NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Saturday from No Problem Raceway, Belle Rose, La.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION
NO PROBLEM RACEWAY, BELLE ROSE, LA.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Contact: Eric Lotz, NHRA (626) 688-8646

NO PROBLEM FOR LUCAS OIL TOP QUALIFIERS

            BELLE ROSE, La. (September 19, 2009) - In the final rounds of qualifying for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Cajun Sportsman Challenge it was Brandon Lewis and Steve Harker taking the No. 1 qualifying positions.  Racers are vying for championship points as well as a share of the nearly $200,000 purse in cash and contingency awards.
            Lewis, Broken Arrow, Okla., clicked off a 5.250 second run at 274.50 mph in his Top Alcohol Dragster and is followed by Michael Manners, Willis, Texas, and Darryl Hitchman, Greenville, Texas, in second and third respectively.
            Defending NHRA South Central Division Top Alcohol Funny Car Champion Harker of Gainesville, Ga., put his '06 Monte Carlo funny car on top with a 5.657 second, 252.76 mph run.  Harker has former NHRA National Champion Tony Bartone, Long Island, N.Y., right on his heals at 5.668, 253.71 and Chris Foster, Davenport, Iowa, in third at 5.821, 248.29.
            Michael Kile and Joey Tanksley held on to their top qualifying positions from Friday with Kile, West Lake, La., posting a run of 6.150 seconds at 221.78 mph in the division's TCI Comp Cams Top Dragster class.  Kile is followed by Jimmy Lewis, Forney, Texas, and Brandon Chauvin, Gonzales, La., in second and third.
            Tanksely, a former division champion out of Greenwell Springs, La., leads the Comp Eliminator field over Raymond Martin, Mt Belvieu, Texas, and Adam Hickey, Hammond, La.
            Keith Raftery, Lake Charles, La., jumped to the top of the Sunset RaceCraft Top Sportsman class with a lap of 6.481 seconds, 214.52 mph with Joseph Mohana, Bourg, La., in the No. 2 spot in his '57 Chevy at 6.597, 208.49.
            Also posting pole positions this weekend were Jeff Dona, Grodonville, Mo., in Super Stock; Kent LaPorte, Lafeyette, La., in Stock, and Peter Pollet, Paulina, La., in the Sportsman Motorcycle presented by Harley Davidson.

Racing continues Sunday at No Problem Raceway.  Gates open at 8 a.m. with racing to begin at 9 a.m.  Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car run round one at noon.

Tickets are $20 and children 11 and under are free with a paid adult.  For more information, call No Problem Raceway (985) 369-3692 or visit www.NoProblemRaceway.com.

            The following are Saturday's final qualifying results and Sunday's first-round pairings for TAD and TAFC at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Cajun Sportsman Challenge event at no Problem Raceway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Brandon Lewis, Broken Arrow, Okla., 5.250 seconds, 274.50 mph
2) Michael Manners, Willis, Texas, 5.280, 269.56
3) Darryl Hitchman, Greenville, Texas, 5.473, 258.37
4) Ryan Copeland, Gainesville, Texas, 5.476, 266.79
5) Brandon Pierce, Moore, Okla., 5.512, 272.17
6) Malcolm Wahle, Claremore, Okla., 5.590, 256.75
7) David Brounkowski, Cypress, Texas, 5.760, 239.61
8) Buddy Domingue, Port Neches, Texas, 5.913, 244.56
Not Qualified
9) Vitali Kazakevich, Houston, 6.006, 237.63
10) Carl Magee, Victoria, Texas, 6.429, 212.16

First round TAD pairings
1) Brandon Lewis, Broken Arrow, Okla., 5.250 seconds, 274.50 mph vs. 8) Buddy Domingue, Port
Neches, Texas, 5.913, 244.56
2) Michael Manners, Willis, Texas, 5.280, 269.56 vs. 7) David Brounkowski, Cypress, Texas, 5.760,
239.61
3) Darryl Hitchman, Greenville, Texas, 5.473, 258.37 vs. 6) Malcolm Wahle, Claremore, Okla., 5.590,
256.75
4) Ryan Copeland, Gainesville, Texas, 5.476, 266.79 vs. 5) Brandon Pierce, Moore, Okla., 5.512,
272.17

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Steve Harker, Gainesville, Ga., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.657 seconds, 252.76 mph
2) Tony Bartone, Long Island City, N.Y., '09 Mustang, 5.668, 253.71
3) Chris Foster, Davenport, Iowa, '07 Monte Carlo, 5.821, 248.29
4) Burl Brown, Gainesville, Texas, '09 Mustang, 5.848, 243.46
5) Kebin Kinsley, Arlington, Texas, '03 Camaro, 6.010, 237.71
6) John Sullivan, Pike Road City, Ala., '08 Mustang, 6.097, 231.00

First round TAFC pairings
1) Steve Harker, Gainesville, Ga., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.657 seconds, 252.76 mph vs. 6) John Sullivan,
Pike Road City, Ala., '08 Mustang, 6.097, 231.00
2) Tony Bartone, Long Island City, N.Y., '09 Mustang, 5.668, 253.71 vs. 5) Kebin Kinsley,
Arlington, Texas, '03 Camaro, 6.010, 237.71
3) Chris Foster, Davenport, Iowa, '07 Monte Carlo, 5.821, 248.29 vs. 4) Burl Brown, Gainesville,
Texas, '09 Mustang, 5.848, 243.46

