NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Saturday from Bowling Green

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NORTH CENTRAL DIVISION
BEECH BEND RACEWAY, BOWLING GREEN, KY
Saturday, August 24, 2002

QUALIFYING COMPLETE, FIELDS SET FOR ELIMINATIONS AT BEECH BEND RACEWAY
        BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - In the final rounds of qualifying at the NHRA
Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green,
Ky., Russ Lindert and Chuck Cheeseman were the No. 1 qualifiers in Top
Alcohol Dragster (TAD) and Top Alcohol Funny Car (TAFC), respectively.
        Galena, Ohio, resident Cheesesman was in the top spot from the
first qualifying session with a 5.934-second, 245.94-mph effort.  Lindert,
on the other hand, came into the final qualifying session in the No. 7
position.  But the Manteno, Ill., resident made a 5.601-second 248.66-mph
pass to catapult him into the No. 1 position.
        Top qualifiers in other classes are Jeff Taylor of Lumberton, N.C.,
in Comp; Tim Cole, Collierville, Tenn., in Super Stock; and Don Holmes of
Dayton, Ohio, in Stock.
        Spectators at Beech Bend Raceway got a treat today when 11-time
NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series Funny Car champion John Force was the
color commentator during the second TAD and TAFC qualifying sessions. 
Force is at Beech Bend Raceway this weekend cheering on his daughter Ashley
who competes in NHRA's Super Comp class.  After working in the announcer's
booth, Force went to the starting line to watch a round of Jr. Dragsters,
NHRA's class for youths 8 to 17 years old.  
        Racing continues Sunday at Beech Bend Raceway.  Gates open at 7
a.m. and eliminations start at 8 a.m.  Tickets, including pit pass, are
$20.  Children 12 and under are admitted free.  For more information, call
Beech Bend Raceway, (270) 782-1138.


        The following are Saturday's final qualifying results and Sunday's
first-round pairings for TAD and TAFC at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series event at Beech Bend Raceway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Russ Lindert, Manteno, Ill., 5.601 seconds, 248.66 mph
2) Bill McCornack, Lexington, Ky., 5.608, 252.85
3) Steve Federlin, Oregon City, Ore., 5.670, 252.85
4) Ken Perry, Toronto, Ont., 5.681, 225.03
5) Jeff Wilson, Winfield, Mo., 5.687, 236.88
6) Gary Ward, Cincinnati, 5.734, 244.60
7) Tim Bowgren, Valparaiso, Ind., 5.770, 243.28
8) Guy Kelly, Wadley, Ala., 6.060, 169.83
Not Qualified
9) Bob Leverich, Kimball, Mich., 7.739, 148.53

Sunday's TAD Pairings
1) Russ Lindert, Manteno, Ill., 5.601 seconds, 248.66 mph vs. 8) Guy Kelly,
Wadley, Ala., 6.060, 169.83
2) Bill McCornack, Lexington, Ky., 5.608, 252.85 vs. 7) Tim Bowgren,
Valparaiso, Ind., 5.770, 243.28
3) Steve Federlin, Oregon City, Ore., 5.670, 252.85 vs. 6) Gary Ward,
Cincinnati, 5.734, 244.60
4) Ken Perry, Toronto, Ont., 5.681, 225.03 vs. 5) Jeff Wilson, Winfield,
Mo., 5.687, 236.88

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR 
1) Chuck Cheeseman, Galena, Ohio, '01 Firebird, 5.934 seconds, 
   245.94 mph
2) Jeff Craig, Muncie, Ind., '01 Dodge, 5.973, 244.60
3) Steve Addleman, Fishers, Ind., '01 Pontiac, 6.021, 236.88
4) Bobby Martin, Beaver Falls, Pa., '00 Avenger, 6.159, 238.13
5) Kim Fritts, Greenup, Ill., '98 Firebird, 6.391, 193.99
6) Drew Tarr, Louisville, Ky., '98 Trans Am, 6.486, 215.34
7) Russ Mudd, Fairdale, Ky., Mustang, 6.523, 207.40

