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

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION
THUNDER VALLEY RACEWAY PARK
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2004

VETRANS WELLS AND STIDHAM ON TOP AT THUNDER VALLEY

	NOBLE, Okla. - In the final rounds of qualifying for this
weekend's Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Thunder in the Heartland David
Wells held onto the number one spot in Top Alcohol Dragster while Jackie
Stidham jumped to the No. 1 spot in Top Alcohol Funny Car.
Wells, who is battling for the Lucas Oil National Championship, bettered
his Friday qualifying time of 5.518 seconds with a pass of 5.482 seconds
at 259.06 mph for the No. 1 position. Looking for his fourth win of the
year, Wells is followed by Gene Snow with a pass of 5.492 seconds,
257.14 mph and James Thompson in third with a 5.511 second run at 265.09
mph.
	Current South Central Division points leader Shelly Howard of
Tulsa, Okla. is fourth at 5.538, 260.64.
Stidham, of Chickasha, Okla., leads the funny car field by more than
four hundredths of a second running 5.904 seconds at 247.32 mph. Richard
McClain and Steve Gasparrelli follow in the No. 2 and 3 positions
respectively. McClain ran 244.10 mph covering the quarter mile in 5.945
seconds while Gasparrelli clocked in at 5.976 seconds at 243.70 mph.
	Ron Morrison and Ron Rice, both of Oklahoma City, sit in the No.
5 and 8 qualifying spots.
	Rick Senft, also of Oklahoma City, drove his '69 Camaro to the
No. 1 position in the Sunset Racecraft Top Sportsman class with a lap of
6.696 seconds at 204.68 mph. The local racer is followed by Earle Folse
with a 7.084 second run at 200.13 mph in the No. 2 spot. David Hensley
of Norman, Okla., sits eleventh going into Sunday's eliminations.
	In Comp Eliminator it was Craig Bourgeois of Metarie, La.,
taking the top spot with a run of 7.034 seconds, 0.596 seconds under the
index. Clint Sallee follows in the No. 2 spot at 6.812 seconds, 0.578
under.
	Joining the number one qualifiers and taking home a share of
Federal-Mogul's Sealed Power Low Qualifier award money is Robert Cruzen
of Cleveland, Okla., in Super Stock and Ken Etter out of California in
Stock.
	The Kerker Motorcycle class is led by Larry Eperjesi who is
followed by David Latino and Ben Brown. Defending South Central Division
Champion Chris LeBouf is eighth.
Racing continues Sunday at 9:00.  Gates open at 8 a.m. Tickets are $20.
For more information, call Thunder Valley Raceway Park, (405) 872-3429. 

	The following are Friday's qualifying results and Saturday's
first-round pairings for TAD and TAFC at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series event at Thunder Valley Raceway Park:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) David Wells, Lemars, Iowa, 5.482 seconds, 261.85 mph
2) Gene Snow, Fort Worth, Texas, 5.492, 257.14
3) James Thompson, Vernon, Texas, 5.511, 265.09
4) Shelly Howard, Tulsa, Okla., 5.538, 260.64
5) Richard Putzer, Earlville, Iowa, 5.559, 257.06
6) Larry Traugott, Woodward, Okla., 5.592, 255.31
7) Karl Brounkowski, Magnolia, Texas, 5.710, 252.24
8) Gerald Gossman, Garden City, Kan., 5.901, 238.98 
Not Qualified
9) Randy Eakins, Carson City, Nev., 6.228, 234.00
10) Darryl Hitchman, Hanford, Calif., 6.358, 230.17
11) Vitali Kazakevich, Houston, Texas, 7.430, 183.52

First round TAD pairings
1) David Wells, Lemars, Iowa, 5.482 seconds, 261.85 mph vs. 8) Gerald
Gossman, Garden City, Kan., 5.901, 238.98
2) Gene Snow, Fort Worth, Texas, 5.492, 257.14 vs. 7) Karl Brounkowski,
Magnolia, Texas, 5.710, 252.24
3) James Thompson, Vernon, Texas, 5.511, 265.09 vs. 6) Larry Traugott,
Woodward, Okla., 5.592, 255.31
4) Shelly Howard, Tulsa, Okla., 5.538, 260.64 vs. 5) Richard Putz,
Earlville, Iowa, 5.559, 257.06

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Jackie Stidham, Chickasha, Okla., '00 Camaro, 5.904 seconds, 247.32
mph
2) Richard McClain, Lake Dallas, Texas, '02 Trans Am, 5.945, 244.10
3) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '02 Firebird, 5.976, 243.70
4) John Patton, Peoria, Ariz., '03 Firebird, 6.023, 243.24
5) Ron Morrison, Oklahoma City, '97 Camaro, 6.063, 230.41
6) Jimmy Jones, Cleburne, Texas, '99 Camaro, 6.073, 244.43
7) Bob Alberty, Muskogee, Okla., '97 Firebird, 6.078, 235.29
8) Ron Rice, Oklahoma City, '96 Daytona, 7.793, 149.90

