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

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION
HOUSTON RACEWAY PARK, BAYTOWN, TEXAS
Sunday, March 13, 2004


RAIN FORCES POSTPONEMENT OF HOUSTON RACEWAY PARK NHRA LUCAS OIL EVENT

        BAYTOWN, Texas - Wet weather has forced officials to cancel
Sunday's racing activities at Houston Raceway Park.  The South Central
division's NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event will be completed
Monday, March 15.
        "We've been fighting weather all weekend and it started raining
again this morning at 10:30 and hasn't stopped yet," explained NHRA South
Central division director Craig Hutchinson.  "The forecast for the rest of
today isn't promising but tomorrow looks good so we'll get her in then."
        Gates at Houston Raceway Park will open at 8 a.m. Monday and
eliminations will get under way at 9 a.m.  For more information call the
track, (281) 373-RACE.
        The only class to complete a round of eliminations Sunday was Stock
Eliminator.  Monday's action will pick up with Super Street and include all
rounds of eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car.
        This event is the second of seven in South Central division Lucas
Oil Drag Racing Series competition.  It is also the second race to contend
with rain.  Last month, the first race, at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis,
Texas, was postponed before it even began.  It was rescheduled for July.
        South Central Division racers head to Memphis Motorsports Park in
Memphis, Tenn., for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, March
26-28.

The following are the first round TAD and TAFC pairings at 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 vs. 8) Darryl
Hitchman, Hanford, Calif., 5.672, 251.95
2) Ashley Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., 5.338, 269.73 vs. 7) Lee Callaway,
Channelview, Texas, 5.541, 251.77
3) Tim Rudy, Mason, Ohio, 5.342, 268.12 vs. 6) Randy Meyer, Spring Hill,
Kan., 5.478, 268.33
4) Mark Hentges, Federal Way, Wash., 5.383, 260.71 vs. 5) Karl Brounkowski,
Magnolia, Texas, 5.423, 263.05

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.548 seconds, 258.47 mph vs.
8) Mike Bell, Ocean View, Hawaii, '00 Firebird, 5.956, 243.99
2) Tate Branch, Artesia, N.M., '03 Camaro, 5.575, 254.62 vs. 7) Eddie
McDow, Waco, Texas, '00 Camaro, 5.931, 235.19
3) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '03 Firebird, 5.587, 250.69 vs.
6) Jimmy Jones, Cleburne, Texas, '99 Camaro, 5.884, 244.12
4) Jackie Stidham, Chickasha, Okla., '00 Camaro, 5.692, 251.25 vs. 5) Steve
Harker, Gainesville, Ga., '99 Avenger, 5.858, 245.63