Sunday's TAFC Pairings
1) Chuck Cheeseman, Galena, Ohio, '01 Firebird, 5.934 seconds, 245.94 mph
vs. 8) BYE
2) Jeff Craig, Muncie, Ind., '01 Dodge, 5.973, 244.60 vs. 7) Russ Mudd,
Fairdale, Ky., Mustang, 6.523, 207.40
3) Steve Addleman, Fishers, Ind., '01 Pontiac, 6.021, 236.88 vs. 
6) Drew Tarr, Louisville, Ky., '98 Trans Am, 6.486, 215.34
4) Bobby Martin, Beaver Falls, Pa., '00 Avenger, 6.159, 238.13 vs. 
5) Kim Fritts, Greenup, Ill., '98 Firebird, 6.391, 193.99

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Jeff Taylor, Lumberton, N.C., '02 Cavalier, D/SMA, 8.844, -0.556
2) Nathan Martin, Ft. Worth, Texas, '63 Corvette, A/PM, 6.534, -0.536
3) Steve Ambrose, Woodhaven, Mich., '23 roadster, J/AA, 7.965, -0.515
4) David Billingsley, Decatur, Ill., '93 Olds, C/AA, 7.603, -0.497
5) Brian Browell, Lafayette, Ind., '97 dragster, D/D, 7.440, -0.490
6) David Rampy, Piedmont, Ala., '02 dragster, B/AA, 7.344, -0.466
7) Scott Tidwell, Pinson, Ala., '02 Grand Am, C/A, 7.616, -0.464
8) Dennis Mitchell, Huntsville, Ala., '92 Cavalier, F/A, 8.409, -0.461
9) Robert Bailey, Wabash, Ind., '99 dragster, A/ED, 6.858, -0.442
10) Mike Farrell, Louisville, Ky., '32 roadster, A/EA, 7.599, -0.431

SUPER STOCK
1) Tim Cole, Collierville, Tenn., '96 Corvette, SS/AX, 8.916, -1.084
2) Jeff Taylor, Lumberton, N.C., '01 Pontiac, SS/BM, 8.643, -1.057
3) Gary Russell, Sparta, Ohio, '98 Camaro, SS/KA, 10.550, -1.000
4) Scooter Anderson, Bartlett, Tenn., '67 Nova, SS/G, 9.751, -0.999
5) Everett Hill, Fayetteville, Ga., '64 Mustang, SS/M, 10.903, -0.997
6) Jerry Holman, Hendersonville, Ind., '86 Nova, SS/JA, 10.336, -0.964
7) Joe LoCicero, Snellville, Ga., '88 Camaro, GT/CA, 9.757, -0.943
8) Red LeBlanc, Bartlett, Tenn.,'69 Mustang, SS/G, 9.816, -0.934
9) Kenny Schindler, Hendersonville, Tenn., '68 Corvette, SS/EA, 9.728, 
   -0.922
10) Steven Reynolds, Pasadena, Texas, '86 Monte Carlo, ST/MA, 11.138
    -0.912

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Don Holmes, Dayton, Ohio, '78 Firebird, K/SA, 11.750 seconds, -1.286
   under index
2) Billy Lynn, Searcy, Ark., '95 S-10, GT/SA, 12.752, -1.198
3) Darrell Steiger, Clayton, Ohio, '80 Plymouth, I/SA, 11.470, -1.130
4) Tom Russell, East Sparta, Ohio, '98 Firebird, D/S, 10.704, -1.096
5) Amy Faulk, Memphis, Tenn., '01 Pontiac, F/SA, 11.070, -1.080 
6) Nathan Davis, Hernando, Miss., '01 Camaro, E/SA, 11.929, -1.071
7) Bill Sempsrott, Middletown, Ohio, '66 Nova, K/S, 11.796, -1.054
8) Bruce Parsons, Lewisburg, Ohio, '86 Camaro, H/SA, 11.405, -1.045
9) George Widuch, Hermitage, Tenn., '78 Plymouth, J/SA, 11.715, -1.035
10) Jerry Bennett, Mayfield, Ky., '79 Aspen, I/SA, 11.578, -1.022

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