SC: Houston Friday summary

FIRST DAY OF QUALIFYING COMPLETE AT HRP'S LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES EVENT

BAYTOWN, Texas (May 15, 2009) -- In the first rounds of qualifying at the Texas Sportsman Challenge, Top Alcohol Dragster driver Todd Odom of Dallas and Top Alcohol Funny Car pilot Tony Bartone, Long Island City, N.Y., took the No. 1 qualifying positions in their classes.

Odom laid down a 5.472-second, 262.64 mph pass which was just enough to put him ahead of No. 2 qualifier Malcolm Wahle of Claremore, Okla. Wahle ran 5.496 seconds at 251.20 mph. Currently, there are 10 Top Alcohol Dragsters trying to make the eight-car eliminations field. They are slated to get two more qualifying passes on Saturday.

Bartone, who piloted Jim Dunn's Fuel Funny Car in NHRA's Full Throttle Series until this year, made a 5.666-second, 257.92 mph lap. That run was more than enough to cover No. 2 qualifier Burl Brown's 5.779-second, 250.97 mph pass. Brown is from Gainesville, Texas.

Top qualifiers in other classes are Raymond Martin, Mt. Belvieu, Texas, in Comp Elimintor; Jamres Caro, Houma, La., in Super Stock; and R.J. Sledge, Beorne, Texas, in Stock Eliminator. Billy Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, is No. 1 in Top Sportsman and Michael Kile, Westlake, La., heads up the Top Dragster category. In Sportsman Motorcycle presented by Harley Davidson, Raegan Gentitli, Crosby, Texas, took the top spot.

Racing continues Saturday and Sunday at Houston Raceway Park. Gates open at 8 a.m. both days and racing starts at 9 a.m. Qualifying and time trials pick up on Saturday. Racers in Top Dragster, Top Sportsman and Comp Eliminator will qualify at noon and 5 p.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualifying is at 1 and 6 p.m. Eliminations start Sunday at 9 a.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car run first round at noon.

Tickets for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Houston Raceway Park are $20 Saturday and $20 Sunday. Children 6 to 12 years old are $10 each day and kids 5 and under are admitted free with a paid adult.

Houston Raceway Park is located at 2525 FM 565 South. It is east of the Houston Metro area. For more information call Houston Raceway Park, (281) 383-7223, or visit www.HoustonRaceway.com.

The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Houston Raceway Park:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1) Todd Odom, Dallas, 5.472 seconds, 262.64 mph
2) Malcolm Wahle, Claremore, Okla., 5.496, 251.20
3) Michael Manners, Willis, Texas, 5.529, 263.82
4) Del Cox Jr., Downey, Calif., 5.597, 251.06
5) Darryl Hitchman, Celeste, Texas, 5.615, 256.50
6) Karl Brounkowski, Magnolia, Texas, 5.948, 243.68
7) Carl Magee, Victoria, Texas, 7.588, 200.95
8) Brandon Pierce, Moore, Okla., 7.670, 124.03

Not Qualified
9) Brandon Lewis, Broken Arrow, Okla., 11.790, 133.37
10) Chase Copeland, Walters, Okla., 21.502, 43.79

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1) Tony Bartone, Long Island City, N.Y., '09 Mustang, 5.666 seconds, 257.92 mph
2) Burl Brown, Gainesville, Texas, '00 Avenger, 5.779, 250.97
3) Steve Burck, Corpus Christi, Texas, '02 Camaro, 5.784, 249.63
4) Kebin Kinsley, Kennedale, Texas, '02 Camaro, 5.835, 250.41
5) Jimmy Jones, Cleburne, Texas, '06 Monte Carlo, 5.860, 248.07
6) Ro Yale, Houston, '98 Daytona, 6.589, 211.26
7) Lee Callaway, Baytown, Texas, '09 Mustang, 8.745, 91.75
8) Steve Harker, Gainesville, Ga., '06 Monte Carlo, 12.248, 80.73

COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Raymond Martin, Mt. Belvieu, Texas, '32 Bantam, K/AA, 7.772 seconds, -0.608 (under index)
2) Joey Tanksley, Greenwell Springs, La., dragster, C/D, 6.893, -0.587
3) Adam Hickey, Hammond, La., '06 Cobalt, C/SMA, 8.267, -0.563
4) Scott Benham, La Grange, Texas, '05 Sunfire, E/SM, 8.527, -0.563
5) Craig Bourgeois, Metairie, La., dragster, B/ND, 6.975, -0.555
6) Clark Smiley, Denver City, Texas, '05 Cavalier, B/SM, 8.133, -0.547
7) Dennis Smiley, Denver City, Texas, dragster, A/DA, 6.641, -0.499
8) Brian Self, Magnolia, Texas, '63 Corvette, C/A, 7.486, -0.494
9) Shane Heckel, Baytown, Texas, dragster, B/D, 6.785, -0.475
10) Pete Carbery, Odessa, Texas, '07 Cobalt, B/A, 7.100, -0.460

