NHRA - HARKER, JONES TOP FIELDS AT TEXAS MOTORPLEX'S LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES

ENNIS, Texas - The opening day of qualifying in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Texas Motorplex is in the books. Rookie Top Alcohol Dragster pilot Kate Harker set the bar in the class while veteran Top Alcohol Funny Car racer Jimmy Jones leads his category.

Harker, a resident of Gainesville, Ga., is wheeling the dragster of South Central division standout Tom Conway. The 23-year-old leads the class with a 5.384-second, 261.52 mph pass. The No. 2 qualifier, Brandon Pierce of Moore, Okla., ran 5.450 seconds at 268.22 mph. Fort Worth resident, and reigning division champ, Spencer Massey sits in the No. 6 qualifying spot.

Jones, a pharmacist out of Cleburne, Texas, made a 5.758-second, 250.55 mph to top the field. Another Harker, Kate's dad Steve, is the second-place qualifier in Top Alcohol Funny Car with a 5.791-second, 247.79 mph lap.

Michael Johnson, Springdale, Ark., set the pace in Comp Eliminator and Spanish Fort, La., resident Terry Pearson tops the Super Stock field. Dempsey Pendarvis, Gonzales, La., heads up Stock Eliminator; Keith Raferty, Lake Charles, La., is No. 1 in Top Sportsman; and Willis, Texas' Mike Manners is the top qualifier in Top Dragster. Rich Gentili, Humble, Texas, is the best qualifier in Sportsman Motorcycle and the No. 2 qualifier in the class is Craig Treble, Hensley, Ark., who also competes in the Pro Stock Motorcycle in NHRA's PowerAde Series.

Racing continues Saturday and Sunday at Texas Motorplex. Gates open at 8 a.m. both days. Final qualifying and time trials are slated to start at 9 a.m. Saturday. Top Sportsman and Top Dragster will run at 10 a.m. and noon while Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualifying sessions are at 1 and 4 p.m. Eliminations start Sunday morning at 9 a.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car will run first round at noon.

Tickets for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Texas Motorplex are $15 Saturday and $20 Sunday. Children 6 to 15 years old are $10 each day and kids 5 and under are admitted free.

Texas Motorplex is located on Highway 287, two miles west of Ennis, between Interstates 35 and 45. For more information call the track, (972) 878-2641, or visit http://www.TexasMotorplex.com/">www.TexasMotorplex.com.

The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Texas Motorplex:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

1) Kate Harker, Gainesville, Ga., 5.384 seconds, 261.52 mph

2) Brandon Pierce, Moore, Okla., 5.450, 268.22

3) Randy Meyer, Spring Hill, Kan., 5.485, 227.23

4) Brandon Lewis, Broken Arrow, Okla., 5.521, 262.59

5) Darryl Hitchman, Greenville, Texas, 5.738, 250.60

6) Spencer Massey, Fort Worth, Texas, 11.041, 70.78

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR

1) Jimmy Jones, Cleburne, Texas, '99 Camaro, 5.758 seconds, 250.55 mph

2) Steve Harker, Gainesville, Ga., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.791, 247.79

3) Lee Callaway, Baytown, Texas, '07 Mustang, 5.841, 222.00

4) Casey Beal, Basehor, Kan., '99 Camaro, 6.312, 227.96

COMP ELIMINATOR

1) Michael Johnson, Springdale, Ark., '03 Cavalier, H/AA, 8.726 seconds, -0.554 (under index)

2) Shane Heckel, La Porte, Texas, dragster, B/D, 6.736, -0.534

3) Scott Cashio, Ventress, La., '07 Cobalt, G/SMA, 8.889, -0.521

4) Lucky Snyder, Longmont, Colo., '62 Alpine, G/A, 8.535, -0.515

5) Pete Carbery, Odessa, Texas, '02 Cavalier, B/A, 7.207, -0.483

6) Sean Dodd, Double Oak, Texas, '07 Cobalt, B/AA, 7.243, -0.477

7) Chase Williams, Carthage, Texas, '05 Grand Am, G/SM, 9.018, -0.472

8) Mike Trumble, Pasadena, Texas, '07 Cobalt, A/SMA, 8.102, -0.458

9) Clark Smiley, Denver City, Texas, '04 Cavalier, B/SM, 8.280, -0.440

10) Dennis Smiley, Denver City, Texas, dragster, A/DA, 6.784, -0.416

SUPER STOCK

1) Terry Pearson, Spanish Fort, Ala., '04 Cavalier, GT/AA, 9.375 seconds, -1.025 (under index)

