NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Saturday from Atlanta Dragway

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - SOUTHEAST DIVISION
ATLANTA DRAGWAY
SATURDAY, AUGUST 9, 2003
 
SICKLES, HALEY CLINCH BIRTH IN JEG'S ALLSTARS WITH WINS AT ATLANTA    
 
    COMMERCE, Ga. - In the final rounds of elimintaions at Atlanta Dragway, John Haley and Jim Stickles took home the wins in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car at this weekend's NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.
    Haley defeated number one qualifier Guy Kelly when Kelly crossed the centerline, disqualifying himself and giving the win to the Wadley, Ala. resident. Haley took out Don Fiorelli in round one and had a bye run in the semi-finals before meeting up with Kelly in the final.
    Jim Stickles locked up his bid to represent the NHRA Southeast Division next month at the Jeg's Allstars in Chicago, and gained ground on Jay Payne for the division championship with a run of 5.728 seconds at 251.53 mph against Payne in the Funny Car final. Payne had the same troubles as Kelly, crossing the track centerline, disqualifying himself. 
    Local favorite Joe LoCicero grabbed the win in Super Stock in his '88 Camero over Matt Antobious with a run of 9.971 at 129.64 mph to Antobious' pass of 9.979, 133.68. Larry Pritchett of Clarkrange, Tenn., won in Comp Eliminator while Peter Biondo continued his year long dominance with a win in Stock.  
    Other winners were Billy Upton in his '63 Super Gas Corrvette, Len King in Super Comp, and Lamar Stevenson in Super Street in his '69 Camaro.
    Jerry Baker took the win in the John Bleakley Motorhomes Top Sportsman class with his final round run over Tallapoosa, Ga. resident Billy Bridges. 
    The Southeast Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series makes its next and final stop of the year at Darlington International Dragway, October 3-5.
    
    The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Atlanta Dragway.
 
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:
ROUND ONE
3) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 5.776, 247.66 def. 4) Robert Leverich, Marysville, Mich.,
7.042, 172.67;
5) John Haley, St. Louis, Minn., 5.561, 260.51 def. 2) Don Fiorelli, Palm Bay, Fla., 5.823,
239.87;
1) Guy Kelly, Wadley, Ala., 5.537, 258.07 was unopposed;
 
SEMI-FINALS
Haley, 5.549, 259.51 was unopposed;
Kelly, 5.470, 260.97 def. Allen, 5.728, 248.84;
 
FINALS
Haley, 9.108, 87.39 def. Kelly, DQ-centerline.
 
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE
1) Jim Sickles, Caledonia, N.Y., Dodge Avenger, 5.766, 249.03 def. 6) Bobby Martindale, Chester,
Va., Dodge Daytona, broke;
2) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., Chevy Camaro, 5.935, 248.34 def. 5) Gregory Beckner, Chester,
Va., Chevy Corvette, 10.389, 84.48;
4) Paul Lee, Gaithersburg, Md., Pontiac Firebird, 5.993, 244.83 def. 3) Mark Billington, Apopka,
Fla., Avenger, foul;
 
SEMI-FINALS
Payne, 5.759, 254.95 def. Lee, 12.391, 67.79;
Sickles, 21.601, 57.64 was unopposed;
 
FINALS
Sickles, 5.728, 251.53 def. Payne, DQ-centerline.
 
COMPETITION ELIMINATOR
Larry Pritchett, Clarkrange, Tenn., '03 Sunfire, A/SM, 8.052, 168.09 def. David Eaton, Merritt
Island, Fla., '32 Bantam, A/AP, broke.
 
SUPER STOCK
Joe LoCicero, Snellville, Ga., '88 Camaro, GT/CA, 9.971, 129.64 def. Matt Antrobius, Bellbrook,
Ohio, '87 Camaro, GT/DA, 9.979, 133.68.
 
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Peter Biondo, Mt Laurel, N.J., '69 Camaro, C/SA, 10.981, 114.65 def. Brian Rowe, New Bern,
N.C., '69 Camaro, H/SA, 11.544, 112.19
 
SUPER COMP
Len King, Langley, S.C., Dragster, 8.905, 158.07 def. Don Kraler, Jupiter, Fla., Dragster,
8.893, 163.33.
 
SUPER GAS
Billy Upton Jr, Taylors, S.C., '63 Corvette, 9.929, 146.40 def. Joe Rich, Windermere, Fla., '02
Trans Am, 9.924, 155.90.
 
SUPER STREET
Lamar Stevenson III, Montgomery, Ala., '69 Camaro, 10.872, 124.52 def. Greg Glenn, Cape Coral,
Fla., '93 S-10, foul.
 
TOP SPORTSMAN
Jerry Barker, Byron, Ga., '02 Camaro, 7.347, 187.83 def. Billy Bridges, Tallapoosa, Ga., '03
Mustang, 7.597, 182.01.