McElwee, Palmer and Hill Also Hoist Trophies at US 131 Motorsports Park~

 

Spencer Massey of Fort Worth, Texas, who won 18 NHRA tour events in a brief six-year Top Fuel career, showed that he has lost none of his skill Saturday in driving Pat Dakin’s Commercial Metal Specialties dragster to an overall victory in the long-awaited return of the Northern Nationals presented by ARP and Perfit Corporation to US 131 Motorsports Park.

Massey was the only undefeated nitro driver in the round robin competition that also included three-time NHRA series champion and 62-time tour winner Larry Dixon of Indianapolis, six-time IHRA champion Clay Millican of Drummonds, TN, who was driving the Lagana brothers’ track record-holding “Nitro Ninja” dragster, and NHRA tour rookie Mike McIntire Jr. of Chesterland, OH.

In addition to winning both of his matches in a fill-in performance for an ailing Dakin, Massey also posted quick time and top speed of the event at 3.816 seconds, 322.35 miles per hour and coupled it with a .016 of a second reaction time to soundly defeat Millican in round two.

Mark McElwee of Port St. Lucie, FL, won the Nostalgia Funny Car title, NASA Safety and Security Coordinator Dewayne Hill of Melbourne, FL, beat his boss, two-time IHRA champion and Michigan native Elaine Larson, to win the jet car championship and Scott Palmer of Cassville, MO, most recently a regular on the NHRA Top Fuel circuit, drove his “Studezilla” 1953 Studebaker to victory in the Nitro Pro Mod category.

Parma’s Chad Six, Kalamazoo’s Keenan Conner and Allendale’s Kurt Jolliff were the Saturday winners in the Lane Automotive Bracket Series which continued with a second event on Sunday.

Conner’s .019 reaction time and dead-on 5.230 forced Pullman’s Ron Morris into a breakout foul in Saturday’s Top ET final.  Six also benefitted from a breakout by Nunica’s Dave Chittenden to prevail in Modified.

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MARTIN, Mich. – Results from Saturday’s US 131 Northern Nationals presented by ARP and Perfit Corporation at US 131 Motorsports Park.  Hometowns are Michigan unless otherwise indicated.  Results include reaction time, track time, target time where applicable, and finish line speed:

TOP FUEL (round one) – Clay Millican, Drummonds, TN, Lagana Brothers’ “Nitro Ninja” dragster, .064, 3.858, 324.44 mph, def. Larry Dixon, Indianapolis, IN, Dixon Motorsports dragster, .086, 4.074, 266.90 mph; Spencer Massey, Fort Worth, TX, Pat Dakin’s Commercial Metal Specialties dragster, .049, 3.819, 320.28 mph, def. Mike McIntire Jr., Chesterland, OH, “McAttack” Toyota Camry Funny Car, .108, 4.314, 229.24 mph.

TOP FUEL (round two) – McIntire Jr., .152, 4.378, 217.92 mph, def. Dixon, .173, 4.392, 190.44 mph; Massey, .016, 3.816, 322.35 mph, def. Millican, .037, 4.244, 200.71 mph.

NOSTALGIA FUNNY CAR – Mark McElwee, Port St. Lucie, FL, “Buzzy’s Bomber” 1962 Chevy II, .105, 7.348, 130.06 mph, def. Joe Haas, Findlay, IL, “American Way” 1957 Chevy, .173, 15.382, 74.88 mph.

NITRO PRO MOD – Scott Palmer, Cassville, MO, “Studezilla” 1953 Studebaker, .248, 4.825, 109.62 mph, def. J.R. Sandlian, Wichita, KS, “Bad Attitude” 1969 Chevy Chevelle, .255, 8.556, 64.09 mph.

TRIPLE ENGINE JET TRUCK – Jerry McCart, Parrish, FL, “Homewrecker,” 9.630, 195.40 mph, was unopposed.

JETS – Dewayne Hill, Melbourne, FL, “Dominator” dragster, .021, 5.941, 271.74 mph, def. Elaine Larsen, West Melbourne, FL, Florida Tech dragster, .139, 5.866, 269.46 mph.

 

LANE AUTOMOTIVE BRACKET SERIES

MODIFIED – Chad Six, Parma, .049, 5.866 on a 5.810, 115.18 mph, def. Dave Chittenden, Nunica, .053, 6.504 breakout on a 6.550, 104.14 mph.  Semifinalists – Adam Howard, Battle Creek, and Bill Schmidt, Fruitport.

TOP ET – Keenan Conner, Kalamazoo, .019, 5.230 on a 5.230, 131.58 mph, def. Ron Morris, Pullman, .016, 6.078 breakout on a 6.080, 113.01 mph.  Semifinalists – Todd Stretling, Elkhart, Ind., and David Marckini, Grand Rapids.

STREET – Kurt Jolliff, Allendale, .035, 13.961 on a 13.960, 94.22 mph, def. Matt Nap, Kalamazoo, no time.  Semifinalist – Art English, Athens.

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