2) John Clegg, Victoria, Texas, '88 Firebird, SS/AM, 8.306, -0.994

3) Gary Stinnett, Emporia, Kan., '92 Camaro, GT/AA, 9.436, -0.964

4) Fred Henson, Madisonville, Texas, '68 Dart, SS/AH, 8.838, -0.962

5) Jerry Emmons, Pasadena, Texas, '91 Calais, GT/CA, 9.747, -0.953

6) Korey Mawhee, Frisco, Texas, '95 Achieva, GT/DA, 9.887, -0.913

7) Harvey Emmons III, Friendswood, Texas, '04 Cavalier, GT/BA, 9.674, -0.876

8) Phil Unruh, McPherson, Kan., '69 Camaro, SS/EA, 9.838, -0.812

9) Matt Forbes, Horse Cave, Ky., '66 BelAir, SS/NA, 11.665, -0.785

10) Gary Emmons, Friendswood, Texas, '96 Firebird, SS/JA, 10.518, -0.782

STOCK ELIMINATOR

1) Dempsey Pendarvis, Gonzales, La., '01 Firebird, A/FIA, 10.233 seconds, -1.067 (under index)

2) David Buckner, New Waverly, Texas, '72 Duster, E/SA, 10.968, -1.032

3) Sam Pourciau, Walker, La., '00 Camaro, B/FIA, 10.690, -1.010

4) Bill McClister, Shoreacres, Texas, '72 Mustang, E/SA, 11.001, -0.999

5) Spenser Duron, El Paso, Texas, '69 Camaro, H/SA, 11.493, -0.957

6) Verne Buchanan, Conway, Ark., '73 Mustang, H/SA, 11.542, -0.908

7) Michael Colaluca, Lancaster, Texas, '79 Aspen Wagon, P/SA, 12.844, -0.906

8) Harvey Emmons III, Friendswood, Texas, '69 Camaro, B/SA, 10.657, -0.893

9) Nick Seibert, Wamego, Kan., '85 Camaro, I/SA, 11.714, -0.886

10) Mike Cotten, Broken Arrow, Okla., '73 Duster, H/SA, 11.567, -0.883

TOP SPORTSMAN

1) Keith Raftery, Lake Charles, La., '06 GTO, 6.581 seconds, 208.49 mph

2) Mike Manners, Willis, Texas, '97 Firebird, 6.624, 210.77

3) Allen Firestone, Velma, Okla., '01 S-10, 6.769, 201.76

4) Greg Lair, Canyon, Texas, '04 Grand Am, 6.790, 205.85

5) Earl Folse, Raceland, La., '68 Camaro, 6.891, 199.26

6) Bert Prejean, St. Amant, La., '06 GTO, 6.893, 201.61

7) Joseph Mohana, Bourg, La., '07 Cobalt, 7.055, 197.62

8) Billy Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, '07 Cobalt, 7.065, 195.87

9) Greg Ponten, Edmond, Okla., '04 Cavalier, 7.095, 194.35

10) Scott Randall, Carrollton, Texas, '02 Cavalier, 7.102, 193.74

TOP DRAGSTER

1) Mike Manners, Willis, Texas, dragster, 6.215 seconds, 218.69 mph

2) Joey Marcotte, Denham Springs, La., dragster, 6.232, 224.14

3) Anthony Bronge, Marengo, Ill., dragster, 6.496, 216.27

4) Phil Unruh, McPhearson, Kan., dragster, 6.965, 195.11

5) Mark Jones, Marrero, La., dragster, 7.071, 192.19

6) John Garner, Houston, dragster, 7.073, 189.79

7) Kevin Ford, Amarillo, Texas, dragster, 7.095, 189.34

8) Chris Bermond, Bay St. Louis, Miss., dragster, 7.146, 189.95

9) Robert Cool, LaPlace, La., dragster, 7.150, 187.70

10) Mark Hambelton, Sachse, Texas, dragster, 7.162, 186.36

SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE

1) Rich Gentili, Humble, Texas, '83 Suzuki, 0.004 seconds reaction time

2) Craig Treble, Hensley, Ark., '01 Hayabusa, 0.011

3) Bruce Calhoun, Hope, Ark., '84 Kawasaki, 0.012

4) Ben Brown, Irving, Texas, '04 Hayabusa, 0.013

5) Mike McCullah, Houston, '00 Suzuki, 0.016

6) Jerry Pomilla, Conroe, Texas, '85 Suzuki, 0.020

7) Lee Paterson, Livingston, Texas, '85 Suzuki, 0.020

8) Lisa Bennett, Lucas, Texas, '95 Suzuki, 0.021

9) James Enloe, Prairieville, La., '86 Suzuki, 0.027

10) David Latino, Donaldsonville, La., '05 Suzuki, 0.033