NHRA (COMMERCE GEORGIA) - FINAL RUNS FOR THE LUCAS OIL SERIES....

In the final rounds of qualifying for this weekend's $185,875 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Atlanta Dragway Morgan Lucas and Jay Payne grabbed the top spots in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car.

Lucas, of Brownsburg, Ind., is taking a weekend off from the NHRA PowerAde Series where he pilots the Lucas Oil Top Fuel Dragster, to compete in his alcohol dragster where he out ran the field with a 5.344 second lap at 271.79 mph. Lucas is followed by Fontana, Calif., racer Thomas Bayer in second and Aaron Olivarez of Sandy, Utah, in third.

Payne, running out of Claremont, Calif., jumped to the top of the funny car field with a pass of 5.628 seconds at 358.27 mph. Payne is followed by Frank Manzo of Morganville, N.J., in the No. 2 spot. The two racers are locked in a battle for the NHRA Lucas Oil National Championship with Payne needing to win the event to over take Manzo, the current NHRA National Champion.

Michele Costa of Freehold, N.J., and Saddle River, N.J., racer Gerry Russo lead the Comp Eliminator field while Bob Dennis of Shorter, Ala., and John Livingston of Murfreesboro, Tenn., are qualified No. 1 in Super Stock and Stock respectively.

In the division's TracStar Systems Top Sportsman class it was Ronnie Davis taking the top spot out of Swanne, Ga., with a 6.493 second, 214.62 mph lap in his '63 Corvette. Davis was joined by Angie Travis of Conover, N.C., who qualified No. 1 in the Mid-State RV Top Dragster class.

Racing continues Sunday at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday with racers competing for nearly $200,000 in cash and contingency awards. Gates open at 8 a.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, children 12 and under are free with a paid adult. Atlanta Dragway is located at 500 E Ridgeway Road in Commerce, approximately 60 miles NE of Atlanta near the intersection of I-85 and Highway 441 in Banks Crossing.

The following are Saturday's final qualifying results and Sunday's first round pairing for Top Alcohol Dragster and Funny Car at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Atlanta Dragway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER 1) Morgan Lucas, Brownsburg, Ind., 5.344 seconds, 271.79 mph 2) Thomas Bayer, Fontana, Calif., 5.406, 262.54 3) Aaron Olivarez, Sandy, Utah, 5.410, 267.75 4) Jeff Bohr, Plymouth, Mich., 5.411, 266.64 5) Lindsey Wood, McAlpin, Fla., 5.413, 264.70 6) Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., 5.423, 249.21 7) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.481, 271.95 8) Dave DeAngelis, Middlesex, N.J., 5.482, 258.96 Not Qualified 9) Spencer Massey, Fort Worth, Texas, 5.488, 265.43 10) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., 5.499, 253.56 11) Bill Evans, Miramar, Fla., 5.561, 245.36 12) Troy Buff, Spring, Texas, 5.610, 257.73 13) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 5.662, 250.32 14) Richard Bourke, Old Tappan, N.J., 5.746, 246.03 15) Dan Lucas, Cumming, Ga., 6.247, 224.17 16) Cherissa Smallwood, Gainesville, Fla., 7.036, 213.67 17) Dave Weber, N Ridgeville, Ohio, 7.327, 124.52 18) Diana Harker, Gainesville, Ga., 12.278, 74.24 19) Gene Arrigoni, Yorktown Heights, N.Y., 18.099, 40.09

First round TAD pairings 1) Morgan Lucas, Brownsburg, Ind., 5.344 seconds, 271.79 mph vs. 8) Dave DeAngelis, Middlesex, N.J., 5.482, 258.96 2) Thomas Bayer, Fontana, Calif., 5.406, 262.54 vs. 7) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.481, 271.95 3) Aaron Olivarez, Sandy, Utah, 5.410, 267.75 vs. 6) Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., 5.423, 249.21 4) Jeff Bohr, Plymouth, Mich., 5.411, 266.64 vs. 5) Lindsey Wood, McAlpin, Fla., 5.413, 264.70

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR 1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '07 Mustang, 5.628 seconds, 258.27 mph 2) Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.643, 259.66 3) Bob Newberry, Morriston, Fla., '07 Monte Carlo, 5.672, 254.47 4) Keeter Ray, Newport Beach, Calif., '07 Mustang, 5.694, 253.71 5) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '02 Camaro, 5.702, 252.61 6) Steve Harker, Gainesville, Ga., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.739, 240.94 7) Roger Bateman, Calgary, Alb., '02 Camaro, 5.885, 250.55 8) Monty Todd, Wetumpka, Ala., '01 Camaro, 5.978, 242.45 Not Qualified 9) Mark Billington, Norcross, Ga., '01 Avenger, 5.989, 242.63 10) Melinda Green-King, Norfolk, Va., '07 Mustang, 6.030, 237.34 11) Mark Rogers, Highlands, N.C., '97 Firebird, 6.054, 234.37 12) Andy Bohl, Racine, Wis., '00 Firebird, 6.160, 171.75 13) Frank Schuster, Chesterfield, N.J., '02 Firebird, 6.196, 211.06 14) John Bojec, Chardon, Ohio, '03 Avenger, 7.191, 125.56 15) John Sullivan, Pike Road City, Ala., '05 Trans Am, 12.626, 69.27 16) Bobby Martindale, Glen Allen, Va., '98 Mustang, (no time)

