FINAL RESULTS-NHRA LODRS Event being held at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park-Englishtown, NJ

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NHRA NORTHEAST DIVISION
OLD BRIDGE TOWNSHIP RACEWAY PARK
SUNDAY, AUGUST 11, 2002

Mission Accomplished for Las Vegas runner Shields; Manzo still unbeaten 
ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. - In the final results from the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event being held at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Duane Shields and Frank Manzo both emerged victorious in their respective fields.
In Top Alcohol Dragster, the long trip eastward for west coast racer Shields paid huge dividends when the Las Vegas, Nev., runner took out Fran Monaghan, Jr., of Meadowbrook, Pa., in the class final. In the final, Shields used a .510 reaction time and 5.582 seconds pass at 259.26 mph to best Monaghan who laid down a 5.668 second pass at 252.43 mph. 
This was a key win for Shields who is currently in a tight battle for national championship points with Northeast Division regulars Art Gallant of Boxboro, Mass., and defending NHRA Northeast Division champion Cliff Bozzelli of Absecon, N.J. Both Bozzelli and Gallant were eliminated in the opening round of competition today, widening Shield's points lead by several rounds. 
This is Shield's third divisional win of the season and his second victory of the year at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. In May, Shields won the Matco Tools Supernationals over Art Gallant.  
	In Top Alcohol Funny Car, defending NHRA National Champion Manzo of Morganville, N.J., earned his sixth NHRA Northeast Division title of the year when he defeated Bob Newberry of Schenectady, N.Y. In the final Newberry got the jump off the line with .414 reaction time to Manzo's .450, but it wasn't enough to hold to off the defending champ, who ran a 5.835 second pass at 252.43 to Newberry's plagued 6.542 pass at 153.18 mph. 
This win helps Manzo gain valuable points to pad his lead on both the national and divisional level. Manzo is currently battling for national points with Southeast Division drivers Von Smith of Oak Ridge, Tenn., and Jay Payne of Claremont, Calif., as well as Northwest Divisional Runner Bucky Austin of Fife, Wash.
Winners in other categories are defending NHRA National Champion Don Stratton of Beloit, Ohio in Comp Eliminator; Don Ciccarone of Lindenburg, Pa., in Super Stock; Bryan Valentine of Thornwood, N.Y., in Stock Eliminator; Tom Ciccarone, Jr. of West Chester, Pa., in Super Comp; Chuck Rothermel of Kinderhook, N.Y., in Super Gas; and Steve Taxis of Old Bridge, N.J., in Super Street.
The following are Sunday's final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event being held this weekend at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park:

Top Alcohol Dragster
Round 1
Duane Shields, Las Vegas, Nev., .505 reaction time, 5.461 seconds, 262.44 mph def. Bruce Horner, Bergenfield, N.J., .272 (foul), 6.718, 160.94

Richard Bourke, Old Tappan, N.J., .487 reaction time, 5.598 seconds, 242.89 seconds def. Cliff Bozzelli, Absecon, N.J., .484, 5.634, 253.18

Fran Monaghan Jr., Meadowbrook, Pa., .503 reaction time, 5.670 seconds, 250.74 mph def. Douglas Foley, Wappingers Falls, N.Y., .509, 5.712, 251.95 

Bruce Insinger, Dushore, Pa., .571 reaction time, 5.769 seconds, 241.50 mph  def. Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., .567, 6.338, 181.57
Semifinals
Shields, .529 reaction time, 5.552 seconds, 260.31 mph def. Bourke, .508, 5.926, 195.51
Monaghan, .530 reaction time, 5.691 seconds, 251.34 mph def. Insinger, BROKE
Final
Shields, .510 reaction time, 5.582 seconds, 259.26 mph def. Monaghan, .551, 5.668, 252.43

Top Alcohol Funny Car
Round 1
Bob Newberry, Schenectady, N.Y., '02 Camaro, .603 reaction time, 5.770 seconds, 246.26 mph def. Dan Roman, Wolcott, Conn., '97 Firebird, .681, 6.092, 230.57 

Paul Gill, Brockton, Mass., '01 Avenger, .496 reaction time, 5.895 seconds, 246.03 mph def.  Craig English, Mount Holly, N.J., '98 Mustang, .695, 5.960, 242.80

Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '01 Avenger, .491 reaction time, 5.798 seconds, 254.09 mph def. Bruce Mullins, Fredericksburg, Va., '98 Mustang, .459, 6.160, 188.41

Fred Tigges, Holbrook Mass., '00 Camaro, .460 reaction time, 6.063 seconds, 237.34 mph def. Darrel Cox, Whiteford, Md., '01 Firebird, .546, 10.936, 76.51 
Semifinals
Newberry, .534 reaction time, 5.957 seconds, 244.29 mph def. Tigges, .517, 7.073, 129.82
Manzo, .475 reaction time, 5.807 seconds, 252.80 mph def. Gill, .474, 5.968, 247.79
Final
Manzo, .450 reaction time, 5.835 seconds, 252.43 mph def. Newberry, .414, 6.542, 153.18 
Comp Eliminator
Don Stratton, Jr., Beloit, Ohio, B/SR, '34 Chevrolet, .523 reaction time, 8.151 seconds, -0.449 (under index) def. Don Eckel III, Piscataway, N.J., C/D, .525, 7.182, -0.428 
Super Stock
Don Ciccarone, Lindenburg, Pa., GT/AA, '88 Camaro, .565 reaction time, 9.847 seconds, 9.84 dial-in def. Jim Harrington, Old Bridge, N.J., SS/CM, '86 Camaro, .543, 9.902, 9.84
Stock Eliminator
Bryan Valentine, Thornwood, N.Y., L/SA, '85 Camaro, .540 reaction time, 12.075 seconds def. Jim Harrington, Old Bridge, N.J., L/SA, '90 Camaro, .528, 12.122
Super Comp
Tom Ciccarone, Jr., West Chester, Pa., .404 reaction time, 8.859 seconds def. Paul Jarabek, Fall River, Mass., .358 (foul), 8.855 
Super Gas
Chuck Rothermel, Kinderhook, N.Y., '00 Grand Am, .411 reaction time, 9.897 def. Bob Bieleszka, Lancaster, N.Y., '98 Grand Prix, .413, 8.890
Super Street
Steve Taxis, Old Bridge, N.J., '67 Camaro, .508 reaction time, 10.915 def. Michael Sawyer, Acton, Mass., '67 Camaro, .513 reaction time, 10.895