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NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Friday from Thunder Valley Raceway Park, Noble, Okla.


NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION
THUNDER VALLEY RACEWAY PARK
Friday, September 16, 2005
Torrence and Jones Lead Fields at Thunder Valley

	NOBLE, Okla. - Steve Torrence has been on a terror in the Top
Alcohol Dragster class and continues to do so in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag
Racing Series and opening day qualifying for Thunder in the Heartland at
Thunder Valley Raceway Park.
	Torrence, who already has six wins this year, covered the
quarter-mile in 5.340 seconds at 258.32 mph. Torrence currently leads
the South Central Division point's standings and is third in national
points but looks to move up having competed in fewer races than Steve
Federlin and Randy Meyer who are one and two respectively.
	Torrence is followed by James Thompson in second and veteran
racer Gene Snow in third. Brandon Pierce who grew up in Moore, Okla., is
fifth with a 5.525 second lap at 248.82 mph. Pierce now lives in
California but considers Thunder Valley his home track with his team
still being based out of Oklahoma.
	Jimmy Jones went 5.873 seconds at 250.34 mph in his '99 Camaro
Top Alcohol Funny Car for the No. 1 spot followed by Lance Van Haven and
Bernie Harrington in second and third. Chickasha, Okla., resident Jackie
Stidham is forth, looking for his third win of the season.
	Richard Freeman of Pauls, Valley, Okla., ran 8.558 seconds for
the No. 1 spot in Comp Eliminator, followed by Thomas Schmidt running
8.684 seconds.
	Alabama resident Bob Dennis leads the contingent of Super Stock
racers with a 10.614 second run, 1.136 seconds under the index. The
father-son team of Rob and Robert Cruzen of Cleveland, Okla., are second
and fifth with runs of 10.308 seconds, 1.092 under and 9.990 seconds,
0.960 under.
	Jim Harrison is No. 1 in Stock out of Albion, Ill., in his '66
Nova running 11.871 seconds, 1.079 seconds under and Rich Gentili is on
top in Sportsman Motorcycle with a 0.000 perfect reaction time.
	Keith Raftery put his '03 Grand Am on top of the Sunset Racing
Engines Top Sportsman field running 6.8022 seconds at 204.91 mph
followed by Earl Folse in second and Norman, Oklahoma's David Hensley
sitting in eleventh. Greg Garner leads Top Dragster to round out the
day's action with a 6.906 second pass at 194.09 mph.
	Racing continues Saturday at 9 a.m. with Top Alcohol Dragsters
and funny cars scheduled for 3 and 6 p.m.  Gates open at 8 a.m.  For
more information, call Thunder Valley Raceway Park, (405) 872-3429.

	The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA
Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Thunder in the Heartland event at Thunder
Valley Raceway Park:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, 5.340 seconds, 258.32 mph
2) James Thompson, Vernon, Texas, 5.355, 261.47
3) Gene Snow, Fort Worth, Texas, 5.473, 247.45
4) Aaron Olivarez, Sandy, Utah, 5.480, 265.56
5) Brandon Pierce, Glendora, Calif., 5.525, 248.82
6) Lee Callaway, Channelview, Texas, 5.569, 257.51
7) Larry Traugott, Woodward, Okla., 5.673, 244.83
8) David Brounkowski, Cypress, Texas, 5.749, 225.00 
Not Qualified
9) Karl Brounkowski, Magnolia, Texas, 9.081, 96.30

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Jimmy Jones, Cleburne, Texas, '99 Camaro, 5.873 seconds, 250.34 mph
2) Lance Van Haven, Reinbeck, Iowa, '04 Firebird, 6.013, 240.64
3) Bernie Harrington, Apple Valley, Calif., '00 Avenger, 6.036, 240.25
4) Jackie Stidham, Chickasha, Okla., '00 Camaro, 6.312, 176.99
5) Burl Brown, Gainesville, Texas, '98 Avenger, 6.335, 223.26
6) Brandon Lewis, Broken Arrow, Okla., '96 Achieva, 6.754, 150.12
7) Bob Alberty, Muskogee, Okla., '00 Firebird, 7.071, 134.38
8) Richard McClain, Lake Dallas, Texas, '03 Firebird, 7.280, 114.22 Not
Qualified
9) Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, '98 Firebird, 9.334, 89.50
10) Ron Morrison, Oklahoma City, '97 Camaro, 10.233, 93.53

Comp Eliminator
1) Richard Freeman, Pauls Valley, Okla., '04 Cavalier, D/SMA, 8.558
seconds, -0.582 (under index)
2) Thomas Schmidt, Lindstrom, Minn., '34 Chevy, C/SR, 8.684, -0.556
3) Bill Morse, McKinney, Texas, '05 Sunfire, G/SM, 9.020, -0.530
4) Shane Heckel, LaPorte, Texas, dragster, B/D, 6.774, -0.526
5) Todd Patterson, Augusta, Kan., '32 Plymouth, B/SR, 8.102, -0.498
6) Joey Tanksley, Greenwell Spring, La., dragster, B/ED, 6.986, -0.494
7) Pete Carbery, Odessa, Texas, '02 Cavalier, B/A, 7.276, -0.464
8) Kevin Self, Caddo, Okla., '32 Bantam, F/EA, 8.499, -0.451
9) Greg Porter, Edmond, Okla., '03 Cavalier, D/SM, 8.756, -0.444
10) Jacklyn Gebhardt, Jacksonville, Ill., dragster, A/ED, 6.818, -0.442

