Litton, Hahn, Price, Wilson, and Brand
Take Number One Spots in Shreveport

Hahn and Mancuso Win Pro Mod, Nitro Harley Shootouts

By Summit FastNews

GILLIAM, La. - The WIX Filters Top Fuel Dragster, driven by Bruce Litton, jumped to the top of the field during the final round of qualifying at the Mopar Parts World Finals at Red River Raceway. Litton, from Indianapolis, Ind., was previously qualified in the fourth position and blasted down the quarter-mile with a 4.713 second run at 309.20 mph to take the number one spot heading into final eliminations on Sunday.

Newly crowned 2001 Top Fuel World Champion Clay Millican will enter eliminations in the number two position.

Fred Hahn, of Elma, N.Y., won the $20,000 Mopar Performance Parts Pro Mod Shootout when he defeated Shannon "The Iceman" Jenkins in the finals. With identical elapsed times of 6.245 seconds, Hahn took the win with a better reaction time at the starting line. En route to his shootout win, Hahn also grabbed the number one qualifying spot for the World Finals with a 6.200 second run at 225.48 mph.

Houston, Texas, native Johnny Mancuso picked up the $8,000 winning check for the Screamin' Eagle Nitro Harley-Davidson Shootout. Mancuso defeated Mark Conner of Canyon Lake, Texas, for the win.

Ray Price, of Raleigh, N.C., secured the number one qualifying spot for the World Finals in the Screamin' Eagle Nitro Harley-Davidson class with a 6.433 second run at 219.40 mph.

Gene Wilson, of Canton, Ga., will lead the Pro Stock field into battle Sunday, while Dale Brand, of Sully, Iowa, remained in the top spot in Funny Car.

With all fields set, eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday.

GILLIAM, La. -- First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the Fourth annual Mopar Parts World Finals at Red River Raceway, the final event in the IHRA Summit Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.

Top Fuel -- 1. Bruce Litton, 4.713 seconds, 309.20 mph vs. 8. Roger Dean, 5.052, 291.13; 2. Clay Millican, 4.729, 287.90 vs. 7. Donald Reed, 5.034, 290.44; 3. Jim Head, 4.770, 312.71 vs. 6. Mitch King, 4.961, 249.26; 4. Paul Romine, 4.796, 294.18 vs. 5. Louie Allison, 4.871, 297.42.

Screamin' Eagle Nitro Harley -- 1. Ray Price, 6.433, 219.40 vs. 8. Tony Mattioli, 6.683, 217.35; 2. Steve Stordeur, 6.495, 218.23 vs. 7. Mike Romine, 6.604, 217.11; 3. Johnny Mancuso, 6.508, 216.17 vs. 6. Mark Conner, 6.600, 207.08; 4. Jay Turner, 6.545, 205.72 vs. 5. Doug Vancil, 6.581, 216.34.

Mopar Pro Modified -- 1. Fred Hahn, Chevy Corvette, 6.200, 225.48 vs. 16. Keith Baker, Corvette, 6.458, 214.18; 2. Mike Janis, Corvette, 6.219, 227.61 vs. 15. Harold Martin, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.455, 212.63; 3. Shannon Jenkins, Chevy Camaro, 6.245, 223.73 vs. 14. Thomas Patterson, Corvette, 6.437, 214.21; 4. Tim McAmis, Corvette, 6.252, 224.28 vs. 13. Quain Stott, Corvette, 6.350, 221.89; 5. Alan Pittman, Willys, 6.279, 224.36 vs. 12. Ed Hoover, Corvette, 6.327, 222.95; 6. Paul Athey, Mercury, 6.287, 224.40 vs. 11. Mitch Stott, Corvette, 6.323, 223.17; 7. Chip King, Dodge Avenger, 6.306, 223.76 vs. 10. Michael Faucher, Corvette, 6.321, 222.91; 8. Ronnie Hood, Corvette, 6.312, 222.29 vs. 9. Dan Rowe, Chevy Coupe, 6.318, 220.51.

