June 22, 2003

Denver's Bandimere SpeedWay, Mark Hentges defeats Shelly Howard at the Divsion 5 Lucas Oil event. This was Mark's first venture tothe high altitude track. Way to go Airtime Aviation Team!!! Three Divisional events this past weekend, and all three were won by Blown Alky Dragsters. Mike Kosky at Atco Raeway in Division 1 and Marty Thacker at Stanton, Michigan. Funny Car winners were Chuck Cheeseman Michael Ferro and Kirk Williams.

 

June 15, 2003

Here are the pairings in the first round at Pacific Raceway For TAD:

....On a side note to this race, Bill Edwards and team were at Pacific Raceway on Friday, and were planing to make a lap then and hope that it would be enough to stay in the field. Then they headed off to Spokane for the match race Saturday and return to Pacific to race on Sunday. The only catch, it rained Friday in Kent. So they had t satisfy themselves with picking up some extra cash from Orville Moe. They probably would have been hard pressed to qualify at Seattle, but if their run at Mission two weeks ago and the short times it produced were any indication, (I can't say, but it was a top 10 Top Fuel like 60 foot).

Here is the pairings and best bets:
1) Mark Hentges, Federal Way, Wash., 5.442 seconds, 257.53 mph vs.
8) Steve Federlin, Oregon City, Ore., 5.530, 252.80. Steve is still a tenth back of last years tune-up. The new car is working well, but he is a bit scared of the led's so his rt's are not laser like. Mark should win here.

2) Brandon Johnson, Shelton, Wash., 5.446, 257.63 vs.
7) Gary Anderson, Anaheim, Calif., 5.499, 247.66. Brandon should win this race, but if the Anderson clan does have their act together (Mr. Ottow), then this car could shake up the class.

3) Joey Severance, Spanaway, Wash., 5.458, 259.01 vs.
6) Darren Nicholson, Mission Viejo, Calif., 5.499, 261.98. I am guessing a bye for Nicholson (if Severance did in fact kick the rods out), which will put Parker in his place. It should mean Nicholson advances, but the Parkers are on a bit of a roll. If Joey runs, then I am going with Him.

4) Mitch Myers, Hermiston, Ore., 5.467, 244.96 vs.
5) Mike Cofini, Spokane, Wash., 5.469, 225.30. A great match-up of Division leaders. Did Cofini hurt his ride in the first session yesterday? Meyers (if the weather is good) will run a low forty, and should advance.

Here is the Funny Car pairings:

1) Bucky Austin, Fife, Wash., '02 Firebird, 5.669 seconds, 254.18 mph vs.
8) Clint Thompson, Klamath Falls, Ore., '02 Camaro, 6.128, 233.06. Not a tough pick here. Bucky will advance, and I will go out on a limb and say he will make the final round as well.

2) Hank Coolidge, Sunburst, Mont., '97 Firebird, 5.822, 249.39 vs.
7) John Knox, Tumwater, Wash., '92 Probe, 6.126, 230.29. Hank Coolidge will win this one for a number of reasons. First he is faster and quicker, second Knox has never run in the five's, thirdly, Knox has a way of doing strange and dumb things to himself in a race. I hope he does not do his usual trick and bump both lights at the same time, and then apologize after. Or his other trick of doing a long burnout after being the last to start his car, and taking long to back up. It is always an experience watching the "Froggy" guy run his car.

3) Jason Rupert, Yorba Linda, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.834, 236.59 vs.
6) Forrest LeBlanc, Kent, Wash., '00 Daytona, 6.022, 233.72. This one should be an easy win for Jason due to the performance potential of the LeBlanc car. Forest tickles the low sixes but that is all.

4) Dave Germain, Toledo, Wash., '01 Avenger, 5.902, 240.21 vs.
5) Matt Goss, Junction City, Ore., '01 Firebird, 5.915, 237.13. Both these cars have stepped up their programs in the last year. I am going with Germain in this one.

 

Here are the pairings in TAD for the first round at Columbus:

 

1 D Hirata 5.372 vs 16 J Bohr 5.657. Here I pick Hirata. He may be back to 2001 form
8 S Howard 5.547 Vs 9 K Stark 5.554. Howard can repeat and Stark is still no their yet
4 R Lindert 5.492 Vs 13 K Perry 5.630. Lindert should win, but Perry can run with him
5 A Gallant 5.495 Vs 12 S Cantrell 5.617. Has Gallant got his mojo back? RT's will cost him
2 T Bartone 5.422 Vs 15 G Ward 5.649. Bartone looks good.
7 M Kosky 5.524 Vs 10 B McCornack 5.575. Kosky should take this one
3 M Thacker 5.459 Vs 14 J Dreher 5.646. Thacker should advance
6 J Wilson 5.506 Vs 11 R McPhillips 5.598. Jeff Wilson is my dark horse pick if all the A/Fuelers falter.

