NHRA (COMMERCE, GEORGIA) - MANZO, LUCAS SCORE BIG WINS
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NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car ace, Frank Manzo of Morganville, N.J., wrapped up his 11th career national championship this weekend at Atlanta Dragway's NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event. The veteran racer put a punctuation mark on his season by scoring his fifth divisional-level win while Morgan Lucas, Brownsburg, Ind., earned his fourth divisional event of the year in Top Alcohol Dragster.
Manzo could not add to his points total this weekend but he needed to keep reining Southeast division champion Jay Payne of Claremont, Calif., from winning in order to clinch his title. Payne was the event's No. 1 qualifier but suffered a first-round loss at the hands of Monty Todd of Wetumpka, Ala. In the final round, Manzo squared off against Stamford, Conn., resident Mickey Ferro. Manzo ran 5.595 seconds at 258.62 mph to Ferro's 6.753 second, 147.44 mph pass.
Lucas, who also pilots a Top Fuel Dragster in NHRA's PowerAde Series, carried his top qualifying effort into the winner's circle. In the final, he made a 5.292-second, 275.17 mph pass to beat out Sandy, Utah's, Aaron Olivarez. Olivarez, the event's No. 2 qualifier, ran 5.337 seconds at 270.43 mph against Lucas.
In Comp Eliminator, Lee Zane of Perry Hall, Md., scored the win over Michele Costa, Freehold, N.J. Nick Morris, Bardstown, Ky., drove his Super Stocker to the winner's circle beating out Jerry Harris, White Plains, Ala., while the Stock Eliminator win went to Jeff Adkins, Damascus, Ga., who beat Bill Harris, Ooltewah, Tenn. Super Comp racer Jim Perry got the win over Jimmy Stahl, Boone, N.C. In Super Gas, Sherman Adcock Jr. of Fortson, Ga., scored his third win in two races. He won in both Super Comp and Super Gas at the division's last race. This time he beat Matt Cooke, Hendersonvill, N.C., for the Super Gas title. Leland Poppell, Odum, Ga., landed the win in Super Street, besting Kevin Mac Nicol, North Port, Fla. The win in Top Sportsman went to Jeremy Glidewell, Corinth, Miss., when he beat out Swanee, Ga., resident Ronnie Davis. Stanley Albritton Jr. earned the win in Top Dragster over Mark Brown, Lake Worth, Fla.
NHRA Southeast division racers head to Reynolds, Ga., for the final NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event of the year. Silver Dollar Raceway will host the Series, October 19-21.
The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Atlanta Dragway:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Round 1
1) Morgan Lucas, Brownsburg, Ind., 5.295, 273.83 def. 8) Dave DeAngelis, Middlesex, N.J., 5.479, 258.62
2) Thomas Bayer, Fontana, Calif., 5.459, 260.46 def. 7) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 6.220, 214.93
3) Aaron Olivarez, Sandy, Utah, 5.376, 269.83 def. 6) Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., 6.791, 151.24
4) Jeff Bohr, Plymouth, Mich., 5.514, 264.18 def. 5) Lindsey Wood, McAlpin, Fla., 23.711, 24.65
Semifinals
Olivarez, 5.548, 265.95 def. Bayer, 9.460, 79.13
Lucas, 5.371, 270.97 def. Bohr, 5.431, 266.48
Final
Lucas, 5.292, 275.17 def. Olivarez, 5.337, 270.43
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Round 1
8) Monty Todd, Wetumpka, Ala., '01 Camaro, 6.045, 242.93 def. 1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '07 Mustang, 6.053, 248.34
2) Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.555, 260.36 def. 7) Roger Bateman, Calgary, Alb., '02 Camaro, 5.655, 252.00
3) Bob Newberry, Morriston, Fla., '07 Monte Carlo, 5.670, 254.66 def. 6) Steve Harker, Gainesville, Ga., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.619, 257.58
5) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '02 Camaro, 5.682, 254.33 def. 4) Keeter Ray, Newport Bch, Calif., '07 Mustang, 5.709, 253.09
Semifinals
Manzo, 5.616, 258.17 def. Newberry, 15.901, 60.38
Ferro, 5.678, 252.19 def. Todd, 5.778, 248.98
Final
Manzo, 5.595, 258.62 def. Ferro, 6.753, 147.44
COMP ELIMINATOR
Lee Zane, Perry Hall, Md., '32 Bantam, L/AA, 12.899, 64.49 def. Michele Costa, Freehold, N.J., dragster, G/D, foul
SUPER STOCK
Nick Morris, Bardstown, Ky., '98 Mustang, GT/LA, 11.055, 115.19 def. Jerry Harris, White Plains, Ala., '95 Acheiva, SS/CS, 10.305, 131.04
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Jeff Adkinson, Damascus, Ga., '69 Camaro, C/SA, 10.680, 119.28 def. Bill Harris, Ooltewah, Tenn., '71
Mustang, D/SA, 10.979, 121.01
SUPER COMP
Jim Perry, Niota, Tenn., dragster, 8.920, 172.50 def. Jimmy Stahl, Boone, N.C., dragster, 8.901, 172.85
SUPER GAS
Sherman Adcock Jr., Fortson, Ga., '66 Chevy II, 9.867, 158.24 def. Matt Cooke, Hendersonville, N.C., '67 Corvette, 14.748, 92.09
SUPER STREET
Leland Poppell, Odum, Ga., '86 Camaro, 10.898, 130.19 def. Kevin MacNicol, North Port, Fla., '78 Trans Am, 10.881, 126.57
TOP SPORTSMAN
Jeremy Glidewell, Corinth, Miss., '95 Cutlass, 10.573, 84.71 def. Ronnie Davis, Swanee, Ga., '63 Corvette, 6.820, 204.20
TOP DRAGSTER
Stanley Albritton Jr., Bradenton, Fla., dragster, 7.705, 146.54 def. Mark Brown, Lake Worth, Fla., dragster, foul