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Saturday Results from the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Event at Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fla


NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NHRA SOUTHEAST DIVISION
GAINESVILLE RACEWAY
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2004

Reichert and Sickles top fields at Lucas Oil opener in Gainesville
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - In the final qualifying from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event being held this weekend at Gainesville Raceway, Top Alcohol Dragster driver Bill Reichert and Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Jim Sickles top their respective fields.  
	Reichert, who last year failed to qualify at this event, laid down a 5.343-second pass at 266.82 mph on his only pass of the day down the Gainesville quarter-mile, to take the top spot. In the opening round of eliminations Reichert will take on former division champion Michael Gunderson of Middleburg, Fla. Sitting in the No. 2 spot is Guy Kelly of Wadley, Ala. Defending Division Champion Jason Cannon of Middleburg, Fla., is third. For his efforts Reichert earned $1000 from Sealed Power as part of their Low Qualifier Bonus.  
	For the second consecutive year, Sickles of Caledonia, N.Y., took his Dodge Avenger to No. 1 spot in the class. Sickles ran 5.762 seconds at 251.74 mph to earn the $1000 Sealed Power Low Qualifier Bonus. Qualified closely is second is Mark Billington of Apopka, Fla., at 5.800 second at 250.00 mph.
	Thundering to the top spot in Competition Eliminator was Florida native John Gullett of Jacksonville. Gullett ran a 6.435-second pass behind the wheel of his turbo Mustang to take the top spot. For his efforts Gullett earns $200 from Sealed Power. Georgia natives Don Eberly of Brunswick and Van Puckett of Snellville hold the No. 2 and 3 spots.   
Leading the pack in Super Stock, behind the wheel of his '68 Dodge Dart, is Cable, Wis., racer Randy Hopkins. Claiming the No. 2 spot is Andy Fogle of Norway, S.C., while John Gunn of LaGrangeville, N.Y., is third with his '97 Achieva. 
In Stock Eliminator, Jim Wahl of Deltona, Fla., wheeled his '91 Dodge to the No. 1 spot. Qualified second is Tallahassee, Fla., racer Brandon Wood.  Dave Edwards of Washington Court House, Ohio is third. 
In TracStar Satellite Systems Top Sportsman, Jack Nunez of  Daytona Beach, Fla., claimed the No. 1 spot with a 6.683 second pass at 197.19 mph. Qualified second with a 6.880 second pass at 200.31 mph is the '03 Mustang of Billy Bridges of Tallapoosa, Ga. In the third spot is David Lambert of Kannapolis, N.C. 
Gates at Gainesville Raceway open Sunday at 8 a.m. with eliminations set to begin at 9 a.m.  Final eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car are scheduled for 1 p.m. For more information please contact Gainesville Raceway at (352) 377-0046 or visit them on the web at www.gainesvilleraceway.com. 
The following are Saturday's final qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, event being held at Gainesville Raceway:

Top Alcohol Dragster
1) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.343 seconds, 266.82 mph
2) Guy Kelly, Wadley, Ala., 5.387, 261.47
3) Jason Cannon, Middleburg, Fla., 5.397, 260.64
4) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.425, 222.16
5) Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., 5.616, 254.59
6) Don Fiorelli, Palm Bay, Fla., 5.632, 243.77
7) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.706, 250.34
8) Michael Gunderson, Middleburg, Fla., 5.738, 258.62
Not Qualified
9) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., 5.766, 225.96
10) Cherissa Griffis, Gainesville, Fla., 6.592, 174.85
11) Robert Leverich, Marysville, Mich., 7.005, 166.32
12) Duke McDonell, Gainesville, Fla., 7.809, 145.96
13) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 11.452, 79.06

First round TAD pairings
1) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.343 seconds, 266.82 mph vs. 8) Michael Gunderson,
Middleburg, Fla., 5.738, 258.62
2) Guy Kelly, Wadley, Ala., 5.387, 261.47 vs. 7) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.706, 250.34
3) Jason Cannon, Middleburg, Fla., 5.397, 260.64 vs. 6) Don Fiorelli, Palm Bay, Fla., 5.632, 243.77
4) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.425, 222.16 vs. 5) Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., 5.616,
254.59

Top Alcohol Funny Car
1) Jim Sickles, Caledonia, N.Y., '02 Avenger, 5.762 seconds, 251.74 mph
2) Mark Billington, Apopka, Fla., '01 Avenger, 5.800, 250.00
3) Bruce Carlson, Prior Lake, Minn., '97 Firebird, 6.288, 31.26
4) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '04 Camaro, 6.563, 151.31
5) Greg Beckner, Chester, Va., '02 Corvette, 9.068, 101.70

