Day two of three is complete of NHRA’s Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event hosted at Thunder Valley Raceway. This race is the last of six in South Central division competition with current points leaders making moves to hold onto their rankings. Final qualifying is complete with Top Alcohol Dragster pilot James Thompson of Vernon, Texas, and Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Vern Moats, Des Moines, Iowa, taking the No.1 positions going into Sunday’s eliminations.
Thompson comes from the bottom of the pack and blasts a 5.308 second, 274.39 mph pass to grab the top spot. This puts him just ahead of Brandon Lewis from Broken Arrow, Okla., who posted a 5.322 second, 267.85 mph lap. Lewis, the current points leader, has won the last two races he’s attended, an out-of-division event in Topeka, Kan., and at No Problem Raceway Park in Belle Rose, La. He holds a slim 32-point lead over Claremore, Okla.’s Malcolm Wahle, who sits in the No.3 qualifying position.