Leah Pritchett
TEAMWORK
NHRA LUCAS OIL SERIES TOP ALCOHOL RACERS
JOIN MID-WEST PRO MOD SERIES FOR LONE STAR NATIONALS
BY IAN TOCHER & NATE VAN WAGNEN • PHOTOGRAPHS BY GARY ROWE
IN A PRIME EXAMPLE of racing organizations working together
to move the sport forward through the COVID-19 crisis, the Texas
Motorplex, NHRA officials and the Mid-West Pro Mod Series
came together to hold the Keurig Dr. Pepper Lone Star Nationals
presented by Driven Automotive Protection, May 22-23. The event
featured Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, the Mid-
West Pro Mod Series’ classes and two Jr. Dragster classes.
No. 1 qualifiers Megan Meyer and Sean Bellemeur cruised to victory
in the Top Alcohol classes. The pair of drivers were the first winners of a
motorsports race in the state of Texas since every major sporting event was
postponed or cancelled in early March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The South Central Lucas Oil Divisional event was able to be held after
many weeks of conversation between the Texas Motorplex ownership
team and Governor Greg Abbott’s office.
Meyer took out Buddy Domingue in the first round of Top Alcohol
Dragster when she ran him down with a winning elapsed time of 5.318
seconds to his 5.387 seconds. Her run was the quickest pass of the first
round and set up a semifinal race with No. 4 qualifier James Stevens.
In the semis Meyer was nearly perfect off the starting line with a .006
reaction time and combined that with the second-quickest run of eliminations,
a 5.242 pass. In the final round she avenged a first-round upset
loss by her sister Rachel to Dean Dubbin, outrunning the racer from
Little Falls, Minnesota, to the victory. Her winning time of 5.198 was
the quickest of eliminations.
In Top Alcohol Funny Car, Sean Bellemeur easily outran No. 8 qualifier
Kyle Smith in the first round. Bellemeur never trailed in the race,
posting a winning elapsed time of 5.544 to Smith’s improved 5.658 run.
The driver from Placentia, California, was on top of his game in the
semifinals, jumping to a starting line advantage with a .013 reaction
time. In the final Bellemeur gave up lane choice to Annie Whiteley
but he was able to get a narrow win with a 5.494. Whiteley made her
quickest pass of the weekend, a solid 5.496, and made this final one of
the best races of the event.
After becoming the first major touring racing series to return to action
in early May, the MWPMS wasted no time in getting back at it. Veteran
driver Ron Muenks emerged as victor in the marquee Pro Mod class.
“With all that’s going on in the world right now it was inspiring to see
our Mid-West Series racers back on the race track so quickly, right where
they belong,” declared Keith Haney, MWPMS founder, owner and competitor.
“Getting back to racing is just one more step in the bigger picture
of getting back to business and putting our country back on its feet again.”
Out on the track, Muenks qualified his Dave’s Claremore RV ‘68 Camaro
second behind only last year’s MWPMS champion and this year’s
Tulsa winner, Aaron Wells. In eliminations he beat Chad Green, Jeffrey
94 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated.com Issue 157