NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Saturday from Gainesville Raceway

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES – SOUTHEAST DIVISION

GAINESVILLE RACEWAY, GAINESVILLE, FLA.

Saturday, February 26, 2005

GALLANT, PAYNE LEAD QUALIFYING AT GAINESVILLE RACEWAY

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In qualifying today at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Gainesville Raceway, former Top Alcohol Dragster national champion Arthur Gallant took the No. 1 position while in Top Alcohol Funny Car defending division champ Jay Payne leads the pack.

In his first qualifying pass today Gallant, of Boxboro, Mass., ran 5.280 seconds at 265.72 mph. That effort was enough to hold off No. 2 qualifier Bill Reichert of Owosso, Mich., who qualified with a 5.359-second, 264.86 mph pass.

In the second qualifying session of the day, Claremont, Calif., resident Payne ran 5.625 seconds at 253.23 mph to improve on his initial run and retain the top spot. The second qualifier, John Alberigi III of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., ran 6.233 seconds at 222.38 mph.

In Comp Eliminator, Gary Wisecarver of Rustburg, Va., heads the field while in Super Stock, Norway, S.C., racer Andy Fogle is No. 1. In Stock Eliminator Vero Beach’s Jeff Velde is the best qualifier and Top Sportsman driver Ronnie Davis of Commerce, Ga., heads up the competition.

Racing at Gainesville Raceway continues Sunday. Gates open at 8 a.m. and eliminations start at 9 a.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car run first round at 1 p.m.

Tickets are $20 and children 11 and under are admitted free with a paid adult. For more information call Gainesville Raceway, (352) 377-0046, or visit www.GainesvilleRaceway.com.

 

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 event at Gainesville Raceway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

1) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.280 seconds, 265.72 mph

2) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.359, 264.86

3) Guy Kelly, Wadley, Ala., 5.423, 261.24

4) Daniel Mercier, St. Timothee, Que., 5.462, 262.62

5) Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., 5.558, 258.69

6) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.676, 252.45

7) Michael Gunderson, Middleburg, Fla., 5.727, 233.16

8) Dick Garlets, Odessa, Texas, 5.732, 244.89 

Not Qualified

9) Donald Gianquitto, Melrose, Mass., 5.805, 251.88

10) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., 5.859, 243.90

11) Ziggy Zivkovich, Litchfield, Minn., 5.980, 242.52

12) Don Fiorelli, Palm Bay, Fla., 6.146, 228.65

13) Ron Griffis, Gainesville, Fla., 6.651, 220.21

14) Bill Evans, Miramar, Fla., 6.993, 209.74

15) Jason Cannon, Middleburg, Fla., 8.676, 94.67

16) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 9.214, 82.28

First round TAD pairings

1) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.280 seconds, 265.72 mph vs. 8) Dick Garlets, Odessa, Texas, 5.732, 244.89

2) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.359, 264.86 vs. 7) Michael Gunderson, Middleburg, Fla., 5.727, 233.16

3) Guy Kelly, Wadley, Ala., 5.423, 261.24 vs. 6) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.676, 252.45

4) Daniel Mercier, St. Timothee, Quebec, 5.462, 262.62 vs. 5) Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., 5.558, 258.69

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR

1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '04 Camaro, 5.625 seconds, 253.23 mph

2) John Alberigi III, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., '99 Thunderbird, 6.233, 222.38

3) Kyle Green, Holly Springs, N.C., '03 Firebird, 8.132, 111.09

4) Mark Billington, Apopka, Fla., '01 Avenger, 14.858, 54.18

First round TAFC pairings

1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '04 Camaro, 5.625 seconds, 253.23 mph vs. 4) Mark Billington, Apopka, Fla., '01 Avenger, 14.858, 54.18

2) John Alberigi III, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., '99 Thunderbird, 6.233, 222.38 vs. 3) Kyle Green, Holly Springs, N.C., '03 Firebird, 8.132, 111.09

Comp Eliminator

1) Gary Wisecarver, Rustburg, Va., '05 Cavalier, H/SM, 9.087 seconds, -0.693 (under index)

