Screamin' Eagle Top Fuel

In the national standings, Doug Vancil of Albuquerque, NM, entered the event just two marks in front of Mike Romine (Sturgis, MI).

With a whopping 30 Top Fuel entries on the roster, Romine led off Saturday's opening qualifying session with a 6.357, matching the national record of reigning champion Steve Stordeur. Vancil answered that number in the second qualifying session with a 6.332, a record number.

Neither rider improved his numbers in the third and final round, leaving Vancil in the #1 qualifying position and Romine in the #2.

Keeping in mind the narrow margin separating the pair for the title, the qualifying positions were just as valuable as Sunday's upcoming rounds. Another factor potentially swaying the outcome was that Vancil had a chance for 20 bonus points if he backed up the earlier record pass.

Eliminations: In round one, Romine got by his H-D of Salt Lake City teammate, Joe Timmons, with a 6.41 at 216.55 mph while Vancil soared past Canadian Ken Kent with a 6.363 at 221.02 mph, thereby securing his 20 bonus points for backing up the 6.332 record number from Saturday.

Round two found Vancil paired with Tak Shigematsu. Despite the rider from Japan hammering down the tree with a .008, it wasn't enough for what Vancil had in store. A 6.309 (217.49 mph) not only easily advanced him, but also reset the marks for the E.T. record books.

Romine fared well himself as he faced his younger brother, Jack. Mike rode by "little bro" with a 6.374 at 216.34 mph to advance and continue the championship showdown with Vancil.

Now the excitement level was tipping the scales, as riders and fans alike gathered to witness an "all or nothing" semifinal round.

Vancil took on a hard-hitting Mike Lehman of W. Palm Beach, FL, who proved tough indeed as he got out of the gate with a .070 to a slower .115 from Vancil. Trouble set in for Vancil early as scored his slowest marks of the weekend (7.312) and Lehman blazed by with a 6.464 at 213.91 mph.

With Vancil finished for the day, Romine had the obvious advantage for securing the title as he pulled to the line with North Carolina's Jay Turner on the Mancuso H-D machine. Turner was out first (.078) followed by a close .087 from Romine-and it was all horsepower from there as Romine got by him with a 6.345 at 218.72 mph to a 6.444 at 216.27 mph from Turner.

The championship title locked, Romine headed to the final round with the pressure lifted. He faced Mike Lehman for the side-by-side finale that netted him all the glory when he got the win light with a 6.489 at 198.73 mph over Lehman's 6.525 at 199.70 mph.

As the elated Romine team gathered in victory lane to celebrate their first Top Fuel national championship, a very supportive Doug Vancil joined the celebration while showering the new champion with champagne.

Romine also secured the East Coast division title while Vancil was awarded the Western divisional honors.

Screamin' Eagle Top Fuel Champion - Romine

Screamin' Eagle Top Fuel - Romine

Screamin' Eagle Top Fuel - Vancil

Vancil showers the champ Romine

JIMS Pro Fuel

In another quick qualifying field, another pair of riders vied for the national title at The Strip.

Mike Lehman was in the hunt for his first AHDRA national title, but he would have to better the performance of a former Pro Fuel champ, Chris Streeter of Cleveland, OH.

Lehman did the job in qualifying, scoring the best numbers in three rounds for the #1 position at 6.747 at 205.10 mph. Streeter was close at 6.798, but a better 6.771 from Jay Turner left Streeter in the third position heading into Sunday's eliminations.

Eliminations: Lehman advanced easily enough in the opening round on Sunday (6.772 at 200.17 mph) after an aborted run from Canadian rear-engine fuel rider Chris Gartman. Streeter got past Toni Froehling of Sumner, WA, with a 6.829 at 197.86 mph.

The championship outcome was decided much sooner in this category after Lehman came to the line in round two against Chicago Joe of Richmond, CA. Mechanical troubles left the H-D of Palm Beach team on the starting line as Chicago Joe lit the boards with a 7.501 at 191.46 mph to advance to the semis.

Meanwhile, Lehman's championship opponent, Streeter, watched in obvious disappointment for the team, but the race must go on. For Streeter, his upcoming match with Pro Fuel newcomer, John Breckenridge would decide his fate in the standings.

The pair left the line with nearly identical reaction times but Streeter prevailed with a 6.843 at 196.70 mph over the 7.128 at 171.60 mph from Breckenridge.

Heading to the semis with a second national championship and the Eastern division title in hand, Streeter faced #2 qualifier Jay Turner, who got out first with a .037 and scored a 6.742 at 201.19 mph to beat the newly crowned champ's 7.126 at 169.07 mph.

