SE: Valdosta Saturday summary

CECIL, Ga. (Saturday, April 4, 2009) -- Qualifying is complete at the NHRA Southeast division's Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at South Georgia Motorsports Park. In Top Alcohol Dragster, Artie Allen of Jacksonville, Fla., the reigning division champion, jumped to the top of the field while Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., leads in Top Alcohol Funny Car.

Allen, who won this race a year ago, blistered the quarter-mile with a 5.295-second run at 265.33 mph. Marion, Ind., racer Robin Samsel made the next closest run at 5.377-seconds at 265.90 mph. In Sunday's eliminations Allen will square off against No. 8 qualifier Cherissa Griffis of Jacksonville, Fla., in the first round. Griffis ran 6.382 seconds at 168.70 mph.

The Top Alcohol Funny Car race was a little closer. Ferro made a 5.600-second, 260.11 mph lap which was just enough to keep him ahead of No. 2 qualifier Mick Snyder of Demotte, Ind. Snyder ran 5.612 seconds at 258.91 mph. Because there are only seven cars competing in the eight-car field, Ferro will have a bye run in the first round.

In other qualifying categories, Glen Treadwell of Sorrento, Fla., sits atop the Cop Eliminator field, Bobby Dennis, Shorter, Ala., heads up Super Stock in his '91 Calais, and Bud Rowe, Bridgeton, Conn., is the best qualifier in Stock Eliminator behind the wheel of his '94 Camaro. Top Sportsman racer Ronnie Davis, Suwanee, Ga., is in the No. 1 slot in his '63 Corvette and Don Marks leads the pack in Top Dragster.

Eliminations at South Georgia Motorsports Park start Sunday morning at 9. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car will run first round at 1 p.m.

Tickets for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at South Georgia Motorsports Park are $5 through the spectator gate only. For more information call the track, (229) 896-7000, or visit www.sgmpracing.com.

South Georgia Motorsports Park is located 12 miles north of Valdosta, Ga. Take I-75 (from north or south) to Exit 32, Old Coffee Road. Take Old Coffee Road east to Highway 41. Go north to the track.

The following are Saturday's final qualifying results and Sunday's first-round pairings for TAD and TAFC at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at South Georgia Motorsports Park:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

1) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 5.295 seconds, 265.33 mph
2) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., 5.377, 265.90
3) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.388, 271.13
4) Dan Mercier, Montreal, Quebec, 5.440, 266.42
5) Duane Shields, Boulder City, Nev., 5.442, 269.29
6) Jared Dreher, Clinton, Ind., 5.484, 246.03
7) Bill Evans, Miramar, Fla., 5.566, 260.51
8) Cherissa Griffis, Jacksonville, Fla., 6.382, 168.70

Not Qualified

9) Don Fiorelli, Palm Bay, Fla., 7.015, 176.84

First round TAD pairings

1) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 5.295 seconds, 265.33 mph vs. 8) Cherissa Griffis, Jacksonville, Fla., 6.382, 168.70

2) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., 5.377, 265.90 vs. 7) Bill Evans, Miramar, Fla., 5.566,

260.51

3) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.388, 271.13 vs. 6) Jared Dreher, Clinton, Ind., 5.484, 246.03

4) Dan Mercier, Montreal, Quebec, 5.440, 266.42 vs. 5) Duane Shields, Boulder City, Nev., 5.442, 269.29

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR

1) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.600 seconds, 260.11 mph
2) Mick Snyder, Demotte, Ind., '08 Mustang, 5.612, 258.91
3) Alexis De Joria, Bronson, Fla., '09 Mustang, 5.674, 254.86
4) Thomas Carter, Victoria, Texas, '09 Monte Carlo, 5.685, 256.60
5) Terry Munroe, Beaver, Pa., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.720, 250.41
6) Mark Billington, Norcross, Ga., '01 Avenger, 5.765, 249.90
7) John Sullivan, Pike Road City, Ala., '08 Mustang, 9.761, 85.19

First round TAFC pairings

1) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.600 seconds, 260.11 mph vs. Bye

2) Mick Snyder, Demotte, Ind., '08 Mustang, 5.612, 258.91 vs. 7) John Sullivan, Pike Road City, Ala., '08 Mustang, 9.761, 85.19

3) Alexis De Joria, Bronson, Fla., '09 Mustang, 5.674, 254.86 vs. 6) Mark Billington, Norcross, Ga., '01 Avenger, 5.765, 249.90

4) Thomas Carter, Victoria, Texas, '09 Monte Carlo, 5.685, 256.60 vs. 5) Terry Munroe, Beaver, Pa., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.720, 250.41

