NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series-Final Results from Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa.
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NHRA NORTHEAST DIVISION MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2003 Manzo completes perfect five win season READING, Pa. - After a nearly four month delay, the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event scheduled to concluded in May, finished today with champions being crowned in eight categories. In Top Alcohol Dragster, early season points leader Tony Bartone of Manhasset, N.Y., earned his first win since May when he defeated Richard Bourke in the class final. Bartone ran a 5.387 second pass at 269.89 mph to take out Bourke, who ran 5.504 seconds at 262.59 mph. Today's victory is Bartone's fifth win of the year. In Top Alcohol Funny Car, defending National Champion Frank Manzo claimed a critical final round win over Jim Sickles in the class final. Manzo used a starting line advantage to get the win over Sickles, who ran 5.698 seconds at 252.33 to Manzo's slower 5.708 seconds pass at 254.76 mph. The win was a must for Manzo, who currently is duking it out with "Northwest Hitter," Bucky Austin of Fife, Wash., for points toward the Top Alcohol Funny Car National Championship. Should Manzo prevail, it will be his seventh consecutive Top Alcohol Funny Car National Championship and ninth overall. In Competition Eliminator, Santo Volpe of Cocoa Beach, Fla., claimed his third win of the year when he defeated Avon Lake, Ohio racer Pat Ross, Sr. Ross was also the runner-up earlier this year at U.S. 13 Dragway to current Northeast Division points leader Sal Biondo. In Super Stock, longtime Northeast Division competitor Leon Miranian of Davidsonville, Md., won over Larry Jewell of Ulysses, Pa. While in Stock Eliminator, Brian Rowe of New Bern, N.C., took the win over Bloomsbury, N.J., racer Dennis Petras. This was the second Northeast Division final in a row for Rowe, who most recently was runner-up to John Gray at the Lucas Oil event at Cecil County Dragway in Rising Sun, Md. In Super Comp, Bob Phillips of Oley, Pa., won over Frank Altilio of Ocoee, While in Super Gas Ken Bowers of Islip, N.Y., defeated Atco Raceway winner Iggie Boicesco of Warminster, Pa. Taking the win in Super Street over three-time Northeast Division Super Street Champion Michael Giuliano of Wantagh, N.Y., was Joe Urbino of West Seneca., N.Y. The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event being held at Maple Grove Raceway: TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER: Round 1 4) Fran Monaghan Jr., Meadowbrook, Pa., 5.549, 254.66 def. 5) Steven Cantrell, Wilmington, Del., 6.620, 145.77 3) Richard Bourke, Old Tappan, N.J., 5.482, 256.89 def. 6) Sheila Tafur, Middletown, Conn., broke 1) Tony Bartone, Manhasset, N.Y., 5.409, 269.03 def. 8) Douglas Foley, Wappingers Falls, N.Y., 6.051, 179.37 2) Mike Kosky, Cuddy, Pa., 5.464, 256.89 def. 9) Bruce Horner, Bergenfield, N.J., 5.875, 241.84 Semifinal Bourke, 5.464, 256.55 def. Kosky, 5.502, 255.58; Bartone, 5.409, 268.44 def. Monaghan Jr., 6.851, 135.13; Final Bartone, 5.387, 269.89 def. Bourke, 5.504, 262.59. TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR Round 1 6) Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., Pontiac Firebird, 5.616, 256.75 def. 3) Bruce Peterson Jr., Wappingers Falls, N.Y., Chevy Corvette, broke 2) Bunny Burkett, Sterling, Va., Dodge Avenger, 6.046, 235.93 def. 7) Craig English, Mount Holly, N.J., Mustang, 6.016, 241.41 1) Bob Newberry, Schenectady, N.Y., Chevy Camaro, 5.716, 251.81 def. 8) Dave Keddy, Ashland, Mass., Firebird, 6.353, 221.27 5) Jim Sickles, Caledonia, N.Y., Avenger, 5.804, 250.97 def. 4) Scott Woodington, Delran, N.J., Camaro, 6.089, 218.12 Semifinal Manzo, 5.595, 257.98 def. Burkett, 6.120, 234.61 Sickles, 5.664, 253.09 def. Newberry, 5.686, 252.33 Final Manzo, 5.708, 254.76 def. Sickles, 5.698, 251.34 COMPETITION ELIMINATOR Santo Volpe, Cocoa, Fla., '63 Corvette, A/SR, 8.040, 153.13 def. Pat Ross Sr., Avon Lake, Ohio, '03 Grand Am, F/A, 8.344, 160.48 SUPER STOCK Leon Miranian, Davidsonville, Md., '68 Corvette, SS/EA, 9.787, 123.79 def. Larry Jewell, Ulysses, Pa., '67 Corvette, SS/DA, 9.759, 136.90 STOCK ELIMINATOR Brian Rowe, New Bern, N.C., '69 Camaro, G/SA, 11.346, 109.34 def. Dennis Petras, Bloomsbury, N.J., '69 Camaro, H/S, 11.316, 116.82 SUPER COMP Bob Phillips, Oley, Pa., Dragster, 8.935, 163.47 def. Frank Altilio, Ocoee, Fla., Dragster, 8.934, 166.48 SUPER GAS Ken Bowers, Islip, N.Y., '88 Thunderbird, 9.892, 160.37 def. Iggie Boicesco, Warminster, Pa., '02 Corvette, 9.862, 164.43 SUPER STREET Joe Urbino, W. Seneca, N.Y., '78 Malibu, 10.913, 124.10 def. Michael Giuliano, Wantagh, N.Y., '67 Camaro, 10.935, 136.52