EVENT ESSENTIALS: NHRA Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals – Pomona, CA
(Feb. 24-28th, 2011)
LUCAS, HIGHT AND LINE WIN KRAGEN O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA WINTERNATIONALS
POMONA, Calif. – Morgan Lucas defeated Shawn Langdon in a matchup of former high school classmates in the Top Fuel final Sunday at the season-opening Kragen Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
The other winners of the first of 22 races in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series were Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock).
Lucas powered to a performance of 3.835 seconds at 316.38 mph in his GEICO Powersports/Lucas Oil dragster and was too much for Langdon, whose Lucas Oil/Speedco dragster lost traction for a moment and slowed to a 4.047 at 313.73. The two Lucas Oil Racing teammates graduated in 2001 from Jurupa Valley High School in nearby Mira Loma, Calif.
In Funny Car, Hight used a quicker reaction time to defeat 2010 Full Throttle Series runner-up Matt Hagan in a close final round. Hight powered his Auto Club Ford Mustang to a 4.056 at 312.71 to edge Hagan’s DieHard Dodge Charger at the finish line, which posted a quicker, but losing performance of 4.023 at 310.20. It is Hight’s 19th career win and his third Winternationals victory.
FC Winner Robert Hight
To get the victory, Hight’s Auto Club Mustang got progressively quicker in each round, starting with a 4.121 to outrun Bob Tasca in the first round and then finishing with the 4.056 to hold off Hagan in the final.
In Pro Stock, Line defeated Greg Stanfield to win for the 22nd time in his career and second time at this race. Line claimed his second win at this event with a run of 6.529 at 211.89 in his Summit Racing Pontiac GXP, while Stanfield trailed with a 6.595 at 210.70 in his Safety Sentry GXP.
Line, who qualified 11th, advanced to the final by beating V. Gaines, Vincent Nobile and teammate Greg Anderson in the first three rounds.
The NHRA Full Throttle Series continues March 10-13, in Gainesville, Fla. with the 42nd running of the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.
(Courtesy of NHRA Communications)
| TOP FUEL | Name | ET | MPH | Career Win |
| Winner: | Morgan Lucas | 3.835 | 316.38 | 4th |
| R/UP: | Shawn Langdon | 4.043 | 313.73 | |
| Low ET: | Larry Dixon | 3.770** | ||
| Top Speed: | Tony Schumacher | 327.03 | ||
| Bump Spot: | 3.931 | |||
| ** National Record | ||||
| FUNNY CAR | Name | ET | MPH | Career Win |
| Winner: | Robert Hight | 4.056 | 312.71 | 19th |
| R/UP: | Matt Hagan | 4.023 | 310.20 | |
| Low ET: | Cruz Pedregon | 4.015 | ||
| Top Speed: | Jack Beckman | 313.58 | ||
| Bump Spot: | 4.191 | |||
| PRO STOCK | Name | ET | MPH | Career Win |
| Winner: | Jason Line | 6.529 | 211.89 | 22nd |
| R/UP: | Greg Stanfield | 6.595 | 210.70 | |
| Low ET: | Jason Line | 6.529 | ||
| Top Speed: | Erica Enders | 211.69 | ||
| Bump Spot: | 6.640 | |||
| LUCAS OIL | ||||
| Sportsman Class Winners: | Name | ET | MPH | |
| Top Alcohol Dragster | Duane Shields | 5.277 | 274,05 | |
| Top Alcohol FC | Tony Bartone | 5.452 | 264.70 | |
| Competition | Rob Harrison | 7.610 | 177.56 | |
| Super Stock | Ryan McClanahan | 8.555 | 161.32 | |
| Stock | Jody Lang | 12.34 | 97.12 | |
| Super Comp | Jim Glenn | 8.915 | 169.04 | |
| Super Gas | Tony Broussard | 9.902 | 155.92 | |
View our extensive Winterntionals event photo gallery: HERE
It was Lucas Oil Racing teammates Morgan Lucas and Shawn Langdon who faced off for Winternationals Top Fuel glory
