Pacific Division Lucas Oil Series--Infineon Raceway Saturday
qualifying
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NHRA PACIFIC DIVISION
INFINEON RACEWAY
Saturday, July 3, 2004
Contact: George Phillips, NHRA (626)327-0480
SURPRISES CONTINUE AS FIELDS SET FOR INFINEON LUCAS OIL SERIES ACTION
SONOMA, Calif. - Top Alcohol Dragster driver Mitch Meyers, out of
Hermiston, Ore., stepped up the pace even quicker with a 5.322-second
lap at 265.12 mph to grab the pole for Sunday's Pacific Division Lucas
Oil Series showdown. Myers, the invader from the Northwest Division
who is hoping to earn some points toward that championship, is in the
meantime potentially wrecking the plans of Pacific Division points
leaders Chris Demke, Don Hudson, Morgan Lucas and Duane Shields.
Demke is now the No. 2 qualifier at 5.409, 265.74 mph and defending
Pacific Division Champion Lucas came from outside of the field on Friday
to the No. 3 spot on Saturday. Yet another Northwest interloper, Joey
Severance, of Spanaway, Wash., is in the fourth slot. Severance is the
defending Northwest Division Lucas Series Champion. With such talent in
the field it was small wonder that it took a 5.574 by Darryl Hitchman
just to sit on the bubble.
In Alcohol Funny Car, the Pacific Division is represented on the
pole by Campbell, Calif., driver Bret Williamson. He out-dueled
two-time 2004 runner-up Dennis Taylor for the top spot with six-time
defending Northwest Division Champion Bucky Austin ending up third.
Williamson and Taylor both recorded 5.689 elapsed times, but Williamson
ran the faster speed at 252.00 mph compared to Taylor's 251.39.
But perhaps the biggest story in Alcohol Funny Car is who didn't
qualify for Saturday's show. Doug Gordon, of Paso Robles, Calif., who
won the first three Pacific Division events of the season and is the
current point leader, failed to make the program when he could only
muster up a 5.894-second performance. This left him in the No. 9 spot
and unable to earn any points at the event.
First round of Saturday Pacific Division Lucas Oil Series racing
for the two alcohol-fueled categories will be at noon.
In other action, Mike DePalma, who now lives in Glendale, Ariz.,
moved into the No.l position in Comp, getting past Napa's John
Chamberlin. The top spots in Super Stock and Stock are still held by
Harry Holton and Don Wann, both of Modesto, while Santa Clara's Ari
Bernales is on the pole in the Kerker Motorcycle field.
Sunday's finals for all classes begin at 8:15 a.m. Gates open at 7
a.m. Tickets are $20. Children 12 and under are admitted free. For
more information please call Infineon Raceway, (707) 938-8448 or visit
www.infineonraceway.com
The following are Saturday's final qualifying results from the NHRA
Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Pacific Division event at Infineon
Raceway:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Mitch Myers, Hermiston, Ore., 5.322 seconds, 265.12 mph
2) Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., 5.409, 265.74
3) Morgan Lucas, Sun Valley, Calif., 5.443, 267.53
4) Joey Severance, Spanaway, Wash., 5.462, 264.55
5) Don Hudson, Stockton, Calif., 5.483, 262.54
6) Duane Shields, Las Vegas, 5.485, 266.64
7) Johnny Ahten, Saugus, Calif., 5.550, 267.75
8) Darryl Hitchman, Hanford, Calif., 5.574, 252.10
Not Qualified
9) Darren Nicholson, Mission Viejo, Calif., 5.625, 253.28
10) Ben Harper, Arroyo Grande, Calif., 5.630, 262.39
11) Randy Johnson, Whittier, Calif., 5.636, 250.64
12) Hillary Will, Scotia, Calif., 5.749, 254.09
13) Danny Valadez, San Rafael, Calif., 5.886, 232.79
14) Dennis Swearingen, Santa Clarita, Calif., 5.921, 249.63
15) Randy Eakins, Carson City, Nev., 6.468, 169.38
First round TAD pairings
1) Mitch Myers, Hermiston, Ore., 5.322 seconds, 265.12 mph vs. 8) Darryl
Hitchman, Hanford, Calif., 5.574, 252.10
2) Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., 5.409, 265.74 vs. 7) Johnny Ahten,
Saugus, Calif., 5.550,267.75
3) Morgan Lucas, Sun Valley, Calif., 5.443, 267.53 vs. 6) Duane Shields,
Las Vegas, Nev., 5.485, 266.64
4) Joey Severance, Spanaway, Wash., 5.462, 264.55 vs. 5) Don Hudson,
Stockton, Calif., 5.483, 262.54
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Bret Williamson, Campbell, Calif., '01 Corvette, 5.689 seconds,
252.00 mph
2) Dennis Taylor, Anaheim, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.689, 251.39
3) Bucky Austin, Fife, Wash., '02 Firebird, 5.714, 257.14
