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NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Saturday from Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif.

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - PACIFIC DIVISION
FAMOSO RACEWAY, BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA
SATURDAY, MAY 22, 2004 

FIELDS SET FOR BIG LUCAS SERIES SHOWDOWN AT FAMOSO RACEWAY

 

     BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - More than 530 drivers slugged it out Saturday
to make the fields for today's NHRA Pacific division Lucas Oil Drag
Racing Series event presented by Budweiser at Famoso Dragway.

     In the marquee classes of Top Alcohol Dragster (TAD) and Top
Alcohol Funny Car (TAFC), Morgan Lucas and Brett Williamson held on the
top spots they grabbed Friday.

     Both fields are strong with qualifiers within mere fractions of a
second of each other.  Lucas, of Riverside, Calif., the defending
champion in the Pacific division, hammered out a 5.428-second run at
263.92 mph to the lead the pack in his nitro-methane fueled TAD. Chris
Demke, of Sunland, Calif., was right on his heels at 5.473 seconds and
261.02 mph.  The other driver in the 5.4-second zone was Hanford,
Calif., standout Darryl Hitchman, who took the No. 3 spot at 5.481,
253.80 mph.

     Williamson, a second-generation driver from Campbell, Calif., near
San Jose, maintained the TAFC top spot with a 5.772-second 240.51 mph
performance in his Corvette-bodied entry.  That was good enough to hold
off Dennis Taylor's 5.787, 245.03 mph charge in his Camaro.

      In Comp Eliminator, defending Pacific division champion Dean
Carter of Glendale, Ariz., and Wayne Ramay of Simi Valley, Calif., took
front-motored nostalgia dragsters to the front of the highly diverse
field. 

 

Racing begins Sunday at 8 a.m.  Gates open at 7:30 a.m.  First round of
TAD and TAFC are scheduled for noon.  Tickets are $20 for adults.
Children 12 and under are admitted free. For more information, call
Famoso Raceway, (661) 399-2210

 

 

     The following are Saturday's final qualifying results and Sunday's
first-round pairings for TAD and TAFC at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series presented by Budweiser at Famoso Raceway:

 

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

1) Morgan Lucas, Riverside, Calif., 5.428 seconds, 263.92 mph

2) Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., 5.473, 261.02

3) Darryl Hitchman, Hanford, Calif., 5.481, 253.80

4) Eric Morris, Madera, Calif., 5.577, 250.62

5) Duane Shields, Las Vegas, 5.615, 254.59

6) Don Hudson, Stockton, Calif., 5.634, 257.80

7) Larry Miersch, Huntington Beach, Calif., 5.638, 231.66

8) Randy Johnson, Whittier, Calif., 5.692, 246.98 

Not Qualified

9) Ben Harper, Arroyo Grande, Calif., 5.837, 255.97

10) Kent Nuckols, Albuquerque, N.M., 5.840, 255.02

11) Johnny Ahten, Saugus, Calif., 5.841, 243.90

12) Dennis Swearingen, Valencia, Calif., 6.364, 218.81

 

First round TAD pairings

1) Morgan Lucas, Riverside, Calif., 5.428 seconds, 263.92 mph vs. 8)
Randy Johnson, Whittier, Calif., 5.692, 246.98

2) Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., 5.473, 261.02 vs. 7) Larry Miersch,
Huntington Beach, Calif., 5.638, 231.66

3) Darryl Hitchman, Hanford, Calif., 5.481, 253.80 vs. 6) Don Hudson,
Stockton, Calif., 5.634, 257.80

4) Eric Morris, Madera, Calif., 5.577, 250.62 vs. 5) Duane Shields, Las
Vegas, Nev., 5.615,

254.59

 

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR

1) Bret Williamson, Campbell, Calif., '01 Corvette, 5.772 seconds,
240.51 mph

2) Dennis Taylor, Anaheim, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.787, 245.03

3) Robert Lee, Whittier, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.794, 248.96

4) Jon Capps, Las Vegas, '01 Camaro, 5.809, 248.07

5) Jeff Carroll, Santa Barbara, Calif., '97 Firebird, 5.892, 246.03

6) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '04 Camaro, 5.920, 248.20

7) Hannes Warnhart, Bakersfield, Calif., '02 Firebird, 5.924, 245.36

8) John Patton, Peoria, Ariz., '02 Firebird, 5.953, 243.11 

Not Qualified

9) Mert Littlefield, Garden Grove, Calif., '03 Trans Am, 5.982, 235.78

10) Mark Woznichak, Ontario, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.998, 244.56

11) Robert Gallio, Anaheim, Calif., '02 Camaro, 6.596, 222.44

12) Bill Gallio, Anaheim, Calif., '02 Camaro, 7.574, 193.50

 

First round TAFC pairings

1) Bret Williamson, Campbell, Calif., '01 Corvette, 5.772 seconds,
240.51 mph vs. 8) John Patton, Peoria, Ariz., '02 Firebird, 5.953,
243.11

