NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Friday from Maple Grove
Raceway
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NORTHEAST DIVISION
MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY, READING, PA.
Friday, May 26, 2006
READING, Pa. - In the first rounds of qualifying for the
NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at Maple Gove Raceway, Top Alcohol
Dragster driver Arthur Gallant and Top Alcohol Funny Car pilot Frank
Manzo took the No. 1 qualifying positions in their classes. This weekend
kicks off the NHRA Northeast Division season with more than $150,000 up
for grabs in cash and contingency along with championship points towards
a year-end purse of over half a million dollars.
Former National Champion Gallant, of Boxboro, Mass., outran the field
with a pass of 5.330 seconds at 271.19 mph. John Finke clocked in at
5.492 seconds, 270.00 mph for the No. 2 spot while Rich McPhillips of
Phoenixville, Pa., is sixth in the 8-car field.
Manzo, with seven national championships to his name, raced to a 5.634
second pass in his Lucas Oil '05 Monte Carlo at 254.86 mph and is
followed by reigning funny car national champion Bob Newberry with a
5.727 second, 253.42 mph pass.
Mike Gardner put himself at the top of the Foxwood Top
Sportsman class with a 6.638 second pass at 207.94 mph. The Haymarket,
Va., racer is followed by Paul Athey of Plainfield, Conn., in his '41
Willys.
Held in conjunction with this weekend's event is the NHRA Northeast
Division Spring National Open presented by Sony P.C. Richards. Top Stock
racer Steve Ficacci of East Hanover, N.J., took the win over Fred
Thibeault with a run of 10.237 seconds at 130.18 mph with eliminations
in all remaining categories continuing into Friday night.
Racing continues Saturday at 8:30. Gates open at 8 a.m.
Tickets are $20 or a special admission price of $25 a car load to the
spectator side of the track. For more information, call Maple Grove
Raceway, (610) 856-7200
The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA
Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Maple Grove Raceway:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.330 seconds, 271.19 mph
2) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.392, 270.00
3) Jeff Bohr, Plymouth, Mich., 5.448, 261.57
4) Mike Kosky, Cuddy, Pa., 5.461, 257.78
5) Mark Albert, Baldwin, Pa., 5.572, 254.23
6) Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., 5.594, 254.28
7) Dave DeAngelis, Middlesex, N.J., 5.652, 251.81
8) Dan Mercier, Valley Field, Quebec, 5.839, 239.23
Not Qualified
9) Richard Bourke, Old Tappan, N.J., 7.188, 147.15
10) Ken Winward, Wilmington, Del., 7.398, 117.04
11) Wayne Morris, Lincoln University, Pa., 10.343, 122.26
12) Karen Stalba, Fanwood, N.J., 11.487, 69.57
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.634 seconds,
254.86 mph
2) Bob Newberry, Schenectady, N.Y., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.727, 253.42
3) Jeff Burnett, Brownsburg, Ind., '01 Avenger, 5.764, 241.50
4) Bobby Martin, Beaver Falls, Pa., '01 Avenger, 5.812, 249.03
5) DJ Cox Jr., Whiteford, Md., '01 Firebird, 5.886, 245.67
6) Duane Beers, Monroe, N.J., '02 Camaro, 6.033, 237.34
7) Bruce Peterson, Wappinger Falls, N.Y., '02 Corvette, 6.079, 238.30
8) Eric Lourie, Terryville, Conn., '02 Camaro, 6.257, 233.80
Not Qualified
9) Chris Brown, Ivyland, Pa., '00 Stratus, 6.368, 226.77
10) Rob Atchison, London, Ont., '05 Monte Carlo, 6.492, 169.89
11) Dan Pomponio, Berlin, N.J., '00 Camaro, 7.574, 127.16
12) Marc White, Glendale Hts., Ill., '04 Firebird, 9.855, 80.74
13) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '01 Camaro, (no time)
14) Ron Zavarella, Woodstock Valley, Conn., '02 Firebird, (no time)
FOXWOOD TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Mike Gardner, Haymarket, Va., '04 Grand Am, 6.638 seconds, 207.94 mph
2) Paul Athey, Plainfield, Conn., '41 Willys, 6.756, 212.06
3) Chris Rini, Carmel, N.Y., '03 Neon, 6.995, 201.82
4) Fred Gallo, Shirley, N.Y., '95 Olds, 7.031, 194.10
5) Gerard Milidantri, Suffern, N.Y., '63 Corvette, 7.242, 190.78
6) John Prime, Thomastown, Conn., '67 Corvette, 7.314, 188.49
7) Scott Cozzali, Mastic, N.Y., '55 Chevy, 7.324, 183.37
8) Bob Phillips, Oley, Pa., '03 Neon, 7.421, 185.31
9) Donald Troy Sr, Northeast, Md., '63 Corvette, 7.432, 184.52
10) Steven DeRosa, Londonderry, N.H., '06 GTO, 7.494, 183.67
