NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series-Friday from Houston Raceway Park

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION
HOUSTON RACEWAY PARK, BAYTOWN, TEXAS
Friday, March 12, 2004
REICHERT, BRANCH SET THE PACE IN TOP ALCOHOL QUALIFYING AT HOUSTON RACEWAY
PARK'S NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES EVENT

        BAYTOWN, Texas - In the first rounds of qualifying at the NHRA
Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Houston Raceway Park, Top Alcohol
Dragster (TAD) driver Bill Reichert and Top Alcohol Funny Car (TAFC) racer
Tate Branch took the No. 1 qualifying positions in their classes. 
        Reichert, of Owasso, Mich., outran the field with a pass of 5.269
seconds at 273.00 mph.  And Artesia, N.M., resident Branch made a
5.575-second, 253.14 mph run to take the pole.  Branch is the defending
division TAFC champion and he won here a year ago.  Today's run was a
career-best effort for Branch.
        Top qualifiers in other classes were Mike Wood, Wichita Falls,
Texas, in Comp Eliminator; Buz Post, Arlington, Texas, in Super Stock; and
Jerry Davis, Santa Fe,  Texas,  in Stock Eliminator.  In Top Sportsman,
Greg Lair of Canyon, Texas, was the best qualifier and in Kerker
Motorcycle, it was Ben Brown, Plano, Texas.
        Racing continues Saturday at 9 a.m.  Gates open at 8 a.m.  TAD and
TAFC will make qualifying runs at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.  
Tickets are $18 for adults and $8 for children 6 to 12 years old.  Kids 5
and under are admitted free with a paid adult.  For more information, call
Houston Raceway Park, (281) 373-RACE.

        The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas
Oil Drag Racing Series event at Houston Raceway Park:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.269 seconds, 273.00 mph
2) Tim Rudy, Mason, Ohio, 5.342, 266.27
3) Ashley Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., 5.415, 253.14
4) Karl Brounkowski, Magnolia, Texas, 5.423, 263.05
5) Lee Callaway, Channelview, Texas, 5.691, 244.83
6) Gene Snow, Fort Worth, Texas, 5.753, 224.14
7) Glen Woosley, Freeport, Texas, 5.770, 217.67
8) Darryl Hitchman, Hanford, Calif., 5.875, 241.50
Not Qualified
9) James Copeland II, Red Oak, Texas, 6.297, 249.67
10) Brandon Pierce, Moore, Okla., 6.879, 221.38
11) Randy Meyer, Spring Hill, Kan., 11.276, 63.85
12) James Thompson, Vernon, Texas, 12.243, 59.64
13) Gary Cooper, Wichita, Kan., (no time)
14) Mark Hentges, Federal Way, Wash., (no time)
15) Denny Hummel, Clinton Twnshp, Mich., (no time)
16) Dave Hedges Jr., Plainwell, Mich., (no time)

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Tate Branch, Artesia, N.M., '03 Camaro, 5.575 seconds, 253.14 mph
2) Jackie Stidham, Chickasha, Okla., '00 Camaro, 5.751, 248.29
3) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '03 Firebird, 5.760, 250.69
4) Eddie McDow, Waco, Texas, '00 Camaro, 5.931, 235.19
5) Mike Bell, Ocean View, Hawaii, '00 Firebird, 5.956, 243.99
6) Ron Morrison, Oklahoma City, Okla., '97 Camaro, 6.151, 193.82
7) Jimmy Jones, Cleburne, Texas, '99 Camaro, 6.171, 180.74
8) Steve Burck, Corpus Christi, Texas, '98 Avenger, 7.151, 134.46 
Not Qualified
9) Steve Harker, Gainesville, Ga., '99 Avenger, 11.683, 69.24
10) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '02 Camaro, 11.841, 68.67

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Mike Wood, Wichita Falls, Texas, '32 Bantam, E/EA, 8.278 seconds, -0.802
(under index)
2) Michael Johnson, Springdale, Ariz., '03 Cavalier, F/SMA, 8.802, -0.708
3) Rodger Brogdon, Tomball, Texas, '04 Cavalier, D/SM, 8.569, -0.671
4) Thomas Patterson, Houston, '41 Willys, AA/PM, 6.253, -0.647
5) Brian Self, Hempstead, Texas, '02 S-10, PST, 7.455, -0.645
6) Greg Williams, Carthage, Texas, '02 Cavalier, C/SMA, 8.367, -0.633
7) Colt Mikel, Hempstead, Texas, '02 S-10, B/TA, 8.401, -0.619
8) Charlie Watson, Humble, Texas, '98 Lumina, H/A, 8.872, -0.588
9) Mike Trumble Jr., Pasadena, Texas, '04 Sunfire, B/SMA, 8.214, -0.576
10) Pete Carbery, Odessa, Texas, '02 Cavalier, B/A, 7.209, -0.571

