NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Saturday from Houston
Raceway Park
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION
HOUSTON RACEWAY PARK, BAYTOWN, TEXAS
March 12, 2005
FORCE MAINTAINS TOP SPOT IN TAD WHLE McCLAIN EARNS NO. 1 IN TAFC
BAYTOWN, Texas - Qualifying is complete at the NHRA Lucas Oil
Drag Racing Series at Houston Raceway Park. Ashley Force, of Anaheim Hills,
Calif., remained in the No. 1 spot in Top Alcohol Dragster while Lake
Dallas, Texas, racer Richard McClain moved into the top position in Top
Alcohol Funny Car.
Force, the daughter of 13-time NHRA Funny Car champion John
Force, ran 5.368 seconds at 263.20 mph in her first qualifying run on
Friday. Although she did not improve on the numbers, it was enough to keep
the defending division champ ahead of second place qualifier, Shelly Howard
of Tulsa, Okla.
McClain came into today's action qualified fourth. In the
second qualifying run he moved to second place behind Friday's leader Tate
Branch of Artesia, N.M. In the final run, McClain passed Branch with a
5.762-second, 250.46 mph run.
The top qualifiers in other classes were Raymond Martin, Mt
Belvieu, Texas, in Comp Eliminator and Brent Johnson, Lecompte, La., in
Super Stock. Madisonville, Texas, racer Fred Henson remained No. 1 in Stock
Eliminator as did Suncraft Racing Engines Top Sportsman driver Keith Raferty
of lake Charles, La.
Defending division champion Larry Eperjesi, Lake Dallas, Texas, kept the
lead position in Sportsman Motorcycle and Houston's John Garner stayed on
top in Top Dragster.
Racing continues Sunday at Houston Raceway Park. Gates open at 8 a.m. and
eliminations start at 9 a.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car
will run first round of eliminations at noon.
Tickets are $22. Kids 6 to 12 are $12 and children 5 and under are
admitted free. For more information, call Houston Raceway Park, (281)
383-RACE.
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 Houston Raceway Park:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Ashley Force, Anaheim Hills, Calif., 5.368 seconds, 264.08 mph
2) Shelly Howard, Tulsa, Okla., 5.392, 265.90
3) Aaron Olivarez, San Luis Obispo, Calif., 5.440, 266.53
4) Jeff Wilson, Winfield, Mo., 5.450, 261.22
5) James Thompson, Vernon, Texas, 5.463, 257.63
6) Randy Meyer, Spring Hill, Kan., 5.508, 246.66
7) Karl Brounkowski, Magnolia, Texas, 5.579, 248.52
8) Darryl Hitchman, Hanford, Calif., 5.581, 247.02
Not Qualified
9) Gene Snow, Fort Worth, Texas, 5.585, 257.68
10) Carl Magee, Victoria, Texas, 5.760, 233.40
11) Brandon Pierce, Glendora, Calif., 5.839, 232.51
12) Allan Mittendorf, Millstadt, Ill., 5.903, 243.81
13) Vitali Kazakevich, Houston, 10.369, 85.95
First round TAD pairings
1) Ashley Force, Anaheim Hills, Calif., 5.368 seconds, 264.08 mph vs. 8)
Darryl Hitchman, Hanford, Calif., 5.581, 247.02
2) Shelly Howard, Tulsa, Okla., 5.392, 265.90 vs. 7) Karl Brounkowski,
Magnolia, Texas, 5.579,
248.52
3) Aaron Olivarez, San Luis Obispo, Calif., 5.440, 266.53 vs. 6) Randy
Meyer, Spring Hill, Kan., 5.508, 246.66
4) Jeff Wilson, Winfield, Mo., 5.450, 261.22 vs. 5) James Thompson, Vernon,
Texas, 5.463, 257.63
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Richard McClain, Lake Dallas, Texas, '03 Firebird, 5.762 seconds, 250.46
mph
2) Tate Branch, Artesia, N.M., '03 Camaro, 5.798, 230.96
3) Brandon Lewis, Broken Arrow, Okla., '96 Oldsmobile, 5.838, 247.97
4) Jackie Stidham, Chickasha, Okla., '00 Camaro, 5.959, 193.38
5) Jimmy Jones, Cleburne, Texas, '99 Camaro, 6.015, 238.81
6) Steve Burck, Corpus Christi, Texas, '98 Avenger, 6.311, 206.92
7) Ron Morrison, Oklahoma City, '97 Camaro, 6.341, 171.23
First round TAFC pairings
1) Richard McClain, Lake Dallas, Texas, '03 Firebird, 5.762 seconds, 250.46
mph vs. Bye
2) Tate Branch, Artesia, N.M., '03 Camaro, 5.798, 230.96 vs. 7) Ron
Morrison, Oklahoma City, '97 Camaro, 6.341, 171.23
3) Brandon Lewis, Broken Arrow, Okla., '96 Oldsmobile, 5.838, 247.97 vs. 6)
Steve Burck, Corpus Christi, Texas, '98 Avenger, 6.311, 206.92
4) Jackie Stidham, Chickasha, Okla., '00 Camaro, 5.959, 193.38 vs. 5) Jimmy
