Sun. NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series-Lebanon Valley Dragway
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NHRA NORTHEAST DIVISION LEBANON VALLEY DRAGWAY SUNDAY JULY 7, 2002 Manzo Four-for-Four , Gallant scores Second win a row WEST LEBANON, N.Y. -In the final results at the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at Lebanon Valley Dragway, Top Alcohol Dragster driver Art Gallant and Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Frank Manzo won in their respective categories. In Top Alcohol Dragster, Gallant, of Boxboro, Mass., took his dragster into victory lane for the second race in a row when he defeated first-time finalist Dave DeAngelis of Middlesex, N.J. In the final Gallant ran a 5.552-second pass at 244.03 mph to take out DeAngelis who ran 5.827 at 196.42 mph. This was a key win for Gallant, who currently is battling for national championship points with left-coast racer Duane Shields of Las Vegas, Nevada and the defending Northeast Division Champion Cliff Bozzelli of Absecon, N.J. Gallant and Bozzelli are also battling for points within the Northeast Division. This is the third Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series victory for Gallant who scored an NHRA Southeast Division win earlier in the year in Gainesville, Fla. In repeat match-up of the Top Alcohol Funny Car final just two weeks ago at Atco Raceway, Atco N.J., defending NHRA National Champion Frank Manzo of Morganville, N.J., defeated Paul Gill to take home the win in the class. Reacting with a .429, Manzo held off Gill, of Brockton, Mass., with an elapsed time of 5.770 seconds at 250.97 mph to Gill's 5.846-second pass at 245.36 mph. This is the forth 2002 Northeast Division win for Manzo in as many races. He remains unbeaten in 24 consecutive rounds of NHRA Northeast Division competition. Winners in other categories are Larry Perkins of Collegeville, Pa., in Competition Eliminator; brothers Peter, of Mt. Laurel, N.J., and Sal Biondo, of Maspeth, N.Y., in Super Stock and Stock Eliminator; Bob Kodandek, Sr., of Aston, Pa., in Super Comp; Duane Fisher of Bloomsburg, Pa., in Super Gas, Paul Panesa, Connelly, N.Y., in Super Street. In the other NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series action at Lebanon Valley Dragway, Special Awards were presented to Paul Ricci of Rockyhill, Conn., Gary Richard of West Islip, N.Y., and Mike Kosky and crew. Ricci received the Competition Photos Best Engineered Car award for his '96 Dodge Avenger, while Richard received the Competition Photos Best Appearing Car award for his 1997 Stock Eliminator Camaro. Top Alcohol Dragster driver Kosky and his crew were given the Parkway Dry Cleaners Best Appearing Crew award. The next stop on the NHRA Northeast Division tour is Numidia Raceway in Numidia, Pa. The event, which will be held July 26-28, is the fifth of seven races in NHRA's Northeast Division. The following are Sunday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at the Lebanon Valley Raceway: Top Alcohol Dragster Round 1 1) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., .557 reaction time, 5.528 seconds, 228.48 mph def. 8) Richard Bourke, Old Tappan, N.J., .495, 5.818, 205.62 7) Dave DeAngelis, Middlesex, N.J., .393 reaction time, 6.078 seconds, 172. 64 mph def. 2) Cliff Bozzelli, Absecon, N.J., (BROKE) 2) Doug Foley, Wappingers, Falls N.Y., .502 reaction time, 5.607 seconds, 249.58 mph def. 6) Mike Kosky, Cuddy, Pa., .438, 5.738, 246.64 3) Fran Monahan, Meadowbrook, Pa., .474 reaction time, 5.777 seconds, 213.42 mph def. 5) Billy Gibson, Chaptico, Md., .404, 5.892, 204.73 Semifinals Gallant, .565 reaction time, 5.586 seconds, 228.25 def. Monahan, 530, 5.689, 248.41 DeAngelis, .475 reaction time, 5.893 seconds, 229.00 mph def. Foley, .450, 11.452, 63.67 Final Gallant, 532 reaction time, 5.522 seconds, 244.03 def. DeAngelis, .446, 5.827, 196.42 Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 1) Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., .549 reaction time, 5.792 seconds, 248.07 mph def. 8) Fred Tigges, Holbrook, Mass., .458, 6.004, 237.21 2) Bob Newberry, Schenectady, N.Y., .493 reaction time, 8.482 seconds, 106.01 def. 7) Bruce Peterson Jr., Wappinger Falls, N.Y., .504, 12931, 60.87 3) Paul Gill, Brockton, Mass., .549 reaction time, 12.931 seconds, 60.87 mph def. 6) Paul Lee, Gaithersburg, Md., .415, 6.032, 230.88 4) Eric Lourie, Terryville, Conn., 556 reaction time, 5.930 seconds, 240.64 def. 5) John Vouros, Victor, N.Y. (BROKE) Semifinals Manzo, .481 reaction time, 5.834 seconds, 246.98 mph def. Lourie, .548, 5.859, 244.03 Gill, .506 reaction time, 5.725 seconds, 250.27 mph def. Newberry, .493, 5.826, 244.69 Final Manzo, .429 reaction time, 5.770 seconds, 250.97 mph def.. Gill, .545, 5.846, 245.36 Comp Eliminator Larry Perkins, Collegeville, Pa., PST/A, '01 S-10, .532 reaction time, 7.826 seconds, 172.24 mph def. Frank Aragona, Jr., Franklin Square, N.Y., G/ED, '98 Dragster, .494 (red-light), 10.309, 83.59 Super Stock Peter Biondo, Mt. Laurel, N.J., GT/FA, '00 Firebird, .541 reaction time, 10.275, 123.03 mph def. John Armstrong, Kingston, N.S., Canada, SS/DA, '69 Camaro, .554, 9.463, 138.37 Stock Sal Biondo, Maspeth, N.Y., K/SA, '78 Firebird, .553 reaction time, 11.988 seconds, 103.63 mph def. Phillip Panaritis, Montreal, P.Q., Canada, .593, 10.935, 159.46 Super Comp Bob Kodadek Sr., Aston, Pa., '99 Dragster, .412 reaction time, 8.939 seconds, 159.46 def. Bruce MacDowell, Stevens, Pa., '92 Dragster, .393 (red-light), 8.903, 159.29 Super Gas Duane Fisher, Bloomsburg, Pa., '78 Datsun, .412 reaction time, 9.874 seconds, 142.13 mph def. Mark Parente, Englishtown, N.J., '66 Chevelle, 9.869, 145.96 Super Street Paul Panesa, Connelly, N.Y., '67 Chevy, .541 reaction time, 10.994 seconds, 112.26 mph def. Larry Pulver, Palmyra, N.Y., '67 Camaro, .569, 11.125, 123.30