Friday's NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Event @ Atlanta Dragway

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series - Southeast Division
Atlanta Dragway; Commerce, Ga.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Contact: Brett Lyons, NHRA (626) 483-8242

NHRA Qualifying Underway at Atlanta Dragway

COMMERCE, Ga. (September 11, 2009) - In the first rounds of qualifying at Atlanta Dragway, local Ronnie Davis of Suwanee, Ga., grabbed the No.1 qualifying position in the division's Davis Golf Carts Top Sportsman category. This weekend's NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, which runs through Sunday, is the fifth of six in Southeast division competition. Top Alcohol Dragster and Funny Car qualifying is set to kick off tomorrow afternoon.

Davis jumped into the top spot by laying down a 6.352 second, 219.04 mph pass.  He currently sits in fourth place of the divisional points standings with the event's No. 9 qualifier, Jeffrey Barker of Warner-Robins, Ga., holding onto the lead.

Comp Eliminator is lead by North Central competitor Brian Browell of Lafayette, Ind., with hitters Lee Sharp, Maryville, Tenn., and Arnie Martel of Tewksbury, Mass., sitting No.2 and No.3 respectively. Bobby Dennis of Shorter, Ala., seized the top spot in Super Stock; Corbitt Marshburn, Clinton, N.C., took the pole in Stock Eliminator; and Jody Stroud from Chesterfield, S.C., outran the field in the Hickory Enclosed Trailer Sales Top Dragster with an impressive 6.240 seconds, 224.92 mph lap.

Racing continues Saturday morning with gates opening at 8 a.m. Final qualifying and time trials will begin at 9:30 a.m. Eliminations begin Sunday morning at 9. General admission with a pit pass is $20 each day for Saturday and Sunday or a two-day ticket at $35. Children 12 years old and under are admitted free.  For more information please call Atlanta Dragway, (706) 335-2301 or visit www.AtlantaDragway.com.

The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Southeast Division event at Atlanta Dragway:

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Brian Browell, Lafayette, Ind., dragster, D/D, 7.230 seconds, -0.580 (under index)
2) Lee Sharp, Maryville, Tenn., '09 GXP, D/AA, 7.680, -0.570
3) Arnie Martel, Tewksbury, Mass., '07 GTO, D/AA, 7.698, -0.552
4) Fred Allen, Mary Esther, Fla., '34 Chevy, C/SR, 8.589, -0.531
5) Larry Pritchett, Clarkrange, Tenn., '07 Sunfire, B/SM, 8.179, -0.501
6) Gary Wisecarver, Rustburg, Va., '05 Cavalier, H/SM, 9.116, -0.424
7) Mike Saye, Johnston, S.C., '92 Cutlass, H/AA, 8.841, -0.389
8) Mark Linebarrier, Liberty, N.C., '02 Grand Am, C/A, 7.613, -0.367
9) Danny Holt, Powell, Tenn., '05 Escort, C/EA, 8.304, -0.326
10) Jim Kimbrough, Pace, Fla., dragster, C/ED, 7.544, -0.326

SUPER STOCK
1) Bobby Dennis, Shorter, Ala., '90 Calais, GT/MA, 10.677 seconds, -1.373 (under index)
2) Jimmy DeFrank, Thousand Oaks, Calif., '09 Cobalt, SS/BS, 8.801, -1.149
3) Jon Richardson, Lexington, N.C., '67 Camaro, SS/AS, 8.756, -1.144
4) Tim Cole, Collierville, Tenn., '96 Corvette, SS/AX, 8.687, -1.113
5) Rick Twitchell, Cape Coral, Fla., '03 S-10, GT/TB, 10.068, -1.082
6) Mike Crutchfield, Montgomery, Ala., '08 G5, SS/DM, 9.005, -1.045
7) Lee Sharp, Maryville, Tenn., '08 Cobalt, SS/BM, 8.479, -1.021
8) David Jackson, Columbus, N.C., '92 Firebird, GT/EA, 9.946, -1.004
9) Stephen McCreary, Cana, Va., '05 Sunfire, SS/BX, 9.902, -0.948
10) Gary Coccaro, Panama City, Fla., '05 Sunfire, SS/BS, 9.016, -0.934

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Corbitt Marshburn, Clinton, N.C., '94 Caprice, R/SA, 13.033 seconds, -1.317 (under
index)
2) Bobby Warren, Clinton, N.C., '98 Firebird, C/SA, 10.467, -1.233
3) Bud Rowe, Bridgeton, N.C., '94 Camaro, B/SA, 10.398, -1.152
4) Jack Zimmerman, Clemmons, N.C., '71 Challenger, B/SA, 10.475, -1.075
5) Butch Payne, Rome, Ga., '97 Firebird, E/SA, 10.945, -1.055
6) Tom Stevenson, Flowery Branch, Ga., '69 Nova, G/SA, 11.259, -1.041
7) Jim Wahl, Deltona, Fla., '78 Road Runner, H/SA, 11.477, -0.973
8) Russell Johnson, Sharpsburg, Ga., '67 Fairlane, E/SA, 11.029, -0.971
9) Woodro Josey, Byron, Ga., '96 Corvette, B/SA, 10.583, -0.967
10) Brandon Wood, Thomasville, Ga., '69 Nova, B/SA, 10.586, -0.964

TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Ronnie Davis, Suwanee, Ga., '63 Corvette, 6.352 seconds, 219.04 mph
2) Jerry Barker, Ft. Valley, Ga., '02 Camaro, 6.932, 200.53
3) Matthew Buck, Lantana, Fla., '96 Firebird, 7.023, 195.59
4) Jeff Brooks, Fredericksburg, Va., '51 Henry J, 7.028, 194.38
5) Daniel Morrow, St. Petersburg, Fla., '09 GXP, 7.048, 202.67
6) Billy Vaughn, Knoxville, Tenn., '01 S-10, 7.056, 193.35
7) Vince Hoda, Diamondhead, Miss., '00 Firebird, 7.065, 198.06
8) Dewey Pedrick, Lighthouse Pt., Fla., '63 Corvette, 7.089, 195.22
9) Jeffrey Barker, Warner-Robins, Ga., '06 Cobalt, 7.220, 188.94
10) William Thigpen, Flowery Branch, Ga., '55 Chevy, 7.316, 185.05

TOP DRAGSTER
1) Jody Stroud, Chesterfield, S.C., dragster, 6.240 seconds, 224.92 mph
2) Eddie Careccia, Mars Hill, Fla., dragster, 6.390, 222.29
3) Charlie Careccia, Mars Hill, N.C., dragster, 6.728, 200.86
4) Ray Miller, Spring Hill, Fla., dragster, 6.737, 198.82
5) Jeff Burnett, Orlando, Fla., '23 roadster, 6.856, 198.67
6) Dan Seidel, Port St. Lucie, Fla., dragster, 6.929, 193.74
7) Charles Careccia, Asheville, N.C., dragster, 6.940, 193.40
8) Lauren Freer, Lewisville, N.C., dragster, 6.984, 190.92
9) Casey Spradlin, Ranburne, Ala., dragster, 7.023, 190.86
10) Melissa Hutson, Lady Lake, Fla., dragster, 7.032, 191.16