Saturday's NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Event @ Gainesville Raceway

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - SOUTHEAST DIVISION

GAINESVILLE RACEWAY, GAINESVILLE, FLA.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2009

Contact: BRETT LYONS (626) 483-8242

 

Pairings Locked for Gainesville Raceway NHRA Lucas Oil Event

 

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (February 21, 2009)   - Duane Shields of Boulder City,
Nev., reached the No.1 qualifying spot in Top Alcohol Dragster with
Saturday's run at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at
Gainesville Raceway.  Claremont, Calif., resident Jay Payne wheeled his
'08 Mustang to the No.1 qualifying seed in Top Alcohol Funny Car.

 

Shields posted a 5.259 second, 270.59 mph run, which was enough to keep
him ahead of Shayne Lawson, Broken Arrow, Okla.  Shields, who also
claimed the top spot at last weekend's Bradenton event, is hoping to
take the lead position all the way to the winner's circle.


Payne, Gainesville's 2008 event champ in Top Alcohol Funny Car, returned
to the head of the class posting a 5.7 second pass.  Last year's
Division 2 champ locked up the top spot which placed him in front of
Frank Schuster from Chesterfield, N.J.  

 

The Comp Eliminator field had little change from Friday's positioning
with Pat Ross, Avon Lake, Ohio, still on top. Anthony Bertozzi made this
biggest jump by obtaining a qualifying spot in the No.5 seed.  The
Ashland, Va., resident doubled up at last year's event, claiming
trophies in both Super Stock and Stock categories.

 

Other top qualifiers included Bobby Dennis from Shorter, Ala., in Super
Stock; Randy Harrison, Orlando, Fla., in Stock Eliminator; Suwanee, Ga.,
resident Ronnie Davis once again in the Top Sportsman class; and Don
Marks of St Petersburg, Fla., in Top Dragster.

 

Racing continues Sunday, Feb. 22 with gates opening at 8 a.m.
Eliminations begin at 9 a.m.  Top Dragster, Comp Eliminator and Top
Sportsman will begin eliminations at 10 a.m. and eliminations for Top
Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car begin at 1 p.m.

 

General Admission / Pit Pass is $20 on Sunday.  Children 12 and under
are admitted free with a paid adult. For more information please call
Gainesville Raceway, (352) 377-0046 or visit www.GainesvilleRaceway.com.

 

 

The following are Saturday's final qualifying results from the NHRA
Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Southeast Division event at Gainesville
Raceway:

 

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

1) Duane Shields, Boulder City, Nev., 5.259 seconds, 270.59 mph

2) Shayne Lawson, Broken Arrow, Okla., 5.350, 271.46

3) Bill Evans, Miramar, Fla., 5.392, 265.90

4) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., 5.393, 264.49

5) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.410, 272.06

6) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.492, 268.12

7) Cherissa Griffis, Gainesville, Fla., 5.719, 243.59

8) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 5.760, 238.76 Not Qualified

9) Al Moeser, Hill Town, Pa., 5.993, 259.36

 

First round TAD pairings

1) Duane Shields, Boulder City, Nev., 5.259 seconds, 270.59 mph vs. 8)
Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 5.760, 238.76

2) Shayne Lawson, Broken Arrow, Okla., 5.350, 271.46 vs. 7) Cherissa
Griffis, Gainesville, Fla., 5.719, 243.59

3) Bill Evans, Miramar, Fla., 5.392, 265.90 vs. 6) John Finke, Selkirk,
N.Y., 5.492,

268.12

4) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., 5.393, 264.49 vs. 5) Arthur Gallant,
Boxboro, Mass., 5.410,

272.06

 

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR

1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '08 Mustang, 5.700 seconds, 257.28 mph

2) Frank Schuster, Chesterfield, N.J., '02 Firebird, 5.710, 256.84

3) John Sullivan, Pike Road City, Ala., '04 Firebird, 5.726, 250.88

4) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '08 Monte Carlo, 5.739, 257.19

5) Alexis De Joria, Venice, Calif., '09 Mustang, 11.051, 73.70

6) Mark Billington, Norcross, Ga., '01 Avenger, 11.834, 80.54

7) Jeremy Haskett, Gray, Tenn., '02 Firebird, 14.342, 46.90

 

First round TAFC pairings

1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '08 Mustang, 5.700 seconds, 257.28 mph
vs. Bye

2) Frank Schuster, Chesterfield, N.J., '02 Firebird, 5.710, 256.84 vs.
7) Jeremy Haskett, Gray, Tenn., '02 Firebird, 14.342, 46.90

3) John Sullivan, Pike Road City, Ala., '04 Firebird, 5.726, 250.88 vs.
6) Mark Billington, Norcross, Ga., '01 Avenger, 11.834, 80.54

4) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '08 Monte Carlo, 5.739, 257.19 vs. 5)
Alexis De Joria, Venice, Calif., '09 Mustang, 11.051, 73.70

 

COMP ELIMINATOR

1) Pat Ross, Avon Lake, Ohio, '05 Grand Am, F/A, 7.946 seconds, -0.734
(under index)

