NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

It took three decades for the team from the NHRA West Central Division (Division 5) to earn their first overall team title in the JEGS Allstars competition but only two years for them to win their second. Following their breakthrough win in 2014, the Division 5 team emerged from a tightly-bunched field to claim their second win with a final total of 1,100 points. The runner-up team from the North Central Division (Division 3) finished with 900 points, and the teams from the Southeast and Pacific Divisions tied for third with 700 points apiece.

 

The star of the Division 5 team was unquestionably Trevor Larson, who became the first driver in the 32-year history of the JEGS Allstars to double up when he claimed both the Super Comp and Super Gas titles. Larson, who was a key member of the first Division 5 title in 2014, won the Super Comp title when he stopped former Stock national champ Austin Williams, 8.936 to an 8.889 breakout. Larson returned at the end of the round to finish the historic double with a similar win over Division 7 racer Mike Wilbishouser, 9.964 to a 9.898 breakout, in a battle of Corvette roadsters.

 

The Division 5 team also got a key win from JJ Heber, who locked up the team title and the $20,000 bonus that accompanies it when he beat Division 1 racer Michael Cerro in the final round. The Division 5 got off to a fast start by sending five of its members into the second round and never trailed in the spirited team competition.

 

The runner-up team from Division 3 celebrated a pair of wins from Troy Galbraith (Comp) and Joe Hessling (Top Dragster). Galbraith stopped Division 6 racer and former national champ Alan Ellis in the final round, and Galbraith stopped Division 2 racer Steven Furr, the current leader in the Top Dragster presented by Racing RVs class.

 

The lone winner for the Division 4 team was Slate Cummings, who won his fourth JEGS Allstars title since 2011 when he defeated past national champion Don Keen in the final round. Cummings drove his Moser Engineering entry to a 9.15 on his 9.14 dial for the victory while Keen’s classic ’65 Mustang slowed.

 

In Stock, Division 6 representative Mick Alley, the husband of former national champ and JEGS Allstars winner Jackie Alley, drove his ’69 Camaro to a final-round win over the Cobra Jet Mustang of Division 2 racer Jeff Hairrington in a battle of old and new muscle cars. Alley won the final with a 10.28 on his 10.25 dial.

 

The Super Street title went to one of the hottest drivers in the class, Jonathan Anderosn, who started his 2016 season with three NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series wins. Anderson got the best of Division 1 racer Keith Mayers in the final, 10.91 to a 10.88 breakout.

 

The Top Alcohol portion of the JEGS Allstars went to the West Region in a rout. With wins by Chris Demke and Shane Westerfield in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car, respectively, the West Region compiled 900 points to hold off the Central Region, which finished with 400 points.

 

Demke won his second Allstars title since 2012 when he drove to a 5.26 to 5.27 win over reigning national champ Joey Severance in the final, and Westerfield used a big starting-line holeshot to take out Division 5 racer Kris Hool in the final round, 5.63 to 5.57. Hool was a runner-up at the most recent national event in Norwalk two weeks ago.

 

Each of the champions in the JEGS Allstars will now be eligible for a “double-up” bonus if they can also win tomorrow’s K&N Filters Route 66 NHRA Nationals titles. At this point, the drivers who are still in competition and eligible for the bonus are Demke, Westerfield, and Galbraith.

 

 

Division 5: 1,100
Division 3: 900
Division 2: 800
Division 7: 800
Division 4: 700
Division 1: 600
Division 6: 400