NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Sat. Final Results-Bristol Drag way

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NHRA SOUTHEAST DIVISION
BRISTOL DRAGWAY
SATURDAY JULY 20, 2002

  Smith and Thacker win two in a row
BRISTOL, Tenn. -In the final results at the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Bristol  Dragway, Top Alcohol Dragster driver Marty Thacker and Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Von Smith won in their respective categories.
In Top Alcohol Dragster, Thacker, of Robinson, Ill., piloted his dragster into victory lane for the second time this season when he defeated Wayzata, Minn., racer John Haley. In the final Thacker ran a 5.590-second pass at 254.90 mph to take out Haley, who ran 5.728 at 244.34 mph. The two also battled last month at Silver Dollar Raceway, Reynolds, Ga., in a contest which Thacker also won. This was a significant win for Thacker who is currently battling with Jason Cannon and Michael Gunderson, both of Middleburg, Fla., for precious Southeast Division Championship points in the class. 
In Top Alcohol Funny Car, Von Smith of Oak Ridge, Tenn., took home the win behind the wheel of his Jensen Audio-sponsored Firebird for the third time this season when he defeated the defending Southeast Division champion Jay Payne of Claremont, Calif. Reacting with a .412, Smith held off Payne, with an elapsed time of 5.869 seconds at 247.57 mph to Payne's 6.007-second pass at 247.34 mph. This is the fifth final round appearance for Smith this season and his third win within the Southeast Division. 
Winners in other categories are Mike Farrell of Louisville, Ky., in Competition Eliminator and John Fogel of Norway, S.C., in Super Stock. In Stock Eliminator, Peter Biondo of  Mt. Laurel, N.J., who currently leads Southeast Division points in the class, claimed his third divisional win of the year in Stock. In Super Comp it was Jim Perry of Orlando taking home the win. While in Super Gas, Orlando, Fla. racer Jay Davis got the win. After suffering some early round losses earlier in the season Greg Glenn, Cape Coral, Fla., racked up his first win when he took out Silver Dollar Raceway champ, Ernie Griggs.
In the debut of the Southeast Division's newest class, John Bleakley Motorhomes Top Sportsman, Billy Vaughn of Knoxville, Tenn., took out Glen Maine of Whitesboro, N.Y.  The class, which features 7-second door-slammers, will compete in a five race series this season , including the final two Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series events at Atlanta Dragway, Atlanta, Ga., and Darlington Int'l Raceway, Darlington, S.C.
	The next stop on the NHRA's Southeast Division tour is Atlanta Dragway in Atlanta, Ga. The event, which will be held August 9-10, is the sixth of seven races in NHRA's Southeast Division.
The following are Saturday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at the Bristol Dragway:

Top Alcohol Dragster
Round 1
1) John Haley, Wayzata, Minn., .499 reaction time, 5.646 seconds, 247.61 mph def. 8) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., .542, 6.232, 190.54
2) Jason Cannon, Middleburg, Fla., .452 reaction time, 5.656 seconds, 251.63 mph def.  7) James Copeland II, Red Oak, Texas, .461, 5.833, 247.43
3) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., .441 reaction time, 5.602 seconds, 255.34 mph def. 5) Mike Kosky, Cuddy, Pa., .448, 5.848, 200.95
4) Guy Kelly, Wadley, Ala., .498 reaction time, 5.713 seconds, 251.77 mph def. 5) Mick Snyder, Demotte, Ind., .524, 5.781, 245.14
Semifinals
Thacker, .453 reaction time, 5.553 seconds, 255.58  def. Cannon, .455, 5.721, 24.81
Haley, .549 reaction time, 5.564 seconds, 253.33 mph def. Kelly, .482, 5.709, 249.12
Final
Thacker, 471 reaction time, 5.590 seconds, 254.90 def. Haley, .464, 5.728, 244.34

Top Alcohol Funny Car
Round 1 
1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., .550 reaction time, 6.022, 246.30 mph def. 4) Thomas Frickenschmidt, Lockwood, Mo., BROKE
2) Von Smith, Oak Ridge, Tenn., .486 reaction time, 5.893, 248.39 mph def. 3) Tony Bogolo, Hamilton, Ohio, .522, 6.99, 150.85
Final 
Smith, .413 reaction time, 5.869 seconds, 247.57 mph def. Payne, .494, 6.007, 247.34

Comp Eliminator
Mike Farrell, Louisville, Ky., A/EA, '32 Bantam, .538 reaction time, 7.624 seconds, 174.28 mph def. Larry Pritchett, Clarkrange, Tenn., A/SM, '98 Grand Am, .591, 8.181, 166.21  
Super Stock
John Fogle, Norway, S.C., SS/HA, '67 Camaro, .522 reaction time, 10.196 seconds, 10.14 dial-in def. Len King, Langley, S.C., SS/IA, '67 Camaro, .568, 10.623, 10.58   
Stock
Peter Biondo, Mt. Laurel, N.J., E/SA, '95 Camaro, .512 reaction time, 11.401 seconds, 11.30 dial-in def. Sterling Simmons, Mislothian, Va., D/SA, '97 Camaro, .548, 11.089, 11.14
Super Comp
Jim Perry, Orlando, Fla., Dragster, .412 reaction time, 8.901 seconds, 158.95 def. Steve Cohen, Trilby, Fla., Dragster, .460, 8.885, 152.38
Super Gas
Jay Davis, Orlando, Fla., '34 Chevy, .411 reaction time, 9.917 seconds, 137.61 mph def. Sean Witherwax, North Lauderdale, Fla., '01 Firebird, .440, 9.844, 160.58
Super Street 
Greg Glenn, Cape Coral, Fla., '93 S-10, .562 reaction time, 10.922 seconds, 123.97 mph def. Ernie Griggs, Ocala, Fla., '72 Camaro, .511, 10.888, 120.89
John Bleakley Motorhomes Top Sportsman 
Billy Vaughn, Knoxville, Tenn., '84 Beretta, .523 reaction time, .7.552 seconds, 7.54 dial-in def. Glen Maine, Whitesboro, N.Y., '67 Nova, .493 (red-light), 7.822, 7.85