NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Friday from Thunder Valley Raceway Park, Noble, Okla.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - SOUTH CENTAL DIVISION
THUNDER VALLEY RACEWAY PARK
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2004

NHRA ACTION KICKS OFF AT THUNDER VALLEY

	NOBLE, Okla. - In the first rounds of qualifying at Thunder
Valley Raceway Park, Top Alcohol Dragster driver David Wells of Lemars,
Iowa, and Top Alcohol Funny Car pilot John Patton took the No. 1
qualifying positions in their classes. 
Wells outran the field with a pass of 5.518 seconds at 261.85 mph and is
followed by Richard Putz in second with a run of 5.579 seconds at 255.89
mph. Oklahoma racer Larry Traugott is third with a lap of 5.635 seconds,
251.95 mph.
Patton clocked in at 6.023 seconds in his '03 Firebird funny car and is
followed by California resident Steve Gasparrelli with a run of 6.038
seconds at 242.84 mph. A handful of Oklahoma racers round out the field
with Ron Morrison of Oklahoma City in the No. 4 spot at 6.063 seconds at
230.29 mph while Bob Alberty of Muskogee, Okla., Jackie Stidham of
Chickasha, Okla., and Ron Rice of Oklahoma City, are sixth, seventh, and
eighth respectively.
Craig Bourgeois leads the Comp Eliminator field at 7.071 seconds, 0.559
seconds under the index and Ken Etter is No. 1 in Stock with a pass of
11.784 seconds. Robert Cruzen of Cleveland, Okla., is No. 1 in Super
Stock with a lap of 10.436 second.
	Rick Senft grabbed the No. 1 spot in Top Sportsman covering the
quarter mile in 6.765 seconds at 208.18 mph and is followed by Greg Lair
in second with a pass of 7.253 seconds at 192.59 mph. Larry Eperjesi
leads the Kerker Motorcycle class with a perfect reaction time of 0.000
seconds with David Latino in second at 0.002 seconds.
	Racing continues Saturday at Thunder Valley Raceway Park at 9
a.m. Gates open at 8 a.m.  Tickets are $20 Saturday and $20 Sunday.  For
more information, call Thunder Valley Raceway Park at (405)872-3429.

	The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA
Lucas Oil Drag Racing Thunder in the Heartland event at Thunder Valley
Raceway Park:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) David Wells, Lemars, Iowa, 5.518 seconds, 261.85 mph
2) Richard Putz, Earlville, Iowa, 5.579, 255.89
3) Larry Traugott, Woodward, Okla., 5.635, 251.95
4) Karl Brounkowski, Magnolia, Texas, 5.935, 242.39
5) Gene Snow, Fort Worth, Texas, 5.952, 220.37
6) James Thompson, Vernon, Texas, 6.314, 169.74
7) Darryl Hitchman, Hanford, Calif., 6.358, 230.17
8) Randy Eakins, Carson City, Nev., 8.125, 93.01 
Not Qualified
9) Gerald Gossman, Garden City, Kan., 10.978, 62.00
10) Vitali Kazakevich, Houston, 12.732, 82.09

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) John Patton, Peoria, Ariz., '03 Firebird, 6.023 seconds, 243.24 mph
2) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '02 Firebird, 6.038, 242.84
3) Richard McClain, Lake Dallas, Texas, '02 Trans Am, 6.053, 239.10
4) Ron Morrison, Oklahoma City, '97 Camaro, 6.063, 230.29
5) Jimmy Jones, Cleburne, Texas, '99 Camaro, 6.073, 241.67
6) Bob Alberty, Muskogee, Okla., '97 Firebird, 6.220, 226.47
7) Jackie Stidham, Chickasha, Okla., '00 Camaro, 6.444, 163.42
8) Ron Rice, Oklahoma City, '96 Daytona, 8.007, 149.90

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Craig Bourgeois, Metarie, La., '04 Chevy, A/ND, 7.071 seconds, -0.559
(under index)
2) Raymond Martin, Mt Belvieu, Texas, '32 Bantam, K/AA, 7.954, -0.526
3) Clint Sallee, Glendive, Mont., dragster, B/D, 6.884, -0.506
4) Rodger Brogdon, Tomball, Texas, '04 Cavalier, A/SMA, 8.162, -0.498
5) Richard Freeman, Pauls Valley, Okla., '04 Cavalier, E/SMA, 8.902,
-0.438
6) Todd Patterson, Augusta, Kan., '33 Dodge, A/SR, 8.159, -0.431
7) Mike Trumble, Pasadena, Texas, '04 Sunfire, A/SMA, 8.235, -0.425
8) Brian Self, Hempstead, Texas, '02 S-10, PST, 7.663, -0.417
9) Jeff Miller, Pearland, Texas, '99 Grand Am, B/SMA, 8.389, -0.401
10) Joey Tanksley, Greenwell Spring, La., dragster, B/ED, 7.121, -0.389

