NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Friday from Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, Kan.

 
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - WEST CENTRAL DIVISION
HEARTLAND PARK TOPEKA
Friday, August 26, 2005
6

TORRENCE, MOATS GRAB EARLY LEADS AT HEARTLAND PARK

	TOPEKA, Kan. - Racing kicked off today at Heartland Park Topeka
for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series with Top Alcohol Dragster
driver Steve Torrence and Top Alcohol Funny Car pilot Vern Moats taking
the No. 1 qualifying positions in their classes. 
Torrence has four wins coming into this weekend's event and leads the
field with a 5.513 second run at 261.27 mph. James Thompson out of
Vernon, Texas, matched the qualifying time of Torrence recording an
identical 5.513 second lap but sits in the No. 2 spot by virtue of his
slower mph speed of 249.81 mph. David Wells held on to third with a pass
of 5.545 seconds at 257.38 mph.
Defending NHRA West Central Division and event champion Randy Meyer
failed to make the show with a best time of 5.782 seconds, less than
three-hundredths of a second out.
Moats clicked off a 5.842 second pass at 250.04 mph with Shawn Jones
landing in the No. 2 spot with a 5.879 second, 243.33 mph lap. Defending
National Champion Cy Chesterman sits in the eighth and final qualifying
spot with a run of 6.086 seconds at 238.89 mph. 
Richard Freeman of Pauls Valley, Okla., leads the Comp Eliminator field
with an 8.646 second lap, 0.494 seconds under the index. Freeman is
followed by Todd Patterson of Augusta, Kan., in his '33 Plymouth and
Thomas Schmidt and his '34 Chevy in second and third respectively. 
Joining the rest of the No. 1 qualifiers are Bob Dennis and Robert Shaw
leading the Super Stock and Stock Eliminator fields with Dennis running
10.738 seconds, 1.012 seconds under in his Super Stock '95 Achieva and
while Shaw went 1.085 seconds under with a 14.714 second pass.
Dennis is followed by Roy Whittemore in second while Concordia, Kan.,
racer Tim Nicholson is fifth and veteran runner Gary Stinnett of
Emporia, Kan., is in the No. 7 spot. Stock racer Fred Suiter follows
Shaw with a 10.542 second pass in his '69 Camaro, 1.008 seconds under
the index while Terry Lacy of McPherson, Kan., is ninth.
 Dale Detlie grabbed the top spot in the Motorcycle class with a 0.007
reaction time on his '03 Suzuki with Travis McMann right behind on his
'93 Kawasaki. Topeka, Kan., rider Carl Lewis is in the tenth spot with a
0.035 second reaction.
	Racing continues Saturday at 8 a.m. with final qualifying and
time trials. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Gates open at
8 a.m.  Tickets are $15.  For more information, call Heartland Park,
(800)43-RACES.

	The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA
Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series NHRA Division 5 Heartland Championships
presented by Goodyear, Napa Auto Parts, and KanEquip event at Heartland
Park Topeka:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, 5.513 seconds, 261.27 mph
2) James Thompson, Vernon, Texas, 5.513, 249.81
3) David Wells, Lemars, Iowa, 5.545, 257.38
4) John Haley, Wayzata, Minn., 5.569, 252.99
5) Edwin Schmeeckle, Gothenburg, Neb., 5.600, 254.57
6) Richard Putz, Earlville, Iowa, 5.623, 255.68
7) Dana Stripe, Galesburg, Ill., 5.746, 246.30
8) Ziggy Zivkovich, Litchfield, Minn., 5.757, 250.78 
Not Qualified
9) Randy Meyer, Spring Hill, Kan., 5.782, 257.38
10) Brandon Pierce, Glendora, Calif., 5.849, 242.54

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Vern Moats, Des Moines, Iowa, '02 Camaro, 5.842 seconds, 250.04 mph
2) Shawn Jones, Albuquerque, N.M., '04 Trans Am, 5.879, 243.33
3) Dennis Taylor, Anaheim, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.890, 239.95
4) Bernie Harrington, Apple Valley, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.929, 240.29
5) Tate Branch, Artesia, N.M., '05 Stratus, 5.954, 245.94
6) Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, '98 Firebird, 5.983, 241.15
7) Gage Chaffee, Big Lake, Minn., '02 Corvette, 6.058, 235.93
8) Cy Chesterman, Sioux City, Iowa, '02 Firebird, 6.086, 238.89 
Not Qualified
9) Robert Kanenwisher, Conifer, Colo., '00 Avenger, 6.341, 233.32
10) Steve Griboski, Aurora, Colo., '97 Camaro, 12.422, 74.04
11) Pete Swayne, Orange, Calif., '00 Firebird, 12.741, 63.47

