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NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series-Saturday from IRP


NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NORTH CENTRAL DIVISION
INDIANAPOLIS RACEWAY PARK
Saturday, May 17, 2003

CARS FLY DOWN IRP QUARTER-MILE IN RECORD NUMBERS
        INDIANAPOLIS - When rain early in the day forced officials to cut
today's qualifying and time trials to a single run for each of the classes
at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Indianapolis Raceway
Park, Top Alcohol Dragster pilot Marty Thacker remained in the No. 1
position after a strong run yesterday, while Chuck Cheeseman piloted his
Top Alcohol Funny Car to the top spot in his only qualifying pass of the
weekend.
        Thacker, a resident of Robinson, Ill., did not improve on Friday's
5.401-second, 262.08 mph effort but it was enough to keep him just ahead of
the No. 2 qualifier, Bill Reichert.  Owasso, Mich., resident Reichert ran
5.405 seconds at 267.32 mph.
        On Friday, Galena, Ohio's, Cheeseman did a burnout but shut the
motor off without making a run.  However, he did run well enough in his one
attempt to vault himself to the No. 1 position.  He ran 5.659 seconds at
250.55 mph.  Marc White of Glendale Hts., Ill., had the best time on Friday
and he improved on Saturday but not enough to overtake Cheeseman.
        In Comp Eliminator, Ian Landies Jr. of Chardon, Ohio, maintained
his top qualifier status from Friday as did Alex Denysenko of Lyons, Ill.,
in Super Stock and Donald Holmes from Dayton, Ohio, in Stock.  In the
division's Top Sportsman class, Chris Ray of Louisville, Ky., took over the
No. 1 position.
        When 718 cars took a crack at the drag strip Saturday, it was a
record for the division.  The previous record was 704 cars, set here in
2000. 
        Eliminations start Sunday at 8 a.m.  Gates at IRP open at 7 a.m. 
Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car will run first round of
eliminations at 1 p.m.  Tickets, including pit pass, are $15.  Children 11
and under are admitted free with a paid adult.  For more information, call
IRP, (317) 291-4090.

        
The following are Saturday's final qualifying results, including Sunday's
first round pairings of TAD and TAFC, from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series, North Central Division event at Indianapolis Raceway Park:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.401 seconds, 262.08 mph
2) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.405, 267.32
3) Russ Lindert, Manteno, Ill., 5.417, 255.97
4) Bill McCornack, Lexington, Ky., 5.515, 254.66
5) Todd Datweiler, Herscher, Ill., 5.551, 263.26
6) Keith Stark, Danville, Ill., 5.561, 260.36
7) Robert Badgett, Maryland Hts., Mo., 5.579, 252.76
8) Gary Ward, Cincinnati, 5.616, 246.39
Not Qualified
9) Ken Perry, Toronto, Ont., 5.647, 253.90
10) Jeff Bohr, Plymouth, Mich., 5.663, 252.52
11) Tim Rudy, Mason, Ohio, 5.782, 238.34
12) Dave Hirata, Lowell, Ind., 5.791, 246.48
13) Jared Dreher, Clinton, Ind., 5.798, 241.76
14) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., 5.807, 230.49
15) Randy Bayne, Elwood, Ind., 5.932, 237.75
16) Robert Ginther, Lansing, Mich., 6.512, 169.59
17) Bryan Weber, Vemillion, Ohio, (no time)

First round TAD pairings
1) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.401 seconds, 262.08 mph vs. 8) Gary
Ward, Cincinnati, Ohio,5.616, 246.39
2) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.405, 267.32 vs. 7) Robert Badgett,
Maryland Hts, Mo., 5.579,252.76
3) Russ Lindert, Manteno, Ill., 5.417, 255.97 vs. 6) Keith Stark, Danville,
Ill., 5.561, 260.36
4) Bill McCornack, Lexington, Ky., 5.515, 254.66 vs. 5) Todd Datweiler,
Herscher, Ill., 5.551, 263.26

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Chuck Cheeseman, Galena, Ohio, '02 Firebird, 5.659 seconds, 250.55 mph
2) Marc White, Glendale Hts., Ill., '01 Firebird, 5.755, 249.72
3) Steve Addleman, Fishers, Ind., '01 Firebird, 5.883, 242.89
4) Jeff Craig, Muncie, Ind., '01 R/T, 5.915, 249.12
5) Vern Moats, Des Moines, Iowa, '02 Firebird, 6.114, 244.52
6) Andrew Tarr, Louisville, Ky., '98 Trans Am, 6.235, 193.49
7) John Reikas III, Glendale Hts., Ill., '97 Camaro, 6.381, 227.08
8) Greg Elliott, Bedford, Ind., '96 Firebird, 6.474, 214.04
Not Qualified
9) Ryan Sheridan, Vienna, Ohio, '97 Camaro, 6.619, 212.29
10) Jeff Lancaster, Hamilton, Ont., '96 Firebird, 6.650, 221.23
11) Don DeVault, Kenland, Ind., '01 Avenger, 6.795, 219.47
12) Russell Mudd, Fairdale, Ky., '98 Mustang, 7.811, 127.81

