NHRA NEWS: XPLOD SERIES FINAL RESULTS FROM ATCO, N.J.
PERSONETT BACKS UP RECORDS WHILE WINNNING AT NORTHEAST NHRA SPORT
COMPACT NATIONALS
ATCO, N.J. - Brad Personett (Orlando, Fla.), who drove his Titan
Motorsports Scion tC to a historic 220.15 mph in qualifying, was able to
back it up within the 1 percent requirement on Sunday at historic Atco
Raceway. He also set a national time record of 6.51 seconds.
Personett was able to back up his speed in the first round of
eliminations enroute to his third win in 2006 on the NHRA Xplod Sport
Compact Racing Series. He defeated Matt Scranton with a time of 6.55
seconds at 218.23 mph. Scranton driving his Ride Revolution Toyota
Solara was tough to beat to the finish line with a 6.51 at 217.21.
"We actually slowed the car down to keep the record at 6.51," said
Personett. "But we almost slowed it down too much. We knew Scranton
needed to hit a home run to beat us and he darn near did it, except he
red-lit."
Other winners on the weekend were Bryan Jimenez (Pro FWD), Jorge Lazcano
(Modifed), Ron Lummus (Hot Rod), and Norris Prayoonto (Honda Tuning All
Motor).
Jimenez (Houston) drove his Everyone'sMortgage Chevy Cobalt to the
finish line to beat Gary Gardella who had crashed earlier in the day.
It was not a speedfest on the track for this race since Gardella just
came to the starting line to stage his car. He knew he could not get it
down the track. Jimenez managed to have a clean start to make it across
the finish line, and get his first Wally in his short NHRA Xplod Sport
Compact Racing Series career.
"I was just trying not to red-light," said Jimenez. "I would've put my
feet through the floor to keep it from red lighting. It hasn't sunk in
yet, but it feels great right now. I sometimes say it is better to be
lucky than good. I had a great running car. I want to thank my
sponsors Everyone's Mortgage, GM Racing, Redat Race Turbos, and
Hydromatic."
The winner of Modified was San Juan, Puerto Rico, resident Lazcano. He
won his second Wally of the year driving his 1985 Mazda RX7 to a time of
7.57 seconds at 179.16 mph. Lazcano defeated Dee Karagiannis who was
driving a newer model Mazda RX7.
"This second time winning this year I feel better because I am more
relaxed," said Lazcano. "The car performance was there, and the team is
performing consistently. I want to thank Pica Motors Import. This is
not gonna be my last win."
Karagiannis almost didn't make it to the starting line in the Modified
final, but he found some help in a surprising place, Lazcano's Team
Puerto Rico. He had broken his transmission earlier in the day, and
didn't think he would be able to compete in the final, but he went to
Team Puerto Rico asking for some spare parts. He received something
better. Oso from La Atrevida Racing Team and some other crew members
came over and helped put the transmission back together so that
Karagiannis could run. It got finished so close to racing time that he
didn't even get to test the new transmission.
"I couldn't have done it without their help," said Karagiannis. "This
is what our sport is about. They just wanted to see a race. I want to
thank all of them that helped. What's amazing is I didn't have my team
turn the car up as high as it could have gone. I could've run even
better."
Lummus (Anaheim, Calif.) won his eleventh career Wally in his Pontiac
Sunfire in the closest final of the day. His better reaction time of
.050 seconds was the difference he needed to beat Stephane Beauregard's
(Granby, Quebec, Canada) reaction time of .169 seconds. Lummus finished
with a time of 8.13 seconds at 178.99 mph to Beauregarde's 8.11 seconds
at 178.19mph.
"It feels awesome," said Lummus. "Now it's scrappin time. It's tenths
and hundredths that make the difference now for wins. I tried to stay
as focused as I could down the track.
Frenchy (Beauregard) was great. He came over and gave me hug at the
finish line," continued Lummus. It's enjoyable to race with people who
enjoy racing. In the Bible it says, 'We are surrounded by a great cloud
of witnesses.' The cloud is symbolism for great things, and these other
racers are great."
Prayoonto (Honda Tuning All Motor), from Springfield, Va., won his
second race by defeating Jeremy Lookofsky in a rematch of the previous
race two weeks ago at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. Prayoonto
narrowly missed a perfect reaction time to defeat Lookofsky with a time
of 9.70 seconds at 137.61 mph. Lookofsky ran 10.08 seconds at 140.34
mph.
"We kept the car the same as we had it at Englishtown," said Prayoonto.
"The track ran great yesterday, but today it wasn't as good. Sometimes
you qualify No.1 but that doesn't mean your No. 1. It's No.1 that
counts."
