NHRA Pacific Division Lucas Oil Series from Famoso Raceway-- Saturday Qualifying

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - PACIFIC DIVISION

FAMOSO RACEWAY, BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2005


FIELDS SET FOR BIG LUCAS SERIES SHOWDOWN AT FAMOSO RACEWAY

 

     BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - More than 530 drivers slugged it out Saturday
to make the fields for Sunday's NHRA Pacific division Lucas Oil Drag
Racing Series event presented by Budweiser at Famoso Dragway.

     In the marquee classes of Top Alcohol Dragster (TAD) and Top
Alcohol Funny Car (TAFC), Chris Demke and Steve Gasparrelli held on the
top spots they grabbed Friday.

     Both fields are strong with qualifiers within mere fractions of a
second of each other.  Demke, of Sunland, Calif., the defending champion
in the Pacific division, hammered out a 5.438-second run at 264.08 mph
to the lead the pack in TAD. Duane Shields, of Las Vegas, was right on
his heels at 5.497 seconds and 260.56 mph.  The entire field is bunched
up under 5.85 seconds.

     Gasparrelli, a second-generation driver from West Covina, Calif.,
maintained the TAFC top spot with his 5.626-second 256.33 mph
performance in his Pontiac Firebird skinned entry.  That was good enough
to hold off Dennis Taylor's 5.01, 250.00 mph effort.  Gasparrelli and
Taylor are in a heated battle for the 2005 Pacific Division title,
having split the two previous events in Phoenix and Tuscon.

     In Comp Eliminator, John Chamberlin of Napa, Calif., drove his
B/Dragster to a 6.733-second top spot, going .617 under his class Index.

     The Korbel Super Eliminator and Team Superstores Top Comp
categories will also be contested on Sunday.  Super Comp is open to all
entrants, while Gary Groves of Provo, Utah, holds down the top
qualifying spot in Top Comp at 6.378 second and 206.28 mph.

     The father and son team of Don and Steve Wann remained on top of
the leader board for the Super Stock and Stock Eliminator.  The Modesto,
Calif.-based duo hopes to improve on an already very successful 2005
campaign. 

 

Final Eliminations begin Sunday at 8 a.m.  Gates open at 7 a.m.  First
round of TAC and TAFC are scheduled for noon.  Tickets are $20 for
adults.  Children 11 and under are admitted free with a paid adult. For
more information, call Famoso Raceway, (661) 399-2210 or visit
www.FamosoRaceway.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 presented by Budweiser event at Famoso Raceway:

 


TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., 5.438 seconds, 264.08 mph
2) Duane Shields, Boulder City, Nev., 5.497, 260.56
3) Robert Perkins, Bluffdale, Utah, 5.517, 254.23
4) Johnny Ahten, Saugus, Calif., 5.629, 258.99
5) Kevin Brown, Clearfield, Utah, 5.671, 228.07
6) Larry Miersch, Huntington Beach, Calif., 5.780, 208.71
7) Frank Dischbein, Las Vegas, Nev., 5.824, 249.37
8) Ben Harper, Arroyo Grande, Calif., 5.858, 247.45
Not Qualified
9) Randy Johnson, Whittier, Calif., 5.921, 219.94
10) Mark Niver, Scottsdale, Ariz., 5.996, 242.26
11) Danny Valdez, San Rafael, Calif., 6.428, 237.40
12) Dennis Swearingen, Valencia, Calif., 6.444, 216.86

First round TAD pairings
1) Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., 5.438 seconds, 264.08 mph vs. 8) Ben
Harper, Arroyo Grande,
Calif., 5.858, 247.45
2) Duane Shields, Boulder City, Nev., 5.497, 260.56 vs. 7) Frank
Dischbein, Las Vegas, Nev.,
5.824, 249.37
3) Robert Perkins, Bluffdale, Utah, 5.517, 254.23 vs. 6) Larry Miersch,
Huntington Beach,
Calif., 5.780, 208.71
4) Johnny Ahten, Saugus, Calif., 5.629, 258.99 vs. 5) Kevin Brown,
Clearfield, Utah, 5.671,
228.07

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '03 Firebird, 5.626 seconds,
256.33 mph
2) Dennis Taylor, Anaheim, Calif., '05 Camaro, 5.701, 250.00
3) Mark Woznichak, Ontario, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.709, 253.37
4) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '04 Camaro, 5.764, 251.11
5) Larry Miner, Woodbridge, Calif., '02 Firebird, 5.774, 254.09
6) John Weaver, Newport Beach, Calif., '05 Camaro, 5.852, 250.27
7) Hannes Wernhart, Bakersfield, Calif., '02 Firebird, 5.910, 248.48
8) Bret Williamson, Campbell, Calif., '01 Corvette, 5.969, 240.00
Not Qualified
9) Sean Bellemeur, Fullerton, Calif., '97 Cutlass, 5.994, 245.83
10) Bob Gallio, Anaheim, Calif., '02 Camaro, 6.199, 231.18
11) Mert Littlefield, Garden Grove, Calif., '05 Monte Carlo, 6.206,
178.78
12) Shawn Rizzone, Fontana, Calif., '96 Olds, 6.301, 226.52
13) Bil Gallio, Anaheim, Calif., '02 Camaro, 6.355, 225.96
14) Dale Van Gundy, Anaheim, Calif., '98 Camaro, 6.363, 229.82
15) Don Hudson, Stockton, Calif., '02 Camaro, 7.047, 188.83
16) Mike Drake, Glendora, Calif., '01 Avenger, 8.166, 129.98
17) Rian Konno, Rosemead, Calif., '02 Firebird, 9.309, 89.30