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Joey Tanksley, Greenwell Spgs, La., dragster, C/D, 6.833 seconds, -0.617 (under index)
2) Raymond Martin, Mt Belvieu, Texas, '32 Bantam, K/AA, 7.815, -0.565
3) Adam Hickey, Hammond, La., '06 Cobalt, C/SMA, 8.233, -0.557
4) Bruno Massel, Woodbridge, Ill., '08 Cobalt, DD/AT, 7.277, -0.553
5) Stephen Rosen, Harahan, La., dragster, G/ED, 8.006, -0.544
6) James Caro, Houma, La., '05 Stratus, B/SMA, 8.158, -0.542
7) Ernest Watson, Humble, Texas, '05 Cavalier, A/SMA, 8.022, -0.538
8) Scott Cashio, Ventress, La., '07 Cobalt, B/SMA, 8.169, -0.531
9) Shane Gray, Artesia, N.M., '06 Stratus, B/A, 7.037, -0.523
10) Chase Williams, Carthage, Texas, '07 GTO, C/A, 7.468, -0.512

SUPER STOCK
1) Jeff Dona, Gordonville, Mo., '69 Camaro, SS/HA, 9.671 seconds, -1.229 (under index)
2) Jeff Colvert, Arkadelphia, Ark., '69 Mustang, SS/G, 9.542, -1.208
3) James Caro, Houma, La., '78 Plymouth, SS/JA, 10.130, -1.170
4) J.W. Hames, Madison, Miss., '89 Daytona, GT/IA, 10.366, -1.134
5) Jonathan Womack, Houston, '07 Cavalier, SS/BS, 8.840, -1.110
6) Mike Bryant, New Orleans, '91 Calais, GT/FA, 10.005, -1.095
7) Jim Hale, Van Buren, Ark., '68 Barracuda, SS/BA, 9.109, -1.091
8) Byron Latino, Donaldson, La., '09 G5, SS/BS, 8.868, -1.082
9) Jerry Emmons, Pasadena, Texas, '05 Cavalier, GT/CA, 9.620, -1.080
10) Sid Bonnecarrere, Gray, La., '70 Duster, GT/FA, 10.036, -1.064

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Kent LaPorte, Lafayette, La., '91 Camaro, J/SA, 11.497 seconds, -1.253 (under index)
2) David Buckner, New Waverly, Texas, '72 Duster, F/SA, 10.951, -1.199
3) Bill McClister, Shoreacres, Texas, '72 Mustang, E/SA, 10.831, -1.169
4) Sam Pourciau, Walker, La., '02 Camaro, B/SA, 10.386, -1.164
5) Dean Oliver, Stuttgart, Ark., '79 Malibu, K/SA, 11.802, -1.148
6) John Duzac, Covington, La., '67 Camaro, D/S, 10.671, -1.129
7) Sammy Pizzolato, Houma, La., '69 Corvette, B/SA, 10.432, -1.118
8) Gary Emmons, Friendswood, Texas, '98 Firebird, C/SA, 10.584, -1.116
9) Slate Cummings, Hammond, La., '99 Firebird, B/SA, 10.482, -1.068
10) Floyd Russo, Gonzales, La., '01 Trans Am, A/SA, 10.245, -1.055

TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Keith Raftery, Lake Charles, La., '07 GTO, 6.481 seconds, 214.52 mph
2) Joseph Mohana, Bourg, La., '57 Chevy, 6.597, 208.49
3) Scott Randall, Carrollton, Texas, '08 GXP, 6.695, 206.64
4) Keith Haney, Broken Arrow, Okla., '09 GXP, 6.759, 205.29
5) Bert Prejean, St. Amant, La., '06 GTO, 6.767, 202.00
6) Jerry Holt, Collinsville, Okla., '08 GTO, 6.832, 201.73
7) Vince Hoda, Diamondhead, Miss., '00 Firebird, 6.847, 204.29
8) Greg Lair, Canyon, Texas, '04 Grand Am, 6.887, 203.34
9) Steve Benoit, Scott, La., '02 Camaro, 6.908, 200.86
10) Allen Firestone, Velma, Okla., '01 S-10, 6.997, 195.59

TOP DRAGSTER
1) Michael Kile, Westlake, La., dragster, 6.150 seconds, 222.36 mph
2) Jimmy Lewis, Forney, Texas, dragster, 6.460, 210.08
3) Brandon Chauvin, Gonzales, La., dragster, 6.593, 204.11
4) Howard Mc Cullar, McAlester, Okla., dragster, 6.626, 202.12
5) Todd Schumert, LaPlace, La., dragster, 6.680, 202.73
6) George Tyler, Franklin, La., dragster, 6.693, 203.80
7) Jenifer White, Conroe, Texas, dragster, 6.737, 199.58
8) Shane LeJeune, Eunice, La., dragster, 6.760, 198.50
9) P.J. Vicari, Marrero, La., dragster, 6.792, 194.21
10) Matt Levatino, LaPlace, La., dragster, 6.797, 195.19

SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
1) Peter Pollet, Paulina, La., '06 V-Rod, ETMX, 0.001 seconds reaction time
2) David Latino, Donaldsonville, La., '05 Hayabusa, ETMX, 0.003
3) Robert Sanders, Katy, Texas, '04 Kawasaki, ETMX, 0.004
4) James Enloe, Prairieville, La., '86 Sportster, ETMX, 0.006
5) Jerry Pomilla, Conroe, Texas, '85 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.006
6) David LeBlanc, Prairieville, La., '91 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.011
7) Michael Nash, Texarkana, Texas, '83 Honda, ETMX, 0.012
8) Randal Guitreau, Prarieville, La., '94 Kawasaki, ETMX, 0.014
9) Rob Bennett, Lucas, Texas, '07 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.018
10) Ricky Leblanc, Prairieville, La., '80 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.020

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Eric Lotz
NHRA Dir. of Field Marketing
elotz@nhra.com
626-250-2287