NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series-Saturday from Bradenton Motorsports Park

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - SOUTHEAST DIVISION

BRADENTON MOTORSPORTS PARK, BRADENTON, FLA.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

OLIVAREZ, PAYNE LEAD QUALIFIERS AT 
BRADENTON MOTORSPORTS PARK

BRADENTON, Fla. - Qualifying is complete at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Bradenton Motorsports Park. The division's defending champions in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car, Aaron Olivarez and Jay Payne, respectively, took the No. 1 qualifying spots in their classes. Racers in eight other categories are vying for the first win of the season in NHRA's Southeast division.

Sandy, Utah's Olivarez outran the field with a 5.262-second, 270.51 mph run. The second-place qualifier, John Finke of Selkirk, N.Y., ran 5.317 seconds at 274.72 mph. Olivarez is also the defending event champion.

Payne, a resident of Claremont, Calif., took the top spot by a much slimmer margin than Olivarez, outpacing No. 2 qualifier Bob Newberry, Morrison, Fla., 5.592 seconds (258.39 mph) to 5.593 seconds (259.81 mph). Olympic Gold Medal cyclist Marty Nothstein of Orefield, Pa., was the third-place qualifier with a 5.714-second, 256.19 mph run.

Larry Pritchett, Clarkrange, Tenn., remained the best qualifier in Comp Eliminator, as did Shorter, Ala., racer Bob Dennis in Super Stock. Top qualifiers in other classes were Gary Richard, Bay Shore, N.Y., in Stock Eliminator; Ronnie Davis, Suwanee, Ga., in Top Sportsman; and Eddie Careccia, Mars Hill, Fla., in Top Dragster.

Racing continues Sunday at Bradenton Motorsports Park. Gates open at 8 a.m. and eliminations will start at 9 a.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car will run first round at 1 p.m.

Tickets for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event are $20. Children 11 and under are admitted free with a paid adult.

Bradenton Motorsports Park is located on SR 64, nine miles east of I-75 exit 220. For more information call the track, (941) 748-1320, or visit www.BradentonMotorsports.com.

The following are Saturday's final qualifying results and Sunday's first-round pairings for TAD and TAFC at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Bradenton Motorsports Parks:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

1) Aaron Olivarez, Sandy, Utah, 5.262 seconds, 270.51 mph

2) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.317, 274.72

3) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.519, 257.36

4) Bill Evans, Miramar, Fla., 5.532, 251.81

5) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., 5.591, 256.04

6) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 5.621, 257.21

7) Cherissa Griffis, Gainesville, Fla., 6.274, 210.62

8) Dan Lucas, Cumming, Ga., 6.767, 174.55 

Not Qualified

9) Lindsey Wood, McAlpin, Fla., 13.114, 63.75

 

First round TAD pairings

1) Aaron Olivarez, Sandy, Utah, 5.262 seconds, 270.51 mph vs. 8) Dan Lucas,
Cumming, Ga., 6.767,

174.55

2) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.317, 274.72 vs. 7) Cherissa Griffis,
Gainesville, Fla., 6.274, 210.62

3) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.519, 257.36 vs. 6) Artie Allen,
Jacksonville, Fla., 5.621, 257.21

4) Bill Evans, Miramar, Fla., 5.532, 251.81 vs. 5) Robin Samsel, Marion,
Ind., 5.591, 256.04

 

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR

1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.592 seconds, 258.39 mph

2) Bob Newberry, Morriston, Fla., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.593, 259.81

3) Marty Nothstein, Orefield, Pa., '07 Charger, 5.714, 256.19

4) Mike Bell, Fulton, Mo., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.866, 242.52

5) Charles Gambino, Daytona Bch, Fla., '00 Corvette, 6.132, 231.66

6) John Sullivan, Montgomery, Ala., '04 Firebird, 6.430, 231.00

7) Bill Naves, Salisbury, N.C., '99 Avenger, 7.421, 188.71

8) William Fulford, Virginia Beach, Va., '02 Corvette, 15.365, 50.30

 

First round TAFC pairings

1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.592 seconds, 258.39 mph vs.
8) William Fulford, Virginia Beach, Va., '02 Corvette, 15.365, 50.30

2) Bob Newberry, Morriston, Fla., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.593, 259.81 vs. 7) Bill
Naves, Salisbury, N.C., '99 Avenger, 7.421, 188.71

3) Marty Nothstein, Orefield, Pa., '07 Charger, 5.714, 256.19 vs. 6) John
Sullivan, Montgomery, Ala., '04 Firebird, 6.430, 231.00

4) Mike Bell, Fulton, Mo., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.866, 242.52 vs. 5) Charles
Gambino, Daytona Bch, Fla., '00 Corvette, 6.132, 231.66

 

COMP ELIMINATOR

1) Larry Pritchett, Clarkrange, Tenn., '05 Sunfire, B/SM, 8.036 seconds,
-0.704 (under index)

