NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Friday from Cecil County Dragway

MERCIER AND MANZO LEAD FIELDS FOR NORTHEAST SHOOTOUT

RISING SUN, Md. - Racing kicked off today at Cecil County Dragway for the forth of six events in the $1 million NHRA Northeast Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Top Alcohol Dragster driver Dan Mercier and Top Alcohol Funny Car pilot Frank Manzo took the No. 1 qualifying positions in their classes.

Mercier, out of Canada, was awarded the No. 1 spot by virtue of his mph as he covered the quarter mile in 5.493 seconds at 264.49 mph in his McKinney dragster. Mercier is followed by Pennsylvania resident Mike Kosky running an identical 5.493 second lap but was a tad slower in the mph category at 262.39 mph giving the pole to Mercier. Former national champion Art Gallant is third with a run of 5.517 seconds at 263.26 mph. Ken Winward of Wilmington, Del., is sixth with a 5.675 second lap at 244.83 mph.

Manzo, a nine-time NHRA National Champion, drove his Lucas Oil Monte Carlo to a lap of 5.814 seconds at 252.99 mph to lead the funny car field. Manzo, of Morganville, N.J., is followed by Mickey Ferro and Dan Pomponio in the number two and three positions respectively. Ferro qualified at 5.905 seconds and Pomponio is third with a run of 5.935 seconds in the eight-car field.

In Comp Eliminator, Vinny Barone leads the field in his '34 roadster with a pass of 7.881 seconds with Charlie Greco in second. Super Stock racer Rich Oakes joined the leaders running 9.846 seconds in his '92 Super Stock Camaro and Cecil Frazier of Canton, Mass., leads Stock Eliminator with a lap o 11.272 seconds.

Racing continues Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Gates open at 8 a.m. Tickets are $20 Saturday and $18 on Sunday. Eliminations for Top Alcohol Dragster and funny car are scheduled for 4, 6, & 8 p.m. on Saturday with final qualifying and time trials for all other classes taking place throughout the day. For more information, call Cecil County Dragway, 410-287-6280.

The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Northeast Shootout event at Cecil County Dragway:

Top Alcohol Dragster

1) Dan Mercier, Valley Field, Quebec, 5.493 seconds, 264.49 mph

2) Mike Kosky, Cuddy, Pa., 5.493, 262.39

3) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.517, 263.26

4) Dave DeAngelis, Middlesex, N.J., 5.605, 255.34

5) Mark Albert, Baldwin, Pa., 5.651, 243.02

6) Ken Winward, Wilmington, Del., 5.675, 244.83

7) Richard Bourke, Old Tappan, N.J., 5.759, 248.57

8) Bruce Horner, Bergenfield, N.J., 5.766, 245.23 Not Qualified

9) Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., 5.804, 244.38

10) Wayne Morris, Lincoln University, Pa., 9.097, 94.19

 

First round TAD pairings

1) Dan Mercier, Valley Field, Quebec, 5.493 seconds, 264.49 mph vs. 8)
Bruce Horner, Bergenfield, N.J., 5.766, 245.23

2) Mike Kosky, Cuddy, Pa., 5.493, 262.39 vs. 7) Richard Bourke, Old
Tappan, N.J., 5.759, 248.57

3) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.517, 263.26 vs. 6) Ken Winward,
Wilmington, Del., 5.675,

244.83

4) Dave DeAngelis, Middlesex, N.J., 5.605, 255.34 vs. 5) Mark Albert,
Baldwin, Pa., 5.651,

243.02

 

Top Alcohol Funny Car

1) Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.814 seconds,
252.99 mph

2) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '01 Camaro, 5.905, 243.72

3) Dan Pomponio, Berlin, N.J., '00 Camaro, 5.935, 244.78

4) David Ray, Plaistow, N.H., '01 Avenger, 6.012, 244.60

5) Bruce Mullins, Fredericksburg, Va., '05 Monte Carlo, 6.130, 232.31

6) Chris Brown, Ivyland, Pa., '06 Stratus, 6.344, 231.16

7) Dan Roman, Wolcott, Conn., '97 Firebird, 6.450, 203.49

8) Marc White, Glendale Hts., Ill., '04 Firebird, 6.464, 227.08 Not
Qualified

9) Frank Schuster, Chesterfield, N.J., '02 Firebird, 6.891, 209.92

10) John Headley, Newportville, Pa., '97 Firebird, 12.065, 61.88

11) Duane Beers, Monroe, N.J., '02 Camaro, 13.657, 62.99

12) DJ Cox Jr., Whiteford, Md., '02 Firebird, 17.422, 44.54

 

