Tue, 17 Dec 2024, 19:53 PM Bartone Bros. Racing Celebrate Perfect Top Alcohol Funny Car Season

Courtesy of Kyle Chura Team wins NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series TAFC Championship

Bartone Bros. Racing "Pirate Ship."

LONG ISLAND, N.Y. – Bartone Bros. Racing and driver Sean Bellemeur are celebrating a perfect season winning the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol Funny Car Championship.

The team posted a point total of 850 in Top Alcohol Funny Car, calculated as 10 races claimed at 85 points each, the max on offer is considered a perfect season.

Sean Bellemeur, "Mr. 850" a perfect season.

The team added their seventh national win at Pomona when they won the Ford Performance NHRA Fall National that was delayed from The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway two weeks prior.

Highlights of the season include the team’s win at The Big Go in Indy and total domination of the NHRA Fall Nationals Stampede of Speed weekend at the Texas Motorplex in October. Bellemeur was crowned NHRA Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Funny Car National Champion. The team won the JEGS Allstars Shootout and the national Wally that weekend in the Lone Star state. In addition to those special wins, the team swept the four events they competed in Ohio as well as both four-wide events on the calendar.

The wins this season boost Bellemeur’s driving resume with 27 regional wins to go along with 43 national victories and the 2024 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol Funny Car Championship, his fourth.

“To my knowledge the feat of a perfect season has only been accomplished three other times in Top Alcohol Funny Car,” Bellemeur said. “Twice by Frank Manzo and we did it in 2018.

“You really can’t ask for more from the performance of the car and team this year. We felt like the car was making really good power at the end of last year, so we worked more on harnessing that power. She’s a fast girl! It’s fun when the conditions were there to be able to let her stretch her legs!

“Personally, the goal was to drive better. In 2023 I made some mistakes that cost us some races and ultimately the championship. With that said, going back to Dallas, the same place that provided so much heartbreak the prior year and sweeping the championship, JEGS Allstars, and event win, that was a high point for me.

“Right now, the Killer B’s are in a great place. We need to stay focused and pay attention to the competition. Then we can make adjustments as we see them coming. I can’t wait for 2025!”

From left, Nick Stoms, Seth Shebester, Garret Bateman, Sean Bellemeur, Troy Green, Matt Krebs, and Justin Taylor.

“Without a great group of guys and girls at the track and at home nothing works,” Bellemeur continued. “Thanks to Tony Bartone for his enthusiasm for the sport and putting Steve Boggs, Troy Green, Nick Stoms, Justin Taylor, Garret Bateman, Seth Shebester, Matt Krebs, Lauren McMaster, and Brian Gawlik together on this team. With this group we've proven anything is possible.”

For team owner Tony Bartone, it was one of the best seasons in his drag racing career.

"What a season," exclaimed Bartone. "We had the goal of starting the schedule off fast and we did, then never let off the gas. To have a perfect season, one of three in the history of the category is special. Like I've said all year, we have a special group preparing the 'Pirate Ship' and Sean is doing a great job driving it. The hardest thing to do is repeat, but that is the plan."

Bartone Bros. Racing 2024 Top Alcohol Funny Car Wins:
• WON NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (national)
• WON NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX DRAGWAY (national)
• WON 18th Annual University Hospitals Cavalcade of Stars presented by Budweiser at Summit Motorsports Park, set TAFC track record with a pass of 5.393 and 269 MPH (regional)
• WON 18th Annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park (national)
• WON JEGS SPEEDWeek NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at National Trail Raceway (regional)
• WON Cornwell Tools Night Under Fire at Summit Motorsports Park (regional)
• WON 70th TOYOTA NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (national)
• WON NHRA Carolina Nationals run at zMAX DRAGWAY (national)
• CROWNED NHRA North Central Region Top Alcohol Funny Car Champions
• CROWNED NHRA Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Funny Car National Champion
• WON JEGS Allstars at Texas Motorplex
• WON Texas NHRA Fall Nationals Stampede of Speed at the Texas Motorplex (national)
• WON at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series (regional)
• WON at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Ford Performance NHRA Fall National (national), finished at Pomona

The team would like to thank team sponsors Red Line Synthetic Oil, Roger Dean Chevrolet, Talon Air, LLC, NGK Spark Plugs, and Mastercam along with product sponsors Simpson Performance Products and Taylor Motorsports Products.

For more information on Bartone Bros Racing, including race recaps and photos, please visit the team site at www.BartoneBrosRacing.com