NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Ten event champions were crowned in NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competition at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway,

After recovering from a nasty crash at this event last year to go on to win the Top Alcohol Funny Car championship, Doug Gordon banished the last ghosts of that wreck by winning his milestone 25th race title and fifth this season, defeating Bob McCosh by just .009 second in the final round. [video]

Matt Cummings, last year’s Top Alcohol Dragster world championship runner-up, closed the gap on his points-leading teammate Tony Stewart with his first win of the season and fifth of his career. Cummings, runner-up at this event last year, took the win when motorsports management veteran Mike Lewis fouled away a potentially-winning 5.17 behind the wheel of the Samsel family’s dragster, notching his fourth straight runner-up without a win. [video]

Three-time Comp world champ Bruno Massel Jr., moved a step closer to a possible fourth title with his third national event victory of the season. Massel, winner earlier this year in Phoenix and Norwalk, drove his turbocharged 2JZ-powered CC/AT Solara to an impressive (-.65) 6.95 to defeat defending and five-time Brainerd winner Brett Speer’s equally-stout (-.61) 7.21, reversing the outcome of last year’s final round. [video]

A pair of past Brainerd winners met in the Super Stock final with defending event winner Mike Mans winning after David Goldie broke out with his vintage ’64 Mustang. Mans posted an 8.728 on his 8.71 dial for the win. [video]

The Line family is synonymous with Stock eliminator in Brainerd and this year it was Ben Line claiming the title in his B/SA ’69 Mustang. Line topped Scott Dugdale’s Chevelle in the final with a perfect 10.268 on his 10.26 dial. [video]

Reigning Super Comp world champ James Glenn got his first national event win of the season and his first outside of Pomona when he defeated Trene Cressonie in the final round. Cressonie actually left first with a great .008 reaction time, but Glenn was nearly perfect the rest of the way with an 8.91 pass. [video]

Homestate hero Donnie Durenberger Jr., scored his second career national event win and his first in more than a decade when he drove his ’71 Nova to a tight .007-second victory in Super Gas over fellow Minnesotan Duan Westra. Durenberger’s first win came at the SPORTSnationals in 2013. [video]

Clint Geise earned his first win in the Right Trailers Top Dragster class when he cut a .007 light against Bob Fuller, who broke out by .019-second. [video]

The SeaFoam team had a memorable weekend in Brainerd including a win by Steve Stockton in the Right Trailers Top Sportsman category. Stockton narrowly held off Rob Meservier to win with a 6.796 on his 6.78 dial. [video]