Sunday: Tri-State Raceway victorious in Summit Racing Series

TOPEKA, Kan. - Tri-State Raceway took home two individual championships on its way to the Team Championship at this weekend's NHRA West Central Division Summit Racing Series at Heartland Park Topeka.

Tyler Cassil of Pelton, Mo., and Tim Pazour of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, led their team to the championship, edging out The Colonel's Brainerd International Raceway and Kansas City International Raceway, which finished second and third, respectively, in the team standings.

Cassil, in his '66 Chevy, recorded a 10.682-second pass at 114.33 mph to knock out Bob Westhoff with an 11.012, 118.97. Cassil was joined in the winner's circle by teammate and motorcycle champion, Pazour who clocked in at 9.078 at 134.86 on his '86 Suzuki against defending champion Jeff Lanoue, who ran an 8.536, 157.39-mph pass.

The Super Pro champion was Mike Wiblishouser of Blair, Neb., racing for the Nebraska Motorplex. Wiblishouser beat out J.R. Lober of KCIR (Kansas City International Raceway) for the win and will advance to the Summit National Championship in Pomona California where he and three other champions from this weekend will face off against the champions from the six other NHRA Divisions.

Brad Mickle drove his '67 Mustang to a win over Kevin Rolph out of Minneapolis while Steven Graham captured the High School crown taking out Tyler Bonhom with a run of 11.301, 117.38 to Bonhom's 11.258, 116.59. Winners in the Jr. Drag Racing classes were Michelle Cobb of Odessa, Mo., Michelle Brewer of Osawatomie, Kan., and Gage Fredenburg of Omaha, Neb.

In the Race of Champions Race on Saturday night it was Dennis Willett and his '82 Corvette taking the win over David Goolsby of Valley Lenter, Kan. in the car class while Mike Ballard of Freeport, Ill., bettered Donnie Durenberger in the motorcycle class.

The following are final round results from the NHRA West Central Division Summit Racing Series:

SUPER PRO
Mike Wiblishouser, Blair, Neb., 9.781, 152.52 def. J.R. Lobner, Desoto, Kan., 8.574, 152.54

PRO
Tyler Cassil, Pelton, Mo., '66 Chevy, 10.682, 114.33 def. Bob Westhoff, Marthasville, Mo., '60 Falcon, 11.012, 118.97

SPORTSMAN
Brad Mickle, Lino Lakes, Minn., '67 Mustang, 13.151, 100.39 def. Kevin Rolph, Minneapolis, Minn., '67 GT, 13.329, 100.70

PRO BIKE
Tim Pazour, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, '86 Suzuki, 9.078, 134.86 def. Jeff Lanoue, Simmerman, Minn., 8.536, 157.39

HIGH SCHOOL
Steven Graham, Hutchinton, Kan., '68 Camaro, 11.301, 117.38 def. Tyler Bonhom, Lamed, Kan., '82 Cutlass, 11.258, 116.59

JR. DRAGSTER 8-9
Michelle Cobb, Odessa, Mo., '00 dragster, 13.395, 46.96 def. Shaley Epperson, Silver Lakes, Kan., '00 dragster, 13.430, 45.94

JR. DRAGSTER 10-12
Michelle Brewer, Osawatomie, Kan., 9.312, 66.91 def. Nick Peterson, Abilene, Kan., 9.132, 68.70

JR. DRAGSTER 13-17
Gage Fredenburg, Omaha, Neb., '01 dragster, 8.050, 79.15 def. Mattie Thomas, Marshall, Mo., '99 dragster, 8.688, 72.67

TOPEKA, Kan. - Racing action in the Summit Racing Series came to a halt this morning as a result of rain. The rain continued through the afternoon but has stopped, and officials are hoping to resume racing later this evening with final rounds of eliminations in the five racing categories scheduled to begin on Sunday morning.

The event brings the best of the best from around the NHRA West Central Division to battle it out on Heartland Park Topeka's quarter mile dragstrip. Along with a chance at a national championship, there is $15,000 in cash up for grabs to the nearly 700 racers from 19 different racetracks.

In its second year of existence, the Summit Racing Series crowns divisional champions in each of the seven NHRA Divisions who then compete against each other for the National Championship. The Summit Racing National Championship is held in Pomona, Calif. in mid-November during the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals. For more information, contact Heartland Park Topeka at 785-862-4781.

TOPEKA, Kan. - Racers from nine states and Canada made the trip to Heartland Park Topeka for the NHRA West Central Summit Racing Series and the chance for a national championship. This weekend's event will crown champions in five classes including a high school class with the Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, and Motorcycle champions advancing to Pomona, Calif., to take on racers from around the country in hopes of becoming the 2001 Summit Racing National Champion.

More 600 racers began time trials Friday with the number of entries expected to reach 700 by tomorrow's final day of day of trials leading into Sunday's eliminations. The team from Heartland Park Topeka will be defending their Team Championship from last year against 18 other track including teams from Viking International Raceway in St. Andrews, Man., Canada, Thunder Valley Raceway in Marion, S.D., and Rock Falls Raceway in Eau Claire, Wis.

All of last year's champions have also returned to defend their titles including Larry Piper in Super Pro from Kansas City International Raceway, Bandimere Speedway's Mitch Baker in Pro, local favorite Bob Lash from Heatland Park in Sportsman, Jeff Lanoue of Rock Falls Raceway in the Motorcycle category, and Tyler Bonham in the High School class.

The following is a list of NHRA West Central Division tracks that are competing at this weekend's event:

Bandimere Speedway; Denver
Colonel's Brainerd International Raceway; Brainerd, Minn.
Douglas International Raceway; Douglas, Wyo.
Heartland Park Topeka; Topeka, Kan.
Interstate Dragways; Morehead, Minn.
Julesburg Dragstrip; Julesburg, Colo.
Kansas City International Raceway; Overland Park, Kan.
Kearney Raceway Park; Kearney, Neb.
Mid-America Dragway; Arkansas City, Kan.
Mid-America Raceways; Wentzville, Mo.
Nebraska Motorplex; Scribner, Neb.
Pueblo Motorsports Park; Pueblo, Colo.
Rock Falls Raceway; Eau Claire, Wis.
S.R.C.A. Dragstrip; Great Bend, Kan.
Thunder Valley Raceway; Marion, S.D.
Tri-State Raceway; Earlville, Iowa
Viking International Raceway; St. Andrews, Man., Canada
Western Colorado Dragway; Grand Junction, Colo.
Wichita International Raceway; Witchita, Kan.