FORCE CAPTURES FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON IN LAS VEGAS

John Force collected his first Funny Car victory of the season on Sunday with his win over teammate Robert Hight at the SummitRacing.com Nationals in Las Vegas. Force was joined by Richie Crampton (Top Fuel) and Erica Enders-Stevens (Pro Stock) in victory circle.

NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals

After a tumultuous offseason, John Force earned his first victory of the season on Sunday at The Strip as Las Vegas Motor Speedway, as he ousted teammate Robert Hight in a spectacular drag race, 4.14 to 4.15, which was decided by a mere 11-inches at the stripe. In Top Fuel, Richie Crampton faced off with Larry Dixon for the first time in a final round, using a 3.90 to motor by the former series champions’ tire-smoking 4.46. And in Pro Stock, reigning champion Erica Enders-Stevens defeated Vincent Nobile in another incredible race that saw the two run side-by-side, identical 6.674-second runs, with Enders-Stevens’ reaction time making the difference.

Event Winners:

Top Fuel: Richie Crampton
Funny Car: John Force
Pro Stock: Erica Enders-Stevens
Top Alcohol Dragster: Joey Severance
Top Alcohol Funny Car: Annie Whiteley
Competition Eliminator: Tony Mandella
Super Stock: Jimmy DeFrank
Stock: Jimmy DeFrank
Super Comp: Tommy Phillips
Super Gas: Michael Miller
Top Dragster: Andy Spiegel
Top Sportsman: Richard Okerman

NMRA/NMCA All Star Nationals

Michael Biehle maintained his dominance of the NMCA Pro Mod division at the Atlanta Dragway on Sunday, winning for the third straight time and second this season in his twin-turbo Mustang, defeating Tom Dwyer in the final round, 6.02 to 6.48. In Radial Wars, series vet Frank Mewshaw downed reigning champ Keith Berry for the hardware, while Dan Saitz won out in Street Outlaw with an easy single in the final round. On the NMRA side, Frank Varela downed Bart Tobener in the Renegade finale with a 7.70, while Haley James took Coyote Modified honors over Johnny Lightning, 8.28 to 8.67. Drew Lyons claimed Coyote Stock in his ’88 Mustang, bettering Joe Marini on both ends of the race track with a better reaction time and a 10.35-second lap.

Event Winners:

Pro Mod: Michael Biehle II
Radial Wars: Frank Mewshaw
Street Outlaw: Dan Saitz
Nitrous Pro Street: Joe Bucaro
Renegade: Frank Varela
Xtreme Street: David Hutnick
Coyote Modified: Haley James
N/A 10.5: Leonard Long
Coyote Stock: Drew Lyons
Chevrolet Performance Stock: Glenn Pushis
Pure Street: Jimmy Wilson
Factory Stock: Matt Amrine
NMCA Open Comp: Chuck Hockenberry
NMRA Open Comp: Greg Cole
Modular Muscle: Adam Cox
Truck & Lightning: Greg Bagnell
Top Sportsman: Casey Spradlin
Nostalgia Super Stock: T.D. Holland
Nostalgia Muscle Car: Andy Warren

PDRA Spring Nationals

North Carolina natives Todd Tutterow and Rickie Smith won in front of their home crowds at the PDRA Spring Nationals in Rockingham on Sunday. Tutterow denied Mustafa Buhumaid of his second straight victory in Pro Extreme as Buhumaid fouled out, handing the win over to the Galot Motorsports driver. Smith, the reigning NHRA Pro Mod champion, won Pro Nitrous in a rare appearance with the PDRA, defeating reigning series champion Jason Harris in the final, 3.82 to a quicker-but-losing 3.81. And in Pro Boost, Anthony DiSomma drove from the No. 1 qualifying position to victory over Kevin Fiscus on a holeshot, 3.856 to 3.851.

Event Winners:

Pro Extreme: Todd Tutterow
Pro Nitrous: Rickie Smith
Pro Boost: Anthony DiSomma
Open Outlaw: Phil Esz
Pro Extreme Motorcycle: Eric McKinney
Top Dragster: Bo Upton
Top Sportsman: Ronnie Proctor
Top Junior Dragster: Samuel Peterson
Pro Junior Dragster: Preston Tanner