6/9/2018
RacinBoys
Speer roars to Top Fuel Hydro triumph - and nearly doubles up - at Haas Memorial on Lake Lucas
By Lyndal Scranton (Wheatland, MO) -- Tyler Speer says Lucas Oil Speedway always will be a special place because it's where he received his license to run a Pro Modified boat in 2014 and a Top Fuel Hydro two years later.
So the 27-year-old Speer found it perfectly fitting on Saturday when he enjoyed the best day of his Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series career, as the 7th annual John Haas Memorial Drag Boat Classic wrapped up on "Lake Lucas."
Speer, of Woodstock, Georgia, captured his first career Top Fuel Hydro victory when he piloted Shockwave to a narrow victory over Mike Robbins in Nitro Nuts. Speer covered the 875-feet in 3.252 seconds at 227 miles-per-hour with Robbins at 3.3156 at 215.7142.
A few minutes later, Speer nearly scored a rare drag-boat double. His Georgia Outlaw was nipped for Pro Outlaw honors by Jim Richards in Alka-Hauler.
"To get one of them into the final, we were happy," a smiling Speer said. "To get both of them into the finals, we were pushing hard to get the round win in Pro Outlaw. But it was definitely a good points day, regardless if we got that win or not.
"Out here, when you get two boats into the finals, it's pretty awesome."
Speer marveled at the consistency of the Top Fuel boat over the two-day event, with elapsed times consistently between 3.2 and 3.3 both Friday and Saturday. He had a 233.44 pass in Friday's qualifying and that stood up throughout the weekend, for the Top Fuel speed record for the 875-foot course.
"We knew had to lay it down," he said of going up against Robbins and the Nitro Nuts team. Robbins had a 230.8764 miles-per-hour run in his semifinal round victory over Jarrett Silvey in Speed Sports.
"I couldn't be happier with all these guys on the crew," Speer added. "That boat takes so many people, mom and dad, Bob and Sue Montgomery. So many people back in the shop that help out. It's a big organization.
"To finally get our first win in Top Fuel is huge. Last year in Phoenix we were so close. Man, I thought we got it until the very end. To actually take home the win, especially here at Wheatland where we got licensed, it's pretty sweet."
The Pro Outlaw final saw Richards run a 5.3252 in Alka-Hauler to Speer's 5.3297 in Georgia Outlaw.
Other winners in the Pro divisions on Saturday were Travis Tutle in Short Fuse (Top Alcohol Hydro), Bill Miller in Party to the Max (Top Alcohol Flat), Shawn Reed in Top Secret (Pro Mod) and David Schmidt in Just Another Quickie (Pro Eliminator).
The Lucas Oil Drag Boat Series is back in action June 23-24 with the Craig Partusch Memorial Showdown in San Angelo, Texas. The series returns to Lucas Oil Speedway Aug. 31-Sept. 2 for the 8th annual Diamond Drag Boat Nationals.
