NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Sean Bellemeur raced to the NHRA Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Funny Car World Championship then capped it off with the event win at the NHRA Carolina Nationals presented by WIX Filers at zMAX Dragway. Megan Meyer took the honors in Top Alcohol Dragster as did three first-time winners at the national event level.

Bellemeur, Placentia, Calif., clinched the championship on Saturday when he beat DJ Cox in his round two match up then knocked out Andy Bohl in the semifinals and Phil Burkart in the final round with a strong 5.403 second lap at 271.13 mph. Burkhart was out first then quickly lost traction as Bellemeur raced by for the win. The Championship is the second in Top Alcohol Funny Car for team owner Tony Bartone who won as a driver in 1996.
 
Meyer, Olathe, Kan., qualified third, then posted low elapsed time and top mph of the event in round one with a 5.200 second, 283.01 mph pass to defeat Tiffany Januik . The second-generation driver meet up with reigning world champion Joey Severance in the final. Severance, who is chasing Shawn Cowie for the 2018 championship, was out first but then had problems as Meyer took the lead and held on for her fifth career win in 5.421 seconds.
 
Art Hodges, Terry Taylor and Corey Manuel all collected their first career wins on the NHRA national event stage with Taylor leading the way with a perfect .000 second reaction time against Anthony Fetch in Stock Eliminator. Taylor then drove his Corvette to an 11.128, 105.87 for the win. Manuel had a nice .010 reaction time of his own in Super Comp that forced Tom Stalba to breakout as he tried to catch Manuel who clocked in at 8.930, 173.63 for the win. Hodges left first on Danny Holt in Comp Eliminator and continued to pull away to a 7.249, 187.31 mph victory lap for his first career NHRA Wally trophy.
 
Joe Fisher and Phil Smida left the line together in Super Gas with Fisher taking his second win in three final rounds running 8.912 to Smida who broke out. Herbie Null Jr. was better off the start and at the stripe to defeat Joe Lisa in Super Stock to earn his fifth career win.
 
In Top Dragster and Top Sportsman presented by Racing RV’s it was Anthony Bertozzi and Ronnie Proctor taking the wins respectively. Bertozzi was better at both ends of the track in adding to his already impressive win list and Proctor ran down Jackie Robinson with a 6.662, 194.35 mph run. The win was number 21 for Bertozzi and the second for Proctor, both this year.
 
The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and the NHRA Carolina Nationals presented by WIX Filters at zMAX Dragway:
 
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Megan Meyer, 5.421, 218.76 def. Joey Severance, 5.546, 206.57. 
 
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Sean Bellemeur, Chevy Camaro, 5.403, 271.13 def. Phil Burkart, Camaro, 6.832, 159.83. 
 
COMP 
Art Hodges, Chevy Camaro, 7.249, 187.31 def. Danny Holt, Ford Escort, 8.171, 164.99. 
 
SUPER STOCK
Herbie Null Jr., Chevy Camaro, 9.799, 129.10 def. Joe Lisa, Camaro, 10.292, 130.29.
 
STOCK 
Terry Taylor, Chevy Corvette, 11.128, 105.87 def. Anthony Fetch, Chevy Camaro, 11.105, 111.00. 
 
SUPER COMP
Corey Manuel, Dragster, 8.930, 173.63 def. Tom Stalba, Dragster, 8.894, 168.07. 
 
SUPER GAS
Joe Fisher, Chevy Corvette, 9.912, 169.38 def. Phil Smida, Chevy Cavalier, 9.885, 153.75. 
 
TOP DRAGSTER presented by RACINGRVS.COM
Anthony Bertozzi, Dragster, 6.030, 224.21 def. J.B. Strassweg, Dragster, 6.093, 217.35. 
 
TOP SPORTSMAN presented by RACINGRVS.COM
Ronnie Proctor, Ford Mustang, 6.662, 194.35 def. Jackie Robison, Chevy Nova, 6.896, 198.38.