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NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series - SATURDAY from Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NHRA NORTHEAST DIVISION
OLD BRIDGE TOWNSHIP RACEWAY PARK
SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2004


Racers ready for final eliminations at Raceway Park
ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. - Over 500 racers turned out today for the second day of qualifying and time trials at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event taking place this weekend at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, before the day's activities were ultimately shortened by rain. 
In spite of  the rain, the day was not a total wash. Before the weather ultimately won out, a round of qualifying was completed in all classes, including a round for the 250-mph Top Alcohol Dragsters and Funny Cars. 
	After the opening round of qualifying in the Alcohol classes, Phoenixville, Pa., driver Rich McPhillips and Terryville, Conn., driver Eric Lourie are leading Top Alcohol Dragster and Funny Car.
	McPhillips ran 5.505 seconds at 255.87 mph to take the lead in his class. He is closely followed in second by Mark Albert of Baldwin, Pa.. Among those also qualified in the field are New Jersey's Richard Bourke of Old Tappan and Fanwood's  Karen Benkovich, who currently hold the No. 4 and 5 spots. A surprise non-qualifier is out of division invader, Ashley Force of Azusa, Calif. Force, who is the daughter of 12-time NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Champion John Force, normally runs out of NHRA's South Central Division and currently lead the points in that division.   
	Lourie, took his '02 Camaro to the top spot in Top Alcohol Funny Car with a run of 5.882 seconds at 242.76 mph. Morganville's Frank Manzo is second with a 5.919 second pass at 245.85 mph. New Jersey racers  Frank Schuster of Chesterfield and Dan Pomponio of Berlin are currently the No. 5 and 8 qualifiers. 
	 Other low qualifiers of the day were Tommy Ciccarone Jr. of West Chester, Pa., in Comp Eliminator, Angelo Ditocco of Mahopac, N.Y., in Super Stock and Anthony Massari of Middletown, N.J., in Stock Eliminator.
	Due to today's shortened schedule, on Sunday competitors in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car, as well as those in Comp Eliminator are scheduled to receive a qualifying attempt in the morning with eliminations set to following in the afternoon. All other categories will go straight into eliminations.  
	Gates at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park open Sunday at 8 a.m. General Admission tickets, including a pit pass, are $20. Children 6 to 11 are $5 each day and kids 5 and under are admitted free with a paid adult.  For more information please contact Old Bridge Township Raceway Park at (732) 446-7800 or online at www.racewaypark.com.
	
The following are Saturday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event being held this weekend at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., 5.505 seconds, 255.87 mph
2) Mark Albert, Baldwin, Pa., 5.529, 254.57
3) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.535, 253.23
4) Richard Bourke, Old Tappan, N.J., 5.535, 251.16
5) Karen Benkovich, Fanwood, N.J., 5.556, 255.63
6) Steven Cantrell, Wilmington, Del., 5.625, 249.63
7) Ken Winward, Wilmington, Del., 5.654, 252.10
8) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.729, 247.52
Not Qualified
9) Daniel Mercier, St. Timothee, Quebec, 5.735, 196.30
10) Ashley Force, Azusa, Calif., 5.829, 248.66
11) Jeff Veale, Hannon, Ont., 5.830, 240.12
12) Donald Gianquitto, Melrose, Mass., 6.607, 216.24
13) Wayne Morris, Lincoln University, Pa., 6.681, 201.97
14) Mike Burns, Bisbee, Ariz., 7.189, 133.63
15) Mike Kosky, Cuddy, Pa., 9.249, 77.02
16) David DeAngelis, Middlesex, N.J., 14.237, 52.79
17) Bruce Horner, Bergenfield, N.J., 14.640, 51.55

