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NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Friday Results from Firebird International Raceway


NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NHRA PACIFIC DIVISION
FIREBIRD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 2005



FORCE LEADS QUALIFYING FOR LUCAS OIL OPENER AT FIREBIRD

	PHOENIX - Ashley Force grabbed the top qualifying spot in Top
Alcohol Dragster for this weekend's NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series
Good-Year Pacific Division Opener with a run of 5.452 seconds at 258.37
mph. The daughter of NHRA PowerAde Funny Car World Champion John Force,
hopes to duplicate what her father did last weekend, and pick up her
first win of the 2005 season. 
The 2004 NHRA South Central Division Champion is followed by defending
Pacific Division Top Alcohol Dragster Champion Chris Demke of Sunland,
Calif., and 2002 Pacific Division Champion Duane Shields in the second
and third spots respectively. Demke clocked in at 5.504 seconds, 258.76
mph while Shields ran a 5.517-second lap at 257.73 mph. Mark Niver of
Phoenix, Ariz., had engine troubles and is currently not qualified for
the eight car field with a 6.396 second run. Niver and the rest of the
field will have two more qualifying shots on Saturday.
	Second Generation driver Steve Gasparrelli of West Covina,
Calif., leads the Top Alcohol Funny Car class posting a 5.694 second run
at 251.86 mph. Kirk Kuhns and Dennis Taylor, defending event champion,
qualified second and third followed by the 2004 Pacific Division Funny
Car Champion Doug Gordon in fourth. Kuhns is right in Gasparrelli's
shadow with a lap of 5.709 seconds, at 250.88 mph. Taylor and Gordon
posted times of 5.730 seconds and 5.757 seconds respectively.
	Vancouver, B.C., resident Rob Harrison is the number one
qualifier in Comp Eliminator with a run of 7.938 seconds, -0.602 under
his index. Peoria, Ariz., racers Jim Cowan and Steve Wilmoth are
qualified sixth and ninth in the 32-car field.
	Ken Etter of Riverside, Calif. leads the Super Stock field with
a 10.330 second pass, 1.170 under the index while Gary Harper is No. 1
in Stock with a 12.236 second run. Lake Village, Calif., resident Joe
Roubicek is on top in the Top Comp field at 7.006 seconds, 191.81 mph.
	Qualifying continues Saturday at 8 a.m. Gates at Firebird
International Raceway open at 7:30 a.m.  Top Alcohol Dragster and Funny
Car run at 12:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.  For more information call the track,
(602) 268-0200.

	The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA
Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Firebird International Raceway

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Ashley Force, Azusa, Calif., 5.452 seconds, 258.37 mph
2) Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., 5.504, 258.76
3) Duane Shields, Las Vegas, 5.517, 257.73
4) Ed Schmeeckle, Gothenburg, Neb., 5.523, 256.16
5) Robert Perkins, Bluffdale, Utah, 5.544, 257.92
6) Ben Harper, Arroyo Grande, Calif., 5.583, 255.29
7) Jack Beckman, North Hills, Calif., 5.695, 255.87
8) Larry Miersch, Huntington Beach, Calif., 5.744, 240.29
Not Qualified
9) Jeff Isbell, Salt Lake City, 5.763, 248.16
10) Mike Austin, Medford, Ore., 5.906, 249.90
11) Aaron Olivarez, Sandy, Utah, 5.908, 245.81
12) Johnny Ahten, Sagus, Calif., 6.081, 204.94
13) Mark Niver, Phoenix, 6.396, 212.29

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '03 Firebird, 5.694 seconds,
251.86 mph
2) Kirk Kuhns, Yorba Linda, Calif., '05 Camaro, 5.709, 250.88
3) Dennis Taylor, Anaheim, Calif., '05 Camaro, 5.730, 246.30
4) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '04 Camaro, 5.757, 249.67
5) Shawn Jones, Albuquerque, N.M., '04 Firebird, 5.945, 246.75
6) Sean Bellemeur, Fullerton, Calif., '97 Cutlass, 6.226, 234.53
7) Bret Williamson, Campbell, Calif., '01 Corvette, 6.294, 235.72
8) John Patton, Peoria, Ariz., '03 Trans Am, 6.558, 162.92 
9) Marc White, Glendale Hts., Ill., '02 Firebird, 6.923, 141.94
Not Qualified
10) Mark Woznichak, Riverside, Calif., '02 Camaro, 7.197, 134.27
11) Rian Konno, Rosemead, Calif., '01 Firebird, 8.961, 94.86
12) Hannes Wernhart, Bakersfield, Calif., '02 Firebird, 10.584, 71.01
13) Bil Gallio, Anaheim, Calif., '02 Camaro, 10.962, 42.29

