NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Friday from Firebird International Raceway, Chandler, Ariz.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - PACIFIC DIVISION

FIREBIRD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, CHANDLER, ARIZ.

Friday, February 29, 2008

Contact: Eric Lotz, NHRA (626) 688-8646

 

Racing Under Way for NHRA Pacific Division Opener

 

            Chandler, Ariz. - In the first rounds of qualifying at
Firebird International Raceway, Top Alcohol Dragster driver Duane
Shields of Boulder City, Nev., took the top spot with a pass of 5.327
seconds at 269.83 mph. 

            Shields is joined by Top Alcohol Funny Car pilot Brian Hough
of Junction City, Ore., who put his '06 Monte Carlo in the No. 1 spot
running 5.699 seconds at 255.10 mph.  Shields, who won the season
opening NHRA PowerAde Drag Racing Series event in Pomona, Calif., is
followed by Jim Whiteley of Grand Junction, Colo., who ran 5.352 seconds
at 268.49 mph.

            Sean O'Bannon of Ontario, Calif., falls in behind Hough with
a lap of 5.713 seconds, at 255.55 mph. 

Five-time Pacific Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and local runner
Dean Carter of Glendale, Ariz., put his nostalgia front engine dragster
on top in the Comp Eliminator class with a pass of 7.026 seconds and is
followed by Alta Loma, Calif., racer Ross Wilson in the No. 2 spot.

Top qualifiers in other classes were Jimmy DeFrank of Chatsworth,
Calif., driving an '08 Cobalt in Super Stock; another Glendale racer in
Mark Yacavone in Stock; Denny Hills in Hughes Performance Top Dragster
out of Gilbert, Ariz., at 6.477, 207.05; Todd Hoerner of Deer Park,
Wash., in his '07 GTO in the Sunset Racecraft Top Sportsman class at
6.656, 208.36; and Aaron Pine rounded out the days action qualifying No.
1 in the Sportsman Motorcycle class presented by Harley Davidson.

Racing continues Saturday and Sunday at 8 a.m. Top Dragster, Top
Sportsman and Comp Eliminator qualify at 10:30 a.m. and Top Alcohol
Dragsters and Funny Cars qualify at noon and 4 p.m. on Saturday. 

Tickets are $28 each day Saturday and Sunday with children 12 and under
free with a paid adult.

FIR is located at 20000 S. Maricopa Road in Chandler.  Take I-10 to
Maricopa Road, exit No. 162.  For more information call the track, (602)
268-0200, or visit www.FirebirdRaceway.com 

 

            The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA
Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 7 Opener at Firebird International
Raceway:

 

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

1) Duane Shields, Boulder City, Nev., 5.327 seconds, 269.83 mph

2) Jim Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., 5.352, 268.49

3) Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., 5.360, 265.53

4) Bob Perkins, Bluffdale, Utah, 5.528, 256.99

5) James Stevens, Gothenburg, Neb., 5.535, 260.26

6) Shawn Cowie, Delta, B.C., 5.577, 235.89

7) Larry Miersch, Huntington Beach, Calif., 5.586, 256.31

8) Mike Austin, Medford, Ore., 5.634, 259.56 

Not Qualified

9) Courtney Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., 5.711, 252.14

10) Mark Niver, Phoenix, 5.774, 254.90

11) Gary Ormsby Jr, Granite Bay, Calif., 5.807, 250.46

12) Brandon Johnson, Sheldon, Wash., 5.810, 253.37

 

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR

1) Brian Hough, Junction City, Ore., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.699 seconds,
255.10 mph

2) Sean O'Bannon, Ontario, Calif., '07 Charger, 5.713, 255.58

3) Terry Ruckman, Grand Junction, Colo., '01 Firebird, 5.755, 248.61

4) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.767, 253.99

5) Ron August Jr, Pleasanton, Calif., '08 Mustang, 5.769, 252.05

6) Ken Kraus, Great Falls, Mont., '08 Monte Carlo, 5.919, 247.84

7) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '07 Mustang, 5.949, 236.51

8) Alexis De Joria, Venice, Calif., '07 Charger, 5.952, 243.81 

Not Qualified

9) Paul Crifasi, Henderson, Nev., '03 Firebird, 10.234, 84.02

10) Dennis Taylor, Anaheim, Calif., '05 Camaro, 10.413, 78.49

11) Rian Konno, Rosemead, Calif., '02 Trans Am, 10.689, 81.37

12) Clint Thompson, Klamath Falls, Ore., '06 Monte Carlo, 12.799, 65.04

13) John Patton, Peoria, Ariz., '99 Firebird, 17.223, 122.64

 

COMP ELIMINATOR

1) Dean Carter, Glendale, Ariz., dragster, B/ND, 7.026 seconds, -0.694
(under index)

2) Ross Wilson, Alta Loma, Calif., '05 Sunfire, C/SMA, 8.280, -0.590

3) Steve Holloway, Lakewood, Colo., '06 GTO, A/AA, 6.610, -0.580

4) Mike DePalma, Glendale, Ariz., '98 Firebird, I/A, 8.274, -0.576

5) John Edwards, Claremont, Calif., '99 Neon, C/AA, 7.447, -0.573

6) Jim Cowan, Dewey, Ariz., '08 Cobalt, I/AA, 8.243, -0.547

7) Dan Fletcher, Churchville, N.Y., '07 Cobalt, C/EA, 8.183, -0.537

8) Clint Neff, Westminster, Colo., '23 roadster, K/A, 8.071, -0.529

9) Bill Kent, Midland, Texas, dragster, C/D, 7.017, -0.523

10) Doug Lambeck, Corona Del Mar, Calif., '06 Sunfire, D/SMA, 8.518,
-0.502

 