2) Bo Butner, Floyds Knobs, Ind., '02 Grand Am, G/SMA, 8.926, -0.654

3) Larry Pritchett, Clarkrange, Tenn., '05 Sunfire, B/SM, 8.121, -0.649

4) Jerry Hemmingson, Concord, N.C., '02 Cavalier, B/A, 7.092, -0.648

5) Jeff Taylor, Lumberton, N.C., '04 Cavalier, B/SMA, 8.181, -0.609

6) Donald Eberly, Brunswick, Ga., '03 Cavalier, C/EA, 8.143, -0.607

7) Brad Zaskowski, Grand Rapids, Mich., '92 Camaro, H/SM, 9.176, -0.604

8) Michael Hardee, Wilmington, N.C., '05 Sunfire, E/SMA, 8.657, -0.583

9) Mike Saye, Johnston, S.C., '92 Cutlass, H/A, 8.840, -0.580

10) Glen Treadwell, Sorrento, Fla., '23 roadster, A/EA, 7.431, -0.549

Super Stock

1) Andy Fogle, Norway, S.C., '04 Cavalier, GT/BA, 9.301 seconds, -1.249 (under index)

2) Brian Oakes, De Bary, Fla., '69 Camaro, SS/EA, 9.406, -1.244

3) Bobby Dennis, Shorter, Ala., '95 Achieva, GT/KA, 10.524, -1.226

4) Bill Sharpe, Louisville, Ky., '95 Acheiva, GT/IA, 10.292, -1.208

5) Brad Allen, Winamac, Ind., '03 S-10, GT/TB, 9.991, -1.159

6) Cliff Reigle, Ashland City, Tenn., '67 Camaro, SS/FA, 9.637, -1.113

7) Everett Hill, Fayetteville, Ga., '64 Mustang, SS/M, 10.806, -1.094

8) Terry Pearson, Spanish Fort, Ala., '02 Cavalier, GT/BA, 9.458, -1.092

9) Randy Hopkins, Cable, Wis., '68 Dart, SS/AA, 8.812, -1.088

10) David Barton, Robesonia, Pa., '68 Dart, SS/AA, 8.813, -1.087

Stock Eliminator

1) Jeff Velde, Vero Beach, Fla., '67 Shelby GT, A/SA, 9.992 seconds, -1.308 (under index)

2) Doug Patrick, Boca Raton, Fla., '72 Cutlass, L/SA, 11.784, -1.216

3) Daran Summerton, Panama City, Fla., '89 Pontiac Wgn, U/SA, 13.944, -1.206

4) John Livingston, Murfreesboro, Tenn., '90 Camaro, E/FIA, 11.462, -1.138

5) Garry Glazener, Jackson, S.C., '72 Mustang, F/SA, 11.032, -1.118

6) Jeff Hairrington, Perry, Ga., '69 Camaro, H/SA, 11.351, -1.099

7) Scott Demmy, Ft. Pierce, Fla., '87 Mustang, G/FIA, 12.063, -1.087

8) Gary Richard, Bay Shore, N.Y., '69 Camaro, C/SA, 10.619, -1.081

9) Painter Stevenson, Flowery Branch, Ga., '69 Nova, G/SA, 11.239, -1.061

10) Brenda Grubbs, Charlotte, N.C., '69 Camaro, H/SA, 11.395, -1.055

TOP SPORTSMAN

1) Ronnie Davis, Commerce, Ga., '63 Corvette, 6.708 seconds, 207.75 mph

2) Joe Baker, Milton, Fla., '02 Neon, 6.897, 169.42

3) Rick Corn, Benton, Ill., '05 Avenger, 6.915, 197.23

4) Jim Harrington, Ft. Walton Bch., Fla., '99 Olds, 7.049, 197.23

5) Robert Sellers, Bunnell, Fla., '98 Avenger, 7.124, 195.43

6) Mike Gardner, Haymarket, Va., '04 Grand Am, 7.124, 186.68

7) Larry Hutcheson Sr., Christmas, Fla., '02 Cavalier, 7.165, 190.92

8) Jerry Barker, Byron, Ga., '02 Camaro, 7.177, 191.16

9) Billy Vaughn, Knoxville, Tenn., '92 Camaro, 7.183, 191.00

10) J. Lee Didier, Fort Smith, Ark., '04 Cavalier, 7.190, 190.96