Sean O'Bannon- Topeka Wrap-up

O’Bannon reaches second national final in Topeka


TOPEKA, Kan. – In a rematch of last year’s final round, NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Sean O’Bannon and the Jack O’Bannon Racing/Forest River RV’s backed team logged their second career national event runner-up during this past weekend’s O’Reilly Summer Nationals at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kan. The showing moved him to sixth in national standings.

O’Bannon, 31, of Ontario, Calif., qualified his Jeff Lirones tuned ’08 Chevy Monte Carlo sixth in the field with a 5.691 second elapsed time at 256.11 mph. In round one, he defeated fellow West Coast racer Clint Thompson in a close race with a 5.706 at 255.82 mph, then saw Jay Payne foul out against him while he streaked to a 5.650 at 256.55 mph. He then took out upset-minded Chris Foster in the semifinals with a 5.696 at 253.56 mph to set up a rematch of last year’s final with Steve Harker.

O’Bannon grabbed the jump off the line, but slowed to a 5.722 at 253.37, which couldn’t hold off Harker’s 5.656 at 253.47 mph.

“We would have liked to get our first win, but this was a great weekend for our team,” said O’Bannon. “Jeff is really doing a great job with the tune-up. He’s turned the car into a bracket car, and the results are showing. The air kept getting worse as the day went on, so that’s part of the reason why we slowed. With the cars that were there, we definitely don’t have anything to hang our head about coming out with a runner-up. If we can keep doing what we’re doing and pick up a little here and there, our first win will come.”

“We’re very happy to make a strong showing and reach the finals for Forest River RV’s, Lubrication Engineers and Fontana Wood Products,” O’Bannon added.

The Jack O’Bannon Racing/Forest River RV’s team was originally scheduled to make the trip to Chicago to represent Division 6 in the Jeg’s Sportsman All-Stars event, but was forced to cancel the trip due to business commitments. The team’s next outing will be at the Division 7 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Top Gun Raceway in Fallon, Nev., Jun. 11-14. O’Bannon currently leads Division 7 standings.

To find out more about the Jack O'Bannon Racing Team, visit their website at www.JackOBannonRacing.com

To find out more about Jack O'Bannon Racing's quality partners, visit these websites:

www.ForestRiverInc.com - Find out more about America's largest producer of towable RV's and Cargo Trailers

www.LE-Inc.com - Lubrication Engineers - "Leaders in Lubrication"

***- Attached photo courtesy of Roger Richards, Competitionplus.com

Courtesy of Will Hanna