Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Sunday from Gainesville Raceway

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - In the final eliminations from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series being held this weekend at Gainesville Raceway, Top Alcohol Dragster driver, Bill Evans and Top Alcohol Funny Car racer, Jay Payne scored wins in their respective classes. Bill Evans of Miramar, Fla., started eliminations in the No. 4 position but was able to outrun the field in Top Alcohol Dragster with a final pass of 5.459 seconds at 250.69 mph. Evans beat John Finke of Selkirk, N.Y., who made a final run of 5.459 seconds at 265.17 mph. In Top Alcohol Funny Car, Jay Payne of Claremont, Calif., took home the trophy with a time of 5.737 seconds at 253.59 mph to defeat Bob Newberry of Morriston, Fla., who ran 5.900 seconds at 253.44 mph. Comp Eliminator racer, David Eaton of Merritt Island, Fla., made a final pass of 10.020 seconds at 84.12 mph to defeat Gary Merrick of Girard, Ohio. Craig Marshall of Columbus, Ohio, driving a '98 Grand Am and making at pass of 10.027 seconds at 101.85 mph won in Super Stock. Marshall defeated Jeff Tripp of Jackson, N.J., who drove a '84 Monte Carlo. In Stock Eliminator, Anthony Bertozzi of Ashland, Va., driving a '69 Camaro, ran 10.588 seconds at 121.72 mph to find the winner's circle over Ralph Porpora of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., who made a final run of 10.286 seconds at 129.25 mph. In other categories, Jim Nash of Ooltewah, Tenn., ran 8.954 seconds at 153.97 mph to win in Super Comp and Steve Furr of Harrisburg, N.C., took home a trophy in Super Gas driving a '68 Camaro with a final pass of 9.914 seconds at 149.40 mph. Super Street driver, R.L. Koontz of Sarasota, Fla., finished on top driving a '92 Beretta defeating James Noel of Seneca, S.C., who drove his '07 Cobalt. In Top Sportsman, Jeffrey Barker of Warner-Robins, Ga., in a '02 Camaro, with a pass of 7.212 seconds at 189.71 mph took the win over Jerry Barker of Fort Valley, Ga. Top Dragster driver, Corky Markwart of Pinellas Park, Fla., made a final run of 7.639 seconds at 173.94 mph to defeat Peter Vicari of Morrero, La., who ran 7.031 seconds 186.87 mph. The next stop for racers on the NHRA Southeast Division tour is Orlando Speed World Dragway, March 9-11. For more information about the event please call (407) 568-2717 or log on to www.SpeedworldDragway.com. The following are Sunday's final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Southeast Division event at Gainesville Raceway: TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER: Round 1 1) Aaron Olivarez, Sandy, Utah, 5.374, 258.84 def. 8) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., broke 2) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.530, 260.04 def. 7) Cherissa Smallwood, Gainesville, Fla., 6.121, 208.42 3) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.454, 264.00 def. 6) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 5.927, 246.10 4) Bill Evans, Miramar, Fla., 5.454, 253.44 def. 5) Lindsey Wood, McAlpin, Fla., 5.897, 206.75 Semifinals Finke, 5.444, 265.95 def. Thacker, 5.500, 260.49 Evans, 5.724, 250.13 def. Olivarez, 6.963, 156.38 Final Evans, 5.459, 250.69 def. Finke, 5.459, 265.17 TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR: ROUND ONE 1) Bob Newberry, Morriston, Fla., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.681, 256.26 def. 8) William Fulford, Virginia Beach, Va., '04 Corvette, broke 2) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.913, 245.76 def. 7) Charles Gambino, Daytona Bch, Fla., '00 Corvette, 6.389, 221.51 3) Marty Nothstein, Orefield, Pa., '07 Charger, 5.685, 252.24 def. 6) Mark Billington, Norcross, Ga., '01 Avenger, 5.835, 245.43 4) Keeter Ray, Newport Bch, Calif., '99 Mustang, 5.887, 241.87 def. 5) Frank Schuster, Chesterfield, N.J., '02 Firebird, 5.926, 241.02 SEMI-FINALS Newberry, 5.839, 252.66 def. Ray, 5.871, 242.91 Payne, 5.624, 247.11 def. Nothstein, 5.864, 250.48 FINALS Payne, 5.737, 253.59 def. Newberry, 5.900, 253.44 TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.737, 253.59 def. Bob Newberry, Morriston, Fla., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.900, 253.44. TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER Bill Evans, Miramar, Fla., 5.459, 250.69 def. John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.459, 265.17 COMP ELIMINATOR David Eaton, Merritt Island, Fla., '32 Bantam, A/AP, 10.020, 84.12 def. Gary Merrick, Girard, Ohio, dragster, C/ED, 7.651, 143.72 SUPER STOCK Craig Marshall, Columbus, Ohio, '98 Grand Am, SS/CM, 10.027, 101.85 def. Jeff Tripp, Jackson, N.J., '84 Monte Carlo, SS/AM, 8.933, 150.95 STOCK ELIMINATOR Anthony Bertozzi, Ashland, Va., '69 Camaro, A/SA, 10.588, 121.72 def. Ralph Porpora, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., '69 Camaro, A/S, 10.286, 129.25 SUPER COMP Jim Nash, Ooltewah, Tenn., dragster, 8.954, 153.97 def. Billy Walker, Lawrenceville, Ga., dragster, 8.891, 156.30 SUPER GAS Steve Furr, Harrisburg, N.C., '68 Camaro, 9.914, 149.40 def. Sherman Adcock Jr, Forston, Ga., '02 Trans Am, 9.922, 151.56 SUPER STREET R.L. Koontz, Sarasota, Fla., '92 Beretta, 10.929, 141.11 def. James Noel, Seneca, S.C., '78 Fairmont, 10.907, 129.19. TOP SPORTSMAN Jeffrey Barker, Warner-Robins, Ga., '02 Camaro, 7.212, 189.71 def. Jerry Barker, Fort Valley, Ga., '07 Cobalt, 6.947, 201.52 TOP DRAGSTER Corky Markwart, Pinellas Park, Fla., dragster, 7.639, 173.94 def. Peter Vicari, Morrero, La., dragster, 7.031, 186.87 -30-