FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Payne blasts past field; Gallant also wins

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -In the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event held at Gainesville Raceway, Top Alcohol Dragster driver Art Gallant and Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Jay Payne took home the honors.

Gallant of Boxboro, Mass., defeated Robinson, Ill., flyer Marty Thacker. Thacker, who earlier in the day defeated the defending five-time Southeast Division Top Alcohol Dragster champion Michael Gunderson, fell to Gallant in a wild final-round run in which the Thacker crossed the centerline and narrowly missed Gallant. Gallant cruised to an off pace 7.277-second pass at 119.47 mph.

In Top Alcohol Funny Car, defending NHRA Southeast Division Top Alcohol Funny Car Champion Payne turned in his strongest lap of the day when he defeated Apopka, Fla., runner Mark Billington. Billington's 6.464-second pass at 219.88 mph was no contest for Payne's Claremont, Calif.-based '02 Camaro, which recorded a 5.771-second lap at 251.67 mph.

Winners in other categories are Michael Hardee of Wilmington, N.C., in Competition Eliminator; Peter Biondo of Mt. Laurel, N.J., in Super Stock; Scott Bailey of Seffner, Fla., in Stock Eliminator; Richard Puertes of Paisley, Fla., in Super Comp; Scotty Richardson of Goodlettsville, Tenn., in Super Gas and Lamar Stevenson of Montgomery, Ala., in Super Street.

The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event being held at Gainesville Raceway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER 
1. Jason Cannon, Middleburg, Fla., 5.495 seconds, 259.89 mph 
2. Ben Marshall, Tipp City, Ohio, 5.521, 264.39 
3. Michael Gunderson, Middleburg, Fla., 5.533, 267.53 
4. Art Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.580, 257.51 
5. Bill McCornack, Lexington, Ky., 5.719, 238.91 
6. Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.800, 246.64 
7. Artie Allen, Jacksonville Fla., 5.998, 238.47 
8. Tony Bartone, Manhasset N.Y., 6.053, 236.40 
------------ Alternates ------------ 
9. Don Fiorelli, Palm Bay, Fla., 6.213, 209.08 
10. Bill Evans, Miramar, Fla., 6.637, 205.66 
11. Doug Foley, Wappingers, Falls, N.Y., 12.973, 50.28 
12. Keith Stark, Danville, Ill., 13.367, 63.96 

Round 1 
1) Jason Cannon, Middleburg, FL, 5.530 seconds, 259.89 mph def. 8) Tony Bartone, Manhasset NY, 6.375, 242.52 
7) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 5.792, 245.43 def. 2) Ben Marshall, Tipp City, Ohio, 6.254, 219.51 
6) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.529, 260.86 def. 3) Michael Gunderson, Middleburg, Fla., 9.950, 90.39 
4) Art Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.452, 258.76 def. 5) Bill McCornack, Lexington, Ky. 5.819, 249.30 

Semifinals 
Gallant, 5.373, 251.53 def. Cannon, 8.192, 103.72 
Thacker, 5.650, 258.99 def. Allen, 5.815, 245.29 

Final 
Gallant, 7.277, 119.47 def. Thacker, (disqualified) 

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR 
1 Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '02 Chevy Camaro, 5.991 seconds, 247.59 mph 
2 Kim McKean, Shahola, Pa., '01 Dodge Avenger, 6.360 219.51 
3 William Fulford, Virginia Beach, Va., 6.397 180.61 
4 Mark Billington, Apopka, Fla., '01 Dodge Avenger, 6.441, 211.96 
5 Dave Ryan, Palatka, Fla., '98 Dodge Avenger, 6.738, 174.18 
6 Von Smith, Oak Ridge, Tenn., '01 Pontiac Firebird 9.606, 90.28 

Round 1 
1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., 5.750 seconds, 243.57 mph def. 8) Von Smith, Oak Ridge, Tenn., 7.708, 117.66 
2) Kim McKean, Shahola, Pa., 6.780, 200.26 def. 5) Dave Ryan, Palatka, Fla., (broke) 
4) Mark Billington, Apopka, Fla., 6.087, 231.00 def. 3) William Fulford, Virginia Beach, Va. (broke) 
Semifinals 
Payne, 5.861, 250.20 def. (bye) 
Billington, 6.232, 230.82 def. McKean, 6.794, 215.98 

Final 
Payne, 5.771, 251.67 def. Billington, 6.464, 219.88

COMP ELIMINATOR 
Michael Hardee, Wilmington, N.C., E/SMA, '98 Grand Am, .551 reaction time, 9.180 seconds, 121.03 mph def. 
Larry Pritchett, Clarkrange, Tenn., D/SM, '99 Grand Am, .469 (red-light), 8.842, 125.13 

SUPER STOCK 
Peter Biondo, Mt. Laurel, N.J., GT/FA, '00 Firebird, .530 reaction time, 12.100 seconds, 10.08 dial-in def. 
Blair Patrick, Jasper, Tenn., SS/EA, '68 Mustang, .386 (red-light), 10.585, 11.68

STOCK ELIMINATOR 
Scott Bailey, Seffner, Fla., F/S, '71 Mustang, .590 reaction time, 11.311 seconds, 11.29 dial-in def. 
Brandon Wood, Thomasville, Ga., K/SA, '85 Camaro, .477 (red-light), 11.826, 11.68 

SUPER COMP 
Richard Puertes, Paisley, Fla., .405 reaction time, 8.876 seconds, 167.62 mph def. 
Phillip Chester, Clarksville, Tenn., .413, 8.852, 164.50 

SUPER GAS 
Scotty Richardson, Goodlettsville, Tenn., '63 Corvette, .420 reaction time, 9.893 seconds, 151.79 mph def. 
Jim Morrison, Kinderhook, N.Y., '70 Opel, .444, 9.870, 155.68

SUPER STREET
Lamar Stevenson, Montgomery, Ala., '69 Camaro, .539 reaction time, 10.895 seconds, 121.26 mph def. 
Michael Giuliano, Wantaugh, N.Y., '69 Camaro, .545, 10.891, 133.98 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Rain washes out Saturday qualifying

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -The second day of racing at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, being held at Gainesville Raceway, was postponed Saturday due to rain.

