NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series- Friday Results from Indianapolis Raceway Park

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NHRA NORTH CENTRAL DIVISION
INDIANAPOLIS RACEWAY PARK
FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2004

Thacker and Snyder leading at North Central Division season opener at IRP
INDIANAPOLIS - Nearly 700 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competitors turned out today for the opening rounds of qualifying at the NHRA North Central division's season opener taking place this weekend at Indianapolis Raceway Park. 

 After the opening rounds of qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car, former NHRA Southeast Division champ Marty Thacker of Robinson, Ill., and Mick Snyder of Demotte, Ind., are in the No. 1 spot of their fields. 

Thacker laid down a pass of 5.420 seconds at 263.67 mph to take to top spot in dragster. Other qualifiers in the field include Indiana racers Robin Samsel of Marion and Dave Hirata of Lowell, who currently hold in the No. 5 and 6 positions.  

In Top Alcohol Funny Car, Snyder leads his field with a time a 5.780 seconds at 247.11 mph. Qualified second is former division champion and seasoned class veteran, Danny Townsend of Muncie, Ind., with a time of 5.916-seconds at 249.63 mph. Rounding out the eight-car field is defending division champ Chuck Cheeseman of Galena, Ohio. 

In other qualifying action, Ian Landies Jr., of Chardon, Ohio leads the Competition Eliminator field, while fellow Ohio racers Dave Layer of Dayton and Joey Wilkes of Zanesville are tops in Super Stock and Stock Eliminator. In the Top Sportsman class, which runs in conjunction with the event, Chris Ray of Louisville, Ky., is leading the field. 

Saturday's racing action will feature a pair of qualifying attempts for the 250-mph Top Alcohol Dragsters and Top Alcohol Funny Cars, as well as the continuation of qualifying in Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock Eliminator, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street and Top Sportsman. 

Gates at Indianapolis Raceway Park open Saturday at 7 a.m. with qualifying set to begin at 8 a.m.  Qualifying sessions in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car are scheduled for 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. 

General admission tickets, including a pit pass, are $10 Friday, $15 Saturday and $15 Sunday. Children 12 and under are admitted free with a paid adult. For more information please contact Indianapolis Raceway Park at (317) 291-4090 or visit them on the web at www.irponline.com. 

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

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.420 seconds, 263.67 mph
2) Todd Datweiler, Herscher, Ill., 5.492, 260.71
3) Bill McCornack, Lexington, Ky., 5.540, 256.06
4) Ken Perry, Toronto, Ont., 5.568, 253.52
5) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., 5.585, 242.19
6) Dave Hirata, Lowell, Ind., 5.878, 202.36
7) Jeff Bohr, Plymouth, Mich., 5.900, 225.67
8) Roger Beernaert, Brooklyn, Mich., 5.922, 218.83
Not Qualified
9) Timothy Bowgren, Valparaiso, Ind., 6.000, 213.57
10) Dave Hedges Jr., Plainwell, Mich., 6.149, 213.98
11) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 6.288, 184.85
12) Paul Fishburn, Rensselaer, Ind., 6.870, 204.23
13) Daniel Mercier, St. Timothee, Quebec, 7.184, 134.66
14) Jeff Wilson, Winfield, Mo., 9.433, 88.63
15) Jeff Veale, Stony Creek, Ont., 10.979, 69.61
16) Robert Ginther, Lansing, Mich., (no time)

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Mick Snyder, Demotte, Ind., '02 Firebird, 5.780 seconds, 247.11 mph
2) Danny Townsend, Muncie, Ind., '02 Dodge, 5.916, 249.63
3) Bruce Carlson, Prior Lake, Minn., '97 Firebird, 6.043, 242.63
4) Paul Lee, Gaithersburg, Md., '98 Firebird, 6.119, 229.12
5) John Bojec, Chardon, Ohio, '03 Avenger, 6.169, 229.63
6) John Riekads III, Glendale Heights, Ill., '97 Camaro, 6.705, 184.30
7) Rick Cortino, Wheaton, Ill., '97 Firebird, 6.903, 206.16
8) Chuck Cheeseman, Galena, Ohio, '02 Firebird, 8.537, 107.66
Not Qualified
9) Don DeVault, Kentland, Ind., '01 Avenger, 8.546, 99.44
10) Greg Elliott, Bedford, Ind., '96 Firebird, (no time)

