Competition Eliminator racer Monty Bogan Jr. secured the provisional No. 1 qualifying position at the NHRA Gatornationals, topping the field with a -.861 hit against the H/Altered Automatic index.
He was joined at the top of the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series provisional leaderboard by Jackie Fricke (Top Alcohol Dragster) and Sean Bellemeur (Top Alcohol Funny Car). Super Stock and Stock set the fields with David Barton (Super Stock) and Nicholas Barsamian (Stock) as the top runners/
Bogan, a standout from the days of IHRA Top Strock and class racing, has been on a tear this season, scoring the NHRA Division 2 win at Orlando Speedway Dragway last month. He ran an 8.339 elapsed time to lead the pack.
Patrick Ross (D/A, 7.542, -0.778), Jim Greenheck (E/AA, 7.522, -0.728),
Jared Kimbrough (C/ED. 7.186, -0.724) and Peter D’Agnolo (E/SMA, 8.283, -0.687) rounded out the top five.
Bellemeur, as he has been ever since being named the Bartone Brother’s Top Alcohol Funny Car, has been in his own zip code.
Last season, Bellemeur completed a perfect points claim with Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Sean Bellemeur celebrated a flawless season, capturing the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series championship with a perfect point total of 850, with ten races won at the maximum score of 85 points each.
In Gainesville, Bellemeur presented more of the same, thundering to a 5.317 elapsed time at 278.29 in his new injected-nitro combination to set the pace for the Top Alcohol Funny Car field. Annie Whiteley was second with a 5.317, 278.29, followed by Mick Steele’s 5.423.
Fricke laid down a monster run to set the pace for Top Alcohol Dragster with a 5.130, 284.33 elapsed time to finish the day ahead of Spartanburg, South Carolina’s Jamie Noonan, who ran a 5.225. Anthony Troyer was third with a 5.231.
Darian Boesch (Top Dragster) and Glen Butcher (Top Sportsman) rounded out the provisional leaders from Thursday’s qualifying.
