Saturday from Route 66 Raceway NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NORTH CENTRAL DIVISION
ROUTE 66 RACEWAY, JOLIET, ILL.
Saturday, April 27, 2002

NHRA RACERS CAN'T OUTRUN MOTHER NATURE
        JOLIET, Ill. - Qualifying was cut short today at the Route 66
Season Opener, a round of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. 
Competitors in Super Stock and Stock were able to finish their qualifying
laps, but rain forced officials to pull the plug on Top Alcohol Dragster
(TAD), Top Alcohol Funny Car (TAFC) and Comp Eliminator.
        Racing will continue Sunday morning, as scheduled.  Racers in Super
Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street will begin
eliminations at 8 a.m.  TAD, TAFC and Comp Eliminator drivers will get one
qualifying run beginning at 10 a.m. and will go into eliminations at 1
p.m., starting with Comp Eliminator.
        In Super Stock, Bo Butner of Floyds Knobs, Ind., remained in the
No. 1 position as did East Moline, Ill., resident Jerry Stealy in Stock.  
On Friday, Keith Stark of Danville, Ill., made a 5.307-second, 273.94 mph
pass to put him in the top spot.  In TAFC, Glendale Hts., Ill., resident
Marc White is No. 1 with a 5.648-second, 253.42 mph effort.  In Comp
Eliminator Steve Ambrose, Woodhaven, Mich., made a 7.818-second run to put
him -0.662 seconds under his index, and in the top qualifying position.
        Gates at Route 66 Raceway open at 7 a.m. Sunday and racing action
begins at 8 a.m.  The track is also scheduled to host its Tech School Pit
Crew Competition at noon.
        Tickets, including pit pass, are $20.  Children 12 and under are
admitted free with a paid adult.  For more information, call Route 66
Raceway, (815) 727-RACE, or visit the web site, www.Route66Raceway.com.

        The following are Saturday's final qualifying results for Super
Stock and Stock and Friday's qualifying results in TAD, TAFC and Comp
Eliminator: 


SUPER STOCK
1. Bo Butner, Floyds Knobs, Ind., '96 Achieva, SS/BM, 8.420 seconds, 
   -1.280 under index
2. Michael Mans, Rogers, Minn., '00 Firebird, GT/IA, 10.295, -1.205
3. Charlie Westcott, Parma, Mich., '99 Grand Am, GT/E, 9.633, -1.167
4. Dan Larson, St. Paul, Minn., '85 Camaro, SS/KA, 10.413, -1.137
5. Teresa Butner, Floyds Knobs, Ind., '96 Achieva, SS/DM, 9.009, -1.111
6. Gary Tompa, Saginaw, Mich., '84 Firebird, SS/J, 10.003, -1.097
7. Don O'Malley, Decatur, Ill., '64 Corvette, SS/JA, 10.212, -1.088
8. Rodney Dorsey, North Judson, Ind., '96 Achieva, SS/EM, 9.450, -1.050
9. Rock Running, Lapeer, Mich., '96 Achieva, GT/HA, 10.312, -1.038
10. Brad Allen, Winamac, Ind., '02 S-10, GT/TB, 10.112, -1.038

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1. Jerry Stealy, East Moline, Ill., '86 Camaro, I/SA, 11.113 seconds, 
   -1.487 under index
2. Donald Holmes, Dayton, Ohio, '78 Firebird, K/SA, 11.469, -1.481
3. Bert Morgan, Charleston, Ill., '75 Buick, R/SA, 13.036, -1.314
4. Bruce Parsons, Lewisburg, Ohio, '85 Camaro, K/SA, 11.650, -1.300
5. Travis Gusso, Sioux Falls, S.D., '88 Mustang, M/S, 11.883, -1.267
6. Robert Downing, Britton, Mich., '83 Malibu Wagon, O/SA, 12.194, 
   -1.256
7. Sam Hamod, Hobart, Ind., '84 Trans Am, J/SA, 11.569, -1.181
8. Darwin Hardy, Muskegon, Mich., '84 Buick, U/SA, 13.972, -1.178
9. Ben Wenzel Sr., Freeland, Mich., '67 Camaro, E/S, 10.779, -1.171
10. Chris Hill, Warren, Mich., '86 S-10, HT/SA, 13.281, -1.169 