7th annual John Haas Memorial Drag Boat Classic finals results
TOP FUEL HYDRO
Winner: SHOCKWAVE TYLER SPEER, WOODSTOCK, GA BOB MONTGOMERY, SPRING CITY, TN 3.2548, 227.0799 (0.1355)
Runner Up: NITRO NUTS MIKE ROBBINS, YOUNGSVILLE, NC SAME 3.3156, 215.7142 (0.1079)
TOP ALCOHOL HYDRO
Winner: SHORT FUSE TRAVIS TUTLE, RIO VISTA TX 4.5191, 195.8167 (0.2515)
Runner Up: BLOWN CRAZY TOO JACOB SCHNEIDER, COLUMBIA, MO 4.6795, 190.1808 (0.1502)
TOP ALCOHOL FLAT/TFJ
Winner: PARTY TO THE MAX BILL MILLER, TAYLOR, TX MAX & LINDA DAVIS, MONTGOMERY, TX 5.4170, 153.3021 (0.1495)
Runner Up: HYDROPHOBIA DOUG DURNALL, EL DORADO, CA DONNY LABON, LIVERMORE, CA 6.0811, 133.1330 (0.3446)
PRO OUTLAW
Winner: ALKA-HAULER JIM RICHARDS, SILOAM SPRINGS, AR SAME 5.3252, 171.8128 (0.1519)
Runner Up: GEORGIA OUTLAW TYLER SPEER, WOODSTOCK, GA SAME 5.3297, 169.8617 (0.1580)
PRO MOD
Winner: TOP SECRET SHAWN REED, LAKE TAPPS,, WA SAME 5.7094, 145.2130 (0.0937)
Runner Up: THE PEARL ROBB BURKLIN, ROUND ROCK, TX SAME 5.8959, 147.6193 (0.4687)
QUICK ELIMINATOR
Winner: RED HOT ED ANDERSON, COLUMBIA, TN EDWARD ANDERSON, COLUMBIA, TN 6.0145, 140.4960 (0.1346)
Runner Up: PURE INSANITY ROCK GUTHRIE, CRUMP, TN SAME 6.3485, 134.1796 PRO ELIMINATOR
Winner: JUST ANOTHER QUICKIE DAVID SCHMIDT, SMITHTON, IL SAME 6.5374, 129.7538 (0.1764)
Runner Up: ON THE EDGE DARYL BUSBY, ST. LOUIS, MO SAME 6.7813, 132.7473 (0.0563)
TOP ELIMINATOR
Winner: ELECTRO FREEZE EXPRE G W GOFF, CATOOSA, OK SAME 7.1159, 116.0152 (0.1571)
Runner Up: BAD IDEA BILL DEL'VE, NEW PALESTINE, IN SAME 7.0588, 119.7776 (0.2358)
MODIFIED ELIMINATOR
Winner: KRAZY KRACKER BILL MILES, IMPERIAL, MO SAME 8.0992, 99.1332 (-0.1051)
Runner Up: RACING COLE TUTLE, RIO VISTA, TX TRAVIS TUTLE, RIO VISTA, TX 8.1696, 105.2024 (-0.1082)
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Winner: WET PICKLE GEORGE GIRTEN, SPRING GROVE, IL, 9.1102, 90.2609 (0.2100)
Runner Up: PHOENIX RACING GREG CONLEY, MAUD, TX SAME, 8.8884, 78.8282 (0.0419)
RIVER RACER
Winner: BLACKIE'S MAGIC GLENDON BOEHME, RIO MEDINA, TX SAME 10.4072, 72.2099 (0.1941)
Runner Up: \WEGERER'S WARRIOR HEATH TATE, FORT PAYNE,, AL SAME 10.7330, 78.9178 (-0.6370)
PERSONAL WATERCRAFT
Winner: ALL OR NOTHING CADE JANECEK, WYLIE, TX JAY JANECEK, WYLIE, TX 13.8796, 52.8569 (0.1727)
Runner Up: LITTLE OKIE JAKE STEPHENSON, SHAWNEE, OK RANDY BALL, SHAWNEE, OK, 13.8442, 52.9701 (-0.2009)
For ticket information on all events at Lucas Oil Speedway in 2018, contact admission director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-5984 or by email at nichole@LucasOilSpeedway.com. Fans also can go online to purchase tickets for any event on the 2018 schedule.
Complete Lucas Oil Speedway event information, archived stories, ticket information and 2018 schedule can be found by visiting http://www.LucasOilSpeedway.com.
Lucas Oil Speedway is located at Highways 83 and 54 in Wheatland, Missouri. A campground with shower and bathroom facilities is also available. With its entrance located just outside the pit gate this sprawling scenic camping facility will continue to enhance the racing experience at the Diamond of Dirt Tracks.
Click http://www.LucasOilSpeedway.com for more information and detailed directions to the speedway or call the Track Hotline at (417) 282-5984.
In addition, fans can get social with Lucas Oil Speedway by following @LucasSpeedway on Twitter, clicking "Like" at http://www.facebook.com/LucasOilSpeedway and on http;//www.youtube.com/LucasOilSpeedway
Submitted By: Kirk Elliott
