NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series - Friday Qualifying from Firebird Raceway

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NORTHWEST DIVISION
FIREBIRD RACEWAY
FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 2003

IGNITOR "BLASTS-OFF" AT FIREBIRD RACEWAY

Boise, Idaho - Time trials and qualifying kicked off the at the 33rd Annual NAPA Auto Parts Ignitor Nitro Opener presented by Dan Wiebold Ford, as 2002 Northwest Division Comp Eliminator champion Adam Bowdish leads his class after day one of qualifying.  
	The twenty-three year old out of West Linn, Ore., made a 8.836 second run, -0.634 seconds under his class index to take the top spot in Comp Eliminator.  Also leading their fields after day one are Harry Holton of Modesto, Calif., in Super Stock and Glen Person of Regina, Sask., in Stock Eliminator.  
	In NHRA Kerker Motorcycle Series action, Randy Morken of Columbia Falls, Mont., is the top qualifier after a .002 second reaction time.  Held in conjunction with the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, qualifying for the sportsman motorcycles are based on a driver's reaction time to the tree.  Kennewick, Wash., resident Brian Preszler is also the top qualifier in Top Comp.  
	As racers try to begin the season with a successful start, an extra sense of importance will stressed on the competition this weekend as the Ignitor serves as the first race in Northwest Division competition for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.  Three of the eight Lucas Oil event winners last year at the Ignitor went on to win a division championship in their respective class while the other five finished no worse than in fifth place.    
	Although Dick Vander Meer finished the season fifth in Super Comp after earning a win at Firebird Raceway last year, the points he earned helped him qualify for the 2002 Jegs Allstar competition.  The Nampa, Idaho, resident then traveled to Joliet, Ill., to compete against seven of the top Super Comp racers in the country where he earned a win at the all-star race.
Gates open tomorrow at 8 a.m., with final time trials and qualifying scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.  Comp Eliminator and Top Comp qualifying sessions are scheduled for 1 and 4 p.m., and the Nitro Warriors exhibition AA/FD and AA/FA cars will run at 1 and 4 p.m.  
Tickers with pit pass for Saturday are $20.  Children 12 and under are admitted free, but a pit pass is $5.  For more information, call NHRA at (626) 818-1896, Firebird Raceway at (208) 938-8986, or visit www.firebirdonline.com.  

The following are Friday's qualifying result from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Firebird Raceway:

COMP ELIMINATOR
1)	Adam Bowdish, West Linn, Ore., '89 Trans Am, D/SM, 8.836 seconds, -0.634 under index
2)	Tom  Tucker, Bend, Ore., '98 Lumina, F/A, 8.545, -0.545
3)	Clint Sallee, Glendive, Mont., '00 Fritz, B/D, 7.042, -0.538
4)	Brian Hyerstay, Eugene, Ore., '00 Frameworks, G/D, 9.34, -0.536
5)	Alan Ellis, Mapleton, Utah, '23 T-Ford, A/AA, 7.145, -0.445
6)	Dennis Radford, Baker City, Ore., '02 Viper, A/PM, 6.812, -0.428
7)	Jim Warter, Fox Island, Wash., '92 Camaro, E/SM, 9.161, -0.409
8)	Gary Anderson, Graham, Wash., '97 Firebird, F/A, 8.683, -0.407
9)	Jeff Lane, North Bend, Wash., '95 Cutlass, F/AA, 8.741, -0.359
10)	Jirka Kaplan, Calgary, Alta., '23 T-Ford, AA/AM, 6.971, -0.329

SUPER STOCK
1)	Harry Holton, Modesto, Calif., '68 Belvedere, SS/AA, 9.008 seconds, -1.322 under index
2)	Gary McGlasson, Los Lunas, N.M., '69 Camaro, SS/HA, 10.002, -1.258
3)	Jerry Jenkins, Modesto, Calif., '68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 9.095, -1.235
4)	Ritch Ahrens, Greeley, Colo., '85 Firebird, GT/EA, 10.089, -1.221
5)	Sean Cour, Brush Prairie, Wash., '02 Firebird, GT/FA, 10.298, -1.172
6)	Dave Raybourn, Modesto, Calif., '68 Dart, SS/AA, 9.192, -1.138
7)	Jeff Lane, N. Bend, Wash., '03 Grand Am, SS/CM, 9.160, -1.120
8)	Mike Blackstone, Castro Valley, Calif., '90 Calais, SS/BS, 9.262, -1.118
9)	Abe Loewen, Regina, Sask., '98 Grand Am, SS/DM, 9.424, -1.116
10)	Kevin Cour, Ladera Ranch, Calif., '92 Ciera, GT/DA, 10.105, -1.055

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1)	Glenn Person, Regina, Sask., '72 Duster, F/SA, 11.167 seconds, -1.383 under index
2)	Joe Sorensen, Woodburn, Ore., '69 Camaro, A/SA, 10.301,-1.379
3)	Robert Pond, Riverside, Calif., '67 Fairlane, A/S, 10.274, -1.346
4)	Bill Kost, Renton, Wash., '77 Cutlass, L/SA, 12.098, -1.332
5)	Fred Rector, Durango, Colo., '72 Nova, H/S, 11.406, -1.304
6)	Keith Lynch, Mt. Ayr, Iowa, '69 Camaro, C/SA, 10.797, -1.293
7)	Scott Hilton, Burbank, Calif., '67 Mustang, D/S, 10.912, -1.278
8)	Don Little, Westley, Calif., '70 Barracuda, A/SA, 10.456, -1.224
9)	Les Norton, South Jordan, Utah, '64 Savoy, A/SA, 10.512, -1.168
10)	Janis Leatherman, Moses Lake, Wash., '71 Nova, I/SA, 11.855, -1.165