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NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series - Saturday's results from The S trip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - PACIFIC DIVISION
THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2002

QUICKEST QUALIFYING FIELD RUN IN DRAGSTER AND FUNNY CAR

Las Vegas -Time trials and qualifying concluded at the Las Vegas Gambler Shootout, presented by Short Line Express Market with Morgan Lucas and Bucky Austin earning low qualifier positions in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car.
Ideal racing conditions provided those in attendance Saturday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway an opportunity to witness one of the quickest qualifying fields in recent history in both categories.  Competitors needed to run quicker than 5.472-second in Top Alcohol Dragster and 5.801-second in Top Alcohol Funny Car to qualifying for Sunday's eliminations.
"Hats off to the people who run this facility," said Austin.  "This is a world class facility and they did a great job in preparing the track for this event."
	Between both classes, 43 alcohol cars made passes down the quarter-mile during Saturday's qualifying sessions as competitors came from as far away as New York, in efforts to accumulate points towards divisional and national championships.  Five of the top ten in the national points standings in each category were also part of the field.  
	"Our number goal today was just to qualify," said Top Alcohol Dragster racer Mark Hentges.  "To qualify in such a stellar field is an accomplish in itself."  
	Low qualifiers in other categories are Jeff Taylor of Lumberton, N.C., in Comp; John Gallina of Las Vegas, in Super Stock; and Marka Gallina of Henderson, Nev., in Stock.  All three racers as well as both Top Alcohol low qualifiers will receive a bonus from Sealed Power for their accomplishment.  
Rod Langley of Boise, Idaho, also earned a low qualifier bonus in Top Comp from Black Diamond Motorsports and Leeland King of Shelton, Wash., earned bonus money from Motorsports Unlimited for low qualifier honors in NHRA Kerker Motorcycle Series competition.  
Spectator gates open tomorrow at 7 a.m. and eliminations begin tomorrow at 7:30 a.m.  Round one of Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car is scheduled for noon.  General admission for the final day of competition for the Las Vegas Gambler Shootout, presented by Short Line Express Market is $20.  Children ages 6-12 are $5 and 5 and younger are free.  For more information, call The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway at (702) 644-4444 or visit www.lvms.com.

The following are final qualifying results and Sunday's first round pairings in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Morgan Lucas, Riverside, Calif., 5.341, 261.98
2) Mark Hentges, Federal Way, Wash., 5.437, 259.46
3) Darren Nicholson, Mission Viejo, Calif., 5.438, 260.01
4) Duane Shields, Las Vegas, 5.455, 263.77
5) Cliff Bozzelli, Absecon, N.J., 5.459, 257.78
6) Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., 5.465, 258.81
7) Brandon Johnson, Shelton, Wash., 5.466, 258.02
8) Alan Bradshaw, Odessa, Texas, 5.472, 258.81

Did not qualify
9) Steve Federlin, Oregon City, Ore., 5.490, 259.91
10) Eric Medlen, Yorba Linda, Calif., 5.506, 247.02
11) Joey Severance, Spanaway, Wash., 5.509, 260.06
12) Darryl Hitchman, Hanford, Calif., 5.527, 246.48
13) Tony Bartone, Manhasset, N.Y., 5.532, 258.62
14) Dave Hirata, Lowell, Ind., 5.550, 252.19
15) Don Hudson, Stockton, Calif., 5.558, 254.57
16) Robert Perkins, Bluffdale, Utah, 5.572, 254.42
17) Gary Ward, Cincinnati, Ohio, 5.637, 249.49
18) Tony Meredyk, Cypress, Calif., 5.684, 229.27
19) Larry Miersch, Fallbrook, Calif., 5.729, 228.96
20) Mitch Myers, Hermiston, Ore., 5.817, 241.89
21) Jack Beckman, Las Vegas, 5.923, 246.48
22) Mark Foster, Santa Cruz, Calif., 6.600, 211.13
23) Scott Dominguez, Garden City, Colo., 9.790, 89.74
24) Ed Vickroy, Fontana, Calif., 12.079, 98.46

Round 1
1) Morgan Lucas, Riverside, Calif., 5.341, 261.98 v. 8) Alan Bradshaw, Odessa, Texas, 5.472, 258.81
2) Mark Hentges, Federal Way, Wash., 5.437, 259.46 v. 7) Brandon Johnson, Shelton, Wash., 5.466, 258.02
3) Darren Nicholson, Mission Viejo, Calif., 5.438, 260.01 v. 6) Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., 5.465, 258.81
4) Duane Shields, Las Vegas, 5.455, 263.77 v. 5) Cliff Bozzelli, Absecon, N.J., 5.459, 257.78

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Bucky Austin, Fife, Wash., '02 Firebird, 5.649, 257.19
2) Tate Branch, Artesia, N.M., '99 Avenger, 5.651, 253.18
3) Cy Chesterman, Sioux City, Iowa, '99 Pontiac, 5.675, 252.71
4) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '02 Firebird, 5.686, 251.72
5) Marc White, Glendale Heights, Ill., '01 Firebird, 5.755, 247.61
6) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.772, 250.78
7) Bret Williamson, Cambell, Calif., '01 Corvette, 5.782, 246.30
8) Ed Marx, Discovery Bay, Calif., '95 Avenger, 5.801, 250.51

