NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series-Sat from Old Bridge Township Raceway Park

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*

*NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES – NORTHEAST DIVISION*

*OLD** **BRIDGE** **TOWNSHIP** **RACEWAY** **PARK** *

*SEPTEMBER 8, 2007***

Contact: Evan Jonat, NHRA (626) 253-2432

* *

*Manzo Lets it Hang Fast and Loose*

* *

            Englishtown, NJ.  – Final qualifying is complete at the
41stannual NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 1 points meet at
Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.  Top Alcohol Dragster pilot Aaron
Olivarezand Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Frank Manzo took the No. 1
qualifying
position in their classes.

                    Olivarez from Sandy, Utah, took the best time with
a 5.299 second run at 272.12 mph; good enough to edge out last years
winner Dan Mercier of Montreal, Quebec. Top Alcohol Funny Car driver
Frank Manzo who won the event last year, left the crowd guessing when
he failed to qualify until the last round of qualifying where he took
the pole.

                    Frank Aragona Jr., of Old Bridge, N.J. took top
honors in Competition Eliminator over another NJ native; Michele
Costa. In Super Stock Joseph Franco III continued his success from
yesterday by setting the bar with a time of 10.063 seconds. Linden,
N.J., resident Evan Smith's '93 Mustang continued to lead the pack in
Stock Eliminator with a run of 10.913 seconds.

Racing continues Sunday at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.  Gates
open at 8:00
a.m. Tickets are $20 for adults; $5 for children 6-11 and kids 5 and under
are admitted free with paid adult. For more information, call Old Bridge
Township Raceway Park at 732-446-7800, or visit www.racewaypark.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 presented by Cartec Motors.



TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

1) Aaron Olivarez, Sandy, Utah, 5.299 seconds, 272.12 mph

2) Dan Mercier, Montreal, Quebec, 5.388, 268.76

*3) Dave DeAngelis, **Middlesex**, **N.J.**, 5.475, 257.43*

4) Troy Buff, Spring, Texas, 5.507, 258.22

5) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.513, 265.53

*6) Karen Stalba, **Hammonton**, **N.J.**, 5.603, 249.67*

7) Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., 5.614, 238.85

8) Ken Winward, Wilmington, Del., 5.649, 229.20

Not Qualified

9) Gene Arrigoni, Yorktown Heights, N.Y., 5.656, 242.71

*10) Bruce Horner, **Bergenfield**, **N.J.**, 5.671, 246.57*

11) Morgan Lucas, Brownsburg, Ind., 5.690, 260.46

12) Bill Evans, Hialeah, Fla., 5.691, 240.38

*13) Richard Bourke, Old **Tappan**, **N.J.**, 5.703, 254.09*

14) Sheila Kopchick, Colchester, Conn., 7.922, 126.66



First round TAD pairings

1) Aaron Olivarez, Sandy, Utah, 5.299 seconds, 272.12 mph vs. 8) Ken

 Winward, Wilmington, Del.,

5.649, 229.20

2) Dan Mercier, Montreal, Quebec, 5.388, 268.76 vs. 7) Rich McPhillips,

 Phoenixville, Pa.,

5.614, 238.85

3) Dave DeAngelis, Middlesex, N.J., 5.475, 257.43 vs. 6) Karen Stalba,

 Hammonton, N.J., 5.603,

249.67

4) Troy Buff, Spring, Texas, 5.507, 258.22 vs. 5) John Finke, Selkirk,

 N.Y., 5.513, 265.53



TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR

*1) Frank Manzo, **Morganville**, **N.J.**, '06 **Monte Carlo**, 5.583 seconds,*

* 259.06 mph*

2) Paul Gill, Brockton, Mass., '01 Avenger, 5.663, 255.29

3) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '02 Camaro, 5.683, 254.23

4) Bob Tasca III, Cranston, R.I., '07 Mustang, 5.739, 252.28

5) Marc White, Glendale Hts., Ill., '04 Firebird, 5.743, 251.53

6) Keeter Ray, Newport Bch, Calif., '07 Mustang, 5.750, 250.78

7) Fred Tigges, Holbrook, Mass., '01 Avenger, 5.793, 251.58

8) DJ Cox Jr., Whiteford, Md., '02 Firebird, 5.795, 247.38

Not Qualified

*9) **Dan Pomponio**, **Berlin**, **N.J.**, '00 Camaro, 5.809, 250.27*

*10) Frank Schuster, **Chesterfield**, **N.J.**, '02 Firebird, 5.819, 252.57*

11) Dan Roman, Wolcott, Conn., '97 Firebird, 5.827, 250.88

12) Wayne Morris, Lincoln Univ, Pa., '05 Stratus, 5.833, 244.07

13) David Ray, Plaistow, N.H., '02 Avenger, 5.855, 251.39

14) Chris Brown, Ivyland, Pa., '06 Stratus, 5.970, 240.21

15) Eric Lourie, Terryville, Conn., '02 Camaro, 6.095, 216.06

16) Bruce Mullins, Fredericksburg, Va., '02 Camaro, 6.121, 209.33

*17) Craig English, **Mount Holly**, **N.J.**, '98 Mustang, 6.173, 227.84*



First round TAFC pairings

1) Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.583 seconds,

 259.06 mph vs. 8) DJ Cox Jr.,

Whiteford, Md., '02 Firebird, 5.795, 247.38

2) Paul Gill, Brockton, Mass., '01 Avenger, 5.663, 255.29 vs. 7) Fred

 Tigges, Holbrook, Mass.,

'01 Avenger, 5.793, 251.58

3) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '02 Camaro, 5.683, 254.23 vs. 6)

 Keeter Ray, Newport Bch,

Calif., '07 Mustang, 5.750, 250.78

4) Bob Tasca III, Cranston, R.I., '07 Mustang, 5.739, 252.28 vs. 5)

 Marc White, Glendale Hts.,

Ill., '04 Firebird, 5.743, 251.53



COMPETITION ELIMINATOR

*1) Frank Aragona Jr., **Old Bridge**, **N.J.**, '32 Bantam, G/EA, 8.340*

* seconds, -0.620 (under index)*

*2) Michele Costa, Freehold, N.J., dragster, G/D, 9.054, -0.616*

3) Scott Richardson, Dix Hills, N.Y., '34 Chevy, B/SR, 7.925, -0.605

*4) Jake Crimmins, **Farmingdale**, **N.J.**, '92 Achieva, AA/AM, 6.523, -0.587*

*5) Al Ackerman, **Saddle Brook**, **N.J.**, dragster, F/D, 8.104, -0.586*

6) Arnie Martel, Tewksbury, Mass., '07 GTO, C/AA, 7.456, -0.584

7) Peter Hanratty, Speonk, N.Y., dragster, A/DA, 6.654, -0.526

*8) Gerry Russo, **Saddle River**, **N.J.**, '04 Cavalier, C/SMA, 8.345, -0.525*

*9) David Strouse III, **Jackson**, **N.J.**, '95 Cutlass, B/A, 7.174, -0.516*

10) Bill Griffin Jr., Norwalk, Conn., '05 Grand Am, B/EA, 7.874, -0.516



SUPER STOCK

1) Joseph Franco III, N. Babylon, N.Y., '85 Camaro, GT/HA, 10.063

 seconds, -1.287 (under index)

2) Monty Bogan Jr., Jonesville, S.C., '01 Firebird, SS/HA, 9.729,

 -1.171

3) Angelo Ditocco, Mahopac, N.Y., '02 Firebird, SS/IA, 9.831, -1.169

4) Don Carpenter II, Ambridge, Pa., '79 Cadillac, SS/PA, 11.826, -1.124

5) Jeff Lawrence, Qougue, N.Y., '88 Saleen, GT/AA, 9.276, -1.124

*6) Russ Linke, **Old Bridge**, **N.J.**, '73 Corvette, SS/JA, 10.189, -1.111*

7) Tom Sheehan, Belle Vernon, Pa., '00 Sebring, GT/JA, 10.506, -1.094

8) Byron Worner, Duncannon, Pa., '96 Camaro, SS/IA, 9.923, -1.077

9) Arnie Martel Jr., Tewksbury, Mass., '07 Cobalt, SS/DM, 8.973, -1.077

10) Steve Sweitzer, Jersey Shore, Pa., '92 Firebird, GT/DA, 9.728,

 -1.072



STOCK ELIMINATOR

*1) Evan Smith, **Linden**, **N.J.**, '93 Mustang, D/FI, 10.913 seconds, -1.287*

* (under index)*

2) John Shaul, Fultonham, N.Y., '64 Fury, I/SA, 11.334, -1.266

3) Bill Hawk, Manassas, Va., '67 Shelby, B/SA, 10.420, -1.130

4) David Ficacci, E. Hanover, N.J., '69 Camaro, B/SA, 10.425, -1.125

5) Johnny Williams, Smithfield, R.I., '71 Cutlass, F/SA, 11.054, -1.096

6) Kenneth Miele, Egg Harbor Twp, N.J., '67 Shelby, A/SA, 10.208,

 -1.092

7) Doug Blackley, Hanover, Mass., '85 Camaro, J/SA, 11.659, -1.091

8) Dean Cook II, Coventry, R.I., '95 Cobra, F/FI, 11.761, -1.089

9) Henry Kunz, Farmingdale, N.Y., '69 Nova, G/SA, 11.226, -1.074

10) James Perrone, Shirley, N.Y., '69 Nova, H/SA, 11.377, -1.073





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