Fourth of July weekend at Lebanon Valley Dragway was a case of \u201cHot, hotter, hottest\u201d in more ways than one, with the Annual NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Regional happening. Report & Photos by Rob McCabe.<\/p>\n
After Mother Nature intervened on Thursday during test and tune, she graced us with beautiful, dry weather for Friday\u2019s qualifying. The performances were hot, with all three rounds of qualifying for the Alcohol and Injected Nitro Cars.<\/p>\n
Top alcohol dragster brought 8 of the East Coast\u2019s finest including a couple debuts in Anthony \u201cTater\u201d Troyer who stepped up from the Factory Stock Showdown to driving for Rich McPhillips & Megan Smith making her first appearance at the Valley almost 30 years since her mom Rhonda Hartman Smith match raced in Top Fuel during the \u201cTop Fuel Challenge\u201d shows in the mid-90s.<\/p>\n
But when it was all set & done, it was a pure showcase for Jackie Fricke driving for John Finke & Finke Equipment one of the sponsors of the Valley During the first session, Fricke set the tone off the bat by uncorking a track record 5.239 & making the first 280 mph run in TAD in the history of the Valley at 281.44 \u201cTater\u201d was second with a 5.317 268.58 followed by the quickest Blown car at #3 with Tom Fox with a 5.409 238.54 MPH run in the final Session after traction troubles in the first two sessions & then in 4th was 3rd generation racer Brett Winward with a 5.449 262.28 just four hundredths short of his best ET for the year.. Followed by \u201cNitro\u201d Joe Morrison driving for Tom Pickett made career best numbers in TAD with a 5.589 267.52 to position himself #5 Followed by \u201cBaby Gators\u201d winner John Ausherman in #6 with a 5.593 with a top speed of 263.64 & Megan Smith & Maple Grove Regional winner Richard Bourke struggled during the day to round out the field at #7 & #8.<\/p>\n
Top Alcohol Funny Car had four cars show up However 2 of them were high octane top 5 in the 2024 world points players making their LVD Debuts Phil Esz coming off of 2 consecutive regional wins at Maple Grove & Norwalk & a #1 Qualifying performance at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals last weekend at Norwalk & Bob McCosh making the trip from Missouri to give Esz some competition Rounding out the 4 to challenge the two titans was defending event champ Wayne Morris & Canadian Jeff McCulloch making his return to the Valley with his 99 Camaro in the sea of newer camaros.<\/p>\n
As predicted Esz & McCosh were at the top as McCosh was #1 after the first two sessions & Esz had to catch up after problems in the first session But in the final session Friday Evening Esz finally pulled through with a 5.541 at a Track Record 264.86 McCosh was second with a 5.580 261.08 Wayne Morris was 3rd when he ran 5.788 at 208.69 in the first session & had problems in the 2nd session causing him to skip the final session & Jeff McCulloch only ran the first session with a 6.252 202.34 before parking his Rodeck Chevy Alky burner for the rest of the afternoon.<\/p>\n
Comp had 11 cars on the property, with reigning division champion Joe Carnasciale as the #1 qualifier running .648 under (8.832) his 9.48 index in I\/SM at a speed of 152.33 MPH.<\/p>\n
Top Dragster and Top Sportsman this year ran to the 1\/8 mile, and even with the shorter distance, still put on a show over the span of two qualifying Sessions on Friday and one final session on Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n
In Top Dragster 34 competitors were jockeying for 32 qualifying spots for eliminations & 4 drivers were in the 3 second zone to the 1\/8 with 2016 Summernationals at Englishtown champ Scott Luken qualifying #1 with a 3.892 at a top speed of 185.13 & Marty Jones in second 1 thousandth behind with a 3.893 at a top speed of 186.25, local faves \u201cFast\u201d Freddy Perkins in 3rd living up to his nickname with a 3.904 with the Fastest Speed in all of TD Qualifying at 189.07 & Bill Russell in 4th with a 3.972 182.30 & the #32 bump spot of LVD Sunday regular Jamie Dymond at 4.484 155.96 driving his wife Stefanie\u2019s \u201cBaby Blown\u201d Dragster.<\/p>\n
21 Top Sportsman entries made the trip to the Valley with Dan Hill in his nitrous-assisted Camaro at #1 with a 4.289, with the Top Speed of Top Sportsman qualifying at 169.43.<\/p>\n
