NHRA:LUCAS OIL DRAG RACINGS SERIES - Saturday from Heartland Park Topeka

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - WEST CENTRAL DIVISION
HEARTLAND PARK TOPEKA, TOPEKA, KAN.
Saturday, May 04, 2002

QUALIFYING COMPLETE, FIELDS SET AT HEARTLAND PARK TOPEKA 
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES EVENT
        TOPEKA, Kan. - In the final rounds of qualifying at the NHRA Lucas
Oil Drag Racing Series event at Heartland Park Topeka Paul Jones in Top
Alcohol Dragster (TAD), and Cy Chesterman in Top Alcohol Funny Car (TAFC)
held onto the No. 1 qualifying positions heading into Sunday's
eliminations.
        Jones' initial effort of 5.460 seconds at 260.46 mph held up
throughout the day.  Tomorrow, the Stockton, Calif., resident will face off
against No. 8 qualifier Chris Ricketts of N. Kansas City, Mo., in the first
round of eliminations.
        Chesterman, of Sioux City, Iowa, did not improve on Friday's run
either, but the 5.786-second, 249.16-mph pass withstood the competition. 
In the first round of eliminations, the defending division TAFC champion
will face Muskogee, Okla., resident, Bob Alberty.
        In Comp Eliminator qualifying, Hibbing, Minn., resident Jeff
Perella, who came into the day qualified No. 5, improved enough to take the
No. 1 spot from Paul Anderson.  Super Stock competitor Rick Ryan of
Aberdeen, S.D., overtook the No. 1 qualifying spot while in Stock, Robert
Shaw of Sedalia, Mo., maintained his pole position.
        The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series continues Sunday. 
Eliminations begin at 8 a.m., when the gates open at Heartland Park Topeka.
 Tickets, including pit pass, are $15.  Children 12 and under are admitted
free with a paid adult.  For more information call the track, (800)
43-RACES, or visit the web site, www.HTP.com. 


        The following are Saturday's final qualifying results, including
tomorrow's first-round pairings in TAD and TAFC, from the NHRA Lucas Oil
Drag Racing Series event at Heartland Park Topeka:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1. Paul Jones, Stockton, Calif., 5.460 seconds, 260.46 mph
2. Gary Ormsby Jr., Auburn, Calif., 5.605, 222.29
3. David Wells, LeMars, Iowa, 5.610, 254.57
4. Shelly Howard, Tulsa, Okla., 5.649, 253.61
5. Jeff Wilson, Winfield, Mo., 5.655, 250.97
6. Kent Nuckols, Albuquerque, N.M., 5.676, 249.16
7. Robert Perkins, Bluffdale, Utah, 5.702, 245.00
8. Chris Ricketts, N. Kansas City, Mo., 5.716, 245.99                      
Not Qualified
9. Ed Schmeekle, Gothenburg, Neb., 5.929, 210.21
10. Ziggy Zivkovich, Litchfield, Minn., 6.179, 241.07
11. Brian Badgett, Maryland Hts., Mo., 6.398, 204.94
12. Brian Ratliff, Hulbert, Okla., 6.413, 239.27
13. Larry Traugott, Woodward, Okla., 6.947, 112.81

Sunday's TAD pairings
1) Paul Jones, Stockton, Calif., 5.460 seconds, 260.46 mph vs. 8) Chris
Ricketts, N. Kansas City, Mo., 5.716, 245.99
2) Gary Ormsby Jr., Auburn, Calif., 5.605, 222.29 vs. 7) Robert Perkins,
Bluffdale, Utah, 5.702, 245.00  
3) David Wells, LeMars, Iowa, 5.610, 254.57 vs. 6) Kent Nuckols,
Albuquerque, N.M., 5.676, 249.16
4) Shelly Howard, Tulsa, Okla., 5.649, 253.61 vs. 5) Jeff Wilson, Winfield,
Mo., 5.655, 250.97

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR 
1. Cy Chesterman, Sioux City, Iowa, '99 Pontiac, 5.786 seconds, 
   249.16 mph
2. Vern Moats, Des Moines, Iowa, '01 Pontiac, 5.818, 247.84
3. Jackie Stidham, Chickasha, Okla., '00 Camaro, 5.883, 244.12
4. Tom Frickenschmidt, Lockwood, Mo., '00 Firebird, 6.077, 223.69
5. Robert Kanenwisher, Conifer, Colo., '00 Avenger, 6.091, 240.34
6. Lawren Jones, Albuquerque, N.M., '02 Camaro, 6.098, 230.25
7. Bernie Harrington, Apple Valley, Calif., '01 Integra, 6.629, 176.07
8. Bob Alberty, Muskogee, Okla., '97 Firebird, 8.331, 110.56               
Not Qualified
9. Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, '98 Pontiac, 12.075, 85.05               

