NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series-Friday from Route 66 Raceway

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NORTH CENTRAL DIVISION
ROUTE 66 RACEWAY, JOLIET, ILL.
Friday, April 25, 2003

NHRA NORTH CENTRAL DIVISION OPENS LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SEASON 
AT ROUTE 66 RACEWAY
        JOLIET, Ill. - In the first rounds of qualifying at Route 66
Raceway, Top Alcohol Dragster driver Marty Thacker and Top Alcohol Funny
Car pilot Jeff Craig took the no. 1 qualifying positions in their classes. 
Thacker, of Robinson, Ill., outran the field with a pass of 5.383 seconds
at 263.56 mph.  And Muncie, Ind. resident Craig made a 5.676-second, 254.28
mph run to take the pole.
Friday's best qualifiers in other classes were Jerry Arnold, Kalamazoo,
Mich., in Comp Eliminator; Tim Cole, Collierville, Tenn., in Super Stock;
Donald Holmes, Dayton, Ohio, Stock; and Kevin Lawrence, Palos Hills, Ill.
Racing continues Saturday at Route 66 Raceway with racing in eight classes:
Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Comp Eliminator, Super Stock,
Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street.  The division's Top Comp
class will also run in conjunction with the event.  
Gates open at 7 a.m.  Qualifying starts at 8 a.m.  Top Alcohol Dragster and
Funny Cars will have two qualifying passes, at 1 and 5 p.m.  A Jet Car
exhibition is scheduled after qualifying and time trials are complete.
Tickets are $18 for adults while children 12 and under are admitted free. 
A coupon for $5 off admission is available at Napa Auto Parts.  For more
information, call Route 66 Raceway, (815) 727-RACE.

        The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas
Oil Drag Racing Series event at Route 66 Raceway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.383 seconds, 263.56 mph
2) Tony Bartone, Manhasset, N.Y., 5.392, 269.83
3) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.400, 273.94
4) Jeff Wilson, Winfield, Mo., 5.413, 253.52
5) Todd Datweiler, Herscher, Ill., 5.508, 260.81
6) David Wells, Le Mars, Iowa, 5.527, 256.80
7) Gary Ward, Cincinnati, Ohio, 5.647, 250.00
8) Ken Perry, Toronto, Ont., 5.650, 251.20
Not Qualified
9) Keith Stark, Danville, Ill., 5.747, 251.44
10) Shawn Bowen, Grand Blanc, Mich., 5.775, 253.23
11) Jeff Bohr, Plymouth, Mich., 5.988, 177.72
12) Randy Bayne, Elwood, Ind., 6.018, 190.43
13) Timothy Bowgren, Valparaiso, Ind., 6.075, 232.55
14) Dave Hirata, Lowell, Ind., 6.182, 232.75
15) Robert Ginther, Lansing, Mich., 8.067, 105.45
16) Phil Mass, Gurnee, Ill., 8.529, 105.52
17) Russ Lindert, Manteno, Ill., (no time)
18) Dave Hedges Jr., Plainwell, Mich., (no time)

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Jeff Craig, Muncie, Ind., '01 R/T, 5.676 seconds, 254.28 mph
2) Marc White, Glendale Hts., Ill., '01 Firebird, 5.737, 246.80
3) Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, '98 Firebird, 5.806, 225.60
4) John Reikas III, Glendale Hts., Ill., '97 Camaro, 5.975, 233.96
5) Vern Moats, Des Moines, Iowa, '02 Firebird, 5.976, 247.47
6) Bruce Carlson, Prior Lake, Minn., '97 Firebird, 6.139, 236.01
7) Paul Lee, Gaithersburg, Md., '98 Firebird, 6.359, 170.19
8) David Kovar, New Lenox, Ill., '00 Trans Am, 6.401, 185.84
Not Qualified
9) Larry Bakke, Madison, Wis., '01 Firebird, 6.714, 163.61
10) Jeff Lancaster, Hamilton, Ont., '96 Firebird, 6.895, 180.74
11) Chuck Cheeseman, Galena, Ohio, '01 Firebird, (no time)