First round TAFC pairings
1) Jim Sickles, Caledonia, N.Y., '02 Avenger, 5.762 seconds, 251.74 mph vs. Bye
2) Mark Billington, Apopka, Fla., '01 Avenger, 5.800, 250.00 vs. 5) Greg Beckner, Chester, Va., '02
Corvette, 9.068, 101.70
3) Bruce Carlson, Prior Lake, Minn., '97 Firebird, 6.288, 31.26 vs. 4) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif.,
'04 Camaro, 6.563, 151.31

Competition Eliminator
1) John Gullett, Jacksonville, Fla., '01 Mustang, AA/AT, 6.435 seconds, -0.825 (under index)
2) Don Eberly, Brunswick, Ga., '96 Achieva, F/SMA, 8.833, -0.717
3) Van Puckett, Snellville, Ga., '99 Firebird, G/AA, 8.457, -0.703
4) Rodger Brogdon, Tomball, Texas, '04 Cavalier, D/SM, 8.567, -0.673
5) Larry Pritchett, Clarkrange, Tenn., '04 Sunfire, B/SM, 8.163, -0.657
6) David Allen, Sewickley, Pa., '02 Camaro, F/A, 8.193, -0.647
7) Mike Saye, Johnston, S.C., '92 Cutlass, H/A, 8.816, -0.644
8) David Eaton, Merritt Island, Fla., '32 Bantam, A/AP, 6.888, -0.642
9) Kevin Houghtaling, Ashland, Va., '91 Calais, H/SM, 9.198, -0.582
10) Kenneth Horne, Fayetteville, N.C., '97 Achieva, H/SMA, 9.323, -0.577

Super Stock
1) Randy Hopkins, Cable, Wis., '68 Dart, SS/AA, 8.627 seconds, -1.373 (under index)
2) Andy Fogle, Norway, S.C., '04 Chevy, GT/AA, 9.171, -1.229
3) John Gunn, LaGrangeville, N.Y., '97 Achieva, GT/FA, 9.876, -1.224
4) Steve Baughman, York, Pa., '68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 8.782, -1.218
5) J.W. Hames, Madison, Miss., '89 Daytona, GT/JA, 10.395, -1.205
6) John Baughman, York, Pa., '68 Dart, SS/AA, 8.806, -1.194
7) Johnny Moore, Montgomery, Ala., '00 Firebird, GT/MA, 10.878, -1.172
8) Gary Russell, E. Sparta, Ohio, '98 Camaro, GT/M, 10.636, -1.164
9) Terry Pearson, Spanish Fort, Ala., '02 Cavalier, GT/BA, 9.398, -1.152
10) Everett Hill, Fayetteville, Ga., '64 Mustang, SS/M, 10.758, -1.142

Stock Eliminator
1) Jim Wahl, Deltona, Fla., '91 Dodge, BF/S, 13.960 seconds, -1.490 (under index)
2) Brandon Wood, Tallahassee, Fla., '85 Camaro, F/FIA, 11.653, -1.297
3) Dave Edwards, Washington Court House, Ohio, '78 Trans Am, I/SA, 11.322, -1.278
4) Bruce Noland, Leesburg, Va., '72 Camaro, I/SA, 11.328, -1.272
5) Jeff Velde, Vero Beach, Fla., '67 Shelby, A/SA, 10.054, -1.246
6) Gary Richard, West Islip, N.Y., '69 Camaro, C/SA, 10.466, -1.234
7) David Walther, Lanesville, Ind., '69 Camaro, H/S, 11.070, -1.230
8) Butch Payne, Rome, Ga., '97 Firebird, C/FIA, 10.771, -1.229
9) Jim Boudreau, Tewksbury, Mass., '69 Camaro, C/SA, 10.498, -1.202
10) Tom Stevenson, Flowery Branch, Ga., '69 Nova, G/SA, 11.124, -1.176

Top Sportsman
1) Jack Nunez, Daytona Beach, Fla., '63 Corvette, 6.683 seconds, 197.19 mph
2) Billy Bridges, Tallapoosa, Ga., '03 Mustang, 6.880, 200.31
3) David Lambert, Kannapolis, N.C., '68 Camaro, 6.994, 194.97
4) Jerry Duke Jr., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., '00 Firebird, 7.125, 193.09
5) Ronnie Davis, Commerce, Ga., '63 Corvette, 7.134, 193.38
6) Joe Baker, Milton, Fla., '02 Neon, 7.147, 190.96
7) Jerry Barker, Byron, Ga., '00 Camaro, 7.173, 191.00
8) Gilmer Hinshaw, Burlington, N.C., '99 Monte Carlo, 7.216, 183.07
9) Britt Cummings, Hammond, La., '98 Firebird, 7.217, 190.23
10) Dave Saul, Winter Park, Fla., '96 Trans Am, 7.276, 180.28