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NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series-Saturday from Memphis Motorsports Park


NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION
MEMPHIS MOTORSPORTS PARK, MEMPHIS, TENN.
Saturday, March 27, 2004


FORCE, STIDHAM BEST QUALIFIERS MEMPHIS MOTORSPORTS PARK
        MEMPHIS, Tenn. - In the final rounds of qualifying at the O'Reilly
NHRA Sportsman Championships, a round of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series, at Memphis Motorsports Park, Ashley Force retained the No. 1
qualifying position in Top Alcohol Dragster.  In Top Alcohol Funny Car,
Jackie Stidham finished in the top spot.
        Force, the daughter of 12-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force,
improved on Friday's qualifying effort to stay No. 1.  The Yorba Linda,
Calif., racer made a 5.412-second, 264.44 mph pass to stay ahead of No. 2
qualifier, Randy Meyer of Spring Hill, Kan.  Meyer ran 5.455 seconds at
251.86 mph.  Sunday, Force will face off against the No. 8 qualifier,
former division champion Lee Callaway of Channelview, Texas.
        Stidham, a veteran Top Alcohol Funny Car pilot from Chickasha,
Okla., overtook the top qualifying spot from Tate Branch of Artesia, N.M. 
Stidham's first qualifying pass today, a 5.717-second, 247.66 mph effort,
was enough to put him ahead of Branch.  He will take on Oklahoma City
resident Ron Rice in the first round of eliminations Sunday.
        In other qualifying classes, only Super Stock competitor Buz Post
of Arlington, Texas, was able to maintain his top qualifying position.  In
Comp Eliminator, Raymond Martin, Mt. Belvieu, Texas, was No. 1 while in
Stock Eliminator, John Livingston, Murfreesboro, Tenn., was the best
qualifier.  Louisville, Ky., Top Sportsman racer Chris Ray, and Kerker
Motorcycle rider Ken Oravecz of Peckerington, Ohio, were the No.  1
qualifiers in their classes.
        Racing continues with eliminations beginning Sunday at 9 a.m. 
Gates open at 8 a.m.  Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car will
run first round of eliminations at noon.  Tickets are $20 and children 12
and under are admitted free with a paid adult.  For more information, call
Memphis Motorsports Park, (901) 358-7223.


        The following are Saturday's final qualifying results and Sunday's
first-round pairings for TAD and TAFC at the O'Reilly NHRA Sportsman
Championships event at Memphis Motorsports Park:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Ashley Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., 5.412 seconds, 264.44 mph
2) Randy Meyer, Spring Hill, Kan., 5.455, 251.86
3) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.482, 265.43
4) Jeff Wilson, Winfield, Mo., 5.530, 250.74
5) Shelly Howard, Tulsa, Okla., 5.563, 251.25
6) Todd Datweiler, Herscher, Ill., 5.568, 258.42
7) Karl Brounkowski, Magnolia, Texas, 5.590, 255.73
8) Lee Callaway, Channelview, Texas, 5.603, 248.07
Not Qualified
9) James Thompson, Vernon, Texas, 5.611, 253.18
10) Darryl Hitchman, Hanford, Calif., 5.613, 242.54
11) Tim Rudy, Mason, Ohio, 5.724, 252.95

First round TAD pairings
1) Ashley Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., 5.412 seconds, 264.44 mph vs. 8) Lee
Callaway, Channelview, Texas, 5.603, 248.07
2) Randy Meyer, Spring Hill, Kan., 5.455, 251.86 vs. 7) Karl Brounkowski,
Magnolia, Texas, 5.590, 255.73
3) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.482, 265.43 vs. 6) Todd Datweiler,
Herscher, Ill., 5.568, 258.42
4) Jeff Wilson, Winfield, Mo., 5.530, 250.74 vs. 5) Shelly Howard, Tulsa,
Okla., 5.563, 251.25

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Jackie Stidham, Chickasha, Okla., '00 Camaro, 5.717 seconds, 247.66 mph
2) Tate Branch, Artesia, N.M., '03 Camaro, 5.763, 247.97
3) Mike Bell, Ocean View, Hawaii, '00 Firebird, 5.845, 244.52
4) Steve Harker, Brisbane, Australia, '99 Avenger, 5.896, 244.78
5) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '03 Firebird, 5.926, 245.32
6) Ron Morrison, Oklahoma City, '97 Camaro, 6.010, 236.01
7) Steve Burck, Corpus Christi, Texas, '98 Avenger, 6.366, 235.27
8) Ron Rice, Oklahoma City, '96 Daytona, 6.925, 175.16

First round TAFC pairings
1) Jackie Stidham, Chickasha, Okla., '00 Camaro, 5.717 seconds, 247.66 mph
vs. 8) Ron Rice, Oklahoma City, '96 Daytona, 6.925, 175.16
2) Tate Branch, Artesia, N.M., '03 Camaro, 5.763, 247.97 vs. 7) Steve
Burck, Corpus Christi, Texas, '98 Avenger, 6.366, 235.27
3) Mike Bell, Ocean View, Hawaii, '00 Firebird, 5.845, 244.52 vs. 6) Ron
Morrison, Oklahoma City, '97 Camaro, 6.010, 236.01
4) Steve Harker, Brisbane, Australia, '99 Avenger, 5.896, 244.78 vs. 5)
Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '03 Firebird, 5.926, 245.32