COMPETITION ELIMINATOR
1) Ian Landies Jr., Chardon, Ohio, '02 Cavalier, F/A, 8.221 seconds, -0.619 (under index)
2) Terry Smith, Williamstown, W.V., '32 Bantam, D/EA, 8.447, -0.563
3) Brian Browell, Lafayette, Ind., McKinney, D/D, 7.299, -0.531
4) Mike Lund, Bettendorf, Iowa, '34 Chevrolet, A/SR, 8.101, -0.529
5) George Gallimore Jr., Memphis, Tenn., '32 Bantam, A/AP, 7.011, -0.519
6) Bo Butner III, Floyds Knobs, Ind., '02 Sonoma, PSTA, 7.778, -0.492
7) Steve Ambrose, Woodhaven, Mich., '23 Ford, J/AA, 7.973, -0.477
8) William Riemenapp, La Crosse, Wis., '99 Firebird, C/EA, 8.385, -0.455
9) Bill Zaskowski, Grand Rapids, Mich., '92 Camaro, F/SM, 9.026, -0.454
10) Ray Vierheller III, Barberton, Ohio, '92 Cutlass, I/A, 8.414, -0.446

SUPER STOCK
1) Dave Layer, Dayton, Ohio, '87 Camaro, GT/IA, 10.103 seconds, -1.397 (under index)
2) Joey Wilkes, Zanesville, Ohio, '92 Camaro, GT/EA, 9.760, -1.190
3) Larry Wilson, Mt Washington, Ky., '66 Bel Air, SS/NA, 11.277, -1.173
4) Gene McBean, Chardon, Ohio, '69 Mustang, SS/GA, 9.681, -1.169
5) Chuck Gallagher, Holly, Mich., '94 Sunbird, SS/AM, 8.437, -1.113
6) Irvin Johns, Charlestown, Ind., '02 Cavalier, GT/BA, 9.440, -1.110
7) Ken Shawver, Defiance, Ohio, '78 Firebird, SS/KA, 10.453, -1.097
8) Bo Butner III, Floyds Knobs, Ind., '02 Grand Am, SS/BM, 8.608, -1.092
9) Brad Allen, Winamac, Ind., '03 S-10, GT/TB, 10.073, -1.077
10) Michael Lyons III, Leonard, Mich., '02 Cavalier, GT/GA, 10.128, -1.072

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Joey Wilkes, Zanesville, Ohio, '02 Pontiac, B/FIA, 10.317 seconds, -1.383 (under index)
2) David Edwards, Washington Court Heights, Ohio, '78 Trans Am, I/SA, 11.287, -1.313
3) Donald Holmes, Dayton, Ohio, '78 Firebird, J/SA, 11.444, -1.306
4) Steve Polhill, Landon, Ont., '82 Escort, DF/S, 16.526, -1.224
5) Darwin Hardy, Muskegon, Mich., '84 LaSabre, U/SA, 13.967, -1.183
6) Dennis Dunlap, Paris, Ill., '79 Trans Am, J/SA, 11.575, -1.175
7) Jason McCormack, Oxford, Mich., '66 Belvedere, B/S, 10.335, -1.165
8) John Foxbower, Franklin, Ohio, '68 Mustang, B/SA, 10.394, -1.156
9) Lewis Conkey, London, Ohio, '88 Camaro, G/FI, 11.996, -1.154
10) Brent Darroch, Monaca, Pa., '94 Camaro, F/FIA, 11.812, -1.138

TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Chris Ray, Louisville, Ky., '99 Firebird, 7.119 seconds, 179.14 mph
2) Tom Stultz, Terra Haute, Ind., '92 Firebird, 7.189, 191.51
3) Don Boerma, Tinley Park, Ill., '53 Corvette, 7.240, 191.92
4) Anthony Muno, Arlington Heights, Ill., '97 Lumina, 7.282, 189.79
5) Ryan Kuykendall, St. Louis, Mo., '99 Dakota, 7.435, 183.05
6) Bill Gibson, Steger, Ill., '01 Pontiac, 7.475, 185.64
7) Jarod Wenrick, Tippicanoe City, Ohio, '37 Ford, 7.488, 183.97
8) Billy Thoman, Louisville, Ky., '97 Firebird, 7.539, 179.02
9) Greg Kain, Kettering, Ohio, '96 Ford, 7.566, 183.10
10) Keith McPherson, Leonard, Mich., '63 Corvette, 7.574, 183.44