SE: Gainesville Friday summary

NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Arrives in Gainesville

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (February 20, 2009) -- The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series sets up shop at Gainesville Raceway this weekend for the second of six events in Southeast division competition. Friday's qualifying and time trials are in the books with Pat Ross from Avon Lake, Ohio, taking the Comp Eliminator top qualifying position.

Ross took the No.2 qualifying position at Bradenton Motorsports Park event last weekend. He was unable to capitalize on his high seed and is back for redemption. Grant Lewis out of Jesup, Ga., wheeled his '05 Grand Am into the second position behind Ross. In Super Stock action, Shorter, Ala., resident Bobby Dennis grabbed the top spot with Terry Pearson, Spanish Fort, Ala., landing right behind him. Randy Harrison of Orlando, Fla., grabbed the No.1 seed in Stock Eliminator.

Running in conjunction with the Lucas Oil Series, Ronnie Davis of Suwanee, Ga., once again took the No.1 spot in the Top Sportsman class presented by Davis Golf Carts. His well tuned '63 Corvette was the top qualifier last weekend at Bradenton. The Hickory Enclosed Trailer Sales Top Dragster category is lead by Tom Elliott out of Brooks, Ky., who piloted his dragster down the track in 6.430 seconds at 255.79 mph.

Racing continues Saturday, Feb. 21 with gates opening at 8 a.m. Final qualifying and time trials are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Top Dragster, Comp Eliminator and Top Sportsman have two qualifying sessions starting at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualifying sessions are scheduled at 3 and 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22 gates open at 8 a.m. with Eliminations beginning at 9 a.m.

General Admission / Pit Pass is $20 on Saturday and $20 on Sunday. Children 12 and under are admitted free with a paid adult. For more information please call Gainesville Raceway, (352) 377-0046 or visit www.GainesvilleRaceway.com.

The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Southeast Division event at Gainesville Raceway:

COMP ELIMINATOR

1) Pat Ross, Avon Lake, Ohio, '05 Grand Am, F/A, 7.946 seconds, -0.734 (under index)
2) Grant Lewis, Jesup, Ga., '05 Grand Am, H/SMA, 8.848, -0.712
3) Michael Hardee, Hampstead, N.C., '05 Sunfire, E/SM, 8.379, -0.711
4) Charles Watson, Humble, Texas, '07 Cobalt, F/SM, 8.579, -0.701
5) Ernest Watson, Humble, Texas, '05 Cavalier, C/SMA, 8.153, -0.677
6) David Connolly, Bradenton, Fla., '34 Chevy, B/SR, 7.672, -0.668
7) Arnie Martel, Tewksbury, Mass., '34 Chevy, B/SR, 7.700, -0.640
8) Santo Volpe, Cocoa, Fla., '34 Chevy, F/ED, 8.197, -0.633
9) Jenny Treadwell, Mt. Plymouth, Fla., dragster, E/ED, 8.231, -0.619
10) Glen Treadwell, Sorrento, Fla., '23 roadster, F/EA, 7.971, -0.619

SUPER STOCK

1) Bobby Dennis, Shorter, Ala., '91 Calais, GT/MA, 10.624 seconds, -1.426 (under index)
2) Terry Pearson, Spanish Fort, Ala., '05 Cavalier, GT/CA, 9.326, -1.374
3) Dennis Steward, Dover, Pa., '91 Daytona, GT/GA, 9.864, -1.336
4) John Fogle, Norway, S.C., '05 Cavalier, SS/GA, 9.523, -1.327
5) David Thomas, West Chester, Pa., '69 Corvette, SS/AA, 8.686, -1.314
6) Rich South, Pataskala, Ohio, '05 Sunfire, GT/EA, 9.640, -1.310
7) Tony Cafaro, Brandon, Fla., '02 Firebird, GT/HA, 10.078, -1.272
8) Rick Brewer, Jacksonville, Fla., '67 Corvette, SS/IA, 9.743, -1.257
9) Lloyd Wofford, Jonesboro, Ark., '79 Aspen, SS/JA, 10.047, -1.253
10) Ralph Porpora, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., '66 Corvette, SS/B, 8.962, -1.238

STOCK ELIMINATOR

1) Randy Harrison, Orlando, Fla., '90 Camaro, K/SA, 11.611 seconds, -1.339 (under index)
2) Greg Rowe, Bridgeton, N.C., '89 Camaro, K/SA, 11.618, -1.332
3) Tim Lowe, Macy, Ind., '71 Gran Sport, L/SA, 11.672, -1.328
4) Doug Patrick, Boca Raton, Fla., '72 Cutlass, K/SA, 11.645, -1.305
5) Bud Rowe, Bridgeton, N.C., '94 Camaro, C/SA, 10.397, -1.303
6) Randy Wilkes, Zanesville, Ohio, '02 Firebird, A/SA, 10.022, -1.278
7) Gary Richard, Bayshore, N.Y., '69 Camaro, C/SA, 10.448, -1.252
8) Butch Payne, Rome, Ga., '98 Firebird, E/SA, 10.752, -1.248
9) Ralph Porpora, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., '69 Camaro, A/S, 10.009, -1.241
10) Tom Stevenson, Flowery Branch, Ga., '69 Camaro, G/SA, 11.065, -1.235

TOP SPORTSMAN

1) Ronnie Davis, Suwanee, Ga., '63 Corvette, 6.772 seconds, 204.70 mph
2) Jerry Barker, Fort Valley, Ga., '06 Cobalt, 6.799, 204.57
3) Ryan Ondrejko, Roslindale, Mass., '08 GTO, 6.804, 204.11
4) Tommy Turner, Naples, Fla., '06 GTO, 6.822, 205.07
5) Vince Hoda, Diamondhead, Miss., '00 Firebird, 6.973, 201.19
6) Matthew Buck, Lantana, Fla., '96 Firebird, 7.017, 200.23
7) Jeffrey Barker, Warner-Robins, Ga., '02 Camaro, 7.074, 192.85
8) Frank Maiolo, White Plains, N.Y., '08 GTO, 7.081, 194.07
9) Billy Vaughn, Knoxville, Tenn., '01 S-10, 7.152, 190.81
10) Mike Thompson, Naples, Fla., '03 Cavalier, 7.156, 192.63

TOP DRAGSTER

1) Tom Elliott, Brooks, Ky., dragster, 6.430 seconds, 255.79 mph
2) Don Marks, St Petersburg, Fla., dragster, 6.440, 228.42
3) Casey Spradlin, Ranburne, Ala., dragster, 6.709, 199.23
4) Ken Zeller, Smithville, Mo., dragster, 6.750, 197.05
5) Warren Heaps, Ashland, Mass., dragster, 6.802, 198.26
6) Scott Gibson, Sanford, Fla., dragster, 6.909, 193.46
7) Michael Fitzgerald, Hawthorne, Fla., dragster, 6.911, 191.70
8) Melissa Hutson, Lady Lake, Fla., dragster, 6.915, 195.36
9) Jeff Serra, Reinholds, Pa., dragster, 6.941, 195.42
10) Charles Careccia, Asheville, N.C., dragster, 6.961, 189.71

-credit: nhra