Wed, 5 Oct 2011, 12:12 PM NHRA West Central Division Summit Race of Champions Crowned

Courtesy of NHRA Field Marketing

KEARNEY, Neb. – The NHRA West Central Division Summit Racing Series picked up the action for the Race of Champions this past weekend at Kearney Raceway Park in conjunction with the Division’s National Open event.  The event was postponed due to bad weather at Brainerd International Raceway back on September 18.

     Four racers, including Super Pro winner Landon Stallbaumer made the wait, and the extra trip, pay off as they took home the championship trophies.  Stallbaumer, Wakarusa, Kan., took the win in a ’03 dragster posting a lap of 8.177 seconds at 156.73 against Kyle Kunze, Persia, Iowa, who recorded a perfect reaction time but broke out with an 8.960 second run on an 8.97 dial-in with his ’67 Nova.

            In the Pro class it was a pair of Kansas racers facing off in the final round as Nyle Reinert, Great Bend, Kan., took the holeshot and held on for the win over TJ Tobler, Leawood, Kan.  Reinert went 12.149 seconds at 107.47 in his ’74 Pontiac.

Nebraska racer Tom Gilligan, Fremont, Neb., took his ’77 Kawasaki to the Super Pro Bike winner’s circle with a lap of 8.928 seconds at 146.10 mph in defeating Beau Drexler, Lakewood, Colo., who left early with a foul start on his ’08 Buell.  Toni Vetter made the trip from Gettysburg, S.D., to race her ’75 Mustang in the High School class knocking out Matt Selden, Bellevue, Neb., for the win in 12.391 seconds at 109.35 mph.

The following are the final results from the NHRA Summit Racing Series West Central Division Race of Champions event at Kearney Raceway Park:

SUPER PRO
Landon Stallbaumer, Wakaruse, Kan., ’03 dragster, 8.177 seconds, 156.73 mph def. Kyle Kunze, Persia, Iowa, ’67 Nova, 8.960

PRO
Nyle Reinert, Great Bend, Kan., ’74 Pontiac, 12.149, 107.47 def. TJ Tobler, Leawood, Kan., ’93 Beretta, 9.328

SUPER PRO BIKE
Tom Gilligan, Fremont, Neb., ’77 Kawasaki, 8.928, 146.10 def. Beau Drexler, Lakewood, Colo., ’08 Buell, 11.753

HIGH SCHOOL
Toni Vetter, Gettysburg, S.D., ’75 Mustang, 12.391, 109.35 def. Matt Selden, Bellevue, Neb., ’04 Magnum, 18.373