Here is the funny car ladder:

1 B Newberry 5.656 Vs 14 A Tarr 6.423. Newberry easily
0 Bye
4 C Cheeseman 5.748 Vs 11 B Martin 6.029. Cheeseman as well
5 J Craig 5.787 Vs 10 S Addleman 5.983. Jeff Craig is running strong. Should continue
2 F Manzo 5.666vs 13 J Patton 6.131. Duh. Manzo
7 T Veney 5.824 Vs 8 P Lee 5.866. The closest match-up Todd should leave and finish first
3 M White 5.693 Vs 12 M Snyder 6.072. Marc White will beat the automatic
6 J Sickles 5.815 Vs 9 T Frickenschmidt 5.867. Sickles has not met his potential yet. Will here

 

June 14, 2003 Pacific Raceway, Kent Washington

Top Alcohol Dragster has a record setting day at Pacific Raceway's Lucas Oil Event . 11 cars were on the property and they all were very fast. The division 6 old bump record was a 5.61 set at Mission Raceway, but it was shattered at the old SIR. The new bump record is a great 5.530 set by Steve Federlin. Steve was on the wrong end of the all time record bump, when he went 5.490 in the record 4.72 8 car bump set at Las Vegas last year. Not making the field but still running very fast were Kim Parker who went 5.545, Paul Julien who went 5.612 and Greg Tacke who ran a very respectable 5.64.

1 6 B/AD Mark Hentges, Federal Way WA, Hadman-BAE 5.442 257.53 257.53
2 61 B/AD Brandon Johnson, Shelton WA, Hadman-BAE 5.446 257.63 257.63
3 613 B/AD Joey Severance, Spanaway WA, Hadman-TFX 5.458 259.01 259.01
4 603 A/FD Mitch Myers, Hermiston OR, Urhad-BAE 5.467 244.96 244.96
5 65 B/AD Mike Cofini, Spokane WA, Hadman-Mopar 5.469 225.30 225.30
6 4 B/AD Darren Nicholson, Mission Viejo CA, Sant 5.499 249.76 261.98
7 733 A/FD Gary Anderson, Anaheim CA, Sarmento-TFX 5.499 247.66 247.66
8 3 B/AD Steve Federlin, Oregon City OR, Robeck-B 5.530 252.80 252.80

Not Qualified

9 628 B/AD Kim Parker, Graham WA, Parker-BAE 5.545 254.09 254.09
10 6339 B/AD Paul Julien, Mission BC, Hadman-BAE 5.612 249.21 249.21
11 6672 B/AD Greg Tacke, Great Falls MT, Fritz-Fontana 5.640 251.58 251.58

In Funny Car, Bucky Austin leads the field by a tenth and a half with a great 5.669/254. mph blast in the first session Saturday. Hank Coolidge is #2 with a 5.822/249 mph effort. Jason Rupert makes his second appearance of the year in Division 6 and ran 5.834/236 mph. Not making the field, is Canadian John Evanchuk in Dave Dickison's 'Grotek' Funny Car. They were on a for sure qualifying effort in the first round, but popped the burst panel out at the 900 foot mark. It probably would have been a 5.90 pass.

1 5 Bucky Austin, Fife WA, '02 Pontiac Firebird 5.669 249.35 254.18
2 6634 Hank Coolidge, Sunburst MT, '97 Pontiac Firebi 5.822 249.39 249.39
3 62 Jason Rupert, Yorba Linda CA, '02 Chevy Camaro 5.834 236.59 236.59
4 6057 Dave Germain, Toledo WA, '01 Dodge Avenger 5.902 238.17 240.21
5 655 Matt Goss, Junction City OR, '01 Pontiac Fireb 5.915 237.13 237.13
6 6992 Forrest LeBlanc, Kent WA, '00 Dodge Daytona 6.022 233.72 233.72
7 6830 John Knox, Tumwater WA, '92 Ford Probe 6.126 230.29 230.29
8 6345 Clint Thompson, Klamath Falls OR, '02 Chevy Ca 6.128 233.06 233.06