SUPER STOCK
1) Robert Cruzen, Cleveland, Okla., '04 S-10, GT/TC, 10.436 seconds,
-0.964 (under index)
2) Tim Cole, Collierville, Tenn., '96 Corvette, SS/AX, 8.922, -0.928
3) Jimmy DeFrank, Chatsworth, Calif., '87 Camaro, GT/HA, 10.477, -0.873
4) Tony Cowell, Weatherford, Texas, '81 Camaro, GT/JA, 10.743, -0.857
5) Brent Johnson, Lecompte, La., '91 Calais, GT/IA, 10.661, -0.839
6) Ken Howell, Baytown, Texas, '82 Firebird, GT/D, 9.832, -0.818
7) Gilbert Johnson Jr, Lecompte, La., '91 Calais, GT/JA, 10.789, -0.811
8) Gary Stinnett, Emporia, Kan., '92 Camaro, GT/AA, 9.612, -0.788
9) Frank Grossi, Upland, Calif., '04 Grand Am, GT/BA, 9.783, -0.767
10) Ricky Ray, Savannah, Mo., '98 Firebird, SS/BS, 9.291, -0.759

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Ken Etter, Riverside, Calif., '77 Volare, J/SA, 11.784 seconds,
-0.966 (under index)
2) Dean Oliver, Stuttgart, Ark., '79 Malibu, K/SA, 12.053, -0.897
3) Verne Buchanan, Conway, Ark., '73 Mustang, H/SA, 11.643, -0.807
4) R.J. Sledge, Boerne, Texas, '67 Fairlane, E/SA, 11.197, -0.803
5) Tommy Phillips, Forney, Texas, '00 Camaro, B/FIA, 10.922, -0.778
6) Martin Burke, Leonard, Texas, '69 Mustang, C/SA, 10.933, -0.767
7) Bob Unkefer, Pleasant Valley, Mo., '98 Trans Am, D/FIA, 11.555,
-0.745
8) Gary Emmons, Friendswood, Texas, '98 Firebird, C/FIA, 11.272, -0.728
9) Harvey Emmons III, Friendswood, Texas, '98 Firebird, C/FIA, 11.293,
-0.707
10) Bobby Roper, Toad Suck, Ark., '69 Camaro, A/SA, 10.604, -0.696

TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Rick Senft, Oklahoma City, '69 Camaro, 6.765 seconds, 208.18 mph
2) Greg Lair, Canyon, Texas, '04 Grand Am, 7.253, 192.59
3) Earle Folse, Raceland, La., '86 Cutlass, 7.442, 187.11
4) Phillip Muse, Tomball, Texas, '00 Firebird, 7.519, 183.97
5) Todd Drummond, Bay St. Louis, Miss., '04 Monte Carlo, 7.526, 184.08
6) Scott Randall, Carrollton, Texas, '00 Firebird, 7.566, 183.97
7) T. J. Tracey, Bartlett, Tenn., '63 Corvette, 7.688, 182.74
8) David Hensley, Norman, Okla., '89 Trans Am, 7.828, 177.33
9) Ed Ridenhour, Fort Worth, Texas, '00 Trans Am, 7.970, 175.78
10) Joe Endzelis, Riverton, Ill., '00 Chevy, 7.987, 171.26

KERKER MOTORCYCLE
1) Larry Eperjesi, Lake Dallas, Texas, '00 Koenig, 0.000 seconds
reaction time
2) David Latino, Donaldsonville, La., '01 Suzuki, 0.002
3) Ben Brown, Irving, Texas, '04 Hayabusa, 0.005
4) Jerry Pomilla, Conroe, Texas, '85 Suzuki, 0.005
5) Chris LeBouf, Lafayette, La., '85 Suzuki, 0.009
6) Chris Oravecz, Canal Winchester, Ohio, '81 Suzuki, 0.009
7) Kelly Pulley, League City, Texas, '82 Kawasaki, 0.011
8) Shane Eperjesi, Lake Dallas, Texas, '88 Suzuki, 0.016
9) Delbert Ready, Houston, '82 Kawasaki, 0.017
10) Rob Bennett, Plano, Texas, '84 Suzuki, 0.018