By John RittenhouseA group of Luverne and Hills-Beaver Creek drivers have all but clinched a team championship at Thunder Valley Raceway in Marion, S.D., this summer.The L-H-BC Drag Racing team will take a commanding, 3,000-point lead into the final race of a five-week schedule at the track on Aug. 23.Barring a miracle for their competitors, it appears the local squad will win its second team title at the track in the last three years."We’re way out in the lead," says Dave Hup, who helped organize a group of 16 Rock County students into the L-H-BC Drag team. "We’re 3,000 points in front of the second-place team. That would be lots of points to overcome."The local teens opened a stunning lead by their performances in the first four weeks of the team competition.Racing on Saturdays, the L-H-BC team members overwhelmed the competition consisting of 20 other schools during the first four race dates to all but clinch the title.According to Hup, his team members are racing their personal cars they use themselves on the roads in Rock County on the quarter-mile track in Marion.The typical race date starts with each driver taking three time trial runs. Based on their performances in the time trials, they are placed in one of five divisions, where they compete in a tournament type of format in head-to-head racing.Team points are awarded to the drivers for their efforts in divisional competition. Each driver is guaranteed at least two races per race date."As long as you keep on winning in the head-to-head competition, you keep on going. When they are winning, a driver can race as many as nine times a day," Hup said.This will be the second time a team representing Rock County has won the team championship at Thunder Valley Raceway.Members of the L-H-BC team include: Lindsay Hup, Kyle Woodley, Ryan Wynia, Joe Stearns, Steven Berghorst, Austin Hoiland, Eric Lammert, Brett Vander Vliet, Matt Anderson, Cody Scholten, Ruston Aaker, Justin Mann, Mike Sandbulte, Dustin Donth, Breanne Hup and Chris Vergas.
