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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Keeping Pace

Opening day of racing is complete at Mission Raceway Park’s Lordco BC Nationals

 (The Spokesman-Review)
(The Spokesman-Review)

NHRA Northwest division racers will be at Mission Raceway Park May 22-24 for the Lordco B.C. Nationals, a round of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.  Racers in eight categories, including 260 mph Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car, will be on hand vying for points leading to divisional and national championships.  The division's Auto Max USA Top Sportsman Series, Top Dragster Series and the Sportsman Motorcycle Series presented by Harley Davidson will also run in conjunction with the event.  The race is the second of seven in the division.

Courtesy: NHRA Media Relations

MISSION, B.C. (May 22, 2009) – Shawn Cowie of Delta is leading the Top Alcohol Dragster qualifiers at the Lordco BC Nationals, a round of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at Mission Raceway Park, while Brian Hough, Junction City, Ore., is No. 1 in Top Alcohol Funny Car.  Another Delta resident, Terry Spargo leads the Top Sportsman contingent and Kelly Vos of Burnaby is the best qualifier in Sportsman Motorcycle presented by Harley Davidson.

Cowie made a 5.371-second, 269.94 mph pass which was enough to put him ahead of No. 2 qualifier Joey Severance of Spanaway, Wash.  Severance ran 5.408 seconds at 260.64 mph.

Hough laid down a 5.657-second, 256.77 mph lap in the opening round of qualifying while Clint Thompson of Klamath Falls, Ore., ran 5.748 seconds at 251.53 mph to put him in the second slot.  Chilliwack's Tim Nemeth is qualified in the No. 4 position.

Dale Groux, Canyon Creek, Alb., is the best qualifier in Comp Eliminator, Byron Setters is No. 1 in Super Stock and Tibor Kadar heads up the Stock Eliminator class.  In Top Dragster, Steve Daniluk, Red Deer, Alb., is in the top spot. Several other local racers have qualified in the top 10 in their classes, including Bruce Flodin of Abbotsford who is No. 2 in Stock Eliminator; Roy Moznik of Surrey who is No. 5 in Top Sportsman; and Sportsman Motorcycle riders Jon Jenkins of Richmond (No. 3) and Al Omond of Surry (No. 5).

Racing continues Saturday and Sunday at Mission Raceway Park.  Gates open at 8 a.m. both days.  Qualifying and time trials continue Saturday at 9 a.m.  Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car are slated to run at 1 and 4 p.m.  Eliminations start Sunday at 9 a.m.  Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car will run first round at noon.

General admission tickets for the Lordco BC Nationals are $20 each day. Pit passes are $5 each day.  Children 12 and under are admitted free.

Mission Raceway Park is located 10 miles north of Sumas, Wash., on Highway 11.  For more information call the track, (604) 826-6315, or visit www.MissionRaceway.com.

The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lordco BC Nationals at Mission Raceway Park:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Shawn Cowie, Delta, B.C., 5.371 seconds, 269.94 mph
2) Joey Severance, Spanaway, Wash., 5.408, 260.64
3) Justin Davis, Murrieta, Calif., 5.426, 262.92
4) Dale Carlson, Yelm, Wash., 5.484, 258.47
5) Doug Hegge, Vancouver, Wash., 5.539, 261.39
6) Gregg Lawrence, Salem, Ore., 5.662, 252.10
7) Brandon Johnson, Shelton, Wash., (no time)

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Brian Hough, Junction City, Ore., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.657 seconds, 256.77 mph
2) Clint Thompson, Klamath Falls, Ore., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.748, 251.53
3) John Evanchuk, Edmonton, Alb., '02 Firebird, 5.793, 245.23
4) Tim Nemeth, Chilliwack, B.C., '02 Camaro, 5.812, 246.71
5) Rob Atchison, London, Ont., '06 Monte Carlo, 6.015, 242.00
6) Ken Webster, Red Deer, Alb., '06 Monte Carlo, 6.056, 227.38
7) Trevor Lebsack, Slave Lake, Alb., '05 Camaro, 12.462, 68.59

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Dale Giroux, Canyon Creek, Alb., '05 Cavalier, B/AA, 7.004 seconds, -0.636 (under index)
2) Casey Plaizer, Edmonton, Alb., '04 Cavalier, C/SMA, 8.211, -0.619
3) Dan Barton, Post Falls, Idaho, '05 Cavalier, G/SMA, 8.742, -0.618
4) Brandon Huhtala, Puyallup, Wash., '97 Cutlass, C/A, 7.387, -0.593
5) Clint Neff, Arvada, Colo., '23 roadster, K/A, 7.973, -0.567
6) Adam Bowdish, Oregon City, Ore., '89 Trans Am, H/SM, 9.026, -0.514
7) Pat Byron, Hoquiam, Wash., dragster, C/D, 6.971, -0.509
8) Jeff Lane, North Bend, Wash., '07 Cobalt, C/SMA, 8.330, -0.500
9) Bob Marshall, Langley, B.C., '09 GXP, B/AA, 7.149, -0.491
10) Aaron Strong, Milton, Wash., '05 Cavalier, F/A, 8.130, -0.490

