NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series-Final Results from Darlington Int'l Dragway
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NHRA SOUTHEAST DIVISION DARLINGTON INTERNATIONAL DRAGWAY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2003 Cannon and Billington top off Southeast Division season with a pair of wins DARLINGTON, S.C. - In the final results at the 2nd Annual Carolina Nationals, a round of the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, being held at Darlington International Dragway, Jason Cannon and Mark Billington both earned wins in their respective fields. Cannon, of Middleburg, Fla., claimed his first NHRA Southeast Division win of the year when he defeated Fran Monaghan in the class final. Cannon, used a 5.474 second time at 258.24 mph to take out Monaghan, who laid down a 5.571-second pass at 242.78 mph. "We were very focused coming into this race and it paid off for us." said Cannon, who after today's win now leads NHRA Southeast Division points. Despite his loss to Cannon in the final, Monaghan was still positive about the team's weekend. "Of course we would have loved to have won, but a runner up clinched my first NHRA Northeast Division Championship, so I'm still very excited," said Monaghan. In Top Alcohol Funny Car, Billington nabbed his second Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series win of the year when he defeated Claremont, Calif., racer Jay Payne in the class final. Billington, who qualified second, ran a 5.997-second pass at 242.13 mph to take out Payne, who struggled to a 6.131-second pass at 182.77 mph, after breaking his engine. "I got pretty sideways and saw lot of the wall in the final, but when I didn't see him beside me I didn't want to lift," said Billington. "We're just thrilled to get our second win of the year," he added. Winners in other categories are Dennis Mitchell of Huntsville, Ala., in Competition Eliminator; Charles Clifford of Apopka, Fla., in Super Stock; Brien Radley of Belleview, Fla., in Stock Eliminator; Steve Cohen of Trilby, Fla., in Super Comp; John Martin of Columbus, N.J., in Super Gas; and Quentin Holloway of Greensboro, N.C., in Super Street. In John Bleakley Motorhomes Top Sportsman, the win went to Jerry Duke Jr. of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. In the final he defeated Byron, Ga., racer Jerry Barker. The following are Sunday's final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Darlington International Dragway: TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER Round 1 6) Fran Monaghan Jr., Meadowbrook, Pa., 5.501, 248.68 def. 3) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.555, 248.34 4) Jason Cannon, Middleburg, Fla., 5.450, 259.21 def. 5) John Haley, Wayzata, Minn., 5.668, 200.00 1) Tony Bartone, Manhasset, N.Y., 5.388, 265.48 def. 8) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 5.747, 241.80 2) Guy Kelly, Wadley, Ala., 5.491, 259.59 def. 7) Jared Dreher, Clinton, Ind., 5.805, 245.49 Semifinal Monaghan Jr., 5.543, 249.72 def. Kelly, foul Cannon, 5.413, 261.47 def. Bartone, 5.415, 263.77 Final Cannon, 5.474, 258.24 def. Monaghan Jr., 5.571, 242.78. TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR ROUND ONE 2) Mark Billington, Apopka, Fla., Dodge Avenger, 5.838, 245.83 def. 3) Philip Hooper, Chesterfield, Va., Chevy Camaro, 11.055, 90.25 1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., Camaro, 5.809, 213.98 def. 4) Gregory Beckner, Chester, Va., Chevy Corvette, 6.530, 212.81 Final Billington, 5.997, 242.13 def. Payne, 6.131, 182.77 COMPETITION ELIMINATOR Dennis Mitchell, Huntsville, Ala., '92 Cavalier, F/A, 8.263, 161.81 def. Larry Pritchett, Clarkrange, Tenn., '03 Sunfire, B/SM, 8.232, 151.74 SUPER STOCK Charles Clifford, Apopka, Fla., '68 Camaro, SS/IA, 10.458, 125.61 def. Joe LoCicero, Snellville, Ga., '88 Camaro, GT/DA, 9.836, 130.07 STOCK ELIMINATOR Brien Radley, Belleview, Fla., '69 Camaro, F/SA, 12.699, 75.44 def. Bud Rowe, Bridgeton, N.C., '95 Camaro, C/FIA, broke SUPER COMP Steve Cohen, Trilby, Fla., Dragster, 8.939, 168.72 def. James Nash, Ooltewah, Tenn., Dragster, 8.964, 147.68 SUPER GAS John Martin, Columbus, N.J., '63 Corvette, 9.900, 155.92 def. Ralph Barrett, Gainesville, Fla., '02 Corvette, 9.923, 153.45 SUPER STREET Quentin Holloway, Greensboro, N.C., '67 Chevelle, 10.912, 132.91 def. David Anspach, Chesapeake, Va., '73 Duster, 10.926, 135.37 TOP SPORTSMAN Jerry Duke Jr., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., '00 Firebird, 7.721, 142.56 def. Jerry Barker, Byron, Ga., '02 Camaro, 7.247, 190.63