Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Sunday results from Firebird

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NHRA PACIFIC DIVISION
FIREBIRD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 2002

SHIELDS, GASPARRELLI TAKE HOME WINS AT FIREBIRD

        PHOENIX, Ariz.- Duane Shields and Steve Gasparrelli took home wins
in their respective categories at the season opener for the NHRA Pacific
Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Shields, of Las Vegas, took out
Larry Miersch and Paul Jones before beating Darren Nicholson on a holeshot
in the final of Top Alcohol Dragster. Shields' 5.444 second pass at 264.60
mph was enough to hold off Nicholson's quicker 5.436, 254.29 for the win.
        In Top Alcohol Funny Car, it was Gasparrelli taking out defending
event champion Pat Austin in the final with a 5.845 second 236.05 mph pass
to Austin's 5.847, 249.95. Gasparrelli, NHRA Pacific Division Top Alcohol
Funny Car 2001 Champion, defeated Mert Littlefield and Bucky Austin to
advance to the finals.
        Local favorite Ken Harkema, of Scottsdale, Ariz., took out Ted
Seipel and his '71 Ferrari in Super Gas with a near perfect 9.902 elapsed
time (9.900 is perfect) to Seipel's 9.895. 
        The Pacific Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series makes its next
stop at Southwestern International Raceway in Tucson, Ariz., March 29-30.

Race Notes
        Federal-Mogul's Sealed Power brand posts $3500 in bonus money to
the event's five low qualifiers with $1250 going to both Duane Shields and
Bucky Austin in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car
respectively. Comp. Eliminator racer Maureen Jondahl and Super Stock's Gary
Russell each picked up $400 while Chris Whitney grabbed $200 for qualifying
number one in the Stock class.
        In her racing debut, daughter of 11-time NHRA Funny Car Champion,
Ashley Force fell to defeat in round one of Super Comp action.
        The event at Firebird marked the first chance in 2002 for Pacific
Division racers to score qualifying points towards the Jeg's Allstars.
Racers obtain points at events in 2001 and in 2002 with the top points
earners in each class going on to represent their division at the Jeg's
Allstar event in late September at Route 66 Raceway in Chicago.

        The following are final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series event at Firebird International Raceway.

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Round 1
1) Duane Shields, Las Vegas, Nev., 5.351 seconds, 265.43 miles per hour
def. 8) Larry Miersch, Fallbrook, Calif., 5.843, 230.41
2) Darren Nicholson, Mission Viejo, Calif. 5.493, 260.41 def. 7) ) Tony
Meredyk, Cypress, Calif., 5.692, 233.68
3) Chris Demke, Tujunga, Calif., 11.707, 62.53 def. 6) Steven Cantrell,
Wilmington, Del., no time recorded
5) Paul Jones, Stockton, Calif., 5.491, 252.61 def. 4) Mark Niver,
Scottsdale, Ariz., 9.219,         101.06
Semi-finals
Shields, 9.175, 107.49 def. Jones, no time recorded
Nicholson, 5.476, 260.71 def. Demke, no time recorded

Finals
Shields, 5.444, 264.60 def. Nicholson, 5.436, 254.29

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR 
Round 1
1) Bucky Austin, Fife, Wash., '01 Firebird, 8.369 seconds, 118.81 miles per
hour def. 8) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '01 Chevy, 9.518, 89.68
2) Pat Austin, Tacoma, Wash., '02 Firebird, 5.53, 243.99 def. 7) John
Patton, Peoria, Ariz., '99 Pontiac, 9.238, 82.72
6) John Weaver, Hanford, Calif., '01 Firebird, 5.777, 274.61 def. Ed Marx,
Discovery Bay,          Calif., '00 Avenger, 5.773, 242.98
7) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '00 , 5.790, 243.55 def. 5) Mert
Littlefield, Garden Grove, Calif., '99 Camaro, 5.785, 247.79

Semi-finals
Gasparrelli, 5.803, 242.36 def. Austin (Austin), 6.109, 176.95
Austin (Pat), 5.793, 252.38 def. Waever, 5.871, 244.65

Finals
Gasparrelli, 5.845, 236.05 def. Austin, 5.847, 249.95

COMPETITION
Edword Shalkowski, Hawley, Texas, F/ED, '96 dragster, 12.841, 59.99 def.
Brad Wagner, Henderson, Nev., '00 Monte Carlo, C/EA, 8.386, 159.82 broke
out

SUPER STOCK
Tony DeFrank, Tarzana, Calif., GT/GA, '98 Grand Am, 10.192, 128.13 def.
Gary Faul, Spanaway, Wash., SS/MA, '66 El Comino, 11.881, 105.12

STOCK
Sante Grossi, Fontana, Calif., '71 Challenger, 11.040, 118.50 def. Toby
Lang, Auburn, Wash., '69 Chevelle, 11.339, 114.96

SUPER COMP
Rod Fuller, Rogers, Ark., '01 dragster, 8.909, 169.70 def. Mike Ferderer,
Buckley, Wash., '00 dragster, 8.903, 173.21, red light

SUPER GAS
Ken Harkema, Scottsdale, Ariz., '27 Ford, 9.902, 140.97 def. Ted Seipel,
San Leandro, Calif., '71 Ferrari, 9.895, 129.90, broke out

SUPER STREET
Henry Sliwinski, Littleton, Colo., 10.918, 118.80 def. Don Haigler, Lompoc,
Calif., 10.939, 119.42

SUPER ELIMINATOR
Daniel Mitchell Jr., Montgomeryville, Penn., 8.000, 169.08 def. Steve
White, Anaheim, Calif., 8.008, 169.13