FINAL RESULTS-NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series-Cecil County Drag way, Rising Sun, Md.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NORTHEAST DIVISION CECIL COUNTY DRAGWAY SUNDAY, AUGUST 24, 2002 Gallant and Newberry earn wins at Cecil County Dragway RISING SUN, Md. - In the final results at the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event being held at Cecil County Dragway, Top Alcohol Dragster driver Art Gallant and Top Alcohol Funny Car pilot Bob Newberry emerged victorious in their respective classes. In Top Alcohol Dragster, NHRA Northeast Division points leader Art Gallant earned his forth divisional win of the year when he defeated Pacific Division runner Duane Shields of Las Vegas, Nev. In the final Gallant used a 5.394-second run at 250.60 mph to defeat Shields, who ran 5.588 seconds at 252.71 mph. This win helps Gallant gain vital points over Shields, who is currently the Boxboro, Mass., runners closest competitor in the chase for the National Championship. This victory also helps Gallant widen his divisional points lead over defending NHRA Northeast Division Champion Cliff Bozzelli of Absecon, N.J. In Top Alcohol Funny Car former NHRA National Champion Bob Newberry of Schenectady, N.Y., earned his first NHRA Northeast Division title of the year when he defeated Paul Gill of Brockton, Mass., in the class final. In final Gill got the advantage off the line, but it wouldn't be enough to hold off Newberry, who ran low elapsed time of the event, 5.785 seconds at 246.75 mph, to Gill's 5.833 at 246.12 mph. Winners in other categories are defending NHRA National Champion Don Stratton of Beloit, Ohio in Comp Eliminator; Angelo DiTocco of Bronx, N.Y., in Super Stock; Brian Van Poppel of Perry Hall, Md., in Stock Eliminator; Frank Cicerale of Piscataway, in Super Comp; Marc Combs of New Winsor, Md., in Super Gas; and Steve Feller of Pleasant Valley, N.Y., in Super Street. The following are the final results from the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event being held at Cecil County Dragway: TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER Round 1 1) Duane Shields, Las Vegas Nev., 5.507 seconds, 255.77 def. 8) Mark Albert, Baldwin, Pa., 5.709, 246.80 2) Cliff Bozzelli, Absecon, N.J., 5.546 seconds, 254.09 mph def. 7) Fran Monaghan, Jr., Meadowbrook, Pa., 5.918, 231.99 3) Art Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.516 seconds, 241.07 mph def. 6) Richard Bourke, Old Tappan, N.J., 5.957, 186.18 5) Doug Foley, Wappingers Falls, N.Y., 5.716 seconds, 250.97 mph def. 4) Billy Gibson, Chaptico, Md., 5.714, 250.97 Semifinals Shields, 5.503 seconds, 257.97 mph def. Foley, 5.582, 256.94 Gallant, 5.389 seconds, 243.50 mph def. Bozzelli, 5.581, 256.02 Final Gallant, 5.294 seconds, 250.60 mph def. Shields, 5.588, 252.71 TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR Round 1 1) Bob Newberry, Schenectady, N.Y., '02 Camaro, 5.789 seconds, 247.79 mph def. 8) Scott Woodington, Delran, N.J., '98 Oldsmobile, 6.490, 200.98 2) Paul Gill, Brockton, Mass., '01 Avenger, 5.844 seconds, 246.75 mph def. 7) Jeff McCulloch, Oshawa, Ont., '98 Chevrolet, 6.478, 226.92 3) Bruce Peterson, Jr., Wappingers Falls, N.Y., '02 Corvette, 12.219 seconds, 69.04 mph def. 6) Paul Lee, Gaithersburg, Md., '01 Camaro, 11.065, 73.54 9) Craig English, Mount Holly, N.J., '98 Mustang, 5.986 seconds, 239.91 mph def. 5) Darrel Cox, Whiteford, Md., '01 Firebird, 6.381, 216.41 Semifinals Gill, 5.847 seconds, 247.66 mph def. Peterson, Jr., 6.114, 230.17 Newberry, 5.795 seconds, 246.84 mph def. English, 6.276, 237.05 Final Newberry, 5.785 seconds, 246.75 mph def. Gill, 5.833, 246.12 COMP ELIMINATOR Don Stratton, Jr., Beloit, Ohio, '34 Chevy Roadster, B/SR, 8.164 seconds, 155.45 mph def. Frank Aragona, Jr., Franklin Square, N.Y., Roadster, G/ED, 8.273, 152.45 SUPER STOCK Angelo DiTocco, Bronx, N.Y., '99 Firebird, GT/FA, 10.203 seconds, 128.77 mph def. Kent Hanley, Newtown, Conn., '94 Cavalier, GT/BA, 10.166, 130.94 STOCK ELIMINATOR Brian Van Poppel, Perry Hall, Md., '86 Camaro, C/SA, 11.415 seconds, 114.35 mph def. David LeBrun, Uncasville, Conn., '69 Camaro, H/SA, 10.776, 121.47 SUPER COMP Frank Cicerale, Piscataway, N.J., Dragster, 8.908 seconds, 158.02 mph def. James Tsaggos, Fairlawn, N.J., '23 Carpenter, 8.916, 156.39 SUPER GAS Marc Combs, New Windsor, Md., '97 Monte Carlo, 9.918 seconds, 153.13 mph def. Tom Stalba, Jr., Williamstown, N.J., '63 Corvette, 9.904, 152.28 SUPER STREET Steve Feller, Pleasant Valley, N.Y, '79 Malibu, 10.924 seconds, 124.28 mph def. Ralph Porpora, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., '68 Camaro, 10.868, 121.21