Lookofsky was able to establish both ends of the Honda Tuning All Motor
national records this weekend with a time of 9.64 seconds and a speed of
141.89 mph.
The Northeast NHRA Sport Compact Nationals will be telecast on ESPN2 on
Sunday, June 4 at 1 p.m. and re-telecast on Sunday,June 11 at 4 a.m.
The Sony Xplod Stylefest will be telecast on ESPN2 on Sunday, May 31 at
1:30 a.m.
The next NHRA Xplod Sport Compact Racing Series event will be the NHRA
Sport Compact Summer Nationals where the Pro RWD drivers will join the
POWERade series at Heartland Park Topeka in Topeka, Kan. on May 26-28.
-30-
****
ATCO, N.J. -- Sunday's final results from the Fifth Annual Northeast
NHRA Sport Compact Nationals at Atco Raceway. The race is the Fourth
of 11 in the $2.5 million NHRA Xplod Sport Compact Drag Racing Series:
PRO RWD
Brad Personett, Orlando, Fla., '05 Scion, 6.556, 218.23 def. Matt
Scranton, Land O{ Lakes, Fla., '06 Solara, foul.
PRO FWD
Brian Jimenez, Houston, Texas, '06 Cobalt, 19.187, 56.32 def. Gary
Gardella, Howell, N.J., '06 Cobalt, broke.
MODIFIED
Jorge Lazcano, San Juan, P.R., '85 RX7, 7.570, 179.16 def. Dee
Karagiannis, Glenwood, Md., '95 RX7, 7.870, 167.53.
HOT ROD
Ron Lummus, Anaheim, Calif., '04 Pontiac, 8.136, 178.99 def. Stephane
Beauregard, Granby, , '87 Shelby, 8.112, 178.19.
ALL MOTOR
Norris Prayoonoto, Springfield, Va., '04 Honda, 9.700, 137.61 def.
Jeremy Lookofsky, Simi Valley, Calif., '00 Civic, 10.083, 140.34.
SPORT RWD
Julie Stepan, Hollywood, Calif., '06 Subaru, 9.403, 150.31 def. Mark
Mazurowski, Orlando, Fla., '05 240SX, 9.476, 154.17.
SPORT FWD
Steve Lockett, Elkins Park, Pa., '97 Dodge, 10.034, 14.56 def. Joe
Simpson, Waldorf, Md., '93 Civic, foul.
STREET STOCK
Loan Nguyen, Burke, Va., '99 Civic, 12.306, 116.52 def. Greg Samaroo,
Fords, N.J., dragster, 12.690, 113.00.
QUICK 16
Oscar Cabrera, Philadelphia, Pa., '82 Starlet, 12.282, 111.77 def. Juan
Mejias, Union, N.J., '81 Corolla, foul.
ATCO, N.J. -- Final round-by-round results from the Fifth Annual
Northeast NHRA Sport Compact Nationals at Atco Raceway, the Fourth of 11
events in the $2.5 million NHRA Xplod Sport Compact Drag Racing Series:
PRO RWD:
ROUND ONE -- Matt Scranton, Solara, 7.000, 211.33 def. Gary Lee White,
Toyota Celica, 9.573, 123.49; Brad Personett, Scion, 6.515, 219.47 def.
Carlos Montano, Mazda MX6, 7.147, 171.29;
FINALS -- Personett, 6.556, 218.23 def. Scranton, foul.
PRO FWD:
ROUND ONE -- Brian Jimenez, Chevy Cobalt, 7.858, 177.51 def. Ed
Bergenholtz, Mazda, 7.864, 185.89; Gary Gardella, Cobalt, 7.805, 183.49
def. Ron Townsend, Cavalier, 8.365, 179.44; Marty Ladwig, Cobalt, 7.706,
189.42 was unopposed;
SEMIFINALS -- Jimenez, 7.870, 175.46 def. Ladwig, 8.189, 144.23;
Gardella, broke was unopposed;
FINALS -- Jimenez, 19.187, 56.32 def. Gardella, broke.
MODIFIED:
ROUND ONE -- Dee Karagiannis, Mazda RX7, 13.710, 62.37 def. Jose Mendez,
Corolla, broke; Justin Humphreys, Lexus GS300, 7.777, 179.35 def. Mike
Lowe, 8.267, 170.92; Jorge Juarbe, Starlet, 7.631, 176.95 def. Walberto
Neg Torres, RX7, foul; Jorge Lazcano, RX7, 16.320, 95.56 was unopposed;
SEMIFINALS -- Lazcano, 7.564, 180.45 def. Juarbe, 7.855, 146.89;
Karagiannis, 22.804, 34.60 def. Humphreys, broke;
FINALS -- Lazcano, 7.570, 179.16 def. Karagiannis, 7.870, 167.53.
