The 2007 AHDRA Screamin’ Eagle Championship titles were given out Sunday at the season finale event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Doug Vancil won two events in four final round appearances to earn the Nitro Top Fuel championship. Vancil had a 33-point lead over Takeshi Shigematsu going into the season finale. Vancil beat Shigematsu in the second round, wrapping up the championship.
Vancil lost to Jay Turner in the semifinals, however, and Turner went on to win the race. Turner recorded a 6.485-second pass at 214.69 mph to beat Joey Sternotti’s 6.379 at 211.23. It was Sternotti’s third runner-up performance of the season.
L.E. Tonglet not only won the race – his ninth of the season – but the championship as well. The New Orleans native was a perfect 9-0 in Destroyer final rounds this season, including Sunday’s win. Because of a double foul from his potential final round opponents in the semifinal round, Tonglet had a single run for the event victory.
Greg Best beat Stan Sheppard in the Screamin’ Eagle Performance (SEP) category final round. Best earned his fourth victory with am 11.614 run at 109.64 to cover Sheppard’s 11.725 at 109.39.
Dan Norlin, however, won the SEP championship. It was a double-victory weekend for Norlin. He claimed the Screamin’ Eagle High Stakes Shootout victory as well as the championship. Norlin pocketed $12,000 for the Screamin’ Eagle High Stakes Shootout victory, beating Matt Bluett in the final.
Edward Golson earned his first win of the season in ET action, beating Wayne Pugh. Golson’s 11.794 at 110.93 netted him the victory over Pugh’s red light foul at the starting line.
Bob Drapp won the ET championship.
The next AHDRA event will the 2008 season opener on Feb. 29 – March 2 at Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Fl.