COLUMBUS – Ryan Smith and Michael Beard led the list of eight winners this weekend at the JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals at National Trail Raceway.

Smith took home the Top Dragster trophy by outlasting the quickest field in history, which had a 6.619 qualifying bump spot. The Kenosha, Wis., racer clocked in at 6.615 seconds at 196.36 mph to defeat Rick Forish, of New Palestine, Ind., with a quicker 6.516, 206.20. 

Beard, who recently moved to nearby Blacklick, Ohio, faced off with Jeff Nicewanger, of Zanesville, Ohio, in his ’80 Volare, running 10.744, 122.82 for the win.

Phillip Smida II went back to back, defending his title from a year ago. Smida, of Canfield, Ohio, beat Jack Sepanek for the Super Comp title by posting an 8.907, 163.51. Sepanek broke out with an 8.886, 166.91.

A pair of former world champions went at it in Stock, where Bo Butner faced off with 1982 champ Tex Miller. Butner, of Floyds Knobs, Ind., won the battle of Mustangs, running 9.868, 130.02 in his '10 model to top Miller, of Fayetteville, Pa., in his ’72 Mustang. Butner nearly had a double-up; he advanced to the final in Comp, where he faced David Billingsley in the first final of the night. Billingsley posted a winning run of 8.831 at 126 mph as Butner left early with a red-light.

Rounding out the winners were Jerry Albert in Brodix/Steve Schmidt Top Sportsman over Billy Thoman; Gary Linkhorn, who won Super Gas in his ’27 Ford against Mia Tedesco; and Ricky Shipp, who added to his trophy collection with a win in Super Street by beating Chris DePascale.

The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals at National Trail Raceway:

COMP
David Billingsley, Decatur, Ill., '93 Cutlass, 8.831, 126.03 def.
Bo Butner, Floyds Knobs, Ind., '10 Cobalt, 12.438, 70.35

SUPER STOCK
Michael Beard, Blacklick, Ohio, '80 Volare, 10.744, 122.82 def. 
Jeff Niceswanger, Zanesville, Ohio, '89 Camaro, 9.869, 133.76

STOCK
Bo Butner, Floyds Knobs, Ind., '10 Mustang, 9.868, 130.02 def.
Tex Miller, Fayetteville, Pa.,, '72 Mustang, 10.780, 122.29

SUPER COMP
Philip Smida II, Canfield, Ohio, '08 dragster, 8.907, 163.51 def. 
Jack Sepanek, Moosic, Pa.,, '02 dragster, 8.886, 166.91

SUPER GAS
Gary Linkhorn, Cumberland , Ohio, '27-T Ford, 9.932, 156.25 def.
Mia Tedesco, Murrysville, Pa., Cavalier, 9.906, 161.88

SUPER STREET
Ricky Shipp, Needham, Ind., '70 Nova, 10.914, 138.77 def.
Chris DePascale, Parlin, N.J., ‘74 Vega, 10.895, 138.20

TOP DRAGSTER
Ryan Smith, Kenosha, Wis., '12 dragster, 6.615, 196.36 def.
Rick Forish, New Palestine, Ind., '11 dragster, 6.516, 206.20

TOP SPORTSMAN
Jerry Albert, Avon, Ohio, '97 Camaro, 6.898,185.77 def.
Billy Thoman, Mount Washington, Ky., '63 Corvette, 6.869, 188.70

Bureski takes inaugural NHRA Moser Sportsman Shootout

COLUMBUS – Daryl Bureski took home top honors today by winning the inaugural NHRA Moser Sportsman Shootout at the JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals at National Trail Raceway. 

The Elgin, Ill., racer worked his way through the 16-car field, recording a .007 reaction time in round two, followed by a run of 7.158 seconds on the 7.15 dial to take out Dan Olding in the semifinals and advance to the final round against James Monroe. Bureski was on his game in the final as well, running 7.149 on the 7.14 dial for the win. Monroe, who runs in the Top Dragster class, had to give Bureski and his ’70 Oldsmobile Stock entry a three-second head start and broke out by .001-second trying to run him down.

Daryl Bureski celebrated with Rob Moser along with Jeff Anderson and Tim Irwin from Moser Engineering.

