NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Finals from Atlanta Dragway

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - SOUTHEAST DIVISION

ATLANTA DRAGWAY, COMMERCE, GA.

October 1, 2006

Contact: Eric Lotz, NHRA (626) 688-8646

 

DIVISION CHAMPS REIGN IN ATLANTA

 

            COMMERCE, Ga. - Reigning NHRA Southeast Division Lucas Oil
Drag Racing Series Champions Guy Kelly, Jay Payne, and Steve Cohen
captured wins and took home trophies today at Atlanta Dragway. 

Kelly, who has taken most of the year off from racing, ran consistent
5.40's (seconds) throughout eliminations for the win in Top Alcohol
Dragster. Kelly beat Ashley Force in his semifinal match up before
meeting up with Aaron Olivarez in the final. The Wadley, Ala., racer ran
5.430 seconds at 263.56 to Olivarez's 5.717 at 246.53 mph for the win.

            The final round appearance moves Olivarez into the division
point's lead with Force sitting in second.

            Payne used a 5.667 second 257.97 mph to beat John Sullivan
in the final of Top Alcohol Funny Car and pick up his 4th win of the
year. The win also clinches the sixth division funny car championship
and 11th NHRA championship overall for the Claremont, Calif., resident.

            Cohen, of Trilby, Fla., put his '04 Grand Am Super Gas entry
in the winner's circle with a win over Rock Haas running 9.910 seconds
at 156.97 mph while Bob Butner beat teammate Jeff Taylor in Comp
Eliminator.

            The division's TracStar Systems Satellites Top Sportsman
class was won by Jeffrey Barker of Warner-Robins, Ga., with a 7.191
second, 191.05 mph lap over Rip Dennis, clocking in at 7.780 seconds,
172.70 mph.

            Mickey Whaley took the win in Stock Eliminator beating out
Randy Wilkes at the finish line with an 11.082 second, 117.77 run in his
'69 Camaro and Matt Antrobius won over Terry Pearson in Super Stock.
Antrobius ran his '87 Camaro to a 10.055 second, 117.63 mph pass.

            In Super Comp it was Jimmy Stahl of Boone, N.C., winning
over Jeff Strickland of Red Bay, Ala., and Michael Ruff won over Dan
Moore in Super Street in his '92 Camaro.

Southeast Division racers head to Silver Dollar Raceway in Reynolds,
Ga., for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, October
20-22.

 

The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series event at Atlanta Dragway:

 

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER: 

Round 1

1) Aaron Olivarez, Sandy, Utah, 5.434, 261.52 def. 8) Dan Lucas,
Cumming, Ga., 6.081, 209.01

5) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.594, 260.76 def. 4) Artie Allen,
Jacksonville, Fla., 5.857, 188.33

2) Ashley Force, Azusa, Calif., 5.543, 262.13 def. 7) Cherissa Griffis,
Gainesville, Fla., 6.156, 194.83

3) Guy Kelly, Wadley, Ala., 5.477, 254.86 def. 6) Robin Samsel, Marion,
Ind., foul

 

Semifinals

Kelly, 5.462, 255.92 def. Force, 5.537, 260.81

Olivarez, 6.241, 211.10 def. Thacker, foul

 

Final

Kelly, 5.430, 263.56 def. Olivarez, 5.717, 246.53

 

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR: 

Round 1

6) John Sullivan, Montgomery, Ala., '04 Firebird, 5.893, 243.81 def. 3)
Mark Billington, Norcross, Ga., '01 Avenger, broke

4) Monty Todd, Wetumpka, Ala., '01 Camaro, 5.922, 242.23 def. 5) Bill
Naves, Salisbury, N.C., '97 Firebird, 6.277, 226.66

2) Steve Harker, Gainesville, Ga., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.789, 253.33 def.
7) William Fulford, Virginia Beach, Va., '01 Corvette, broke

1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.690, 255.82 was unopposed

 

Semifinal

Sullivan, 5.823, 245.67 def. Harker, 5.938, 248.16

Payne, 5.759, 255.48 def. Todd, 5.921, 241.67

 

Final

Payne, 5.667, 257.97 def. Sullivan, 5.833, 244.92

 

COMP ELIMINATOR

Bo Butner, Floyds Knobs, Ind., '05 Cavalier, AA/SM, broke  def. Jeff
Taylor, Floyds Knobs, Ind.,

'05 Grand Am, G/SMA, broke

 

SUPER STOCK

Matt Antrobius, Bellbrook, Ohio, '87 Camaro, GT/DA, 10.055, 117.63  def.
Terry Pearson, Spanish

Fort, Ala., '05 Cavalier, GT/BA, 11.767, 70.64

 

STOCK ELIMINATOR

Mickey Whaley, Kinston, N.C., '69 Camaro, D/SA, 11.082, 117.77  def.
Randy Wilkes, Zanesville,

Ohio, '01 Firebird, A/FIA, 10.348, 125.31

 

SUPER COMP

Jimmy Stahl, Boone, N.C., dragster, 8.899, 170.86  def. Jeff Strickland,
Red Bay, Ala., dragster,

8.892, 169.19

 

SUPER GAS

Steve Cohen, Trilby, Fla., '04 Grand Am, 9.910, 156.97  def. Rock Haas,
White Lake, Mich., '63

Corvette, 9.893, 159.70

 

SUPER STREET

Michael Ruff, Orlando, Fla., '92 Camaro, 10.920, 127.57  def. Dan Moore,
Scottsmore, Fla., '89

Grand Am, 10.945, 133.86

 

TOP SPORTSMAN

Jeffrey Barker, Warner-Robins, Ga., '02 Camaro, 7.191, 191.05  def. Rip
Dennis, Florence, Miss.,

'99 S-10, 7.780, 172.70

 

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