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NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Saturday results from Firebird International Raceway


NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - PACIFIC DIVISION
FIREBIRD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2005

Mother Nature Washes Out Racing

	PHOENIX - Rain delayed the start of racing, then ended
Saturday's action early for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series
Good-Year Pacific Division Opener at Firebird International Raceway.
Racers finally took to the track about 1 p.m. with round one of
eliminations in Super Street, Super Gas, and Super Comp being completed
before rain forced NHRA and Firebird officials to postpone final
qualifying for the Top Alcohol Dragster, Funny Car, and Comp Eliminator
classes.
	A single qualifying session for the three classes are scheduled
for Sunday morning with Ashley Force currently leading the Top Alcohol
Dragster field with her 5.452 second pass from Friday. Today's shortened
day leaves Phoenix racer Mark Niver, and four others currently not
qualified and in desperate need of a good solid run Sunday morning in
hopes of making the show.
West Covina, Calif., racer Steve Gasparrelli is on top in Alcohol Funny
Car with a 5.694 second lap at 251.86 mph. Gasparrelli is followed by
Kirk Kuhns qualified second and Peoria, Ariz., resident John Patton
rounding out the eight car field with a pass 6.558 seconds. 
	Ken Etter of Riverside, Calif., Gary Harper of Canon City,
Colo., and Joe Roubicek of West Lake Village, Calif., will lead their
classes into round 1 of eliminations at 8 a.m. on Sunday morning. Etter
posted a run of 10.330 seconds for the top spot in Super Stock; Harper's
12.236 second, 1.214 seconds under the index, was best in Stock; and a
7.006 second, 191.81 mph lap put Roubicek on top in the Team Superstores
Top Comp class.
	The Comp Eliminator class was half way through final qualifying
when the rains came halting the days action which leaves Rob Harrison
qualified No. 1 from Friday's session with a run of 7.938 seconds,
-0.602 under the index. Two-time and defending NHRA Lucas Oil National
Champion Dean Carter of Glendale, Ariz., is in the 12th position with
his nostalgia dragster.
	Gates at Firebird International Raceway open at 7 a.m. Sunday
with racing scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Final Qualifying for Comp, Top
Alcohol Dragster, and Top Alcohol Funny Car is set for 9:30 a.m. with
first round of eliminations at 12:30 p.m.

	The following are 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

COM 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 ELIMINATOR
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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