August 8 , 2005

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Gainesville resheduled event Div 2 Race #2

Despite two rain-related postponements resulting in a nearly six month delay in Lucas Drag Racing Series action, competitors at long last completed final eliminations from the Lucas Oil Series event originally scheduled to commence in February at Gainesville Raceway.
After earning his way into the field as an alternate, Artie Allen earned the win in Top Alcohol Dragster over reigning Southeast Division champ Guy Kelly of Wadley, Ala., who red-lighted in the final. Earlier, Allen eliminated John Finke and Dick Garlets before then meeting up with Kelly in the final. In the final round, Allen drove to a 5.547-second elapsed time at 254.76 mph to take out Kelly, who ran a quicker and faster 5.478 second pass at 259.61 mph, but was instantly eliminated by the foul start.

In Top Alcohol Funny Car, only two of the drivers qualified for the original field, which was set in February, were able to make the return trip, Norcorss, Ga., racer Mark Billington and Claremont, California's, Jay Payne. In their final round match-up, Billington was first off the starting line and never looked back with a 5.848-second run at 246.03 mph to Payne's 5.891 second run at 246.98 mph. This was the second final round victory for Billington over Payne in as many days. Billington was also the victor here last night in the final round contest for the rescheduled South Georgia Motorsports Park event originally scheduled for June.

Former NHRA national champion Peter Biondo continued his recent hot streak. Biondo, of Maspeth, N.Y., won the Stock eliminator title over Jim Fitzpatrick of Winter Park, Fla. Biondo also won the SGMP event a day earlier and won the Stock title at the Jeg's NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals a week ago.

Other winners from this weekend's event included Mike Say of Johnston, S.C. in Competition Eliminator; Bob Dennis of Shorter, Ala., in Super Stock; Lindsey Wood of McAlpin, Fla., in Super Comp; Steve Cohen of Trilby, Fla., in Super Gas; and John Rollins of Micanopy, Fla. in Super Street. In the TracStar Satellie Systems Top Sportsman Series, Daniel Morrow of Bradenton, Fla. was the champion. Saye and Wood were also finalists in Saturday's SGMP event.

The next stop for racers on the NHRA Southeast Division tour is the Southeast Division season finale at Silver Dollar Raceway in Reynolds, Ga., October 21-23. Additional information about the event can be obtained calling (478) 847-4414 or by logging on to www.SilverDollarRaceway.com or www.NHRA.com.

The following are Sunday's final elimination results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event being held this weekend at South Georgia Motorsports Park

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Round 1
8) Dick Garlets, Lowell, Ind., 15.883, 69.67 def.
13) Ron Griffis, Gainesville, Fla., broke

16) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 5.590, 251.72 def.
6) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.800, 246.71

3) Guy Kelly, Wadley, Ala., 5.620, 240.89 was unopposed

10) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., 7.605, 212.93 def.
12) Don Fiorelli, Palm Bay, Fla., 14.230, 91.52;

Semifinals
Allen, 5.580, 240.77 def. Garlets, foul
Kelly, 5.508, 260.21 def. Samsel, foul

Final
Allen, 5.547, 254.76 def. Kelly, foul

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Final
4) Mark Billington, Norcross, Ga., '01 Avenger, 5.848, 246.03 def.
1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.891, 246.98

COMP ELIMINATOR
Mike Saye, Johnston, S.C., '92 Cutlass, H/A, 8.907, 151.02 def.
David Eaton, Merritt Island, Fla., '32 Bantam, A/AP, 13.930, 54.35

SUPER STOCK
Bob Dennis, Shorter, Ala., '95 Achieva, GT/KA, 10.773, 123.52 def.
Grace Howell, Aiken, S.C., '95 Mustang, GT/EA, 10.425, 123.80

STOCK ELIMINATOR
Peter Biondo, Maspeth, N.Y., '69 Camaro, C/SA, 11.000, 119.60 def.
Jim Fitzpatrick, Winter Park, Fla., '70 Challenger, B/SA, 10.890, 121.28

SUPER COMP
Lindsey Wood, McAlpin, Fla., dragster, 8.917, 177.67 def.
Mike Fuqua, Hendersonville, Tenn., dragster, 8.895, 172.28

SUPER GAS
Steve Cohen, Trilby, Fla., '04 Grand Am, 9.873, 146.99 def.
Bob Guido, Cooper City, Fla., '63 Corvette, 9.864, 148.69

SUPER STREET
John Rollins, Micanopy, Fla., '72 Nova, 10.907, 120.18 def.
Robert Kathrein, Cape Coral, Fla., '70 Nova, 10.920, 123.60

TOP SPORTSMAN
Daniel Morrow, Bradenton, Fla., '01 Corvette, broke def.
Gilmer Hinshaw, Burlington, N.C., '99 Monte Carlo, foul