PAC: Firebird Friday summary

Pacific Division Racing Kicks off at Firebird Int'l Raceway

CHANDLER, Ariz. (February 27, 2009) -- In the first rounds of qualifying at Firebird International Raceway, local Top Alcohol Dragster pilot Mark Niver of Phoenix, Ariz., and Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Sean O'Bannon from Ontario, Calif., took the No. 1 qualifying positions in their classes. This weekend's NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, which runs through Sunday, is the first of seven in Pacific division competition

Niver owned the track today, by running a 5.350-second, 264.23 mph pass to take the top spot. The local racer ran only a limited schedule last year and is hoping to start off divisional competition with a win on Sunday. The always competitive Del Cox Jr. of Downey, Calif., is currently qualified at the No.2 spot clocking in at 5.364 seconds at 280.08 mph.

In Top Alcohol Funny Car, O'Bannon made a 5.651-second, 257.87 mph run to claim the pole. Preseason testing at Firebird earlier this year has definitely paid off for the team, in which valuable passes and data have been collected and analyzed. Dropping into the No.2 qualifying position is Roger Bateman of Calgary, Alb.

Comp Eliminator is lead by Joe Delehay, Calgary, Alb.; Tibor Kadar from Peoria, Ariz., took the top spot in Super Stock; and Jack Foshee, Taylor, Ariz., drove to the top of the list in Stock Eliminator. Canyon, Texas, resident Greg Lair outran the field in Top Sportsman; Denny Hills, Gilbert, Ariz., leads Top Dragster, and Michael Vattioni, Visalia, Calif., took the No.1 qualifying position in Sportsman Motorcycle with a near perfect 0.001-second reaction time.

Racing continues Saturday with gates opening at 7:30 a.m. Final qualifying and time trials begin at 8 a.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualifying sessions are scheduled at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Sunday's gates open at 7:30 a.m. with eliminations beginning at 8 a.m. First round of eliminations for Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car are scheduled at noon.

General Admission / Pit Pass -- $28 on Saturday & Sunday.. For more information please call Firebird Int'l Raceway, (602) 268-0200.

The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Pacific Division 2009 bluemedia NHRA Opener at the Firebird International Raceway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Mark Niver, Phoenix, Ariz., 5.350 seconds, 264.23 mph
2) Del Cox Jr., Downey, Calif., 5.364, 280.08
3) Johnny Ahten, Saugus, Calif., 5.390, 262.59
4) Shawn Cowie, Delta, B.C., 5.399, 265.27
5) Chris Demke, Sunland, Calif., 5.492, 260.66
6) Jim Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., 5.497, 265.17
7) Dale Carlson, Olympia, Wash., 5.527, 260.41
8) Edwin Schmeeckle, Gothenburg, Neb., 5.915, 181.37

Not Qualified
9) Art Trautman, Wadell, Ariz., 7.296, 152.35
10) Eugene Tumbarello, Denver, Colo., 15.501, 32.75

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Sean O'Bannon, Ontario, Calif., '08 Monte Carlo, 5.651 seconds, 257.87 mph
2) Roger Bateman, Calgary, Alb., '08 Mustang, 5.699, 250.64
3) Tony Bartone, Long Island City, N.Y., '09 Mustang, 5.732, 253.04
4) Mark Woznichak, Riverside, Calif., '03 Camaro, 5.736, 249.30
5) Clint Thompson, Klamath Falls, Ore., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.746, 252.61
6) John Patton, Peoria, Ariz., '03 Trans Am, 5.802, 225.60
7) Keeter Ray, Newport Beach, Calif., '08 Mustang, 5.819, 246.84
8) Brian Thiel, Pleasant Grove, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.820, 249.44

Not Qualified
9) Leif Andreasson, Solna, Sweden, '06 Stratus RT, 5.828, 248.75
10) Jason Rupert, Yorba Linda, Calif., '03 Firebird, 5.944, 224.10
11) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '08 Mustang, 6.392, 203.28
12) Charles McLaws, Winslow, Ariz., '03 Firebird, 6.500, 215.96
13) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '07 Monte Carlo, 8.548, 105.75
14) Daniel Oliver, Whittier, Calif., '07 Monte Carlo, 9.581, 80.22
15) Paul Crifasi, Henderson, Nev., '02 Firebird, (no time)
16) Ken Webster, Red Deer, Alb., '08 Monte Carlo, (no time)

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Joe Delehay, Calgary, Alb., '68 Camaro, AA/PM, 6.138 seconds, -0..712 (under index)
2) Clint Neff, Arvada, Colo., '23 roadster, K/A, 7.849, -0.701
3) Mike DePalma, Glendale, Ariz., '98 Firebird, I/A, 8.110, -0..660
4) Tom Mettler, Bakersfield, Calif., '01 Dakota, PST, 7.403, -0.607
5) Scott Hedlund, Anaheim, Calif., '09 Cobalt, A/SM, 7.812, -0.598
6) Todd Hoerner, Deer Park, Wash., '09 GXP, A/AA, 6.577, -0.593
7) John Edwards, Claremont, Calif., '99 Neon, C/AA, 7.401, -0.589
8) Dean Carter, Glendale, Ariz., dragster, B/ND, 6.984, -0.586
9) Lou Ficco, Wheatridge, Colo., '09 GXP, B/AP, 7.309, -0.571
10) Tom Brown, Riverside, Calif., dragster, F/ED, 8.274, -0.556

