Series Joliet summary

MANZO MARKS 80 NATIONAL EVENT WINS, WHITELY MAKES IT TWO IN A ROW AT ROUTE 66 RACEWAY

GLENDORA, Calif. (June 8, 2009) -- Just weeks after notching his 100th NHRA divisional event win, Top Alcohol Funny Car ace Frank Manzo scored NHRA national event win No. 80 this weekend at the United Association Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Joliet, Ill. The Morganville, N.J., racer was joined in the winner's circle by Jim Whiteley, Grand Junction, Colo., who wheeled his Top Alcohol Dragster to his second win in as many weeks.

In the final, Manzo squared off against Steve Harker, Gainesville, Ga. Manzo was the event's No. 1 qualifier and Harker was No. 3, just a tick behind second place qualifier Tony Bartone. Harker's numbers had kept pace with Manzo pretty well throughout eliminations but in the final Manzo peeled off a 5.570-second, 258.96 mph run while Harker slowed to an 11.394-second pass. Harker is fresh off a win last week in Topeka, Kan. Sunday's win marked Manzo's second trip to the winner's circle over the weekend as he scored his seventh victory in the JEGS Allstars event on Saturday. Manzo's double win means that JEGS will be paying out on the JEGS Double-up Bonus where a racer who wins the Allstars event and goes on to win the national event gets his Allstars purse doubled.

Whiteley started the day from the No. 4 qualifying spot and faced Brandon Lewis of Broken Arrow, Okla., in the final. Whiteley laid down a 5.321-second, 264.03 mph pass while Lewis slowed to a 9.176-second, 82.86 mph lap. The win marks Whiteley's eighth in NHRA national events.

Super Gas winner Mike Sawyer of Acton, Mass., also collected on the JEGS Double-up Bonus this weekend. In the national event Sawyer wheeled his '03 Cavalier to the win over Rock Haas, White Lake, Mich., while Sal Biondo, Maspeth, N.Y., got the win in Comp Eliminator, beating out Todd Patterson of Augusta, Kan. Biondo was runner-up in the Allstars competition on Saturday. Chris Chaney, Claremore, Okla., wheeled his '02 Cavalier to the win in Super Stock, beating out Jeff Niceswanger of Zanesville, Ohio. Cullman, Ala., racer Adam Davis won in Stock Eliminator for the second time in as many weeks. After earning the win in Topeka, Davis took his '67 Camaro to the winner's circle in Joliet when he beat John Shaul, Fultonham, N.Y., in the final. Kari Larson of Starbuck, Minn., beat Brian Forrester, Parrish, Fla., in the Super Gas final and Phoenix's Ryan Giacone earned his first win of the year in Super Street, ousting Chuck Lowry, Wichita, Kan., in the final.

-credit: nhra