On the other side, #9 qualifier Chicago Joe advanced over #4 qualifier Pat Fenderson to earn a spot in the final round against Turner. (Fenderson earned the Western Division title.) In the final, Chicago Joe's "Trust Me Racing" ride got the hole shot advantage (.091) to a .153 from Turner, but Turner made up the difference and took the win with a 6.844 at 168.39 mph against a 7.238 at 195.73 mph from Chicago Joe.

JIMS Pro Fuel Champion - Streeter

JIMS Pro Fuel - Streeter

JIMS Pro Fuel winner - Turner

S & S Pro Stock

Dale Raudenbush of Old Zionsville, PA, entered Vegas as the incoming 2005 national and Eastern divisional champ after a successful year on the Stan Sawyer-tuned bike gave him an early cushion in the standings. He finished the qualifying session in the top position (in a small field of four) with a 7.472 best heading into Sunday's show

Eliminations: The opening round paired Raudenbush with Stan Sheppard of Castro Valley, CA, the #4 qualifier. Sheppard nailed a near-perfect light (.005) and never looked back as he clocked a 7.956 at 159.14 mph while the champ was coasting with problems.

In the other pairing, Mark Biernbaum of Billings, MT, advanced with a 8.016 at 161.90 mph over Scott Pollecheck's 8.142 at 132.27 mph for a spot in the finals with Sheppard. A neck-and-neck final found Sheppard getting out with a .052 to a near match of .053 from Biernbaum. It was a race to the stripe as Sheppard edged him out with an 8.078 at 154.35 mph to an 8.093 at 162.74 mph from Biernbaum.

Sheppard grabbed a first S & S Pro Stock win and the Western divisional championship title at The Strip.

S & S Pro Stock Champion - Raudenbush

S & S Pro Stock - Raudenbush

S & S Pro Stock winner - Sheppard

S & S Pro Gas Champion & Winner - Lozano

S & S Pro Gas - Lozano

Kresto Pro Drag Champion - Schmidt

Kresto Pro Drag - Schmidt

Kresto Pro Drag Winner - Breckenridge

Samson Pro Modified Champion - Pippin

Samson Pro Modified - Pippin

Samson Pro Modified Winner - Venia

G2 Street Pro

Travis Lummus of Waynesville, NC, held the Street Pro championship title for four consecutive seasons before Joe Sternotti interrupted it in 2004. Lummus, however, recaptured his #1 plate with enough marks at mid-season to solidly put him out front. He elected to enjoy the Vegas event from the grandstands, leaving the Gene Lummus-JIMS championship bike at home.

With the #1 plate claimed, the focus shifted to the #2 title with Zach Johnson and Jeff King making up the pair in contention.

Johnson, of Germanton, NC, entered Vegas with the slight advantage and would need to outperform Jeff King of Muscatine, IA, to hold on. Qualifying brought forth Andy Simon of Fairlessville, PA. Simon, who had competed at only a pair of races during the season, grabbed the #1 position (9.015 at 149.50 mph) from the favored Johnson and King who qualified second and third, respectively.

Eliminations: All three competitors got the job done in round one. In round two, Simon landed a bye that secured his spot in the final. Johnson was paired with King for the #2 plate decider round.

King got the early advantage with a .049 light to a slower .257 from Johnson, but Johnson closed the margin with a 9.031 at 149.23 mph (his best of the weekend) to a 9.362 at 146.45 mph lap from King. Johnson secured the #2 plate for the Kendall Johnson Custom team with the round win.

He was then defeated in the final when his 9.162 at 149.02 mph pass wasn't enough for Simon's best of the meet-8.995 at 150.21 mph.

G2 Street Pro Champion - Lummus

G2 Street Pro Winner - Simon

S & S 124 Challenge

Joe Sternotti of Blackwood, NJ, and Michael Ray of Memphis, TN, traveled to Vegas with the championship title up for grabs between them. Sternotti had the early advantage with the top qualifying spot on Saturday with Ray in the second position.

Eliminations: Both riders advanced easily enough to the semis where Ray drew a bye run that landed him in the final. Sternotti, on the other hand, was upset by a hole shot from his opponent-Robbie McCaa (Anaheim, CA), who scored a .147, 10.146 at 135.17 mph to defeat the .280,10.062 at 139.06 mph from Sternotti.

Sternotti's loss gave Ray the championship prior to his eventual win over a red-lighting McCaa in the final round.

Sternotti finished the season at #2 in the national standings and first in the Eastern divisional standings. Rod Cavanaugh of Willits, CA, took home the Western divisional title.