First round TAFC pairings
1) Jackie Stidham, Chickasha, Okla., '00 Camaro, 5.904 seconds, 247.32
mph vs. 8) Ron Rice, Oklahoma City, '96 Daytona, 7.793, 149.90
2) Richard McClain, Lake Dallas, Texas, '02 Trans Am, 5.945, 244.10 vs.
7) Bob Alberty, Muskogee, Okla., '97 Firebird, 6.078, 235.29
3) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '02 Firebird, 5.976, 243.70
vs. 6) Jimmy Jones, Cleburne, Texas, '99 Camaro, 6.073, 244.43
4) John Patton, Peoria, Ariz., '03 Firebird, 6.023, 243.24 vs. 5) Ron
Morrison, Oklahoma City, '97 Camaro, 6.063, 230.41

Competition Eliminator
1) Craig Bourgeois, Metarie, La., '04 Chevy, A/ND, 7.034 seconds, -0.596
(under index)
2) Clint Sallee, Glendive, Mont., dragster, B/D, 6.812, -0.578
3) Richard Freeman, Pauls Valley, Okla., '04 Cavalier, E/SMA, 8.768,
-0.572
4) Raymond Martin, Mt Belvieu, Texas, '32 Bantam, K/AA, 7.915, -0.565
5) Rodger Brogdon, Tomball, Texas, '04 Cavalier, A/SMA, 8.133, -0.527
6) Todd Patterson, Augusta, Kan., '33 Dodge, A/SR, 8.091, -0.499
7) Mike Trumble, Pasadena, Texas, '04 Sunfire, A/SMA, 8.162, -0.498
8) Brian Self, Hempstead, Texas, '02 S-10, PST, 7.597, -0.483
9) Joey Tanksley, Greenwell Spring, La., dragster, B/ED, 7.040, -0.470
10) Greg Porter, Edmond, Okla., '03 Cavalier, D/SM, 8.738, -0.462

Super Stock
1) Robert Cruzen, Cleveland, Okla., '04 S-10, GT/TC, 10.329 seconds,
-1.071 (under index)
2) Brent Johnson, Lecompte, La., '91 Calais, GT/IA, 10.482, -1.018
3) Buz Post, Arlington, Texas, '04 Grand Am, SS/AM, 8.453, -0.997
4) Tim Cole, Collierville, Tenn., '96 Corvette, SS/AX, 8.871, -0.979
5) Jimmy DeFrank, Chatsworth, Calif., '87 Camaro, GT/HA, 10.442, -0.908
6) Ken Howell, Baytown, Texas, '82 Firebird, GT/D, 9.763, -0.887
7) Tony Cowell, Weatherford, Texas, '81 Camaro, GT/JA, 10.730, -0.870
8) Jeff Hefler, Mansfield, Texas, '98 Grand Am, SS/BM, 8.832, -0.868
9) Gilbert Johnson Jr, Lecompte, La., '91 Calais, GT/JA, 10.739, -0.861
10) Korey Mawhee, Frisco, Texas, '95 Achieva, GT/DA, 9.973, -0.827

Stock Eliminator
1) Ken Etter, Riverside, Calif., '77 Volare, J/SA, 11.691 seconds,
-1.059 (under index)
2) Dean Oliver, Stuttgart, Ark., '79 Malibu, K/SA, 11.932, -1.018
3) R.J. Sledge, Boerne, Texas, '67 Fairlane, E/SA, 11.046, -0.954
4) Kevin Helms, Mineola, Texas, '69 Camaro, B/SA, 10.607, -0.943
5) Stuart Goertzen, Buhler, Kan., '67 Cougar, E/S, 11.016, -0.934
6) Austin Ford, Spring, Texas, '67 Shelby, D/SA, 10.938, -0.912
7) Jerry Davis, Santa Fe, Texas, '72 Duster, F/SA, 11.257, -0.893
8) Jim Hale, Van Buren, Ark., '70 Challenger, B/SA, 10.662, -0.888
9) Verne Buchanan, Conway, Ark., '73 Mustang, H/SA, 11.596, -0.854
10) Bobby Roper, Toad Suck, Ark., '69 Camaro, A/SA, 10.464, -0.836

TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Rick Senft, Oklahoma City, '69 Camaro, 6.696 seconds, 218.44 mph
2) Earle Folse, Raceland, La., '86 Cutlass, 7.084, 200.13
3) Greg Lair, Canyon, Texas, '04 Grand Am, 7.182, 193.88
4) Keith Raftery, Lake Charles, La., '03 Grand Am, 7.307, 189.79
5) Phillip Muse, Tomball, Texas, '00 Firebird, 7.365, 188.91
6) Keith Sasich, Highland Village, Texas, '00 Firebird, 7.367, 186.06
7) T. J. Tracey, Bartlett, Tenn., '63 Corvette, 7.470, 187.30
8) Scott Randall, Carrollton, Texas, '00 Firebird, 7.507, 184.46
9) Todd Drummond, Bay St. Louis, Miss., '04 Monte Carlo, 7.526, 184.08
10) David Hensley, Norman, Okla., '89 Trans Am, 7.789, 178.28

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, 0.003
4) Delbert Ready, Houston, '82 Kawasaki, 0.004
5) Gerald Jordon, Kyle, Texas, '92 Suzuki, 0.004
6) Jerry Pomilla, Conroe, Texas, '85 Suzuki, 0.005
7) Eddie Glaze, Houston, '90 Suzuki, 0.005
8) Chris LeBouf, Lafayette, La., '85 Suzuki, 0.006
9) Rich Gentili, Humble, Texas, '83 Suzuki, 0.007
10) Chris Oravecz, Canal Winchester, Ohio, '81 Suzuki, 0.008