The fourth of July festivities was capped off in an equally hot way by Rich Hanna & Ernie Bogue getting to have their match race that was rescheduled from the rained out Night Of Fire Putting on their smoke & fire show & Rich in his First Strike Jet Funny Car getting the win over Bogue\u2019s Beast From The East Jet Dragster.<\/p>\n
Saturday had eliminations for the Alcohol classes, and the action was hotter, with temperatures rising too. The question was, \u201cHow will these teams be able to tackle the conditions?\u201d<\/p>\n
Round 1 would have a lot of action going on,, starting with the twotwo blown machines of Brett Winward and \u201cNitro\u201d Joe Morrison Both drivers gave a great race to kick off eliminations with Winward turning on the win light by picking up two hundredths on his qualifying time with a 5.428 262.68 still a couple hundredths shy & a couple MPH shy of his career bests \u201cNitro Joe\u201d would also make his career-best numbers going into the 40s, with a 5.448 269.25 in the loss Next was the lone Blown Vs Injected Nitro pairing with Tom Fox\u2019s Blown Alky burner Vs \u201cBaby Gators\u201d Champ John Ausherman Unfortunately for Fox,, the traction troubles reared their ugly heads, and Ausherman never looked back with a 5.701, 250.25 The last two pairs of Round 1 would be all Injected Nitro all the time First, it was the two drivers making their first LVD Appearances, going 1-on-1 with Anthony \u201cTater\u201d Troyer in his \u201cFendt Tractors\u201d machine versus Megan Smith The traction troubles bit both of them causing them to peddle a bit; but Smith was able to get a handle on it quicker than Troyer could & took the victory denying the McPhillips Team a chance to repeat albeit with a different driver from 2024 Smith won with a 6.119 at 264.08 giving up Lane choice to Ausherman in the semis The Final pair was a rematch of the Maple Grove Final with Jackie Fricke Vs Richard Bourke in the shocking #8 spot Bourke finally got a handle on the track However, Fricke was better off the line and continued her prime performance by running 5.328 279.28, securing Lane choice over Winward in the semis, while Bourke ran a losing 5.480 258.25.<\/p>\n
The semis started with the two from the bottom half of the eight cars with the #6 Ausherman Vs the #7 qualifier Megan Smith Just like Fox in round 1, Smith would encounter her traction troubles around half track & Ausherman ran a 5.795 240.23 to advance to the final Jackie Fricke would face Brett Winward next Winward\u2019s lone Blown combination was better off the line with his .040 Reaction time to Fricke\u2019s .062 Reaction Time. Still, Fricke used all her speed to get to the stripe first with a 5.360 279.80 to secure lane choice over Ausherman in the final. Winward ran 5.493 259.61 in his losing effort.<\/p>\n
Ausherman was hoping for one more swing of luck to go his way in facing Jackie Fricke in the final Ausherman was better off the line again, unfortunately it would not be enough to sustain his luck & Jackie Fricke finished a showcase weekend for the team with a 5.429 278.79 to win her 2nd Regional Wally in the 2025 Season as well as being the 3rd different regional winner in 2025.<\/p>\n
Top Alcohol Funny Cars started with Division 1 notable Wayne Morris facing #2 qualifier & Missouri native Bob McCosh McCosh would take the victory with a 5.547 at 262.45 McCosh would face the winner of the #1 Qualifier Phil Esz Vs the Ontario Canada Native Jeff McCulloch It would be Esz winning that with a 5.571 264.35 giving up lane choice to McCosh.<\/p>\n
The 2 Titans were in the final, Esz was better out of the gate & Parlayed it to victory with the Low ET of the event with a 5.532 tying the Track ET Record Matt Gill set in 2020 at 263.76 McCosh would take the runner up spot with his best run of the weekend; a 5.544 264.13.<\/p>\n
Sunday would be the day when all the rest of the Lucas Oil Classes would crown their champions under hot and humid summer conditions that still provided some of their own thrills.<\/p>\n
Comp Eliminator had a few racers succumb to Breakage & be unable to make eliminations When it was all set & done, the final pit #1 Qualifier Joe Carnasciale in his 5 Speed V6 I\/SM Cavalier vs Don Eckel in his small block Chevrolet V8 Powered C\/DA This year\u2019s NHRA New England Nationals Champ would go James Bond green at 007 RT & run 8.937 151.71 (.543 Under)to get himself a Wally on the divisional level Eckel would run 7.062 189.08 (.478 Under). Still, his .013 RT would make him the runner-up.<\/p>\n