First round TAFC pairings
1) Chuck Cheeseman, Galena, Ohio, '02 Firebird, 5.659 seconds, 250.55 mph
vs. 8) Greg Elliott, Bedford, Ind., '96 Firebird, 6.474, 214.04
2) Marc White, Glendale Hts., Ill., '01 Firebird, 5.755, 249.72 vs. 7) John
Reikas III, Glendale Hts., Ill., '97 Camaro, 6.381, 227.08
3) Steve Addleman, Fishers, Ind., '01 Firebird, 5.883, 242.89 vs. 6) Andrew
Tarr, Louisville, Ky., '98 Trans Am, 6.235, 193.49
4) Jeff Craig, Muncie, Ind., '01 R/T, 5.915, 249.12 vs. 5) Vern Moats, Des
Moines, Iowa, '02 Firebird, 6.114, 244.52

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Ian Landies Jr., Chardon, Ohio, '02 Cavalier, F/A, 8.264 seconds, -0.606
(under index)
2) Jerry Arnold, Kalamazoo, Mich., '32 Bantam, E/ED, 8.524, -0.566
3) Michael Hazlett, Indianapolis, Ind., '97 Cutlass, B/A, 7.241, -0.559
4) Jack Slagle, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, '98 Grand Am, D/SMA, 8.792, -0.558
5) Mike Lund, Bettendorf, Iowa, '34 Chevrolet, A/SR, 8.158, -0.532
6) Steve Ambrose, Woodhaven, Mich., '23 Roadster, J/AA, 7.930, -0.530
7) Mike Farrell, Louisville, Ky., '32 Bantam, A/EA, 7.501, -0.529
8) Ed Bennett, Carleton, Mich., '99 Neon, B/A, 7.291, -0.509
9) Rob Kropfeld, Hamilton, Ohio, Dragster, A/D, 6.613, -0.497
10) Jesse Plant, Terre Haute, Ind., Dragster, D/ED, 7.547, -0.463

SUPER STOCK
1) Alex Denysenko, Lyons, Ill., '65 Mustang, SS/MA, 11.020 seconds, -1.130
(under index)
2) Mike Smith, Mineral Wells, W.V., '68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 8.898, -1.102
3) Robin Brown, Madisonville, Ky., '66 Nova, SS/K, 10.212, -1.088
4) Dave Layer, Dayton, Ohio, '87 Camaro, GT/IA, 10.413, -1.087
5) John Stock, Sandusky, Ohio, '92 Cierra, GT/IA, 10.437, -1.063
6) Jerry Silveus, Van Buren, Ohio, '00 Firebird, GT/IA, 10.438, -1.062
7) Brad Allen, Winamac, Ind., '03 S-10, GT/TB, 10.105, -1.045
8) Gene McBean, Chardon, Ohio, '69 Mustang, SS/GA, 9.812, -1.038
9) Don O'Malley, Decatur, Ill., '64 Corvette, SS/JA, 10.270, -1.030
10) Ricky Decker, Charlestown, Ind., '94 Camaro, GT/CA, 9.682, -1.018

STOCK
1) Donald Holmes, Dayton, Ohio, '78 Firebird, K/SA, 11.701 seconds, -1.249
(under index)
2) Bruce Parsons, Lewisburg, Ohio, '86 Camaro, H/SA, 11.203, -1.247
3) Phil Pierce, New Carlisle, Ohio, '92 Ram 150, GT/SA, 12.620, -1.230
4) Jim Paquet, Eaton Rapids, Mich., '99 Dakota, FT/SA, 12.395, -1.205
5) David Edwards, Washington Ct Hs, Ohio, '78 Trans Am, J/SA, 11.563,
-1.187
6) John Lovins, Riverside, Ohio, '00 Dakota, ET/SA, 11.992, -1.158
7) Chris Sniesak, Wales Twp, Mich., '99 Dakota, CT/SA, 11.851, -1.149
8) Lisa Stephenson, Danville, Ill., '90 Delta 88, EF/SA, 14.755, -1.145
9) Jerry Stealy, E. Moline, Ill., '86 Camaro, H/SA, 11.312, -1.138
10) Earl Six, Holt, Mich., '95 Dakota, CT/SA, 11.879, -1.121

TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Chris Ray, Louisville, Ky., '99 Firebird, 7.063 seconds, 195.28 mph
2) Harry Martinson, Wadsworth, Ohio, '94 Thunderbird, 7.106, 192.33
3) Tomi Laine, Indianapolis, Ind., '00 Pontiac, 7.156, 191.27
4) Don Peden, Edinburg, Ill., '03 Cavalier, 7.268, 190.16
5) Aaron Glaser, Shepherdsville, Ky., '63 Corvette, 7.315, 184.14
6) Brad Personett, Elkhart, Ind., '00 Trans Am, 7.348, 188.75
7) Paul Mann, Jasper, Minn., '90 Pontiac, 7.375, 182.80
8) Rod Burgoyne, Colma, Mich., '93 Lumina, 7.393, 185.97
9) Bill Gibson, Steger, Ill., '01 Grand Am, 7.456, 185.61
10) Philip Montgomery, Owensboro, Ky., '00 Trans Am, 7.476, 177.84