COMP ELIMINATOR

1) Glen Treadwell, Sorrento, Fla., dragster, G/ED, 7.960 seconds, -0.610 (under index)
2) Lee Sharp, Maryville, Tenn., '08 G5, D/SMA, 8.364, -0.606
3) Jenny Treadwell, Mt. Plymouth, Fla., dragster, E/ED, 8.260, -0.590
4) Van Puckett, Monroe, Ga., '05 Cavalier, G/AA, 8.326, -0.584
5) Arnie Martel, Tewksbury, Mass., '07 GTO, F/AA, 7.990, -0.570
6) Grant Lewis, Jesup, Ga., '05 Grand Am, H/SMA, 8.995, -0.565
7) Anthony Bertozzi, Ashland, Va., dragster, D/ED, 7.427, -0.563
8) Rick Hord, Kissimmee, Fla., '63 Corvette, BB/A, 7.398, -0.562
9) Dennis Mitchell, Huntsville, Ala., '96 Grand Am, E/A, 7.809, -0.551
10) David Eaton, Merritt Island, Fla., '32 Bantam, A/AP, 6.715, -0.545

SUPER STOCK

1) Bobby Dennis, Shorter, Ala., '91 Calais, GT/MA, 10.713 seconds, -1.337 (under index)
2) Jerry Silveus, Van Buren, Ohio, '05 Cavalier, GT/DA, 9.482, -1.318
3) Bo Butner, Georgetown, Ind., '09 Cobalt, SS/DM, 8.764, -1.286
4) Jack Huff, Nashville, Tenn., '85 Camaro, SS/KA, 10.300, -1.250
5) Jeff Adkinson, Damascus, Ga., '09 Cobalt, SS/DM, 8.847, -1.203
6) Terry Pearson, Spanish Fort, Ala., '05 Cavalier, GT/CA, 9.504, -1.196
7) Arthur Leong, Richmond Hill, Ga., '95 Neon, SS/GS, 13.145, -1.155
8) Andy Fogle, Norway, S.C., '67 Camaro, SS/GA, 9.698, -1.152
9) Tony Cafaro, Brandon, Fla., '02 Firehawk, GT/HA, 10.210, -1.140
10) Jonathan Richardson, Lexington, N.C., '67 Camaro, SS/AS, 8.763, -1.137

STOCK ELIMINATOR

1) Bud Rowe, Bridgeton, N.C., '94 Camaro, C/SA, 10.391 seconds, -1.309 (under index)
2) Randy Harrison, Orlando, Fla., '89 Camaro, K/SA, 11.703, -1.247
3) Norman Griffis Jr., Johnston, S.C., '84 Firebird, V/SA, 14.577, -1.223
4) Butch Payne, Rome, Ga., '98 Firebird, E/SA, 10.833, -1.167
5) Jim Wahl, Deltona, Fla., '78 Road Runner, H/SA, 11.293, -1.157
6) David Toren, Sugar Hill, Ga., '67 Mustang, D/SA, 10.704, -1.146
7) John Livingston, Murfreesboro, Tenn., '90 Camaro, J/SA, 11.610, -1.140
8) Tom Stevenson, Flowery Branch, Ga., '69 Nova, G/SA, 11.167, -1.133
9) Greg Rowe, Bridgeton, N.C., '89 Camaro, K/SA, 11.843, -1.107
10) Robbie Shaw, Douglasville, Ga., '01 Firebird, A/SA, 10.193, -1.107

TOP SPORTSMAN

1) Ronnie Davis, Suwanee, Ga., '63 Corvette, 6.806 seconds, 203.46 mph
2) Matthew Buck, Lantana, Fla., '96 Firebird, 6.820, 204.11
3) Jerry Barker, Fort Valley, Ga., '06 Cobalt, 6.845, 204.08
4) Daniel Morrow, St. Petersburg, Fla., '09 GXP, 6.972, 200.92
5) Billy Vaughn, Knoxville, Tenn., '01 S-10, 6.978, 196.19
6) Jeffrey Barker, Warner-Robins, Ga., '02 Camaro, 7.118, 191.81
7) Dewey Pedrick, Lighthouse Pt., Fla., '63 Corvette, 7.146, 194.66
8) Mike Thompson, Naples, Fla., '03 Cavalier, 7.250, 191.02
9) William Thigpen, Flowery Branch, Ga., '55 Chevy, 7.286, 191.43
10) Kurt Damron, Fruitland Park, Fla., '68 Camaro, 7.306, 186.67

TOP DRAGSTER

1) Don Marks, St Petersburg, Fla., dragster, 6.122 seconds, 227.19 mph
2) Ray Miller, Spring Hill, Fla., dragster, 6.670, 198.67
3) Bruce Thrift, Waycross, Ga., dragster, 6.743, 194.10
4) Kurt Damron, Fruitland Park, Fla., dragster, 6.760, 197.42
5) Casey Spradlin, Ranburne, Ala., dragster, 6.804, 195.65
6) Michael Fitzgerald, Hawthorne, Fla., dragster, 6.848, 196.64
7) Jeff Burnett, Orlando, Fla., '23 roadster, 6.919, 197.48
8) Bill Empke, W Palm Beach, Fla., dragster, 6.937, 192.91
9) Scott Gibson, Sanford, Fla., dragster, 6.964, 191.89
10) Melissa Hutson, Lady Lake, Fla., dragster, 6.967, 194.02

-credit: nhra