SUPER STOCK
1) James Caro, Houma, La., '05 Stratus, SS/BM, 8.343 seconds, -1.307 (under index)
2) Gary Emmons, Friendswood, Texas, '96 Firebird, SS/IA, 9.871, -1.129
3) Jonathan Womack, Houston, '07 Cavalier, SS/BS, 8.832, -1.118
4) Lloyd Wofford, Jonesboro, Ark., '78 Volare, SS/JA, 10.185, -1.115
5) Terry Pearson, Spanish Fort, Ala., '05 Cavalier, GT/CA, 9.590, -1.110
6) Ed Wright, Tulsa, Okla., '96 Trans Am, SS/JA, 10.190, -1.110
7) Byron Latino, Donaldsonville, La., '08 G5, SS/BS, 8.860, -1.090
8) Jerry Emmons, Pasadena, Texas, '91 Calais, GT/CA, 9.651, -1.049
9) Dale Hulquist, Crosby, Texas, '98 Grand Am, GT/HA, 10.306, -1.044
10) J.B. Clegg, Victoria, Texas, '74 Firebird, SS/JA, 10.333, -0.967

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) R.J. Sledge, Boerne, Texas, '67 Fairlane, F/SA, 10.916 seconds, -1.234 (under index)
2) David Buckner, New Waverly, Texas, '72 Duster, E/SA, 10.818, -1.182
3) Jerry Davis, Santa Fe, Texas, '72 Duster, F/SA, 10.982, -1.168
4) S.E. Buchanan, Hot Springs, Ark., '67 Barracuda, F/SA, 11.033, -1.117
5) John Duzac, Covington, La., '67 Camaro, D/S, 10.688, -1.112
6) Bill McClister, Shoreacres, Texas, '72 Mustang, E/SA, 10.902, -1.098
7) Patrick Courts, New Iberia, La., '87 Firebird, N/SA, 12.207, -1.093
8) Sammy Pizzolato, Houma, La., '69 Corvette, B/SA, 10.460, -1.090
9) Butch Marlow, Canton, Texas, '77 Roadrunner, H/SA, 11.363, -1.087
10) Steven Hall, Sweeney, Texas, '67 Mustang, C/SA, 10.625, -1.075

TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Billy Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, '09 GXP, 6.525 seconds, 215.34 mph
2) Glen Barrilleaux, Oakwood, Texas, '07 GTO, 6.633, 213.98
3) Bert Prejean, St. Amant, La., '06 GTO, 6.883, 203.00
4) Keith Raftery, Lake Charles, La., '07 GTO, 6.889, 201.97
5) Keith Haney, Broken Arrow, Okla., '09 GXP, 6.896, 203.00
6) Jerry Holt, Collinsville, Okla., '08 GTO, 6.897, 203.06
7) Gregory Porter, Edmond, Okla., '08 Pontiac, 6.900, 200.17
8) Scott Randall, Carrollton, Texas, '08 GXP, 6.900, 200.14
9) Johnny Shook, Lamesa, Texas, '08 Cobalt, 7.131, 192.88
10) Bob Fitzhenry, Tomball, Texas, '02 Corvette, 7.150, 193.32

TOP DRAGSTER
1) Michael Kile, Westlake, La., dragster, 6.357 seconds, 216.58 mph
2) Jimmy Lewis, Forney, Texas, dragster, 6.621, 204.35
3) Kevin Ford, Amarillo, Texas, dragster, 6.759, 200.17
4) Ed Ridenhour, Kennedale, Texas, dragster, 6.780, 198.55
5) Shane LeJeune, Eunice, La., dragster, 6.786, 197.59
6) P.J. Vicari, Crown Point, La., dragster, 6.809, 195.82
7) Todd Schumert, LaPlace, La., dragster, 6.830, 201.22
8) John Angelle, Breaux Bridge, La., dragster, 6.839, 200.00
9) Brandon Chauvin, Gonzales, La., dragster, 6.841, 198.73
10) Jimmy Arabie Jr., Baytown, Texas, dragster, 6.844, 197.42

SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
1) Raegan Gentili, Crosby, Texas, '83 Suzuki, 0.001 seconds reaction time
2) Michael Nash, Texarkana, Texas, '83 Honda, 0.002
3) Jerry Pomilla, Conroe, Texas, '85 Suzuki, 0.003
4) Larry Eperjesi, Lake Dallas, Texas, '00 Suzuki, 0.007
5) Rob Bennett, Lucas, Texas, '07 Suzuki, 0.008
6) James Enloe, Prairieville, La., '86 Suzuki, 0.008
7) Ben Brown, Irving, Texas, '04 Hayabusa, 0.011
8) Derek Dorsey, Kingswood, Texas, '00 Koenig, 0.013
9) Mike McCullah, Houston, '00 GSRX, 0.014
10) Benji Gibson, Euless, Texas, '05 Hayabusa, 0.014

-credit: nhra