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NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series - Friday Qualifying Results from Sacramento Raceway

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NHRA PACIFIC DIVISION
SACRAMENTO RACEWAY
FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 2002

 Hudson and August Top Qualifiers at Sacramento 
SACRAMENTO - In the opening rounds of qualifying at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event being held at Sacramento Raceway, Don Hudson and Ron August Jr., are the top qualifiers in their respective fields.
	In Top Alcohol Dragster, Hudson, of Stockton, Calif., is the leader with a 5.488 second pass at 258.74 mph. Qualified in the No. 2 spot is Tujunga, Calif., racer Chris Demke with a 5.510 second pass at 256.07 mph. Morgan Lucas, the current points leader in the class, is qualified sixth at a 5.616-second pass at 257.28 mph. He will face No. 3 qualifier Larry Miersch of Fullerton, Calif., in round one. 
	In Top Alcohol Funny Car, August, of Pleasanton, Calif., drove his '02 Camaro to a 5.750-second pass at 242.30 mph to claim the top spot in the class. Defending NHRA Pacific Division Top Alcohol Funny Car Champion Steve Gasparrelli is second with a 5.782 second pass at 250.15 mph. A 5.801-second pass at 241.67 mph helped Campbell, Calif., driver Bret Williamson to take the third spot. Among those who are failed to qualify is current NHRA Pacific Division Top Alcohol Funny Car points leader Doug Gordon of Paso Robles, Calif.  Defending division champ Gasparrelli is currently second in points. 
In Competition Eliminator, renowned engine builder Ken Duttweiler of Ventura, Calif., took his turbo-charged Oldsmobile to the No. 1 spot in the class with a 6.948-second pass. Simi Valley, Calif., racer Wayne Ramay is second with his dragster. Alta Loma, Calif., runner Ross Wilson is third. 
	In other qualifying action, defending NHRA Pacific Division champ Tony DeFrank of Tarzana, Calif., leads in Super Stock, while Sarah Norsworthy of Santa Clara, Calif., leads in Stock Eliminator. 
	For qualifying in the top spot of their respective fields, Hudson and August each earned $1250 from Sealed Power as part of their Low Qualifier Bonus Award. The recipients of the $400 Low Qualifier Bonus Award in Competition Eliminator and Super Stock and $200 award in Stock Eliminator, will be decided on Saturday after final qualifying in those classes is complete.
Saturday's racing action will feature eliminations for the 260-mph Top Alcohol Dragsters and Top Alcohol Funny Cars, as well as the continuation of qualifying in Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock Eliminator, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street, beginning at 1 p.m. Eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster and Funny are scheduled for 5, 7 and 9 p.m. Saturday evening. 
	Gates at Sacramento Raceway open Saturday at 8 a.m. with qualifying set to continue at 1 p.m. Final eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster and Funny Car are scheduled for 5, 7 and 9 p.m. For more information please contact Sacramento Raceway at (916) 363-2653 or online at www.SacramentoRaceway.com.
The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event being held this weekend at Sacramento Raceway:
 
Top Alcohol Dragster
1) Don Hudson, Stockton, Calif., 5.488 seconds, 258.74 mph
2) Chris Demke, Tujunga, Calif., 5.510, 256.07
3) Larry Miersch, Fullerton, Calif., 5.527, 252.01
4) Mitch Myers, Hermiston, Ore., 5.550, 250.05
5) Joey Severance, Spanaway, Wash., 5.554, 255.95
6) Morgan Lucas, Riverside, Calif., 5.616, 257.28
7) Duane Shields, Las Vegas, Nev., 5.618, 258.43
8) Randy Eakins, Bradbury, Calif., 5.859, 248.06
Not Qualified
9) Jack Beckman, North Hills, Calif., 5.916, 219.70
10) Marshall Topping, Costa Mesa, Calif., 11.056, 83.76
11) Tony Meredyk, Stanton, Calif., 21.051, 32.67
12) Dennis Swearingen, Santa Clarita, Calif., 25.405, 24.68

First round TAD pairings
1) Don Hudson, Stockton, Calif., 5.488 seconds, 258.74 mph vs. 8) Randy Eakins,
Bradbury, Calif., 5.859, 248.06
2) Chris Demke, Tujunga, Calif., 5.510, 256.07 vs. 7) Duane Shields, Las Vegas,
Nev., 5.618, 258.43
3) Larry Miersch, Fullerton, Calif., 5.527, 252.01 vs. 6) Morgan Lucas, Riverside, Calif.,
5.616, 257.28
4) Mitch Myers, Hermiston, Ore., 5.550, 250.05 vs. 5) Joey Severance, Spanaway,
Wash., 5.554, 255.95

Top Alcohol Funny Car
1) Ron August Jr., Pleasanton, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.750 seconds, 242.30 mph
2) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '02 Firebird, 5.782, 250.15
3) Bret Williamson, Campbell, Calif., '01 Corvette, 5.801, 241.67
4) Mert Littlefield, Garden Grove, Calif., '03 Firebird, 5.807, 244.24
5) Robert Lee, Whittier, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.828, 249.67
6) Ed Marx, Discovery Bay, Calif., '95 Avenger, 5.899, 246.33
7) Bill Gallio, Anaheim, Calif., '02 Camaro, 6.084, 234.46
8) Tom Bristow, Chino Hills, Calif., '02 Firebird, 6.174, 230.45
Not Qualified
9) Dale VanGundy, Anaheim, Calif., '97 Trans Am, 6.433, 227.35
10) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '02 Camaro, 6.442, 145.70
11) Bob Gallio, Fullerton, Calif., '00 Camaro, 6.590, 209.37