------------ Not Qualified ------------

9 65 John Evanchuk, Edmonton AB, '99 Pontiac Firebi 6.266 168.24 229.94

June 14, 2003

Qualifying is done, but first round of elim's did not get completed on Saturday due to more inclimate weather at the Potiac Excitement Nationals. In TAD, Tony Bartone is back near the top of the heap but he failed to get the #1 spot, as Dave Hirata got his first #1 qualifying position of the year, with a great 5.39 @ 264 mph. Bartone is right behind him with a 5.42/267 best. Five A/Fuel cars are in the field and 11 BAD's. Here is the final qualifying

1 318 A/FD Dave Hirata, Lowell IN, McKinney-Fontana 5.372 264.49 264.49
2 200 A/FD Tony Bartone, Manhasset NY, McKinney-KB 5.422 267.43 267.43
3 7 B/AD Marty Thacker, Robinson IL, Hadman-BAE 5.459 258.12 258.12
4 31 B/AD Russ Lindert, Manteno IL, Lindert-BAE 5.492 251.91 252.90
5 1 A/FD Arthur Gallant, Boxboro MA, Page-KB 5.495 250.78 253.04
6 33 B/AD Jeff Wilson, Winfield MO, Spitzer-BAE 5.506 255.73 256.21
7 185 B/AD Mike Kosky, Cuddy PA, Kosky-BAE 5.524 252.57 252.57
8 8 B/AD Shelly Howard, Tulsa OK, Uyehara-BAE 5.547 254.66 255.39
9 312 A/FD Keith Stark, Danville IL, Spitzer-Fontana 5.554 254.52 254.52
10 276 B/AD Bill McCornack, Lexington KY, URC-BAE 5.575 249.90 249.90
11 110 A/FD Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville PA, Precis 5.598 250.00 250.00
12 77 B/AD Steven Cantrell, Wilmington DE, Dragster 5.617 240.51 240.51
13 32 B/AD Ken Perry, Toronto ON, Hadman-Fontana 5.630 222.91 222.91
14 307 B/AD Jared Dreher, Clinton IN, Burgan-BAE 5.646 250.09 250.09
15 37 B/AD Gary Ward, Cincinnati OH, Bowen-BAE 5.649 250.92 250.92
16 311 B/AD Jeff Bohr, Plymouth MI, Kustom-GBR 5.657 241.93 250.13

Not qualified

17 1301 B/AD Douglas Foley, Wappingers Falls NY, URC- 5.667 247.66 247.66
18 149 B/AD Mark Albert, Baldwin PA, Albert-KB 5.700 244.83 244.83
19 303 A/FD Todd Datweiler, Herscher IL, McKinney-BAE 5.702 257.38 257.38
20 326 A/FD Robin Samsel, Marion IN, Dragster-BAE 5.907 231.68 231.68
21 222 B/AD Dana Stripe, Delray Bch FL, Hadman-KB 5.966 214.25 214.25
22 3382 B/AD Robert Leverich, Kimball MI, Kerns-TFX 7.311 162.63 162.63
23 337 A/FD Tim Rudy, Mason OH, Swindahl-KB 8.559 127.50 127.50

Funny Car had only 14 cars on the property, but the top half is a strong field, led by Bob Newberry. The 'Newb' ran 5.656/251 to edge out rival Frank Manzo's 5.666/256 best. Here is the field.

1 8 Bob Newberry, Schenectady NY, '03 Chevy Camaro 5.656 251.72 251.72
2 1 Frank Manzo, Morganville NJ, '03 Pontiac Fireb 5.666 256.06 256.06
3 7 Marc White, Glendale Hts. IL, '01 Pontiac Fire 5.693 249.39 251.63
4 10 Chuck Cheeseman, Galena OH, '02 Pontiac Firebi 5.748 248.29 248.29
5 33 Jeff Craig, Muncie IN, '01 Dodge R/T 5.787 248.07 249.39
6 136 Jim Sickles, Caledonia NY, '02 Dodge Avenger 5.815 246.12 248.57
7 171 Todd Veney, Indianapolis IN, '00 Dodge Avenger 5.824 248.29 248.29
8 14 Paul Lee, Gaithersburg MD, '98 Pontiac Firebird 5.866 245.63 245.63
9 545 Thomas Frickenschmidt, Lockwood MO, '00 Pontia 5.867 243.02 243.02
10 36 Steve Addleman, Fishers IN, '01 Pontiac Firebi 5.983 239.10 239.10
11 38 Bobby Martin, Beaver Falls PA, '00 Dodge Aveng 6.029 238.17 238.17
12 381 Mick Snyder, DeMotte IN, '01 Pontiac Firebird 6.072 214.83 214.83
13 777 John Patton, Peoria AZ, '03 Pontiac Firebird 6.131 201.55 201.55
14 3816 Andrew Tarr, Louisville KY, '98 Pontiac Trans 6.423 183.97 183.97

June 6 ,2003 Div 1, 2, and 5 covered here this weekend

Division 6's Woodburn Dragstrip event is here.

