Event Notebook

WOODBURN, Ore. - The first four of 28 places have been filled for the NHRA Summit Racing Series National Championship, to be held at Pomona Raceway in Southern California, Nov. 12.

By virtue of victories at the NHRA Northwest Division Finals Saturday at Woodburn Dragstrip, Damian Giddens, Derrick Jackson, Chris Brandt, and A.J. Boykin have qualified for the winner-takes-all competition.

"This was supposed to be my last race," said Motorcycle winner Boykin, who suffered a heart attack in July and has only recently returned to racing. "But I guess there's been a change of plans. I've been racing for almost 40 years and have never won a thing; this is the greatest day of my life."

Boykin, representing Canada's Mission Raceway Park, defeated teammate and friend Al Omond to the event title.

Boykin's victory added to something of a sweep for the British Columbia track as both Giddens and Brandt also qualified for the divisional finals as part of the Mission Raceway Park team.

"When the Summit National Finals were announced in January they're all I've been able to think about since," enthused Brandt. "I've spent hours at the practice tree waiting for this moment. This win means everything; it's my whole season."

Brandt defeated Bremerton Raceway's Jerry Gossette for the Sportsman title. Giddens, at the wheel of one of the event's quicker cars, gunned down Seattle International Raceway's Barney Davis for the Super Pro title.

Breaking the Mission sweep was Derrick Jackson, whose victory over Mike Allen in the final round of Pro put a 'W' in the win column for host track Woodburn Dragstrip.

The four drivers that have qualified for the Summit National Championship in Pomona will each receive $3,500 when they arrive at the California track, then race against six other competitors for four event titles, with the winner in each category receiving an additional $5,000.

Other winners at the NHRA Summit Racing Series Northwest Division Finals included former Jr. Dragster racer Craig Worrell, who claimed the High School eliminator title. Jr. Dragster honors went to Sean Kennedy and Josh Howell in the 'Thunder' and 'Lightning' classes, respectively.

The following are final results from the NHRA Summit Racing Series Northwest Division Finals at Woodburn Dragstrip, Woodburn, Ore., listing driver, vehicle, track, elapsed time in seconds, and speed in miles per hour:

SUPER PRO
Quarterfinalists: Bryce White, '70 Nova, Seattle International Raceway; Mike Nicholson, dragster, Portland International Raceway; Damian Giddens, '70 Nova, Mission Raceway Park; Keith Johnson, '66 Fairlane, Southern Oregon Dragway; Barney Davis, '67 Mustang, Madras Raceway Park; Moe Trujillo, dragster, Portland International Raceway; Kurt Gross, '77 Vega, Woodburn Dragstrip.

Quarterfinals
Nicholson, 9.070 seconds, 145.96 mph def. Johnson, 9.729, 137.21 (foul start)
Davis, 9.838, 135.03 def. Trujillo, 9.823, 79.14 (break out)
Giddens, 9.357, 143.01 def. Gross, 10.877, 131.63 (break out)
White, 10.047, 132.62 bye run

Semifinals
Davis, 9.848, 134.93 def. White, 10.061, 133.01
Giddens, 9.349, 142.51 def. Nicholson, broke

Final
Giddens, 9.353, 142.78 def. Davis, 9.824, 135.17

PRO
Quarterfinalists: Quentin Chambers, '72 Chevelle, Mission Raceway Park; Martin Jackman, '66 Chevy II, Mission Raceway Park; Mike Allen, '72 Chevrolet, Seattle International Raceway; Derrick Jackson, '67 Barracuda, Woodburn Dragstrip; Thomas Jackson III, '70 El Camino, Woodburn Dragstrip; Bill Prince, Keizer, '58 Delray, Woodburn Dragstrip; Denny Robbins, '68 Nova, Coos Bay International Speedway.

Quarterfinals
Jackson, 10.608 seconds, 119.00 mph def. Chamber, 10.444, 122.56 (break out)
Jackson III, 12.552, 104.90 def. Robbins, 10.589, 126.45 (foul start)
Allen, 12.173, 106.21 def. Prince, 11.208, 118.79
Jackman, 11.916, 111.42 bye run

Semifinals
Jackson, 10.603, 125.34 def. Jackman, 11.933, 111.26 (foul start)
Allen, 12.168, 108.82 def. Jackson III, 12.654, 104.60 (foul start)

Final
Jackson, 10.638, 114.06 def. Allen, 12.125, 109.11

SPORTSMAN
Quarterfinalists: Rick Neville, '64 Le Mans, Lost Creek Raceway; Jerry Gossette, '68 Cutlass, Bremerton Raceway; Ken O'Keefe, '69 El Camino, Bremerton Raceway; Jody Lang, '79 Chevrolet, Seattle International Raceway; David Chun Jr., '82 Cabellero, Portland International Raceway; Jim Martin, '70 Cutlass, Woodburn Dragstrip; Chris Brandt, '65 Chevelle, Mission Raceway Park.