Super Stock
1) Bob Dennis, Shorter, Ala., '95 Achieva, GT/KA, 10.614 seconds, -1.136
(under index)
2) Rob D. Cruzen, Cleveland, Okla., '03 S-10, GT/TC, 10.308, -1.092
3) J Allen Sherman, Donaldsonville, La., '90 Grand Am, SS/DM, 9.131,
-1.069
4) Tim Nicholson, Concordia, Kan., '66 Chevy II, SS/K, 10.269, -1.031
5) Robert Cruzen, Cleveland, Okla., '02 Cavalier, GT/EA, 9.990, -0.960
6) Tony Cowell, Weatherford, Texas, '81 Camaro, GT/JA, 10.656, -0.944
7) Gary Emmons, Friendswood, Texas, '96 Firebird, SS/JA, 10.385, -0.915
8) Gary Stinnett, Emporia, Kan., '92 Camaro, GT/AA, 9.520, -0.880
9) Larry Stewart Jr., Clinton, Miss., '67 Chevy II, SS/HA, 10.021,
-0.879
10) Korey Mawhee, Frisco, Texas, '95 Achieva, GT/DA, 9.926, -0.874

Stock Eliminator
1) Jim Harrison, Albion, Ill., '66 Nova, K/SA, 11.871 seconds, -1.079
(under index)
2) Mike Cotten, Broken Arrow, Okla., '73 Duster, H/SA, 11.404, -1.046
3) Austin Ford, Spring, Texas, '67 Shelby, D/SA, 10.862, -0.988
4) Stuart Goertzen, Buhler, Kan., '67 Cougar, E/S, 10.964, -0.986
5) Steve Brack, Lawrence, Kan., '86 Camaro, G/S, 11.243, -0.957
6) Michael Schommer, Newtown, Kan., '71 Mustang, F/SA, 11.201, -0.949
7) Marty Woffard, Gore, Okla., '66 Nova SS, K/S, 11.904, -0.946
8) Don Cossey, Memphis, Tenn., '72 Cuda, H/SA, 11.546, -0.904
9) Gary Emmons, Friendswood, Texas, '98 Firebird, C/FIA, 11.098, -0.902
10) James Paul, Ft. Worth, Texas, '73 Duster, G/SA, 11.404, -0.896

TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Keith Raftery, Lake Charles, La., '03 Grand Am, 6.822 seconds, 204.91
mph
2) Earl Folse, Raceland, La., '86 Cutlass, 7.045, 199.02
3) Greg Lair, Canyon, Texas, '04 Grand Am, 7.133, 196.72
4) J. Lee Didier, Fort Smith, Ark., '04 Cavalier, 7.138, 194.30
5) Allen Firestone, Velma, Okla., '00 S-10, 7.224, 191.81
6) Kyle Cannon, W. Helena, Ark., '03 Cavalier, 7.277, 188.87
7) Bob Fitzhenry, Tomball, Texas, '02 Corvette, 7.401, 187.46
8) Scott Randall, Carrollton, Texas, '02 Cavalier, 7.410, 191.61
9) Keith Susich, Highland Village, Texas, '00 Firebird, 7.411, 187.26
10) Glenn Barrilleaux, Oakwood, Texas, '04 Cavalier, 7.593, 186.91

TOP DRAGSTER
1) John Garner, Houston, dragster, 6.906 seconds, 194.09 mph
2) Kevin Ford, Amarillo, Texas, dragster, 7.156, 188.52
3) Mark Jones, Marrero, La., dragster, 7.303, 185.52
4) Brandon Chauvin, Gonzales, La., dragster, 7.322, 185.72
5) Michael Manners, Willis, Texas, dragster, 7.329, 184.80
6) Larry Scarth, Manhattan Bch, Calif., dragster, 7.353, 185.22
7) Michael Kile, Westlake, La., dragster, 7.469, 181.85
8) Debbie Fitzhenry, Tomball, Texas, dragster, 7.486, 178.57
9) Mike Felden, Keller, Texas, dragster, 7.513, 178.28
10) Billy Selman Jr., Grapevine, Texas, dragster, 7.576, 179.21

Motorcycle
1) Rich Gentili, Humble, Texas, '83 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.000 seconds reaction
time
2) Lee Paterson, Livingston, Texas, '85 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.000
3) Gerald Jordan, Kyle, Texas, '92 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.002
4) Shane Eperjesi, Lake Dallas, Texas, '88 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.004
5) Ben Brown, Irving, Texas, '04 Hayabusa, ETMX, 0.009
6) Bruce Calhoun, Hope, Ark., '84 Kawasaki, ETMX, 0.009
7) Jerry Pomilla, Conroe, Texas, '85 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.010
8) Benji Gibson, Euless, Texas, '05 Hayabusa, ETMX, 0.012
9) J.J. Hughes, The Colony, Texas, dragster, ETMX, 0.012
10) Robert Sanders, Houston, '04 Kawasaki, ETMX, 0.013