FINAL RESULTS-NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Event at Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fla.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NHRA SOUTHEAST DIVISION GAINESVILLE RACEWAY MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2003 BARTONE AND SICKLES PREVAIL AT DELAYED GAINESVILLE EVENT GAINESVILLE, Fla. -In the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event being held at Gainesville Raceway, Top Alcohol Dragster driver Tony Bartone and Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Jim Sickles took home the honors. In Top Alcohol Dragster, Bartone of Manhasset, N.Y., defeated five-time Southeast Division champion, Michael Gunderson of Middleburg, Fla. In the final, Bartone ran 5.281 seconds at 275.81 mph to take out Gunderson, who ran an off-pace 7.325 second pass at 128.16 mph. This is Bartone second win in as many races. He was also the winner at the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series season opener at Pomona Raceway two weeks ago. In Top Alcohol Funny Car, Jim Sickles defeated seven-time divisional champion Jay Payne in the class final. In the final, Sickles turned in his strongest lap of the weekend, a 5.690-second pass at 252.59 mph to defeat Payne, the defending race champion. Winners in other categories are Van Puckett of Snellville, Ga., in Competition Eliminator; Peter Biondo of Mt. Laurel, N.J., in Super Stock; George Tamasi, Jr. of Jupiter, Fla., in Stock Eliminator; Steve Cohen of Tribly, Fla., in Super Comp; Corky Markwart of Seminole, Fla., in Super Gas and Dwight Limbaugh of Decherd, Tenn., in Super Street. The winner in John Bleakley Motorhomes Top Sportsman was Sandy Wilkins of Fuquay Varina, N.C. The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event being held at Gainesville Raceway: TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER Round 1 6) John Haley, St Louis Park, Minn., 5.436, 263.08 def. 9) Douglas Monroe, Chesapeake, Va., foul 1) Tony Bartone, Manhasset, N.Y., 5.368, 250.00 def. 8) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 13.344, 59.26 2) Michael Gunderson, Middleburg, Fla., 5.399, 266.58 def. 7) Don Fiorelli, Palm Bay, Fla., 5.966, 238.15 4) Jason Cannon, Middleburg, Fla., 5.401, 264.62 def. 5) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 10.535, 74.83 Semifinals Gunderson, 6.400, 158.28 def. Haley, DQ-Centerline Bartone, 5.300, 275.06 def. Cannon, 8.715, 94.22 Final Round Bartone, 5.281, 275.81 def. Gunderson, 7.325, 128.16 TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR Round 1 1) Jim Sickles, Caledonia, N.Y., '02 Dodge Avenger, 5.708, 254.23 def. 4) Mark Billington, Apopka, Fla., '01 Avenger, 6.164, 236.59 2) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '02 Chevy Camaro, 5.926, 207.66 def. 3) Paul Lee, Gaithersburg, Md., '98 Pontiac Firebird, 6.204, 177.16 Final Round Sickles, 5.690, 252.59 def. Payne, 5.726, 245.83 COMPETITION ELIMINATOR Van Puckett, Snellville, Ga., '99 Firebird, 11.208, 97.80 was unopposed SUPER STOCK Peter Biondo, Mount Laurel, N.J., '78 Firebird, 10.031, 121.57 def. Len King, Langley, S.C., '67 Camaro, 10.248, 125.45 STOCK ELIMINATOR George Tamasi Jr., Jupiter, Fla., '94 Trans Am, 11.686, 84.38 def. Brian Rowe, New Bern, N.C., '69 Camaro, foul SUPER COMP Steve Cohen, Tribly, Fla., Dragster, 8.848, 178.78 def. George Tamasi Sr., Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., Dragster, 8.867, 175.88 SUPER GAS Corky Markwart, Seminole, Fla., '01 S-10, 9.934, 133.51 def. Ronald Erks, Clinton, Ohio, '63 Corvette, 9.968, 155.70 SUPER STREET Dwight Limbaugh, Decherd, Tenn., '67 Chevelle, 10.921, 132.78 def. Greg Glenn, Cape Coral, Fla., '93 S-10, 10.874, 126.79 JOHN BLEAKLEY MOTORHOMES TOP SPORTSMAN Sandy Wilkins, Fuquay Varina, N.C., '01 Camaro, 9.192, 93.64 def. Mike Thompson, Naples, Fla., '97 Cutlass, foul