Hines and Stanfield set records
Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Andrew Hines and Pro Stock car driver Greg Stanfield each set qualifying marks in their respective classes Saturday for Sunday’s eliminations for the 13th annual O’Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway International Raceway in Madison.
Hines, 25 of Brownsburg, Ind., set a national elapsed time record of 6.860 seconds on his V-Rod breaking the old record of 6.865 set by Matt Smith on March 9 at Baytown, Texas. His speed was 192.14 miles per hour. Hines will face David Hope of Nevada, Mo. in the first round.
Greg Stanfield, 43 of Bossier City, La., broke the GIR track speed record of 209.39 mph set last year by defending race champion Kurt Johnson. Stanfield races Dave Northrup in the first round of eliminations, while Johnson and Steve Spiess battle in the first round.
Morgan Lucas won his first Top Fuel pole since 2005 when he stopped the 1,000-foot timer in 3.881 seconds at 307.02 mph. Lucas, 25 of Brownsburg, Ind, who won the NHRA’s last event in Commerce, Ga. two weeks ago, takes on Kevin Jones in the first round. Rod Fuller, who is not racing this season because of a lack of sponsorship, is the defending race champion.
Ron Capps, a three-time winner at GIR, will start from the top spot in the Funny Car class, after he captured his second pole of the season and ninth of his career. Capps, 43 of Carlsbad, Calif. who drives the NAPA Dodge Charger for Don Schumacher Racing, battles Terry Haddock in the first round. Defending race champion Tim Wilkerson of Springfield, Ill., qualified sixth and faces Mike Neff in the first round.

