Antron Brown and Erica Enders won NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championship titles in their respective categories Sunday at the NHRA Toyota Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) joined Enders as event winners at the penultimate playoff race in the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship.
Hines earned his fourth Pro Stock Motorcycle victory of the season and third in the Countdown, powering his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson past Jerry Savoie’s White Alligator Racing Suzuki in a final round with major title implications. With the win, Hines increased his series lead to 46 over the hard-charging Savoie. The championship in the two-wheel class will be decided at the Auto Club NHRA Finals in two weeks.
“The biggest thing was that final round battle between one and two in points,” Hines said. “We’ve been running neck and neck all weekend long. I was in damage control all day and I was lucky enough to turn on a few win lights. That final might’ve looked pressure packed, but I was calm and confident. I knew I needed a good race. The team was able to make the motorcycle go quicker in the final and we got the win.”
The 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship concludes Nov. 12-15 with the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (Calif.).
Final finish order (1-16) at the 15th annual NHRA Toyota Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race is the 23rd of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.
1. Andrew Hines; 2. Jerry Savoie; 3. LE Tonglet; 4. Hector Arana; 5. Eddie Krawiec; 6. Scotty Pollacheck; 7. Steve Johnson; 8. Mike Berry; 9. Karen Stoffer; 10. Chip Ellis; 11. Hector Arana Jr; 12. Matt Smith; 13. Jim Underdahl; 14. Freddie Camarena; 15. Michael Ray; 16. Shawn Gann.
ROUND ONE — Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.923, 193.07 def. Freddie Camarena, Suzuki, 7.065, 191.84; Hector Arana, Buell, 7.032, 191.67 def. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, foul; Mike Berry, Buell, 7.060, 188.31 def. Michael Ray, Buell, 7.092, 184.55; Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.973, 191.97 def. Jim Underdahl, Suzuki, 7.016, 191.54; Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.987, 190.81 def. Chip Ellis, Buell, 6.960, 192.36; LE Tonglet, Suzuki, 6.945, 192.96 def. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.970, 193.21; Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.965, 191.76 def. Shawn Gann, Buell, foul; Scotty Pollacheck, Buell, 6.966, 190.70 def. Matt Smith, 7.003, 190.32;
QUARTERFINALS — Savoie, 6.939, 193.60 def. Johnson, 7.011, 190.08; Arana, 7.051, 190.08 def. Berry, 18.023, 22.66; Hines, 6.964, 192.77 def. Pollacheck, 7.007, 190.70; Tonglet, 6.922, 193.79 def. Krawiec, 6.959, 192.93;
SEMIFINALS — Hines, 6.973, 191.92 def. Arana, 7.001, 191.54; Savoie, 6.906, 194.10 def. Tonglet, 6.980, 192.66;
FINAL — Hines, 6.920, 193.05 def. Savoie, foul.
Point standings
1. Andrew Hines, 2,534; 2. Jerry Savoie, 2,488; 3. Eddie Krawiec, 2,451; 4. Hector Arana Jr, 2,363; 5. Chip Ellis, 2,337; 6. Matt Smith, 2,329; 7. Karen Stoffer, 2,314; 8. Hector Arana, 2,291; 9. Jim Underdahl, 2,189; 10. Scotty Pollacheck, 2,160.