(all previews Courtesy of NHRA Field Marketing and qualifying from Drag Race Central)

Division 2 at Silver Dollar Raceway has been postponed until July 4-5, 2003 due to rain all three days.

Division 1 at U.S.-31

Division 5 at Brainerd Minnesota ,----Despite a three-hour rain delay at the Grand Casino/Coca Cola Championships at Brainerd Int'l Raceway, racers and officials persevered and finished the event. NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competitors in eight classes were running for valuable points leading to divisional and national titles. Top Alcohol Funny Car (TAFC) pilot Cy Chesterman and Top Alcohol Dragster (TAD) racer Bill Reichert both carried their No. 1 qualifying efforts into the winner's circle. Reichert, who claims NHRA's North Central division as his home, took the win over David Wells of Lemars, Iowa. Although Wells broke on the burnout, Reichert made a 5.390-second, 274.16 mph pass. The Owasso, Mich., racer had run consistently all weekend, never making a pass slower than 5.415 seconds.
For Chesterman, it was his second final-round appearance in as many races. The Sioux City, Iowa, resident was runner-up at the division's season opener in Topeka, Kan. In the final round here, Chesterman beat defending division champion Kirk Williams with a 5.706-second, 251.91 mph pass. Williams' 5.796-second, 249.94 mph effort fell just short. Here is the round by round results from Brainerd:

Top Alcohol Dragster Round One 1) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.415, 271.73 def. 8) Jared Dreher, Clinton, Ind., 5.742, 230.80 5) Chris Ricketts, N. Kansas City, Mo., 5.794, 237.96 def. 4) Alan Bradshaw, Odessa, Texas, foul 2) Todd Datweiler, Herscher, Ill., 5.369, 262.03 def. 7) William Zivkovich, Litchfield, Minn., 5.527, 258.12 3) David Wells, Lemars, Iowa, 5.418, 261.22 def. 6) Ed Schmeeckle, Gothenburg, Neb., 5.587, 251.77 Semifinals Wells, 5.508, 259.21 def. Datweiler, 5.691, 250.41 Reichert, 5.404, 274.16 def. Ricketts, 5.588, 239.74 Finals Reichert, 5.390, 274.16 def. Wells, broke TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR Round one 1) Cy Chesterman, Sioux City, Iowa, Pontiac Trans Am, 5.713, 249.76 def. 8) Gage Chaffee, Big Lake, Minn., Chevy Corvette, 6.162, 220.51 2) Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, Pontiac Firebird, 5.792, 248.89 def. 7) Bruce Carlson, Prior Lake, Minn., Firebird, 6.079, 245.72 3) John Patton, Peoria, Ariz., Trans Am, 6.039, 238.72 def. 9) Larry Bakke, Madison, Wis., Firebird, broke 4) Dale Brand, Sully, Iowa, Firebird, 5.741, 246.08 def. 5) Kevin Richardson, Winnipeg, Man., Firebird, 6.359, 179.47 Semifinals Chesterman, 5.713, 250.37 def. Brand, 5.764, 251.49 Williams, 5.830, 248.71 def. Patton, 5.931, 247.57 Finals Chesterman, 5.706, 251.91 def. Williams, 5.796, 249.94