HOT ROD:
ROUND ONE -- Kenny Tran, Honda Civic, 8.463, 171.38 def. Mike Crawford,
Dodge SRT-4, broke; Ron Lummus, Pontiac, 8.214, 178.85 def. Stephanie
Eggum, Civic, 8.263, 183.47; Stephane Beauregard, Shelby, 10.016, 133.54
def. Saverio Leone, Civic, broke;
SEMIFINALS -- Beauregard, 12.035, 114.02 was unopposed;
Lummus, 8.086, 175.66 def. Tran, 9.294, 170.69;
FINALS -- Lummus, 8.136, 178.99 def. Beauregard, 8.112, 178.19.
ALL MOTOR:
ROUND ONE -- Scott Kelley, Corolla, 10.384, 132.24 def. Vince Tiaga,
Mazda, 10.289, 127.82; Norris Prayoonoto, Honda, 10.628, 125.08 def.
Leslie Durst-Armendariz, Scion tC, broke; Saul Salceda, Acura Integra,
10.160, 124.00 def. Thomas Borgia, VW Beetle, 11.683, 109.99; Jeremy
Lookofsky, Honda Civic, 9.736, 139.78 was unopposed;
SEMIFINALS -- Lookofsky, 9.712, 141.89 def. Kelley, 10.380, 129.28;
Prayoonoto, 10.336, 98.35 def. Salceda, 15.172, 55.39;
FINALS -- Prayoonoto, 9.700, 137.61 def. Lookofsky, 10.083, 140.34.
SPORT RWD:
FINALS -- Julie Stepan, Subaru, 9.403, 150.31 def. Mark Mazurowski,
Nissan 240SX, 9.476, 154.17.
SPORT FWD:
ROUND ONE -- Joe Simpson, Honda Civic, 10.438, 142.69 def. Buddy
Dunagan, 11.110, 137.57; Mike Williamson, 10.792, 127.51 def. Craig
Nyce, 13.262, 98.90; Steve Lockett, Dodge, 10.083, 131.55 def. Kory
Lindsay, Civic, 12.256, 105.65; Felix Medina, 9.989, 146.67 def. Steven
Jung, Civic, 10.823, 138.88;
SEMIFINALS -- Lockett, 10.071, 141.58 def. Medina, 10.897, 148.23;
Simpson, 10.354, 139.36 def. Williamson, broke;
FINALS -- Lockett, 10.034, 14.56 def. Simpson, foul.
STREET STOCK:
ROUND ONE -- Tim Grey, Honda, 12.498, 109.76 def. Jay Van Skyver, Honda,
13.177, 100.00; Greg Samaroo, broke def. Orlando Trancho, Honda Civic,
foul; Loan Nguyen, Civic, 19.670, 63.20 was unopposed;
SEMIFINALS -- Nguyen, 12.092, 116.86 def. Grey, 12.543, 109.55; Samaroo,
12.726, 110.50 was unopposed;
FINALS -- Nguyen, 12.306, 116.52 def. Samaroo, 12.690, 113.00.
QUICK 16:
ROUND ONE -- Steven Pocara, VW Beetle, 10.999, 119.49 def. Jose Toro,
Sprint, foul; Carlos Torres, Starlet, 10.157, 98.90 def. Ramon Ayala,
Corolla, 12.238, 86.62; Jose Roman, Toyota, 9.098, 142.75 def. Allan
Friedman, EVO, broke; Rene Torres, Corolla, 10.078, 123.47 def. Erica
Nocita, Cobalt, 11.817, 118.91; Carlos Perez, RX7, 9.551, 98.82 def.
Jose Ramos Jr, Toyota, broke; Juan Mejias, Corolla, 10.508, 128.13 def.
Mike Gage, Integra, broke; Oscar Cabrera, Starlet, 16.182, 93.99 def.
Salvador Gonzalez, Toyota Starlet, broke; Henry Montero, MC, 13.144,
118.75 was unopposed;
QUARTERFINALS -- Mejias, 10.260, 132.43 def. Roman, foul; Perez, 8.221,
160.90 def. R. Torres, foul; Cabrera, 12.177, 109.40 def. C. Torres,
11.464, 109.08; Montero, 8.615, 156.84 def. Pocara, 11.137, 119.74;
SEMIFINALS -- Mejias, 9.943, 135.20 def. Montero, 8.660, 155.20;
Cabrera, 12.852, no speed def. Perez, broke;
FINAL -- Cabrera, 12.282, 111.77 def. Mejias, foul.