2) Dennis Taylor, Anaheim, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.787, 245.03 vs. 7)
Hannes Warnhart, Bakersfield, Calif., '02 Firebird, 5.924, 245.36

3) Robert Lee, Whittier, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.794, 248.96 vs. 6) Doug
Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '04 Camaro, 5.920, 248.20

4) Jon Capps, Las Vegas, '01 Camaro, 5.809, 248.07 vs. 5) Jeff Carroll,
Santa Barbara, Calif., '97 Firebird, 5.892, 246.03

 

Competition Eliminator

1) Dean Carter, Glendale, Ariz., dragster, A/ND, 7.004 seconds, -0.646
(under index)

2) Wayne Ramay, Simi Valley, Calif., dragster, A/ND, 7.064, -0.586

3) Tom Huggins, Santa Paula, Calif., '04 Grand Am, B/A, 7.237, -0.543

4) Vincent Deceglie, Alta Loma, Calif., '63 Corvette, A/A, 6.681, -0.509

5) Tom Mettler, Bakersfield, Calif., '01 Dakota, PST, 7.592, -0.498

6) Fred Gross, La Crescenta, Calif., '04 Cavalier, G/A, 8.624, -0.496

7) Michael Stone, Tulare, Calif., dragster, C/ED, 7.480, -0.480

8) Randy Jones, Monarch Beach, Calif., '03 Cavalier, D/SMA, 8.721,
-0.479

9) Jim Cowan, Glendale, Ariz., '02 Grand Am, E/AA, 8.041, -0.459

10) Scott McClay, Tehachapi, Calif., dragster, C/ED, 7.557, -0.403

 

Super Stock

1) Jimmy DeFrank, Tarzana, Calif., '87 Camaro, GT/HA, 10.223 seconds,
-1.127 (under index)

2) Frank Grossi, Upland, Calif., '04 Grand Am, GT/BA, 9.445, -1.105

3) Brian Tait, Frazier Park, Calif., '86 Firebird, GT/IA, 10.401, -1.099

4) Brian McClanahan, Alta Loma, Calif., '67 Camaro, SS/HA, 9.804, -1.096

5) Bob Mazzolini, Riverside, Calif., '00 Sebring, GT/HA, 10.284, -1.066

6) Dave Raybourn, Modesto, Calif., '68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 8.870, -1.030

7) Wayne Taylor, Chino, Calif., '92 LaBaron, GT/HA, 10.357, -0.993

8) Fred Moreno, La Verne, Calif., '69 Mustang, SS/GA, 9.863, -0.987

9) Greg Smith, Quartz Hill, Calif., '93 Daytona, GT/EA, 9.971, -0.979

10) Carmeron Kallas, Bluffdale, Utah, '98 Grand Am, GT/BA, 9.573, -0.977

 

Stock Eliminator

1) Harry Doolittle, Hillsdale, Mich., '02 Firebird, H/FIA, 12.158
seconds, -1.292 (under index)

2) Ken Etter, Riverside, Calif., '77 Volare, I/SA, 11.346, -1.254

3) Don Wann, Modesto, Calif., '73 Satellite, I/SA, 11.389, -1.211

4) Steve Wann, Modesto, Calif., '70 GTX, C/SA, 10.496, -1.204

5) Bill Nelson, Tucson, Ariz., '02 Firebird, I/FIA, 12.577, -1.173

6) Carol Yacavone, Glendale, Ariz., '80 Trans Am, N/SA, 12.159, -1.141

7) Don Forester, Riverside, Calif., '80 Delta 88, O/SA, 12.359, -1.091

8) Gary Harper, Canon City, Colo., '81 D-150, N/SA, 12.220, -1.080

9) Chris Whitney, Sun Valley, Calif., '67 Fairlane, B/S, 10.455, -1.045

10) Darin Grossi, Modesto, Calif., '70 Barracuda, A/SA, 10.259, -1.041

 

Kerker Motorcycle

1) Rick Newport, West Valley, Utah, '97 Suzuki, KMC, 0.001 seconds
reaction time

2) Leo Shaver, Las Vegas, '87 Kawasaki, KMC, 0.002

3) Charles Rand, Bakersfield, Calif., '95 Suzuki, KMC, 0.005

4) Scott Pollacheck, Medford, Ore., '76 Kawasaki, KMC, 0.005

5) Ray Raines, Garden Grove, Calif., '82 Suzuki, KMC, 0.005

6) Marc Knight, Bakersfield, Calif., '96 Suzuki, KMC, 0.011

7) John Widmann, Garberville, Calif., '97 Kawasaki, KMC, 0.012

8) Scott Hewitt, Bakersfield, Calif., '93 Suzuki, KMC, 0.013

9) Pete Miclette, Garberville, Calif., '81 Suzuki, KMC, 0.014

10) Ari Bernales, Santa Clara, Calif., '01 Kawasaki, KMC, 0.015