By BRETT LYONS

Special to The Hays Daily News

GREAT BEND -- The NHRA West Central division will open the 2009 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series season April 24-26 at S.R.C.A. Dragstrip.

The Thunder on the Plains event is the first of six in the region and will feature drivers in eight categories, including 250 mph Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car. The division's Jerry Haas Race Cars Top Sportsman Series, West Central Division Top Dragster Series and the Sportsman Motorcycle Series presented by Harley Davidson will also run in conjunction with the event.

Gates at S.R.C.A. Dragstrip open at 7 a.m. each day. Qualifying and time trials start Friday at 10 a.m. and continue Saturday at 9 a.m. Racers in Top Sportsman, Top Dragster and Comp Eliminator will have two qualifying sessions on Friday and Saturday, at 1 and 4 p.m. both days. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car competitors will have one qualifying pass on Friday, at 5 p.m., and two on Saturday, at 2 and 5 p.m. Eliminations begin Sunday morning at 8. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car will run first round at noon.

Tickets for the Thunder on the Plains event are $10 Friday, $15 Saturday and $15 Sunday. A two-day ticket is $25 and a three-day pass is $35. Children's tickets are $10 each day. Kids 12 and under are admitted free.

S.R.C.A. Dragstrip is located at 455 W. Barton County Road, 2 ½ miles west of Great Bend on the old Air Force base. For more information visit www.SRCAdragstrip.com or call the track at (620) 792-5079.

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES: Fact Sheet

WHAT: Thunder on the Plains, a round of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, where drivers earn points leading to divisional and national championships. Categories include Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock Eliminator, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street. The event is the first of six in West Central Division competition. The division's Jerry Haas Race Cars Top Sportsman Series, West Central Division Top Dragster Series and the Sportsman Motorcycle Series presented by Harley Davidson will also run in conjunction with the event.

WHERE: S.R.C.A. Dragstrip, Great Bend, Kan. Track is located at 455 W. Barton County Rd.; 2 ½ miles west of Great Bend on the old Air Force base.

WHEN: Friday through Sunday, April 24-26, 2009

SCHEDULE: Time trials and qualifying schedule for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series:

FRIDAY, April 24 -- Gates open at 7 a.m. Qualifying and time trials begin at 10 a.m. Top Sportsman, Top Dragster and Comp Eliminator qualifying is scheduled at 1 and 4 p.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualifying sessions are scheduled at 5 p.m.

SATURDAY, April 25 -- Gates open at 7 a.m. Final qualifying and time trials are scheduled to begin at

9 a.m. Top Sportsman, Top Dragster and Comp Eliminator qualifying is scheduled at 1 and 4 p.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualifying sessions are scheduled at 2 and 5 p.m.

SUNDAY, April 26 -- Gates open at 7 a.m. Eliminations begin at 8 a.m. Eliminations for Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car begin at noon.

TICKETS: GENERAL ADMISSION/PIT PASS -- $10 Friday, $15 Saturday, $15 Sunday. A two-day ticket is $25 and a full-event pass is $35. Children 12 and under are admitted free and students with a valid ID receive a $5 discount each day. For more information please call S.R.C.A. Dragstrip, (785) 483-1980.

PURSE: The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competitors will vie for cash and contingency awards of $156,225, as well as a chance at a share of the year-end purse of more than $560,000.

2008 EVENT

WINNERS: Aaron Tatum, Top Alcohol Dragster; Jimmy Jones, Top Alcohol Funny Car; Lou Ficco Jr., Comp Eliminator; Bryan Chaney, Super Stock; Nick Seibert, Stock Eliminator; Gary Stinnett, Super Comp; Jeff Taylor, Super Gas; Jeremy Johnson, Super Street

BONUS

PROGRAMS: NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES POINTS FUND: a $561,000 point fund from Lucas Oil, which will be shared by 2009 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series divisional champions and national champions. Divisional awards include $8,500 each to the Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car champions; $3,000 to the champions in both Competition and Super Stock; $2,000 each to the champions in Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street. The seven national champions will share a bonus of $135,000.

AEROMOTIVE LOW QUALIFIER BONUS: A $3,000 bonus fund paid to the low qualifiers in Comp Eliminator, Super Stock and Stock Eliminator at each of the division's six races. The best qualifying driver in Comp Eliminator and Super Stock will each get $200 per event, while the best qualifier in Stock Eliminator will get $100 per race.

STINNETT AUTOMOTIVE LOW QUALIFIER BONUS: A $1,200 bonus fund paid to the low qualifiers in Top Sportsman and Top Dragster. The best qualifying driver in those classes will each get $100 per event.

JEGS ALLSTARS: The best of the best from each of NHRA's seven divisions will compete for a share of the $100,000 point fund from Jegs High Performance. The 2009 Jegs Allstars event will culminate a year-long points battle between drivers in each of NHRA's Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series' eight classes. The top points earner in each category will qualify to represent his/her division at the 2009 Jegs Allstars. Points are based on in-division races only.

The winning division's team will share $20,000 and individual awards include $7,000 each to the Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car champions, $6,000 to champions in Comp Eliminator and Super Stock, and $4,500 to the Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, andSuper Street champions. Runners-up in all categories will earn $2,000 apiece. Each Allstars competitor will also receive a share of a $20,000 towing fund to get to the event.

Event sponsor, Jegs High Performance, is offering a "double up" bonus to Jegs Allstars participants.

Any 2009 Jegs Allstars champion who also wins the national event will have his/her Allstars prize doubled.

JERRY HAAS RACE CARS TOP SPORTSMAN SERIES: The Jerry Haas Race Cars Top Sportsman Series, run in conjunction with the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, is an opportunity for competitors

in the West Central division's Top Sportsman class to earn points toward divisional championships. The $2,750 champions' purse posted by Jerry Haas Race Cars will be paid to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place points finishers.

West Central Division Top Dragster Series: The West Central Division Top Dragster Series, run in conjunction with the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, is an opportunity for competitors in the West Central division's Top Dragster class to earn points toward divisional championships. The $3,500 champions' purse will be paid to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place points finishers.

NHRA SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE SERIES presented by HARLEY DAVIDSON: The NHRA Sportsman Motorcycle Series presented by Harley Davidson, run in conjunction with the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, is an opportunity for competitors in NHRA's Sportsman Motorcycle class to earn points toward divisional championships. The $14,000 champions' purse posted by Harley Davidson will be paid to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place points finishers in NHRA divisions that host Sportsman Motorcycles.

FEATURES: More than 450 drivers in the eight racing categories. Eight-car fields in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car, featuring five-second, 260 mph side-by-side racing.