The Auto Channel
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
Official Website of the New Car Buyer

NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series - Friday from Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tenn.


NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NHRA SOUTHEAST DIVISION
BRISTOL DRAGWAY
FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2004


Drag racing action underway at Winnebago Thunder Valley Challenge at Bristol Dragway
BRISTOL, Tenn. - NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competitors, in eight different categories, turned out today for the opening rounds of qualifying at the Winnebago Thunder Valley Challenge being held this weekend at Bristol Dragway. This weekend's event is the fifth race on the NHRA Southeast Division's seven-race tour. 
 	After the opening rounds of qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car, Guy Kelly of Wadley, Ala., and Jay Payne of Claremont, Ca., are in the No. 1 spot of their fields. 
	Kelly laid down a pass of 5.437 seconds at 258.86 mph to take to top spot in dragster. Following Kelly in the No. 2 spot is defending division champ Jason Cannon of Middleburg, Fla., with a pass of 5.549 seconds at 254.28 mph. Former Southeast Division champ Marty Thacker of Robinson, Ill., is third.  
In Top Alcohol Funny Car, Payne thundered to the top of the field with a time a 5.765 seconds at 246.48 mph. Qualified second is North Central Division racer Mick Snyder of Demotte, Ind., with a time of 5.852-seconds at 241.80 mph. Rounding out the field is Canadian racer Jeff Lancaster of Hamilton, Ontario.  
For qualifying in the No. 1 spot of their respective fields, Kelly and Payne each earned $1000 from Sealed Power as part of their Low Qualifier Bonus program. This is the third consecutive Southeast Division event where Kelly and Payne both qualified No. 1. Both drivers started from the top spot at events this year at Montgomery Motorsports Park in Montgomery, Ala., and South Georgia Motorsports Park in Cecil, Ga.
	In other qualifying action, David Eaton, of Merritt Island, Fla., leads the Comp Eliminator field, while Super Stock racer John Coughlin of Delaware, Ohio tops his field. Sitting in the No. 1 spot in the Stock Eliminator field is Murfreesboro, Tenn., racer John Livingston. In the Tracstar Systems Satellites Top Sportsman class, which runs in conjunction with the event, Toney Russell of Ardmore, Ala., leads his field with a time of 6.567 seconds at 210.08 mph. 
Competitors in Comp Eliminator, Super Stock and Stock Eliminator, as well as those competing in the Tracstar Systems Satellites Top Sportsman Series will have their final qualifying session tomorrow at 9:30 a.m., with eliminations in all categories to follow in the afternoon. 
Saturday's racing action will feature final eliminations in all categories, beginning at 1 p.m. Eliminations for the 260-mph Top Alcohol Dragsters and Top Alcohol Funny Cars begin at 3 p.m.  
Gates at Bristol Dragway open tomorrow at 8 a.m. General Admission tickets are $25. Children 6-12 years old are $5 and kids 5 and under are admitted free with a paid adult. All tickets include a pit pass. 
For more information please contact Bristol Dragway at (423) 764-DRAG or visit them on the web at www.BristolDragway.com. 
The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event being held at Bristol Dragway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Guy Kelly, Wadley, Ala., 5.437 seconds, 258.86 mph
2) Jason Cannon, Middleburg, Fla., 5.549, 254.28
3) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.622, 256.80
4) Bill McCornack, Versailles, Ky., 5.648, 248.34
5) Jeff Bohr, Plymouth, Mich., 5.661, 248.66
6) Jared Dreher, Clinton, Ind., 5.697, 246.98
7) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., 5.897, 239.06

First round TAD pairings
1) Guy Kelly, Wadley, Ala., 5.437 seconds, 258.86 mph vs. Bye
2) Jason Cannon, Middleburg, Fla., 5.549, 254.28 vs. 7) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., 5.897,
239.06
3) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.622, 256.80 vs. 6) Jared Dreher, Clinton, Ind., 5.697,
246.98
4) Bill McCornack, Versailles, Ky., 5.648, 248.34 vs. 5) Jeff Bohr, Plymouth, Mich., 5.661,
248.66

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '04 Camaro, 5.765 seconds, 246.48 mph
2) Mick Snyder, Demotte, Ind., '02 Firebird, 5.852, 241.80
3) Mark Billington, Norcross, Ga., '01 Avenger, 5.879, 244.96
4) Paul Lee, Gaithersburg, Md., '98 Firebird, 5.902, 241.76
5) Chris Brown, Ivyland, Pa., '00 Avenger, 6.626, 159.32
6) Jeff Lancaster, Hamilton, Ont., '96 Firebird, 6.756, 213.54