SUPER STOCK

1) Jimmy DeFrank, Chatsworth, Calif., '08 Cobalt, SS/BS, 8.802 seconds,
-1.248 (under index)

2) Jeff Lane, North Bend, Wash., '08 Cobalt, SS/BS, 8.881, -1.169

3) John Rains, Santa Paula, Calif., '68 Dart, SS/AH, 8.639, -1.161

4) Kip Martin, Phoenix, '64 Mustang, SS/L, 10.412, -1.138

5) Don Bevers, Tucson, Ariz., '91 Probe, SS/BM, 8.515, -1.135

6) Steve Wann, Modesto, Calif., '69 Barracuda, SS/IA, 9.894, -1.106

7) Ryan McClannahan, Alta Loma, Calif., '08 Cobalt, SS/BM, 8.568, -1.082

8) Jack Bystrom, Alta Loma, Calif., '68 Camaro, SS/FA, 9.688, -1.062

9) Brittany Johnson, Palm Desert, Calif., '67 Chevy, SS/GA, 9.830,
-1.020

10) Byron Setters, Red Deer, Alb., '04 Cavalier, GT/AA, 9.388, -1.012

 

STOCK ELIMINATOR

1) Mark Yacavone, Glendale, Ariz., '80 Mustang, V/S, 14.217 seconds,
-1.333 (under index)

2) Don Forester, Riverside, Calif., '80 Delta 88, M/SA, 11.906, -1.244

3) Paula Cotten, Broken Arrow, Okla., '73 Duster, G/SA, 11.113, -1.187

4) Harry Doolittle, Wickenburg, Ariz., '02 Firebird, N/SA, 12.122,
-1.178

5) Ryan McClanahan, Alta Loma, Calif., '02 Firebird, A/SA, 10.127,
-1.173

6) Mike Cotten, Broken Arrow, Okla., '73 Duster, H/SA, 11.305, -1.145

7) Jeff Lane, North Bend, Wash., '96 Corvette, C/SA, 10.557, -1.143

8) Jimmy DeFrank, Chatsworth, Calif., '69 Camaro, B/SA, 10.414, -1.136

9) Brad Burton, Golden, Colo., '72 Formula, E/SA, 10.899, -1.101

10) Joe Faherty, Apple Valley, Calif., '79 Duster, H/SA, 11.364, -1.086

 

SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE

1) Aaron Pine, La Mirada, Calif., '91 GSR-X, SMC, 0.009 seconds reaction
time

2) Tony McVey, North Hills, Calif., '06 H-D, ETMX, 0.009

3) Dave Parfett, Red Deer, Alb., '82 Suzuki, SMC, 0.013

4) Wayne Cox, Eureka, Calif., '97 Kawasaki, SMC, 0.022

5) Jay Matthews, Henderson, Nev., '98 GSR-X, SMC, 0.025

6) Mike Scott, Bonney Lake, Wash., '06 Kawasaki, SMC, 0.028

7) John Widman, Garberville, Calif., '93 Kawasaki, SMC, 0.036

8) Tom Patterson, Tucson, Ariz., '94 Kawasaki, SMC, 0.041

9) Greg Liskey, Salinas, Calif., '95 Suzuki, SMC, 0.047

10) Tom Medlin, La Mirada, Calif., '86 Suzuki, SMC, 0.048

 

TOP SPORTSMAN

1) Todd Hoerner, Deer Park, Wash., '07 Stratus, 6.656 seconds, 208.36
mph

2) Frank Tamez, Yakima, Wash., '07 Mustang, 6.892, 200.38

3) Tommy Turner, Naples, Fla., '04 GTO, 6.912, 202.27

4) Robert Broguiere, Wildomar, Calif., '06 GTO, 6.991, 198.99

5) Chip Rumis, Ramona, Calif., '07 Cobalt, 7.063, 195.99

6) Gary Ross, Traboco Canyon, Calif., '05 Grand Am, 7.066, 196.13

7) Mike Willoughby, Huntington Beach, Calif., '03 Cavalier, 7.134,
195.28

8) Kurtis Tamez, Yakima, Wash., '67 Nova, 7.263, 187.18

9) Dean Hall, Guerneville, Calif., '63 Corvette, 7.265, 189.07

10) Brad Wagner, Henderson, Nev., '97 Cutlass, 7.270, 191.00

 

TOP DRAGSTER

1) Denny Hills, Gilbert, Ariz., dragster, 6.477 seconds, 207.05 mph

2) Paul Gladden, Tracy, Calif., dragster, 6.689, 201.82

3) George Clark, Phoenix, dragster, 6.782, 199.23

4) Chip Rumis, Ramona, Calif., dragster, 6.799, 197.97

5) Del Cox Jr., Downey, Calif., dragster, 6.866, 195.03

6) Jimmy Johnson, Santa Rose, Calif., dragster, 6.872, 199.32

7) Joe Roubicek, Westlake Village, Calif., dragster, 6.875, 194.77

8) Tom Koenen, Tucson, Ariz., dragster, 6.881, 195.76

9) Martin Schmidt, Oak Grove, Minn., dragster, 6.930, 192.17

10) Tony Jardino, San Dimas, Calif., dragster, 6.949, 189.92

 

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