July 6 , 2005

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Race #2 in Division 1 from Lebanon Valley Dragway.

WEST LEBANON, N.Y. -- In the final eliminations from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event presented Diamond RV Centers being held this weekend at Lebanon Valley Dragway, Top Alcohol Dragster driver Karen Benkovich and Funny Car driver Bob Newberry scored in their respective classes.

Benkovich, of Fanwood, N.J. earned her first ever Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event win when she defeated 2002 Lebanon Valley winner and last year's runner-up, Arthur Gallant of Boxboro, Mass., in the class final. En route to her final round victory, Benkovich eliminated Wayne Morris in the opening round and Dave DeAngelis, before then taking out Gallant in the final. In her final round victory over Gallant, Benkovich used a starting line advantage, coupled with a pass of 5.643 seconds at 246.17 to hold off the class veteran, who ran a quicker and faster 5.606 second run at 258.69 mph.

In his final round contest, Newberry, of nearby Schenectady, defeated No. 1 qualifier David Ray to take his first win at Lebanon Valley since 1997. Before facing Ray in the final, Newberry took out Fred Tigges in Round 1 and Paul Gill in the semifinal round. On his quest to the final round, Ray defeated Mickey Ferro in the opening round and the man who had claimed the Funny Car crown here since 1999, Morganville, N.J., runner Frank Manzo. In the final, Ray was first off the line, but at finish line it would be Newberry who'd get the win, recording a 5.845 second pass at 248.82 mph, to Ray's run of 5.968 seconds at 244.63 mph.

Other winners at the event were Pat Ross Sr. of Avon Lake, Ohio, in Comp Eliminator; Peter Biondo of Maspeth, N.Y., in Super Stock; Dan Fletcher of Churchville, N.Y., in Stock Eliminator; Debra Moses of Colonia, N.J., in Super Comp; Frank Altilio of Ocoee, Fla., in Super Gas and Ryan Ondrejud of Roslindale, Mass., in Super Street. The winner in the Northeast Division's Foxwoods Casino and Resort Top Sportsman Series was John Prime of Thomastown, Conn.

The next stop for racers on the NHRA Northeast Division tour is U.S. 13 Dragway in Delmar, Del., July 15-17. Additional information about the event can be obtained calling (302) 846-3968 or by logging on to www.DelawareRacing.com or www.NHRA.com.

The following are Sunday's final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event presented by Diamond RV Centers being held at Lebanon Valley Dragway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Round 1
5) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.798, 247.25 def.
4) Bruce Horner, Bergenfield, N.J., 9.123, 87.57;

1) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.501, 227.21 def.
8) Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., 5.662, 252.38

2) Karen Benkovich, Fanwood, N.J., 5.545, 254.52 def.
7) Wayne Morris, Lincoln University, Pa., 5.572, 247.93

3) Dave DeAngelis, Middlesex, N.J., 15.126, 49.56 def.
6) Dan Mercier, St. Timothee, Quebec, broke;

Semifinal
Benkovich, 5.553, 253.87 def. DeAngelis, 5.657, 255.82
Gallant, 5.551, 231.66 def. Finke, 5.707, 248.61

Final
Benkovich, 5.643, 246.17 def. Gallant, 5.606, 258.69

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Round 1
4) Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '02 Firebird, 5.734, 254.23 def.
5) Eric Lourie, Terryville, Conn., '02 Camaro, 5.882, 242.65

2) Paul Gill, Brockton, Mass., '01 Avenger, 5.777, 248.55 def.
7) Billy Gibson, Chaptico, Md., '04 Firebird, 5.899, 240.51

1) David Ray, Plaistow, N.H., '01 Avenger, broke def.
8) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '02 Camaro, 6.075, 234.13

3) Bob Newberry, Schenectady, N.Y., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.810, 247.11 def.
6) Fred Tigges, Holbrook, Mass., '97 Camaro, 13.738, 58.96

Semifinals
Ray, 5.927, 247.25 def. Manzo, 9.874, 71.68
Newberry, 5.739, 253.80 def. Gill, 5.919, 242.71

Final
Newberry, 5.845, 248.82 def. Ray, 5.968, 244.63

COMP ELIMINATOR
Pat Ross Sr., Avon Lake, Ohio, '05 Grand Am, F/A, 8.325, 162.83 def.
Tony Stephenson, Willow Spring, N.C., '02 Cavalier, B/EA, 13.502, 57.47

SUPER STOCK
Peter Biondo, Maspeth, N.Y., '00 Firebird, GT/FA, 10.562, 99.56 def.
Joseph Franco III, N. Babylon, N.Y., '85 Camaro, GT/GA, 10.222, 112.71

STOCK ELIMINATOR
Dan Fletcher, Churchville, N.Y., '69 Camaro, B/SA, 10.608, 111.49 def.
Tony Pennine, Bronxville, R.I., '98 Firebird, A/FIA, 10.568, 122.95

SUPER COMP
Debra Moses, Colonia, N.J., dragster, 8.909, 173.71 def.
John Maggiulli Jr., Chester, N.J., dragster, 8.914, 174.14

SUPER GAS
Frank Altilio, Ocoee, Fla., '01 Mustang, 9.899, 154.77 def.
George Smith, Centereach, N.Y., '68 Camaro, foul

SUPER STREET
Ryan Ondrejud, Roslindale, Mass., '62 Corvette, 10.897, 141.59 def.
Anthony Fetch, Belleville, N.J., '80 Malibu, 10.869, 130.43

TOP SPORTSMAN
John Prime, Thomastown, Conn., '67 Corvette, 7.366, 185.91 def.
Dan Hill, Thomaston, Conn., '69 Camaro, 7.737, 175.91