The following are the final results from the Grand Casino/Coca Cola Championships at Brainerd International Raceway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER Round one 1) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.415, 271.73 def. 8) Jared Dreher, Clinton, Ind., 5.742, 230.80 5) Chris Ricketts, N. Kansas City, Mo., 5.794, 237.96 def. 4) Alan Bradshaw, Odessa, Texas, foul 2) Todd Datweiler, Herscher, Ill., 5.369, 262.03 def. 7) William Zivkovich, Litchfield, Minn., 5.527, 258.12 3) David Wells, Lemars, Iowa, 5.418, 261.22 def. 6) Ed Schmeeckle, Gothenburg, Neb., 5.587, 251.77 Semifinals Wells, 5.508, 259.21 def. Datweiler, 5.691, 250.41 Reichert, 5.404, 274.16 def. Ricketts, 5.588, 239.74 Finals Reichert, 5.390, 274.16 def. Wells, broke TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR Round one 1) Cy Chesterman, Sioux City, Iowa, Pontiac Trans Am, 5.713, 249.76 def. 8) Gage Chaffee, Big Lake, Minn., Chevy Corvette, 6.162, 220.51 2) Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, Pontiac Firebird, 5.792, 248.89 def. 7) Bruce Carlson, Prior Lake, Minn., Firebird, 6.079, 245.72 3) John Patton, Peoria, Ariz., Trans Am, 6.039, 238.72 def. 9) Larry Bakke, Madison, Wis., Firebird, broke 4) Dale Brand, Sully, Iowa, Firebird, 5.741, 246.08 def. 5) Kevin Richardson, Winnipeg, Man., Firebird, 6.359, 179.47 Semifinals Chesterman, 5.713, 250.37 def. Brand, 5.764, 251.49 Williams, 5.830, 248.71 def. Patton, 5.931, 247.57 Finals Chesterman, 5.706, 251.91 def. Williams, 5.796, 249.94 COMP ELIMINATOR Doug Engels, Watertown, S.D., Dragster, D/ED, 8.656, 109.90 def. Bill Riemenapp, Lacrosse, Wis., '99 Firebird, C/EA, 8.368, 160.79 SUPER STOCK Ricky Ray, Savannah, Mo., '98 Firebird, SS/BS, 9.153, 137.51 def. Chad Guilford, Highlands Ranch, Colo., '84 Cougar, GT/EA, 10.055, 133.07 STOCK ELIMINATOR Craig Meseroll, Cloquet, Minn., '74 Dart, F/SA, 11.400, 114.90 def. Johnny Diekema, Wilton, Iowa, '70 Nova, B/S, 10.697, 119.28 SUPER COMP Milton Gedo, Lakewood, Colo., Dragster, 8.899, 162.20 def. Mitch Mustard, Arvada, Colo., Dragster, 8.875, 174.32 SUPER GAS Chris Bishop, Grand Rapids, Minn., '79 Malibu, 9.901, 143.80 def. Scott Cowles, Fremont, Neb., '78 Chevy , 9.871, 138.34 SUPER STREET Mike Anderson, St. Joseph, Minn., '65 Nova, 10.864, 133.28 def. Bob Forsythe, Winnipeg, Man.,'71 Demon, 10.843, 128.48 SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE Tom Gilligan, Fremont, Neb., '79 Kawasaki, 9.408, 128.95 def. Cary Hoover, Andover, Minn., '75 Kawasaki, 8.868, 146.70

West Cent Division 5 racers head to Bandimere Speedway in Denver for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, June 18-20.

Division 1 final elimination results from US -31 saw Fran Monaghan get his first ever win in TAD. He took out Doug Foley who red lit by 1/1000ths of a second. Fran Monaghan picked up the first win. Monaghan recorded a 5.811-second pass at 244.96 mph in his Top Alcohol Dragster to defeat Doug Foley of Wapingersw, N.Y.
"I've been waiting for this for a long time," said a smiling Monaghan from the winner's circle. "I don't even know how many final rounds I've been in. I think it's 16, and this is my first win. Now we need a National (win)." Foley tripped the clocks with a final round pass of 5.699 seconds at 250.48 but his red light handed the win to Monaghan.

Frank Manzo joined Monaghan in the winner's circle taking home his third win of the season and his first Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series divisional win. Manzo has wins earlier this year from Atlanta Dragway and Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. Manzo took out Bruce Mullins in the final of Top Alcohol Funny Car with a run of 5.952 seconds at 244.49 mph to Mullins 6.881, 149.37. Manzo also set a new track speed record in his semi-final win over Scott Woodington at 247.38 mph. He bettered his old record of 245.90 set at this event last year.

The Northeast Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series makes its next stop at Atco Raceway in Atco, N.J., June 20-22.

 

Div 5 Brainerd Friday results:

The first rounds of qualifying at Brainerd Int'l Raceway were cut short by rain today. The Grand Casino/Coca Cola Championships, a round of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, will continue Saturday and Sunday as scheduled.

According to division officials, tomorrow's schedule will remain unchanged giving Top Alcohol Dragster (TAD) and Top Alcohol Funny Car (TAFC) competitors two qualifying runs before going into eliminations on Sunday.

