NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series-Sunday from Mid-Michigan Motorplex

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NORTH CENTRAL DIVISION
MID-MICHIGAN MOTORPLEX, STANTON, MICH.
Sunday, June 22, 2003

CHEESEMAN SCORES SECOND STRAIGHT, THACKER WINS HIS FIRST OF THE YEAR
        STANTON, Mich. - Racers from NHRA's North Central division
completed their third of six races on the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series
schedule.  Nearly 500 racers converged on Mid-Michigan Motorplex in
Stanton, Mich., for the event, which was presented by Bar's Leaks.  In the
end, Top Alcohol Funny Car (TAFC) driver Chuck Cheeseman made it two in a
row and Marty Thacker drove his Top Alcohol Dragster (TAD) to the winner's
circle for the first time this year.
        Galena, Ohio's Cheeseman, the defending division TAFC champion, ran
very well all weekend and ended with a single run in the final when his
opponent, Steve Addleman of Fishers, Ind., had to be shut off when he began
leaking oil after his burnout.  Cheeseman started out on a quick run but
when his car moved toward the centerline, he shut off.  
        "A win's a win," said Cheeseman after the run.  "The main thing at
any race is to get down the track every time."
        During qualifying Saturday, Thacker, who lives in Robinson, Ill.,
set the track speed record at 259.89 mph.  In today's final round, he beat
Ken Perry of Toronto, Ont., with a 5.656-second, 249.51-mph pass.  For
Perry, it was second runner-up finish in three races.
        Winners in the other NHRA Lucas Oil Racing Series classes were Tom
Schmitdt, Linstrom, Minn., in Comp Eliminator; Jim Harness Jr., Peru, Ind.,
in Super Stock; Al Corda, Elk Mound, Wis., in Stock; Todd Burks, Kalamazoo,
Mich., in Super Comp; Sean Graham, Gahonne, Ohio, in Super Gas; and Steve
Mesik, Plainwell, Mich., in Super Street.
        The winner in the division's Top Sportsman class was Bill Gibson of
Steiger, Ill.
        North Central Division racers head to Edgewater Sports Park in
Cleves, Ohio, for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, August
1-3.

The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series event presented by Bar's Leaks at Mid-Michigan Motorplex:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Round One
4) Ken Perry, Toronto, Ont., 5.617, 246.91 def. 5) Phil Mass, Gurnee, Ill.,
5.637, 256.19
1) Jeff Wilson, Winfield, Mo., 19.013, 34.08 def. 14) Dave Hedges Jr.,
Plainwell, Mich., broke
2) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.581, 257.14 def. 7) Jared Dreher,
Clinton, Ind., 6.340, 179.74 
3) Jeff Bohr, Plymouth, Mich., 5.700, 250.83 def. 9) Shawn Bowen, Grand
Blanc, Mich., broke 

Semifinals 
Thacker, 6.899, 139.72 def. Bohr, 19.387, 40.87 
Perry, 5.911, 191.85 def. Wilson, 8.558, 105.04 

Finals
Thacker, 5.656, 249.51 def. Perry, 5.956, 205.47 

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Round One
2) Jeff Craig, Muncie, Ind., Dodge R/T, 5.905, 247.04 def. 7) David Kovar,
New Lenox, Ill., Pontiac Firebird, 6.243, 227.50 
3) Chuck Cheeseman, Galena, Ohio, Firebird, 5.806, 244.49 def. 6) Greg
Elliott, Bedford, Ind., Firebird, broke 
1) Dale Brand, Sully, Iowa, Firebird, 6.342, 218.97 def. 8) Rick Krafft,
Union Mills, Ind., Dodge Avenger, foul 
4) Steve Addleman, Fishers, Ind., Firebird, 6.045, 240.83 def. 5) Andrew
Tarr, Louisville, Ky., Pontiac Trans Am, 6.272, 228.13
 
Semifinals 
Addleman, 6.137, 236.53 def. Brand, foul 
Cheeseman, 5.872, 240.89 def. Craig, 8.647, 103.14 

Finals
Cheeseman, 9.867, 86.45 def. Addleman, broke 

COMPETITION ELIMINATOR
Tom Schmidt, Lindstrom, Minn., '33 Ford, C/SR, 8.823, 146.46 def. Jerry
Arnold, Kalamazoo, Mich., Dragster, E/ED, 8.570, 153.47 

SUPER STOCK
Jim Harness Jr., Peru, Ind., '66 Chevy II, SS/KA, 10.942, 120.01 def. Brad
Zaskowski, Grand Rapids, Mich., '87 Chevy Camaro, GT/J, 10.602, 129.88 

STOCK ELIMINATOR
Al Corda, Elk Mound, Wis., '01 Pontiac Firebird, A/FIA, 10.437, 128.77 
def. Clint Blezien, Bensenville, Ill., '91 Chevy Camaro, F/FIA, 12.280,
104.79

SUPER COMP
Todd Burks, Kalamazoo, Mich., Dragster, 8.939, 162.36 def. Tim Cmar,
Goodletsville, Tenn., Dragster, 8.947, 147.58 

SUPER GAS
Sean Graham, Gahanna, Ohio, '63 Chevy Corvette, 9.941, 149.72 def. Peter
Pawlak, Menasha, Wis., '02 Pontiac Firebird, 9.944, 147.73
 
SUPER STREET
Steve Mesik, Plainwell, Mich., '67 Chevy Nova, 10.926, 105.80 def. Gordy

TOP SPORTSMAN
Bill Gibson, Steger, Ill., '01 Pontiac Grand Am, 7.641, 159.37 def. Philip
Montgomery, Owensboro, Ky., '00 Pontiac Trans Am, 8.223, 157.09
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