SUPER STOCK
1) Tibor Kadar, Peoria, Ariz., '92 Camaro, SS/GM, 9.409 seconds, -1.291 (under index)
2) Eric Bell, Chandler, Ariz., '70 Challenger, SS/FA, 9.536, -1.214
3) Larry Schmidt, Grand Island, Neb., '55 BelAir, SS/PA, 11.772, -1.178
4) Steve Wann, Modesto, Calif., '69 Barracuda, SS/HA, 9.729, -1.171
5) Frank Grossi, Upland, Calif., '05 Sunfire, GT/BA, 9.387, -1.163
6) Byron Setters, Red Deer, Alb., '09 G5, GT/BA, 9.415, -1.135
7) Tom Nolan, Lacombe, Alb., '02 S-10, GT/TA, 9.740, -1.110
8) John Rains, Santa Paula, Calif., '68 Dart, SS/AH, 8.642, -1.108
9) Kip Martin, Phoenix, Ariz., '64 Mustang, SS/L, 10.443, -1.107
10) Ron Roddel, Sioux Falls, S.D., '02 Grand Am, GT/KA, 10.663, -1.087

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Jack Foshee, Taylor, Ariz., '80 D-150, K/SA, 11.583 seconds, -1.367 (under index)
2) Brian McClanahan, Alta Loma, Calif., '02 Pontiac, A/SA, 10.052, -1.248
3) Stephen Hagberg, Berthoud, Colo., '64 Savoy, A/SA, 10.161, -1.139
4) Scott Burton, Golden, Colo., '71 Formula, D/SA, 10.762, -1.088
5) Andy Kimball, Henderson, Nev., '66 Fairlane, E/S, 10.893, -1.057
6) Larry Peterson, Eugene, Ore., '71 Chevelle, B/SA, 10.525, -1.025
7) Les Norton, South Jordan, Utah, '65 Belvedere, A/SA, 10.276, -1.024
8) Jim Meador, Yorba Linda, Calif., '67 Camaro, D/SA, 10.835, -1.015
9) Bryan Phillips, Alta Loma, Calif., '67 Firebird, E/SA, 10.985, -1.015
10) Jimmy DeFrank, Thousand Oaks, Calif., '69 Camaro, A/SA, 10.291, -1.009

TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Greg Lair, Canyon, Texas, '05 Grand Am, 6.704 seconds, 209.43 mph
2) Mike Strickland, Moses Lake, Wash., '04 Grand Am, 6.936, 201.10
3) Chip Rumis, Ramona, Calif., '05 Cobalt, 6.936, 197.88
4) Joe Roubicek, Westlake Village, Calif., '63 Chevy, 6.987, 197.19
5) J Wayne Silvia, Upland, Calif., '04 Cavalier, 7.019, 196.33
6) Ray Martin, Anchorage, Alaska, '63 Corvette, 7.092, 193.96
7) Brad Wagner, Henderson, Nev., '97 Cutlass, 7.167, 197.86
8) Raul Perez, La Mirada, Calif., '01 Grand Am, 7.283, 189.60
9) Kurtis Tamez, Yakima, Wash., '67 Nova, 7.300, 188.33
10) Not on File, , , dragster, 7.308, 187.13

TOP DRAGSTER
1) Denny Hills, Gilbert, Ariz., dragster, 6.101 seconds, 224.28 mph
2) Ross Stickler, Gilbert, Ariz., dragster, 6.480, 231.48
3) Lyle Burnham, Henderson, Nev., dragster, 6.560, 205.85
4) Paul Gladden, Tracy, Calif., dragster, 6.601, 204.26
5) Russell Suyenaga, Bellflower, Calif., dragster, 6.691, 205.13
6) Chip Rumis, Romona, Calif., dragster, 6.700, 200.59
7) Tony Jardino, San Dimas, Calif., dragster, 6.796, 198.35
8) Joe Roubicek, Westlake Village, Calif., dragster, 6.804, 197.71
9) Carolyn Hills, Gilbert, Ariz., dragster, 6.840, 196.39
10) Anita Olsen, Grand Junction, Colo., '32 Bantam, 6.867, 196.30

SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
1) Michael Vattioni, Visalia, Calif., '06 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.001 seconds reaction time
2) Tom Patterson, Tucson, Ariz., '94 Kawasaki, SMC, 0.004
3) Dave Parfett, Red Deer, Alb., '06 H-D, SMC, 0.005
4) Danny Lee Patridge, Kennewick, Wash., '90 Suzuki, SMC, 0.005
5) Tom Lannie, Tucson, Ariz., '94 Suzuki, SMC, 0.009
6) T.J. Crocker, Henderson, Nev., '05 Suzuki, ETMX, 0.011
7) Lance Samson, Tucson, Ariz., '95 Suzuki, SMC, 0.012
8) Travis Patridge, Kennewick, Wash., '83 Suzuki, SMC, 0.024
9) Tom Medlin, La Mirada, Calif., '86 GSXR, ETMX, 0.025
10) Jay Matthews, Henderson, Nev., '98 GSX-R, SMC, 0.027

-credit: nhra