NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series - Final Round Results from Lebanon Valley Dragway
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NORTHEAST DIVISION LEBANON VALLEY DRAGWAY SUNDAY, JULY 6, 2003 BOURKE WINS FIRST CAREER EVENT IN TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER WEST LEBANON, N.Y. - This year's Diamond RV NHRA Division 1 Shootout was the largest NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event Lebanon Valley Dragway has ever hosted, as 553 competitors raced down the track's quarter-mile. In Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car competition, it was Richard Bourke and Frank Manzo that took home wins at this Northeast Division event. Lebanon Valley Dragway's Top Alcohol Dragster final featured two relatively unfamiliar faces as Bourke faced off against Rich McPhillips. This was Bourke's first career appearance in a final round, while McPhillips had not reached the final at Lebanon Valley since 1997. Bourke had his opponent beat from the start as his 5.779-second, 230.06 mph run earned him the win lights and his first career win in Top Alcohol Dragster. The Top Alcohol Funny Car final featured a battle between Manzo and Bob Newberry, a pair of competitors that were facing off for the fourth time in the past five years in the final at Lebanon Valley Dragway. Manzo had won all three appearances during this span, including three of the four times the two faced off this year. Although Newberry had the quicker car in the final, Manzo came away with the win. The Morganville, N.J., resident left .045-second quicker off the starting line, resulting in the Top Alcohol Funny Car competitor getting to the finish line .033-second quicker. With the win, Manzo will move to the top of the national points standings in Top Alcohol Funny Car. Winners in other racing categories are Santo Volpe of Coca, Fla., in Comp; Timothy Maggio of Ontario, N.Y., in Super Stock; Michael Iacono of Wading River, N.Y., in Stock; Shane Carr of Mays Landing, N.J., in Super Comp; Jim Smulligan of Coopersburg, Pa., in Super Gas; and John Smith of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., in Super Street. Northeast Division competition of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series makes its next stop at Numidia Raceway in Numidia, Pa., July 25-27. For more information, call Lebanon Valley Dragway at (518) 794-7130. The following are final round results from Lebanon Valley Dragway's Diamond RV NHRA Division 1 Shootout: TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER Round 1 8) Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., 5.732, 248.75 def. 1) Mike Kosky, Cuddy, Pa., red light 2) Richard Bourke, Old Tappan, N.J., 5.732, 248.75 def. 7) Daniel Mercier, Lery, Que., 5.963, 240.06 3) Fran Monaghan Jr., Meadowbrook, Pa., 5.587, 249.37 def. 6) David De Angelis, Middlesex, N.J., 5.732, 247.93 4) Mark Albert, Baldwin, Pa., 5.790, 233.40 def. 5) Tom Pickett, Winchester, Mass., 9.648, 84.88 Semifinals McPhillips, 5.991, 241.61 def. Albert, 9.005, 97.61 Bourke, 5.613, 249.86 def. Monaghan, 5.669, 250.55 Final Bourke, 5.779, 230.06 def. McPhillips, 6.570, 163.33 TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR Round 1 1) Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '03 Pontiac, 5.784, 253.87 v. 8) Fred Tigges, Holbrook, Mass., '97 Camaro, 5.979, 240.44 2) Paul Gill, Brockton, Mass., '01 Avenger, 5.786, 248.89 def. 7) Eric Lourie, Terryville, Conn., '01 Camaro, 5.891, 240.44 3) Bob Newberry, Schenectady, N.Y., '03 Camaro, 5.948, 241.61 v. 6) Bruce Peterson Jr., Wappingers Falls, N.Y., '02 Camaro, 6.135, 228.36 5) Michael Ferro, Stanford, Conn., '02 Pontiac, 5.954, 242.84 def. 4) Todd Veney, Indianapolis, Ind., '00 Avenger, 5.956, 242.32 Semifinals Manzo, 5.891, 249.93 def. Ferro, 5.954, 242.98 Newberry, 5.791, 247.32 def. Gill, 5.830, 244.56 Final Manzo, 5.843, 252.45 def. Newberry, 5.831, 231.24 COMP ELMINATOR Santo Volpe, Cocoa, Fla., '63 Corvette, A/SR, no time def. Richard Schonberger, Philadelphia, I/SM, broke SUPER STOCK Timothy Maggio, Ontario, N.Y., '92 Camaro, SS/CS, 10.281 def. Dan Fletcher, Churchville, N.Y., '69 Camaro, SS/HA, 10.128 STOCK ELIMINATOR Michael Iacono, Wading River, N.Y., '69 Torin, 11.648 def. George Cottell, Clarks Summit, Pa., '69 Camaro, B/S, 10.775 SUPER COMP Shane Carr, Mays Landing, N.J., Mullis-Chevy, 8.879 def. Ken Moses, Colonial, N.J., Quay-Chevy, 8.872 SUPER GAS Jim Smulligan, Coopersburg, Pa., '03 Corvette, 9.925 def. John Michaels, Oakdale, N.Y., '70 Nova, 9.882 SUPER STREET John Smith, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., '72 Chevelle, 10.920 def. Jeff Fisher, Medina, N.Y., '82 Spirit, 10.947 - 30 -