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The final season of the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series produced some of the closest points battles in series history. One of the pro divisions even finished in a deadlock with a tie-breaking procedure needed to determine the champ.
Tyler Speer , a part time competitor in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, and Jim Richards both wound up with 1,896 points in Pro Outlaw following the General Tire World Finals earlier this month at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona. Speer, of Woodstock, Georgia, and his Georgia Outlaw wound up taking the championship by virtue of one event win and one second-place finish during the season.
Speer, who narrowly missed an unprecedented double championship after also contending for a Top Fuel Hydro title, lost in the opening round of eliminations in Pro Outlaw. Richards, in Alka-Hauler, made it to the semifinal round.
Richards had one event victory in 2018 but no second-place finishes and that gave the championship to Speer. Finishing just six points behind the pair was Shannon Beal in Split Decision 2.
The final season of the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series produced some of the closest points battles in series history. One of the pro divisions even finished in a deadlock with a tie-breaking procedure needed to determine the champ.
Tyler Speer and Jim Richards both wound up with 1,896 points in Pro Outlaw following the General Tire World Finals earlier this month at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona. Speer, of Woodstock, Georgia, and his Georgia Outlaw wound up taking the championship by virtue of one event win and one second-place finish during the season.
Speer, who narrowly missed an unprecedented double championship after also contending for a Top Fuel Hydro title, lost in the opening round of eliminations in Pro Outlaw. Richards, in Alka-Hauler, made it to the semifinal round.
Richards had one event victory in 2018 but no second-place finishes and that gave the championship to Speer. Finishing just six points behind the pair was Shannon Beal in Split Decision 2.
Champions will be crowned at the General Tire World Finals Presented by Lucas Oil, Nov. 2-4 at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona.
Pro division points chases remain up for grabs in several of the divisions with only Travis Tutle in Top Alcohol Hydro in total control headed to the World Finals. Tutle, in Short Fuse, has a 610-point lead over Rick Allen in Total Kaos.
The closest race is Pro Outlaw where Tyler Speer in Georgia Outlaw holds a narrow 14-point lead over Shannon Beal in Split Decision 2. It's also a tight race in Pro Modified as Robb Burklin in The Pearl is only 76 points in front of Shawn Reed in Top Secret. Mike Robbins in Nitro Nuts, riding two straight wins, has taken over the Top Fuel Hydro lead and takes a 121-point cushion over Speer in Shockwave into the finale. Bill Miller in Party to the Max has a 184-point lead over Tony Scarlata's Shazam in Top Alcohol Flat.
"We're looking forward to three greats days of racing in a fabulous setting," said Dan Robinson, Lucas Oil Director of Racing Operations for the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series. "It's always special to crown champions in the various divisions and watch the drivers and teams celebrate a season's worth of hard work.
"We also are giving the fans a great opportunity to enjoy the races in a unique way through the Top Eliminator Club and we're hopeful that many will take advantage of our packages that have been put together to make the weekend even more enjoyable."
Top Eliminator Club tickets can be purchased daily, or for all three days at a savings. The packages include event ticket, lunch, beverage vouchers, VIP parking, a souvenir merchandise bag and the best view of the racing in the house.
Club daily prices are $79 for the first day, $99 on Saturday and $99 for Sunday's final day. The three-day weekend package at $219 offers quite a savings for anyone planning to attend all three days. Tickets for both the Top Eliminator Club or regular admission can be purchased online.
Two rounds of qualifying are set for both Friday and Saturday, with eliminations on Sunday.
Lyndal Scranton
Lscranton755@gmail.com
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CHANDLER, Arizona (October 24, 2018)
"We're looking forward to an exciting finish to the 2018 season with Thunder on the River a big piece to the championship puzzle," said Dan Robinson, Director of Operations for the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series.
The points battles in the professional divisions find things especially tight in the Pro Mod class where Shawn Reed in "Top Secret" is just 28 points in front of Robb Burklin in "The Pearl." Here's a breakdown of the chases entering Thunder on the River:
Top Fuel Hydro
Tyler Speer, driving the Robert Montgomery boat "Shockwave," has a 106-point lead over Mike Robbins in "Nitro Nuts." Robbins closed the gap with a win last month at the Lucas Oil Diamond Drag Boat Nationals in Wheatland, Missouri, running Top Fuel Hydro-record 243.9502 miles per hour at 875-feet. Jarrett Silvey, driving Lou Osman's tradition-rich "Speed Sport" remains within striking distance 196 points out of the lead.
Top Alcohol Hydro
Travis Tutle in "Short Fuse" is having a season for the ages, winning three of four events in 2018 to build a 518-point lead over Rick Allen in "Total Kaos." Tutle saw his three-race winning streak come to an end at Wheatland, when Andy Reynolds pulled the upset in the finals in "Running With Scissors."
Top Alcohol Flat
Three drivers remain in title contention with Bill Miller in "Party to the Max" 90 points in front of multiple-time world champion Tony Scarlata in "Shazam" and Bill Diez in "War Party" who are tied for second. Diez, driving the Nancy Davis-owned vessel, put himself into contention with a final-round win at Wheatland.
Pro Outlaw
Along with leading the Top Fuel Hydro chase, Tyler Speer in his family owned "Georgia Outlaw" has a chance to make it a championship double as he's 112 points in front of Shannon Beal and "Split Decision 2." Continuing with the Wheatland trend, this division found an upset winner at Wheatland as Theresa Ward prevailed in "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot."
Pro Modifieds
Every point is going to be vital between the top two as Reed looks to keep his "Top Secret" in front of Burklin's "The Pearl" with just 28 points separating the duo. While she's 318 points behind Reed, third-place Shelby Ebert will be looking to pilot "Can't Touch This" to a second straight Pro Mod win after capturing the Wheatland finale.
For complete information on BlueWater Resort and Casino, including hotel accommodations, check out BlueWaterFun.com. Ticket info can be found at lucasoildragboats.com/tickets/thunderontheriver.
Lyndal Scranton
Lscranton755@gmail.com
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WHEATLAND, MO (October 3, 2018)
Early in his career, Woodstock native Tyler Speer has already shown he can hold his own in the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series, but this year, he has emerged as one of the top drivers in the world.
This season, Speer has positioned himself for a chance to win championships in two different divisions, leading the Top Fuel Hydro division by 106 points and leading the Pro Outlaw division by 112 points with two races to go.
“It’s been a crazy ride,” Speer said. “Obviously, you come into the season wanting to win, but we’ve had a lot of things break right for us this year. We just want to keep it going and finish it out.”
The pressure of trying to bring home a pair of titles will mount as the season comes to a close, but Speer does have experience closing out a championship season.
