Wingard secures Chargers crown at Bullring; Gafforini, Meyer net titles

James Wingard said his primary goal entering the NASCAR All-American Series racing season was to have fun.

His level of joy reached an unexpected high Saturday night when he won the Chargers stock-car division championship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway's Bullring in only his third year of racing.

Other drivers winning NASCAR track titles were Scott Gafforini in Super Late Models and Pete Meyer in Bombers.

Wingard, 44, who carried a 13-point edge over Don Sargent into the 30-lap feature, took the lead on lap two and held off Sargent for his third win this season.

"I never thought about playing it safe," the North Las Vegas resident said. "Winning the race is the best way to win the championship."

Gafforini got his seventh win of the season to become the track's first three-time Super Late Models champ. He used a backup car after crashing his fastest one Friday in practice. Meyer won the Bombers championship by finishing sixth. Wade Pearson won the race.

Other feature winners were: Garrett Peterson and Nick Drake, USAC Focus Midgets; Brent Scheidmantle and C.J. Hulsey, Legends Cars; Wiley Timbrook, Thunder Cars; and Kayli Barker and Matt Emery, Bandoleros.

■ DRAG RACING -- Las Vegas Motor Speedway won the team title Sunday in the NHRA Pacific Division E.T. Bracket Finals, a day after Californians won four of five individual Race of Champions honors at LVMS. Race of Champions winners were: Steven Shearer (Exeter, Calif.), Super Pro; Steven Parrish (Richmond, Calif.), Pro; Ryan Mangus (Rialto, Calif.), Sportsman; Jay Thompson (Phoenix), Motorcycle; and Katelyn Whynaught (Oceanside, Calif.). ...

It will be announced today that the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event Oct. 27 to Oct. 30 at LVMS has been renamed the NHRA Big O Tires Nationals.