Bureski picked up $2,500 from Moser for his win along with the inaugural Moser Sportsman Shootout event trophy.

With Mother Nature causing changes in today’s schedule, Comp, Top Sportsman, and Top Dragster will have a final qualifying session on Sunday beginning at 11 a.m., which will also include the first round of the JEGS Top Dragster Shootout. A special awards ceremony will take place at 12:30 p.m. Gates will open at 7 a.m., with racing set to start at 8 a.m. 

Jason Coan remains on top in Comp with an 8.128 lap in his ’32 roadster. Wes Leopold jumped to the top in Super Stock with his ’05 Stratus, running 8.481 seconds, 1.119 under the index, and Jim Marshall is low in Stock. Marshall went 1.164 under the index, clocking in at 12.886.

In the Brodix/Steve Schmidt Top Sportsman class, Lester Johnson will take the No. 1 spot into Sunday with a 6.609, 213.23.  Scott Wildgust leads the Spitzer Top Dragster contingent at 6.093, 226.01, followed by Dan Norris.

The following are the final results for the NHRA Moser Sportsman Shootout and qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series JEGS NHRA Northern Sportsnationals event at National Trail Raceway:

NHRA MOSER SPORTSMAN SHOOTOUT
Semifinals
Daryl Bureski, Elgin, Ill.,'70 Oldsmobile, 7.158, 93.33 def.
Dan Olding, Hartland, Mch., '99 Monte Carlo,  6.968, 97.04

James Monroe, Bloomington, Ind., '09 dragster, 4.161, 150.20 def.
Michael Shelton, Independence, Ky., '12 dragster, 6.220, 127.14

Final
Bureski, 7.149, 92.46 def. Monroe, 4.119, 170.49

COMP
1. Jason Coan, Kokomo, Ind., '32 Bantam, 8.128, -0.632
2. Glen Treadwell, Sorrento, Fla., '01 Undercover, 7.867, -0.593
3. Chuck Haubiel, Gahanna, Ohio, '10 Cobalt, 8.170, -0.590
4. Rick Brown, Lebanon, Ohio, '00 S-10, 8.202, -0.578
5. Bo Butner, Floyds Knobs, Ind., '10 Cobalt, 8.494, -0.576
6. David Billingsley, Decatur, Ill., '93 Cutlass, 8.777, -0.563
7. Steve Ambrose, Woodhaven, Mich., '23 Ford, 7.833, -0.557
8. John Frech, Cortland, Ohio, '88 Weddle, 8.038, -0.542
9. Robert Bailey, Wabash, Ind., '03 Agan, 6.631, -0.529
10. Todd Frantz, Louisville, Ky., '08 Pontiac G5, 9.444, 0.504

SUPER STOCK
1. Wes Leopold, Bridgeville, Pa., ’05 Stratus, 8.481, -1.119
2. Gary Richard, Bay Shore, N.Y., ’10 Mustang, 9.235, -1.115
3. Dave Layer, Dayton, Ohio, ’08 Cobalt, 9.695, -1.105
4. Ray Paquet, Holt, Mich., ’64 Fairlane, 8.817, -1.083
5. Keith Lynch, Franklin, Ohio, ’10 Challenger, 9.949, -1.051
6. Dave Dupps Jr., Germantown, Ohio, ’85 Camaro, 10.203, -1.047
7. Tim Kish, Kalamazoo, Mich., ’99 Neon, 12.817, -1.033
8. James Evanuik, North Versailles, Pa., ’98 Escort, 9.002, -0.998
9. Dan Jacobs, Elizabeth, Ind., ’67 Chevy II, 9.367, -0.983
10. John Stock, Sandusky, Ohio, ’92 Ciera, 10.779, -0.971