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Raymond Martin, Mt. Belvieu, Texas, '32 Bantam, K/AA, 7.953 seconds,
-0.677 (under index)
2) Colt Mikel, Hempstead, Texas, '02 S-10, B/TA, 8.352, -0.668
3) David Rampy, Piedmont, Ala., '32 Bantam, A/EA, 7.358, -0.632
4) Brian Self, Hempstead, Texas, '02 S-10, PST, 7.464, -0.626
5) Dennis Mitchell, Huntsville, Ala., '92 Cavalier, F/A, 8.218, -0.622
6) Rodger Brogdon, Tomball, Texas, '04 Cavalier, D/SM, 8.622, -0.618
7) Greg Williams, Carthage, Texas, '02 Cavalier, C/SMA, 8.377, -0.613
8) Larry Pritchett, Clarkrange, Tenn., '04 Sunfire, B/SM, 8.191, -0.609
9) Sean Dodd, Lewisville, Texas, '02 S-10, PSTA, 7.671, -0.599
10) Brian Stufflebeam, Peoria, Ill., '23 Roadster, B/AA, 7.206, -0.594

SUPER STOCK
1) Buz Post, Arlington, Texas, '01 Grand Am, SS/AM, 8.225 seconds, -1.325
(under index)
2) Jerry Holman, Hendersonville, Tenn., '86 Firebird, SS/KA, 10.265, -1.285
3) Everett Hill, Fayetteville, Ga., '64 Mustang, SS/M, 10.648, -1.252
4) Robert Cruzen, Cleveland, Okla., '04 S-10, GT/TC, 10.153, -1.247
5) Ken Shawver, Bryan, Ohio, '78 Firebird, SS/KA, 10.325, -1.225
6) Jim Pancake, Delaware, Ohio, '68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 8.783, -1.217
7) Tim Cole, Collierville, Tenn., '96 Corvette, SS/AX, 8.700, -1.200
8) J.W. Hames, Madison, Miss., '89 Daytona, GT/JA, 10.447, -1.153
9) Gilbert Johnson Jr., Lecompte, La., '91 Calais, GT/JA, 10.451, -1.149
10) Scooter Anderson, Bartlett, Tenn., '67 Nova, SS/G, 9.603, -1.147

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) John Livingston, Murfreesboro, Tenn., '91 Camaro, F/FIA, 11.627 seconds,
-1.323 (under index)
2) Floyd Russo, Gonzales, La., '01 Firebird, B/FIA, 10.411, -1.289
3) Charles Ingram, Sante Fe, Tenn., '96 Corvette, C/FI, 10.666, -1.284
4) Jerry Bennett, Hickory, Ky., '79 Aspen, G/SA, 11.020, -1.280
5) Dave Edwards, Washington Ct. Hs., Ohio, '78 Trans Am, I/SA, 11.326,
-1.274
6) R.J. Sledge, Boerne, Texas, '67 Fairlane, E/SA, 10.746, -1.254
7) Al Corda, Elk Mound, Wis., '02 Firebird, B/FIA, 10.482, -1.218
8) Marty Buth, Freeport, Ill., '86 Thunderbird, J/FIA, 13.145, -1.205
9) Amy Faulk, Collierville, Tenn., '01 Firebird, C/FIA, 10.799, -1.201
10) Paula Cotten, Broken Arrow, Okla., '73 Duster, G/SA, 11.119, -1.181

TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Chris Ray, Louisville, Ky., '99 Firebird, 6.994 seconds, 197.77 mph
2) Brad Personett, Elkhart, Ind., '00 Firebird, 7.100, 178.71
3) Keith Raftery, Lake Charles, La., '03 Firebird, 7.208, 192.88
4) Don Boerma, Tinley Park, Ill., '53 Corvette, 7.212, 191.43
5) Kyle Cannon, West Helena, Ark., '03 Cavalier, 7.294, 190.51
6) T J Tracey, Bartlett, Tenn., '63 Corvette, 7.295, 190.75
7) Ryan Kuykendall, St. Louis, '99 Dakota, 7.391, 182.97
8) Jeremy Glidewell, Corinth, Miss., '94 Cutlass, 7.405, 186.38
9) Greg Hinds, Arab, Ala., '63 Corvette, 7.436, 186.48
10) Bert Prejean, St. Amant, La., '00 Firebird, 7.463, 183.47

KERKER MOTORCYCLE
1) Ken Oravecz, Pickerington, Ohio, '85 Suzuki, KMC, 0.000 seconds reaction
time
2) Michael Nash, Texarkana, Texas, Honda, KMC, 0.000
3) Chris LeBouf, Lafayette, La., '85 Suzuki, KMC, 0.000
4) Tracy Hemhold, Morrison, Colo., '86 Kawasaki, KMC, 0.001
5) Dale Detrie, Owatonna, Minn., '83 Suzuki, KMC, 0.004
6) Alex Barwettler, Maplewood, Minn., '78 Kawasaki, SPB, 0.004
7) Chris Oravecz, Canal Winchester, Ohio, '81 Suzuki, KMC, 0.005
8) Brian Johnson, Anokias, Minn., '04 Suzuki, SPB, 0.005
9) Mike Voss, Maplewood, Minn., '03 Kawasaki, KMC, 0.007
10) David Latino, Donaldsonville, La., '01 Suzuki, SPB, 0.008