NHRA Lucas OIl Drag Racing Series, Saturday from National Trail Raceway, Hebron, Ohio

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NORTH CENTRAL DIVISION
NATIONAL TRAIL RACEWAY, HEBRON, OHIO
Saturday, September 21, 2002

RECORD SETTING TAD FIELD HEADS THE ACTION AT NATIONAL TRAIL RACEWAY
        HEBRON, Ohio - In the final rounds of qualifying at National Trail
Raceway's NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, there were few surprises
in the Top Alcohol Funny Car (TAFC) class as Chuck Cheeseman was the No. 1
qualifier.  But the Top Alcohol Dragster (TAD) category boasted the
quickest eight-car field in division competition history.  The last TAD to
make the field ran 5.590 seconds.  The other surprise was that Russ Lindert
and Ken Perry, first and second, respectively, in the point standings,
failed to qualify, leaving the door open for Winfield, Mo., resident Jeff
Wilson to overtake Perry for second place.  Wilson cannot improve enough to
move into first place.
Danville, Ill., resident Keith Stark, who ran 5.376 seconds at 265.06 mph,
led the TAD field.  Mike Kosky of Cuddy, Pa., was the eighth qualifier.  
In TAFC, defending division champion Cheeseman of Galena, Ohio, was the
best qualifier after yesterday's action.  But after the first run today, he
found himself in the No. 5 spot.  However, in his final qualifying attempt,
the veteran racer jumped back to No. 1 with a 5.763-second, 248.02 mph
pass.
The No. 1 qualifiers in other classes are Jerry Arnold, Kalamazoo, Mich.,
in Comp Eliminator; Gary Russell, Sparta, Ohio, in Super Stock; and John
Lovins, Riverside, Ohio, in Stock.
Racing continues Sunday 9 a.m. at National Trail Raceway.  Gates open at 8
a.m.  Tickets are $15.  Children 6 to 12 are $5 and children 5 and under
are admitted free.  For more information, call National Trail Raceway,
(740) 928-5706.


        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 National Trail Raceway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Keith Stark, Danville, Ill., 5.376 seconds, 265.06 mph
2) Dave Hirata, Lowell, Ind., 5.394, 265.22
3) Jeff Wilson, Winfield, Mo., 5.485, 252.99 
4) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.522, 257.73
5) Darren Nicholson, Mission Viejo, Calif., 5.532, 253.90
6) Jeff Bohr, Plymouth, Mich., 5.551, 255.73
7) Tim Rudy, Mason, Ohio, 5.572, 244.74
8) Mike Kosky, Cuddy, Pa., 5.590, 248.84
Not Qualified
9) Bill McCornack, Lexington, Ky., 5.603, 252.00
10) Ken Perry, Toronto, Ont., 5.618, 236.09
11) Gary Ward, Cincinnati, 5.703, 246.17
12) Jared Dreher, Clinton, Ind., 5.716, 247.70
13) Mick Snyder, Demotte, Ind., 5.855, 250.55
14) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., 7.951, 108.22
15) Russ Lindert, Manteno, Ill., 28.000, 245.09
16) Tim Bowgren, Valparaiso, Ind., DQ

Sunday's TAD first round pairings
1) Keith Stark, Danville, Ill., 5.376 seconds, 265.06 mph vs. 8) Mike
Kosky, Cuddy, Pa., 5.590, 248.84
2) Dave Hirata, Lowell, Ind., 5.394, 265.22 vs. 7) Tim Rudy, Mason, Ohio,
5.572, 244.74
3) Jeff Wilson, Winfield, Mo., 5.485, 252.99 vs. 6) Jeff Bohr, Plymouth,
Mich., 5.551, 255.73
4) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.522, 257.73 vs. 5) Darren Nicholson,
Mission Viejo, Calif., 5.532, 253.90
 
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR 
1) Chuck Cheeseman, Galena, Ohio, '01 Firebird, 5.763 seconds, 248.02
   mph
2) Steve Harker, '99 Avenger, Brisbane, Queensland, Aust., 5.794, 247.93
3) Jim Sickles, Caledonia, N.Y., '99 Camaro, 5.795, 247.97
4) Kim Fritts, Greenup, Ill., '98 Firebird, 5.800, 247.29
5) Jeff Craig, Muncie, Ind., '01 Dodge, 5.802, 246.66
6) Marc White, Glendale Hts., Ill., '01 Firebird, 5.837, 241.54
7) Andrew Tarr, Louisville, Ky., '98 Pontiac, 6.411, 216.06
8) Jeff Lancaster, Hamilton, Ont., '96 Firebird, 6.428, 206.23
Not Qualified
9) Russell Mudd, Fairdale, Ky., '98 Mustang, 8.022, 112.60