Sunday's TAFC pairings
1) Cy Chesterman, Sioux City, Iowa, '99 Pontiac, 5.786, 249.16 vs. 
8) Bob Alberty, Muskogee, Okla., '97 Firebird, 8.331, 110.56
2) Vern Moats, Des Moines, Iowa, '01 Pontiac, 5.818, 247.84 vs. 
7) Bernie Harrington, Apple Valley, Calif., '01 Integra, 6.629, 176.07
3) Jackie Stidham, Chickasha, Okla., '00 Camaro, 5.883, 244.12 vs. 
6) Lawren Jones, Albuquerque, N.M., '02 Camaro, 6.098, 230.25
4) Tom Frickenschmidt, Lockwood, Mo., '00 Firebird, 6.077, 223.69 vs. 
5) Robert Kanenwisher, Conifer, Colo., '00 Avenger, 6.091, 240.34


COMP ELIMINATOR
1. Jeff Perella, Hibbing, Minn., '32 roadster, A/EA, 7.478 seconds, 
-0.522 under index
2. Paul Anderson, Erie, Colo., dragster, E/ED, 7.459, -0.551 
3. Nathan Martin, Ft. Worth, Texas, '63 Corvette, A/PM, 6.525, -0545
4. Bob Yonke, Grandbury, Texas, '01 S-10, PST, 7.580, -0.540
5. Doug Engels, Watertown, SD, dragster D/ED, 7.476, -0.534
6. Tom Snyder, Longmont, Colo., '23 roadster, A/A, 6.802, -0.528
7. Robert Freeman, Oklahoma City, '02 Cavalier, C/A, 7.578, -0.512
8. Lou Ficco, Wheatridge, Colo., '00 Chevy, PST, 7.612, -0.508
9. Bill Riemenapp, Lacrosse, Wis., '97 Firebird, C/EA, 8.430, -0.500
10. Russ Kelly, Omaha, Neb., dragster, A/ED, 6.868, -0.482

SUPER STOCK
1. Rick Ryan, Aberdeen, S.D., '88 Cutlass, SS/NA, 11.328 seconds, 
   -1.122 under index
2. Randall Klein, Lincoln, Neb., '56 Nomad, SS/NA, 11.415, -1.035 
3. Michael Tueffel, Englewood, Colo., '98 Grand Am, SS/BM, 8.737, -0.963
4. Dan Larson, St. Paul, Minn., '85 Camaro, SS/KA, 10.589, -0.961
5. Robert Cruzen, Cleveland, Okla., '02 S-10, GT/TC, 10.493, -0.957
6. Ernie Penner, Osborne, Neb., '99 Firebird, GT/JA, 10.696, -0.949
7. Delmer Wood, Tulsa, Okla., '90 Camaro, GT/JA, 10.701, -0.915
8. Ron Taylor, Lincoln, Neb., '57 Chevy, SS/MA, 11.245, -0.905
9. Tyler Cassil, Belton, Mo., '66 Chevy II, SS/K, 10.397, -0.903
10. Chad Guilford, Highlands Rch., Colo., '84 CamaroXX, GT/EA, 10.061,
-0.889 

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1. Robert Shaw, Sedalia, Mo., '85 El Camino, V/SA, 14.400 seconds,        
-1.400 under index
2. Al Corda, Elk Mound, Wis., '01 Firebird, D/SA, 10.630, -1.220
3. Travis Gusso, Sioux Falls, S.D., '88 Mustang, M/S, 12.013, -1.137
4. Steve Brack, Lawrence, Kan., '86 Camaro, I/S, 11.386, -1.114
5. Marty Woffard, Gore, Okla., '66 Nova, K/S, 11.741, -1.109
6. Mike Cotton, Broken Arrow, Okla., '73 Duster, H/SA, 11.447, -1.003
7. Mike Wenke, Conway Springs, Kan., '69 Mustang, B/SA, 10.548, -1.002
8. Jeff Johnson, Englewood, Colo., '71 Mustang, E/SA, 11.003, -0.997
9. Jim Parsons, Kearney, Mo., '66 Nova, G/S, 11.247, -0.953
10. Paula Cotton, Broken Arrow, Okla., '73 Duster, G/SA, 11.363, -0.937

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