First round TAFC pairings
1) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '03 Firebird, 5.626 seconds,
256.33 mph vs. 8) Bret
Williamson, Campbell, Calif., '01 Corvette, 5.969, 240.00
2) Dennis Taylor, Anaheim, Calif., '05 Camaro, 5.701, 250.00 vs. 7)
Hannes Wernhart,
Bakersfield, Calif., '02 Firebird, 5.910, 248.48
3) Mark Woznichak, Ontario, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.709, 253.37 vs. 6)
John Weaver, Newport Beach,
Calif., '05 Camaro, 5.852, 250.27
4) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '04 Camaro, 5.764, 251.11 vs. 5)
Larry Miner, Woodbridge,
Calif., '02 Firebird, 5.774, 254.09

Competition Eliminator
1) John Chamberlin, Napa, Calif., dragster, B/D, 6.733 seconds, -0.617
(under index)
2) Jeff Lion, Fresno, Calif., '04 Cavalier, F/A, 8.185, -0.595
3) J.D. Zink, Chico, Calif., dragster, A/ND, 7.002, -0.578
4) Vinnie Deceglie, Alta Loma, Calif., '63 Corvette, A/A, 6.618, -0.572
5) Tom Mettler, Bakersfield, Calif., '01 Dakota, PST, 7.512, -0.568
6) Alan Ellis, Mapleton, Utah, '23 roadster, A/AA, 6.842, -0.568
7) Michael Stone, Tulare, Calif., dragster, C/ED, 7.387, -0.553
8) Tom Huggins, Santa Paula, Calif., '05 Grand Am, B/A, 7.190, -0.550
9) Doug Lambeck, Corona del Mar, Calif., '05 Sunfire, D/SMA, 8.603,
-0.547
10) Dean Carter, Glendale, Ariz., dragster, A/ND, 7.056, -0.524

Super Stock
1) Steve Wann, Modesto, Calif., '97 Dakota, GT/TA, 9.744 seconds, -1.106
(under index)
2) Darren Smith, Palmdale, Calif., '68 Dart, SS/GA, 9.759, -1.091
3) Rick Houser, Pasadena, Calif., '68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 8.828, -1.072
4) Jimmy DeFrank, Chatsworth, Calif., '98 Grand Am, SS/BS, 8.997, -1.053
5) Fred Moreno, La Verne, Calif., '69 Mustang, SS/GA, 9.806, -1.044
6) Gary McGlasson, Los Lunas, N.M., '69 Camaro, SS/HA, 9.882, -1.018
7) Mark Vieira, Turlock, Calif., '68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 8.896, -1.004
8) Joe Faherty, Apple Valley, Calif., '68 Dart, SS/A, 8.946, -1.004
9) Mike Blackstone, Castro Valley, Calif., '90 Calais, SS/BS, 9.068,
-0.982
10) Joe Schweigert, Ontario, Calif., '85 Camaro, SS/JA, 10.319, -0.981

Stock Eliminator
1) Don Wann, Modesto, Calif., '73 Satellite, I/SA, 11.369 seconds,
-1.231 (under index)
2) Harry Doolittle, Heber City, Mich., '02 Firebird, H/FIA, 12.237,
-1.213
3) Steve Wann, Modesto, Calif., '70 GTX, B/SA, 10.396, -1.154
4) Tim Hall, Fountain Valley, Calif., '72 Cuda, G/SA, 11.146, -1.154
5) Chris Whitney, Sun Valley, Calif., '67 Fairlane, F/S, 10.992, -1.108
6) Randy Loge, Antioch, Calif., '72 Duster, F/SA, 11.066, -1.084
7) John Schloe, Garden Grove, Calif., '69 Firebird, D/SA, 10.768, -1.082
8) Bill Nelson, Tucson, Ariz., '02 Firebird, I/FIA, 12.683, -1.067
9) Danny Missbrenner, San Ramon, Calif., '71 Demon, E/SA, 10.943, -1.057
10) Clark Holroyd, Chino, Calif., '68 Nova, B/SA, 10.503, -1.047

TOP COMP
1) Gary Groves, Provo, Utah, dragster, 6.378 seconds, 206.28 mph
2) Paul Gladden, Tracy, Calif., dragster, 6.870, 197.93
3) Jimmy Johnson, Santa Rosa, Calif., dragster, 6.983, 193.79
4) Jonathan Fiello, Yucaipa, Calif., dragster, 7.180, 187.57
5) Tom Koenen, North Bend, Ore., dragster, 7.181, 184.53
6) Larry Gibson, Upland, Calif., dragster, 7.273, 184.27
7) Dave Morgan, Concord, Calif., dragster, 7.283, 184.84
8) Larry Scarth, Manhatten Beach, Calif., dragster, 7.318, 184.99
9) Ron Amereno, Tucson, Ariz., dragster, 7.397, 181.37
10) Robert Guy, Highland, Calif., dragster, 7.449, 180.46