NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Friday from Houston Raceway Park

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION

HOUSTON RACEWAY PARK, BAYTOWN, TEXAS

Friday, March 11, 2005
 

FORCE, BRANCH EARLY QUALIFYING LEADERS AT HOUSTON RACEWAY PARK       

 

            BAYTOWN, Texas - Early rounds of qualifying are complete at the
NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Houston Raceway Park.  Top
Alcohol Dragster driver Ashley Force and Top Alcohol Funny Car pilot Tate
Branch took the No. 1 qualifying positions in their classes. 

Force, of Anaheim Hills, Calif., outran the field with a pass of 5.368
seconds at 263.20 mph.  Last week, she competed at an out-of-division race
in Phoenix and was the top qualifier en route to the winner's circle.  The
22-year-old racer is the daughter of 13-time NHRA Funny Car champion John
Force and is the defending division Top Alcohol Dragster champion. 

Artesia, N.M., racer Branch ran 5.930 seconds at 195.45 mph.  Branch is a
former division champion and won this race last year.

The top qualifiers in other classes were Scott Cashio, Ventress, La., in
Comp Eliminator; Monty Campbell, Georgetown, Miss., in Super Stock; Fred
Henson, Madisonville, Texas, in Stock Eliminator; and Larry Eperjesi, Lake
Dallas, Texas, in Sportsman Motorcycle.  The best qualifier in the Sunset
Racing Engines Top Sportsman class was Keith Raferty, Lake Charles, La.; and
in Top Dragster, Houston's John Garner was No. 1.

            Qualifying and time trials continue Saturday at Houston Raceway
Park and eliminations start Sunday morning.  Gates open at 8 a.m. both days
and qualifying and time trials continue at 9 a.m. Saturday.  Top Alcohol
Dragsters and Top Alcohol Funny Cars will make qualifying runs at 1 p.m. and
4 p.m.  Tickets are $18 Saturday and $22 Sunday.  Children 6 to 12 are $10
Saturday and $12 Sunday. Kids 5 and under are admitted free.  For more
information call Houston Raceway Park, (281) 383-RACE.

 

            The following are Friday's qualifying results from Houston
Raceway Park's NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event:

 

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

1) Ashley Force, Anaheim Hills, Calif., 5.368 seconds, 263.20 mph

2) Aaron Olivarez, San Luis Obispo, Calif., 5.440, 266.53

3) Shelly Howard, Tulsa, Okla., 5.461, 264.03

4) Randy Meyer, Spring Hill, Kan., 5.550, 246.62

5) Darryl Hitchman, Hanford, Calif., 5.642, 244.47

6) James Thompson, Vernon, Texas, 5.660, 256.06

7) Jeff Wilson, Winfield, Mo., 5.677, 251.95

8) Karl Brounkowski, Magnolia, Texas, 6.056, 226.13 

Not Qualified

9) Allan Mittendorf, Millstadt, Ill., 6.324, 215.75

10) Brandon Pierce, Glendora, Calif., 18.234, 44.21

11) Gene Snow, Fort Worth, Texas, 22.224, 56.22

 

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR

1) Tate Branch, Artesia, N.M., '03 Camaro, 5.930 seconds, 195.45 mph

2) Jackie Stidham, Chickasha, Okla., '00 Camaro, 5.959, 193.38

3) Steve Burck, Corpus Christi, Texas, '98 Avenger, 6.311, 206.92

4) Ron Morrison, Oklahoma City, '97 Camaro, 6.341, 171.23

5) Richard McClain, Lake Dallas, Texas, '03 Firebird, 6.809, 135.37

6) Brandon Lewis, Broken Arrow, Okla., '96 Oldsmobile, 9.747, 89.14

7) Jimmy Jones, Cleburne, Texas, '99 Camaro, 11.896, 79.07

 

COMP ELIMINATOR

1) Scott Cashio, Ventress, La., '96 Achieva, G/SMA, 8.910 seconds, -0.670
(under index)

2) Charles Watson Jr., Humble, Texas, '98 Lumina, H/A, 8.836, -0.584

3) Joey Tanksley, Greenwell Spring, La., dragster, B/ED, 6.964, -0.546

4) J. Allen Sherman, Donaldsonville, La., '90 Grand Am, H/SMA, 9.241, -0.539

5) Pete Carbery, Odessa, Texas, '02 Cavalier, B/A, 7.237, -0.503

6) Del Segura, Harvey, La., dragster, F/D, 8.243, -0.497

7) Joe Shalkowski, Hawley, Texas, dragster, F/ED, 8.526, -0.464

8) Shane Heckel, LaPorte, Texas, dragster, B/D, 6.937, -0.453

9) Dennis Smiley, Denver City, Texas, dragster, B/ED, 7.085, -0.425

10) Rhett Fulton, Hammond, La., dragster, B/ED, 7.090, -0.420

 

