Results From NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Event
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NHRA SOUTHEAST DIVISION GAINESVILLE RACEWAY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2002 Payne Blasts Past Field at NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Opener at Gainesville Raceway; Gallant Also Wins GAINESVILLE, Fla. -In the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event held at Gainesville Raceway, Top Alcohol Dragster driver Art Gallant and Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Jay Payne took home the honors. Gallant of Boxboro, Mass. defeated Robinson, Ill. flyer Marty Thacker. Thacker, who earlier in the day defeated the defending 5-time Southeast Division Top Alcohol Dragster Champion Michael Gunderson, fell to Gallant in a wild final round run, in which the Alcohol driver crossed the centerline, and narrowly missed Gallant. Gallant consequentially cruised to an off pace 7.277 second pass at 119.47 mph. In Top Alcohol Funny Car, defending NHRA Southeast Division Top Alcohol Funny Car Champion Jay Payne turned in his strongest lap of the day when he defeated Apopka, Fla. runner Mark Billington. Billington's 6.464 second pass at 219.88 mph was no contest for Payne's Claremont, Calif. based '02 Camaro, which recorded a 5.771 second lap at 251.67 mph. Winners in other categories are Michael Hardee of Wilmington, N.C., in Competition Eliminator; Peter Biondo of Mt. Laurel, N.J., in Super Stock; Scott Bailey of Seffner, Fla., in Stock Eliminator; Richard Puertes of Paisley, Fla., in Super Comp; Scotty Richardson of Goodlettsville, Tenn., in Super Gas and Lamar Stevenson of Montgomery, Ala., in Super Street. The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event being held at Gainesville Raceway: TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER 1. Jason Cannon, Middleburg, Fla., 5.495 seconds, 259.89 mph 2. Ben Marshall, Tipp City, Ohio, 5.521, 264.39 3. Michael Gunderson, Middleburg, Fla., 5.533, 267.53 4. Art Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.580, 257.51 5. Bill McCornack, Lexington, Ky., 5.719, 238.91 6. Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.800, 246.64 7. Artie Allen, Jacksonville Fla., 5.998, 238.47 8. Tony Bartone, Manhasset N.Y., 6.053, 236.40 ------------ Alternates ------------ 9. Don Fiorelli, Palm Bay, Fla., 6.213, 209.08 10. Bill Evans, Miramar, Fla., 6.637, 205.66 11. Doug Foley, Wappingers, Falls, N.Y., 12.973, 50.28 12. Keith Stark, Danville, Ill., 13.367, 63.96 Round 1 1) Jason Cannon, Middleburg, FL, 5.530 seconds, 259.89 mph def. 8) Tony Bartone, Manhasset NY, 6.375, 242.52 7) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 5.792, 245.43 def. 2) Ben Marshall, Tipp City, Ohio, 6.254, 219.51 6) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.529, 260.86 def. 3) Michael Gunderson, Middleburg, Fla., 9.950, 90.39 4) Art Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.452, 258.76 def. 5) Bill McCornack, Lexington, Ky. 5.819, 249.30 Semifinals Gallant, 5.373, 251.53 def. Cannon, 8.192, 103.72 Thacker, 5.650, 258.99 def. Allen, 5.815, 245.29 Final Gallant, 7.277, 119.47 def. Thacker, (disqualified) TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR 1 Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '02 Chevy Camaro, 5.991 seconds, 247.59 mph 2 Kim McKean, Shahola, Pa., '01 Dodge Avenger, 6.360 219.51 3 William Fulford, Virginia Beach, Va., 6.397 180.61 4 Mark Billington, Apopka, Fla., '01 Dodge Avenger, 6.441, 211.96 5 Dave Ryan, Palatka, Fla., '98 Dodge Avenger, 6.738, 174.18 6 Von Smith, Oak Ridge, Tenn., '01 Pontiac Firebird 9.606, 90.28 Round 1 1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., 5.750 seconds, 243.57 mph def. 8) Von Smith, Oak Ridge, Tenn., 7.708, 117.66 2) Kim McKean, Shahola, Pa., 6.780, 200.26 def. 5) Dave Ryan, Palatka, Fla., (broke) 4) Mark Billington, Apopka, Fla., 6.087, 231.00 def. 3) William Fulford, Virginia Beach, Va. (broke) Semifinals Payne, 5.861, 250.20 def. (bye) Billington, 6.232, 230.82 def. McKean, 6.794, 215.98 Final Payne, 5.771, 251.67 def. Billington, 6.464, 219.88 COMP ELIMINATOR Michael Hardee, Wilmington, N.C., E/SMA, '98 Grand Am, .551 reaction time, 9.180 seconds, 121.03 mph def. Larry Pritchett, Clarkrange, Tenn., D/SM, '99 Grand Am, .469 (red-light), 8.842, 125.13 SUPER STOCK Peter Biondo, Mt. Laurel, N.J., GT/FA, '00 Firebird, .530 reaction time, 12.100 seconds, 10.08 dial-in def. Blair Patrick, Jasper, Tenn., SS/EA, '68 Mustang, .386 (red-light), 10.585, 11.68 STOCK ELIMINATOR Scott Bailey, Seffner, Fla., F/S, '71 Mustang, .590 reaction time, 11.311 seconds, 11.29 dial-in def. Brandon Wood, Thomasville, Ga., K/SA, '85 Camaro, .477 (red-light), 11.826, 11.68 SUPER COMP Richard Puertes, Paisley, Fla., .405 reaction time, 8.876 seconds, 167.62 mph def. Phillip Chester, Clarksville, Tenn., .413, 8.852, 164.50 SUPER GAS Scotty Richardson, Goodlettsville, Tenn., '63 Corvette, .420 reaction time, 9.893 seconds, 151.79 mph def. Jim Morrison, Kinderhook, N.Y., '70 Opel, .444, 9.870, 155.68 SUPER STREET Lamar Stevenson, Montgomery, Ala., '69 Camaro, .539 reaction time, 10.895 seconds, 121.26 mph def. Michael Giuliano, Wantaugh, N.Y., '69 Camaro, .545, 10.891, 133.98