Fri, 20 Nov 2015, 11:06 AM Severance, Lindberg, Lamb, Helms, Brannon and Elrod Lock Up Championships

Courtesy of NHRA Field Marketing Photo copyright 2015 Auto Imagery, Inc.

GLENDORA, Calif. - Joey Severance, Jonnie Lindberg, Justin Lamb, Kevin Helms, Kevin Brannon and Jacob Elrod all clinched NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series National Championships this past weekend at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona and the season ending Auto Club NHRA Finals.

Joey Severance and crew celebrate Championship

Severance, Woodburn, Ore., led the way in Top Alcohol Dragster needing to reach the final round to overtake reigning champion Chris Demke in the points battle. Severance did just that with a semifinal win over Shawn Cowie, then went on to win the event knocking out David Sheets to cap off the 2015 NHRA Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Dragster National Championship. Severance finished the year with seven wins in 10 final rounds including four national event wins.

Jonnie Lindberg celebrates Championship

In Top Alcohol Funny Car, Lindberg of Sweden, outlasted three other drivers to become the first European racer to win an NHRA Lucas Oil National Championship. Doug Gordon and Annie Whiteley fell in rounds one and two leaving just Lindberg and second generation driver John Lombardo Jr. in contention with Lindberg needing to reach the final round to lock up the championship.

Both drivers marched through eliminations with Lombardo, Brea, Calif., winning his semifinal over Clint Thompson, then watched as Lindberg beat the Bartone Brothers '15 Camaro driven by Mickey Ferro to lock up the championship. Lindberg fell to Lombardo in the final round but won the war taking home the 2015 championship. Lindberg won three times in 2015, advancing to six final rounds to win by just two points.

Justin Lamb and crew celebrate Sonoma win.

Lamb had the points lead in Super Stock coming into the event with Nick Morris being the only driver that could catch him. It was over in the first round when Morris lost giving the Lucas Oil Super Stock National Championship to Lamb. Lamb, Henderson, Nev., had a pair of wins in four final rounds this year including wins in Fontana, Calif., and at the national event in Sonoma, Calif. The championship is Lamb's second having won the 2013 NHRA Lucas Oil Stock National Championship.

Kevin Helms and crew celebrate Gainesville win.

Helms grabbed his fourth national championship in Stock Eliminator holding off four time champion Jimmy DeFrank in the point's battle. Helms, Schriever, La., started off the season red hot scoring three wins in his first four events including national wins in Gainesville, Fla., and Belle Rose, La. He then had a runner up finish in Charlotte, N.C., and a win in Bristol, Tenn., in Sept. to extend his points lead on the class. Coming into the event DeFrank, who always does well in Pomona, needed to win the event but feel in round three ending his hopes.

Kevin Brannon

The Super Comp title went to Brannon who won his season opener in Orlando, Fla., followed by two additional divisional event wins in Rockingham, N.C., and Montgomery, Ala. The Boiling Springs, South Carolina, racer added to his points total throughout the year to take a 20 point lead into the final over Mike Shannon who was also in the chase for the Super Gas title. Shannon, out of Canada, lost in round two to Robert Naber while Brannon watched and celebrated on the starting line.

Jacob Elrod and crew celebrate win in St. Louis.

Elrod started and finished the season strong for his championship in Super Gas. The Harrod, Ohio, racer went to the final round of the North Central Division opener in Indianapolis, then won in Joliet, Ill., before slowing down in the middle of the season. He then won in St. Louis and in Reynolds, Ga., late in the season to take a 61 point lead over Shannon who had to win the event in Pomona where he lost in round 1 declaring Elrod the NHRA Lucas Oil Super Gas National Champion.

Craig Bourgeois and crew celebrate Championship Photo copyright 2015 Bob Johnson Photography

Jeffrey Barker

Marco Abruzzi and crew celebrate Championship Photo copyright 2015 Bob Johnson Photography

Craig Bourgeois-Comp Eliminator, Jeffrey Barker-Top Sportsman, and Marco Abruzzi-Top Dragster clinch their NHRA Lucas Oil National Championships prior to the event in Pomona, Calif.

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