SUPER STOCK
1) Byron Setters, Red Deer, Alb., '09 G5, GT/BA, 9.268 seconds, -1.282 (under index)
2) Sean Cour, Brush Prairie, Wash., '09 Cobalt, GT/BA, 9.285, -1.265
3) Tom Nolan, Lacombe, Alb., '02 S-10, GT/TA, 9.653, -1.197
4) Jim Storms, Renton, Wash., '98 Avenger, GT/FA, 9.931, -1.169
5) Alan Falcone, Seattle, '91 Calais, GT/CA, 9.544, -1.156
6) Casey Setters, Red Deer, Alb., '05 Cavalier, GT/AA, 9.296, -1.104
7) Tibor Kadar, Peoria, Ariz., '09 G5, GT/AA, 9.318, -1.082
8) Kevin Cour, Portland, Ore., '05 Cavalier, GT/DA, 9.722, -1.078
9) Caitlin Setters, Red Deer, Alb., '96 Camaro, GT/EA, 9.874, -1.076
10) Jared Erichsen, Hanna, Alb., '67 Camaro, SS/HA, 9.831, -1.069

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Tibor Kadar, Peoria, Ariz., '67 Camaro, D/SA, 10.585 seconds, -1.265 (under index)
2) Bruce Flodin, Abbotsford, B.C., '95 Dodge, R/SA, 13.105, -1.245
3) Jim Mantle, Black Creek, B.C., '79 Pacer Wgn, V/SA, 14.570, -1.230
4) John Hill, Fairbanks, Alaska, '86 Camaro, H/SA, 11.241, -1.209
5) Cal Method, Kennewick, Wash., '69 Nova, B/SA, 10.395, -1.155
6) Adam Bowdish, Oregon City, Ore., '66 Biscayne, P/SA, 12.607, -1.143
7) Larry Peterson, Eugene, Ore., '71 Chevelle, B/SA, 10.421, -1.129
8) Pete Kost, Seattle, '77 Cutlass, K/SA, 11.824, -1.126
9) Bob Gullett, Calgary, Alb., '68 Nova, F/S, 10.982, -1.118
10) Steve Cozakos, Marysville, Wash., '69 Nova, G/SA, 11.210, -1.090

TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Terry Spargo, Delta, B.C., '02 Cavalier, 6.569 seconds, 211.96 mph
2) Greg Carlile, Lake Stevens, Wash., '96 Corvette, 6.842, 203.94
3) Mike Strickland, Moses Lake, Wash., '07 Mustang, 6.927, 191.73
4) Randal Olynyk, Edmonton, Alb., '96 Firebird, 7.003, 194.97
5) Roy Moznik, Surrey, B.C., '69 El Camino, 7.004, 198.80
6) Craig Olson, Camano Island, Wash., '07 Stratus, 7.224, 188.83
7) Frank Nelson, Auburn, Wash., '05 Cavalier, 7.290, 191.04
8) Gary Zellner, Scio, Ore., '53 Corvette, 7.311, 189.03
9) Randy Johnson, Snohomish, Wash., '04 Cavalier, 7.453, 184.23
10) Steve Nicholson, Aldergrove, Alb., '66 Nova, 7.499, 183.74

TOP DRAGSTER
1) Steve Daniluk, Red Deer, Alb., dragster, 6.700 seconds, 198.63 mph
2) Neil Lachelt, Kelowna, B.C., dragster, 6.701, 205.80
3) Tom Koenen, North Bend, Ore., dragster, 6.873, 195.27
4) Geordie Castle, Sherwood Park, Alb., dragster, 6.940, 193.92
5) Eddy Plaizier, Edmonton, Alb., dragster, 6.941, 192.88
6) Glen Hultberg, Medical Lake, Wash., dragster, 6.960, 194.25
7) Norm Mitchell, Montrose, B.C., dragster, 6.965, 193.21
8) John Evans, North Delta, B.C., dragster, 6.992, 191.36
9) Dale Green, Kent, Wash., dragster, 6.997, 191.08
10) Eric Stroh, Gig Harbor, Wash., dragster, 7.051, 187.11

SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
1) Kelly Vos, Burnaby, B.C., '78 Suzuki, SMC, 0.003 seconds reaction time
2) Doug Rathbun, Oak Harbor, Wash., '74 Kawasaki, SMC, 0.013
3) Jon Jenkins, Richmond, B.C., '80 Suzuki, SMC, 0.018
4) Leeland King, Shelton, Wash., '90 Kawasaki, SMC, 0.020
5) Al Omond, Surry, B.C., '94 Kawasaki, SMC, 0.021
6) Jim Shellenberger, Salem, Ore., '79 Kawasaki, SMC, 0.033
7) Tracy Bailey, Coos Bay, Ore., '75 Kawasaki, SMC, 0.038
8) Jeff Havens, Yakima, Wash., '95 Suzuki, SMC, 0.039
9) Miles Hauer, Seattle, '81 Suzuki, SMC, 0.041
10) Jim Funderburg, Burien, Wash., '00 Kawasaki, SMC, 0.041




Keeping Pace

Motorsports correspondent Doug Pace keeps up with motorsports news and notes from around the region.