STOCK
1. Jim Marshall, Indian Land, S.C., ’86 C-10, 12.886, -1.164
2. Bo Butner, Floyds Knobs, Ind., ’10 Mustang, 9.844, -1.156
3. Gary Richard, Bay Shore, N.Y., ’10 Cobra Jet, 9.873, -1.127
4. Jim Boburka, Coraoplis, Pa., ’12 Camaro, 9.571, -1.029
5. Frank Maiolo, Mount Vernon, N.Y., ’12 Cobra Jet, 8.974, -1.026
6. Randi Lyn Shipp, Floyds Knobs, Ind., ’12 Cobra Jet, 8.992, -1.008
7. Dave Edwards, Washington Court House, Ohio, ’94 Camaro, 10.394, -1.006
8. Lenard Mattingly, Cox Creek, Ky., ’00 Firebird, 10.246, -1.004
9. Bruce Witherspoon, Lansing, Mich., ’90 Corvette, 11.005, -0.995
10. Randy Wilkes, Zanesville, Ohio, ’01 Firebird, 10.267, -0.983

TOP DRAGSTER
1. Scott Wildgust, Wartburg, Ont., 6.093, 226.01
2. Dan Norris, Wixom, Mich., 6.126, 229.00
3. Alan O'Brien, Ronceverte, W.Va., 6.152, 234.66
4. Troy Stone, Elkhart, Ind., 6.155, 232.51
5. Mark Harmon, Sunman, Ind., 6.425, 212.59
6. James Monroe, Bloomington, Ind., 6.429, 212.29
7. Ed Dudley, Fishers, Ind., 6.447, 211.66
8. Rob Moser, Portland, Ind., 6.459, 215.93
9. Vince Nannini, Lake Bluff, Ill., 6.483, 210.73
10. Rick Forish, New Palestine, Ind., 6.500, 209.33

TOP SPORTSMAN
1. Lester Johnson, Cynthiana, Ky., ’55 Bel Air, 6.609, 213.23
2. Cheyenne Stanley, Cynthiana, Ky., '07 Mustang, 6.764, 203.61
3. John Scali Jr., Chicago, ’67 Camaro, 6.787, 203.19
4. Gary Wojnowski, Strongsville, Ohio, ’96 Cutlass, 6.827, 200.32
5. Jeff Sexton, Fairborn, Ohio, '03 Cavalier, 6.831, 203.55
6. Ricky Adkins, Milan, Mich., ’37 Chevy, 6.832, 195.96
7. Mike Coughlin, Delaware, Ohio, ’06 Cobalt, 6.838, 202.06
8. Gary Wojnowski Jr., Brunswick, Ohio, '96 Monte Carlo, 6.845, 200.71
9. Andy Horne, Delaware, Ohio, '10 Mustang, 6.851, 201.49
10. Billy Thoman, Mount Washington, Ky., '63 Corvette, 6.859, 200.77

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Friday

COLUMBUS – Racing kicked off today for the 8th annual JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals at National Trail Raceway, where Strongsville, Ohio, racer Gary Wojnowski claimed the top spot in the Brodix/Steve Schmidt Top Sportsman class.

Wojnowski clocked in at more than 200 mph in 6.827 seconds in his ’96 Cutlass, followed by a pair of Ohio racers, Jeff Sexton, of Fariborn, and Andy Horne, of Delaware, in second and third, respectively. Sexton went 6.831, 203.55, followed by Horne at 6.851, 201.49.

Alan O’Brien was quickest in the Spitzer Top Dragster category, and Jason Coan went low in Comp.  O’Brien, of Ronceverte, W.Va., ran 6.152, 234.66 for the top speed of the event and was followed by Troy Stone and James Monroe in second and third. Coan, of Kokomo, Ind., drove his ’32 roadster to a pass of 8.128 seconds for his No. 1 seed.

Ray Paquet and Jim Marshall lead the Super Stock and Stock fields, respectively. Paquet went 1.083 seconds under the index at 8.817 with his ’64 Fairlane in Super Stock, and Marshall went 12.886, 1.164 under, in his ’86 C-10.

Today’s event played host to nearly 1,000 students who came out for the Lindsay Honda Acura/NAPA Auto Parts Youth Career Day as the students learned about the various careers in motorsports and enjoyed at day at the races.

In addition to final qualifying for all classes, Saturday’s action will include a number of specialty race-within-a-race events highlighted by the JEGS Top Dragster Shootout and the inaugural NHRA Moser Sportsman Shootout Racers have earned points throughout the year to qualify for these two events; eight drivers will face off in the JEGS Shootout, and 16 (in seven classes) will battle in the Moser Shootout James Monroe and Rick Forish have qualified for both events and will face off in round one of each of the shootouts tomorrow.