Funny Car -- 1. Dale Brand, Pontiac Firebird, 5.743, 241.89 vs. Bye; 2. John Vouros, Firebird, 5.845, 239.06 vs. 13. Burl Brown, Avenger, 6.734, 206.70; 3. Jimmy Rector, Chevy Camaro, 5.852, 239.10 vs. 12. James Spencer, Firebird, 6.130, 226.51; 4. Mark Thomas, Dodge Avenger, 5.863, 241.32 vs. 11. Mark Poyser, Ford Mustang, 6.125, 227.69; 5. Laurie Cannister, Camaro, 5.925, 237.17 vs. 10. Monty Todd, Camaro, 6.103, 233.16; 6. Chris Foster, Avenger, 5.929, 234.66 vs. 9. Tony Bogolo, Avenger, 6.070, 237.80; 7. Ronnie Midyette, Firebird, 5.971, 236.92 vs. 8. Terry McMillen, Avenger, 5.980, 234.49.

Sunoco Race Fuels Pro Stock -- 1. Gene Wilson, Mercury Cougar, 6.571, 212.39 vs. 16. Jerry Yeoman, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.710, 207.02; 2. Brian Gahm, Ford Mustang, 6.574, 210.60 vs. 15. Kenny Benso, Chevy Monte Carlo, 6.709, 207.53; 3. Carl Baker, Mustang, 6.579, 211.20 vs. 14. Terry Leggett, Mustang, 6.702, 207.05; 4. John Montecalvo, Chevy Cavalier, 6.579, 211.06 vs. 13. Charlie Peppers, Mustang, 6.691, 209.07; 5. Tim Nabors, Cavalier, 6.606, 209.23 vs. 12. Robert Killian, Ford Probe, 6.668, 208.62; 6. Doug Kirk, Cavalier, 6.609, 210.50 vs. 11. Elijah Morton, Probe, 6.646, 209.98; 7. Ron Miller, Monte Carlo, 6.613, 210.21 vs. 10. Dwayne Rice, Grand Am, 6.645, 209.56; 8. Steve Spiess, Grand Am, 6.626, 209.69 vs. 9. Jason Collins, Mustang, 6.634, 210.01.

GILLIAM, La. -- Summary of eliminations Saturday in special events during the Fourth annual Mopar Parts World Finals at Red River Raceway, the final event in the IHRA Summit Drag Racing Series.

MOPAR PRO MODIFIED SHOOTOUT:

ROUND ONE -- Fred Hahn, Chevy Corvette, 6.299, 221.92 def. Ed Hoover, Corvette, 6.370, 222.66; Shannon Jenkins, Chevy Camaro, 6.275, 223.62 def. Quain Stott, Corvette, 14.051, 78.01; Mike Janis, Corvette, 6.258, 227.61 def. Mitch Stott, Corvette, 14.660, 94.07; Alan Pittman, Willys, 6.346, 221.96 def. Ronnie Hood, Corvette, 6.392, 221.23; SEMIFINALS -- Jenkins, 6.270, 224.55 def. Pittman, 6.369, 221.78; Hahn, 6.218, 224.40 def. Janis, 6.290, 227.34; FINAL -- Hahn, 6.245, 222.03 def. Jenkins, 6.245, 223.32.

SCREAMIN' EAGLE NITRO HARLEY SHOOTOUT:

ROUND ONE -- Mike Romine, 6.604, 206.16 def. Steve Stordeur, foul; Ray Price, 6.487, 217.25 def. Tony Mattioli, 6.683, 217.35; Johnny Mancuso, 6.508, 216.17 def. Jay Turner, 6.545, 199.37; Mark Conner, 6.600, 203.98 def. Doug Vancil, 6.581, 208.59; SEMIFINALS -- Mancuso, 6.574, 213.10 def. M. Romine, 6.947, 158.48; Conner, 6.660, 211.43 def. Price, 6.616, 227.04; FINAL -- Mancuso, 6.651, 202.36 def. Conner, foul.

Larry Sullivan
larry@fastnews.net