First round TAFC pairings
1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '04 Camaro, 5.765 seconds, 246.48 mph vs. 6) Jeff Lancaster,
Hamilton, Ont., '96 Firebird, 6.756, 213.54
2) Mick Snyder, Demotte, Ind., '02 Firebird, 5.852, 241.80 vs. 5) Chris Brown, Ivyland, Pa., '00
Avenger, 6.626, 159.32
3) Mark Billington, Norcross, Ga., '01 Avenger, 5.879, 244.96 vs. 4) Paul Lee, Gaithersburg,
Md., '98 Firebird, 5.902, 241.76

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) David Eaton, Merritt Island, Fla., '32 Bantam, A/AP, 6.969 seconds, -0.561 (under index)
2) Al Ackerman, Saddle Brook, N.J., dragster, F/D, 8.234, -0.536
3) David Rampy, Piedmont, Ala., '32 Bantam, A/EA, 7.476, -0.514
4) Larry Pritchett, Clarkrange, Tenn., '04 Sunfire, A/SM, 8.065, -0.475
5) Bo Butner III, Floyds Knobs, Ind., '02 Sonoma, PSTA, 7.825, -0.445
6) Robert Bailey, Wabash, Ind., dragster, A/ED, 6.848, -0.442
7) Mike Farrell, Louisville, Ky., '32 Bantam, A/EA, 7.599, -0.391
8) Glen Treadwell, Sorrento, Fla., '23 roadster, E/ED, 8.680, -0.390
9) Jerry Hemmingson, Concord, N.C., '02 Cavalier, B/A, 7.398, -0.382
10) George Gallimore Jr., Memphis, Tenn., '32 Bantam, A/AP, 7.150, -0.380

SUPER STOCK
1) John Coughlin, Delaware, Ohio, '04 Cavalier, SS/CM, 8.979 seconds, -0.971 (under index)
2) Irvin Johns, Charlestown, Ind., '02 Cavalier, GT/BA, 9.637, -0.913
3) Andy Fogle, Norway, S.C., '04 Cavalier, GT/BA, 9.655, -0.895
4) Bo Butner III, Floyds Knobs, Ind., '02 Grand Am, SS/BM, 8.816, -0.884
5) Matt Hensley, Knoxville, Tenn., '68 Barracuda, SS/A, 9.099, -0.851
6) Stephen McCreary, Cana, Va., '88 Camaro, SS/DS, 10.504, -0.846
7) Jim Holland, Forest City, N.C., '04 Grand Am, GT/EA, 10.147, -0.803
8) Kenny Schindler, Hendersonville, Tenn., '68 Corvette, SS/EA, 9.872, -0.778
9) Hunt Sharron, Greensboro, N.C., '87 Camaro, GT/CA, 9.926, -0.774
10) Tim Worner, Duncannon, Pa., '88 Cutlass, GT/KA, 10.983, -0.767

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) John Livingston, Murfreesboro, Tenn., '91 Camaro, F/FIA, 11.996 seconds, -0.954 (under index)
2) Debra Fickler, Huntley, Ill., '85 El Camino, K/FIA, 14.294, -0.856
3) Carlton Sweasy, Louisville, Ky., '77 Corvette, J/SA, 11.901, -0.849
4) Jeff Hefler, Mansfield, Texas, '98 Formula, B/FIA, 10.879, -0.821
5) Tom Stevenson, Flowery Branch, Ga., '69 Nova, G/SA, 11.489, -0.811
6) Greg Rowe, Bridgeton, N.C., '73 Nova, J/SA, 11.963, -0.787
7) Butch Payne, Rome, Ga., '97 Firebird, C/FIA, 11.263, -0.737
8) Tom Hemmingson, Concord, N.C., '66 Malibu, L/S, 12.279, -0.721
9) Kenny Koonce Jr., Willow Springs, N.C., '69 Camaro, A/SA, 10.591, -0.709
10) Tex Miller, Fayetteville, Pa., '72 Mustang, G/SA, 11.597, -0.703

TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Toney Russell, Ardmore, Ala., '55 Nomad, 6.567 seconds, 210.08 mph
2) Mike Allen Jr., Surgoinsville, Tenn., '97 Firebird, 6.965, 195.53
3) Brian Neal, Campobello, S.C., '04 Grand Am, 7.026, 198.44
4) Gilmer Hinshaw, Burlington, N.C., '99 Monte Carlo, 7.179, 193.79
5) Ronnie Davis, Commerce, Ga., '63 Corvette, 7.191, 190.62
6) Larry Hutcheson, Christmas, Fla., '02 Cavalier, 7.267, 188.04
7) Pat Herold, Maplewood, Minn., dragster, 7.280, 189.02
8) Eric Benitez, Orlando, Fla., dragster, 7.283, 176.37
9) Billy Vaughn, Knoxville, Tenn., '92 Camaro, 7.311, 186.46
10) H T Bilbrey, Willow Springs, N.C., '01 Sonoma, 7.373, 158.78