SUPER STOCK
1) Buz Post, Arlington, Texas, '02 Grand Am, SS/AM, 8.234 seconds, -1.316
(under index)
2) Randy Hopkins, Cable, Wis., '68 Dart, SS/AA, 8.720, -1.280
3) Ron Taylor, Lincoln, Neb., '57 Chevy, SS/MA, 10.938, -1.212
4) Fred Henson, Madisonville, Texas, '68 Dart, SS/AA, 8.792, -1.208
5) John Clegg III, Victoria, Texas, '73 Firebird, SS/AM, 8.389, -1.161
6) Shaun LeBlanc, Bartlett, Tenn., '88 Mustang, GT/A, 9.150, -1.150
7) Terry Pearson, Spanish Fort, Ala., '02 Cavalier, GT/BA, 9.407, -1.143
8) Brent Johnson, Lecompte, La., '91 Calais, GT/IA, 10.391, -1.109
9) Tony Cowell, Weatherford, Texas, '81 Camaro, GT/JA, 10.500, -1.100
10) Gilbert Johnson Jr., Lecompte, La., '91 Calais, GT/JA, 10.504, -1.096

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Jerry Davis, Santa Fe, Texas, '72 Duster, F/SA, 10.902 seconds, -1.248
(under index)
2) Jimmy Hidalgo, Donaldsonville, La., '97 Camaro, C/FIA, 10.781, -1.219
3) Verne Buchanan, Conway, Ark., '73 Mustang, H/SA, 11.289, -1.161
4) Floyd Russo, Gonzales, La., '01 Firebird, A/FIA, 10.140, -1.160
5) Kevin Helms, Mineola, Texas, '69 Camaro, A/S, 10.091, -1.159
6) R.J. Sledge, Boerne, Texas, '67 Fairlane, E/SA, 10.842, -1.158
7) Patrick Courts Sr., New Iberia, La., '87 Firebird, H/FIA, 12.297, -1.153
8) Jim Hale, Van Buren, Ark., '70 Challenger, B/SA, 10.401, -1.149
9) Fred Henson, Madisonville, Texas, '70 Challenger, A/SA, 10.162, -1.138
10) Kent LaPorte, New Iberia, La., '85 Camaro, F/FIA, 11.865, -1.085

TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Greg Lair, Canyon, Texas, '02 Grand Am, 6.912 seconds, 199.91 mph
2) Earle Folse, Raceland, La., '86 Cutlass, 7.078, 195.42
3) keith Raferty, Lake Charles, La., '03 Firebird, 7.315, 189.55
4) Bert Prejean, St. Amant, La., '00 Firebird, 7.384, 184.88
5) Michelle Wilson, Azle, Texas, '89 Camaro, 7.454, 180.12
6) Scott Randall, Carrollton, Texas, '00 Firebird, 7.471, 183.54
7) Larry J. Smith, Ridgeland, Miss., '94 Cutlass, 7.541, 182.03
8) Keith Sasich, Highland Village, Texas, '00 Firebird, 7.743, 178.31
9) Bob Fitzhenry, Tomball, Texas, '02 Corvette, 7.806, 175.18
10) David Hensley, Norman, Okla., '89 Trans Am, 7.829, 177.93

KERKER MOTORCYCLE
1) Ben Brown, Irving, La., '83 Suzuki, SPB, 0.004 seconds reaction time
2) Lisa Bennett, Plano, Texas, '84 Suzuki, SPB, 0.004
3) Darwin Hughes, The Colony, Texas, '90 Suzuki, SPB, 0.007
4) Chris LeBouef, Lafayette, La., '85 Suzuki, SPB, 0.009
5) Curtis J. Nichols III, Alvin, Texas, '95 Kawasaki, SPB, 0.010
6) James Enloe, St. Amant, La., '86 Suzuki, KMC, 0.011
7) Larry Eperjesi, Lake Dallas, Texas, '00 Koenig, SPB, 0.014
8) Jerry Pomilla, Conroe, Texas, '86 Suzuki, SPB, 0.033
9) Eddie Glaze, Houston, Texas, '90 Suzuki, SPB, 0.041
10) Brandon Maybin, Donaldsonville, La., SPB, 0.044


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