Sunday's TAFC first round pairings
1) Chuck Cheeseman, Galena, Ohio, '01 Firebird, 5.763 seconds, 248.02 mph
vs. 8) Jeff Lancaster, Hamilton, Ont., '96 Firebird, 6.428, 206.23
2) Steve Harker, '99 Avenger, Brisbane, Queensland, Aust., 5.794, 247.93
vs. 7) Andrew Tarr, Louisville, Ky., '98 Pontiac, 6.411, 216.06
3) Jim Sickles, Caledonia, N.Y., '99 Camaro, 5.795, 247.97 vs. 6) Marc
White, Glendale Hts., Ill., '01 Firebird, 5.837, 241.54
4) Kim Fritts, Greenup, Ill., '98 Firebird, 5.800, 247.29 vs. 5) Jeff
Craig, Muncie, Ind., '01 Dodge, 5.802, 246.66

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Jerry Arnold, Kalamazoo, Mich., '98 dragster, 8.471 seconds, -0.619
   under index
2) David Billingsley, Decatur, Ill., '93 Olds, 7.504, -0.596
3) Steve Ambrose, Woodhaven, Mich., '23 roadster, 7.903, -0.577    
4) Jack Slagle, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, '98 Grand Am, 8.820, -0.530
5) Doug Engels, Watertown, S.D., '98 dragster 7.484, -0.526
6) Robert Bailey, Wabash, Ind., '99 dragster, 6.779, -0.521
7) Terry Smith, Williamstown, '32 roadster, 8.513, -0.507
8) Mike Farrell, Louisville, Ky., '32 roadster, 7.524, -0.506
9) John Frech, Warren, Ohio, '88 dragster, 8.305, -0.495
10) Ian Landies Jr., Chardon, Ohio, '02 Cavalier, 8.375, -0.495

SUPER STOCK
1) Gary Russell, Sparta, Ohio, '98 Camaro, SS/KA, 10.419 seconds, -1.131
   under index 
2) Chuck Gallagher, Holly, Mich., '94 Sunbird, SS/AM, 8.491, -1.059
3) Ernest Price, Naverrie, Ohio, '69 Camaro, SS/FM, 9.743, -1.057
4) Jerry Silveus, Van Buren, Ohio, '00 Firebird, GT/JA, 10.601, -1.049
5) Dave Layer, Daytona, Ohio, '90 Cavalier, GT/HA, 10.326, -1.024 
6) John Coughlin, Delaware, Ohio, '02 Cavalier, SS/CM, 8.946, -1.004
7) Wayne Hansen, Wabash, Ind., '02 S-10, ST/TC, 10.463, -0.987
8) Bucky Hess, Bunker Hill, Ind., '68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 9.013, -0.987
9) Jeff Sexton, Fairborn, Ohio, '97 Cutlass, SS/AX, 9.033, -0.967
10) Randy Wilkes, Zanesville, Ohio, '01 Pontiac, GT/FA, 10.169, -0.931

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) John Lovin, Riverside, Ohio, '00 Dakota, FT/SA, 12.231 seconds, 
   -1.419 under index
2) Donald Holmes, Daytona, Ohio, '78 Pontiac, K/SA, 11.662, -1.288
3) David Edwards, Washington, Ct. Hts., Ohio, '78 Trans Am, K/SA,
   11.668, -1.282 
4) Phil Pierce, New Carlisle, Ohio, '92 Ram Truck, GT/SA, 12.741, -1.209
5) Steve Haulman, Navarre, Fla., '85 Z-28, J/S, 11.453, -1.197
6) John Foxbower, Franklin, Ohio, '68 Mustang, B/SA, 10.466, -1.084
7) Randy Wilkes, Zanesville, Ohio, '00 Camaro, C/SA, 10.640, -1.060
8) James Knight, Dayton, Ohio, '73 Duster, G/SA, 11.293, -1.007
9) Scott Welborn, W. Columbia, S.C., '68 Chevelle, H/SA, 11.455, -0.996
10) Ben Wenzel Sr., Freeland, Mich., '67 Camaro, E/S, 10.958, -0.992