TJ Pruitt
Appearing in the NHRA Summit Racing Series National Championship for the third time, Roy Hagadorn was able to finally break through and win the big event in Pomona, taking top honors in Super Pro Motorcycle. Joining Hagadorn as a national champion were Steve Sisko (Super Pro), Gerald Halle (Pro), and Bill Crutcher (Sportsman).
Hagadorn, the Division 2 representative, outlasted Division 4’s Brenda Kay for the Super Pro Motorcycle title. Veteran Division 1 driver Sisko defeated Division 2 runner Cliff Car in the Super Pro final. Halle, Division 7’s Pro champ, bested Division 5’s Dustin Moore to earn the Wally, and Division 2 champ Crutcher got around Division 1 ace Scott Smith for Sportsman honors.
The NHRA Summit National Championship is held in conjunction with the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona and features the 28 drivers who won divisional NHRA Summit Racing Series Finals events. Each of the 2014 national champions received $5,000, an NHRA Gold Card, a Wally, and a champion’s jacket. All qualifiers who attended the Pomona event were guaranteed a minimum of $3,500.
Summit Racing Equipment and NHRA kicked off the championship weekend with a dinner and banquet for all of the competitors at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum presented by Automobile Club of Southern California on Nov. 13. Competitors were welcomed by Summit’s Jim Greenleaf and Don Lower; NHRA’s Tom Compton, Peter Clifford, Graham Light, Gary Darcy, Linda Louie, Adriane Ridder, Geno Effler, Glen Cromwell, Josh Peterson, Glen Gray, Larry Fisher, John Siragusa, Dave Mohn, Rich Schaefer, Jay Hullinger, Trey Capps, Rob Park, Matt Levonas, and Mike Rice; and NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series drivers Greg Anderson, Jason Line, Tim Wilkerson, Eddie Krawiec, and Andrew Hines. NHRA’s Alan Reinhart was the event emcee.
At the ceremony, Anderson, Line, Wilkerson, Krawiec, and Hines assisted with the random drawing to determine qualifying positions for the event. The No. 1 driver on the ladder received a first-round bye, and pairs were made of the second and fifth drivers, third and sixth, and fourth and seventh.