Div 2 Silver Dollar Race Way Friday results:

The opening day of racing at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, being held at Silver Dollar Raceway, was postponed Friday due to rain.
"We plan to resume racing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.," said NHRA Southeast Division Director Bill Holt. "We plan to run the same schedule tomorrow as was planned for today." The gates at Silver Dollar Raceway will open tomorrow at 9 a.m. with qualifying and time trials set to begin at 10:00 a.m., leading off with Super Street. Qualifying sessions in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car are scheduled for 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Elimination in the Alcohol classes are scheduled to take place on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Div 1 Delmar US 31 DragWay Friday results:

Top Alcohol Funny Car: Frank Manzo leads a small 5 car field after Friday's two rounds of qualifying. This event only has two rounds so the field is set. Manzo was the only 5 second car as he traversed the 1/4 mile in 5.91/245 mph. Here is the final qualifying in Funny Car:

1 1 Frank Manzo, Morganville NJ, '03 Pontiac Fireb 5.913 245.76 246.98
2 19 Bruce Mullins, Fredericksburg VA, '03 Pontiac 6.200 222.00 222.00
3 1427 Craig English, Mount Holly NJ, '98 Mustang 6.749 168.76 168.76
4 121 Scott Woodington, Delran NJ, '03 Chevy Camaro 7.422 147.01 147.01
5 1489 Darrel Cox, Whiteford MD, '00 Pontiac Firebird 9.571 68.16 68.16

Top Alcohol Dragster has a full field,but it is not a strong field after the two rounds of qualifying. #1 is Fran Monaghan Jr. in the Chicken Chokers ride and Karen Benkovich anchors is with an off pace 7.23/112 mph. With only two rounds of qualifying at US 31, the field is set for Saturday eliminations starting at 6:00pm. The entire field is comprised of blown cars as only one A/Fuel (Rich McPhillips) car tried to make the cut

1 117 B/AD Fran Monaghan Jr, Meadowbrook PA, Bowen- 5.624 249.79 249.79
2 1072 B/AD Bruce Horner, Bergenfield NJ, ProStart-C 5.839 233.94 233.94
3 1301 B/AD Douglas Foley, Wappingers Falls NY, URC- 5.858 233.64 233.64
4 124 B/AD Steve Lamplough, Severna Park MD, Uyehar 5.887 237.21 237.21
5 1712 B/AD David De Angelis, Middlesex NJ, Dragster 5.893 244.63 244.63
6 77 B/AD Steven Cantrell, Wilmington DE, Dragster 6.287 172.18 172.18
7 118 B/AD Ken Winward, Wilmington DE, Bozzelli-KB 6.390 170.39 170.39
8 1128 B/AD Karen Benkovich, Fanwood NJ, ProStart-BAE 7.237 112.44 112.44

------------ Not Qualified ------------

9 110 A/FD Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville PA, Precis 10.199 78.66 78.66

Preview Divison 5 Early Season Points Chases are Tight in NHRA’s West Central Division

BRAINERD, Minn. –- NHRA’s West Central Division racers continue their 2003 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series season at Brainerd International Raceway with a three-day event June 6-8. The Grand Casino/Coca-Cola Championships is the second of six races in West Central Division competition and will feature more than 450 drivers in eight categories competing for points leading to divisional and national titles as well as a share of the $561,000 champion’s purse.
Classes that will run include 250-mph Top Alcohol Dragster (TAD) and Top Alcohol Funny Car (TAFC) as well as Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street. The Kerker Motorcycle Series, featuring the Sportsman Motorcycle class, will also run in conjunction with the event. In Top Alcohol Dragster (TAD), defending division champion Alan Bradshaw comes into the event leading the point standings. The chiropractor from Odessa, Texas, took the win at the division’s season opener in Topeka, Kan., beating division newcomer, Gary Cooper of Wichita, Kan. Bradshaw’ s win came on the heels of an out-of-division win in Dallas. LeMars, Iowa, racer David Wells is just behind Bradshaw in the point standings. The former division champion won an out-of-division race in Joliet, Ill., and went to the semifinals in Topeka. Top Alcohol Funny Car (TAFC) driver Dale Brand of Sully, Iowa, comes into Brainerd in first place in the point standings. Brand has two semifinal round appearances to his credit; one out-of-division in Joliet, and the other in Topeka. Defending division TAFC champion Kirk Williams is just 10 points out of first place. The Glenwood, Iowa, racer was runner-up here last year en route to his first division title. So far this season, Williams suffered a first-round loss at the out-of-division event in Joliet and he went to the semis in Topeka. Right behind Williams – by one point – is Vern Moats, a veteran racer out of Des Moines, Iowa. Moats was also in Joliet where he went to the semifinals, but he lost in the opening round in Topeka. Moats is no stranger to points battles, however. The intrepid driver has more division championships to his credit – 15 – than any other racer. He earned all his titles in TAFC.