First round TAFC pairings
1) Ron August Jr., Pleasanton, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.750 seconds, 242.30 mph vs.
8) Tom Bristow, Chino Hills, Calif., '02 Firebird, 6.174, 230.45
2) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '02 Firebird, 5.782, 250.15 vs. 7) Bill Gallio,
Anaheim, Calif., '02 Camaro, 6.084, 234.46 
3) Bret Williamson, Campbell, Calif., '01 Corvette, 5.801, 241.67 vs. 6) Ed
Marx, Discovery Bay, Calif., '95 Avenger, 5.899, 246.33
4) Mert Littlefield, Garden Grove, Calif., '03 Firebird, 5.807, 244.24 vs. 5)
Robert Lee, Whittier, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.828, 249.67

Competition Eliminator
1) Ken Duttweiler, Ventura, Calif., '96 Olds, BB/AT, 6.948 seconds, -0.712 (under index)
2) Wayne Ramay, Simi Valley, Calif., Dragster, A/ND, 7.072, -0.628
3) Ross Wilson, Alta Loma, Calif., '95 Achieva, D/SMA, 8.684, -0.616
4) Tom Mettler, Bakersfield, Calif., '01 Dakota, PST, 7.502, -0.598
5) Tom Tucker, Bend, Ore., '98 Lumina, G/A, 8.607, -0.543
6) Randy Jones, Monarch Beach, Calif., '03 Cavalier, D/SMA, 8.760, -0.540
7) J.D. Zink, Chico, Calif., Dragster, A/ND, 7.170, -0.530
8) Jim Cowan, Glendale, Ariz., '02 Grand Am, E/AA, 7.995, -0.505
9) Mike Willoughby, Huntington Beach, Calif., '99 Sonoma, PSTA, 7.804, -0.496
10) Ed Sigmon, Chatsworth, Calif., '34 Chevy, C/SR, 8.779, -0.491

Super Stock
1) Tony DeFrank, Tarzana, Calif., '98 Grand Am, GT/GA, 10.207 seconds, -0.993 (under index)
2) Brian McClanahan, Alta Loma, Calif., '67 Camaro, SS/HA, 9.913, -0.987
3) Jimmy DeFrank, Tarzana, Calif., '87 Camaro, GT/HA, 10.379, -0.971
4) Brian Tait, Frazier Park, Calif., '92 Camaro, GT/IA, 10.542, -0.958
5) Chuck Norton, Covina, Calif., '97 Firebird, SS/IA, 10.093, -0.907
6) Bill Blakeney, Bell, Calif., '68 Camaro, SS/HA, 10.001, -0.899
7) Wayne Taylor, Chino, Calif., '92 LaBaron, GT/HA, 10.477, -0.873
8) Tim Smith, Loomis, Calif., '87 Cavalier, GT/CA, 9.841, -0.859
9) Joe Schwetgert, Ontario, Calif., '85 Chevy, SS/JA, 10.472, -0.828
10) Don Bevers, Tucson, Ariz., '91 Probe, SS/BM, 8.896, -0.804

Stock Eliminator
1) Sarah Norsworthy, Santa Clara, Calif., '81 D-150, FT/SA, 12.228 seconds, -1.272 (under index)
2) Robert Mulry, Hollister, Calif., '74 Firebird, L/SA, 11.802, -1.198
3) Gene Buell, Hesperia, Calif., '70 Challenger, D/SA, 10.656, -1.194
4) Steven Wann, Modesto, Calif., '70 GTX, C/SA, 10.540, -1.160
5) Ken Etter, Riverside, Calif., '77 Volare, I/SA, 11.483, -1.117
6) Don Wann, Modesto, Calif., '73 Satellite, I/SA, 11.501, -1.099
7) Tommy Gaynor, Vancouver, Wash., '96 Firebird, J/SA, 11.680, -1.070
8) Bryan Phillips, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., '67 Firebird, E/SA, 10.971, -1.029
9) Bill Nelson, Tucson, Ariz., '02 Pontiac, I/FIA, 12.753, -0.997
10) Darin Grossi, Soulsbyville, Calif., '71 Barracuda, B/SA, 10.578, -0.972

Sportsman Motorcycle
1) John Widmann, Garborille, Calif., '97 Kawasaki, KMC, 0.036 reaction time
2) Ari Bernales, Santa Clara, Calif., '01 Kawasaki, KMC, 0.044
3) Phillip Nasca, Citrus Heights, Calif., '02 Ninja, KMC, 0.050
4) Jerry Stinson, Medford, Ore., '84 Ninja, KMC, 0.053
5) Gary Oaks, Salinas, Calif., '95 Suzuki, KMC, 0.054
6) Leo Shaver, Las Vegas, Nev., '87 Ninja, KMC, 0.055
7) Scott Hewitt, Bakersfield, Calif., '93 Suzuki, KMC, 0.066
8) Scott Pollacheck, Medford, Ore., '76 Kawasaki, KMC, 0.066
9) Trace St. Germain, San Jose, Calif., '78 Kawasaki, KMC, 0.071
10) Pete Miclette, Garberville, Calif., '81 Suzuki, KMC, 0.229