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First time winners highlight NHRA New England Nationals Sportsman action

Six classes of Lucas Oil NHRA Drag Racing Series competition were in action at the NHRA New England Nationals and yielded a slew of first-time winners.
09 Jun 2022
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
NHRA New England Nationals

Six classes of Lucas Oil NHRA Drag Racing Series competition were in action at the NHRA New England Nationals and yielded a slew of first-time winners.

Eric Merryfield’s popular Bounding Beagle GT/TD '96 Dakota flew to victory in Super Stock for his first career win, taking an easy final-round victory when 19-time tour winner Joe Santangelo’s GT/GA Camaro slowed from his objective. [video]

Tim Stickles and his Malibu Blues M/SA ’80 Malibu were feeling anything but blue after grabbing the gold in Stock for their second win in the last nine months. Stickles, who scored his breakthrough first win at last year’s fall Charlotte event, added a second trophy after final-round opponent Jean Philippe Tremblay red-lighted in his FS/G Mustang. [video]

New Hampshire native Robert Hyatt scored a popular homestate victory in Super Comp with his Trail Blazin’ Designs entry, cutting a path to his first final-round appearance where Brad Coryell left .010-second too soon and fouled. [video]

The 1991 Olds Cutlass that carried Pro Stock great Warren Johnson to five victories that season also carried Ted Leahy to his first career win in Super Gas, capped by a razor-thin double-break final-round conquest of Mike Sawyer, 9.899 to 9.895. [video]

John Olson, whose first win came eight years earlier in Super Gas in his homestate New Jersey, added a Super Street Wally to his collection, powering his ’66 Chevelle to an easy victory after the region’s top 10.90 talent, Keith Mayers, fouled in the final round by .005-second in his Porsche 944. [video]

It was a case of “third time’s a charm” for “Fast Freddy” Perkins, near lane, as, after a runner-up in Epping 2016 and another at this year’s Gatornationals, Perkins went the distance in Top Sportsman presented by Vortech Superchargers at New England Dragway. Perkins capped his Sunday with a 7.594 on his 7.58 dial-in abord his ’69 Nova to defeat No. 1 qualifier Dennis Gaboriault, who lost with a 6.125 on his 6.10 assignment. [video]