2) Van Puckett, Monroe, Ga., '05 Cavalier, F/AA, 8.017, -0.693

3) Arnie Martel, Tewksbury, Mass., '06 Pontiac, F/AA, 8.026, -0.684

4) Joe Castaldo, Center Moriches, N.Y., '07 Cobalt, B/AA, 7.075, -0.655

5) Pat Ross, Avon Lake, Ohio, '05 Grand Am, F/A, 8.039, -0.651

6) Rick Hord, Kissimmee, Fla., '63 Corvette, BB/A, 7.535, -0.615

7) Pam Miskovosky, Quakertown, Pa., dragster, C/DA, 7.099, -0.571

8) Bert Dawson, E. Liverpool, Ohio, '05 Cavalier, F/AA, 8.144, -0.566

9) Jenny Treadwell, Sorrento, Fla., dragster, E/ED, 8.364, -0.546

10) Don Eberly, Brunswick, Ga., '03 Cavalier, C/EA, 8.254, -0.496

 

SUPER STOCK

1) Bob Dennis, Shorter, Ala., '95 Achieva, GT/MA, 10.659 seconds, -1.391
(under index)

2) Brian Oakes, Williamstown, N.J., '69 Camaro, SS/DA, 9.123, -1.377

3) Andy Fogle, Norway, S.C., '05 Cavalier, GT/AA, 9.049, -1.351

4) David Thomas, West Chester, Pa., '69 Corvette, SS/BA, 8.868, -1.332

5) David Jackson, Columbus, N.C., '92 Firebird, GT/FA, 9.784, -1.316

6) Arnie Martel, Tewksbury, Mass., '07 Cobalt, SS/BS, 8.771, -1.279

7) Bob Shaw, Sedalia, Mo., '97 Firehawk, GT/MA, 10.792, -1.258

8) Rick Brewer, Jacksonville, Fla., '67 Corvette, SS/IA, 9.744, -1.256

9) Mark Nowicki, Gaylord, Mich., '98 Avenger, GT/GA, 9.974, -1.226

10) Grant Lewis, Jesup, Ga., '67 Camaro, SS/DM, 8.976, -1.224

 

STOCK ELIMINATOR

1) Gary Richard, Bay Shore, N.Y., '69 Camaro, B/SA, 10.283 seconds, -1.267
(under index)

2) Bud Rowe, Bridgeton, N.C., '95 Camaro, B/FIA, 10.464, -1.236

3) Jimbo Fields, Gallatin, Tenn., '86 Camaro, G/SA, 11.079, -1.221

4) Wayne Shaw, Douglasville, Ga., '83 Malibu, K/SA, 11.732, -1.218

5) Victor Guilmino III, Martinsburg, W.V., '71 Mustang, D/SA, 10.652, -1.198

6) Ralph Porpora, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., '69 Camaro, A/S, 10.063, -1.187

7) Jim Wahl, Deltona, Fla., '91 Spirit, BF/S, 13.765, -1.185

8) Edmond Richardson, Greenbrier, Tenn., '02 Camaro, B/FIA, 10.521, -1.179

9) David Lindsay, Ft. Pierce, Fla., '95 Cobra, C/FI, 10.777, -1.173

10) Peter Noriega, Hileah, Fla., '80 Malibu, M/SA, 11.986, -1.164

 

TOP SPORTSMAN

1) Ronnie Davis, Suwanee, Ga., '63 Corvette, 6.580 seconds, 212.76 mph

2) Dewey Pedrick, Lighthouse Pt., Fla., '63 Corvette, 6.728, 207.56

3) Jerry Barker, Fort Valley, Ga., '07 Cobalt, 6.864, 203.98

4) Jack Nunez, New Smyrna, Fla., '63 Corvette, 6.895, 189.47

5) Mike Gardener, Haymarket, Wash., '04 Grand Am, 6.904, 202.20

6) Daniel Morrow, Bradenton, Fla., '06 GTO, 6.932, 200.53

7) Ben Donhoff, Melbourne, Fla., '93 Daytona, 6.978, 214.23

8) Rick Davis, Parrish, Fla., '02 Firebird, 6.991, 190.23

9) Jason Wood, Live Oak, Fla., '68 Camaro, 7.073, 194.38

10) Scott Davis, Pompano Beach, Fla., '97 Cutlass, 7.095, 195.77

 

TOP DRAGSTER

1) Eddie Careccia, Mars Hill, Fla., dragster, 6.213 seconds, 215.98 mph

2) Matt Gilmore, Altamonte Springs, Fla., '32 Bantam, 6.272, 225.56

3) Henry Outhouse, Apopka, Fla., dragster, 6.668, 203.02

4) Jeffy Duke Jr., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., '00 Boz, 6.686, 199.68

5) Charlie Cullotto, Palm City, Fla., dragster, 6.787, 196.76

6) Bill Empke, W. Palm Beach, Fla., dragster, 6.855, 197.62

7) Ken Wells, Orlando, Fla., dragster, 6.900, 192.34

8) Dan Seidel, Port St. Lucie, Fla., dragster, 6.911, 194.63

9) Kurt Damron Jr., Fruitland Park, Fla., dragster, 6.938, 191.48

10) Jeff Keen, Palmetto, Fla., dragster, 7.040, 187.46