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NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series - SAT from Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ


NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NHRA NORTHEAST DIVISION

OLD BRIDGE TOWNSHIP RACEWAY PARK

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2005


 

Final day of Lucas Oil qualifying complete at Raceway Park

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. - Over 500 racing competitors took the Old Bridge
Township Raceway Park quarter-mile today for their final rounds of
qualifying and time trials for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series
event being held this weekend at the famed facility. The event, which
began yesterday, concludes tomorrow with final eliminations in eight
Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series categories. 

After the final round of qualifying in the 260-mph Top Alcohol Dragster
and Funny Car classes, Arthur Gallant and David Ray lead their fields. 

Gallant, of Boxboro, Mass., ran a 5.386 second pass at 267.11 mph to out
run his fellow Top Alcohol Dragster competitors and earn the field's top
spot. Closely qualified behind Gallant in the second spot is Southern
California runner, Ashley Force, daughter of NHRA Funny Car racing
legend, John Force. Force, the defending event winner here, ran 5.391
seconds at 259.91 mph. She will face Cuddy, Pa., racer Mike Kosky in the
opening round. A surprise non-qualifier this weekend is Fanwood, N.J.,
runner Karen Benkovich, who entering this weekend's event was second in
NHRA Northeast Division championship points.

Ray, who hails from Plaistow, N.H., earned the top spot in the Top
Alcohol Funny Car class by laying down a 5.711 second pass at 253.23
mph. Holding down the No. 2 and 3 spots are national and division
championship hopeful Bob Newberry of Schenectady, N.Y., and Brisbane,
Australia native Steve Harker. Morganville's Frank Manzo, who slimly
leads the national and divisional point chase in the class over
Newberry, is qualified fourth and will face Terryville, Conn., runner
Eric Lourie in Round 1. 

In other qualifying action this weekend at Old Bridge Township Raceway
Park, Comp Eliminator driver Allyn Armstrong of Kingston, N.S., Super
Stock driver Dennis Stewart of Dover, Pa., and Stock Eliminator driver
Bill Hawk of Manassas, Va., all qualified No. 1 in their respective
fields.

            Gates at Raceway Park open at 8 a.m. tomorrow. Eliminations
are set to begin at 10 a.m.  Competitors in the 260-mph Top Alcohol
Dragster and Funny Car class will run their first round of eliminations
at noon.

            Tickets on Sunday are $20 for adults and $5 for Children 6
to 11 years old. Children 5 and under are admitted free with a paid
adult.  For more information call Raceway Park, (732) 446-7800, or visit
www.RacewayPark.com.

 

The following are Saturday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil
Drag Racing Series event being held this weekend at Old Bridge Township
Raceway Park:

 

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.386 seconds, 267.11 mph
2) Ashley Force, Azusa, Calif., 5.391, 259.91
3) Richard Bourke, Old Tappen, N.J., 5.456, 254.09
4) Mark Albert, Baldwin, Pa., 5.465, 255.77
5) Jeff Veale, Stoney Creek, Ont., 5.531, 254.57
6) Dan Mercier, St. Timothee, Quebec, 5.535, 264.29
7) Mike Kosky, Cuddy, Pa., 5.584, 257.68
8) Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., 5.586, 259.11
Not Qualified
9) Karen Benkovich, Fanwood, N.J., 5.659, 218.27
10) Ken Winward, Wilmington, Del., 5.683, 248.80
11) Dave DeAngelis, Middlesex, N.J., 5.694, 255.05
12) Bruce Horner, Bergenfield, N.J., 5.764, 246.80
13) Donald Gianquitto, Melrose, Mass., 6.063, 236.96
14) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 6.092, 245.14

First round TAD pairings
1) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.386 seconds, 267.11 mph vs. 8) Rich
McPhillips, Phoenixville,
Pa., 5.586, 259.11
2) Ashley Force, Azusa, Calif., 5.391, 259.91 vs. 7) Mike Kosky, Cuddy,
Pa., 5.584, 257.68
3) Richard Bourke, Old Tappen, N.J., 5.456, 254.09 vs. 6) Dan Mercier,
St. Timothee, Quebec, 5.535,
264.29
4) Mark Albert, Baldwin, Pa., 5.465, 255.77 vs. 5) Jeff Veale, Stoney
Creek, Ont., 5.531, 254.57