First round TAFC pairings

1) Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.814 seconds,
252.99 mph vs. 8) Marc White, Glendale Hts., Ill., '04 Firebird, 6.464,
227.08

2) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '01 Camaro, 5.905, 243.72 vs. 7) Dan
Roman, Wolcott, Conn.,

'97 Firebird, 6.450, 203.49

3) Dan Pomponio, Berlin, N.J., '00 Camaro, 5.935, 244.78 vs. 6) Chris
Brown, Ivyland, Pa., '06 Stratus, 6.344, 231.16

4) David Ray, Plaistow, N.H., '01 Avenger, 6.012, 244.60 vs. 5) Bruce
Mullins, Fredericksburg, Va., '05 Monte Carlo, 6.130, 232.31

 

Comp Eliminator

1) Vinny Barone, Dix Hills, N.Y., '34 Roadster, A/SR, 7.881 seconds,
-0.599 (under index)

2) Charlie Greco, Berwyn, Pa., '06 GTO, E/A, 7.814, -0.596

3) Gerry Russo, Saddle River, N.J., '04 Cavalier, C/SMA, 8.356, -0.574

4) Kevin Houghtaling, Ashland, Va., '91 Calais, H/SM, 9.186, -0.554

5) Frank Aragona, Old Bridge, N.J., '32 Bantam, G/EA, 8.552, -0.548

6) Skip Gladstone, Townsend, Del., dragster, F/ED, 8.418, -0.542

7) Tim Freeman, Roan Mtn, Tenn., '98 Grand Am, H/SM, 9.205, -0.535

8) Michael Hardee, Wilmington, N.C., '05 Sunfire, F/SM, 8.904, -0.516

9) Pat Ross, Avon Lake, Ohio, '05 Grand Am, F/A, 8.210, -0.500

10) Joe Carnasciale, Cranston, R.I., '92 Camaro, E/SM, 8.737, -0.483

 

Super Stock

1) Rich Oakes, Woolwich Twp, N.J., '92 Camaro, SS/DS, 9.846 seconds,
-1.354 (under index)

2) Howard Barsky, Levittown, Pa., '57 Chevy, SS/NA, 11.300, -1.150

3) Gary Ewing, Bel Air, Md., '69 Camaro, SS/JA, 10.161, -1.139

4) Brian Oakes, Williamstown, N.J., '69 Camaro, SS/DA, 9.396, -1.104

5) Russ Linke, Old Bridge, N.J., '73 Corvette, SS/JA, 10.220, -1.080

6) Bob Bagley, Fredricksburg, Va., '01 Camaro, GT/GA, 10.127, -1.073

7) Dennis Steward, Dover, Pa., '91 Daytona, GT/IA, 10.434, -1.066

8) Dave Ficacci, E Hanover, N.J., '02 Firebird, GT/EA, 9.894, -1.056

9) Frank Lupo, North East, Md., '95 Achieva, SS/KA, 10.511, -1.039

10) Joe Mendillo, Hamden, Conn., '90 Camaro, GT/G, 10.015, -1.035

 

Stock Eliminator

1) Cecil Frazier, Canton, Mass., '91 Camaro, E/FIA, 11.272 seconds,
-1.328 (under index)

2) Bud Rowe, Bridgeton, N.C., '95 Camaro, B/FIA, 10.448, -1.252

3) Jim Reid Jr., Hanson, Mass., '87 Camaro, F/FIA, 11.798, -1.152

4) Gary Richard, Bay Shore, N.Y., '69 Camaro, C/SA, 10.570, -1.130

5) Bill Kennedy, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., '84 Firebird, J/SA, 11.630, -1.120

6) John Gray, Hudson, Mass., '72 Nova, F/SA, 11.039, -1.111

7) Ralph Porpora, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., '69 Camaro, A/S, 10.146, -1.104

8) Ray Golonka, Colonia, N.J., '77 Cadillac, Q/SA, 13.009, -1.091

9) Marty Bernard, Brewerton, N.Y., '66 Biscayne, P/SA, 12.669, -1.081

10) Frank Genovisi, Yorktown Hgts, N.Y., '98 Formula, B/FIA, 10.629,
-1.071