Jones, Cleburne, Texas, '99 Camaro, 6.015, 238.81
Competition Eliminator
1) Raymond Martin, Mt. Belvieu, Texas, '32 Bantam, K/AA, 7.728 seconds,
-0.722 (under index)
2) Craig Bourgeois, Matairie, La., dragster, A/ND, 6.892, -0.698
3) Bo Nickens, Conroe, Texas, '99 Neon, B/AP, 7.330, -0.690
4) Scott Cashio, Ventress, La., '96 Achieva, G/SMA, 8.909, -0.671
5) Charlie Stewart, Arlington, Texas, '63 Corvette, F/EA, 8.349, -0.661
6) Pete Carbery, Odessa, Texas, '02 Cavalier, B/A, 7.086, -0.654
7) Bill Devine, Allen, Texas, '32 Bantam, G/EA, 8.561, -0.639
8) Rodger Brogdon, Tomball, Texas, '04 Cavalier, A/SMA, 7.946, -0.634
9) Shane Heckel, LaPorte, Texas, dragster, B/D, 6.770, -0.620
10) Jeff Miller, Pearland, Texas, '99 Grand Am, B/SMA, 8.176, -0.614
Super Stock
1) Brent Johnson, Lecompte, La., '91 Calais, GT/IA, 10.229 seconds, -1.271
(under index)
2) Robert Cruzen, Cleveland, Okla., '03 S-10, GT/TC, 10.131, -1.269
3) Blair Patrick, New Hope, Tenn., '68 Mustang, SS/FA, 9.513, -1.237
4) Tony Cowell, Weatherford, Texas, '81 Camaro, GT/JA, 10.374, -1.226
5) J.W. Hames, Madison, Miss., '89 Daytona, GT/JA, 10.398, -1.202
6) Terry Pearson, Spanish Fort, Ala., '02 Cavalier, GT/BA, 9.424, -1.126
7) Gilbert Johnson Jr., Lecompte, La., '91 Calais, GT/JA, 10.500, -1.100
8) Jerry Emmons, Pasadena, Texas, '91 Calais, GT/CA, 9.606, -1.094
9) Kevin Helms, Mineola, Texas, '69 Camaro, SS/BM, 8.646, -1.054
10) Kenny Jeansonne, LeCompte, La., '66 Impala, SS/OA, 11.570, -1.030
Stock Eliminator
1) Fred Henson, Madisonville, Texas, '70 Challenger, A/SA, 9.946 seconds,
-1.354 (under index)
2) R.J. Sledge, Boerne, Texas, '67 Fairlane, F/SA, 10.883, -1.267
3) Austin Ford, Spring, Texas, '67 Shelby, D/SA, 10.588, -1.262
4) Terry Landry, Baton Rouge, La., '69 Camaro, H/SA, 11.193, -1.257
5) Dean Oliver, Stuttgart, Ark., '79 Malibu, K/SA, 11.699, -1.251
6) Jerry Davis, Santa Fe, Texas, '72 Duster, F/SA, 10.902, -1.248
7) Jimmy Hidalgo, Donaldsonville, La., '98 Camaro, C/FIA, 10.821, -1.179
8) Larry Hudson, Ruston, La., '85 Camaro, I/S, 11.327, -1.173
9) Heather Park, Pilot Point, Texas, '67 Mustang, C/SA, 10.554, -1.146
10) Patrick Courts Sr., New Iberia, La., '87 Trans Am, H/FIA, 12.307, -1.143
TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Keith Raferty, 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, 201.10
4) Allen Firestone, Velma, Okla., '00 S-10, 6.977, 198.70
5) Joseph Mohana, Bourg, La., '93 Firebird, 6.996, 198.17
6) Britt Cummings, Hammond, La., '98 Firebird, 7.128, 188.33
7) Kyle Cannon, W. Helena, Ark., '03 Cavalier, 7.158, 192.82
8) Earle Folse, Raceland, La., '86 Cutlass, 7.209, 191.67
9) Robert Fitzhenry, Tomball, Texas, '02 Corvette, 7.236, 191.38
10) Scott Randall, Carrollton, Texas, '02 Cavalier, 7.266, 189.55
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) Shane Eperjesi, Lake Dallas, Texas, '88 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.001
5) Chris LeBouef, Lafayette, La., '85 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.003
6) Gerald Jordon, Kyle, Texas, '92 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.006
7) Kelly Pulley, League City, Texas, '82 Kawasaki, ETMX, 0.006
8) Lisa Bennett, Plano, Texas, '04 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.010
9) David Latino, Donaldsonville, La., '01 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.010
10) Lee Peterson, Livingston, Texas, '85 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.010
TOP DRAGSTER
1) John Garner, Houston, dragster, 6.922 seconds, 195.62 mph
2) Michael Manners, Willis, Texas, dragster, 6.928, 197.13
3) Jim Gascoyne, Sugarland, Texas, dragster, 6.930, 192.74
4) Ellard Lambert, Highlands, Texas, dragster, 7.033, 187.00
5) Michael Kile, Westlake, La., dragster, 7.059, 191.84
6) Mark Jones, Marrero, La., dragster, 7.103, 190.59
7) Kevin Ford, Amarillo, Texas, dragster, 7.117, 188.57
8) Mike Nicoll, Tickfaw, La., dragster, 7.130, 189.02
9) Rocky McCain, Ft. Worth, Texas, dragster, 7.223, 184.17
10) Debbie Fitzhenry, Tomball, Texas, dragster, 7.248, 184.65
