Charlotte, North Carolina (March 31, 2015) - Jonnie Lindberg set the national record for both elapsed time and mph on his way to winning the Top Alcohol Funny Car title while Mia Tedesco out ran the field to take home her first national event win in Top Alcohol Dragster at this weekend’s NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway.
Lindberg, who won the season opener at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona and set the mph national record in doing so, dominated the field and knocked out reigning NHRA Lucas Oil National Champion Steve Harker in the final round. Lindberg reset both national records in qualifying with a pass of 5.361 seconds at 272.01 mph for the number one spot.
Lindberg clocked in at 5.406, 269.94 in the final round to easily defeat Harker, Gainesville, Ga., who shook the tires hard and had to shut his car off. In round two, the Swedish driver backed up his record run defeating Brian Hough with a pass of 5.381, 270.64. NHRA requires an additional run within one percent during the same event to establish a record. The e.t. record was previously held by Frank Manzo at 5.411 seconds set back in 2011 at Maple Grove Raceway, Reading, Pa. Lindberg held the previous mph record of 268.71 set earlier this year.
Tedesco, Murrysville, Pa., qualified No. 1 setting low e.t. and top mph of the event with a 5.229 second, 277.77 mph pass, then took her Hirata owned and tuned dragster to a final round match up with Jake Allen out of Jacksonville, Fla. Allen was out first but Tedesco had the power to drive around posting a 5.503 second run at 263.26 mph to Allen’s 5.663, 227.94. The win was the first for Tedesco and the first final round for both drivers.
Tedesco took out Mike Lewis, Marty Thacker and Randy Meyer on her way to the final round.
In Super Stock it was two of the best drivers in the history of the NHRA Drag Racing as David Rampy faced off with Dan Fletcher. The two have combined for 178 NHRA national event wins between them. Rampy, Piedmont, Ala., took home the trophy this weekend picking up his 88th national win and his 6th in Super Stock with a run of 10.879 seconds in his ’87 Camaro.
Tedesco was not the only first time winner as Joel Warren and Andre Nunez won in Stock and Super Comp respectively. Warren, Clinton, N.C., beat Russell Linke, Old Bridge, N.J., in a double breakout final round while Nunez, Guaynabo, P.R., ran dead-on the index at 8.900 seconds to defeat George Caheely, La Fayette, Ga.
Jim Perry, Niota, Tenn., matched Nunez with a dead-on run of his own in Super Gas wheeling his ’00 S-10 to a 9.900 second pass to down John Labbous, White House, Tenn., and his ’63 Corvette.
Lynn Ellison had to run down Jeff Burns who was out first in the Top Dragster final. Ellison, Central City, Ky., covered the quarter-mile in 6.361, 212.43 to Burns’ 6.670, 199.97 out of Mount Juliet, Tenn. The win was Ellison’s sixth and first in Top Dragster.
The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Mia Tedesco, 5.503, 263.26 def. Jake Allen, 5.663, 227.61.
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Jonnie Lindberg, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.406, 269.94 def. Steve Harker, Monte Carlo, 14.450, 69.80.
SUPER STOCK
David Rampy, Chevy Camaro, 10.879, 96.09 def. Dan Fletcher, Camaro, foul.
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Joel Warren, Pontiac Firebird, 10.294, 129.52 def. Russell Linke, Chevy Camaro, 10.414, 123.78.
SUPER COMP
Andre Nunez, Dragster, 8.900, 173.09 def. George Caheely, Dragster, 8.896, 172.06.
SUPER GAS
Jim Perry, S-10, 9.900, 172.45 def. John Labbous Jr, Chevy Corvette, 9.853, 160.73.
TOP DRAGSTER
Lynn Ellison, Dragster, 6.361, 212.43 def. Jeff Burns, Dragster, 6.670, 199.97.