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1. Keith Stark, Danville, Ill., 5.307 seconds, 273.94 mph
2. Russ Lindert, Maneno, Ill., 5.346, 260.21
3. Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.386, 264.70
4. Shelly Howard, Tulsa, Okla., 5.519, 260.21
5. David Wells, Lemars, Iowa, 5.534, 259.51
6. Tim Rudy, Mason, Ohio, 5.588, 234.17
7. Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.703, 258.57
8. Phil Mass, Gurnee, Ill., 5.705, 257.33                                  

NOT QUALIFIED
9. Jeff Bohr, Plymouth, Mich., 5.762, 240.51
10. Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., 5.769, 230.13
11. Shawn Bowen, Grand Blanc, Mich., 5.822, 246.35
12. Jeff Wilson, Winfield, Mo., 5.837, 246.75
13. Jared Dreher, Clinton, Ind., 6.058, 218.72
14. Mick Snyder, Demotte, Ind., 6.288, 243.02
15. Ben Marshall, New Carlisle, Ohio, 6.354, 217.67
16. Dave Hirata, Lowell, Ind., 10.473, 79.66
17. T.J. Zizzo, Round Lake, Ill., 12.479, 95.29
18. Dave Hedges Jr., Plainwell, Mich., 12.823, 90.27
19. Gary Ward, Cincinnati, Disqualified
20. Paul Jones, Stockton, Calif., Disqualified  

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR 
1. Marc White, Glendale Hts., Ill., '01 Firebird, 5.648 seconds, 
   253.42 mph
2. Jeff Craig, Muncie, Ind., '01 Dodge, 5.985, 245.81
3. Bobby Martin, Beaver Falls, Pa., '00 Avenger, 6.043, 241.80
4. Dave Kovar, Frankfort, Ill., '00 Pontiac, 6.045, 215.03
5. Vern Moats, Des Moines, Iowa, '01 Firebird, 6.069, 241.76
6. Ray Drew, Union Grove, Wis., '98 Mustang, 6.083, 231.08
7. Todd Veney, Indianapolis, '98 Firebird, 6.110, 216.20
8. John Reikas, Glendale Hts., Ill., '98 Camaro, 6.264, 221.60
NOT QUALIFIED
9. Jeff Lancaster, Hamilton, Ont., Can., '96 Firebird, 6.398, 222.80
10. Kim Fritts, Greenup, Ill., '98 Firebird, 6.657, 101.03
11. Chuck Cheeseman, Galena, Ohio, '01 Firebird, 28.00, 0.00

COMP ELIMINATOR
1. Steve Ambrose, Woodhaven, Mich., '23 Ford, J/AA, 7.818 seconds, 
   -0.662 under index
2. Bo Butner, Floyds Knobs, Ind., '01 Firebird, D/AA, 7.763, -0.657
3. Fred Allen, Winamac, Ind., '23 T roadster, A/EA, 7.412, -0.618
4. Russ Kelly, Omaha, Neb., '99 dragster, A/ED, 6.782, -0.568
5. Bill Zaskowski, Grand Rapids, Mich., '92 Camaro, F/SM, 9.008, -0.542
6. Mike Clarahan, Farmington Hills, Mich., '32 Austin, A/AA, 6.878, 
   -0.532
7. Joe Swearengin, Overland Pk., Kan., '97 Olds, D/EA, 8.491. -0.529
8. Douglas Stewart, Edwardsburg, Mich., '00 dragster, B/ED, 7.004, 
   -0.506
9. Brian Antony, Northfield, Minn., '00 Avenger, C/A, 7.593, -0.497
10. Charlie Westcott, Parma, Mich., '98 Grand Am, H/SM, 9.297, -0.483

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