Gates at Brainerd International Raceway open at 8 a.m. each day. Qualifying and time trials begin Friday at 9 a.m. with TAD and TAFC running at 4 p.m. The action continues Saturday at 9 a.m. TAD and TAFC have qualifying runs scheduled at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Eliminations begin Sunday at 8 a.m. TAD and TAFC will run first round at noon.

General admission tickets, including pit pass, are $10 Friday, $15 Saturday and $20 Sunday. Children 6 to 12 are half off the general admission price each day and kids 5 and under are admitted free. Military personnel with proper ID also get in for half price. Brainerd International Raceway is located at 4343 Highway 371 North in Brainerd. For more information call the track, (218) 284-7220, or visit the web site, www.BrainerdRace.com. NHRA West Central division racers will head to Denver for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event. Bandimere Speedway will host the third out of six races on the division’s schedule June 20-22.

Preview Division 2 Gunderson, Payne Leading NHRA Southeast Division’s Top Alcohol Points

REYNOLDS, Ga. –- Silver Dollar Raceway will host the Southeast division NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, June 6-8, 2003. The event is the fourth of seven on the Southeast division schedule. Drivers in eight categories, including 250-mph Top Alcohol Dragster (TAD) and Top Alcohol Funny Car (TAFC), are vying for points leading to divisional and national titles and a share of the $561,000 point fund.
The John Bleakley Motor Homes Top Sportsman (TS) class will also run in conjunction with the event. Participants will run qualifying and eliminations throughout the weekend. A couple of former division Top Alcohol Dragster (TAD) champions are currently battling it out for first place. Michael Gunderson of Middleburg, Fla., and Manhasset, N.Y., resident Tony Bartone are in first and second place, respectively.

Bartone took the win over Gunderson at the season-opener in Gainesville, Fla., but Bartone skipped the race at Montgomery Motorsports Park in Alabama while Gunderson went to the semifinals at that event giving him the edge over Bartone. Both drivers have also each attended an out-of-division race, adding to their point totals. Defending Top Alcohol Funny Car (TAFC) division champion Jay Payne has the points lead coming into Silver Dollar Raceway. The Claremont, Calif., resident was runner-up in Gainesville and scored well at two out-of-division races. Payne was runner-up in Houston and went on to win the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event in Dallas. TAFC competitor Jim Sickles of Caladonia, N.Y., has made final-round appearances at the two Southeast division races where Top Alcohol cars competed. He beat Payne in the final at Gainesville and was runner-up to Mark Billington in Montgomery. Sickles was also the No. 1 qualifier at both races. Sickles is just behind Payne in the TAFC point standings and Billington, a resident of Apopka, Fla., is in third place. Defending Southeast division Stock champion Peter Biondo of Mt. Laurel, N.J., has been to the winner’s circle at all three of the Southeast division races this year. The streak started in Gainesville with a win in Super Stock. He drove his Super Stocker to another win at the second race on the schedule, in Orlando, Fla. In Montgomery, Biondo won in Stock. Gates at Silver Dollar Raceway open at 9 a.m. Friday and Saturday and at 8 a.m. Sunday. General admission tickets are $15 Friday, $20 Saturday and $20 Sunday. A two-day ticket is $35 and a three-day pass is $45. Children 12 and under are admitted free. A $10 discount is available to all military personnel with proper ID. Qualifying and time trials get under way Friday at noon. TS qualifying is scheduled at 5:30 p.m., and TAD and TAFC will have qualifying sessions at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Friday. A special concert event featuring music by Snakes in the Woodpile will follow racing. Saturday, qualifying and time trials continue at 10 a.m. TS is scheduled at 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. TAD and TAFC will run all rounds of eliminations on Saturday starting at 6 p.m. All other classes will run first round of eliminations Sunday starting at 10 a.m. TS drivers will run first round at 12:30 p.m.

Silver Dollar Raceway is located on State Highway 96 West, just west of US Highway 341. For more information call the track, (478) 847-4414 or visit the web site, www.SilverDollarRaceway.com. The next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event in the Southeast division is scheduled July 18-20 at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tenn.

