WHITELEY, PAYNE LEAD FIELDS IN LAS VEGAS
In the first rounds of qualifying at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series Spring Shootout presented by Torco Race Fuels, Top Alcohol
Dragster driver Jim Whiteley, Grand Junction, Calif., and Top Alcohol
Funny Car pilot Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., took the No. 1 qualifying
positions in their classes.
Whiteley outran the field with a pass of 5.346 seconds at 270.16 mph.
The defending Lucas Oil Pacific Division Champion is followed by Shawn
Cowie of Delta, B.C., CAN., in second and Courtney Force, Yorba Linda,
Calif., in third, running 5.730 seconds at 255.63 mph. Force is the
daughter of NHRA Funny Car standout John Force.
Payne made a 5.637-second, 254.38 mph run to take the pole. Payne has
seven funny car division championships to his name including 5 in a row
and is the reigning NHRA Southeast Division Champion. Sean O’Bannon
sits in the No. 2 position with a run of 5.644 seconds, 254.18 mph and
last week’s Summit Racing.com NHRA Nationals winner Tony Bartone is 4th
in the eight-car field.
Former NHRA Lucas Oil National Champion Dean Carter of Glendale, Ariz.,
leads the Comp Eliminator field followed by Justin Lamb of Henderson,
Nev., and Randy Goff of Las Vegas in the number six and tenth spots
respectively.