Scott Linder, Craig Gualtiere, Andy Kimball, and Geneva Nash set the pace in their respective categories as qualifying concluded Thursday for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Sportsman divisions at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Linder, from Hedrick, Iowa, topped the Comp Eliminator field with a 6.532-second pass in his 2004 Pontiac Grand Am, running .698 under the A/A index. Brooke Heckel of Baytown, Texas, followed closely in her J/DA Fritz at 7.707, .693 under, while Jeff Taylor of Sellersburg, Indiana, was third with a 6.653, .687 under the mark in his A/ED Spitzer-Chevy. Former national champion Cody Lane of Seattle placed fourth, .666 under in his A/EA ’32 Roadster.
In Super Stock, Amarillo, Texas, driver Craig Gualtiere grabbed the No. 1 qualifying position with a 9.518-second run in his GT/GA 2002 Cavalier, a strong 1.052 seconds under the index. Mike Johnston of Parker, Arizona, ranked second at 9.431 (-0.939) in his 2012 Camaro, followed by Tennessee’s Leo Glasbrenner in third at 9.449 (-0.921) in his 2014 Camaro. Veteran competitors Billy Maddox and Todd Frantz rounded out the top five.
Stock Eliminator qualifying was led by Andy Kimball of Henderson, Nevada, whose ’66 Fairlane posted a 10.734, 1.116 seconds under the E/S index to pace the field. Defending champion Joe Sorensen from Oregon was second at 11.003 (-1.047) in his ’69 Camaro, and Chris Vang from Kansas ranked third at 8.555 (-1.005) in his FS/AA Camaro. Bob Gullett and Cody Lane completed the top five in the deep 10-car list.
In Top Dragster, Visalia, California’s Geneva Nash took the top spot with a 6.104-second pass at 225.75 mph. John Richardson of Santa Clarita, California, matched the 6.104 but slotted second on speed at 203.49 mph. Jeff Koron of Hays, Kansas, was third at 6.114 and 229.90 mph, while Don London and Michael Kile rounded out the top five.
Sportsman eliminations continue Friday with first-round matchups across all categories.
