NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Sunday from Cecil County Dragway

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NORTHEAST DIVISION

CECIL COUNTY DRAGWAY, RISING SUN, MD.

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Contact: Name, NHRA (626) 688-8646

 

MANZO JOINS MERCIER WITH WIN AT CECIL COUNTY

 

            RISING SUN, Md. - Nine-time NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series Funny Car National Champion Frank Manzo had to wait an extra 12
hours before knocking out Dan Pomponio for the win in the funny car
final today at Cecil County Dragway With an afternoon rain delay and
racing running late into the night on Saturday, the funny car final was
postponed until Sunday morning, joining the rest of final eliminations
originally scheduled for Sunday.

            Manzo picked up where he left off on Saturday with a 5.836
second lap at 249.16 mph against Pomponio in the final round. Pomponio
slowed to a 6.408 second 172.89 mph in the final after qualifying third
with a 5.935 second run. The win, Manzo's fourth in a row at Cecil
County, should move him into the point's lead for the national
championship. 

            Prior to the postponement of action on Saturday, Dan Mercier
used a 5.464 second, 268.01 mph lap to win the Top Alcohol Dragster
title. This is the second Northeast Division win for the Valley Field,
Quebec, racer picking up a win last month at Virginia Motorsports Park
over defending Northeast Division Champion Art Gallant.

            Manzo was not the only defending event champion to return to
the winner's circle as Michael Hardee of Wilmington, N.C., held off
Charlie Greco in the Comp Eliminator final running 8.915 seconds at
152.24 mph. David Ficacci fell to Justin Picillo in Stock Eliminator
with Picillo running a time of 11.836 seconds at 103.25 mph.

Kent Hanley recorded a near perfect reaction time in his win over Jeff
Szilagyi running 8.917 seconds at 161.30 mph to go along with his 0.003
second reaction time. In Super Gas it was Maugansville, Md., racer Derek
Clark beating Scott Reinford in his '95 Cutlass and Super Street winner
Mark Bordone of Kingsville, Md., took out Darrell Jackson running 10.945
seconds at 124.94 mph in his '68 Barracuda.

            Advancing to the Super Stock final was Peter Biondo and
Richard Kay which will be run at future NHRA event due to time
restraints and approaching weather. Biondo, the reigning NHRA National
and Northeast Division Stock Champion, took out Angelo Ditocco in his
semifinal match up while Kay had a bye run into the final.

            The Northeast Division racers head to Old Bridge Township
Raceway Park for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event,
September 8-10.

 

The following are round by round results for Top Alcohol Dragster and
Funny Car and final round results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series Northeast Shootout at Cecil County Dragway:

 

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER: 

Round 1

3) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.449, 259.11 def. 6) Ken Winward,
Wilmington, Del., 5.918, 187.70

1) Dan Mercier, Valley Field, Quebec, 5.534, 267.22 def. 8) Bruce
Horner, Bergenfield, N.J., 5.651, 245.54

7) Richard Bourke, Old Tappan, N.J., 5.697, 253.09 def. 2) Mike Kosky,
Cuddy, Pa., 5.721, 205.94

4) Dave DeAngelis, Middlesex, N.J., 5.565, 249.58 def. 5) Mark Albert,
Baldwin, Pa., 5.589, 252.14 

 

Semifinals

Mercier, 5.458, 268.97 def. DeAngelis, 6.796, 141.22

Bourke, 5.652, 252.90 def. Gallant, broke 

 

Final

Mercier, 5.464, 268.01 def. Bourke, 5.573, 255.63 

 

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR: 

Round 1

1) Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.779, 252.19 def.
8) Marc White, Glendale Hts., Ill., '04 Firebird, 14.543, 48.32

2) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '01 Camaro, 5.780, 246.57 def. 7) Dan
Roman, Wolcott, Conn.,

'97 Firebird, 6.398, 185.59

3) Dan Pomponio, Berlin, N.J., '00 Camaro, 6.049, 236.84 def. 6) Chris
Brown, Ivyland, Pa., '06 Stratus, 6.428, 228.58

4) David Ray, Plaistow, N.H., '01 Avenger, 5.762, 248.20 def. 5) Bruce
Mullins, Fredericksburg, Va., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.942, 241.41

 

Semifinals

Manzo, 5.775, 250.60 def. Ray, 6.187, 180.79

Pomponio, 10.916, 74.12 def. Ferro, foul

 

Finals

Manzo, 5.836, 249.16 def. Pomponio, 6.408, 172.89

 

COMPETITION ELIMINATOR

Michael Hardee, Wilmington, N.C., '05 Sunfire, F/SM, 8.915, 152.24  def.
Charlie Greco, Berwyn,

Pa., '06 GTO, E/A, 7.832, 175.23. 

 

STOCK ELIMINATOR

Justin Picillo, Scitvate, R.I., '72 Chevelle, I/SA, 11.836, 103.25  def.
David Ficacci, E.

Hanover, N.J., '69 Nova, B/SA, 10.431, 115.26. 

 

SUPER COMP

Kent Hanley, Newtown, Conn., dragster, 8.917, 161.30  def. Jeff
Szilagyi, Hellerton, Pa.,

dragster, 8.932, 168.14. 

 

SUPER GAS

Derek Clark, Maugansville, Md., '95 Cutlass, 9.889, 150.75  def. Scott
Reinford, Gilbertsville,

Pa., '63 Corvette, 9.883, 158.73. 

 

SUPER STREET

Mark Bordone, Kingsville, Md., '68 Barracuda, 10.945, 124.94  def.
Darrell Jackson Sr, Shady

Side, Md., '78 Cutlass, 10.932, 127.05. 

 

--30-