A/Fuel Rookie Meyer Races to Runner-Up Finish at St. Louis

A/Fuel Rookie Megan Meyer Races to Runner-Up Finish at St. Louis

ST. LOUIS (August 10, 2015) – A/Fuel rookie Megan Meyer had high expectations for her Top Alcohol Dragster competition debut at the All-American Hot Rod Showdown NHRA regional event at Gateway Motorsports Park. The second-generation driver qualified safely in the eight-car field and raced to a runner-up finish, competing against and beating some of the toughest cars in the North Central region.

Driving a car built by Chase Copeland and prepared by her father, Randy, Meyer started the weekend with a promising test session on Thursday. The Meyer Truck Center/Smart Chicken team, led by longtime Randy Meyer Racing crew chief Ted Lake, moved on to qualifying on Friday, narrowly avoiding a first-round race with the team car.

“With 11 cars entered for the race, I was a little concerned with how we would qualify since we were stacked up against some of the best Top Alcohol racers. When we smoked the tires during the first session, I was bummed but I knew my crew could turn the car around, and they did for the second session where we ran a quick 5.43. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to run my dad for the first round of eliminations, which we were paired up until he laid down the second-quickest pass of the night with his 5.33. Luckily, I didn’t have to run him as I sat in the sixth spot and he was moved up to second, and I had to face the third qualifier, Robin Samsel, for first round,” Megan said.

Megan won her match-up with Samsel with a 5.443 et at 261 mph. She left on Marty Thacker in the semifinals and ran 5.486 to get revenge on the defending North Central Region champion, who defeated Randy in the first round. Meyer left the starting line just two thousandths of a second behind Brandon Booher in the final round, but was unable to drive around the blown car in a 5.418-to-5.496 decision.

Meyer left a strong impression on the St. Louis fans and competitors, and more importantly gained valuable experience in her nitro-injected dragster.

“Although I have made quite a few passes with the A/Fueler, this weekend was the first time I had ever had another TAD car in the other lane. The thing that I was most concerned about this past weekend was getting in the groove of how to race the different types of Top Alcohol Dragsters that are in the field, and I had the chance to compete against all three in my first race. Fortunately, I have been around this sport for my entire life, and I’m well aware of all the sights, sounds, and smells that come with TAD racing, and I didn’t have any problems at all facing the injected cars, blown cars, and Brandon’s torque converter car. These racers are like family to me, they even watched me grow up and work my way up through the NHRA classes, and I couldn’t be happier to race against them,” Meyer offered.

Megan's younger sister, Rachel, also had a successful weekend. In addition to doing the clutch on Randy's car and helping with Megan's, Rachel managed to reach the third round in her Super Comp dragster.

Meyer was grateful for all of the support she received over the weekend, adding, “I had a great time at the track getting to meet new fans and having their support in addition to the support from racers. This weekend could not have been possible without the support from our team sponsors, and our hard-working crew guys who were able to stay up late and beat the heat to take our car to the final round.”

Next up for Megan Meyer and the Randy Meyer Racing drivers is the NHRA Lucas Oil Series Central Region event at RMR's home track, Heartland Park Topeka, August 13-15.

“I am so pumped to be racing at my home track in Topeka next weekend! It is going to be a blast with friends and family there to cheer on my dad and I, as well as Rachel in the Super Comp class. We are very excited for the upcoming race and hope to have all Randy Meyer Racing dragsters in the finals. We have some of the quickest A/Fuel cars in the region, and I’m positive we will be able to have the outcome we predict.”

ABOUT MEGAN MEYER
No stranger to a life in the fast lane, Megan Meyer grew up around the sport of drag racing. In 2004, at just 10 years of age, she was given the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Junior Dragster, alongside her younger sister, and took over the driving duties with no hesitations. Megan stepped up to the Super Comp class in 2010 after a successful career in the Junior Drag Racing League, earning two track championships.*She is now making the transition to Top Alcohol Dragster with her father and veteran driver Randy Meyer as her mentor and driving coach. Follow Megan on Facebook (www.facebook.com/meganmeyer.racing), Twitter (www.twitter.com/meyersisters), and Instagram (www.instagram.com/meganmeyer.racing).

ABOUT RANDY MEYER RACING
A highly respected member of the NHRA Drag Racing family, Randy Meyer has had a successful career spanning over 35 years of drag racing as driver, team owner, and crew chief from AHRA Pro-Comp to IHRA Top Fuel and NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster. Focusing on the things that brought the team to existence has been the reason that Randy Meyer Racing has been so successful.*In 2002 he handed the driving duties over to Gary Ormsby Jr. to become the first Top Alcohol Dragster to run in the teens with a solid 5.135 ET. The following year, Meyer tuned Alan Bradshaw to become the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster World Champion. Randy has returned to the driver’s seat since then, and has earned multiple Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 5 and Central Region points championships. For more information on Randy Meyer Racing, please visit www.RandyMeyerRacing.com and like RMR on Facebook (www.facebook.com/randymeyerracing).

Megan Meyer and the Randy Meyer Racing team receive support from the following companies: Meyer Truck Center, Lucas Oil, Smart Chicken, NGK Spark Plugs, GUNK, Herbalife Nutrition, Team Racepak, Copeland Fabrications, Aeromotive, Goodyear, ARP Bolts, MAHLE/Clevite, JEGS, and Aeroquip.