Bartone Bros. Racing and driver Sean Bellemeur swept the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals Stampede of Speed at the Texas Motorplex this weekend.
. NHRA Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Funny Car National Champions – Friday
JEGS Allstars Winners – Saturday
WALLY National Win – Sunday
HAT TRICK
SWEEP!
On Friday, driver Sean Bellemeur accepted his fourth NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Top Alcohol Funny Car National Championship Wally on the strength of the team’s six national event wins backed up by three regional victories so far this season.
On Saturday the Killer B’s backed-up their JEGS Allstars win from last year by beating Chris Foster with a time of 5.47 and 268 MPH.
Still focused on the national prize on Sunday, Bellemeur kept his poise and put Chris Foster on the trailer in the semis with a run of 5.49 and 267 MPH. In the final, he lined-up against Chris Hough who go out on the Pirate Ship, but the Tony Bartone-owned and Steve Boggs-tuned machine drove around him to run a 5.49 and 266 MPH to take the Wally. Bartone Bros. Racing won everything there was to win in Top Alcohol Funny Car in the Lone Star State this weekend. The win was Bellemeur’s 42nd national win.
“With the competition the way it was here I didn’t fully expect to sweep the weekend,” Bellemeur said. “It is nearly impossible to accomplish what we did here in Texas. What Steve and the guys did was amazing!
“This team has been champions before. They know what it takes and just to focus on the next run. Just look at the next run is what we kept saying. If all of us are on A-game, we’re tough to beat.
“Other than Q1, we made eight runs in a row that were low ET or second. We never went slower than 5.49. Absolutely phenomenal. Heat of day, Steve had no fear. He just kept telling me to keep driving it. I did, he did, we did, and we won it.”
Dallas is a special place for Bellemeur.
“Dallas draws the best crowds and the best teams,” he continued. “The Top Alcohol Funny Car field was nuts; you go 5.59 and don’t qualify. We knew we had to bring it. Steve Boggs and the Killer B’s just brought it today. Steve Boggs is almost 81 years old and everyone on the planet is scared of him, including me. He said this baby is hot, it may blow up, but don’t baby it and we drove it to the win. What a weekend for Bartone Bros. Racing!
“This Tony Bartone led team with Steve Boggs, Troy Green, Nick Stoms, Justin Taylor, Garret Bateman, Seth Shebester, Matt Krebs, and Lauren McMaster are the best in the business and make this Pirate Ship go.”
Bartone Bros. Racing 2024 Top Alcohol Funny Car Wins:
· WON NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (national)
· WON NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX DRAGWAY (national)
· WON 18th Annual University Hospitals Cavalcade of Stars presented by Budweiser at Summit Motorsports Park, set TAFC track record with a pass of 5.393 and 269 MPH (regional)
· WON 18th Annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park (national)
· WON JEGS SPEEDWeek NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at National Trail Raceway (regional)
· WON Cornwell Tools Night Under Fire at Summit Motorsports Park (regional)
· WON 70th TOYOTA NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (national)
· WON NHRA Carolina Nationals run at zMAX DRAGWAY (national)
· CROWNED NHRA North Central Region Top Alcohol Funny Car Champions
· CROWNED NHRA Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Funny Car National Champion
· WON JEGS Allstars at Texas Motorplex
· WON Texas NHRA Fall Nationals Stampede of Speed at the Texas Motorplex (national)
The team will celebrate and prepare to travel to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals to run Oct. 31-Nov. 3.
The team would like to thank team sponsors Red Line Synthetic Oil, Roger Dean Chevrolet, Talon Air, LLC, NGK Spark Plugs, and Mastercam along with product sponsors Simpson Performance Products and Taylor Motorsports Products.
This story was originally published on October 14, 2024.