Tucson Dragway

Destroyer Category Features Ninth Different Winner of the Season
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. (Oct. 16, 2006) – Jay Turner is making a run for the Screamin' Eagle AHDRA Nitro Top Fuel Championship and Sunday just helped his cause. Turner took the trophy and valuable championship points, closing the gap between him and the only man who has more points than him so far this season – first place rider Mike Romine.

Turner rode his Mancuso Harley-Davidson to his third victory in four final rounds this season with a 6.323-second pass at 221.05. He beat Drums Brancaccio and the Team Latus Motors Harley-Davidson team with a 6.439 pass at 215.48. With just one race left, Turner and Vancil will have to battle it out at the season finale.

Doug Vancil just missed being in the final round for the fourth time this season. But he did set the national ET record in the semifinals. He rode his Vance & Hines Motorsports Harley-Davidson to a 6.236 pass at 218.62. In was all in vain, as Vancil lost the round on a holeshot to Turner. Vancil's .235 reaction time on the starting line cost him a trip the finals, losing to Turner's 6.310 at 217.35 with a .101 reaction.

Vancil did earn the No. 1 qualifier in Top Fuel nitro class with a 6.240 pass. Turner was fifth with a 6.447 while Bracaccio was sixth with a 6.490.

Michael Ray swept the Destroyer category this weekend, earning the No. 1 qualifying position and the victory. Ray earned his second Destroyer win of the season by beating Doug Horne in the final with a 9.139 pass at 137.92, topping Horne's 9.210 at 141.42.

Ray earned the top qualifier spot in the Destroyer category using a 9.085 pass. Horne was sixth with a 9.217.

Derek Christensen became the ninth different winner of the season in the SEP category. He earned his first victory of the season by beating Joey Talbott with an 11.467 run, topping Talbott's 11.455. Eleanor Walker was the No. 1 qualifier in the category with an 11.505 pass while Christensen (11.513) was third and Talbott (11.558) was 10th.

Shane Pendergrast took the win in the ET category for the first time this season, taking out Bill Rowe Jr. in the final. Pendergrast rode his Harley-Davidson to the victory with an 11.333 pass. Rowe fouled at the starting line.

The season finale of the Screamin' Eagle championship season will be held in Las Vegas at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The JIMS Las Vegas Nationals will take place Nov. 11-12. This will also be the site of the Screamin' Eagle Performance Parts Las Vegas High Stakes Shootout, Nov. 10-11. The Shootout is open to professional and novice riders with current AHDRA memberships and Harley-Davidson motorcycles that meet AHDRA technical and safety standards. The winner will grab a $12,000 purse while the runner-up will take home $3,000.