NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series-Sunday from National Trail
Raceway
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NORTH CENTRAL DIVISION
NATIONAL TRAIL RACEWAY, HEBRON, OHIO
Sunday, September 21, 2003
CHEESEMAN MAKES IT 5 STRAIGHT, THACKER WINS SECOND NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG
RACING SERIES EVENT
HEBRON, Ohio - At the final Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event in
the NHRA's North Central division, Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Chuck
Cheeseman pulled off his fifth consecutive win and Top Alcohol Dragster
pilot Marty Thacker scored his second win on the year. Both drivers had
single runs in the final round because their respective opponents could not
answer the call.
Galena, Ohio, resident Cheeseman was to run Marc White of Glendale
Hts., Ill., in the final. However, both teams struggled to be ready for
the last run and, in the end, Cheeseman was alone on the line. In order to
avoid any further damage, Cheeseman opted for a slow pass, 14.558 seconds
at 72.85 mph. The win this weekend does give the reigning division
champion a perfect win score for the year, putting him well on his way to a
fifth division title.
Thacker was set to run Danville, Ill., resident Keith Stark in the
final round. However, like White, Stark was unable to make the run.
Thacker, who headed the division's quickest-ever qualifying field with a
5.354-second pass yesterday, chose to run it out in the final today. He
ran 5.455 seconds at 264.18 mph.
In Comp Eliminator, Bo Butner of Floyds Knobs, Ind., scored his
first in-division win of the season while Joe Covert of Saukville, Wis.,
drove his Super Stocker to his second victory. Auburn, Wash., resident
Toby Lang won in Stock and in Super Comp, Rock Haas of White Lake, Mich.,
took the win. Super Gas driver Ron Erks, Clinton, Ohio, scored his first
win of the year as did Tim Shuck in Super Street. Top Sportsman racer
Jerry Albert carried his No. 1 qualifying effort into the winner's circle.
Although this weekend's race completed the North Central division
NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series season, drivers may still be eligible to
earn points outside of the region.
The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series event at National Trail Raceway:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Round One
1) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.389, 265.06 def. 8) Bill McCornack,
Lexington, Ky., 5.614, 257.33
2) Keith Stark, Danville, Ill., 5.486, 263.98 def. 9) Robin Samsel, Marion,
Ind., 5.800, 225.56
4) Ken Perry, Toronto, Ont., 5.462, 241.97 def. 5) Jason Cannon,
Middleburg, Fla., 5.955, 205.51
6) Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., 5.470, 255.53 def. 3) Bill Reichert,
Owosso, Mich., 5.495, 263.00
Semifinals
Stark, 5.448, 268.22 def. McPhillips, 5.618, 250.09
Thacker, 5.463, 263.00 def. Perry, 5.490, 255.97
Finals
Thacker, 5.455, 264.18 def. Stark, broke
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
Round One
1) Marc White, Glendale Hts., Ill., Pontiac Firebird, 5.697, 253.85 def. 9)
Paul Lee, Gaithersburg, Md., Firebird, 5.894, 248.16
2) Chuck Cheeseman, Galena, Ohio, Firebird, 5.720, 250.32 def. 7) Kim
Fritts, Greenup, Ill., Firebird, 6.050, 207.50
4) Jeff Craig, Muncie, Ind., Dodge R/T, 5.903, 246.57 def. 5) Steve
Addleman, Fishers, Ind., Firebird, 5.841, 243.37
6) Greg Elliott, Bedford, Ind., Firebird, 6.016, 237.34 def. 3) Mick
Snyder, Demotte, Ind., Firebird, foul
Semifinals
White, 5.791, 251.34 def. Craig, 9.702, 85.94
Cheeseman, 5.806, 248.66 def. Elliott, 6.041, 234.94
Finals
Cheeseman, 14.558, 72.85 def. White, broke
COMPETITION ELIMINATOR
Bo Butner, Floyds Knobs, Ind., '02 Sonoma, PSTA, 8.268, 123.54 def. Norman
Saibene II, Canton, Ohio, Dragster, F/ED, foul
SUPER STOCK
Joe Covert, Saukville, Wis., '94 Regal, SS/AX, 9.360, 142.55 def. Bo Butner
III, Floyds Knobs, Ind., '02 Grand Am, SS/BM, 8.629, 157.67
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Toby Lang, Auburn, Wash., '69 Chevelle, F/SA, 11.697, 110.51 def. Sal
Biondo, Maspeth, N.Y., '77 Firebird, J/SA, 12.092, 102.95
SUPER COMP
Rock Haas, White Lake, Mich., Dragster, 8.916, 170.15 def. Ronald Erks,
Clinton, Ohio, '63 Corvette, 8.920, 177.70
SUPER GAS
Ronald Erks, Clinton, Ohio, '63 Corvette, 9.920, 158.20 def. Debbi
Gillespie, Waynesville, Ohio, '03 Firebird, 9.917, 141.79
SUPER STREET
Tim Shuck, W. Lafayette, Ohio, '67 Camaro, 10.918, 124.35 def. Aaron
Russell, Johnstown, Ohio, '66 Chevy II, 10.901, 120.57
TOP SPORTSMAN
Jerry Albert, Avon, Ohio, '97 Chevy Camaro SS, 7.227, 187.03 def. Glenn
Julius, Indianapolis, '94 Oldsmobile Cutlass, 7.763, 177.23