First round TAFC pairings 1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '07 Mustang, 5.628 seconds, 258.27 mph vs. 8) Monty Todd, Wetumpka, Ala., '01 Camaro, 5.978, 242.45 2) Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.643, 259.66 vs. 7) Roger Bateman, Calgary, Alb., '02 Camaro, 5.885, 250.55 3) Bob Newberry, Morriston, Fla., '07 Monte Carlo, 5.672, 254.47 vs. 6) Steve Harker, Gainesville, Ga., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.739, 240.94 4) Keeter Ray, Newport Beach, Calif., '07 Mustang, 5.694, 253.71 vs. 5) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '02 Camaro, 5.702, 252.61

COMP ELIMINATOR 1) Michele Costa, Freehold, N.J., dragster, G/D, 8.996 seconds, -0.674 (under index) 2) Gerry Russo, Saddle River, N.J., '05 Cavalier, C/SMA, 8.223, -0.647 3) Stephen Szupka, Willow Grove, Pa., dragster, F/ED, 8.260, -0.640 4) Allen Stanfield, Fredericksburg, Va., '98 Grand Am, G/SM, 8.793, -0.637 5) Frank Aragona Jr., Old Bridge, N.J., '32 Bantam, G/EA, 8.296, -0.634 6) Scott Benham, La Grange, Texas, '05 Sunfire, E/SM, 8.528, -0.632 7) Jenny Treadwell, Mt. Plymouth, Fla., dragster, E/ED, 8.285, -0.625 8) Glen Treadwell, Sorrento, Fla., dragster, G/ED, 8.058, -0.602 9) Larry Pritchett, Clarkrange, Tenn., '06 Sunfire, A/SM, 7.838, -0.592 10) Lonnie Johnson, Ettrick, Va., '99 Neon, B/AA, 7.071, -0.579

SUPER STOCK 1) Bob Dennis, Shorter, Ala., '91 Calais, GT/MA, 10.790 seconds, -1.260 (under index) 2) Rick Brewer, Jacksonville, Fla., '67 Corvette, SS/IA, 9.827, -1.173 3) Ken Schindler, Hendersonville, Tenn., '71 Corvette, SS/BA, 9.067, -1.133 4) Jim Holland, Forest City, N.C., '05 Cavalier, GT/AA, 9.309, -1.091 5) Mike Crutchfield, Montgomery, Ala., '07 Pontiac, SS/BS, 8.962, -1.088 6) Brandon Wilkinson, Bowling Green, Ky., '69 Corvette, SS/AA, 8.913, -1.087 7) Don Barber, Hohenwald, Tenn., '05 Cavalier, GT/CA, 9.631, -1.069 8) Terry Pearson, Spanish Fort, Ala., '05 Cavalier, GT/AA, 9.354, -1.046 9) Johnny Fogle, Norway, S.C., '67 Camaro, SS/GA, 9.808, -1.042 10) Lincoln Morehead, Marlboro, N.Y., '05 Cavalier, SS/EM, 9.459, -1.041

STOCK ELIMINATOR 1) John Livingston, Murfreesboro, Tenn., '90 Camaro, F/FIA, 11.672 seconds, -1.278 (under index) 2) Tom Hemmingson, Concord, N.C., '66 Chevelle, L/S, 11.756, -1.244 3) Doug Patrick, Boca Raton, Fla., '72 Cutlass, M/SA, 11.953, -1.197 4) Bobby Warren, Clinton, N.C., '98 Firehawk, B/FIA, 10.523, -1.177 5) Mike Meints, Panama City bch, Fla., '84 Firebird, J/SA, 11.638, -1.112 6) David Beaver, Shelby, N.C., '98 Camaro, B/FIA, 10.603, -1.097 7) Woodro Josey, Byron, Ga., '98 Firebird, B/FIA, 10.607, -1.093 8) David Toren, Canton, Ga., '67 Mustang, D/SA, 10.758, -1.092 9) Randy Huntsman, Ellijay, Ga., '85 Camaro, I/SA, 11.514, -1.086 10) Jeff Warren, Clinton, N.C., '97 Firebird, A/FI, 10.177, -1.073

TOP SPORTSMAN 1) Ronnie Davis, Suwanee, Ga., '63 Corvette, 6.493 seconds, 214.62 mph 2) Robert Davis, Boca Raton, Fla., '63 Corvette, 6.657, 211.36 3) Jason Wood, Live Oak, Fla., '68 Camaro, 6.760, 205.76 4) Jim Harrington, Ft. Walton Bch., Fla., '99 Cutlass, 6.825, 203.43 5) Jeffery Pittman, Conover, N.C., '68 Camaro, 6.870, 197.48 6) Greg Hinds, Arab, Ala., '41 Willys, 6.904, 197.94 7) Jerry Barker, Fort Valley, Ga., '06 Cobalt, 6.909, 201.49 8) Earl Folse, Raceland, La., '68 Camaro, 6.958, 199.43 9) Johnny Adkins, Linden, Tenn., '57 Bel Air, 7.140, 197.83 10) Jeffrey Barker, Warner-Robins, Ga., '02 Camaro, 7.184, 191.35

TOP DRAGSTER 1) Angie Travis, Conover, N.C., dragster, 6.895 seconds, 195.31 mph 2) Lauren Freer, Lewisville, N.C., dragster, 6.908, 191.78 3) Dan Seidel, Port St Lucie, Fla., dragster, 7.004, 190.54 4) Jeff Burnett, Orlando, '00 Altered, 7.005, 188.44 5) J D Reid, Conyers, Ga., dragster, 7.013, 191.57 6) Randy Woods, Moulton, Ala., dragster, 7.039, 189.63 7) David Strain, Kenner, La., dragster, 7.040, 191.05 8) Steve Estes, Griffin, Ga., dragster, 7.148, 186.82 9) Mark Brown, Lake Worth, Fla., dragster, 7.165, 187.34 10) Cynthia Farrow, Chattanooga, Tenn., dragster, 7.195, 185.00