NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Auto Club Raceway takes team title; five heading to championship

The team from Auto Club Raceway at Auto Club Dragway captured the Team Championship at the NHRA Summit Racing Series Pacific Division Finals in Las Vegas and Bobby Dye, Sacha Hoefer, Garrett Hoefer, Rick Newport and Zach Meziere took individual titles and now advance to the NHRA Summit National Championship.
01 Oct 2018
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Division 7

The team from Auto Club Raceway at Auto Club Dragway combined for 74 points to capture the Team Championship at the NHRA Summit Racing Series Pacific Division Finals in Las Vegas and Bobby Dye, Sacha Hoefer, Garrett Hoefer, Rick Newport and Zach Meziere took individual titles and now advance to the NHRA Summit National Championship.
 
Auto Club Dragway racers topped the list of 19 teams as they out scored the teams from Sonoma Raceway in Northern Calif., and Rocky Mountain Raceway out of West Valley City, Utah, who took second and third respectively with 65 and 55 points each.
 
Dye, Ontario, Calif., grabbed the holeshot lead on Jeremy Rapp then laid down a lap of 7.507 on the 7.50 dial to take the win in Super Pro running 177.32 mph. Rapp, Las Vegas, was right behind with a nice 7.365 second pass at 181.74.
 
Sacha and Garrett Hoefer kept with their family tradition of winning and advancing to the Summit National Championship next month in Pomona, Calif. Sacha drove her ’91 Firebird to a holeshot win in Pro over Kevin Houmard, San Dimas, Calif. Sacha’s .009 second reaction time was too much for Houmard to make up in his ’70 Camaro as Sacha covered the quarter-mile in 12.041 to Houmard’s quicker 9.475.
 
Garrett, Sacha’s nephew, had an even better .001 holeshot on Mike Williams in the Sportsman class. Garrett then ran 12.345 on the 12.34 for a .006 package with Williams breaking out with a 12.084 on the 12.17 dial. Garrett’s dad Willie is a former Summit National Champion and Sacha’s husband C.W. is a 3-time division champion. 
 
Rick Newport, running for Rocky Mountain Raceways, ran down Larry Mota, also out of RMR, for the win in Motorcycle. Mota left first but Newport’s 8.416 at 146.16 was too much for Mota’s 9.297, 133.32.
 
Meziere will join these four in Pomona, Calif., via his win on Saturday in Super Pro and a wild card drawing earlier in the year to determine which of the seven NHRA Divisions would send an extra racer to fill out the 8-car fields in each class. Meziere’s starting line advantage forced Lonnie Grace, Fallon, Nev., to run too quick and breakout as he chased Meziere down the track. Meziere, Escondido, Calif., clocked in at 7.748, 163.04 in his ’11 dragster for the win.
 
In the High School class, Savanna Kidd, Marana, Ariz., grabbed the early lead on Thomas Maynard, Mesa, Ariz., and held on for the win in a double breakout. 
 
In Saturday’s action for the Pacific Division Summit Finals, Scott Joines, Henry Roberson and Don Caesar also took home championship wins. Joines and Bobby Mirizio left the line together in the Pro final round as Joines took the win in 10.851 at 119.73 mph. 
 
David Rudd left early with a foul start in Sportsman handing the win to Roberson who cut a nice .008 reaction time then ran it out to a 12.341, 105.30 in his ’84 Mustang. Caesar and Dave Miller squared off in Motorcycle as both Suzuki’s broke out with the win going to Caesar of Citrus Heights, Calif., running 9.385 at 143.47.
 