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Eric Lourie, Terryville, Conn., '01 Camaro, 5.882 seconds, 242.76 mph
2) Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '03 Firebird, 5.919, 245.85
3) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '01 Camaro, 5.928, 232.79
4) Billy Gibson, Chaptico, Md., '04 Firebird, 5.971, 245.99
5) Frank Schuster, Chesterfield, N.J., '03 Camaro, 5.986, 241.32
6) Bruce Peterson, Wappinger Falls, N.Y., '02 Corvette, 6.130, 233.12
7) Bob Newberry, Schenectady, N.Y., '03 Camaro, 6.158, 251.95
8) Dan Pomponio, Berlin, N.J., '99 Camaro, 6.239, 207.43
Not Qualified
9) David Roy, Plaistow, N.H., '02 Avenger, 6.405, 205.54
10) Darrel Cox Sr, Whiteford, Md., '01 Firebird, 6.517, 158.93
11) Bruce Mullins, Fredericksburg, Va., '02 Avenger, 6.581, 217.42
12) Chris Brown, Ivyland, Pa., '00 Avenger, (no time)

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Tommy Ciccarone Jr., West Chester, Pa., '03 Cavalier, E/SMA, 8.607 seconds, -0.733 (under
index)
2) Douglas Harris, Millville, N.J., '03 S-10, PSTA, 7.700, -0.570
3) Joe Carnasciale, Cranston, R.I., '92 Camaro, E/SM, 8.779, -0.561
4) Jeff Liuzzo, Carbondale, Pa., dragster, C/ED, 7.408, -0.532
5) Michele Costa, Freehold, N.J., dragster, G/D, 9.155, -0.515
6) Al Ackerman, Saddle Brook, N.J., dragster, F/D, 8.274, -0.496
7) Frank Aragona Jr., Franklin Square, N.Y., '32 Bantam, F/EA, 8.545, -0.495
8) Charlie Yannetti, Alpine, N.J., '32 Bantam, L/AA, 9.280, -0.490
9) Sal Biondo, Maspeth, N.Y., '93 Beretta, D/EA, 8.520, -0.490
10) David Allen, Sewickley, Pa., '02 Camaro, F/A, 8.320, -0.460

SUPER STOCK
1) Angelo Ditocco, Mahopac, N.Y., '02 Firebird, GT/FA, 9.965 seconds, -1.135 (under index)
2) Joseph Franco III, N. Babylon, N.Y., '85 Camaro, GT/GA, 10.084, -1.116
3) Ray Scardelli, Manalapan, N.J., '97 Probe, GT/H, 10.058, -1.092
4) Byron Worner, Duncannon, Pa., '90 Camaro, GT/GA, 10.145, -1.055
5) Jeff Roell, Poughquag, N.Y., '93 Mustang, GT/FA, 10.046, -1.054
6) Michael Volkman, Moon, Pa., '00 Sebring, GT/FA, 10.065, -1.035
7) Anthony Cretella, Newington, Conn., '86 Camaro, GT/AA, 9.379, -1.021
8) Howard Barsky, Levittown, Pa., '57 Chevy, SS/NA, 11.429, -1.021
9) Michael Tueffel, Greensboro, N.C., '98 Grand Am, SS/BM, 8.683, -1.017
10) Dean Ribeiro, Candia, N.H., '85 Firebird, GT/HA, 10.340, -1.010

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Anthony Massari, Middletown, N.J., '83 Riviera, BF/S, 13.836 seconds, -1.614 (under index)
2) Tex Miller, Fayetteville, Pa., '72 Mustang, G/SA, 11.077, -1.223
3) William Kennedy, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., '84 Trans Am, K/SA, 11.742, -1.208
4) Ken Kopecky, Edison, N.J., '71 Demon, F/SA, 10.991, -1.159
5) Rich Aman, West Creek, N.J., '88 Mustang, H/S, 11.160, -1.140
6) Bob Twynam, East Hanover, N.J., '72 Nova, H/S, 11.176, -1.124
7) Shane Oaks, Pipersville, Pa., '66 Malibu Wgn, J/SA, 11.661, -1.089
8) Gene Monahan, Brockton, Mass., '86 Firebird, K/SA, 11.862, -1.088
9) Tom Baird, Blue Point, N.Y., '69 Camaro, A/S, 10.166, -1.084
10) Jim Conte, Tappan, N.Y., '69 Mustang, B/SA, 10.471, -1.079