Spots are Set for Lucas Oil Event at Bradenton

BRADENTON, Fla. (February 14, 2009)  – Duane Shields of Boulder City, Nev., claimed the No.1 qualifying spot in Top Alcohol Dragster with Saturday’s run at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Bradenton Motorsports Park.   Stamford , Conn. , resident Mickey Ferro put together an impressive pass in Top Alcohol Funny Car to take the top spot in the six car field.

Shields posted a 5.331 seconds, 266.03 mph run, which was enough to keep him ahead of John Finke of Selkirk, N.Y.   Artie Allen of Jacksonville, Fla., last year’s division champion, just missed the field by qualifying in the No. 9 spot.

The event’s 2008 Top Alcohol Funny Car champion picked up where he left off, as Ferro took the lead slot.   Alexis De Joria from Bronson, Fla., pieced together a 5.694 second pass to drop her into the second seed.

The Comp Eliminator field continued to improve as David Allen, Sewickley, Pa., enhanced Friday’s best time. Saturday’s pass put him more than a second ahead of the others, sealing his spot at the top of the class. Pat Ross, Avon Lake, Ohio holds onto his position in second and local Bradenton, Fla. favorite Dave Connolly, is bumped down to ninth.

Other top qualifiers included Jack Huff of Nashville, Tenn. in Super Stock; Nick Folk, Durand, Ill. in Stock Eliminator; Ronnie Davis, Suwanee, Ga. in the Top Sportsman class; Matthew Buck from Lantana, Fla., in the Top Sportsman Shootout event; and Eddie Careccia of Mars Hill, Fla. in Top Dragster.

Due to weather difficulties in the 2008 season, the CSR Top Sportsman Shootout finally concluded with Jeffrey Barker, Warner-Robins, Ga. taking the hardware with a win over Billy Vaughn out of Knoxville, Tenn.

Racing continues Sunday at Bradenton Motorsports Park with gates opening at 8 a.m.   Eliminations begin at 9 a.m.   Top Sportsman, Comp Eliminator and Top Dragster 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 with Pit Pass is $20. Children 11 and under are admitted free with a paid adult. For more information please call Bradenton Motorsports Park, (941) 748-1320 or visit www.BradentonMotorsports.com.

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

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Duane Shields, Boulder City, Nev., 5.331 seconds, 266.03 mph
2) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.350, 263.38
3) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.389, 266.35
4) Bill Evans, Miramar, Fla., 5.428, 267.61
5) Shayne Lawson, Broken Arrow, Okla., 5.447, 267.77
6) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., 5.479, 262.08
7) Al Moeser, Hill Town, Pa., 5.605, 261.02
8) Cherissa Griffis, Gainesville, Fla., 5.692, 242.00
Not Qualified
9) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 6.099, 232.19
10) Eric Edelmann, New Port Richey, Fla., 8.431, 146.96
11) Dan Lucas, Cumming, Ga., 17.847, 38.55

First round TAD pairings
1) Duane Shields, Boulder City, Nev., 5.331 seconds, 266.03 mph vs. 8) Cherissa Griffis, Gainesville, Fla., 5.692, 242.00
2) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.350, 263.38 vs. 7) Al Moeser, Hill Town, Pa., 5.605, 261.02
3) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.389, 266.35 vs. 6) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., 5.479, 262.08
4) Bill Evans, Miramar, Fla., 5..428, 267.61 vs. 5) Shayne Lawson, Broken Arrow, Okla., 5.447, 267.77

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.569 seconds, 259.89 mph
2) Alexis De Joria, Bronson, Fla., '09 Mustang, 5.694, 254.59
3) Mark Billington, Norcross, Ga., '01 Avenger, 5.774, 246.84
4) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '07 Mustang, 5.775, 251.60
5) Tim Stevens, Dorr, Mich., '06 Stratus, 5.855, 241.41
6) John Sullivan, Pike Road City, Ala., '02 Firebird, 5.920, 243.04

First round TAFC pairings
1) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.569 seconds, 259.89 mph vs. 6) John Sullivan, Pike Road City, Ala., '02
Firebird, 5.920, 243.04
2) Alexis De Joria, Bronson, Fla., '09 Mustang, 5.694, 254.59 vs. 5) Tim Stevens, Dorr, Mich., '06 Stratus, 5.855, 241.41
3) Mark Billington, Norcross, Ga., '01 Avenger, 5.774, 246.84 vs. 4) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '07 Mustang, 5.775, 251.60

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) David Allen, Sewickley, Pa., '09 GXP, BB/AM, 6.783 seconds, -0.727 (under index)
2) Pat Ross, Avon Lake, Ohio, '05 Grand Am, F/A, 8.027, -0.653
3) Frank Aragona Jr., Freehold, N.J., '32 Bantam, G/EA, 8.254, -0..626
4) Ray Vierheller III, Barberton, Ohio, dragster, D/ED, 7.367, -0.623
5) Michael Hardee, Hampstead, N.C., '05 Sunfire, E/SM, 8.474, -0.616
6) David Eaton, Merritt Island, Fla., '32 Bantam, A/AP, 6.647, -0.613
7) Glen Treadwell, Sorrento, Fla., '23 roadster, F/EA, 7.995, -0.595
8) Anthony Bertozzi, Ashland, Va., dragster, D/ED, 7.403, -0.587
9) David Connolly, Bradenton, Fla., '34 Chevy, B/SR, 7.769, -0.571
10) Jenny Treadwell, Mt. Plymouth, Fla., dragster, E/ED, 8.307, -0.563

