NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series - Friday Qualifying Results from Famoso Raceway

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - PACIFIC DIVISION
FAMOSO RACEWAY
FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2003

SHIELDS & TAYLOR LEAD FIELDS

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Day one of competition opened at the Budweiser Tire, Fire & Fury at Famoso Raceway, race three of six in Pacific Division competition of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series with Duane Shields and Dennis Taylor leading the fields in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car.
"There's a very formidable field here this weekend.  I think when things finish out, we're going to see a very competitive field," said Shields, driver to the Short Line Express / Tri-State Petroleum Top Alcohol Dragster.
The Las Vegas resident made a 5.623-second, 258.47 mph pass during Friday's qualifying session to put him ahead of the competition after day one.  Shields won two events within the division last year en route to his first career division championship.  This year, the Top Alcohol Dragster competitor has a semifinal and first round loss thus far and will be looking to earn his first win within the division this weekend.
"We've been struggling a little bit the past couple of weeks but hopefully things will work out this weekend," said Shields.
In Top Alcohol Funny Car competition, Dennis Taylor of Anaheim, Calif., leads the field after his 5.798-second, 244.56 mph run.  Qualified in second is two-time Pacific Division Champion Steve Gasparrelli and this year's current points leader, Doug Gordon is sixth.  
Gordon of Paso Robles, Calif., has won three out of the four events he has competed in this year, including both Pacific Division events thus far.  
"It'll be tough because all of the cars here this weekend that have the ability to win a race," said Gordon, driver of the Morro Bay Cabinets Top Alcohol Funny Car.  "We've gotten lucky so far with the great start and hopefully we can win another one or two so we can lock up our first division championship."
Top qualifiers in other categories are Dean Carter of Glendale, Ariz., in Comp; Dave Raybourn of Modesto, Calif., in Super Stock; and Robert Mulry of Gilroy, Calif., in Stock.  
Gates open tomorrow at Famoso Raceway at 7:30 a.m. and day two of time trials and qualifying begins at 8 a.m.  Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualifying sessions are scheduled for 1 and 5 p.m.  For more information, call Famoso Raceway at (661) 399-2210.

The following are Friday's qualifying results from the Budweiser Tire, Fire & Fury at Famoso Raceway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Duane Shields, Las Vegas, 5.623 seconds, 258.47 mph
2) Darren Nicholson, Mission Viejo, Calif., 5.659, 227.61
3) Larry Miersch, Fullerton, Calif., 5.707, 228.89
4) Mark Niver, Scottsdale, Ariz., 5.777, 250.00
5) Fred Notzka, Las Vegas, Nev., 5.806, 247.59
6) Randy Eakins, Bradbury, Calif., 5.956, 242.00
7) Don Hudson, Stockton, Calif., 6.865, 181.26
8) Chris Lane, San Leandro, Calif., 7.466, 116.95

Not Qualified
9) Mark Foster, Santa Cruz, Calif., 19.420, 45.13
10) Chris Demke, Tujung, Calif., 27.763, 19.57

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Dennis Taylor, Anaheim, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.798 seconds, 244.56 mph
2) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '03 Firebird, 5.871, 236.22
3) Mark Woznichak, Ontario, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.909, 243.24
4) Ed Marx, Discovery Bay, Calif., '95 Camaro, 5.952, 232.07
5) Bret Williamson, Cambell, Calif., '01 Corvette, 5.984, 233.22
6) Doug Gordon, Paso Roles, Calif., '02 Camaro, 6.140, 189.23
7) Tom Bristow, Chino Hills, Calif., '02 Pontiac, 6.148, 238.72
8) Jeff Carroll, Santa Barbara, Calif., '97 Firebird, 6.861, 185.60

Not Qualified
9) Mert Littlefield, Garden Grove, Calif., '99 Camaro, 6.951, 143.70
10)	John Patton, Peoria, Ariz., '02 Pontiac, 7.302, 136.44
11)	Bill Gallio, Anaheim, Calif., '02 Camaro, 9.549, 91.10
12)	Dale Van Gundy III, Anaheim, Calif., '97 Pontiac, 9.848, 80.97
13)	Ron August Jr., Pleasanton, Calif., '01 Camaro, DQ

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Dean Carter, Glendale, Ariz., '02 Chevy, A/ND, 7.097 seconds, -0.643 under index
2) Tom Huggins, Santa Paula, Calif., '02 Grand Am, B/A, 7.233, -0.567
3) Rick Braun, Redlands, Calif., '01 Firebird, B/EA, 7.969, -0.561
4) Tom Mettler, Bakersfield, Calif., '01 Dodge Truck, PST, 7.575, -0.525
5) Joe Mozeris, Phoenix, '97 Frameworks, B/ED, 7.001, -0.509
6) Ed Sigmon, Chatsworth, Calif., '34 Chevy, C/SR, 8.785, -0.485
7) Scott McClay, Tehachapi, Calif., '97 Dragster, C/ED, 7.530, -0.480
8) John Edwards, Claremont, Calif., '96 Avenger, F/AA, 8.437, -0.443
9) Gil Anderson, San Leandro, Calif., '02 Dragster, B/D, 7.005, -0.395
10)	Tom Brown, Riverside, Calif., '88 Weddle, F/ED, 8.599, -0.391

SUPER STOCK
1) Dave Raybourn, Modesto, Calif., '68 Dart, SS/AA, 8.859 seconds, -1.141 under index
2) Terry Sherrill, Klamath Falls, Ore., '02 Chevy, SS/AM, 8.531, -1.019
3) Steven Wann, Modesto, Calif., '97 Dart, GT/TB, 10.137, -1.013
4) Don Studley, Orange, Calif., '99 Dakota, GT/TC, 10.476, -0.974
5) Jimmy De Frank, Tarzana, Calif., '87 Camaro, GT/HA, 10.377, -0.973
6) Frank Grossi, Upland, Calif., '03 Grand Am, GT/BA, 9.620, -0.930
7) Larry Zavala, San Gabriel, Calif., '91 Calais, GT/FA, 10.187, -0.913
8) Mike Blackstone, Castro Valley, Calif., '90 Culis, SS/BS, 9.186, -0.864
9) Cameron Kallas, Bluffdale, Utah, '98 Pontiac, GT/BA, 9.698, -0.852
10)	Fred Moreno, La Verne, Calif., '69 Mustang, SS/GA, 10.015, -0.835

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Robert Mulry, Gilroy, Calif., '74 Firebird, K/SA, 11.519 seconds, -1.431 under index
2) Gary Harper, Santa Clara, Calif., '81 Dodge, FT/SA, 12.337, -1.263
3) Steven Wann, Modesto, Calif., '70 GTX, C/SA, 10.577, -1.123
4) Ken Etter, Riverside, Calif., '77 Plymouth, I/SA, 11.498, -1.102
5) Darren Smith, Palmdale, Calif., '00 Dodge, CT/SA, 11.956, -1.044
6) Dave Bridgewater, Devore, Calif., '97 Firebird, C/FIA, 10.962, -1.038
7) Bill Nelson, Tucson, Ariz., '02 Pontiac, I/FIA, 12.716, -1.034
8) Scott Hilton, Burbank, Calif., '67 Mustang, E/S, 10.918, -1.032
9) Don Wann, Modesto, Calif., '73 Plymouth, I/SA, 11.578, -1.022
10)	Tim Hall, Fountain Valley, Calif., '72 Plymouth, H/SA, 11.468, -0.982

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