NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series - Friday from Houston

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION
HOUSTON RACEWAY PARK
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2006  
Contact: Dana Mariotti, NHRA (626) 428-0289
 
HOUSTON RACEWAY KICKS OFF LUCAS OIL SERIES EVENT
 
            HOUSTON - The 19th Annual Sportsman Challenge, a round of
the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, got underway today at Houston
Raceway Park.  After several hours of morning rain delays, racing
finally kicked off and the first rounds of qualifying were completed.
Top Alcohol Dragster Pilot, Spencer Massey and Top Alcohol Funny Car
Driver, Jonathan Johnson, qualified on top.
Massey of Fort Worth, Texas, jumped out to a quick start qualifying on
top over Dave Heitzman of Grand Rapids, Ohio.  Massey's pass of 5.421
seconds at 266.79 mph beat out Heitzman's pass of 5.484 seconds at
257.92 mph.
Johnson of Beaumont, Texas, also started the day well qualifying first
in Top Alcohol Funny Car.  Johnson ran 5.737 seconds at 247.97 mph to
qualify over Steve Harker of Gainesville, Ga., who ran 5.828 seconds at
251.91 mph.
In Comp Eliminator, Keith Mawhee of Carrollton, Texas, ran 8.047 seconds
in his '02 Cavalier to take the No. 1 spot over Tom Schmidt of
Lindstrom, Minn.   Schmidt ran 8.597 seconds driving a '34 Chevrolet.
Super Stock Racer, Irvin Johns of Charlestown, Ind., ran a pass of 9.725
seconds to qualify on top in a '02 Cavalier defeating Bobby Dennis of
Shorter, Ala.
Kent LaPorte of New Iberia, La., running in a '91 Camaro ran 11.861
seconds to qualify over Floyd Russo of Gonzales, La., in Stock
Eliminator.  Also qualifying on top was Ronnie Davis of Commerce, Ga.,
in Top Sportsman driving a '63 Corvette and making a pass of  6.933
seconds at 199.61 mph.  In Top Dragster, Mike Manners of Willis, Texas,
ran a pass of  6.596 seconds at 206.48 mph
to qualify in the top position, while Donnel Gaines of Stephenville,
Texas, ran 6.982 seconds at 193.77 mph to qualify second.
In the Sportsman Motorcycle category, it was Eddie Glaze of Houston who
qualified first in his '90 Suzuki.  Glaze outran Eric Cook also of
Houston who qualified in the second position.
Also taking place this weekend is the 2006 Beat the Heat World Finals.
Beat the Heat is a non-profit group comprised of Police Officers and
Firemen who are dedicated to educating kids on such topics as Drinking
and Driving, Drug Abuse and the Dangers Street Racing.  Local Chiefs,
Sheriffs and Constables were invited to the track today to take part in
special fun race against the Beat the Heat racers.  Beat the Heat racing
teams will begin eliminations on Saturday.
            Racing continues on Saturday with gates opening at 8:00 a.m.
Tickets are $18 for adults and children 6 to 12 are $10.  For more
information please call Houston Raceway Park at 281-383-Race or log on
to www.houstonraceway.com.
 
The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil
Drag Racing Series, South Central Division event at Houston Raceway
Park:
 
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Spencer Massey, Fort Worth, Texas, 5.421 seconds, 266.79 mph
2) Dave Heitzman, Grand Rapids, Ohio, 5.484, 257.92
3) Brandon Pierce, Oklahoma City, Okla., 5.485, 252.47
4) Lee Callaway, Channelview, Texas, 5.559, 262.23
5) Karl Brounkowski, Magnolia, Texas, 6.007, 250.41
6) Darryl Hitchman, Hanford, Calif., 6.442, 222.88
7) David Brounkowski, Cypress, Texas, 6.701, 230.25
8) Chris Holley, Freeport, Texas, 7.147, 194.16
Not Qualified
9) Brandon Johnson, Shelton, Wash., 8.474, 95.92
10) Vitali Kazakevich, Houston (no time)

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Jonathan Johnson, Beaumont, Texas, '05 Stratus, 5.737 seconds, 247.97
mph
2) Steve Harker, Gainesville, Ga., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.828, 251.91
3) Ron Morrison, Oklahoma City, Okla., '97 Camaro, 5.864, 245.63
4) Will Hanna, Richwood Village, Texas, '06 Monte Carlo, 5.882, 245.14
5) Jimmy Jones, Cleburne, Texas, '99 Camaro, 5.952, 248.93
6) Nancy Matter, Austin, Texas, '02 Camaro, 6.024, 244.78
7) Steve Burck, Corpus Christi, Texas, '06 Camaro, 6.119, 200.14
8) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '02 Camaro, 6.131, 247.75
Not Qualified
9) Brandon Lewis, Broken Arrow, Okla., '06 Monte Carlo, 7.364, 146.67
10) Jackie Stidham, Chickasha, Okla., '05 Monte Carlo, 8.043, 118.85

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Keith Mawhee, Carrollton, Texas, '02 Cavalier, F/AA, 8.047 seconds,
-0.663 (under index)
2) Tom Schmidt, Lindstrom, Minn., '34 Chevrolet, C/SR, 8.597, -0.633
3) Chase Williams, Carthage, Texas, '05 Grand Am, F/SM, 8.851, -0.569
4) Colt Mikel, Hempstead, Texas, '02 S-10, B/TA, 8.389, -0.561
5) Joey Tanksley, Greenwell Springs, La., dragster, C/D, 7.013, -0.557
6) Pete Carbery, Odessa, Texas, '02 Cavalier, B/A, 7.142, -0.548
7) David Rampy, Piedmont, Ala., '32 Bantam, A/EA, 7.384, -0.526
8) Glen Treadwell, Sorrento, Fla., '23 roadster, G/ED, 8.198, -0.522
9) Todd Patterson, Augusta, Kan., '06 Cobalt, E/A, 7.884, -0.506
10) Bill Morse, McKinney, Texas, '06 Cobalt, G/SM, 9.018, -0.502

