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PHOTO GALLERY: Pacific Division 7 Racers Shine at Sonoma Raceway

Tom Macht photos

he NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Pacific Division 7 took center stage at Sonoma Raceway this week as competitors battled under sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 70s. Outstanding track preparation and ideal weather conditions produced competitive racing throughout eliminations on one of the premier facilities in the division.

Kevin Carter of Surprise, Arizona, captured the Competition Eliminator title, defeating Westminster, Colorado’s Cali Neff in the final round. Neff also secured the event’s No. 1 qualifying position.

Ryan McClanahan of San Bernardino, California, earned the Super Stock victory over Brentwood’s Jim Grossi, while Jimmy Defrank of Thousand Oaks, California, drove to the Stock Eliminator title with a final-round victory over Brian McClanahan.

Trey Vetter of Henderson, Nevada, claimed the Super Comp win after defeating Petaluma, California’s Marko Perivolaris. Perivolaris rebounded later in the weekend to capture the Super Gas title with a final-round victory over Kevin Griffiths, giving the Northern California racer both a victory and a runner-up finish during the event.

Andrew Olson of Sacramento, California, raced to the Super Street victory over Riverside’s Michael Boner, while Donald Meziere of Escondido, California, earned the Top Sportsman title with a final-round win over Utah’s Ed Olpin.

Chad Axford of Portland, Tennessee, piloted his Mullis dragster to the Top Dragster victory over Brian Hough, while Sacramento’s Michael O’Neil rounded out the list of winners with a Sportsman Motorcycle triumph over Fresno’s Mark Avila.

With excellent weather, a well-prepared racing surface, and competitive fields across the sportsman categories, Sonoma Raceway once again delivered an outstanding weekend of NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competition as racers continued their chase for Pacific Division 7 championship points.

Up Next: The 38th annual DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge begins Friday at Sonoma Raceway, featuring the stars of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series along with Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series sportsman competition.

This story was originally published on July 17, 2026. Drag Illustrated

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