NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series-Final Results from Cecil County Dragway in Rising Sun, Md.
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NORTHEAST DIVISION CECIL COUNTY DRAGWAY SUNDAY, AUGUST 24, 2003 Win at Cecil County Makes for Milestone Weekend for Manzo RISING SUN, Md. - In the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event being held this weekend at Cecil County Dragway, reining NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car Champion Frank Manzo of Morganville, N.J., earned his 75th Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series career win over first time Lucas Oil finalist Todd Veney of Indianapolis. In the final, Manzo ran a sluggish 8.684-second pass at 103.64 mph to take the win over Veney, who after breaking in the semifinals, was unable to show for the final. With his win today, Manzo continues to build momentum and his points total, toward his 7th consecutive Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol Funny Car Championship. Today also marks Manzo fourth win of the year in the Northeast Division. Yesterday, Manzo won the delayed Lucas Oil Event from Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, over Bob Newberry of Schenectady, N.Y. In Top Alcohol Dragster, Rich McPhillips, a long-time NHRA Northeast Division competitor, earned his first divisional win in three years when he defeated Richard Bourke of Old Tappan, N.J. In the final, McPhillips used a 5.583-second run at 252.66 mph to defeat Bourke, who ran a tire smoking 5.980 second pass at 203.92 mph. Cecil County Dragway is also the site of McPhillips' last Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series win which came in August of 2000. "We had such a tough year last year," said McPhillips. "We broke a lot of parts. It's nice to finally get a win," he added. Earning his second NHRA Northeast Division Competition Eliminator win of the year was Santo Volpe of Cocoa, Fla. In the final, Volpe defeated Allen Stanfield of Fredericksburg, Va., after the veteran driver red-lighted. In Super Stock, Billy Leber Jr., of Tonawanda, N.Y., defeated Rustburg, Va., racer Gary Wisecarver. In the finals from Old Bridge Township Raceway Park run yesterday afternoon, Leber was the class runner-up. In Stock Eliminator, John Gray Jr., of Hudson, Mass., defeated Brian Rowe of New Bern, N.C. While in Super Comp., Jim Fizz of Sanatoga, Pa., won over Thomas Oliver of Old Bridge, N.J. In Super Gas, Glen Emig, Bethlehem, Pa., won behind the wheel of his '72 Vega over Thomas Stalba Jr., of Williamstown, N.J. Like Leber, Stalba was a finalist yesterday in the delayed Old Bridge Township Raceway Park event, but in his final round bout took the win over Cooperstown, Pa., driver Jim Smulligan. In Super Street, Steve Taxis of Old Bridge, N.J., won over Philadelphia driver Don Garbinski of Philadelphia. In the final Taxis ran 10.898 seconds at 124.12 mph. The following are Sunday's final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event being held this weekend at Cecil County Dragway: TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER ROUND 1 4) Cliff Bozzelli, Absecon, N.J., 5.554, 251.81 def. 5) Fran Monaghan Jr, Meadowbrook, Pa., 8.734, 101.97 1) Richard Bourke, Old Tappan, N.J., 5.445, 265.01 def. 8) Tony Bartone, Manhasset, N.Y., 5.415, 266.58 2) Mike Kosky, Cuddy, Pa., 5.537, 258.42 def. 7) Steven Cantrell, Wilmington, Del., 5.653, 230.57 3) Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., 5.476, 250.51 def. 6) David De Angelis, Middlesex, N.J., 5.636, 251.06 SEMIFINALS McPhillips, 5.606, 243.72 def. Kosky, 6.661, 146.04 Bourke, 5.438, 261.32 def. Bozzelli, 5.513, 259.01 FINAL McPhillips, 5.583, 252.66 def. Bourke, 5.980, 203.92 TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR ROUND 1 1) Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., Pontiac Firebird, 5.682, 250.13 def. 8) Bobby Martindale, Chester, Va., Daytona, broke 3) Todd Veney, Indianapolis, Ind., Dodge Avenger, 5.847, 247.61 def. 6) Dan Pomponio, Berlin, N.J., Camaro, 6.439, 229.08 2) Paul Gill, Brockton, Mass., Avenger, 5.943, 244.38 def. 7) Charles Gambino, Daytona Bch, Fla., Olds Cutlass, 6.363, 192.25 5) Darrel Cox, Whiteford, Md., Firebird, 6.389, 210.34 def. 4) Bob Newberry, Schenectady, N.Y., Chevy Camaro, 20.485, 37.67 SEMIFINAL Manzo, 5.747, 249.12 def. Cox, 5.958, 235.51 Veney, 5.867, 225.30 def. Gill, 8.893, 86.83 FINAL Manzo, 8.684, 103.05 def. Veney, broke COMPETITION ELIMINATOR Santo Volpe, Cocoa, Fla., '63 Corvette, A/SR, 8.799, 110.21 def. Allen Stanfield, Fredericksburg, Va., '99 Grand Am, F/SM, foul SUPER STOCK Bill Leber Jr., Tonawanda, N.Y., '03 S-10, SS/TB, 9.220, 138.78 def. Gary Wisecarver, Rustburg, Va., '66 Nova, SS/CS, 9.841, 138.30 STOCK ELIMINATOR John Gray Jr., Hudson, Mass., '72 Nova, H/SA, 11.084, 116.23 def. Brian Rowe, New Bern, N.C., '69 Camaro, H/SA, foul SUPER COMP Jim Fizz, Sanatoga, Pa., Dragster, 8.915, 157.03 def. Thomas Oliver, Old Bridge, N.J., Dragster, 8.869, 158.71 SUPER GAS Glen Emig, Bethlehem, Pa., '72 Vega, 9.904, 144.26 def. Thomas Stalba Jr, Williamstown, N.J., '63 Corvette, 9.912, 150.33 SUPER STREET Steve Taxis, Old Bridge, N.J., '67 Camaro, 10.898, 124.12 def. Don Garbinski, Philadelphia, '71 Challenger, 10.886, 134.34