NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Repeat wins by Butner, Bellemeur highlight U.S. Nationals Sportsman action

Nine Sportsman drivers claimed huge victories in Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series action at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals, led by Bo Butner, who won Super Gas for the second straight year.
06 Sep 2023
NHRA National Dragster staff
News
Bo Butner

Nine Sportsman drivers claimed huge victories in Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series action at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals, ed by Bo Butner, who won Super Gas for the second straight year.

Versatile superstar Butner became the first driver to win the Super Gas title at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals in back-to-back years when he defeated George Meyer in the final round. Butner, who also has wins in Pro Stock, Comp, Super Stock, Stock, and Super Street, overcame Meyer’s .002 reaction time to win, 9.94 to 9.98. [video]

Past world champ Sean Bellemeur also won the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals Top Alcohol Funny Car title for the second straight and third time overall with a crucial final-round victory over points leader Doug Gordon. Bellemeur wheeled Tony Bartone’s Camaro to a barrow 5.52 to 5.53 victory for the 33rd victory of his career. [video]

Madison Payne became a third-generation U.S. Nationals champion with her second career victory in Top Alcohol Dragster, besting defending Indy champ Julie Nataas, who red-lighted in the final. Payne’s grandfather, Brad Anderson, and father, Jay Payne, both won Indy three times in Top Alcohol Funny Car and her uncle, Randy, won it once, also in Top Alcohol Funny Car. [video]

Chase Williams won the U.S. Nationals Comp crown for the first time, wheeling his B/Econo Dragster past Troy Galbraith for the win, (-.50) 6.92 to (-.43) 6.78. Galbraith had used up .11-second in Competition Index Control to make the final while Williams had to spend only .04-second, which allowed him to keep his perfect final-round record intact. [video]

Coming off a third-place finish in last year’s championship battle, Wyatt Wagner scored the biggest win of his career by taking the Indy Super Stock title over Frankie Morris in a battle of first-generation Camaros. Wagner earned the win after Morris fouled in the final. [video]

Donnie Beeler, a runner-up at Indy in Super Stock in 1985, got his long-awaited U.S. Nationals victory by beating Ross Ponville in the Stock final. Beeler, in his four-speed Camaro, won with a 10.89 against his 10.81 dial. [video]

2018 Super Gas world champ Devin Isenhower is equally adept on the 8.90 index and he scored his second win of the season in Super Comp when he defeated five-time Super Gas winner Jason Kenny in a double-breakout final, 8.897 to Kenny’s further-under 8.888. [video]

Two-time world champ Jeff Strickland checked perhaps the last important thing on his to-do list by winning in the Right Trailers Top Dragster class. Strickland made his way through the fast field to beat Holden Laris in the final using a 6.29 against his 6.24 dial. [video]

After winning the 2019 Norwalk event, Chris Osborn scored again in Indy when he topped Steve Jager in the final of Right Trailers Top Sportsman. Osborn was first off the starting line and ran 6.722 on his 6.70 dial. [video]