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Friday Results NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Event, Bristol D ragway

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NHRA SOUTHEAST DIVISION
BRISTOL DRAGWAY
FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2002

 Gunderson and Bartone Both DNQ For  Bristol Dragway Show 
BRISTOL, Tenn. -In the final rounds of qualifying at the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series being held at Bristol Dragway, Top Alcohol Dragster driver John Haley and Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Jay Payne are leading their respective fields.
	Haley of Wayzata, Minn., piloted his Top Alcohol Dragster to a 5.649-second pass at 250.97 mph to claim the top spot in the class. A surprising pair of non-qualifiers in the class are defending Southeast Division Top Alcohol Dragster Champion and current points leader in the class, Michael Gunderson, of Middleburg, Fla., and former national champion Tony Bartone, of Manhasset, N.Y. Typically strong runners in the class, both drivers were plagued by mechanical problems throughout the day qualifying and will not make the eight-car field.  
In Top Alcohol Funny Car, Payne of Claremont, Calif., laid down a 5.772-second pass at 252.00 mph to take the lead in Funny Car. Qualified in the number two spot is Oak Ridge, Tenn., runner Von Smith.  Smith, who currently leads the chase for Southeast Division points in the class ran a 5.952-second pass at  247.43 behind the wheel of his Jensen Audio sponsored Firebird.
Top qualifiers in other classes are Larry Pritchett of Clarkrange, Tenn., in Competition Eliminator; Jeff Taylor of Lumberton, N.C., in Super Stock; and Richard Taylor of Byhalia, Miss., in Stock.
In the debut of the Southeast Division's newest class, John Bleakley Motorhomes Top Sportsman, Toney Russell of Ardmore, Ala., qualified his '55 Nomad in the top spot with a 7.132 pass at 187.70 mph. The class, which features 7-second door-slammers, will compete in a five race series this season , including the final three Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series events at Bristol Dragway, Atlanta Dragway, Atlanta, Ga., and Darlington Int'l Raceway, Darlington, S.C.
Gates at Bristol Dragway will open tomorrow at 8 a.m. with qualifying set to continue in  Competition Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street and Top Sportsman at 9:00 a.m. Eliminations in those categories are set to begin at noon. The opening round of eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car is schedule for 3 p.m. For more information please contact Bristol Dragway at (423) 764-6555.

The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Bristol Dragway:
Top Alcohol Dragster
1.	John Haley, Wayzata, Minn., 5.649 seconds, 250.97 mph
2.	Jason Cannon, Middleburg, Fla., 5.663, 250.83
3.	Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.664, 250.23
4.	Guy Kelly, Wadley, Ala., 5.726, 243.63
5.	Mick Snyder, Demotte, Ind., 5.749, 246.48
6.	Mike Kosky, Cuddy, Pa., 5.750, 249.86
7.	James Copeland II, Red Oak, Texas, 5.762, 250.27
8.	Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 5.831, 245.76
	-------------------------Not Qualified -------------------------
9.	Ben Marshall, New Carlisle, Ohio, 5.861, 245.32
10.	Tony Bartone, Manhasset, N.Y., 16.418, 47.14
11.	Michael Gunderson, Middleburg, Fla., no time
First Round Pairings
1) John Haley, Wayzata, Minn., vs. 8) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla.
2) Jason Cannon, Middleburg, Fla., vs.  7) James Copeland II, Red Oak, Texas
3) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., vs. 5) Mike Kosky, Cuddy, Pa.
4) Guy Kelly, Wadley, Ala., vs. 5) Mick Snyder, Demotte, Ind.

Top Alcohol Funny Car
1.	Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '02 Chevy Camaro, 5.772  seconds, 252.00 mph
2.	Von Smith, Oak Ridge Tenn., '01 Pontiac Firebird, 5.952, 247.43
3.	Tony Bogolo, Hamilton, Ohio, '98 Achieva, 6.068, 235.72
4.	Thomas Frickenschmidt, Lockwood Mo., '00 Firebird, 6.324, 222.99
First round Pairings
1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., vs. 4) Thomas Frickenschmidt, Lockwood, Mo.
2) Von Smith, Oak Ridge, Tenn., vs. 3) Tony Bogolo, Hamilton, Ohio

