Dramatic Duo - NHRA Series Finals

NHRA's Sport Compact Racing Series finished off its fifth year at bi-coastal venues, with the Fall Nationals in Englishtown, NJ and the World Finals at Pomona, CA. In a season filled with record-breaks, motor-breaks, and heart-breaks, the series once again proved that "drag" drama doesn't only happen in West Hollywood. Prime example: bunking up with Jonny at SEMA. With the exception of any JDM Wong wardrobe malfunctions, NHRA and Sony kept the action on the track and upped the ante with hefty payouts for all class winners.

Englishtown NJ
With one event left, three titles-Pro FWD, Modified, and Hot Rod-were settled prematurely at the fourth annual Lucas Oil NHRA Fall nationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway in Englishtown, New Jersey.

In the Pro FWD class Ed Bergenholtz would go to win his first ever pro world championship in his Golden Eagle-sponsored Mazda6 by simply staging in his first round of elimination. Unsatisfied with the victory, Bergenholtz went on to line up against Marty Ladwig in his '05 Chevy Cobalt to run a winning 7.807 at 159.51 mph with his motor bursting into flames near the end of the track. Bergenholtz, with the prowess of a jungle cat, quickly hit the halon switch and put out the flames, walking away unharmed with his fifth event victory for the season.

For the Modified division, rookie Justin Humphreys ran a class-shattering 7.741 at 176.40 mph (backing up his earlier run of 7.71 at 176.40) in his RaceRedi Lexus GS 300 to take the category win. Still relatively new, Humphreys is confident that he can hump out quicker times next year once he dials in his new turbo setup.

In the Hot Rod group, Ron Lummus dug the spurs in his Garrett/ Bothwell Pontiac Sunfire's sides during an early round to gallop past the finish with a scorching 7.77 at 187.68 mph. This run set the current Hot Rod class record and his final run of 7.979 gained him the title, sealing a tremendous year filled with seven number one qualifying awards and five event victories.