Wed, 10 Oct 2018, 10:26 AM Auto Club Raceway Takes Team Title; Five Heading To Championship

Courtesy of NHRA Field Marketing

LAS VEGAS - The team from Auto Club Raceway at Auto Club Dragway combined for 74 points to capture the Team Championship at the NHRA Summit Racing Series Pacific Division Finals in Las Vegas and Bobby Dye, Sacha Hoefer, Garrett Hoefer, Rick Newport and Zach Meziere took individual titles and now advance to the NHRA Summit National Championship.

Auto Club Dragway racers topped the list of 19 teams as they out-scored the teams from Sonoma Raceway in Northern Calif., and Rocky Mountain Raceway out of West Valley City, Utah, who took second and third respectively with 65 and 55 points each.

Dye, Ontario, Calif., grabbed the holeshot lead on Jeremy Rapp then laid down a lap of 7.507 on the 7.50 dial to take the win in Super Pro running 177.32 mph. Rapp, Las Vegas, was right behind with a nice 7.365 second pass at 181.74.

Sacha and Garrett Hoefer kept with their family tradition of winning and advancing to the Summit National Championship next month in Pomona, Calif. Sacha drove her '91 Firebird to a holeshot win in Pro over Kevin Houmard, San Dimas, Calif. Sacha's .009 second reaction time was too much for Houmard to make up in his '70 Camaro as Sacha covered the quarter-mile in 12.041 to Houmard's quicker 9.475.

Garrett, Sacha's nephew, had an even better .001 holeshot on Mike Williams in the Sportsman class. Garrett then ran 12.345 on the 12.34 for a .006 package with Williams breaking out with a 12.084 on the 12.17 dial. Garrett's dad Willie is a former Summit National Champion and Sacha's husband C.W. is a 3-time division champion.

Rick Newport, running for Rocky Mountain Raceways, ran down Larry Mota, also out of RMR, for the win in Motorcycle. Mota left first but Newport's 8.416 at 146.16 was too much for Mota's 9.297, 133.32.

Meziere will join these four in Pomona, Calif., via his win on Saturday in Super Pro and a wild card drawing earlier in the year to determine which of the seven NHRA Divisions would send an extra racer to fill out the 8-car fields in each class. Meziere's starting line advantage forced Lonnie Grace, Fallon, Nev., to run too quick and breakout as he chased Meziere down the track. Meziere, Escondido, Calif., clocked in at 7.748, 163.04 in his '11 dragster for the win.

In the High School class, Savanna Kidd, Marana, Ariz., grabbed the early lead on Thomas Maynard, Mesa, Ariz., and held on for the win in a double breakout.

In Saturday's action for the Pacific Division Summit Finals, Scott Joines, Henry Roberson and Don Caesar also took home championship wins. Joines and Bobby Mirizio left the line together in the Pro final round as Joines took the win in 10.851 at 119.73 mph.

David Rudd left early with a foul start in Sportsman handing the win to Roberson who cut a nice ..008 reaction time then ran it out to a 12.341, 105.30 in his '84 Mustang. Caesar and Dave Miller squared off in Motorcycle as both Suzuki's broke out with the win going to Caesar of Citrus Heights, Calif., running 9.385 at 143.47.

The following are the final results from the NHRA Summit Racing Series Pacific Division Finals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

SUMMIT SHOWDOWN - RACE OF CHAMPIONS

SUPER PRO
Bobby Dye Jr, Ontario, Calif., '15 American, 7.507, 177.32 def. Jeremy Rapp, Las Vegas, '15 Racecraft, 7.365,181.74

PRO
Sacha Hoefer, Calimesa, Calif., '91 Firebird, 12.041, 102.10 def. Kevin Houmard, San Dimas, Calif., '70 Camaro, 9.475, 135.84

SPORTSMAN
Garrett Hoefer, Yucaipa, Calif., '95 Camaro, 12.345, 102.10 def. Mike Williams, Gilbert, Ariz., '64 Fury, 12.084, 109.06

MOTORCYCLE
Rick Newport, Bluffdale, Utah, '95 Suzuki GSXR, 8.416, 146.16 def. Larry Mota, Orem, Utah ' 15 Kawasaki ZX14, 9.297, 133.32

HIGH SCHOOL
Savannah Kidd, Marana, Ariz., '95 Firebird, 12.853, 101.36 def. Thomas Maynard, Mesa, Ariz., '77 Mustang, 15.063, 91.34

SUMMIT PACIFIC DIVISION FINALS EVENT CHAMPIONS

 
TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP 
Auto Club Dragway            74
Sonoma Raceway               65
Rocky Mountain Raceways      55
Las Vegas Motor Speedway     52
Sacramento Raceway           51
Auto Club Dragway 2          46
Auto Club Famoso Raceway     45
Wild Horse Pass MSP          39
Wild Horse Pass MSP 2        38
Rocky Mountain Raceways 2    33
Las Vegas Motor Speedway 2   30
Top Gun Raceway              28
Tucson Dragway               25
Irwindale Dragstrip          20
Barona 1/8 Mile Dragstrip    20
Albuquerque Dragway          18
Samoa Dragstrip               9
Auto Club Famoso Raceway 2    8
Redding Dragstrip             2

SUPER PRO
Zach Meziere, Escondido, Calif., '11 Mullis, 7.748, 163.04 def. Lonnie Grace, Fallon, Nev., '02 Cavalier, 8.547, 157.71

PRO
Scott Joines, Eastvale, Calif., '74 Camaro, 10.851, 119.73 def. Bobby Mirizio, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., '72 Nova, 12.490, 101.67

SPORTSMAN
Henry Roberson, North Highlands, Calif., '84 Mustang, 12.431, 105.30 def. David Rudd, Wilton, Calif., '71 Nova, 13.750, 99.95

MOTORCYCLE
Don Caesar, Citrus Heights, Calif., '07 Suzuki GSXR, 9.385, 143.47 def. Dave Miller, Whittier, Calif., '95 Suzuki GSXR, 8.215, 159.42

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