NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series - Saturday from State Capitol D ragway

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION
STATE CAPITOL DRAGWAY
SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2002

T&T BURST INTO TOP SPOTS AFTER QUALIFYING

Baton Rouge, La. - Troy Buff and Tate Branch are low qualifiers in Top Alcohol Dragster and Funny Car after Saturday's qualifying sessions at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at State Capitol Dragway.  
Buff, of Spring, Texas, earned the top spot on his second pass of the day, a 5.507 second, 257.21 mph run.  
	Artesia, N.M., resident Branch, held pole position through both rounds of qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny.  His best run of the day was on his second pass as he posted a 5.898 second, 240.96 mph run.  
Although the 2000 division champion has wins at the first two NHRA South Central Division events this year, he will be facing fierce competition tomorrow from Jackie Stidham and Kebin Kinsley.  Stidham of Chickasha, Okla., was the 2001 division champion and runner-up at this event last year.  While Kinsley of Kennedale, Texas, earned the win at State Capitol in 2001.  
	Low qualifiers in other categories are Brian Self of Houston, in Comp; Bobby Dennis, of Shorter, Ala., in Super Stock; and Gary Slaton of Liberty Hill, Texas, in Stock.  
	Gates open Sunday at 8 a.m., with eliminations beginning at 9 a.m.  Round one of Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car eliminations start at noon.  
General admission with pit pass is $20 and children 13 and under are admitted free with a paid adult.  For more information, call the track at (225) 627-4574.  

	The following are final qualifying results, including tomorrow's pairings for Top Alcohol Dragster and Funny Car from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at State Capitol Dragway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1)	Troy Buff, Spring, Texas, '89 Dragster, 5.507 seconds, 257.21 mph vs. 8) Larry Becktold, Luther, Okla., '89 Dragster, 11.931, 84.83
2)	Darryl Hitchman, Hanford, Calif., '90 Dragster, 5.515, 247.11 vs. 7) Vitali Kazakevich, Houston, '00 Dragster, 8.482, 126.13
3)	Lee Callaway, Channelview, Texas, '96 Dragster, 5.648, 248.96 vs. 6) Carl Magee, Victoria, Texas, '02 Dragster, 6.522, 224.10
4)	James Copeland II, Red Oak, Texas, '98 Dragster, 5.731, 235.66 vs. 5) Gene Snow, Fort Worth, Texas, '94 Dragster, 5.905, 138.10

Did not qualify
9)	Shelly Howard, Tulsa, Okla., '01 Dragster, 15.365, 51.87

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1)	Tate Branch, Artesia, N.M., '99 Avenger, 5.898 seconds, 240.96 mph vs. 8) Burl Brown, Gainesville, Texas, '98 Avenger, 6.918, 224.43
2)	Jackie Stidham, Chickasha, Okla., '00 Camaro, 6.033, 238.47 vs. 7) Steve Burck, Corpus Christi, Texas, '98 Dodge, 6.394, 218.92
3)	Jimmy Jones, Cleburne, Texas, '98 Camaro, 6.055, 228.48 vs. 6) Todd Simpson, Ponder, Texas, '00 Avenger, 6.217, 229.12
4)	Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '01 Camaro, 6.124, 221.67 vs. 5) Kebin Kinsley, Kennedale, Texas, '98 Oldsmobile, 6.150, 231.48

Did not qualify
9)	Bob Alberty, Muskogee, Okla., '97 Firebird, 7.907, 127.19

COMP ELIMINATOR
1)	Brian Self, Houston, '01 S-10, B/T, 8.175 seconds, -0.645 under index
2)	Mike Saye, Johnston, S.C., '92 Cutlass, H/A, 8.864, -0.636
3)	Rodger Brogdon, Tomball, Texas, '02 Chevy, A/SM, 8.015, -0.635
4)	Scott Benham, La Grange, Texas, '96 Lumina, D/AA, 7.821, -0.599
5)	Charles Watson Jr., Humble, Texas, '96 Lumina, G/A, 8.650, -0.590
6)	David Rampy, Piedmont, Ala., '32 Bantam, A/EA, 7.443, -0.587
7)	Mike Trumble, Pasadena, Texas, '01 Grand Am, A/SM, 8.073, -0.577
8)	Bill Kent, Midland, Texas, '00 Frameworks, C/D, 7.039, -0.571
9)	Robert Freeman, Oklahoma City, '02 Cavalier, C/A, 7.541, -0.549
10)	Edward Joe Shalkowski, Hawley, Texas, '96 Frameworks, F/ED, 8.445, -0.545

SUPER STOCK
1)	Bobby Dennis, Shorter, Ala., '97 Firebird, GT/MA, 10.819 seconds, -1.231 under index
2)	Buz Post, Arlington, Texas, '98 Grand Am, SS/BM, 8.487, -1.213
3)	Joe Teuton Jr., Houma, La., '68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 8.975, -1.025
4)	Steven Reynolds, Pasadena, Texas, '86 Monte Carlo, GT/MA, 11.039, -1.011
5)	Don Barber, Hohenwald, Tenn., '93 Achieva, GT/BA, 9.575, -0.976
6)	Shaun Le Blanc, Bartlett, Tenn., '88 Mustang, 9.324, -0.976
7)	Sid Bonnecarrere, Gray, La., '68 Dart, SS/AA, 9.030, -0.970
8)	Larry Stewart, Clinton, Miss., '66 Nova, SS/GA, 9.896, -0.954
9)	Elisha Boyd, Sumrall, Miss., '99 S-10, GT/CA, 9.478, -0.952
10)	Terry Pearson, Spanish Fort, Ala., '98 Achieva, GT/CA, 9.750, -0.950

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1)	Gary Slaton, Liberty Hill, Texas, '94 Camaro, E/SA, 10.847 seconds, -1.153 under index
2)	Debbie Cardwell, Ruston, La., '90 Pontiac, K/SA, 11.816, 1.134
3)	Ronnie Cardwell, Ruston, La., '90 Firebird, K/SA, 11.858, -1.092
4)	Sammy LaPorte, New Iberia, La., '87 Firebird, N/SA, 12.229, -1.071
5)	Kent LaPorte, New Iberia, La., '85 Camaro, L/SA, 11.930, -1.070
6)	Justin Cardwell, Ruston, La., '90 Chevy, K/SA, 11.892, -1.058
7)	Stefan Bourg, Houma, La., '97 Dodge, ET/SA, 12.193, -1.057
8)	Billy Lynn, Searcy, Ark., '95 S-10, GT/SA, 12.928, -1.022
9)	Anthony Volpe Sr., New Orleans, '86 Pontiac, K/SA, 11.941, -1.009
10)	Mike Cotten, Broken Arrow, Okla., '73 Duster, H/SA, 11.449, -1.001

--30--