COMPETITION ELIMINATOR
1) Jerry Arnold, Kalamazoo, Mich., '32 Bantam, E/ED, 8.483 seconds, -0.607
(under index)
2) Ian Landies, Chardon, Ohio, '34 Cavalier, F/A, 8.265, -0.605
3) Mike Lund, Bettendorf, Iowa, '34 Chevrolet, A/SR, 8.122, -0.578
4) Ed Bennett, Carleton, Mich., '99 Neon, B/A, 7.250, -0.550
5) Patrick Ross Sr., Avon Lake, Ohio, '03 Grand Am, F/A, 8.323, -0.547
6) Jack Slagle, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, '98 Grand Am, D/SMA, 8.816, -0.534
7) Douglas Stewart, Edwardsburg, Mich., Spitzer, C/SMA, 8.528, -0.522
8) Bill Zaskowski, Grand Rapids, Mich., '92 Camaro, F/SM, 9.040, -0.510
9) Steve Johnson, Milwaukee, '99 Firebird, F/A, 8.366, -0.504
10) Ron Bohn, Benton Harbor, Mich., '03 Stratus, F/AA, 8.380, -0.500

SUPER STOCK
1) Tim Cole, Collierville, Tenn., '96 Corvette, SS/AX, 8.726 seconds,
-1.274 (under index)
2) Alex Denysenko, Lyons, Ill., '65 Mustang, SS/MA, 10.975, -1.175
3) Dan Larson, St Paul, Minn., '85 Camaro, SS/KA, 10.418, -1.132
4) Rod Dorsey, N. Judson, Ind., '95 Achieva, SS/EM, 9.435, -1.065
5) Robin Brown, Madisonville, Ky., '66 Nova, SS/K, 10.254, -1.046
6) Darrell Marvel, Big Rapids, Mich., '68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 8.974, -1.026
7) John Coughlin, Delaware, Ohio, '02 Cavalier, SS/CM, 8.924, -1.026
8) Dean Nicopolis, Northville, Mich., '68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 8.981, -1.019
9) Don O'Malley, Decatur, Ill., '64 Corvette, SS/JA, 10.301, -0.999
10) Mark Nowicki, Gaylord, Mich., '98 Avenger, GT/GA, 10.222, -0.978

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Donald Holmes, Dayton, Ohio, '78 Firebird, K/SA, 11.539 seconds, -1.411
(under index)
2) Marty Buth, Freeport, Ill., '86 Thunderbird, K/FIA, 13.774, -1.376
3) MJ Quinn, Louisville, Ky., '85 Camaro, I/SA, 11.388, -1.212
4) Jim Paquet, Eaton Rapids, Mich., '98 Dakota, FT/SA, 12.427, -1.173
5) Danny Byrd, Sikeston, Mo., '67 Chevy II, F/S, 10.945, -1.155
6) Bret Velde, Farmington, Ill., '87 Mustang, G/FIA, 12.021, -1.129
7) Jim Schaechter, St. Charles, Ill., '66 Nova, J/S, 11.527, -1.123
8) Christopher Sniesak, Wales, Mich., '99 Dakota, CT/SA, 11.893, -1.107
9) Anatol Denysenko, Lyons, Ill., '86 Capri, I/FIA, 12.662, -1.088
10) Willy Devor, Milan, Ill., '65 Malibu, J/S, 11.564, -1.086

TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Kevin Lawrence, Palos Hills, Ill., '02 Cavalier, 7.060 seconds, 196.67
mph
2) David Howard, Bridwood, Ill., '97 Camaro, 7.169, 191.70
3) Jeff Belloma, Della, Iowa, '63 Corvette, 7.249, 184.77
4) Michael Donato, Buffalo Grove, Ill., '00 Firebird, 7.280, 181.37
5) Don Peden, Edinburg, Ill., '03 Cavalier, 7.296, 190.08
6) Todd Burks, Kalamazoo, Mich., '97 Cutlass, 7.414, 195.82
7) Bill Gibson, Steger, Ill., '01 Grand Am, 7.427, 185.61
8) Anthony Muno, Arlington Heights, Ill., '91 Lumina, 7.429, 186.41
9) Drake Hooke, Mountain Home, Pa., '59 Studebaker, 7.545, 173.78
10) Robert Mortensen, Bolingbrook, Ill., '00 Sunfire, 7.671, 182.48

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