Did not qualify
9) Lawren Jones, Albuquerque, N.M., '02 Camaro, 5.808, 246.35
10) Mark Woznichak, Ontario, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.824, 243.72
11) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '01 Camaro, 5.828, 247.75 
12) John Patton, Peoria, Ariz., '99 Firebird, 5.845, 247.11
13) Hank Coolidge, Sunburst, Mont., '96 Firebird, 5.878, 247.70
14) John Weaver, Hanford, Calif., '00 Firebird, 5.899, 244.83
15) Bill Gallio, Placentia, Calif., '02 Camaro, 6.040, 240.25
16) Bernie Harrington, Apple Valley, Calif., '00 Avenger, 6.062, 239.78
17) Dennis Taylor, Anaheim, Calif., '02 Camaro, 6.085, 239.57
18) Ben Harper, Arroyo Grande, Calif., '00 Firebird, 6.196, 235.27
19) Mert Littlefield, Garden Grove, Calif., '99 Camaro, 7.449, 125.46

Round 1
1) Bucky Austin, Fife, Wash., '02 Firebird, 5.649, 257.19 v. 8) Ed Marx, Discovery Bay, Calif., '95 Avenger, 5.801, 250.51
2) Tate Branch, Artesia, N.M., '99 Avenger, 5.651, 253.18 v. 7) Bret Williamson, Cambell, Calif., '01 Corvette, 5.782, 246.30
3) Cy Chesterman, Sioux City, Iowa, '99 Pontiac, 5.675, 252.71 v. 6) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.772, 250.78
4) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '02 Firebird, 5.686, 251.72 v. 5) Marc White, Glendale Heights, Ill., '01 Firebird, 5.755, 247.61

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Jeff Taylor, Lumberton, N.C., '02 Chevy, C/SMA, 8.484 seconds, -0.786 under index
2) Jirka Kaplan, Calgary, Alta., '27 Ford, AA/AM, 6.511, -0.769
3) Steve Wilmoth, Peoria, Ariz., '34 Chevy, C/SR, 8.774, -0.736
4) Scott Hedlund, Irvine, Calif., '95 Camaro, B/SM, 8.291, -0.699
5) Sean Dodd, Lewisville, Texas, '99 Camaro, D/AA, 7.835, -0.695
6) Buddy Nickens, Spring, Texas, '00 Chevy, B/TA, 8.610, -0.690
7 Bob Yonke, Granbury, Texas, '02 Cavalier, C/A, 7.524, -0.686
8) Bo Butner III, Floyds Knobs, Ind., '00 Pontiac, PST/A, 7.760, -0.680
9) Scott Tidwell, Pinson, Ala., '01 S-10, D/AA, 7.855, -0.675
10) Roger Brogdon, Tomball, Texas, '90 Firebird, A/SM, 8.036, -0.674

SUPER STOCK
1) John Gallina, Las Vegas, '87 Regal, SS/DX, 8.277, -1.463
2) Jeff Hefler, Mansfield, Texas, '98 Grand Am, SS/BM, 8.618, -1.322
3) Jerry Jenkins, Modesto, Calif., '68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 9.008, -1.242
4) Michael Ogburn, Mission Viejo, Calif., '68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 9.031, -1.219
5) Chad Guilford, Highlands Ranch, Colo., '84 Cougar, GT/EA, 10.069, -1.151
6) Ritch Ahrens, Greeley, Colo., '85 Firebird, GT/EA, 10.079, -1.141
7) Gregory Gay, Westminster, Vt., '97 Dakota, GT/TA, 10.048, -1.122
8) Gary McGlasson, Los Lunas, N.M., '69 Camaro, SS/HA, 10.075, -1.095
9) Billy Leber, Tonawanda, N.Y., '00 S-10, SS/TB, 9.424, -1.086
10) Don Studley, Orange, Calif., '99 Dakota, GT/TC, 10.656, -1.084

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Marka Gallina, Henderson, Nev., '89 Trans Am, I/SA, 11.398, -1.512
2) Robert Mulry, Hollister, Calif., '74 Firebird, K/SA, 11.768, -1.502
3) Ken Etter, Riverside, Calif., '76 Volare, K/SA, 11.876, -1.394
4) Tim Imhoff, Pagosa Springs, Colo., '86 Thunderbird, T/SA, 13.705, -1.365
5) Christopher Sniesak, Wales Township, Mich., '99 Dakota, CT/SA, 12.012, -1.358
6) Bruce Noland, Leesburg, Va., '72 Camaro, J/SA, 11.744, -1.326
7) Chad Loge, Livermore, Calif., '79 Plymouth, J/SA, 11.814, -1.256
8) Al Corda, Elk Mound, Wis., '01 Firebird, B/SA, 10.584, -1.256
9) Duane Dickens, San Clemente, Calif., '98 Firebird, D/SA, 10.896, -1.254
10) Sarah Norsworthy, Santa Clara, Calif., '81 Dodge, FT/SA, 12.743, -1.247

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