Also being contested tomorrow are the DRAW/RFC Super Shootouts presented by Moser Engineering.  Top seeds for the shootouts include Kendra Rienschield, of Sunman, Ind., in Super Comp; Bill Jackson, of Mansfield, Ohio, in Super Gas; and Don Garbinski, of Philadelphia, in Super Street. Not to be left out, racers in Super Stock and Stock will go heads-up racing in class eliminations.

Gates open at National Trail Raceway at 7 a.m. on Saturday, and racing is set to begin at 8 a.m. The Super Shootouts are scheduled for 11:30 a.m., and the Moser and JEGS Shootouts are set for 1 and 2 p.m., respectively.

The following are the results from the JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals at National Trail Raceway:

COMP
1. Jason Coan, Kokomo, Ind., '32 Bantam, 8.128, -0.632
2. Glen Treadwell, Sorrento, Fla., '01 Undercover, 7.867, -0.593
3. Chuck Haubiel, Gahanna, Ohio, '10 Cobalt, 8.170, -0.590
4. Rick Brown, Lebanon, Ohio, '00 S-10, 8.202, -0.578
5. Bo Butner, Floyds Knobs, Ind., '10 Cobalt, 8.494, -0.576
6. David Billingsley, Decatur, Ill., '93 Cutlass, 8.777, -0.563
7. Steve Ambrose, Woodhaven, Mich., '23 Ford, 7.833, -0.557
8. John Frech, Cortland, Ohio, '88 Weddle, 8.038, -0.542
9. Robert Bailey, Wabash, Ind., '03 Agan, 6.631, -0.529
10. Todd Frantz, Louisville, Ky., '08 Pontiac G5, 9.444, 0.504

SUPER STOCK
1. Ray Paquet, Holt, Mich., ’64 Fairlane, 8.817, -1.083
2. Wes Leopold, Bridgeville, Pa., ’05 Stratus, 8.520, -1.080
3. Keith Lynch, Franklin, Ohio, ’10 Challenger, 9.949, -1.051
4. Tim Kish, Kalamazoo, Mich., ’99 Neon, 12.817, -1.033
5. Gary Richard, Bay Shore, N.Y., ’10 Mustang, 9.350, -1.000
6. James Evanuik, North Versailles, Pa., ’98 Escort, 9.002, -0.998
7. Dan Jacobs, Elizabeth, Ind., ’67 Chevy II, 9.367, -0.983
8. Rock Haas, While Lake, Mich., ’08 Cobra Jet, 9.139, -0.961
9. Joey Wilkes, Zanesville, Ohio, ’98 Firebird, 9.744, -0.956
10. Dave Layer, Dayton, Ohio, ’08 Cobalt, 9.862, -0.938

STOCK
1. Jim Marshall, Indian Land, S.C., ’86 C-10, 12.886, -1.164
2. Bo Butner, Floyds Knobs, Ind., ’10 Mustang, 9.844, -1.156
3. Jim Boburka, Coraoplis, Pa., ’12 Camaro, 9.571, -1.029
4. Gary Richard, Bay Shore, N.Y., ’10 Cobra Jet, 9.989, -1.011
5. Randi Lyn Shipp, Floyds Knobs, Ind., ’12 Cobra Jet, 8.992, -1.008
6. Dave Edwards, Washington Court House, Ohio, ’94 Camaro, 10.394, -1.006
7. Bruce Witherspoon, Lansing, Mich., ’90 Corvette, 11.005, -0.995
8. Randy Wilkes, Zanesville, Ohio, ’01 Firebird, 10.267, -0.983
9. Kevin Skinner, Grove City, Ohio, ’13 Cobra Jet, 9.021, -0.979
10. Caleb McFarland, Manchester, Ohio, ’02 Formula, 9.999, -0.951