In Top Dragster, out of the 32 Cars in Eliminations the final 2 were a pair of Blown cars with this year\u2019s Maple Grove Divisional champ Walt Zalak\u2019s Blown Dragster from the #17 qualifying spot Vs Lebanon Valley Dragway regular Jamie Dymond driving his wife Stefanie\u2019s \u201cBaby Blown\u201d Dragster from the #32 Spot Both drivers ran dead on their Dial ins. Still, Dymond was .017 on the tree & ran 4.551 on his 4.55 dial at153.89 to throw a .018 Package at Zalak\u2019s .028 RT & 4.296 on his 4.29 dial at a faster 166 78 to continue Dymond\u2019s success this year at The Valley after winning the most Recent Affordable CDL Learning Schools Top Dragster\/Top Sportsman event on 6\/22 in his own car.<\/p>\n
In Top Sportsman out of the 21 cars in eliminations, it came down to 2 classic automobiles on Nitrous in a Connecticut Vs Massachusetts match up with \u201cFast\u201d Freddy Perkins in his \u201cOld Faithful\u201d 69 Nova Vs Larry Willard in his 1957 Chevy Bell Air Perkins had the two tenths head start & his .018 RT to Willard\u2019s .071 RT was the difference that lead to Perkins winning another divisional Wally at Lebanon Valley (along with a couple bags of donuts for his multiple occasions of perfect reaction times during the weekend) & his 4th Career Lucas Oil Wally with a 4.935 on his 4.91 dial at 138.67 MPH to Willard\u2019s losing 4.701 on his 4.69 dial 148.25.<\/p>\n
The rest of the sportsman classes also had a lot of action in their finals.<\/p>\n
Super Stock had Justin Picillo driving the Eddie Bloom-owned, Farks SuperCars-built 1985 Pontiac Trans Am SS\/BS take the title from Greg Gay\u2019s 1980 Dodge Mirada GT\/LA It was Picillo\u2019s eighth Career Lucas Oil Divisional win.<\/p>\n
Stock Eliminator featured a battle of First Gen Camaros, with Massachusetts\u2019 John Gray in his 1969 Camaro AA\/SA facing off against New Jersey\u2019s Joe Lisa in his Black 1968 Camaro D\/SA. Unfortunately, Lisa had problems right off the line, and Gray was on his way to his 5th Lucas Oil Divisional Wally.<\/p>\n
Super Comp had two Pennsylvania natives in the final, with TC Smith vs. Joey Cambria. They both would have Identical .022 lights, but Smith, running 8.905 on the 8.90, got him his first career Lucas Oil Series Wally.<\/p>\n
Super Gas had Keith Mayers in his unique 1988 Spider Quadraf roadster take the win over top 5 finisher Charlie Kenopic from last year\u2019s Division 1, after Kenopic broke out by one thousandth under the 9.90 index.<\/p>\n
Super Street was about the ladies as Taylor Nobile in her 1999 Chevy S-10 facing Laura Leque\u2019s 1968 Nova Leque was better off the line, but she ran 10.885 on the 10.90 dial and gave the win to Nobile, securing the fifth Lucas Oil Title of Taylor\u2019s career and her first since becoming Taylor Nobile.<\/p>\n
The Junior Dragsters were also in action as it was Paige Doney taking the 6-10 Jr Class title, running 8.969 on Paige\u2019s 8.96 & a 0.021 RT to defeat Jayden Rogers.<\/p>\n
The 11-18 Jr Class was the Stalba Siblings, with Paul Stalba on one side and Tom Stalba on the other, and Paul\u2019s sister, Emily, on her side. Emily was better off the line, with a light of .026 to .038. Still, Paul would catch Emily at the stripe running 7.964 on his 7.96 Dial to get the Wally over Emily\u2019s 7.989 on her 7.97 dial.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n The post 2025 NHRA Lebanon Valley Divisional Recap<\/a> appeared first on Drag Racing List<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fourth of July weekend at Lebanon Valley Dragway was a case of \u201cHot, hotter, hottest\u201d in more ways than one, with the Annual NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Regional happening. Report & Photos by Rob McCabe. After Mother Nature intervened on Thursday during test and tune, she graced us with beautiful, dry weather for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-101634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101634"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101634\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}