2016 NHRA Lucas Oil Gainesville Final Results

TEDESCO SCORES TAD WIN IN GAINESVILLE; LEANDERS WINS IN FUNNY CAR

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In the final results from Southeast Division Prelude to the Gators event at Gainesville Raceway and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Mia Tedesco, Murrysville, Pa. and Ulf Leanders, Viksjofors, Sweden, took home the wins in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car respectively.

Tedesco, worked her way through the field and ran 5.393 seconds at 271.90 mph in her final round victory over Jeff Veale, Stoney Creek, Ont., who clocked in at 5.417 seconds, 268.76 mph. Tedesco defeated No. 1 qualifier Duane Shields in the semifinals with a 5.262, 274.50. In the final round, Tedesco was out first and led the whole way to take her third TAD Regional win. She also has two divisional wins to go with them, one in Super Comp and one in Super Gas.

Leanders faced off against Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., and posted a winning run of 5.586 seconds, 261.47 mph in his ‘10 Monte Carlo. Gordon drove to a 5.664 second, 246.08 mph lap for his runner up finish. This was a close race most of the way with Leanders trailing but steadily closing the gap. As Gordon slowed Leanders went by for the win earning his second regional win, in his second-ever final round. The other came at the final regional event at The Strip at Las Vegas in 2014.

David Rampy, Piedmont, Ala., took home his 47th divisional event win, and his 32nd win in Comp Eliminator. Rampy faced off against Jim Greenheck, Schofield, Wis. The pair had identical lights at the start but Greenheck slowed and Rampy got the win posting run of 7.345 seconds at 155.97 mph.

Jim Bailey, Bradenton, Fla., won for his first time in Stock Eliminator. Bailey had the advantage at the light and scored a winning run of 9.872 seconds at 128.44 mph over Joseph Santangelo, Marlborough, Conn. Along with this being Bailey’s first ever win this is his first ever final round in a divisional event in his classic ’65 Belvedere. His only other divisional-level final rounds were in the eighties, with three finals in Top Alcohol Funny Car at tracks in the Midwest

In the Davis Golf Carts Top Sportsman Series, Mike Weaver, Griffin, Ga., took home the win over Sandy Wilkins, Mount Ulla, N.C. It was a good final round with Weaver taking a small holeshot and running closer to his dial for the win. This was Weaver’s first divisional win in Top Sportsman. Weaver recorded a winning run of 7.376 seconds at 187.73 mph. The Hickory Enclosed Trailer Sales Top Dragster saw Jeff Strickland, Red Bay, Ala., take home the trophy in 6.446 seconds at 210.31 mph to beat Steve Furr, Harrisburg, N.C.

Other racers visiting the winner’s circle this weekend were Anthony Bertozzi, Ashland, Va., in Super Stock; Brad Plourd, Holly Pond, Ala., in Super Comp; John Taylor, Naples, Fla., in Super Gas; and Jonathan Anderson, Griffin, Ga., in Super Street;

Southeast Division racers head to Atlanta Dragway for a double header Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series weekend, March 31-April 3.

The following are Saturday’s final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Southeast Division Prelude to the Gators:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:

Round 1

1) Duane Shields, Boulder City, Nev., 5.298, 275.22 def. 8) Dan Mercier, LaPrairie, Quebec, 13.640, 75.67;

6) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.435, 263.67 def. 3) Richard Bourke, Old Tappan, N.J., 15.257, 62.42;

4) Mia Tedesco, Murrysville, Pa., 7.791, 257.92 def. 5) Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., 11.663, 99.38;

7) Jeff Veale, Stoney Creek, Ont., 5.375, 277.09 def. 2) Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., 5.375, 271.13

Semifinals

Tedesco, 5.262, 274.50 def. Shields, 5.305, 273.88;

Veale, 5.370, 278.00 def. Finke, 5.373, 267.75

Final

Tedesco, 5.393, 271.90 def. Veale, 5.417, 268.76.

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:

Round 1

4) Kris Hool, Evansville, Wyo., ’10 Monte Carlo, 5.723, 258.57 def. 5) Tyler Scott, Exeter, Ont., ’10 Monte Carlo, 12.367, 66.01;

3) Ulf Leanders, Viksjofors, Sweden, ’10 Monte Carlo, 5.620, 261.93 def. 6) Dan Pomponio, Berlin, N.J., ’10 Monte Carlo, 11.749, 71.59;

2) DJ Cox Jr., Whiteford, Md., ’09 Monte Carlo, 5.645, 259.81 def. 7) Matt Gill, W. Bridgewater, Mass., ’16 Camaro, 5.817, 254.66;

1) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., ’15 Camaro, 5.582, 265.95 def. 8) Phil Burkart, Yorkville, N.Y., ’15 Camaro, 17.829, 43.23

Semifinals

Leanders, 5.700, 259.66 def. Cox Jr., 13.072, 48.58; Gordon, 5.519, 267.00 def. Hool, 5.642, 260.21

Final

Leanders, 5.586, 261.47 def. Gordon, 5.664, 246.08.

COMP ELIMINATOR

David Rampy, Piedmont, Ala., ’32 Bantam, A/EA, 7.345, 155.97 def. Jim Greenheck, Schofield, Wis., ’12 Camaro, C/AA, 7.679, 145.08.

SUPER STOCK

Anthony Bertozzi, Ashland, Va., ’98 Grand Am, SS/AS, 8.925, 143.55 def. David Rampy, Piedmont, Ala., ’87 Camaro, GT/HA, 10.158, 125.75.

STOCK ELIMINATOR

Jim Bailey, Bradenton, Fla., ’65 Belvedere, AA/SA, 9.872, 128.44 def. Joseph Santangelo, Marlborough, Conn., ’95 Camaro, C/SA, 10.598, 121.62.

SUPER COMP

Brad Plourd, Holly Pond, Ala., dragster, 8.928, 158.07 def. John Labbous, White House, Tenn., dragster, 8.908, 164.65.

SUPER GAS

John Taylor, Naples, Fla., ’99 Dakota, 14.461, 68.12 def. Al Walker, Lawrenceville, Ga., ’74 Trans Am, foul.

SUPER STREET

Jonathan Anderson, Griffin, Ga., ’05 Sunfire, 10.929, 129.31 def. Morgan Hoda, Biloxi, Miss., ’69 Camaro, 10.898, 148.20.

TOP SPORTSMAN

Mike Weaver, Griffin, Ga., ’15 Camaro, 7.376, 187.73 def. Sandy Wilkins, Mount Ulla, N.C., ’69 Camaro, 6.669, 207.02.

TOP DRAGSTER

Jeff Strickland, Red Bay, Ala., ’14 American, 6.446, 210.31 def. Steve Furr, Harrisburg, N.C., ’13 American, 6.457, 217.98.