TOP DRAGSTER
1. Alan O'Brien, Ronceverte, W.Va., 6.152, 234.66
2. Troy Stone, Elkhart, Ind., 6.155, 232.51
3. James Monroe, Bloomington, Ind., 6.429, 212.29
4. Mark Harmon, Sunman, Ind., 6.436, 212.83
5. Ed Dudley, Fishers, Ind., 6.447, 211.66
6. Rob Moser, Portland, Ind., 6.459, 215.93
7. Vince Nannini, Lake Bluff, Ill., 6.483, 210.73
8. Rick Forish, New Palestine, Ind., 6.500, 209.33
9. Lynn Ellison, Central City, Ky., 6.507, 208.55
10. Kevin Fisher, Lima, Ohio, 6.522, 207.94

TOP SPORTSMAN
1. Gary Wojnowski, Strongsville, Ohio, ’96 Cutlass, 6.827, 200.32
2. Jeff Sexton, Fairborn, Ohio, '03 Cavalier, 6.831, 203.55
3. Andy Horne, Delaware, Ohio, '10 Mustang, 6.851, 201.49
4. Mr Cheyenne Stanley, Cynthiana, Ky., '07 Mustang, 6.852, 203.52
5. Gary Wojnowski Jr, Brunswick, Ohio, '96 Monte Carlo, 6.856, 200.77
6. Tony Fagnilli, Coraopolis, Pa., '01 Firebird, 6.901, 195.82
7. Billy Thoman, Mount Washington, Ky., '63 Corvette, 6.921, 198.52
8. Ronnie Proctor, Harpers Ferry, W.Va., '09 Mustang, 6.933, 181.06
9. Badeye Brinegar, Middletown, Ohio, '03 Mustang, 6.941, 199.52
10. Chad Morrison, Statesville, N.C., '57 Bel Air, 6.946, 196.73

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Preview

For hundreds of racers in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the Buckeye State will be the place to be this weekend as the 8th annual JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals unfolds at historic National Trail Raceway.

The second of three annual events designed specifically to showcase NHRA’s grassroots racers, the JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals will crown champions in Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street, Top Dragster, and Top Sportsman. A Jr. Drag Racing League event will be held on Sunday.

Since its inception in 2005, the Columbus event has become a favorite of racers across the country as it successfully strikes a balance between fierce on-track competition and friendly off-track camaraderie. There will also be a wide variety of bonus features, including traditional class eliminations for drivers in Super Stock and Stock, the JEGS Top Dragster Shootout, and the DRAW/Racers For Christ Super Eliminator Shootouts presented by Moser Engineering for the top 16 qualifiers in Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street. All of the aforementioned programs are scheduled for Saturday.

Last year’s event provided many thrilling moments, including Jason Coan collecting his second SPORTSnationals victory in Comp and Jeremy Duncan winning the Super Stock title against former world champion Anthony Bertozzi. Other champions crowned included Steve Dziorny (Stock), Phil Smida II (Super Comp), Rob Moser (Super Gas), Scotty Rienschield (Super Street), Ricky Adkins (Top Dragster),  Curt Fredrich (Top Sportsman), and Kyle Sensabaugh (Jr. Dragster).

As one of the final national events of the 2012 season, the JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals will represent one of the final opportunities for competitors to earn points toward national and divisional championships. Among the contenders expected to compete at this year’s event are Comp leaders Bruno Massel Jr .and Frank Aragona and Super Comp leader Alan Kenny.

The 8th annual JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals will also mark the second of three races in the ongoing battle for the coveted JEGS Crown. The prized trophy, handcrafted by Dan Dreisbach of Naked Sculpture, is awarded to any driver who can win the same class at two of the three JEGS SPORTSnationals events in a given season.

The winners of the JEGS NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals in Belle Rose, La., are eligible for the prize. Later this year, the winners of the Belle Rose and Columbus events will have the chance to travel to Las Vegas for the annual JEGS NHRA Pacific SPORTSnationals, where they will also be eligible for the JEGS Crown.

Three drivers who appear to be well-positioned to win the JEGS Crown are Arnie Martel, Steve Mikus, and Bertozzi, winners of the Belle Rose event in Comp, Super Comp, and Top Dragster, respectively. Martel is a constant threat to win any event he attends, and Mikus has long been one of the North Central Division’s strongest competitors. Bertozzi is a former national champion who has been to the final round of the Columbus event.

Should any driver win the JEGS Crown, he or she would become just the second driver to accomplish the rare feat.