LAGANA ONCE AGAIN RUNS 330+ MPH AT US 131
Young, Kraus, Lawson, Hagar Also Score Big in 18th Annual Northern Nationals
MARTIN, Mich. – Three days shy of his 34th birthday, Lagana collaborated with older brother Bobby Jr. track record holder Dom Lagana drove the underdog “Nitro Ninja” dragster to set the event speed Saturday in the Northern Nationals as US 131 Motorsports Park.
Lagana was the fastest Top Fuel driver on the quarter-mile driving 334 miles-per-hour. The Scarsdale, NY native applied an exclamation point by recording both the quickest time (4.567 seconds) and the fastest speed (334.32 miles per hour) of the event. Dixon and Millican each had one win; Dixon, who won NHRA titles in 2002, 2003 and 2010 was able to defeat Millican who is a six-time consecutive (2001-2006) IHRA Top Fuel Champion and currently in third place standings in the NHRA points.
Having re-asserted themselves at US 131, their adopted home track, the Laganas this week will return to the NHRA pro tour where they are members of the crew supporting reigning series champion and current point leader Steve Torrence.
Other Northern Nationals winners were Gary Kraus, who drove the “Moonshine Express” 1940 Ford coupe to the Fuel Altered championship; Jim Young, whose “Young Guns” front engine dragster won the Nostalgia Top Fuel title; and John Lawson, who won a “‘70s Show” Nostalgia Funny Car battle with Michigan’s Shawn Bowen.
Lawson drove his “Runaway” 1970 Chevy Camaro through the quarter mile in 5.647 seconds at 250.42 mph to best Bowen’s 5.838 at 200.62 mph in the “Quick Draw” Lawson owned Firebird.
Kraus used a best of 5.413 seconds at a finish line speed of 275.90 mph to easily handle Tom Motry’s “Drastic Plastic” Anglia driven by Troy Martin. Young made Bowen a double runner-up when he beat the Goodrich resident in the Nostalgia Top Fuel finale.
Two-time former IHRA Jet Dragster champion Elaine Larsen, a Michigan native now living in Melbourne, FL, won her specialty and another Floridian, Jerry McCart, showed off his triple engine “Homewrecker” jet-powered Ford Super Duty truck with a best of 9.126 seconds at 184.12 mph
In the Lane Automotive Bracket Series portion of the event, former track champion Donnie Hagar of Clark Lake doubled-up with wins in both Modified and Street while Ionia’s Bill Swain got the nod in Top ET.
Next feature event at US 131 will be the fourth annual Midwest Jr. Dragster Super Series race, Aug. 23-25.
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MARTIN, Mich. – Results from Saturday’s 18th Northern Nationals at US 131 Motorsports Park. Hometowns are Michigan unless otherwise stipulated. Results include reaction time, track time, target time (when applicable) and finish line speed:
TOP FUEL (round one) – Dom Lagana, Scarsdale, NY, 4.567, 334.32 mph, def. Pat Dakin, Dayton, OH, 4.787, 241.03 mph, Larry Dixon, Indianapolis, IN, 4.727, 258.47 mph; def. Clay Millican, Drummonds, TN, 5.607, 165.56 mph.
TOP FUEL (round two) –Larry Dixon, Indianapolis, IN, 4.793, 239.11 mph def. Pat Dakin, Dayton, OH, 12.499, 60.41 mph; Clay Millican, Drummonds, TN, 4.635, 251.12 mph def. Dom Lagana, Scarsdale, NY, 4.658, 262.39 mph.
NOSTALGIA TOP FUEL – Jim Young, Salem, Ohio, .257, 5.942, 231.60 mph, def. Shawn Bowen, Goodrich, MI, .127, 6.835, 121.95 mph.
FUEL ALTERED – Gary Kraus, Hamburg, NY, .095, 5.413, 275.90 mph, def. Troy Martin, Pierceton, IN, .205, 26.758, 31.61 mph.
NOSTALGIA NITRO FUNNY CAR – John Lawson, Joliet, IL, .142, 5.647, 250.42 mph, def. Shawn Bowen, Goodrich, MI, .143, 5.838, 200.62 mph.
JET DRAGSTERS – Elaine Larsen, West Melbourne, FL, .034, 5.757, 269.30 mph, def. Dewayne Hill, Melbourne, FL, .203, 5.819, 174.06 mph.
TOP ET – Bill Swain, Ionia, .007, 4.607 on a 4.580, 141.82 mph, def. Monte Morey, Augusta, foul.
MODIFIED – Donnie Hagar, Clark Lake, .015, 9.912 on a 9.950, 134.73 mph, def. Mark Howard, Hamilton, foul.
STREET – Donnie Hagar, Clark Lake, .015, 13.755 on a 13.690, 99.14 mph, def. Mitchell Smith, Belmont, foul.
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