SUPER STOCK

1) Monty Campbell, Georgetown, Miss., '66 Nova, SS/LA, 10.280 seconds,
-1.470 (under index)

2) Robert Cruzen, Cleveland, Okla., '03 S-10, GT/TC, 10.169, -1.231

3) Brent Johnson, Lecompte, La., '91 Calais, GT/IA, 10.293, -1.207

4) Tony Cowell, Weatherford, Texas, '81 Camaro, GT/JA, 10.431, -1.169

5) J.W. Hames, Madison, Miss., '89 Daytona, GT/JA, 10.466, -1.134

6) Blair Patrick, New Hope, Tenn., '68 Mustang, SS/FA, 9.650, -1.100

7) Terry Pearson, Spanish Fort, Ala., '02 Cavalier, GT/BA, 9.472, -1.078

8) Gilbert Johnson Jr., Lecompte, La., '91 Calais, GT/JA, 10.542, -1.058

9) Jerry Emmons, Pasadena, Texas, '91 Calais, GT/CA, 9.662, -1.038

10) Pete Peery, Bowie, Texas, '97 Firebird, GT/EA, 9.973, -0.977

 

STOCK ELIMINATOR

1) Fred Henson, Madisonville, Texas, '70 Challenger, A/SA, 10.054 seconds,
-1.246 (under index)

2) Jerry Davis, Santa Fe, Texas, '72 Duster, F/SA, 10.971, -1.179

3) R.J. Sledge, Boerne, Texas, '67 Fairlane, F/SA, 10.982, -1.168

4) Austin Ford, Spring, Texas, '67 Shelby, D/SA, 10.727, -1.123

5) Patrick Courts Sr., New Iberia, La., '87 Trans Am, H/FIA, 12.354, -1.096

6) Larry Hudson, Ruston, La., '85 Camaro, I/S, 11.448, -1.052

7) Floyd Russo, Gonzales, La., '01 Firebird, A/FIA, 10.271, -1.029

8) Dean Oliver, Stuttgart, Ark., '79 Malibu, K/SA, 11.939, -1.011

9) Jimmy Hidalgo, Donaldsonville, La., '98 Camaro, C/FIA, 11.002, -0.998

10) Verne Buchanan, Conway, Ark., '73 Mustang, H/SA, 11.455, -0.995

 

TOP SPORTSMAN

1) Keith Raftery, Lake Charles, La., '00 Grand Am, 6.736 seconds, 207.88 mph

2) Bert Prejean, St. Amant, La., '00 Firebird, 6.889, 201.46

3) Greg Lair, Canyon, Texas, '05 Grand Am, 6.891, 200.11

4) Kyle Cannon, W. Helena, Ark., '03 Cavalier, 7.168, 192.47

5) Earle Folse, Raceland, La., '86 Cutlass, 7.226, 190.48

6) Robert Fitzhenry, Tomball, Texas, '02 Corvette, 7.236, 189.92

7) Scott Randall, Carrollton, Texas, '02 Cavalier, 7.266, 189.47

8) Todd Drummond, Bay St. Louis, Miss., '04 Monte Carlo, 7.384, 181.72

9) Brad Clark, Raymond, Miss., '98 Corvette, 7.430, 181.32

10) Larry Smith, Ridgeland, Miss., '94 Cutlass, 7.560, 187.44

 

SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE

1) Larry Eperjesi, Lake Dallas, Texas, '00 Koenig, ETMX, 0.000 seconds
reaction time

2) Rob Bennett, Plano, Texas, '84 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.001

3) Eddie Glaze, Houston, '90 Katana, ETMX, 0.001

4) Gerald Jordon, Kyle, Texas, '92 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.006

5) Lisa Bennett, Plano, Texas, '04 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.010

6) Lee Peterson, Livingston, Texas, '85 Suzuki, KMC, 0.011

7) Robert Sanders, Houston, '04 Kawasaki, ETMX, 0.014

8) Rich Gentili, Humble, Texas, '83 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.014

9) John M. Paterson, Pearland, Texas, '83 Suzuki, KMC, 0.014

10) Mike Mccullah, Houston, '00 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.017

 

TOP DRAGSTER

1) John Garner, Houston, dragster, 6.968 seconds, 193.54 mph

2) Michael Manners, Willis, Texas, dragster, 6.990, 193.29

3) Mark Jones, Marrero, La., dragster, 7.154, 187.44

4) Debbie Fitzhenry, Tomball, Texas, dragster, 7.265, 182.58

5) Rocky McCain, Ft. Worth, Texas, dragster, 7.297, 180.19

6) Wayne Baker, San Antonio, Texas, dragster, 7.314, 182.01

7) Kevin Ford, Amarillo, Texas, dragster, 7.334, 185.03

8) Billy Selman Jr., Grapevine, Texas, dragster, 7.369, 181.25

9) David P. Strain, Kenner, La., dragster, 7.374, 183.00

10) Jim Gascoyne, Sugarland, Texas, dragster, 7.382, 174.91