NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Sunday from Maple Grove
Raceway, Reading, Pa.
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NORTHEAST DIVISION
MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY
SUNDAY, MAY 30, 2004
CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT NORTHEAST OPENER
READING, Pa. - Champions were crowned today in six classes of the
NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at Maple Grove Raceway for the season
opener of the NHRA Northeast Division.
Terry Smith of Williamstown, W.V., took the win in Comp. Eliminator with
his '32 roadster
over Kevin Houghtaling. Smith's 8.495 second lap at 146.08 mph held off
Houghtaling's 9.301, 142.22.
Wes Leopold Jr. grabbed the Super Stock win over Jim Lydon while
Lee Zane knocked off Shane Carr in the Stock final. Leopold drove his
'93 Daytona to a 10.884 second run for the win with Zane, of Pittsgrove,
N.J., clocking in at 12.048 seconds at 103.97 in his winning effort.
Four-time Northeast Division Champion Tom Stalba Jr. beat Ray
Sawyer in Super Gas with a run of 9.933 seconds at 152.93 mph. Stalba
has two championships in Super Comp and has won championships the last
two years in Super Gas.
Southampton, Pa., resident Donald Bangs took the win in Super Comp
over Jeff Livezey and Carl Juliano put his '71 Nova in the winner's
circle beating Eric Reiff of Boyertown, Pa., in Super Street.
Top Alcohol Dragsters and Funny Cars ran eliminations Saturday
night with Steve Cantrell beating the 2002 National Champion Art Gallant
in Top Alcohol Dragster with a 5.450 second pass at 258.27 mph. The
current NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Funny Car National Champion
Frank Manzo used a 5.599 second lap at 258.17 mph to hold off Jim
Sickles of Caledonia, N.Y.
Northeast Division racers head to Lebanon Valley Dragway for the
next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, July 2-4.
The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series event at Maple Grove Raceway:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:
ROUND ONE
1) Ken Perry, Toronto, Ont., 5.487, 245.76 def. 8) Karen Benkovich,
Fanwood, N.J., 5.587, 252.14
6) Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., 5.478, 259.56 def. 9) Mike Kosky,
Cuddy, Pa., broke
2) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.442, 250.97 def. 7) David
DeAngelis, Middlesex, N.J., foul
4) Steven Cantrell, Wilmington, Del., 17.324, 69.65 def. 5) Richard
Bourke, Norwood, N.J., broke
SEMI-FINALS
Cantrell, 5.458, 255.58 def. Perry, 5.446, 261.83
Gallant, 5.485, 258.71 def. McPhillips, 5.552, 259.11
FINALS
Cantrell, 5.450, 258.27 def. Gallant, 5.434, 257.87
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE
2) Paul Gill, Brockton, Mass., '01 Avenger, 5.602, 256.75 def. 7) Billy
Gibson, Chaptico, Md., '05 Firebird, 9.773, 98.18
1) Bob Newberry, Schenectady, N.Y., '03 Camaro, 5.730, 253.90 def. 8)
Jeff McCulloch, Roseneath, Ont., '98 Camaro, broke
3) Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '02 Firebird, 5.858, 253.90 def. 10)
Dan Pomponio, Berlin, N.J., '99 Camaro, 5.940, 243.28
4) Jim Sickles, Caledonia, N.Y., '02 Avenger, 5.724, 250.92 def. 5)
Craig English, Mount Holly, N.J., '98 Mustang, foul
SEMI-FINALS
Sickles, 5.709, 251.39 def. Newberry, 7.057, 127.63
Manzo, 5.606, 255.68 def. Gill, 5.598, 256.50
FINALS
Manzo, 5.599, 258.17 def. Sickles, 5.700, 251.77
COMP ELIMINATOR
Terry Smith, Williamstown, W.V., '32 Bantam, D/EA, 8.495, 146.08 def.
Kevin Houghtaling, Ashland, Va., '91 Calais, H/SM, 9.301, 142.22.
SUPER STOCK
Wes Leopold Jr, Bridgeville, Pa., '93 Daytona, SS/AS, 10.884, 91.06
def. Jim Lydon, Natrona Hts, Pa., '90 Camaro, GT/AA, 9.605, 140.14.
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Lee Zane, Pittsgrove, N.J., '74 Apollo, K/SA, 12.048, 103.97 def. Shane
Carr, Mays Landing, N.J., '94 Camaro, B/FIA, 10.794, 113.43.
SUPER COMP
Donald Bangs, Southampton, Pa., dragster, 8.905, 147.65 def. Jeff
Livezey, Philadelphia, Pa., dragster, 8.904, 165.84.
SUPER GAS
Tom Stalba Jr, Williamstown, N.J., '63 Corvette, 9.933, 152.93 def. Ray
Sawyer, Acton, Mass., '02 Camaro, foul.
SUPER STREET
Carl Juliano, Flushing, N.Y., '71 Nova, 10.950, 135.50 def. Eric Reiff,
Boyertown, Pa., '88 Cutlass, 10.897, 118.56.
