NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Sunday from Maple Grove Raceway, Reading, Pa.

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NORTHEAST DIVISION
MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY
Sunday, May 29, 2005


BOURKE, POMPONIO TAKE WINS AT SEASON OPENER

	READING, Pa. - Richard Bourke in Top Alcohol Dragster and Dan
Pomponio in Top Alcohol Funny Car picked up big wins this weekend at the
season opener for the NHRA Northeast Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series at Maple Grove Raceway.
	Bourke ran 5.30's and 5.40's all weekend to qualify third and
work his way through the field taking out Dan Mercier in the final
round. The Old Tapper, N.J., racer crossed the finish line just ahead of
Mercier with a lap of 5.491 seconds at 263.62 mph to Mercier's 5.507 at
266.85 mph.
	Bourke recorded the quickest lap of the event in a round one win
over Karen Benkovich with a 5.368 second run at 264.18 mph.
	Pomponio knocked off veteran racer and former Division Champion
Bob Newberry in the funny car final with a run of 5.974 seconds at
242.54 mph. Pomponio ousted Paul Gill and Duane Beers in rounds one and
two on his way to the match up with Newberry where Newberry shook the
tires off the start and could not catch the quicker Pomponio.
	Defending Division Champion Frank Manzo fell in round one with a
red-light start against Newberry.
	Local favorite Tommy Ciccarone Jr. of West Chester, Pa., took
the win in Comp Eliminator with a run of 8.632 seconds at 155.78 mph
over Sal Biondo of Maspeth, N.Y. Both drivers had great reaction times
with Biondo taking a 0.006 second advantage at the start but it was not
enough to hold off Ciccarone.
	Byron Worner of Duncannon, Pa., grabbed the win in Super Stock
over Angelo Ditocco while defending NHRA Stock National Champion and
2004 event champion Lee Zane defeated Brent Darroch in his '73 Apollo.
In Super Comp it was Division Champion Tom Stalba taking out Scott
Lukowski for the win. This is Stalba's second visit to the Maple Grove
winner's circle in as many years picking up the win in Super Gas last
year.
	Chuck Rothermel won over Craig Porter in Super Gas with a 9.913
second lap at 157.76 mph to Porter's 9.934 at 138.10 and Ken Puckett
rounded out the event winner's with a victory over Kenny Edgar.
The Northeast Division racers head to Lebanon Valley Dragway, July 1-3
before returning to Maple Grove for a second Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series event presented by Parkway and Glick Fire Equipment, August 5-7.

The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series event at Maple Grove Raceway

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:
ROUND ONE
4) Dan Mercier, St. Timothee, Quebec, 5.427, 269.73 def. 5) Dave
DeAngelis, Middlesex, N.J., 6.037, 196.47
3) Richard Bourke, Old Tappen, N.J., 5.368, 264.18 def. 6) Karen
Benkovich, Fanwood, N.J., 5.610, 251.53
1) Jeff Bohr, Plymouth, Mich., 9.412, 98.01 def. 8) Mark Albert,
Baldwin, Pa., foul
2) Ken Perry, Toronto, Ont., 5.456, 257.19 def. 7) Rich McPhillips,
Phoenixville, Pa., 5.618, 250.78

SEMI-FINALS
Mercier, 5.375, 270.54 def. Bohr, 5.418, 262.03; Bourke, 5.420, 262.18
def. Perry, 5.466, 260.16

FINAL
Bourke, 5.491, 263.62 def. Mercier, 5.507, 266.85

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE
8) Bob Newberry, Schenectady, N.Y., '05 Monte Carlo, 13.421, 58.81 def.
1) Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '04 Firebird, foul
5) Ross Stickler, Chandler, Ariz., '03 Corvette, 6.497, 232.71 def. 13)
John Fiorini, Dalton, Mass., '93 Saab, 7.044, 197.62
6) Duane Beers, Monroe, N.J., '02 Camaro, 5.906, 242.41 def. 3) David
Ray, Plaistow, N.H., '01 Avenger, 5.976, 241.41
7) Dan Pomponio, Berlin, N.J., '00 Camaro, 6.012, 242.06 def. 2) Paul
Gill, Brockton, Mass., '01 Avenger, 6.194, 244.96

SEMI-FINALS
Newberry, 5.669, 235.19 def. Stickler, 6.530, 233.03; Pomponio, 5.947,
244.07 def. Beers, 12.808, 61.40

FINAL
Pomponio, 5.974, 242.54 def. Newberry, 6.181, 246.89

COMP ELIMINATOR
Tommy Ciccarone Jr., West Chester, Pa., '03 Cavalier, E/SMA, 8.632,
155.78  def. Sal Biondo, Maspeth, N.Y., '01 Firebird, D/EA, 8.396,
156.97

SUPER STOCK
Byron Worner, Duncannon, Pa., '90 Camaro, GT/GA, 10.118, 130.22 def.
Angelo Ditocco, Mahopac, N.Y., '02 Firebird, GT/FA, 9.874, 133.22

STOCK ELIMINATOR
Lee Zane, Pittsgrove, N.J., '73 Apollo, J/SA, 12.003, 85.10 def. Brent
Darroch, Monaca, Pa., '96 Impala, F/FIA, 27.201, 30.41

SUPER COMP
Thomas Stalba Jr., Williamstown, N.J., dragster, 8.884, 168.62 def.
Scott Lukowski, Revenna, Ohio, dragster, 8.918, 173.07

SUPER GAS
Chuck Rothermel, Kinderhook, N.Y., '03 Grand Am, 9.913, 157.76 def.
Craig Porter, Silver Spring, Md., '93 Mustang, 9.934, 138.10

SUPER STREET
Ken Puckett, BelAir, Md., '89 Cavalier, 10.937, 151.58 def. Kenny Edgar,
Enfield, Conn., '73 Mustang, 10.895, 130.78