AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals

When:	Back to Calendar September 27, 2013 – September 29, 2013 (all-day)
		✔ Add to Calendar Add to Google Calendar
Cost:	Visit the Tickets Section of gatewaymsp.com
Contact:	618.215.8888
Categories:	Drag Racing Events

If you were not at Gateway Motorsports Park to hear the THUNDER this year, be sure you make it September 27–29 2013 to see the LIGHTNING strike!  Antron Brown raced to his sixth Top Fuel victory of the season Sunday, September 30 2012 at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park.  Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners of the event, the first race for NHRA in the St. Louis area in over two years.

Brown defeated championship rival Spencer Massey in the final round and moved 21 points ahead of Massey. Brown, who battled side-by-side with Massey all weekend, took the victory with a final round performance of 3.766 seconds at 325.22 mph in his Matco Tools/Aaron’s dragster, while Massey trailed with a 3.812 at 324.05 in his FRAM/Prestone dragster. Brown beat Bruce Litton, Steve Torrence and Brandon Bernstein in early rounds before unleashing his quickest run of the day in the final against Massey.

Beckman moved to within 30 points of Funny Car points leader Ron Capps by racing to his third victory of the season. He took the final round win in his Valvoline NextGen Dodge Charger over Matt Hagan, in his DieHard Dodge Charger.

In Pro Stock, Enders earned her fourth victory of the season and first ever in the playoffs by using a reaction time advantage to defeat series points leader Allen Johnson in the final round. She powered her GK Motorsports Chevy Cobalt to a 6.540 at 211.79 to finish just inches in front of Johnson’s Team Mopar Dodge Avenger, who posted a quicker, but losing run of 6.538 at 212.13.

Krawiec claimed his seventh Pro Stock Motorcycle victory of the season and increased his points lead to 33 over his final round opponent and teammate, Andrew Hines. Krawiec took his 18th career victory when Hines fouled on his identically-prepared Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson.

Krawiec took three of his round wins via red-light starts by his opponents, including his first round win over Steve Johnson and second round win over Chip Ellis. Krawiec used a strong performance on his Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson to outrun Hector Arana Sr.’s Lucas Oil Buell in the semifinals.

Coughlin outran Danny Rowe in the final round to score his first career victory in the high-horsepower doorslammer category and move to third in the points standings with only one race remaining in the NHRA Pro Mod season. Coughlin powered his turbocharged JEGS.com ’68 Camaro to a final round performance of 5.873 seconds at 257.58 mph to take the victory over Rowe.