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Richard Freeman, Pauls Valley, Okla., '04 Cavalier, D/SMA, 8.646
seconds, -0.494 (under index)
2) Todd Patterson, Augusta, Kan., '33 Plymouth, B/SR, 8.115, -0.485
3) Thomas Schmidt, Lindstrom, Minn., '34 Chevy, C/SR, 8.769, -0.471
4) Vinnie Deceglie, Alta Loma, Calif., '63 Corvette, A/A, 6.722, -0.468
5) Daniel Mikel, Cypress, Texas, '02 S-10, B/TA, 8.491, -0.459
6) Steve Kalkowski, Ogallala, Neb., '01 Firebird, B/A, 7.288, -0.452
7) Gery Lockman, Wellington, Colo., '01 Cavalier, B/AA, 7.357, -0.443
8) Lou Ficco Jr., Wheat Ridge, Colo., '04 Cavalier, B/AA, 7.360, -0.440
9) Colt Mikel, Houston, '02 S-10, B/TA, 8.518, -0.432
10) Tina Stull, Boerne, Texas, '05 Cavalier, E/SMA, 8.802, -0.428

SUPER STOCK
1) Bob Dennis, Shorter, Ala., '95 Achieva, GT/KA, 10.738 seconds, -1.012
(under index)
2) Roy Whittemore, Denver, '88 Mustang, GT/EA, 9.965, -0.985
3) Rob Cruzen, Cleveland, Okla., '03 S-10, GT/TC, 10.429, -0.971
4) Chad Guilford, Highlands Ranch, Colo., '84 Cougar, GT/EA, 10.012,
-0.938
5) Tim Nicholson, Concordia, Kan., '66 Nova, SS/K, 10.384, -0.916
6) Larry Schmidt, Grand Island, Neb., '55 BelAir, SS/PA, 12.058, -0.892
7) Gary Stinnett, Emporia, Kan., '92 Camaro, GT/AA, 9.544, -0.856
8) Robert Cruzen, Cleveland, Okla., '03 S-10, GT/EA, 10.097, -0.853
9) Carroll Warling, Arvada, Colo., '74 Grand Am, SS/MA, 11.320, -0.830
10) Marlin Bogner, Kearney, Neb., '98 Avenger, GT/GA, 10.400, -0.800

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Robert Shaw, Sedalia, Mo., '85 Caprice, L/FIA, 14.715 seconds, -1.085
(under index)
2) Fred Suiter, Defiance, Mo., '69 Camaro, B/SA, 10.542, -1.008
3) Brad VanLant, Linn Creek, Mo., '71 Duster, E/SA, 11.022, -0.978
4) Mike Koppien, Sioux Falls, S.D., '69 Camaro, B/SA, 10.576, -0.974
5) Donald Duke, Indianola, Iowa, '68 Camaro, B/S, 10.532, -0.968
6) Mike Cotten, Broken Arrow, Okla., '73 Duster, H/SA, 11.494, -0.956
7) Marty Woffard, Gore, Okla., '66 Nova SS, K/S, 11.912, -0.938
8) Bill Feist, Maple Grove, Minn., '69 Mustang, C/S, 10.713, -0.937
9) Terry Lacy, McPherson, Kan., '80 Capri, U/SA, 14.221, -0.929
10) Bob Johnson, Aurora, Colo., '67 Mustang, C/SA, 10.773, -0.927

MOTORCYCLE (After Round One)
1) Dale Detlie, Owatonna, Minn., '03 Suzuki, SMC, 0.007 seconds reaction
time
2) Travis McMann, Marengo, Iowa, '93 Kawasaki, SMC, 0.007
3) Robert Cooper, Plattsmouth, Neb., '89 Suzuki, SMC, 0.014
4) Craig Vogt, Mead, Neb., '73 Kawasaki, SMC, 0.016
5) Chris Lebouef, Lafayette, La., '85 Suzuki, SMC, 0.021
6) Suzuki Joe Herron, Fremont, Neb., '81 Suzuki, SMC, 0.021
7) Ken Niesen, Brooklyn Park, Minn., '82 Suzuki, SMC, 0.023
8) Tom Gilligan, Fremont, Neb., '79 Kawasaki, SMC, 0.023
9) Brian Johnson, Anoka, Minn., '05 Suzuki, SMC, 0.029
10) Carl Lewis, Topeka, Kan., '04 Suzuki, SMC, 0.035