S & S 124 Challenge Champion - Ray

S & S 124 Challenge - Ray

Drag Masters Hot Street

Mike Roberts of Akron, OH, was confirmed as the '05 champ both nationally and on the East side before competing in Vegas. Dan Norlin of Aurora, CO, was also secured early as the #2 finisher nationally and #1 on the Western front.

The #1 and #2 contenders maintained those positions until the end, when they met for the Hot Street final at The Strip. The champ, Roberts, finished ahead with a 10.402 at 128.25 mph to a quick light (.008) that slowed to a 12.335 at 122.90 mph runner-up finish for Norlin.

Drag Masters Hot Street Champion & Winner - Roberts

Drag Masters Hot Street - Roberts

Screamin' Eagle V-Rod

Ditto the Hot Street outcome as Jamie McNaughton of Milwaukee, WI, and Larry Edmondson, Jr. of Battleground, IN, entered Vegas locked in the #1 and #2 positions in the national standings.

McNaughton, the '05 national and Eastern champ, met Edmondson in the Vegas finale in a charge down the track that resulted in a win for McNaughton at 9.546 at 139.34 mph to Edmondson's 9.690 at 138.47 mph.

Terry Vaughan of Phoenix, AZ, was awarded the Western divisional title.

Screamin' Eagle V-Rod Champion & Winner - McNaughton

Screamin' Eagle V-Rod - McNaughton

Rucker Performance Super Gas

Brett DeGood of Mt. Top, PA, was locked in as national and Eastern divisional champion prior to his Vegas showing and gave it a true championship shot at taking the Vegas win as well. He met Tripp Nobles of Macon, GA, in the final lap of the weekend, where Nobles rode past a tough DeGood for the win. Nobles competed on the newly released V-Rod Destroyer and landed a 9.841 over DeGood's 10.072 against a 9.70 index for the win.

Greg Krenik of Placitas, NM, finished the season on top of the Western division standings.

Rucker Performance Super Gas Champion - DeGood

Rucker Performance Super Gas Winner - Nobles

SYN 3 ET Champion - DeGood

SYN 3 ET Winner - Nobles

S & S Super Sport Champion - Holliday

S & S Super Sport Winner - Boyd

Screamin' Eagle Performance

Forty bikes competed for a spot in the 32-bike field in the 11.50 index action. Charlie Walker of Brandon, MS, and Robert McConnell of Greenwood, LA, were the last pair standing in the finals when McConnell nailed a near-perfect 11.501 for the win.

In the championship standings, Wayne Pugh of Rio Rancho, NM, was crowned the Western divisional champion and Bill Draffin of Tampa, FL scored the Eastern Division title.

Donnie Huffman of Lakeland, FL, entered the event with the 2005 national title secured after two consecutive years as the "bridesmaid," but he also had his eye on a double championship that was yet to be determined.

Performance Corner Super Eliminator

Huffman and Greg Kuypers of Bradenton, FL, would battle it out for the title. Huffman held the '04 championship and stood to take a second consecutive title along with the double championship 2005 finish.

Understandably anxious, Huffman jumped early in round two against Paul Garibaldi of Rocklin, CA, and was finished for the weekend. He was forced to watch and wait for the outcome as Kuypers advanced all the way to the finals and defeated Tommy Loredo of San Jose, CA.

It wouldn't be until the numbers were tabulated in the wee hours that the outcome fell in Huffman's favor, as he escaped with a 4-point advantage for the 2005 championship title.

Kuypers finished first in the Eastern divisional standings and Mike Friberg of Wellington, CO, captured the Western divisional title.

Screamin' Eagle Performance and Performance Corner Super Eliminator Champion - DeGood

Screamin' Eagle Performance Winner - McConnell

The Wrap

The 2005 Screamin' Eagle Performance Parts National Championship Points Series proved to be one of the best on record for both AHDRA and fans alike.

Adding anticipated excitement to the JIMS Las Vegas Nationals presented by Barnett Clutches was the annual Screamin' Eagle High Stakes Shoot Out. One hundred competitors made up the field that competed for a $15,000 purse. Making the cut for the final was Tripp Nobles in his third final-round appearance of the weekend on the V-rod Destroyer. He took on Gary Moreno in the "dash for cash" finale that netted Moreno the win and the $12,000 top prize, while Nobles who took home the $3,000 consolation prize.

There is more coming on the JIMS Las Vegas Nationals presented by Barnett Clutches in an upcoming issue of AHDRA's official publication, Speed magazine.

For information on the 2006 Screamin' Eagle Performance Parts National Points Series, please log on to www.ahdra.com for the latest news.

Screamin' Eagle High Stakes Shoot Out Winner - Moreno

Screamin' Eagle High Stakes Shoot Out Winner - Moreno

Screamin' Eagle High Stakes Shoot Out Runner-Up - Nobles