News Release

For Immediate Release: Sep 23, 2007

3rd Annual NHRA Oahe Speedway National Open

September 23, 2007

NHRA Super Class Racing returned to Oahe Speedway for the 3rd Annual National Open this past weekend.  Competition in Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street and a Stock/Super Stock Combo took place on a warm, breezy day at the speedway.  In the two previous runnings of the event, cold, rainy conditions hampered the completion of the race.  2007 was the exception, with warm, dry conditions.  Weather and track conditions contributed to the setting of two  Super Stock NHRA national records. during qualifying on Saturday.  Ron Roddel, Sioux Falls, SD, set the GT/MA record(reclaiming the record he set at Oahe in 2005 and held for nearly a year), and Dave Smith, Kearney, NE, took the GT/L record in his '66 Nova

Einar Matheson, SS/HA, Gillette, WY defeated Bob Sherwood, GT/BA, Sioux Falls, SD,  in the National Open Stock/Super Stock finals.  (Photo by Motor Race Images)

NHRA Stock/Super Stock Combo winner, Einar Matheson, Gillette, WY, took advantage of his first visit to Oahe Speedway to defeat Sioux Falls' SD's, Bob Sherwood, in the finals.  Matheson, driving his  SS/HA '66 Chevy II, utilized a great .006 light to stay ahead of Sherwood in the final.  Matheson, dialed in at 10.70, all day, consistently ran near his dial in.  Saturday's Aaron Koppien Memorial Stock/Super Stock Combo winner, Rod Neugabauer, Mitchell, grabbed a perfect light in his first round win over Bill Bogner, Belle Fourche, SD.  Sherwood paired up with  the C/SA  '69 Nova of Brian Grosz, Worthing, SD, in the first semi final pairing.  Grosz redlit, passing the win over to Sherwood's immaculate, GT/BA '04 Cavalier.   Mathison took the remaining semi match when Paul Anderson, Lewiston, MT,  fouled at the starting line in his classic SS/F '67 Camaro.  

Super Street Finals saw Rick Meier, Black Hawk, SD, far lane, defeat Dan Conlin, Williston, ND. (Photo by Motor Race Images)

NHRA Super Street eliminator went to  Rick Meier, Box Elder, SD, in a heads up battle between the number 1and 2 qualifiers. Dan Conlin, Williston, ND, number 1 qualifier, gave a .015 advantage in reaction time to Meier in the final.  Meier, running his '91 Corvette, grabbed a quick .011 reaction time and an ET only .003 off the 11.03 dial in  to put Conlin on the trailer.  Meier was unopposed in the semis and Conlin defeated 2007 Oahe Speedway Super Pro champion, Curt Hieb, Chamberlain, SD, in the other match of the round.

Dale Garber, Pierre, SD, near lane, out ran Bill Goldammer, Mitchell, SD in the National Open Super Gas Finals. (Photo by Motor Race Images)

NHRA Super Gas champion, Dale Garber, Pierre, SD, defeated Bill Goldammer, Mitchell, SD in the finals.  Garber, driving his colorful, "Kryptonite" '73 Challenger, left the line first and was never headed in the heads up 10.02 dial in race.  Goldammer's colorful, '96 Cutlass, chased Garber to the finish line to no avail.  Doug Legner, Black Hwk, SD, fouled away his chance at Goldammer in the semis.  With identical reaction times, Garber and Pat Conlin, Fairview, MT, battled to a race of numbers at the finish line.  Garber claimed a margin of victory of .006 seconds,  approximately 1.33 feet.  Goldammer cut a near perfect light, .001, in the first round,  defeating Ron Starkey, Rapid City, SD.

Tony Lemker, near lane, topped Devon Long, in the finals of Super Comp.

(Photo by Motor Race Images)

The NHRA  Super Comp title went to "Mr. September", Tony Lemker, Lake Park, IA.  Lemker continued his winning ways during his September visits to Oahe.   National Open weekends have been good for the Iowan, driving a self-designed chassis to victory at least once during each of the three Open weekends.  Devon Long, Mitchell, SD, went a bit too far under their heads up 9.01 dial, in the final against Lemker.  Lemker also went under the dial in, but managed to beat Long by the slimmest of margins, at .007 seconds. Long singled in to the finals and Lemker beat tow mate, Steve Swenson, Valley Springs, SD, in their semi final match when Swenson broke out. Swenson defeated 2006 National Open champion, Mark Potts, Gillette, WY, in the 3rd round. 

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