The following are the final results from the NHRA Summit Racing Series Pacific Division Finals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:
 
SUMMIT SHOWDOWN – RACE OF CHAMPIONS
 
SUPER PRO
Bobby Dye Jr, Ontario, Calif., '15 American, 7.507, 177.32 def. Jeremy Rapp, Las Vegas, '15 Racecraft, 7.365,181.74
 
PRO
Sacha Hoefer, Calimesa, Calif., '91 Firebird, 12.041, 102.10 def. Kevin Houmard, San Dimas, Calif., '70 Camaro, 9.475, 135.84
 
SPORTSMAN
Garrett Hoefer, Yucaipa, Calif., '95 Camaro, 12.345, 102.10 def. Mike Williams, Gilbert, Ariz., '64 Fury, 12.084, 109.06
 
MOTORCYCLE
Rick Newport, Bluffdale, Utah, '95 Suzuki GSXR, 8.416, 146.16 def. Larry Mota, Orem, Utah ' 15 Kawasaki ZX14, 9.297, 133.32
 
HIGH SCHOOL
Savannah Kidd, Marana, Ariz., '95 Firebird, 12.853, 101.36 def. Thomas Maynard, Mesa, Ariz., '77 Mustang, 15.063, 91.34
 
 
SUMMIT PACIFIC DIVISION FINALS EVENT CHAMPIONS
 
TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Auto Club Dragway: 74
Sonoma Raceway: 65
Rocky Mountain Raceways: 55
Las Vegas Motor Speedway: 52
Sacramento Raceway: 51
Auto Club Dragway 2: 46
Auto Club Famoso Raceway: 45
Wild Horse Pass MSP: 39
Wild Horse Pass MSP 2: 38
Rocky Mountain Raceways 2: 33
Las Vegas Motor Speedway 2: 30
Top Gun Raceway: 28
Tucson Dragway: 25
Irwindale Dragstrip: 20
Barona 1/8 Mile Dragstrip: 20
Albuquerque Dragway: 18
Samoa Dragstrip: 9
Auto Club Famoso Raceway 2: 8
Redding Dragstrip: 2
 
SUPER PRO
Zach Meziere, Escondido, Calif., '11 Mullis, 7.748, 163.04 def. Lonnie Grace, Fallon, Nev., '02 Cavalier, 8.547, 157.71
 
PRO 
Scott Joines, Eastvale, Calif., '74 Camaro, 10.851, 119.73 def. Bobby Mirizio, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., '72 Nova, 12.490, 101.67
 
SPORTSMAN
Henry Roberson, North Highlands, Calif., ‘84 Mustang, 12.431, 105.30 def. David Rudd, Wilton, Calif., ‘71 Nova, 13.750, 99.95
 
MOTORCYCLE 
Don Caesar, Citrus Heights, Calif., '07 Suzuki GSXR, 9.385, 143.47 def. Dave Miller, Whittier, Calif., '95 Suzuki GSXR, 8.215, 159.42
 

PREVIEW

LAS VEGAS – The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will host the 2018 NHRA Pacific Division Summit Racing Series Finals, Oct. 4-7. Top drivers from NHRA member tracks across the Pacific Division will compete in five classes for individual and team honors. Classes include Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, Motorcycle and High School. 

The event will also feature the Summit Showdown, a race within a race where the top points earning drivers from each track square off in head-to-head competition. Summit Showdown winners in the Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman and Motorcycle categories will advance to the Summit Series National Championship against the winners from NHRA’s other six divisions at the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif., in November.
           
More than 500 participants are expected to compete for cash awards of more than $30,000. Competitors in the High School class will earn a trophy, jacket and gold card. Drivers who advance to the Summit Series National Championship in Pomona will race for a purse of more than $100,000. 
 
Gates at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway open at 7 a.m. each day. Time trials begin at 8 a.m. on Friday and continue throughout the day. First round of eliminations for all NHRA Summit Racing competitors will begin on Saturday at 8 a.m. On Sunday, the Summit Showdown eliminations begin at 8:30 a.m.   
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is located on 7000 Las Vegas Blvd. North, Las Vegas, Ca, 89115. For more information call the track, (702) 644-4444 or visit www.LVMS.com/dragstrip