2) Grant Lewis, Jesup, Ga., '05 Grand Am, H/SMA, 8.848, -0.712

3) Michael Hardee, Hampstead, N.C., '05 Sunfire, E/SM, 8.379, -0.711

4) Charles Watson, Humble, Texas, '07 Cobalt, F/SM, 8.579, -0.701

5) Anthony Bertozzi, Ashland, Va., dragster, D/ED, 7.312, -0.678

6) Ernest Watson, Humble, Texas, '05 Cavalier, C/SMA, 8.153, -0.677

7) David Connolly, Bradenton, Fla., '34 Chevy, B/SR, 7.672, -0.668

8) Tony Terry, Forest, Va., '04 Cavalier, F/AA, 7.932, -0.668

9) Arnie Martel, Tewksbury, Mass., '34 Chevy, B/SR, 7.679, -0.661

10) Glen Treadwell, Sorrento, Fla., '23 roadster, F/EA, 7.951, -0.639

 

SUPER STOCK

1) Bobby Dennis, Shorter, Ala., '91 Calais, GT/MA, 10.624 seconds,
-1.426 (under index)

2) Terry Pearson, Spanish Fort, Ala., '05 Cavalier, GT/CA, 9.326, -1.374

3) Dennis Steward, Dover, Pa., '91 Daytona, GT/GA, 9.864, -1.336

4) John Fogle, Norway, S.C., '05 Cavalier, SS/GA, 9.523, -1.327

5) David Thomas, West Chester, Pa., '69 Corvette, SS/AA, 8.686, -1.314

6) Rich South, Pataskala, Ohio, '05 Sunfire, GT/EA, 9.640, -1.310

7) Terry Earwood, Deland, Fla., '85 Camaro, SS/KA, 10.244, -1.306

8) Tony Cafaro, Brandon, Fla., '02 Firebird, GT/HA, 10.078, -1.272

9) Rick Brewer, Jacksonville, Fla., '67 Corvette, SS/IA, 9.743, -1.257

10) Lloyd Wofford, Jonesboro, Ark., '79 Aspen, SS/JA, 10.047, -1.253

 

STOCK ELIMINATOR

1) Randy Harrison, Orlando, Fla., '90 Camaro, K/SA, 11.611 seconds,
-1.339 (under index)

2) Greg Rowe, Bridgeton, N.C., '89 Camaro, K/SA, 11.618, -1.332

3) Tim Lowe, Macy, Ind., '71 Gran Sport, L/SA, 11.672, -1.328

4) Doug Patrick, Boca Raton, Fla., '72 Cutlass, K/SA, 11.645, -1.305

5) Bud Rowe, Bridgeton, N.C., '94 Camaro, C/SA, 10.397, -1.303

6) Randy Wilkes, Zanesville, Ohio, '02 Firebird, A/SA, 10.022, -1.278

7) Nick Folk, Durand, Ill., '99 Camaro, B/SA, 10.277, -1.273

8) Gary Richard, Bayshore, N.Y., '69 Camaro, C/SA, 10.448, -1.252

9) Butch Payne, Rome, Ga., '98 Firebird, E/SA, 10.752, -1.248

10) Ralph Porpora, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., '69 Camaro, A/S, 10.009, -1.241

 

TOP SPORTSMAN

1) Ronnie Davis, Suwanee, Ga., '63 Corvette, 6.485 seconds, 213.74 mph

2) Jerry Barker, Fort Valley, Ga., '06 Cobalt, 6.799, 204.57

3) Ryan Ondrejko, Roslindale, Mass., '08 GTO, 6.804, 204.11

4) Tommy Turner, Naples, Fla., '06 GTO, 6.822, 205.07

5) Vince Hoda, Diamondhead, Miss., '00 Firebird, 6.973, 201.19

6) Daniel Morrow, St. Petersburg, Fla., '09 GXP, 6.973, 198.35

7) Billy Vaughn, Knoxville, Tenn., '01 S-10, 7.002, 191.24

8) Matthew Buck, Lantana, Fla., '96 Firebird, 7.017, 200.23

9) Jeffrey Barker, Warner-Robins, Ga., '02 Camaro, 7.074, 192.85

10) Dewey Pedrick, Lighthouse Pt., Fla., '63 Corvette, 7.081, 196.22

 

TOP DRAGSTER

1) Don Marks, St Petersburg, Fla., dragster, 6.092 seconds, 225.79 mph

2) Eddie Careccia, Mars Hill, Fla., dragster, 6.109, 197.02

3) Tom Elliott, Brooks, Ky., dragster, 6.201, 255.79

4) Casey Spradlin, Ranburne, Ala., dragster, 6.709, 199.23

5) Ken Zeller, Smithville, Mo., dragster, 6.750, 197.05

6) Jeffrey Burnett, Orlando, Fla., '23 roadster, 6.775, 200.44

7) Warren Heaps, Ashland, Mass., dragster, 6.802, 198.26

8) Troy Williams Jr, Bradenton, Fla., dragster, 6.845, 189.68

9) Chad Hedgecock, Loudon, Tenn., dragster, 6.878, 193.43

10) Scott Gibson, Sanford, Fla., dragster, 6.909, 193.46