NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series - Final Results from Silver Dollar Raceway
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NHRA SOUTHEAST DIVISION SILVER DOLLAR RACEWAY SATURDAY JULY 5, 2003 New Yorkers Foley and Sickles Cash in at Silver Dollar REYNOLDS, Ga. - In the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event being held this weekend at Silver Dollar Raceway, Top Alcohol Dragster driver Doug Foley and Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Jim Sickles both triumphed in their respective categories. After qualifying in the No. 4 spot, Foley of Wappingers Falls, N.Y., made his way to the Top Alcohol Dragster final by defeating former division champ Michael Gunderson of Middleburg, Fla., in round one and defending Division Champion Marty Thacker in the semifinals. In the final, Foley used a 5.623-second time at 252.19 mph to defeat Jason Cannon, who ran 6.172 seconds at 172.65 mph. This was Foley's first win of the year. In Top Alcohol Funny Car, Sickles of Caledonia, N.Y., used a 5.859-second time at 243.63 mph to capture his second win of the year. In the final, Sickles defeated former division champ Jay Payne of Claremont, Calif., who ran 5.969 seconds at 243.55 mph. The pair's last meeting came in the class final at the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Gainesville Raceway in March. That match-up was also won by Sickles. In Competition Eliminator, defending National Champion Mike Saye of Johnston, S.C., claimed his first win of the year. In the final, Saye, who was also the defending race champion, defeated Brunswick, Ga., racer Don Eberly. In the Super Stock final, two-time National Champion Peter Biondo of Mt. Laurel, N.J., took the win over Jasper, Tenn., racer Blair Patrick. This was Biondo's third NHRA Southeast Division win of the year in Super Stock. This was an important win for Biondo, who is currently in a close battle for national championship points with NHRA Northwest Division racer Jeff Lane of North Bend, Wash. The Stock Eliminator final featured another familiar face, Kevin Helms of Mineola, Texas, the defending National Champion in the class. In the final, Helms defeated the '78 Aspen of Jorge Carnero of Miami. Taking the win in Super Comp was another former National Champion, Steve Cohen of Trilby, Fla. In the class final Cohen defeated Jim Perry of Orlando to take the class win. This was Cohen's second win of the year. The Florida native also won at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Gainesville Raceway in March. Cruising to the win in Super Gas was Bryan Robinson of Iuka, Miss. In the final Robinson defeated Gainesville, Fla., racer Ralph Barrett for the win. While the Super Street class crown was awarded to James Barbera of Trenton, Fla. In the final he defeated Mike Griggs of Ocala, Fla. In John Bleakley Motorhomes Top Sportsman action, Robert Sellers of Bunnell, Fla., drove his '97 Avenger to victory over Billy Vaughn of Knoxville, Tenn. The next stop on the NHRA Southeast Division tour is Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tenn., July 18-19. The event will be the fifth of seven events in the Division. For more information about the event log on to www.bristoldragway.com or www.nhradiv2.com. The following are Saturday's final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event being held at Silver Dollar Raceway: TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER Round 1 4) Douglas Foley, Wappingers Falls, N.Y., 5.643, 251.25 def. 5) Michael Gunderson, Middleburg, Fla., 6.921, 137.64 1) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.956, 242.58 def. 8) Duke Mc Donald, Gainesville, Fla., 6.834, 170.30 2) Guy Kelly, Wadley, Ala., 5.627, 252.61 def. 7) Don Fiorelli, Palm Bay, Fla., 6.194, 205.98 3) Jason Cannon, Middleburg, Fla., 5.546, 253.66 def. 6) Tony Bartone, Manhasset, N.Y., 6.288, 165.72 Semifinals Foley, 5.866, 216.17 def. Thacker, 11.564, 66.80 Cannon, 5.584, 253.33 def. Kelly, 5.587, 252.52 Final Foley, 5.623, 252.19 def. Cannon, 6.172, 172.65 TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR Round 1 2) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., Chevy Camaro, 5.950, 227.34 def. 3) Mark Billington, Apopka, Fla., Dodge Avenger, 6.351, 216.13 1) Jim Sickles, Caledonia, N.Y., Avenger, 5.869, 245.05 def. 4) Brian Greer, Warner Robins, Ga., Olds, broke Final Sickles, 5.859, 243.63 def. Payne, 5.969, 243.55 COMPETITION ELIMINATOR Mike Saye, Johnston, S.C., '92 Cutlass, G/A, 8.687, 154.35 def. Don Eberly, Brunswick, Ga., '96 Achieva, F/SMA, 9.131, 147.54 SUPER STOCK Peter Biondo, Mt Laurel, N.J., '00 Firebird, GT/GA, 14.417, 61.53 def. Blair Patrick, Jasper, Tenn., '68 Mustang, SS/FA, foul STOCK ELIMINATOR Kevin Helms, Mineola, Texas, '69 Camaro, B/S, 10.540, 124.38 def. Jorge Carnero, Miami, '78 Aspen, K/SA, 12.389, 105.83 SUPER COMP Steve Cohen, Trilby, Fla., Dragster, 8.899, 174.30 def. Jim Perry, Orlando, Fla., Dragster, 8.899, 161.63 SUPER GAS Bryan Robinson, Iuka, Miss., '63 Corvette, 9.925, 156.25 def. Ralph Barrett, Gainesville, Fla., '02 Corvette, 9.925, 152.18 SUPER STREET James Barbera, Trenton, Fla., '66 Chevy II, 10.897, 130.23 def. Mike Griggs, Ocala, Fla., '72 Camaro, 10.891, 133.88 TOP SPORTSMAN Robert Sellers, Bunnell, Fla., '97 Avenger, 7.177, 173.07 def. Billy Vaughn, Knoxville, Tenn., '89 Beretta, 10.091, 79.08