NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series-Saturday from National Trail Raceway

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NORTH CENTRAL DIVISION
NATIONAL TRAIL RACEWAY, HEBRON, OHIO
Saturday, September 20, 2003

THACKER LEADS RECORD-SETTING TAD FIELD AT NATIONAL TRAIL RACEWAY
        HEBRON, Ohio - In the final rounds of qualifying at the NHRA Lucas
Oil Drag Racing Series event at National Trail Raceway, Marty Thacker set
the pace in Top Alcohol Dragster (TAD) while in Top Alcohol Funny Car
(TAFC) Marc White was the best qualifier.
        Robinson, Ill., racer Thacker sits atop the quickest TAD field in
NHRA North Central division history, according division director Jay
Hullinger.  Thacker's 5.354-second, 265.12 mph pass was enough to move him
from second place in the initial round of qualifying.  Drivers who failed
to run quicker than 5.524 seconds did not make the eight-car field.  The
final qualifying position went to Bill McCornack, Lexington, Ky.
        White did not run at all on the first day of qualifying but his
first run today was enough to give him the No.1 spot.  White, a resident of
Glendale Hts., Ill., ran 5.705 seconds at 254.90 mph.  Current TAFC points
leader Chuck Cheeseman of Galena, Ohio, made up for Friday's disqualified
pass by jumping into the No. 2 position with a 5.719-second, 248.93 mph
pass.
        In Comp Eliminator,     Al Ackerman, Saddle Brook, N.J., is the top
qualifier, in Super Stock, it's Bo Butner of Floyds Knobs, Ind., and in
Stock Donald Holmes, Dayton, Ohio, is in the No. 1 spot.  Top Sportsman
driver Jerry Albert, Avon, Ohio, is the best qualifier in his class.  Final
qualifying in Super Stock was not available.
        Racing continues Sunday at National Trail Raceway.  Gates open at 8
a.m. and eliminations start at 9 a.m.  Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol
Funny car run first round of eliminations at 1 p.m.  Tickets are $15. 
Children 6 to 12 are $5 and kids 5 and under are admitted free with a paid
adult.  For more information, call National Trail Raceway, (740) 928-5706.


        The following are Saturday's final qualifying results and Sunday's
first-round pairings for TAD and TAFC at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series event at National Trail Raceway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.354 seconds, 265.12 mph
2) Keith Stark, Danville, Ill., 5.386, 269.56
3) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.393, 273.05
4) Ken Perry, Toronto, Ont., 5.419, 249.35
5) Jason Cannon, Middleburg, Fla., 5.420, 261.62
6) Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., 5.504, 253.04
7) Brian Weber, Vermillion, Ohio, 5.506, 254.52
8) Bill McCornack, Lexington, Ky., 5.524, 258.57
Not Qualified
9) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., 5.525, 233.40
10) Jeff Wilson, Winfield, Mo., 5.542, 257.43
11) Jeff Bohr, Plymouth, Mich., 5.568, 249.49
12) Mark Albert, Baldwin, Pa., 5.574, 244.56
13) Dave Hirata, Lowell, Ind., 5.622, 252.28
14) Shawn Bowen, Grand Blanc, Mich., 5.745, 254.38
15) Jared Dreher, Clinton, Ind., 11.911, 63.67

First round TAD pairings
1) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.354 seconds, 265.12 mph vs. 8) Bill
McCornack, Lexington, Ky., 5.524, 258.57
2) Keith Stark, Danville, Ill., 5.386, 269.56 vs. 7) Brian Weber,
Vermillion, Ohio, 5.506, 254.52
3) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.393, 273.05 vs. 6) Rich McPhillips,
Phoenixville, Pa., 5.504, 253.04
4) Ken Perry, Toronto, Ont., 5.419, 249.35 vs. 5) Jason Cannon, Middleburg,
Fla., 5.420, 261.62

