HARRIS, BATEMAN LEAD NHRA HOT ROT HERITAGE SERIES CHAMPIONS

GLENDORA, Ca. – The NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series put a close to the 2009 Season with the running of the California Hot Rod Reunion presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California with Brett Harris and Garrett Bateman taking the Season Championships in Nostalgia Top Fuel and Nostalgia Funny Car respectively.

            Harris, Kaysville, Utah, came into the event trailing Rick White, San Diego, Calif., by 59 points but when White failed to qualify, it left the door open for Harris.  Harris qualified No. 1 and beat Mike Chrisman and Brad Thompson in rounds one and two before loosing to Troy Green in a semifinal match up.  Advancing to the semis gave Harris 78 points to add to his total which moved him past White for the championship.  White finished second, nine points back.

            The Nostalgia Funny Car chase was between teammates Garrett Bateman, Tacoma, Wash., and Bucky Austin, Fife, Wash.,  Both qualified well with Bateman on top and Austin in the No. 3 position.  Round 1 saw upsets in three of the four match ups with both Bateman and Austin suffering mechanical problems and dropping out of competition early.   Bateman held on with a 26 point lead to take the championship and team bragging rights for the year with Austin holding on to the No. 2 spot.

            Bud Hammer, Oxnard, Calif., clinched the Jr. Fuel Championship at the last race back in July with a win at the Fremont Reunion in Sacramento.  That win marked Hammer’s third of the season and fourth final round.  He followed up at the Hot Rod Reunion with another final round appearance but fell short of the win to Bob Lander of Sebastopol, Calif.  Don Enriquez, Mission View, Calif., finished second in points advancing to the semifinals of the Reunion.

            Kin Bates of Anderson, Calif., came in to the event having all but the championship wrapped up in A/Fuel, basically needing just to qualify as Bill Wayne, Bull Head City, Ariz., sat in second 106 points behind.  Bates qualified No. 5 giving him the championship then went on to a round 1 win over Jeremy Sullivan, Riverside, Calif.  Wayne got the best of Bates in the semifinals and went on to win the race and finish second in the points standings.

            In AA/Gas it was Sean Renteria, Hollister, Calif., leading the points with one win in three final rounds.  No. 2 in points, Mike Lenard, Pleasanton, Calif., was the only one that could catch Renteria but with a loss in round 1, it ended Lenard’s hopes and gave the championship to Renteria.

            The final championship would not be decided until the final round of the 7.0 Pro class.  Mike Cross, Culver City, Calif., held a 72 point lead prior to the event but failed to qualify opening the door for Bob Murphy and Will Martin.  Murphy went out in round 2 dropping him out of contention but Martin, San Dimas, Calif., who had to win the event, marched through eliminations and into a final round match up with Joey Steckler.  Martin saved his best run of the day posting a 7.083 second run at 187.65 mph to take the win and the championship by just one point.  Cross finished the year in second with one win.

            Other NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series Champions that were crowned earlier in the year included Austin Frye, Taft, Calif., in NE I; Doug Davenport, Las Vegas, in NE II, Lindsey Lister, San Pedro, Calif., in NE III; Rob Patten , Tracey, Calif., in A/Gas; Jim Teague, Sanger, Calif., in B/Gas; Nick Kendrick, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., in C/Gas; Mike Williams, Bakersfield, Calif., in D/Gas; and Billy Teague (Jim’s brother), Reedley, Calif., in Hot Rod Eliminator.