91°µÍø

Three-time and reigning NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster champion Joey Severance took a step toward what could be a fourth title, and Sean Bellemeur stayed red hot with his third straight win in Top Alcohol Funny Car during the Denso Spark Plugs 91°µÍø Four-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas. Severance stopped rising star Julie Nataas to win his 20th national event since 2007, and Bellemeur got the best of John Lombardo Jr. to win his sixth career title. 
    
The event’s big winner was four-time Sportsman national champion Justin Lamb, who accomplished another milestone when he recorded his first double victory. Lamb, a native of Henderson, Nev., earned titles in Super Stock and Stock. It was the 39th national event double, and Lamb is just the 24th driver to achieve the rare feat. 
    
Severance, Bellemeur, and Lamb were joined in the winner’s circle by Joe Mozeris (Comp), Bradley Johnson (Super Comp), Michael Miller (Super Gas), Bud Preuss (Top Sportsman presented by Racing RVs), and Mike MacBrair (Top Dragster presented by Racing RVs).

It took a string of 5.2s in order to be competitive in Top Alcohol Dragster, and Severance delivered, including a 5.244, 275.00 mph in the final round to take out Nataas, who was first off the starting line with a .008 reaction time, but she fell back with a 5.349, 267.32 mph in her Randy Meyer-tuned dragster. []
    

After opening the season with a second-round loss in Pomona, Bellemeur, driving for car owner Tony Bartone and crew chief Steve Boggs, was unbeaten in the next three starts, including back-to-back wins at the Gainesville regional and national events and the Four-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas. Bellemeur saved his best for last with a 5.470, 265.69 mph that stood for low e.t. of the meet in the final to stop Lombardo, who shook the tires and shut off, in Top Alcohol Funny Car. []
    

Nearly two decades after making his debut in the Comp class, Mozeris finally claimed his first national event victory. Mozeris drove to a final-round win over Scott McClay in an all-dragster final round. McClay had a quicker light, but Mozeris drove by him to win with a (-.562) 7.008 to (-.516) 7.454. []
    

First up for Lamb was the Stock final against reigning Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals champion Larry Gilley. After an even start, Lamb pulled ahead in his COPO Camaro and turned on the win light with a 10.025 on his 10.01 dial. Gilley was just .003-second behind after an 11.043 on his 11.03 dial. []
    

Lamb returned a few minutes later to take on two-time Stock national champ Brad Burton in the Super Stock final. That bout ended quickly after Burton fouled by two-thousandths. Lamb, who has always had great success in final rounds, has now run his record to 21-10 in national event finals. []
    

Less than a year after winning the Super Gas title at his home event in Denver, Johnson scored again when he earned the Las Vegas win in Super Comp. Johnson was solid with a .021 light and a 9.067 on the 9.05 altitude-adjusted index to stop former Stock national champ Ryan McClanahan, who trailed with a 9.081. []
    

Miller is now a nine-time national event champion after driving his 23-T roadster to a victory in Super Gas. Miller, who won the Spring Las Vegas event in 2009 and 2015 and the fall event in 2016, earned his fourth title at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after stopping Aaron Kinard in the final round. Kinard cut a perfect .000 reaction time but broke out with a 10.019 on the 10.05 index while Miller posted a less offensive 10.037 to earn the title. []
    

Nearly three decades after his first national event win at the 1990 Sonoma event, MacBrair returned to the winner’s circle in Top Dragster presented by Racing RVs. MacBrair gained a slight lead against Steve Casner in the final round and held on for the win with a 6.617 on his 6.60 dial. Casner, last year’s No. 3-ranked driver, broke out by .012-second with a 6.738. []
    

The Top Sportsman presented by Racing RVs class produced a first-time national event winner after Preuss turned on the win light in the final round. Preuss won the final round after opponent Jeff Gillette fouled by .005-second. Even if Gillette hadn’t red-lighted, it might not have mattered because Preuss was perfect off the starting line with a .000 reaction time. []