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OREGON RIDER, STEVE DORN AMONG THOSE THAT ROCKED THE LEADER BOARD IN VIRGINIA TO SET THE STAGE FOR A GIGANTIC FINALE AT ROCKINGHAM DRAGWAY OCTOBER 10TH, 11TH, AND 12TH.
The All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA) competed at Virginia Motorsports Park (VMP) on September 20th and 21st. The outcome of the event, which is named after the late Jim McClure, was a new leader in the Screamin’ Eagle Top Fuel national points standings, as well as lead changes and upsets in other categories. Dorn’s win moved him all the way from the fifth position to the top of the chart in the national points standings. Mark Conner, who has led the chase for practically the entire season, is now in the second spot, just ten points out of the lead. Phil Schmidt, of Orangevale, CA, is in the third spot, and New Mexico’s Doug Vancil, the defending champion, is now in the fourth position. Tak Shigematsu of Ehime, Japan, and New Jersey’s Joey Sternotti make up the fifth and sixth spots.
In short, the standings reflect at least six different contenders with a chance at the 2008 Screamin’ Eagle Championship title and the $25,000 cash prize to be awarded at the championship finals in less than two weeks. “The competition is outstanding,” said AHDRA President Craig Tharpe. “In Virginia, 20 Top Fuel bikes entered the field and the bump spot was a 6.88! Bill Furr, one of the veterans of the sport, didn’t make the field with a 6.91. That’s fierce competition, and with Rockingham Dragway traditionally being a fast, record-setting track, it should be an unbelievably exciting show.” In AHDRA’s S & S Pro Stock class, there will be at least three competitors with their eye on a first-time national championship. When AHDRA arrived in Virginia, Eddie Lee of Winston, GA, had the edge on the competition with a slight lead over the local favorite, Shaun Reno. But then Lee experienced mechanical problems and pulled his bike from qualifying. He made an unsuccessful attempt at getting another bike running in its place, forcing him to head home early as Reno advanced to the finals and moved into the lead spot. Reno finished as the runner-up, while Greg Krenik of Corrales, NM, took the win, which had enormous impact in the points chase.
Krenik—who had already wrapped up the national championship in K & K Pro Modified competition—moved from the No. 4 spot into the No. 2 spot in the Pro Stock category and just 22 points from the leader, Reno. For Lee, the performances from Krenik and Reno sent him from first to third and 72 points away from No. 1. It is not only the pros who will fight it out on the quarter-mile dragstrip known to many as “The Rock.” The sportsman classes will be joining the heated action as many of them also chase championship crowns. In the Screamin’ Eagle Destroyer category, L.E. Tonglet of Metairie, LA, is the defending national champion. After taking home his fifth win of the season from Virginia, he moved 81 points in front of Ohio’s Nick Gonatas, Jr. Wanda Poff, of York, PA, could come away with a No. 1 plate herself while becoming the third woman in AHDRA history to do so—if she can hold off the heavy competition in the Bison Racing/Eagle Harley-Davidson Super Gas class. In the S&S Super Sport 10.30 index class, Dean Druschel of Swanton, OH, will be fighting off North Carolina racer Sam Lowery and York, PA’s Danny Boyer while he tries to keep his seat at the top of the charts—and take home his second national championship. Sportsman racing wouldn’t be the same if we didn’t mention Donnie Huffman’s name in at least two classes of competition. Huffman, of Lakeland, FL, who has been a national champion multiple times, entered five classes of competition at VMP and found himself in three finals at the end of the day. When it was all said and done, he managed to set a record for the most points scored by one competitor at a single event.
Huffman defeated New Mexico’s Danny Harvey in the 11.50 index class (SEP) and put himself 15 points away from the leader, Nate Carnahan of Richmond, VA, in the standings. Carnahan burst onto the top of the charts after taking his first career win in Maryland this year and then repeating victory in Bristol, TN. In Syn3 ET competition, it was Donnie Huffman appearing in another of his three finals at VMP. Huffman went to Virginia with the lead spot in the class, but that soon changed when he was defeated by his teammate and the defending national champion, Bob Drapp. Huffman moved to the second spot behind Drapp by an agonizing three points. And while many competitors face the pressure of clinching a championship during competition at “The Rock,” others have the No. 1 plate sewn up, and will look at breaking records. That’s exactly what Douglas Horne of Aberdeen, MD, said that his plan was after securing the championship in Rush Pro Fuel competition with his fourth consecutive win at VMP. “We are going to take the bike to Rockingham and see just what else it has in it and go for big numbers,” he said. Rick Moore of Reading, PA, could be hoping for the same. Moore, who last set records in 2006, will head to the championship finals with his third consecutive title locked up in the Kresto Pro Drag category. Other competitors expected to compete at Rockingham Dragway with clinched 2008 national championships include Rush Pro Gas champion Dale Raudenbush, of Macungie, PA; Cutters Foam/Team Nila Street Pro champion Andy Simon, of Fairless Hills, PA; Drag Masters Hot Street champion Bruce Croneberger, of Cressona, PA; SSC 124 Challenge champion Mike Roberts, of Clinton, OH; and Screamin’ Eagle V-Rod champion Lou Gerencer, of Elkhart, IN. For more information on the Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts Nationals Presented by Kresto, contact 336-924-2095 or visit www.ahdra.com. Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts Nationals Presented by Kresto Event Details Friday, October 10th Saturday, October 11th Sunday, October 12th |
