No. 1 qualifiers Megan Meyer and Sean Bellemeur cruised to Top Alcohol class victories today at the Keurig Dr Pepper Lone Star Nationals presented by Driven Automotive Protection at the Texas Motorplex. The pair of drivers were the first winners of a motorsports race in the state of Texas since every major sporting event was postponed or cancelled in early March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The South Central Lucas Oil Divisional event was able to be held after many weeks of conversation between the Texas Motorplex ownership team and Governor Greg Abbott’s office.
Meyer took out Buddy Domingue in the first round of Top Alcohol Dragster when she ran him down with a winning elapsed time of 5.318 seconds to his 5.387 seconds. Her run was the quickest pass of the first round and set up semifinal race with No. 4 qualifier James Stevens. In the semis Meyer was nearly perfect off the starting line with a .006 reaction time and combined that with the quickest run of eliminations, a 5.242 second pass. In the final round she avenged a first round upset loss by her sister Rachel to Dean Dubbin outrunning the racer from Little Falls, Minnesota to the victory. Her winning time of 5.198 seconds was the quickest of eliminations.
The Top Alcohol Funny Car Sean Bellemeur easily outran No. 8 qualifier Kyle Smith in the first round. Bellemeur never trailed in the race posting a winning elapsed time of 5.544 seconds to Smith’s improved 5.658 second run. The driver from Placentia, California was on top of his game in the semifinals jumping to a starting line advantage with a .013 reaction time and his quickest elapsed time of the event 5.355 seconds. In the final Bellemeur gave up lane choice to Annie Whiteley but he was able to get a narrow win with a 5.494 second elapsed time. Whiteley made her quickest pass of the weekend a solid 5.496 and made this final one of the best races of the event.
Earlier in the day in the final Top Alcohol Dragster qualifying session Rachel Meyer jumped to the top spot on her final run posting a pass at 5.240 seconds at 272.12 mph. Megan Meyer reclaimed the No. 1 qualifier in the next pair of dragsters with an event quickest and fastest run of 5.165 seconds at 277.32 mph. Sean Bellemeur held onto his No. 1 spot in Top Alcohol Funny Car with a stout 5.492 second at 267.27 mph run. It was the quickest and fastest fun of the weekend for the Funny Cars. He outpaced Annie Whiteley and Doug Gordon to hold the top three spots.
After the first day of qualifying, Megan Meyer and Sean Bellemeur sat atop the Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car fields, respectively. In the second session on Friday Meyer made the quickest pass of the session, 5.270 seconds at 275.45 mph and held on to the top qualifying spot in a crowded field of Top Alcohol Dragsters. Bellemeur improved over his first run of the day and leapt to the top spot with a 5.514 second pass at 265.90 mph.
On Saturday competitors in Top Alcohol Funny Car and Top Alcohol Dragster battled it out for a winner’s purse of $3,500 in prize money. In addition to the record cash purse drivers will earn valuable Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series points.
The following are Saturday’s final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, South Central Region Keurig Dr. Pepper Lone Star Nationals presented by Driven Automotive Protection:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:
ROUND ONE
7) Dean Dubbin, Little Falls, Minn., 5.416, 255.10 def. 2) Rachel Meyer, Mount Vernon, Mo., 5.472,
264.39
3) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., 5.338, 271.73 def. 6) Brandon Greco, Roscoe, Pa., 17.770,
39.36
1) Megan Meyer, Olathe, Kan., 5.318, 274.94 def. 8) Buddy Domingue, Port Neches, Texas,
5.387, 267.75
4) James Stevens, Gothenburg, Neb., 5.489, 259.71 def. 5) Mike Burns, Bisbee, Ariz.,
foul;
SEMI-FINALS
Dubbin, 5.389, 257.83 def. Samsel, left before tree activated
M. Meyer, 5.242, 279.79 def. Stevens, 5.332, 267.37;
FINALS
Megan Meyer, Olathe, Kan., 5.198, 279.15 def. Dean Dubbin, Little Falls, Minn., 5.500, 257.48.
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE
1) Sean Bellemeur, Placentia, Calif., ’17 Camaro, 5.544, 265.38 def. 8) Kyle Smith, Wichita, Kan.,
’10 Mustang, 5.658, 253.99
2) Annie Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., ’17 Camaro, 5.580, 267.11 def. 7) Steve Burck, Corpus
Christi, Texas, ’17 Camaro, 5.704, 259.76
3) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., ’20 Camaro, 5.594, 266.90 def. 6) Bryan Brown, Gainesville,
Texas, ’16 Camaro, 10.040, 91.45
4) Bob McCosh, Columbia, Mo., ’19 Camaro, 5.625, 260.81 def. 5) Ray Drew, Hales Corners, Wis., ’20
Mustang, 6.171, 196.59;
SEMI-FINALS
Whiteley, 5.516, 268.49 def. Gordon, 17.232, 65.53
Bellemeur, 5.535, 267.00 def. McCosh, 5.636, 258.52
FINALS
Sean Bellemeur, Placentia, Calif., ’17 Camaro, 5.494, 266.74 def. Annie Whiteley, Grand Junction,
Colo., ’17 Camaro, 5.496, 268.38.
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER B-FIELD
Brandon Greco wins the $1,500 B-race prize with the quickest pass.
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR B-FIELD
Steve Burck wins the $1,500 B-race prize with the quickest pass.
This story was originally published on May 24, 2020. 