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Rob Harrison, N. Vancouver, B.C., '05 Cavalier, J/A, 7.938 seconds,
-0.602 (under index)
2) Colt Mikel, Hempstead, Texas, '02 S-10, B/TA, 8.367, -0.593
3) Daniel Mikel, Cypress, Texas, '02 S-10, B/TA, 8.382, -0.578
4) Lou Ficco Jr., Wheat Ridge, Colo., '63 Corvette, B/AA, 7.223, -0.577
5) Vinnie Deceglie, Alta Loma, Calif., '63 Corvette, A/A, 6.622, -0.568
6) Jim Cowan, Peoria, Ariz., '04 Cavalier, B/EA, 7.965, -0.565
7) Doug Lambeck, Northridge, Calif., '05 Sunfire, E/SMA, 8.680, -0.560
8) Tom Tucker, Bend, Ore., '98 Lumina, F/A, 8.230, -0.550
9) Steve Wilmoth, Peoria, Ariz., '34 Chevy, C/SR, 8.717, -0.543
10) Bill Kent, Midland, Texas, dragster, C/D, 7.103, -0.507

SUPER STOCK
1) Ken Etter, Riverside, Calif., '00 Sebring, GT/IA, 10.330 seconds,
-1.170 (under index)
2) Jimmy DeFrank, Tarzana, Calif., '98 Grand Am, SS/BS, 8.960, -1.090
3) Fred Moreno, La Verne, Calif., '69 Mustang, SS/GA, 9.792, -1.058
4) Steve Wann, Modsto, Calif., '97 Dakota, GT/TA, 9.817, -1.033
5) Darren Smith, Palmdale, Calif., '68 Dart, SS/GA, 9.818, -1.032
6) Ryan McClanahan, Alta Loma, Calif., '67 Camaro, SS/HA, 9.876, -1.024
7) Bryan Broaddus, Yorba Linda, Calif., '71 Monte Carlo, SS/EA, 9.648,
-1.002
8) Chuck Rayburn, Castro Valley, Calif., '64 Belvedere, SS/BA, 9.200,
-1.000
9) Kip Martin, Phoenix, '64 Mustang, SS/L, 10.562, -0.988
10) Terry Sherrill, Klamath Falls, Ore., '02 Cavalier, SS/AM, 8.491,
-0.959

STOCK
1) Gary Harper, Canon City, Colo., '86 D-150, O/SA, 12.236 seconds,
-1.214 (under index)
2) Harry Doolittle, Heber City, Mich., '02 Firebird, H/FIA, 12.280,
-1.170
3) Steve Wann, Modesto, Calif., '70 GTX, B/SA, 10.416, -1.134
4) Bobby DeArmond, Gallup, N.M., '69 Camaro, A/SA, 10.186, -1.114
5) Keith Lynch, Taylorsville, Utah, '70 Camaro, B/SA, 10.436, -1.114
6) Jeff Lee, Anthem, Ariz., '70 AMX, D/S, 10.688, -1.112
7) John Schloe, Garden Grove, Calif., '69 Firebird, D/SA, 10.741, -1.109
8) Tim Hall, Fountain Valley, Calif., '73 Dart, G/SA, 11.200, -1.100
9) Lloyd MacKay, Cedar Grove, N.J., '02 Firebird, I/FIA, 12.673, -1.077
10) Randy Loge, Brentwood, Calif., '72 Duster, F/SA, 11.096, -1.054

TOP COMP
1) Joe Roubicek, West Lake Village, Calif., dragster, 7.006 seconds,
191.81 mph
2) Tom Koenen, North Bend, Ore., dragster, 7.198, 184.12
3) Paul Gladden, Tracy, Calif., dragster, 7.272, 183.77
4) Todd Hoerner, Deer Park, Wash., '04 Grand Am, 7.280, 188.52
5) Larry Scarth, Manhatten Beach, Calif., dragster, 7.325, 181.40
6) Dave Morgan, Concord, Calif., dragster, 7.356, 182.95
7) Ron Amereno, Tucson, Ariz., dragster, 7.436, 180.38
8) Mike McBrair, Napa, Calif., dragster, 7.440, 180.38
9) Paul Shell, Sandy, Utah, dragster, 7.441, 181.62
10) Mel Leforbes, Riverside, Calif., dragster, 7.490, 178.80

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