4) Robert Lee, Whittier, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.723, 254.47
5) Ron August Jr, Pleasanton, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.745, 254.18
6) Pete Swayne, Santa Rosa, Calif., '02 Firebird, 5.751, 253.71
7) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '03 Firebird, 5.755, 252.80
8) Mark Woznichak, Ontario, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.775, 250.46
Not Qualified
9) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '04 Camaro, 5.894, 247.16
10) John Patton, Peoria, Ariz., '03 Firebird, 5.951, 246.39
11) Jon Capps, Las Vegas, Nev., '01 Camaro, 5.964, 244.43
12) Mert Littlefield, Garden Grove, Calif., '03 Trans Am, 6.022, 239.87
13) Bil Gallio, Anaheim, Calif., '02 Camaro, 6.647, 226.77
14) Robert Gallio, Anaheim, Calif., '02 Camaro, 7.587, 138.76
First round TAFC pairings
1) Bret Williamson, Campbell, Calif., '01 Corvette, 5.689 seconds,
252.00 mph vs. 8) Mark Woznichak, Ontario, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.775,
250.46
2) Dennis Taylor, Anaheim, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.689, 251.39 vs. 7)
Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '03 Firebird, 5.755, 252.80
3) Bucky Austin, Fife, Wash., '02 Firebird, 5.714, 257.14 vs. 6) Pete
Swayne, Santa Rosa, Calif., '02 Firebird, 5.751, 253.71
4) Robert Lee, Whittier, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.723, 254.47 vs. 5) Ron
August Jr, Pleasanton, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.745, 254.18
Competition Eliminator
1) Mike DePalma Jr, Glendale, Ariz., '99 Neon, B/A, 7.120 seconds,
-0.660 (under index)
2) John Chamberlin, Napa, Calif., dragster, B/D, 6.734, -0.656
3) Dean Carter, Glendale, Ariz., dragster, A/ND, 6.995, -0.655
4) Tom Tucker, Bend, Ore., '96 Lumina, F/A, 8.155, -0.645
5) Ed Sigmon, Chatsworth, Calif., '34 Chevy, C/SR, 8.636, -0.624
6) Tom Huggins, Santa Paula, Calif., '04 Grand Am, B/A, 7.160, -0.620
7) Wayne Ramay, Simi Valley, Calif., dragster, A/ND, 7.038, -0.612
8) Vincent Deceglie, Alta Loma, Calif., '63 Corvette, A/A, 6.584, -0.606
9) Tom Mettler, Bakersfield, Calif., '01 Dakota, PST, 7.515, -0.575
10) Fred Gross, La Crescenta, Calif., '04 Cavalier, H/A, 8.900, -0.56
Super Stock
1) Harry Holton, Modesto, Calif., '68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 8.628 seconds,
-1.272 (under index)
2) Michael Ogburn, Mission Viejo, Calif., '68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 8.725,
-1.175
3) Jared Jordan, Modesto, Calif., '65 Belvedere, SS/BA, 9.040, -1.160
4) Greg Smith, Quartz Hill, Calif., '93 Daytona, GT/EA, 9.812, -1.138
5) Bob Mazzolini, Riverside, Calif., '00 Sebring, GT/HA, 10.238, -1.112
6) Rick Houser, Pasadena, Calif., '91 Calais, GT/AA, 9.359, -1.041
7) Wayne Taylor, Chino, Calif., '89 LaBaron, GT/HA, 10.318, -1.032
8) Jerry Jenkins, Modesto, Calif., '68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 8.881, -1.019
9) Tony DeFrank, Chatsworth, Calif., '98 Grand Am, GT/GA, 10.182, -1.018
10) Jimmy DeFrank, Chatsworth, Calif., '87 Camaro, GT/HA, 10.337, -1.013
Stock Eliminator
1) Steve Wann, Modesto, Calif., '70 GTX, B/SA, 10.276 seconds, -1.274
(under index)
2) Don Wann, Modesto, Calif., '73 Satellite, I/SA, 11.336, -1.264
3) Randy Loge, Antioch, Calif., '72 'Cuda, F/SA, 10.988, -1.162
4) Ken Etter, Riverside, Calif., '76 Volare, H/SA, 11.298, -1.152
5) Gabriel Torres, La Puente, Calif., '89 Chevy, CF/S, 14.793, -1.107
6) Don Durham, Vacaville, Calif., '73 Duster, G/SA, 11.205, -1.095
7) Darin Grossi, Soulsbyville, Calif., '70 Barracuda, A/SA, 10.216,
-1.084
8) Bryan Phillips, Alta Loma, Calif., '67 Firebird, E/SA, 10.919, -1.081
9) Tim Hall, Fountain Valley, Calif., '73 Dart, G/SA, 11.253, -1.047
10) Wes McGann, Phoenix, Ariz., '70 Nova, D/SA, 10.807, -1.043
Kerker Motorcycle
1) Ari Bernales, Santa Clara, Calif., '01 Kawasaki, KMC, 0.000 seconds
reaction time
2) Greg Liskey, Salinas, Calif., '95 Suzuki, KMC, 0.001
3) Scott Pollacheck, Medford, Ore., '76 Kawasaki, KMC, 0.006
4) Rick Newport, West Valley, Utah, '97 Suzuki, KMC, 0.013
5) Jerry Stinson, Medford, Ore., '84 Ninja, KMC, 0.017
6) John Widmann, Garberville, Calif., '97 Kawasaki, KMC, 0.018
7) Pete Miclette, Garberville, Calif., '81 Suzuki, KMC, 0.021
8) Ray Raines, Garden Grove, Calif., '82 Suzuki, KMC, 0.034
9) Ken Van Buren, New River, Ariz., '84 Kawasaki, KMC, 0.034
10) Trace St. Germain, San Jose, Calif., '78 Kawasaki, KMC, 0.036
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