NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series-Monday from Houston Raceway
Park
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION
HOUSTON RACEWAY PARK, BAYTOWN, TEXAS
Monday, March 15, 2004
REICHERT, BRANCH SCORE WINS AT HOUSTON RACEWAY PARK
BAYTOWN, Texas - It took longer than originally scheduled, but NHRA
South Central division racers completed the first Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series event of the year. Weather on Sunday forced officials to postpone
eliminations until today, but they did finish the race. For Top Alcohol
Dragster (TAD) driver Bill Reichert and Top Alcohol Funny Car (TAFC) racer
Tate Branch, it was worth the wait.
Reichert, who hales from Owasso, Mich., took the TAD win over Randy
Meyer of Spring Hill, Kan. Reichert's 5.390-second, 270.16 mph pass was
more than enough to give him the edge over Meyer's 5.909-second, 203.65 mph
effort.
For Branch, who won here a year ago and went on to claim the division's
TAFC title, starting off the season with a win will answer some questions.
The Artesia, N.M., racer and his Branch Racing team have joined forces with
car owners George and Jane Etterman. The Ettermans traditionally run
out of the North Central division but will be in the South Central
territory with Branch. Branch faced off against longtime division rival
Jackie Stidham in the final and peeled off a 5.653-second, 254.86 mph pass
to Stidham's 7.860-second, 116.21 mph run.
In other NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series categories, Damon Dabbs
made it to the final round in two classes. The Garland, Texas, racer took
the win in Super Comp and was runner-up to Joseph Bonfield Jr. of Hobbs,
N.M., in Super Gas. Winners in other classes were Sean Dodd, Lewisville,
Texas, in Comp Eliminator; Jeff Hefler, Mansfield, Texas, in Super Stock;
and Dale Hulquist, Crosby, Texas in Stock. It was an all-Baytown final in
Super Street when Arlie Boggs beat out Mike Johnson. The winner in Kerker
Motorcycle was Larry Eperjesi of Lake Dallas, Texas and in Top Sportsman Ed
Ridenhour of Fort Worth, Texas, was the winner.
South Central Division racers head to Memphis Motorsports Park for
the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, March 26-28.
The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series event at Houston Raceway Park:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Round 1
1) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.360, 271.79 def. 8) Darryl Hitchman,
Hanford, Calif., 5.938, 239.61
4) Mark Hentges, Federal Way, Wash., 5.390, 259.91 def. 5) Karl
Brounkowski, Magnolia, Texas, 5.446, 264.29
2) Ashley Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., 5.433, 263.92 def. 7) Lee Callaway,
Channelview, Texas, 5.464, 254.52
6) Randy Meyer, Spring Hill, Kan., 8.058, 104.57 def. 3) Tim Rudy, Mason,
Ohio, broke
Semifinals
Reichert, 5.422, 270.37 def. Hentges, 5.496, 258.71
Meyer, 5.450, 259.91 def. Force, 5.467, 257.14
Final
Reichert, 5.390, 270.16 def. Meyer, 5.909, 203.65
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Round 1
1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., Chevy Camaro, 5.583, 254.09 def. 8) Mike
Bell, Ocean View, Hawaii, Pontiac Firebird, broke
2) Tate Branch, Artesia, N.M., Camaro, 5.636, 254.23 def. 7) Eddie McDow,
Waco, Texas, Camaro, broke
3) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., Firebird, 5.659, 250.83 def. 10)
Steve Burck, Corpus Christi, Texas, Dodge Avenger, 6.788, 155.94
4) Jackie Stidham, Chickasha, Okla., Camaro, 5.678, 247.75 def. 5) Steve
Harker, Gainesville, Ga., Avenger, 5.767, 249.16
Semifinals
Stidham, 5.683, 247.02 def. Payne, 5.665, 256.75;
Branch, 5.611, 255.53 def. Gasparrelli, 9.626, 83.07
Final
Branch, 5.653, 254.86 def. Stidham, 7.860, 116.21
COMP ELIMINATOR
Sean Dodd, Lewisville, Texas, '01 S-10, PSTA, 7.676, 168.32 def. Danny
Leibham, Cypress, Texas, '01 Camaro, B/AA, 7.362, 186.33
SUPER STOCK
Jeff Hefler, Mansfield, Texas, '98 Grand Am, SS/BM, 17.142, 68.05 def. Buz
Post, Arlington, Texas, '02 Grand Am, SS/AM, broke
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Dale Hulquist, Crosby, Texas, '94 Camaro, B/FIA, 11.010, 119.85 def. Donnie
Frederick Jr., S. Houston, '69 Camaro, G/SA, foul
SUPER COMP
Damon Dabbs, Garland, Texas, dragster, 8.921, 158.07 def. Rodney Costlow,
Dallas, dragster, 8.879, 171.40
SUPER GAS
Joseph Bonfield Jr., Hobbs, N.M., '57 Corvette, 9.908, 148.44 def. Damon
Dabbs, Garland, Texas, '85 Camaro, 9.914, 150.48
SUPER STREET
Arlie Boggs, Baytown, Texas, '99 Camaro, 10.929, 133.86 def. Mike Johnson,
Baytown, Texas, '88 Camaro, 10.888, 135.20
KERKER MOTORCYCLE
Larry Eperjesi, Lake Dallas, '00 Koenig, 7.915, 163.26 def. Alan Jordan,
Lawton, Okla., '86 Suzuki, 10.067, 131.68
TOP SPORTSMAN
Ed Ridenhour, Fort Worth, Texas, '00 Firebird, 7.699, 171.21 def. David
Hensley, Norman, Okla., '89 Trans Am, 7.859, 177.07