SUPER STOCK
1) Irvin Johns, Charlestown, Ind., '02 Cavalier, GT/DA, 9.725 seconds,
-1.075 (under index)
2) Bobby Dennis, Shorter, Ala., '95 Acheiva, GT/KA, 10.693, -1.057
3) Gilbert Johnson Jr, Lecompte, La., '90 Camaro, GT/IA, 10.445, -1.055
4) James Caro, Houma, La., '03 Stratus, GT/CA, 9.651, -1.049
5) Terry Pearson, Spanish Fort, Ala., '05 Cavalier, GT/BA, 9.571, -0.979
6) Gary Emmons, Friendswood, Texas, '96 Firebird, SS/JA, 10.352, -0.948
7) Joe Teuton Jr., Houma, La., '68 Barracuda, SS/AH, 8.878, -0.922
8) Randall Klein, Lincoln, Neb., '56 Nomad, SS/NA, 11.543, -0.907
9) Bobby Cassard, Donaldsonville, La., '86 Firebird, SS/LA, 10.855,
-0.895
10) Jerry Emmons, Pasadena, Texas, '91 Calais, GT/EA, 10.062, -0.888

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Kent LaPorte, New Iberia, La., '91 Camaro, F/FIA, 11.861 seconds,
-1.089 (under index)
2) Floyd Russo, Gonzales, La., '01 Firebird, A/FIA, 10.239, -1.061
3) Fred Henson, Madisonville, Texas, '70 Challenger, A/SA, 10.291,
-1.009
4) Patrick Courts Sr., New Iberia, La., '87 Trans Am, H/FIA, 12.443,
-1.007
5) R.J. Sledge, Boerne, Texas, '67 Fairlane, F/SA, 11.170, -0.980
6) Larry Hudson, Ruston, La., '85 Camaro, I/S, 11.568, -0.932
7) Austin Ford, Spring, Texas, '67 Shelby, D/SA, 10.919, -0.931
8) Jerry Davis, Santa Fe, Texas, '71 Duster, E/SA, 11.076, -0.924
9) Edmond Richardson, Greenbrier, Tenn., '02 Camaro, B/FIA, 10.787,
-0.913
10) Steven Hall, Sweeney, Texas, '67 Mustang, C/SA, 10.794, -0.906

TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Ronnie Davis, Commerce, Ga., '63 Corvette, 6.933 seconds, 199.61 mph
2) Jim Harrington, Ft. Walton Bch., Fla., '99 Cutlass, 6.972, 201.64
3) Earl Folse, Raceland, La., '68 Camaro, 6.973, 197.97
4) Scott Randall, Carrollton, Texas, '02 Cavalier, 7.005, 197.91
5) Robert Davis, Boca Raton, Fla., '63 Corvette, 7.009, 203.46
6) Greg Tucker, Lindsay, Okla., '06 GTO, 7.010, 202.18
7) TBD , , , dragster, 7.065, 195.99
8) Dan Morrow, Bradenton, Fla., '06 GTO, 7.089, 194.91
9) Mark Pickens, Germantown, Tenn., '95 Cutlass, 7.094, 193.68
10) Billy Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, '02 Cavalier, 7.119, 195.42

TOP DRAGSTER
1) Mike Manners, Willis, Texas, dragster, 6.596 seconds, 206.48 mph
2) Donnel Gaines, Stephenville, Texas, dragster, 6.982, 193.77
3) Michael Kile, Westlake, La., dragster, 6.982, 189.10
4) Ken Thibodeaux, Baton Rouge, La., dragster, 7.001, 189.66
5) Joe Holzer, Houston, dragster, 7.076, 190.97
6) John Garner, Houston, dragster, 7.126, 188.70
7) Loretta Eckert, Calhoun, La., dragster, 7.190, 188.41
8) John Brimer, Arlington, Texas, dragster, 7.239, 184.42
9) Kevin Ford, Amarillo, Texas, dragster, 7.276, 187.18
10) Thomas Levatino, LaPlace, La., dragster, 7.322, 171.62

MOTORCYCLE
1) Eddie Glaze, Houston,'90 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.001 seconds reaction time
2) Eric Cook, Houston, '04 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.002
3) Lee Paterson, Livingston, Texas, '85 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.004
4) Benji Gibson, Euless, Texas, '05 Hayabusa, ETMX, 0.008
5) Robert Sanders, Houston, '04 Kawasaki, SMC, 0.011
6) Rich Gentili, Humble, Texas, '83 Suzuki, SMC, 0.012
7) Terry Blakely, Hope, Ark., '00 Kawasaki, SMC, 0.016
8) Michael Nash, Texarkana, Texas, '00 Honda, SMC, 0.026
9) Shane Eperjesi, Lake Dallas, Texas, '01 Koenig, ETMX, 0.029
10) Mike McCullah, Houston,  '00 Suzuki, SMC, 0.032
-30-
 
Dana Mariotti
NHRA Field Marketing
(626) 250-2286 Direct Line
(626) 335-7721 Fax
dmariotti@nhra.com  
 
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