Faul's near double highlights JEGS Pacific SPORTSnationals

FONTANA, Calif. (Oct. 6) – Longtime NHRA sportsman racer Mark Faul turned in one of the best performances of his career when he claimed a win and a runner-up at the third annual JEGS Pacific SPORTSnationals at Auto Club Dragway at Fontana. Faul, of Tacoma, Wash., drove his Pontiac Grand Am to win in Super Stock when he defeated Bob Bales in the final round. A few minutes later, Faul returned to try and complete the historic double, but fell one round short when he was beaten by Dave Moreno of LaVerne, Calif., in the Stock final. Moreno, in a ’69 Ford Mustang, last won an NHRA national event title in 1985.

Joining Faul and Moreno as JEGS Pacific SPORTSnationals champions were Doug Lambeck (Comp Eliminator), Mike Ferderer (Super Comp), Ed DeStaute (Super Gas), Matt Blodgett (Super Street), Larry Scarth (Top Sportsman), and J.R. Leerkamp (Top Sportsman).

Lambeck, of Corona Del Mar, Calif., won his second-straight event and third of the 2008 season when he stopped Ross Wilson in the final round. Lambeck is on pace to finish among the points leaders in the Comp eliminator class.

Former national champion Ferderer, who hails from Buckley, Wash., entered the Fontana event as the current NHRA points leader in the Super Gas class but won in Super Comp when he defeated Chris Lindsay in the final round. Another former NHRA champion, DeStaute, of Rosemead, Calif., won his first national event title since the 2001 season when he beat Dan Beresford in the Super Gas final.

Scarth, the winner of the recent Lucas Oil Series event in Bakersfield, helped cement his place among the points leaders in Top Sportsman after driving his Chevy Cavalier to a final round win over Wayne Silva. Leerkamp, of Olympia, Wash., also helped increase his odds of winning the Division 6 Top Dragster title after beating Tom Yancer in the final.

The final rounds of the JEGS Pacific SPORTSnationals were originally scheduled to be completed on Sunday, Oct. 5, but were postponed until Monday morning following a weather related delay. The event, which is one of three JEGS-backed events held exclusively for competitors in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, attracted more than 400 competitors from all over the western United States. Additional JEGS SPORTSnationals events are held each year at No Problem Raceway Park in Belle Rose, La., and National Trail Raceway in Columbus, Ohio. All told, nearly 1,500 competitors participated in JEGS SPORTSnationals events in 2008.