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1)      Marc White, Glendale Hts., Ill., '01 Firebird, 5.705 seconds,
254.90 mph
2)      Chuck Cheeseman, Galena, Ohio, '02 Firebird, 5.719, 248.93
3)      Mick Snyder, Demotte, Ind., '01 Firebird, 5.729, 248.57
4)      Jeff Craig, Muncie, Ind., '01 R/T, 5.799, 251.11
5)      Steve Addleman, Fishers, Ind., '01 Firebird, 5.823, 247.61
6)      Greg Elliott, Bedford, Ind., '96 Firebird, 5.967, 236.01
7)      Kim Fritts, Greenup, Ill., '98 Firebird, 6.000, 237.34
8)      John Bojac, Chardon, Ohio, '02 Avenger, 6.013, 224.25
Not Qualified
9)      Paul Lee, Gaithersburg, Md., '98 Firebird, 6.035, 181.03
10) Russell Mudd, Fairdale, Ky., '98 Mustang, 6.155, 222.47
11) Wayne Butler, Manito, Ill., '99 Firebird, 6.195, 228.77
12) Bobby Martin, Beaver Falls, Pa., '01 Avenger, 7.400, 29.19
First round TAFC pairings
1) Marc White, Glendale Hts., Ill., '01 Firebird, 5.705 seconds, 254.90 mph
vs. 8) John Bojac, Chardon, Ohio, '02 Avenger, 6.013, 224.25
2) Chuck Cheeseman, Galena, Ohio, '02 Firebird, 5.719, 248.93 vs. 7) Kim
Fritts, Greenup, Ill., '98 Firebird, 6.000, 237.34
3) Mick Snyder, Demotte, Ind., '01 Firebird, 5.729, 248.57 vs. 6) Greg
Elliott, Bedford, Ind., '96 Firebird, 5.967, 236.01
4) Jeff Craig, Muncie, Ind., '01 R/T, 5.799, 251.11 vs. 5) Steve Addleman,
Fishers, Ind., '01 Firebird, 5.823, 247.61
COMP ELIMINATOR
1)      Al Ackerman, Saddle Brook, N.J., ProStart, F/D, 8.101 seconds,
-0.669 (under index)
2)      Mike Trumble, Pasadena, Texas, '03 Sunfire, A/SMA, 8.068, -0.652
3)      Ian Landies Jr, Chardon, Ohio, '02 Cavalier, F/A, 8.189, -0.651
4)      Jack Slagle, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, '98 Grand Am, D/SMA, 8.675, -0.625
5)      Bo Butner, Floyds Knobs, Ind., '02 Sonoma, PSTA, 7.699, -0.591
6)      Terry Smith, Williamstown, W.V., '32 Bantam, D/EA, 8.444, -0.576
7)      Robert Bailey, Wabash, Ind., Dragster, A/ED, 6.720, -0.570
8)      Steve Ambrose, Woodhaven, Mich., '23 Roadster, J/AA, 7.895, -0.565
9)      Jerry Arnold, Kalamazoo, Mich., '32 Bantam, E/ED, 8.510, -0.560
10) Tom Schmidt, Lindstrom, Minn., '33 Ford, C/SR, 8.718, -0.552

SUPER STOCK
1) Bo Butner III, Floyds Knobs, Ind., '02 Grand Am, SS/BM, 8.504 seconds,
-1.196 (under index)
2) Ron Terrell, Hebron, Ky., '85 Camaro, SS/KA, 10.364, -1.186
3) Gary Russell, Easy Sparta, Ohio, '98 Camaro, GT/L, 10.463, -1.137
4) Larry Wilson, Mt Washington, Ky., '66 Bel Air, SS/NA, 11.332, -1.118
5) Joey Wilkes, Zanesville, Ohio, '92 Camaro, GT/EA, 9.841, -1.109
6) Ken Shawver, Defiance, Ohio, '78 Firebird, SS/KA, 10.453, -1.097
7) John Coughlin, Delaware, Ohio, '02 Cavalier, SS/CM, 8.878, -1.072
8) Dan Kyle, Lawrenceburg, Ind., '87 Firebird, GT/EA, 9.892, -1.058
9) Gene McBean, Chardon, Ohio, '69 Mustang, SS/GA, 9.824, -1.026
10) Ricky Decker, Charlestown, Ind., '94 Camaro, GT/CA, 9.685, -1.015
STOCK ELIMINATOR
1)      Donald Holmes, Dayton, Ohio, '78 Firebird, K/SA, 11.527 seconds,
-1.423 (under index)
2)      David Edwards, Washington Ct Hs, Ohio, '78 Trans Am, J/SA, 11.382,
-1.368
3)      Joey Wilkes, Zanesville, Ohio, '00 Camaro, B/FIA, 10.411, -1.289
4)      William Lent, Muskegon, Mich., '97 Firebird, I/FIA, 12.598, -1.152
5)      Jim Marshall, Scottsville, N.Y., '80 Corvette, I/SA, 11.449, -1.151
6)      Darwin Hardy, Muskegon, Mich., '84 LaSabre, U/SA, 14.004, -1.146
7)      Paul Boster, Pataskala, Ohio, '97 Firebird, B/FIA, 10.580, -1.120
8)      Steve Sullivan, West Chester, Ohio, '88 Mustang, G/FIA, 12.032,
-1.118
9)      Darrell Steiger, Clayton, Ind., '69 Volare, I/SA, 11.510, -1.090
10)     Randy Taylor, Beavercreek, Ohio, '86 Camaro, I/SA, 11.510, -1.090

TOP SPORTSMAN
1)      Jerry Albert, Avon, Ohio, '97 Camaro SS, 7.040 seconds, 194.97 mph
2)      Brad Personett, Elkhart, Ind., '00 Firebird, 7.094, 194.97
3)      Rick Corn, Benton, Ill., '02 Avenger, 7.168, 190.19
4)      Rod Burgoyne, Coloma, Mich., '93 Lumina, 7.181, 193.74
5)      Michael Donato, Arlington Hts, Ill., '00 Firebird, 7.275, 190.62
6)      Bill Gibson, Steger, Ill., '01 Grand Am, 7.361, 187.99
7)      Paul Mann, Jasper, Minn., '90 Firebird, 7.396, 181.01
8)      Philip Montgomery, Owensboro, Ky., '00 Trans Am, 7.461, 180.26
9)      Jon Steldt, Milwaukee, Wis., '97 Cutlass, 7.506, 176.05
10)     Todd Burks, Kalamazoo, Mich., '97 Cutlass, 7.515, 185.64