Comp Eliminator
1.	Larry Pritchett, Clarkrange, Tenn., A/SM, '98 Grand Am,  8.143 seconds, -0.477 (under index)
2.	Richard Larsen, Tyrone, Ga., A/ND, Dragster, 7.331, -0.459
3.	Mike Lawrence, Cincinnati, Ohio, B/SR, '34 Dodge, 8.216, -0.434
4.	Jeff Taylor, Lumberton, N.C., C/A, '02 Grand Am, 7.648, -0.432
5.	Jerry Hemmingson, Concord, N.C., B/A, '02 Cavalier, 7.393, -0.407
6.	Mike Farrell, Louisville, Ky., A/EA, '32 Bantam, 7.628, -0.402
7.	Larry Carson, Morning View, Ky., A/D, Dragster, 6.745, -0.375
8.	Michael Hardee, Wilmington, N.C., E/SMA, '98 Grand Am, 9.061, -0.359
9.	Dennis Mitchell, Huntsville, Ala., F/A, '92 Cavalier, 8.515,  -0.355
10.	George Gallimore, Memphis, Tenn., A/P, '32 Bantam, 7.194, -0.336

Super Stock
1.	Jeff Taylor, Lumberton, N.C., SS/BM, '01 Grand Am, 8.718 seconds, -0.982 (under index)
2.	Jeff Sexton, Fairborn, Ohio, SS/AX, '97 Cutlass, 9.136, -0.864
3.	Wes Leopold Jr., Bridgeville, Pa., SS/AS, '93 Daytona, 9.067, -0.833
4.	Tim Worner, Duncannon, Pa., GT/KA, '88 Cutlass, 10.928, -0.822
5.	John Fogle, Norway, S.C., SS/HA, '67 Camaro, 10.126, -0.774
6.	Dean Nicopolis, Northville, Mich., SS/AA, '68 Barracuda, 9.263, -0.737
7.	Kenny Schindler, Hendersonville, Tenn., SS/EA, '68 Corvette, 9.937, -0.713
8.	Don Barber, Hohenwald, Tenn., GT/BA, '93 Achieva, 9.837, -0.713
9.	Jimmy Bridges, Nashville, Tenn., SS/C, '66 Corvette, 9.654, -0.696
10.	Rusty Perkins, Bowling Green, Ky., SS/EA, '70 Corvette,  9.973, -0.677

Stock
1.	Richard Taylor, Byhalia, Miss., JT/SA, '01 S-10, 15.863 seconds, -0.937 (under index)
2.	Tom Hemmingson, Concord, N.C., L/S, '66 Malibu, 12.139, -0.861
3.	Danny Holder, Chapmansboro, Tenn., K/SA, '91 Camaro, 12.139, -0.811
4.	Robbie Shaw, Douglasville, Ga., O/SA, '83 Malibu, 12.719, -0.731
5.	Sterling Simmons Jr., Midlothian, Va., D/SA, '97 Camaro, 11.124, -0.726
6.	Harold Culpepper, Pine Mountain. Valley, Ga., D/SA, '94 Camaro, 11.191, -0.659
7.	Garry Glazener, Jackson, S.C., G/SA, '72 Mustang, 11.653, -0.647
8.	Gale Pinkston, Shelbyville, Tenn., G/SA, '67 Camaro, 11.693, -0.607
9.	James Treola, Charleston, W. Va., E/SA, '68 Firebird, 11.402, -0.598
10.	Bill Howell, Aiken, S.C., B/SA, '70 Mustang, 10.973, -0.577

John Bleakley Motorhomes Top Sportsman
1.	Toney Russell, Ardmore, Ala., '55 Nomad, 7.132 seconds, 187.70 mph
2.	Robert Sellers, Bunnell, Fla., '96 Avenger, 7.136,  193.46
3.	Ronnie Davis, Lilburn, Ga., '63 Corvette,  7.286, 191.59
4.	Will Roberson, Williston, S.C., '57 BelAir, 7.286, 187.57
5.	Dave Saul, Winter Park, Fla., '93 Beretta  7.343, 180.02
6.	Troy Cagle, Ranburne, Ala., '00 S-10, 7.446, 186.51
7.	Billy Vaughn, Knoxville, Tenn., '84 Beretta, 7.548, 18|1.74
8.	Joel Douglas, Statesville, N.C., '94 Cutlass, 7.561, 182.35
9.	Jeff Wilkerson, Athens, Ala., '01 Trans Am, 7.806, 177.18
Glen Maine, Whitesboro, N.Y., '67 Nova, 7.834, 175.11