"We plan to resume racing tomorrow at 8:30 a.m." said NHRA Southeast Division Director Bill Holt. "Our plan is to give the competitors in each class one more qualifying attempt before eliminations begin at 10:00 a.m. The competitors in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny will each receive one run, with eliminations to follow the first round of Competition Eliminator at 1 p.m."

The gates at Gainesville Raceway will open tomorrow at 7a.m. with qualifying and time trials set to begin at 8:30 a.m., leading off with Super Street. A qualifying session in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car is scheduled for 10 a.m., with eliminations to follow in the afternoon.

For more information please contact Gainesville Raceway at (352) 377-0046.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series kicks off

Gainesville, Fla. - The 2002 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series kicked-off today at Gainesville Raceway with the first of seven events in NHRA's Southeast Division.

After Friday's qualifying rounds at Gainesville Raceway, Larry Pritchett, of Clarkrange, Tenn., leads the Comp Eliminator field. Pritchett, who finished second in Southeast Division points last year, drove his D/SM '99 Grand Am to an 8.591 for the top spot in the Comp Eliminator field. Other top qualifiers include Chuck Gallagher of Holly, Mich., in Super Stock and Woodro Josey of Byron, Ga., in Stock Eliminator.

Saturday's racing action will feature 260-mph Top Alcohol Dragsters and Top Alcohol Funny Cars, as well as the continuation of qualifying in Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock Eliminator, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street.

Gates at Gainesville Raceway open Saturday at 8 a.m. with qualifying set to begin at 9 a.m. Qualifying sessions in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car are at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. For more information please Gainesville Raceway at (352) 377-0046.

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

COMP ELIMINATOR
1.	 Larry Pritchett, Clarkrange, Tenn., D/SM, '99 Grand Am 8.591, -0.709 (under index) 
2.	 Mike Saye, Johnston, S.C., H/A, '92 Cutlass 8.871, -0.629  
3.	 Frank Aragona, Franklin Square, N.Y., G/ED, 8.172, -0.628 
4.	 Scott Tidwell, Pinson, Ala., C/A, '02 Trans Am, 7.530, -0.590 
5.	 Dennis Mitchell, Huntsville, Ala., F/A, '91 Cavalier, 8.331, -0.569 
6.	 Jerry Hemmingson, Concord, N.C., B/A, '02 Cavalier, 7.272, -0.538 
7.	 Todd Logan, Braintree, Mass., A/EA, '32 Bantam Roadster, 7.524, -0.506 
8.	 George Gallimore, Memphis, Tenn., A/A,  '32 Bantam Roadster, 6.846, -0.484 
9.	 Van Puckett, Snellville, Ga., G/AA, '98 Firebird, 8.756, -0.464 
10.	 Glen Treadwell, Sorrento, Fla., E/AA, '23-T Ford, 8.670, -0.460 

SUPER STOCK
1.	 Chuck Gallagher, Holly, Mich., SS/AM '94 Sunbird 8.378, -1.172 (under index) 
2.	 David Thomas, W. Chester, Pa., SS/BA '69 Corvette 9.042, -1.158
3.	 Stan Perry, Pleasant View, Tenn., GT/DA '69 Camaro 9.665, -1.135 
4.	 Red LeBlanc, Bartlett, Tenn., SS/G,  '69 Mustang 9.616, -1.134 
5.	 John Fogle, Norway, S.C., SS/HA, '67 Camaro 9.821, -1.079 
6.	 Jonathan Davis, Wetumpka, Ala., GT/MA, '00 Firebird, 10.982, -1.068
7.	 Shaun LeBlanc, Barlett, Ala., GT/A, '88 Mustang, 9.258, -1.042
8.	 Matt Hensley, Knoxville, Tenn., SS/A, '68 Barracuda 8.222, -1.028  
9.	 Steve Tschetter, Tyrone, Ga., SS/LA, '64 Chevelle 10.731, -1.019
10.	 Wayne Hayes, Elgin, S.C, SS/OA, '56 Chevy 11.583 12.60 -1.017 

STOCK
1.	 Woodro Josey, Byron, Ga., D/SA, '98 Firebird 10.537, -1.313 (under index)
2.	 Tom Hemmingson, Concord, N.C., L/S, '66 Malibu 11.705, -1.295 
3.	 Bruce Parsons, Lewisburg, Ohio, K/SA, '85 Camaro 11.746,  -1.204 
4.	 John Foxbower, Franklin, Ohio, C/SA, '68 Mustang 10.505, -1.195
5.	 Jeff Teuton, Houma, La., ET/SA, '97 Dodge 12.075, -1.175 
6.	 Brandon Wood, Tallahassee, Fla., K/SA, '85 Camaro 11.814, -1.136 
7.	 Steve Haulman, Gulf Breeze, Fla., J/S, '85 Camaro11.515 12.65 -1.135
8.	 Dave Walther, Lanesville, Ind., H/S, '69 Camaro 11.182, -1.118 
9.	 Jeff Velde, Vero Beach, Fla., B/SA, '68 Mustang 10.477, -1.073 
10.	 Bud Rowe, Bridgeton, N.C., O/SA, '87 Trans Am 12.382, -1.068