NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series-Thursday from Las Vegas Motor Speedway

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - PACIFIC DIVISION
LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, LAS VEGAS
Thursday, October 30, 2003

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES UNDER WAY AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

        LAS VEGAS - Qualifying got under way today for the Short Line
Express Market Las Vegas Gambler Shootout, a round of the NHRA Lucas Oil
Drag Racing Series, at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  This is the first of
four days of racing action at The Strip.  
More than 750 racers from across the country are expected to compete this
weekend in what is the last of 45 events in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series.  Drivers in Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Comp
Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street are
vying for valuable points leading to divisional and national championships.
 Several of the titles on both levels could be decided this weekend.  
The division's Kerker Motorcycle Series featuring Sportsman Motorcycle and
the Korbel Super E class will also run in conjunction with the event.
Top qualifiers after day-one of racing were Santo Volpe of Drums, Pa., in
Comp Eliminator; Bill Chaffin Jr. of Woodland Hills, Calif., in Super
Stock; and Gene Buell of Hesparia, Calif., in Stock.
        Qualifying and time trials continue Friday but no spectator
admission is available.  Racing action will also take place Saturday and
Sunday.  Gates open at 7 a.m. both days and racing beings immediately.  
Tickets are $20 both days.  Children 6-12 are $6 both days and kids 5 and
under are admitted free.  For more information, call Las Vegas Motor
Speedway, (702) 644-4444.

        The following are Friday's qualifying results from the Short Line
Express Market Las Vegas Gambler Shootout at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Santo Volpe, Drums, Calif., '32 roadster, A/SR, 8.037 seconds, -0.743
under index
2) Jirka Kaplan, Calgary, Alb., '23-T Ford, BB/AM, 7.313, -0.697
3) Thomas Schmidt, Linstrom, Minn., '33-T Ford, C/SR, 8.796, -0.634
4) Vinnie Deceglie, Alta Loma, Calif., '63 Corvette, A/A, 6.730, -0.630
5) Tom Huggins, Santa Paula, Calif., '02 Grand Am, B/A, 7.284, -0.626
6) Sean Dodd, Lewisville, Texas, '99 Camaro, PSTA, 7.819, -0.611
7) Mike DePalma Jr., Glendale, Ariz., '99 Neon, B/A, 7.305, -0.605
8) Steve Wilmoth, Peoria, Ariz., '34 Chevy, S/SR, 8.828, -0.602
9) Adam Bowdish, West Linn, Ore., '89 Trans Am, F/SM, 9.041, -0.599
10) Tom Mettler, Bakersfield, Calif., '01 Dakota, PST, 7.645, -0.595

SUPER STOCK
1) Bill Chaffin Jr., Woodland Hills, Calif., '87 GM, SS/DX, 8.217     
seconds, -1.363 under index
2) Harry Holton, Modesto, Calif., '68 Belvedere, SS/AA, 8.911, -1.339
3) Dave Rayburn, Modesto, Calif., '68 Dart, SS/AA, 8.949, -1.301
4) John Stock, Sandusky, Ohio, '85 Camaro, GT/IA, 10.501, -1.289
5) Gene McBean, Chardon, Ohio, '69 Mustang, SS/GA, 9.849, -1.271
6) Steve Sweitzer, Jersey Shore, Pa., '92 Firebird, GT/EA, 10.014, -1.206
7) Robert Cruzen, Cleveland, Okla., '02 S-10, GT/TC, 10.483, -1.197
8) Jim Weakland, Morrison, Colo., '68 Camaro, SS/GA, 9.949, -1.171
9) Jerry Jenkins, Modesto, Calif., '68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 9.087, -1.163
10) Jeff Hefler, Mansfield, Texas, '98 Grand Am, SS/BM, 8.785, -1.155

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Gene Buell, Hesperia, Calif., '70 Challenger, D/SA, 10.881 seconds,
-1.269 under index
2) Chris Whitney, Sun Valley, Calif., '67 Fairlane, F/S, 11.134, -1.266
3) Steve Wann, Modesto, Calif., '70 GTX, B/SA, 10.607, -1.233
4) Marka Gallina, Henderson, Nev., '89 Trans Am, E/FIA, 11.714, -1.196
5) Jeff Lee, Anthem, Ariz., '70 AMX, E/S, 11.071, -1.179
6) Don Keen, Palmdale, Calif., '69 Mustang, C/S, 10.780, -1.160
7) Neil Smedley, Phoenix, '81 Trans Am, P/SA, 12.946, -1.144
8) Don Wann, Modesto, Calif., '73 Satellite, I/SA, 11.776, -1.134
9) Bill Kost, Renton, Wash., '77 Cutlass, K/SA, 12.147, -1.123
10) Ken Etter, Riverside, Calif., '77 Volare, I/SA, 11.793, -1.117