Lucas Oil Series Final Results -- Sunday from National Trail Raceway
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NHRA NORTH CENTRAL DIVISION NATIONAL TRAIL RACEWAY Sunday, Sept. 26, 2004 PERRY, FRITTS GET FIRST '04 WINS IN LUCAS SERIES ACTION AT NATIONAL TRAIL RACEWAY COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ken Perry, of Ontario, and Kim Fritts of Illinois, took the Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car titles Sunday in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series 2004 finale for the NHRA's North Central Division at National Trail Raceway. Perry outlasted a field that included Northeast interloper Art Gallant, the low qualifier, to earn his first win of the season. The win improves on his runner-up Lucas Oil Series finish earlier this year in Chicago. Gallant's attempt to earn some out-of-division points went awry in the first round when he stuck the tires and lost to Rich McPhillips. Fritts, meanwhile, came from the No. 3 qualifying spot to get to his first final of the season. He took the measure of Paul Lee to nail down the victory. Just as in TAD, the No. 1 qualifier in TAFC, Mick Snyder, had traction trouble in round one and had to shut down his car. Fritts also took out North Central Division heavy hitter Chuck Cheeseman in the semi-finals. Steve Ambrose, out of Michigan, took the Competition Eliminator title on a single run when Brian Browell couldn't repair his broken engine before the final round. In an exciting all-Ohio Corvette versus Mustang final in Top Sportsman, Glenn Butcher, of Doylestown, drove the early model Corvette to victory at 7.20 seconds and 192 mph. Jerry Spoor, of Van Wert, was runner-up in the '04 Mustang at 7.91 seconds at a little more than 164 mph. Matt Alvey, of Woodhaven, Mich., was the Super Stock winner. He was joined by fellow Michigan racer Steven Fields in the winner's circle. Fields won in Super Comp. All of the remaining titles went to New York state racers who came to Columbus to pick up some needed late-season points. Paul Dilcher, of Brockport, won in Stock; Frank Maiolo of Mt. Vernon, won in Super Gas, and Joe Urbino, of Seneca, took Super Street. The event was the final of six Lucas Oil Series events for 2004 in NHRA's North Central Division. The outcome will have a bearing on not only the North Central Division season championships, but the prestigious Lucas Oil Series national titles as well. Points from the National Trail event are a component of the national points chase as are points from the other six NHRA divisions and points accumulated at some of the NHRA National Events like the Pontiac Excitement Nationals held earlier this season at National Trail. Thus, the NHRA Lucas Oil Series national titles may not be decided until after the final event of the year, in November, at Pomona Raceway in California. The following are Sunday's final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, North Central Division event at National Trail Raceway: TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER: ROUND ONE 5) Ken Perry, Gormley, Ont., 5.738, 234.17 def. 4) Todd Datweiler, Herscher, Ill., 13.609, 77.31; 7) Scott Murray, Winnipeg, Manit., 5.469, 252.66 def. 2) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 10.351, 72.15; 8) Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., 5.515, 257.43 def. 1) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 14.194, 48.42; 3) Dave Hirata, Lowell, Ind., 5.421, 266.79 def. 6) Jeff Wilson, Winfield, Mo., 5.482, 260.91; SEMI-FINALS Perry, 5.608, 242.36 def. McPhillips, 5.597, 254.76; Murray, 5.638, 249.07 def. Hirata, 10.040, 83.03; FINALS Perry, 5.470, 248.93 def. Murray, 5.505, 251.30. TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR: ROUND ONE 8) Jeff Lancaster, Hamilton, Ont., '96 Firebird, 6.297, 194.77 def. 1) Mick Snyder, Demotte, Ind., '02 Firebird, 12.320, 65.70; 2) Chuck Cheeseman, Galena, Ohio, '02 Firebird, 5.742, 248.75 def. 7) Todd Veney, Indianapolis, Ind., '04 Camaro, 6.351, 181.45; 3) Kim Fritts, Greenup, Ill., '98 Firebird, 5.789, 250.09 def. 9) Jody Gucwa, Fowlerville, Mich., '95 Daytona, 6.899, 154.00; 4) Paul Lee, Gaithersburg, Md., '98 Firebird, 5.888, 247.88 def. 5) Danny Townsend, Muncie, Ind., '02 RT, 5.973, 250.27; SEMI-FINALS Fritts, 6.024, 246.17 def. Cheeseman, 7.012, 144.58; Lee, 6.208, 239.19 was unopposed; FINALS Fritts, 5.820, 247.84 def. Lee, 5.936, 240.00. TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER Ken Perry, Gormley, Ont., 5.470, 248.93 def. Scott Murray, Winnipeg, Manit., 5.505, 251.30. TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR Kim Fritts, Greenup, Ill., '98 Firebird, 5.820, 247.84 def. Paul Lee, Gaithersburg, Md., '98 Firebird, 5.936, 240.00. TOP SPORTSMAN Glenn Butcher, Doylestown, Ohio, '63 Corvette, 7.207, 192.00 def. Jerry Spoor, Van Wert, Ohio, '04 Mustang, 7.910, 164.73. COMPETITION ELIMINATOR Steve Ambrose, Woodhaven, Mich., '23 roadster, J/AA, 17.838, 58.24 def. Brian Browell, Lafayette, Ind., dragster, D/D, broke. SUPER STOCK Matt Alvey, Mt. Washington, Ky., '92 Firebird, GT/DA, 9.962, 128.02 def. Tim Cole, Collierville, Tenn., '96 Corvette, SS/AX, 8.802, 141.92. STOCK ELIMINATOR Paul Dilcher, Brockport, N.Y., '77 Firebird, K/SA, 12.030, 107.85 def. Darrell Steiger, Clayton, Ind., '80 Volare, H/SA, 11.334, 115.02. SUPER COMP Steven Fields, Taylor, Mich., dragster, 8.882, 166.29 def. Marty Cheeseman, New Albany, Ohio, dragster, 8.881, 160.21. SUPER GAS Frank Maiolo, Mt. Vernon, N.Y., '63 Corvette, 9.888, 161.32 def. Chuck Siegler, Villa Park, Ill., '04 Corvette, 9.872, 152.38. SUPER STREET Joe Urbino, W. Seneca, N.Y., '78 Malibu, 10.898, 127.85 def. Roger Weaver, Indianapolis, Ind., '67 Mustang, 10.872, 130.20.