SUPER STOCK
1) Jack Huff, Nashville, Tenn., '85 Camaro, SS/KA, 10.260 seconds, -1.290 (under index)
2) Brian Oakes, Williamstown, N.J., '69 Camaro, SS/CA, 9.082, -1.268
3) Rich South, Pickerington, Ohio, '05 Sunfire, GT/EA, 9.719, -1.231
4) Andy Fogle, Norway, S.C., '67 Camaro, SS/GA, 9.676, -1.174
5) David Thomas, West Chester, Pa., '69 Corvette, SS/AA, 8.844, -1.156
6) Lloyd Wofford, Jonesboro, Ark., '79 Aspen, SS/JA, 10.153, -1.147
7) Mark Nowicki, Gaylord, Mich., '98 Avenger, GT/HA, 10.204, -1.146
8) Ralph Porpora, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., '66 Corvette, SS/B, 9.078, -1.122
9) Byron Latino, Donaldsonville, La., '09 G5, SS/BS, 8.837, -1.113
10) Gary Richard, Bay Shore, N.Y.., '07 Cobalt, GT/AA, 9.290, -1.110

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Nick Folk, Durand, Ill., '99 Camaro, B/SA, 10.340 seconds, -1.210 (under index)
2) Bud Rowe, Bridgeton, N.C., '94 Camaro, C/SA, 10.506, -1.194
3) John Livingston, Murfreesboro, Tenn., '91 Camaro, K/SA, 11.774, -1.176
4) Doug Patrick, Boca Raton, Fla., '72 Cutlass, K/SA, 11.781, -1.169
5) Thomas Moock, Eagle, Neb., '81 Malibu, M/SA, 12.017, -1.133
6) Ralph Porpora, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., '69 Camaro, A/S, 10.150, -1.100
7) Gary Richard, Bayshore, N.Y., '69 Camaro, C/SA, 10.606, -1.094
8) Tom Stevenson, Flowery Branch, Ga., '69 Camaro, G/SA, 11.207, -1.093
9) Randy Wilkes, Zanesville, Ohio, '02 Firebird, A/SA, 10.212, -1.088
10) Randy Harrison, Orlando, Fla., '90 Camaro, K/SA, 11.890, -1.060

TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Ronnie Davis, Suwanee, Ga., '63 Corvette, 6.836 seconds, 201.56 mph
2) Ryan Ondrejko, Roslindale, Mass., '08 GTO, 6.859, 203.61
3) Jerry Barker, Fort Valley, Ga., '06 Cobalt, 6.889, 201.79
4) Matthew Buck, Lantana, Fla., '96 Firebird, 6.977, 198.06
5) Daniel Morrow, St. Petersburg, Fla.., '09 GXP, 7.118, 194.88
6) Dewey Pedrick, Lighthouse Pt., Fla., '63 Corvette, 7.142, 195.52
7) Jeffrey Barker, Warner-Robins, Ga., '02 Camaro, 7.167, 190.19
8) Tony Arcuni, W. Babylon, N.Y., '95 Cutlass, 7.199, 190..79
9) Scott Lyons, Douglasville, Ga., '07 GTO, 7.349, 188.95
10) Mike Thompson, Naples, Fla., '03 Cavalier, 7.437, 183.74

TOP SPORTSMAN SHOOTOUT
1) Matthew Buck, Lantana, Fla., '96 Firebird, 0.001 seconds, (no speed)
2) Ronnie Davis, Suwanee, Ga., '63 Corvette, 0.002, (no speed)
3) Jerry Barker, Fort Valley, Ga., '06 Cobalt, 0.003, (no speed)
4) Billy Vaughn, Knoxville, Tenn., '01 S-10, 0.004, (no speed)
5) Jeffrey Barker, Warner-Robins, Ga., '02 Camaro, 0.005, (no speed)
6) Dewey Pedrick, Lighthouse Pt., Fla., '63 Corvette, 0.006, (no speed)
7) Mike Thompson, Naples, Fla., '03 Cavalier, 0.007, (no speed)
8) Bruce Duncan, Crawfordville, Fla., '95 Camaro, 0.008, (no speed)

TOP DRAGSTER
1) Eddie Careccia, Mars Hill, Fla., dragster, 6.066 seconds, 233.40 mph
2) Don Marks, St Petersburg, Fla., dragster, 6.155, 222.88
3) Tom Elliott, Brooks, Ky., dragster, 6.242, 220.85
4) Les Feist, Clearwater, Minn., dragster, 6.639, 205.76
5) Warren Heaps, Ashland, Mass., dragster, 6.726, 201.56
6) Steve Furr, Harrisburg, N.C., dragster, 6.732, 192.30
7) Charles Careccia, Mars Hill, N.C., dragster, 6.743, 200.31
8) Al Miller, Chester, Md., dragster, 6.774, 199.60
9) Casey Spradlin, Ranburne, Ala.., dragster, 6.804, 194.59
10) Larry Clark, Stuart, Fla., dragster, 6.805, 195.18


Final round results in the CSR Top Sportsman Shootout, weather-delayed from the 2008 season:
Jeffrey Barker, Warner-Robins, Ga.., '02 Camaro, 7.164, 185.72  def. Billy Vaughn, Knoxville, Tenn., '01 S-10, 7.574, 178.14.