Quarterfinals
Gossette, 13.706 seconds, 97.75 mph def. Lang, 14.272, 93.33 (break out)
Chun Jr., 13.534, 100.93 def. O'Keefe, 14.637, 96.75 (foul start)
Brandt, 12.951, 98.36 def. Neville, 12.898, 102.98 (break out)
Martin, 13.357, 86.38 bye run

Semifinals
Brandt, 12.999, 97.28 def. Chun Jr., 13.608, 99.02
Gossette, 13.670, 97.98 def. Martin, 13.173, 102.16 (foul start)

Final
Brandt, 13.015, 96.95 def. Gossette, 13.751, 96.15

MOTORCYCLE/SNOWMOBILE
Quarterfinalists: Chuck Dirkson Jr., '98 Yamaha, Lewistown Raceway; Dan Dahl, '97 Harley-Davidson, Seattle International Raceway; Van Smith, '81 Kawasaki, Portland International Raceway; A.J. Boykin, '90 Suzuki, Mission Raceway Park; Al Omond, '84 Kawasaki, Mission Raceway Park.

Quarterfinals
Smith, 11.060 seconds, 118.78 mph def. Dirkson Jr., 11.027, 106.66 (break out)
Dahl, 11.470, 113.07 bye run
Omond, 9.810, 139.68 bye run
Boykin, 10.637, 126.42 bye run

Semifinals
Omond, 9.869, 117.95 def. Dahl, 11.503, 112.09
Boykin, 10.646, 126.49 def. Smith, 11.019, 109.15 (break out)

Final
Boykin, 10.616, 125.73 def. Omond, 9.805, 138.71

HIGH SCHOOL
Quarterfinalists: Steve Herndon, '69 El Camino, Southern Oregon Dragway; Nicole Brandner, '99 Yukon, North Central Motorsports Park; Blake Buchanan, '73 Chevrolet, Lost Creek Raceway; Nick Martinson, '99 Ford F250, Southern Oregon Dragway; Steve Lambert, pickup, Firebird International Raceway; Craig Worrell, dragster, Renegade Raceway; Kyle Saucy, '68 Valiant, Woodburn Dragstrip.

Quarterfinals
Martinson, 18.868 seconds, 72.71 mph bye run
Buchanan, 11.605, 114.44 def. Herndon, 13.540, 101.80 (foul start)
Lambert, 11.419, 101.60 def. Brandner, 17.120, 77.56 (break out)
Worrell, 10.085, 131.86 def. Saucy, 10.898, 116.35

Semifinals
Martinson, 18.890, 71.78 def. Buchanan, 11.702, 112.79
Worrell, 10.111, 128.11 def. Lambert, 11.435, 108.45

Final
Worrell, 10.051, 129.34 def. Martinson, 18.817, 72.68

JR. DRAGSTER LIGHTNING
Quarterfinalists: Michael Verzal, Seattle International Raceway; Josh Howell, Renegade Raceway; Paul Jordan, Lost Creek Raceway; Ryan Hart, Mission Raceway Park; Jamie Hoffman, Bremerton Raceway; Bryce Livesay, Portland International Raceway.

Quarterfinals
Verzal, 9.168 seconds, 70.52 mph def. Livesay, 9.046, 69.41
Howell, 9.086, 68.06 def. Hoffman, 8.099, 78.34 (foul start)
Jordan, 10.409, 59.14 def. Hart, 9.182, 70.31 (foul start)

Semifinals
Verzal, 9.116, 71.35 def. Jordan, 10.185, 60.52 (break out)
Howell, 9.040, 68.94

Final
Howell, 9.077, 68.68 def. Verzal, 9.188, 70.63

JR. DRAGSTER THUNDER
Quarterfinalists: Josh Harlukowicz, Coos Bay International Speedway; Sean Kennedy, Woodburn Dragstrip; Anthony Welty, Coos Bay International Speedway; David Weiss, Bremerton Raceway; Cameron Barton, Nl'Akapaxm Eagle Motorplex.

Quarterfinals
Barton, 11.068 seconds, 56.93 mph bye run
Weiss, 13.482, 45.91 def. Welty, 11.432, 54.08
Kennedy, 11.490, 53.18 def. Harlukowicz, 13.296, 45.57

Semifinals
Weiss, 13.052, 48.39 bye run
Kennedy, 11.330, 53.74 def. Barton, 10.923, 58.81

Final
Kennedy, 11.446, 54.38 def. Weiss, 13.087, 47.75

Event Notebook