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) David Ray, Plaistow, N.H., '01 Avenger, 5.711 seconds, 253.23 mph
2) Bob Newberry, Schenectady, N.Y., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.720, 256.16
3) Steve Harker, Brisbane, Australia, '99 Avenger, 5.783, 251.16
4) Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '02 Firebird, 5.831, 255.53
5) Eric Lourie, Terryville, Conn., '02 Camaro, 5.843, 243.33
6) Ron Zavarella, Woodstock Valley, Conn., '02 Firebird, 5.883, 247.16
7) Dan Pomponio, Berlin, N.J., '00 Camaro, 5.927, 244.69
8) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '02 Camaro, 5.942, 248.52
Not Qualified
9) Bruce Peterson, Wappinger Falls, N.Y., '02 Corvette, 5.977, 238.85
10) Billy Gibson, Chaptico, Md., '04 Firebird, 6.015, 249.03
11) Ross Stickler, Chandler, Ariz., '03 Corvette, 6.233, 238.05
12) John Headley, Newportville, Pa., '96 Avenger, 6.324, 206.16
13) Sam Leland, Jarrettsville, Md., '00 Camaro, 6.400, 223.80
14) D J Cox Jr., Whiteford, Md., '01 Firebird, 6.556, 161.48
15) Bunny Burkett, Sterling, Va., '02 Avenger, 6.566, 180.50
16) Chris Brown, Ivyland, Pa., '00 Avenger, 6.572, 184.77
17) Dan Roman, Wolcott, Conn., '97 Firebird, 6.610, 208.10
18) John Fiorini, Dalton, Mass., '02 Saab, 7.223, 189.02
19) Duane Beers, Monroe, N.J., '02 Camaro, 12.140, 63.68

First round TAFC pairings
1) David Ray, Plaistow, N.H., '01 Avenger, 5.711 seconds, 253.23 mph vs.
8) Mickey Ferro, Stamford,
Conn., '02 Camaro, 5.942, 248.52
2) Bob Newberry, Schenectady, N.Y., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.720, 256.16 vs.
7) Dan Pomponio, Berlin,
N.J., '00 Camaro, 5.927, 244.69
3) Steve Harker, Brisbane, Australia, '99 Avenger, 5.783, 251.16 vs. 6)
Ron Zavarella, Woodstock
Valley, Conn., '02 Firebird, 5.883, 247.16
4) Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '02 Firebird, 5.831, 255.53 vs. 5)
Eric Lourie, Terryville,
Conn., '02 Camaro, 5.843, 243.33

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Allyn Armstrong, Kingston, N.S., '72 GT, L/A, 8.867 seconds, -0.883
(under index)
2) Frank Aragona Jr., Old Bridge, N.J., dragster, G/EA, 8.413, -0.757
3) Michele Costa, Freehold, N.J., dragster, G/D, 9.016, -0.654
4) Stephen Szupka, Willow Grove, Pa., dragster, G/ED, 8.107, -0.643
5) Tommy Ciccarone Jr., West Chester, Pa., '03 Cavalier, E/SMA, 8.567,
-0.643
6) Joe Carnasciale, Cranston, R.I., '92 Camaro, E/SM, 8.668, -0.642
7) Jake Crimmins, Manasquan, N.J., '92 Achieva, AA/AM, 6.569, -0.641
8) Michael Hardee, Wilmington, N.C., '05 Sunfire, E/SM, 8.675, -0.635
9) Vinny Barone, Dix Hills, N.Y., '34 Roadster, A/SR, 7.887, -0.633
10) Kevin Houghtaling, Ashland, Va., '91 Calais, H/SM, 9.126, -0.614

SUPER STOCK
1) Dennis Steward, Dover, Pa., '91 Daytona, GT/IA, 10.220 seconds,
-1.280 (under index)
2) Don Carpenter, Conway, Pa., '79 Cadillac, SS/PA, 11.719, -1.231
3) Angelo Ditocco, Mahopac, N.Y., '02 Firebird, GT/FA, 9.886, -1.214
4) George Vignogna, Mahopac, N.Y., '97 Sebring, SS/AS, 8.736, -1.164
5) Tom Sheehan, Belle Vernon, Pa., '00 Sebring, GT/HA, 10.186, -1.164
6) Joseph Franco III, N. Babylon, N.Y., '85 Camaro, GT/GA, 10.069,
-1.131
7) Richard Feldman, E. Liverpool, Ohio, '66 Impala, SS/O, 11.376, -1.124
8) David Thomas, West Chester, Pa., '69 Corvette, SS/CA, 9.231, -1.119
9) Howard Barsky, Levittown, Pa., '57 Chevy, SS/MA, 11.033, -1.117
10) Byron Worner, Duncannon, Pa., '90 Camaro, GT/GA, 10.091, -1.109

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Bill Hawk, Manassas, Va., '67 Shelby, B/SA, 10.243 seconds, -1.307
(under index)
2) Tex Miller, Fayetteville, Pa., '72 Mustang, G/SA, 10.999, -1.301
3) Cecil Frazier, Canton, Mass., '91 Camaro, E/FIA, 11.300, -1.300
4) Don Quinn, Howell, N.J., '78 Nova, J/SA, 11.494, -1.256
5) John Gray, Hudson, Mass., '72 Nova, G/SA, 11.045, -1.255
6) Clayton Wright, Newportville, Pa., '65 Plymouth Wagon, U/SA, 13.939,
-1.211
7) Rich Aman, West Creek, N.J., '86 Camaro, H/S, 11.095, -1.205
8) John Presing, N Haledon, N.J., '88 Mustang, F/FI, 11.645, -1.205
9) Richard Shipley, Baltimore, Md., '84 Cutlass, L/SA, 11.806, -1.194
10) Kevin Fogerty, Chalfont, Pa., '65 Impala, Q/SA, 12.910, -1.190