NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series--Lebanon Valley Dragway--Final Results

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHRA FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAG RACING SERIES-NORTHEAST DIVISION
LEBANON VALLEY DRAGWAY
SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2001

DEFENDING FMFC NATIONAL CHAMPION, MANZO GETS FIRST DIVISIONAL WIN OF 2001

        WEST LEBANON, N.Y.-After a weekend of perfect racing weather at the
NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event at Lebanon Valley Dragway the
rains came minutes after the final pair of cars made it down the track. 
Six-time Federal-Mogul Funny Car National Champion, Frank Manzo of
Morganville, N.J. got his first divisional win of the season and the
defending NHRA Southeast Division Federal-Mogul Dragster champion, Michael
Gunderson of Middleburg, Fla. collected his second win of the year at the
fourth stop on the NHRA Northeast Division tour.
        Manzo, who has dominated the Federal-Mogul Funny Car category for
the last six years, was back in his familiar place on Sunday afternoon, the
winners circle.  The win also gives Manzo three consecutive wins at Lebanon
Valley Dragway.  The final round came down to the perennial Northeast
Division Federal-Mogul Funny Car heavy hitters, Manzo and Bob Newberry of
Schenectady, N.Y.  Manzo had Newberry covered from start to finish and took
the win light with a run of 5.831 seconds at 244.49 mph to Newberry's pass
of 5.934 seconds at 244.43 mph.
        Gunderson, a three-time NHRA Southeast Division Federal-Mogul
champion and runner-up at Lebanon Valley Dragway in 2000, took advantage of
a red light by Tim Slagle in the final to secure his second win of the
season.  Gunderson used a huge holeshot against No. 1 qualifier, Arthur
Gallant of Boxboro, Mass. in the semifinals to advance to the finals. 
Gunderson made a run of 5.751 seconds with a .420 reaction time to
Gallant's pass of 5.653 seconds with a .529 reaction time.
        Other winners include: Jim Pursglove of Westmont, N.J. in Comp,
Lincoln Morehead of Newburg, N.Y. in Super Stock, Lee Zane of Pittsgrove,
N.J. in Stock, John DiBartolomeo of Lambertville, N.J. in Super Comp,
Raymond Sawyer of Acton, Mass. in Super Gas and Larry Willard of
Leominster, Mass. in Super Street.
        The fifth round of the NHRA Northeast Division Federal-Mogul Drag
Racing Series will be at Numidia Raceway in Numidia, Pa. July 27-29, 2001.

The following are the final results from the NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing
Series event at Lebanon Valley Dragway:

FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER
First Round
1. Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.614 seconds, 221.56 mph def. 8. David
DeAngelis, Middlesex, N.J., 7.200, 100.45
2. Cliff Bozzelli, Absecon, N.J., 5.724, 242.06 def. 7. Karen Benkovich,
Fanwood, N.J., 6.027, 234.07              
6.      Tim Slagle, Fairfax, Va., 5.745, 245.63 def. 3. Rob Wendland,
Lawrence, Kan., 6.180, 245.63
5. Michael Gunderson, Middleburg, Fla., 5.654, 247.66 def. 4. Billy Gibson,
Chaptico, Md., 5.749, 248.27 

Semifinals
Gunderson, 5.751, 246.10 (.420 reaction time) def. Gallant, 5.653, 205.52
(.529 r/t) 
Slagle, 5.725, 245.56 def. Bozzelli, 7.658, 116.09  

Final
Gunderson, 5.798, 244.16 def. Slagle, 5.755, 244.23 (red light-foul)

FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR 
First Round
1. Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '01 Dodge Avenger, 5.746 seconds, 247.11
mph def. 8. Fred Tigges, Holbrook, Mass., '97 Camaro, 6.383, 226.98
2. Paul Gill, Brockton, Mass., '01 Avenger, 5.996, 236.03 def. 7. James
Libby, Kingston, Mass., '01 Camaro, Broke
3. Bob Newberry, Schenectady, N.Y., '01 Avenger, 5.898, 231.24 def. 6. Paul
Lee, Bala Cynwyd, Pa., '01 Chevrolet Corvette, 14.761, 55.38
4. Eric Lourie, Terryville, Conn., '99 Chevrolet Camaro, 6.225, 219.78
(.518 reaction time) def. 5. Bruce Peterson, Jr., Wappingers Falls, N.Y.,
'98 Avenger, 6.159, 225.67 (.725 r/t)

Semifinals
Manzo, 6.719, 149.70 def. Lourie, Broke
Newberry, 5.798, 244.56 def. Gill, 6.685, 166.02 

Final
Manzo, 5.831, 244.49 def. Newberry, 5.934, 244.43

COMP ELIMINATOR
Jim Pursglove, Westmont, N.J., '92 Pontiac Firebird, D/A, 9.912 seconds,
97.58 mph def. Greg Kozera, Monroe, Conn., '98 Dragster, D/D, 8.832, 102.40
(red light-foul)

SUPER STOCK
Lincoln Morehead, Newburg, N.Y., '90 Chevrolet Camaro, GT/DA, 10.136
seconds, 130.13 mph def. George Vignogna, Mahopac, N.Y., '97 Dodge Sebring,
SS/AS, 9.181, 147.75

STOCK ELIMINATOR
Lee Zane, Pittsgrove, N.J., '73 Apollo, I/SA, 12.274 seconds, 105.90 mph
def. Daniel Lynch, Latham, N.Y., '69 Chevrolet Camaro, H/SA, 11.979, 109.58
(red light-foul)

SUPER COMP
John DiBartolomeo, Lambertville, N.J., '99 Dragster, 23.652 seconds, 48.90
mph def. Barbara Harrison, Bloomfield, N.J., '98 Dragster, 8.903, 159.82
(red light-foul)

SUPER GAS
Raymond Sawyer, Acton, Mass., '00 Chevrolet Camaro, 9.925 seconds, 165.41
mph def. Ed Alessi, Valley Stream, N.Y., '63 Catalina, 11.949, 81.22 (red
light-foul)

SUPER STREET
Larry Willard, Leominster, Mass., '57 Chevrolet, 10.930 seconds, 119.68 mph
def. Dean Olschewske, Ontario, N.Y., '71 Chevrolet Chevelle, 10.882, 119.20
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