Preview Division 1 NHRA Northwest Division Lucas Oil Racers Keep Up Pace at US 13 Dragway

DELMAR, Del. –- US 13 Dragway will host the Delaware 1st State Championships, a round of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, June 6-8. The race is the second of seven in NHRA Northeast division competition where drivers in eight categories earn points toward divisional and national titles and a share of the champions’ purse, worth more than $560,000.
Classes that will run are Top Alcohol Dragster (TAD), Top Alcohol Funny Car (TAFC), Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street. Friday’s action will include an exhibition of Supercharged Warriors, while Pro-Mod cars will be featured Saturday and Sunday. This year, Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Frank Manzo is going for his 14th Northeast division championship and his eighth national title. In 2002, the Morganville, N.J., resident earned his sixth consecutive national championship and his eighth straight division crown. Manzo dominated the Northeast last year winning six out of the seven events as well as four NHRA national events. However, this season it looks like the longtime rivalry between Manzo and Bob Newberry is heating up and Newberry could put the pressure on the champ. Newberry, a Schenectady, N.Y., resident, has found some consistency and has fared well at the races he has attended. The reigning Top Alcohol Dragster national champion is also from the Northeast division. Arthur Gallant won the title after a yearlong battle with Duane Shields of Las Vegas. The Boxboro, Mass., resident also claimed his first division title in 2002. En route to the championships, Gallant won four divisional races and two national events. Gallant started 2003 with a first-round loss at an out-of-division race in Gainesville, Fla., but advanced to the semifinals at his next event. With a runner-up finish at his third race of the year, it seems that Gallant is back on track. Typically, there are an abundance of quality TAD teams competing in the Northeast division but at this early date it remains to be seen who will challenge Gallant for the division title.

Gates at US 13 Dragway open at 8 a.m. Friday. Qualifying and time trials start at 11 a.m. with TAD and TAFC running at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. The Supercharged Warriors will make four runs, at 5, 6:30, 8:15, and 9:15 p.m. Saturday, gates open at noon and qualifying and time trials will continue at 2 p.m. Pro-Mod cars will have two qualifying sessions, at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. TAD and TAFC are scheduled to run all rounds of eliminations starting at 6 p.m. Eliminations begin Sunday at 11 a.m. Gates at US 13 Dragway open at 9 a.m. Pro-Mod cars will run first round of eliminations at 12:15 p.m. General admission tickets at US 13 Dragway are $10 Friday, $15 Saturday and $12 Sunday. Tickets with a pit pass included are $15 Friday, $20 Saturday and $18 Sunday. Children 13 and under are admitted free with a paid adult. US 13 Dragway is located on US Highway 13, just ½-mile north of the Delaware/Maryland state line. For more information call US 13 Dragway, (302) 846-3968.

The next Northeast division NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event is scheduled for Atco Raceway in Atco, N.J., June 20-22.

June 4, 2003 Four Divisional events are on tap this weekend. Division's 1, 2, 5, and 6 all have events, and all have Top Alcohol Dragsters and Funny Cars as the headline cars.

Brainerd Intern'l Raceway in Minnesota is one of the tracks hosting a Lucas Oil Event this weekend and has undergone extensive changes to their facility, here is the preview of that event courtesy Geoff Gorvin

BRAINERD, Minn. -- This weekend's drag race at Brainerd International Raceway will be the first true test of BIR's newly reconstructed drag strip, which is being touted as the flattest and fastest track in the country. Some of the dragsters that will compete for prize money and valuable points Friday through Sunday can fly down the quarter-mile track at more than 270 mph and a shade over 5 seconds.
It's the annual return of the Grand Casino/Viking Coke Championships, the second of six drag races in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. The Top Alcohol Dragsters can power down the track at speeds of 277 mph, while Top Alcohol Funny Cars can reach speeds of 260 mph. The race also includes various Sportsman categories, such as Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock Eliminator, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street.

"Since last fall, we've said that we expect racers to break records on our new track, and that’s what we may see this weekend," BIR General Manager Scott Quick said. "The track is in excellent shape, and if we get some cooperative weather, we'll see some very quick times and some great races."

Last year, Gary Ormsby Jr., set BIR track records for speed and quickness for Top Alcohol Dragsters, with a 5.293-second run and a speed of 269.08 mph. Ormsby, of Sacramento, Calif., also holds the national record for quickness at 5.135 seconds. The national speed record is 277.94 mph, set in February by Tony Bartone of Manhasset, N.Y.

BIR's track record for Top Alcohol Funny Cars was set last summer as well. Jay Payne ran 5.674 seconds and 256.70 mph. Bartone has the quickest time on the national books with a 5.549-second run. Larry Miner holds the national speed record at 260.81 mph.

The new track received high marks Memorial Day weekend by the racers competing in the BIR 5000, which featured Sportsman racers who came from as far away as Oregon and Florida. This weekend's race is expected to attract more than 450 drivers from throughout the NHRA's 11-state Division 5.

This year's race will also feature the NHRA's Sportsman Motorcycle class, where drag bikes will compete for points and a share of the $7,400 champion’s purse. This class is part of the Kerker Motorcycle Series.