Friesen Motorsports Top Alcohol Funny Car Racing team holding the lane choice again the Calgarian handed his fellow countryman a 5.838/ 242.76 to a 5.792/ 250.92 hole shot loss. Roger left first and never looked back beating Ken by inches but giving up lane choice to the only other car that was in the same zip code as him in the final. That driver was Andy Bohl.

Bohl, of Racine, Wisconsin had to be on his game, as Crew Chief Ken Murray would have Bateman's car set on "mean" for the final. As an added note, Bateman has the winning advantage in head-to-head meetings with Bohl, which can be a huge psychological advantage. Roger left the starting line and all things were going well for him until the motor went "Boom" and Andy ran past handing the Canadian team a runner up going 5.746/ 253.18 to Bateman's 7.092/ 130.15.

The team has a big lead in the division's championship points with three wins and two runner-ups in five races this season. They can take solace in the fact that they went to the finals of every race they attended in the West Central Division in 2009.

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