NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series - Friday from Race City Motorsport Park

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NORTHWEST DIVISION
RACE CITY MOTORSPORT PARK
FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2002

JOHNSON & COOLIDGE TOP QUALIFIERS IN CANADA

Calgary, Alta. - Brandon Johnson in Top Alcohol Dragster and Henry Coolidge in Top Alcohol Funny Car are leading their respective fields after the first day of qualifying at the Canadian Nationals, race five of seven in Northwest Division competition of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.  
	Cool weather provided ideal racing conditions, as the track e.t. record in Top Alcohol Dragster was broken twice, first by Mitch Myers of Hermiston, Ore., on a 5.657 second, 232.43 mph run.  The record was then broken by Johnson of Shelton, Wash., on his pass of 5.651 seconds, 251.11 mph, setting a new track e.t. and mph record.  
	"It's tough that we got the record pick-pocketed from us so quickly," said Myers of Hermiston, Ore.  "We'll keep making adjustments this weekend and maybe we'll get lucky and get the track record back."  
	Johnson will be looking to regain the winning form he had at Mission Raceway Park earlier this year.  Since earning his first career event win at Mission, the rookie racer has been unable to make it past the quarterfinals in his last three events. 
	"We've been experiencing some bad luck," lamented Johnson.  "I set my first track record today and hopefully, we can continue to perform like this throughout the weekend."  
	Coolidge of Sunburst, Mont., is the top qualifier in Top Alcohol Funny Car after a 6.189 second, 226.87 mph run.  Top qualifiers in other categories are Rob Harrison of N. Vancouver, B.C., in Comp; Allyn Lee of Red Deer, Alta., in Super Stock; and Randy Hutchings of Calgary, Alta., in Stock.
	Gates open tomorrow at 7 a.m., with time trials and qualifying scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.  Top Alcohol Dragsters and Top Alcohol Funny Cars will be qualifying at 3 and 8 p.m.  For more information, call (403) 272-RACE or visit www.racecity.com.  

	The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Race City Motorsport Park:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1)	Brandon Johnson, Shelton, Wash., 5.651 seconds, 251.11 mph
2)	Mitch Myers, Hermiston, Ore., 5.657, 232.43
3)	Joey Severance, Spanaway, Wash., 5.907, 215.20
4)	Greg Tacke, Great Falls, Mont., 6.051, 236.40
5)	Nathan Sitko, Edmonton, Alta., 6.585, 203.57
6)	Paul Julien, Mission, B.C., 7.824, 115.90

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1)	Henry Coolidge, Sunburst, Mont., '97 Firebird, 6.189 seconds, 226.87 mph
2)	Ken Kraus, Great Falls, Mont., '01 Trans Am, 6.360, 228.02
3)	Tim Nemeth, Surrey, B.C., '96 Cutlass, 6.962, 218.92
4)	Danny Fillion, Sherwood Park, Alta., '95 Probe, 6.971, 199.33
5)	John Knox, Lacey, Wash., '97 Mustang, 7.192, 207.03
6)	John Evanchuk, Edmonton, Alta., '97 Firebird, 7.790, 134.20
7)	Roger Bateman, Calgary, Alta., '97 Firebird, DQ

COMP ELIMINATOR
1)	Rob Harrison, N. Vancouver, B.C., '91 Beretta, J/A, 8.277 seconds, -0.573 under index
2)	Adam Bowdish, West Linn, Ore., '89 Trans Am, F/SM, 9.376, -0.504
3)	David From, Pilot Butte, Sask., '23 Ford, K/AA, 8.503, -0.437
4)	Jirka Kaplan, Calgary, Alta., '23 Chevy, AA/AM, 6.949, -0.421
5)	Bruce Schmiedl, Regina, Sask., '32 Bantam, A/EA, 7.901, -0.399
6)	Ross Hogenson, Lethbridge, Alta., '91 Camaro, A/PM, 7.158, -0.032
7)	Howie Stevens, N. Vancouver, B.C., '90 Probe, BB/AM, 8.160, -0.020
8)	Richard Dingle, Olympia, Wash., '90 Swindahl, C/ED, 8.824, +0.544
9)	Wayne Hofer, Lethbridge, Alta., '63 Nova, A/PM, 26.095, +18.905

SUPER STOCK
1)	Allyn Lee, Red Deer, Alta., '68 Cuda, SS/A, 9.107 seconds, -1.283 under index
2)	Byron Setters, Red Deer, Alta., '96 Camaro, GT/DA, 10.283, -0.997
3)	Bill Stewart, Marysville, Wash., '74 Cuda, SS/LA, 11.314, -0.956
4)	Thomas Nolan, Lacombe, Alta., '67 Camaro, SS/HA, 10.433, -0.947
5)	Art Congdon, Calgary, Alta., '91 Calais, GT/CA, 10.261, -0.919
6)	Dan Barton, Coeud Alene, Idaho, '84 Oldsmobile, GT/BA, 10.122, -0.898
7)	Zenon Kotelko, Saskatoon, Sask., GT/JA, '87 Camaro, GT/EA, 10.642, -0.798
8)	Michael Semeniuk, Sherwood Park, Alta., '81 Malibu, GT/JA, 11.408, -0.762
9)	Tom Albritton, West Jordon, Utah, '89 Pontiac, SS/AS, 9.607, -0.733
10)	Terry Anderson, Meridian, Idaho, '67 Nova, SS/H, 10.547, -0.733

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1)	Randy Hutchings, Calgary, Alta., '81 Dodge, FT/SA, 12.457 seconds, -1.803 under index
2)	Pete Boshovitch, Winnipeg, Man., '80 Malibu, L/SA, 12.343, -1.237
3)	John Sien, Winnipeg, Man., '71 Camaro, G/SA, 11.693, -1.157
4)	Shawn Kvaas, Pitt Meadows, B.C., '78 Trans Am, K/SA, 12.434, -1.086
5)	Barry Pollard, Regina, Sask., '79 Aspen, K/SA, 12.442, -1.078
6)	Mick Alley, Eagle, Idaho, '71 Camaro, F/SA, 11.625, -1.065
7)	Tom Skjonsberg, Ft. McMurray, Alta., '70 Hemi, A/SA, 10.782, -1.018
8)	Glenn Person, Regina, Sask., '72 Duster, G/SA, 11.855, -0.995
9)	Charlene Gullett, Calgary, Alta., '80 Malibu, M/SA, 12.806, -0.924
10)	Bob Gullett, Calgary, Alta., '68 Nova, H/SA, 12.087, -0.913

-- 30 --