FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nicholson, Austin take wins at SIR

TUCSON, Ariz. - Darren Nicholson and Bucky Austin both took home wins at this weekend's Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at Southwestern International Raceway. Nicholson qualified his Top Alcohol Dragster number one and covered the field throughout eliminations for the win. Nicholson took out Paul Jones in the final with a pass of 5.661 seconds at 250.41 mph to Jones' 5.993 at 230.72 mph.

"We ran great all weekend," said Nicholson. "The track was great and we really wanted to step it up and see what we could do in the final, but more importantly, we needed this win. No reason to do something foolish, and possibly smoke the tires. We'll take this win into Vegas next week and hopefully keep things going."

In Top Alcohol Funny Car, it was Austin who beat Mert Littlefield to the finish line in the final round with a run of 5.897 seconds at 245.18 mph to Littlefield's 6.017, 237.92. Austin posted a 5.964 in a bye run in round one and took out John Patton in round two with a 5.929 to Patton's 6.013.

Winners in other categories are Michael De Palma Jr. of Glendale, Ariz., in Comp; Abe Loewen of Regina, Sask., Can.,, in Super Stock; Toby Lang of Auburn, Wash., in Stock; Jerry Denton Jr., of Chandler, Ariz., in Super Comp; David Coapstick of Ontario, Calif., in Super Gas; Dale Taros of Long Beach, Calif., in Super Street; Darryl Mitchell Jr. of Thousand Oaks, Calif., in Super Eliminator and Tom Patterson of Tucson, Ariz., in Motorcycle. The NHRA Pacific Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series makes its next stop at Sacramento Raceway, May 31-June 2.

The following are final round results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Southwestern International Raceway.

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Round 1
1. Darren Nicholson, Mission Viejo, Calif., 5.707 seconds, 249.35 miles per hour def. 
8. Tony Meredyk, no show

2. Paul Jones, Stockton, Calif., 5.829, 231.32 def. 
7. Larry Miersch, Orange, Calif., broke

3. Don Hudson, Stockton, Calif., 5.632, 253.47 def. 
6. Steve Cantrell, Wilmington, Del., 5.774, 241.54

5. Mark Niver, Scottsdale, Ariz., 5.751, 245.58 def. 
4. Chris Demke, Tujunga, Calif., 8.169, 112.93

Semifinals
Nicholson, 5.649, 249.86 def. Niver, 5.896, 237.42
Jones, 6.015, 223.69 def. Hudson, 17.553, 39.81

Final
Nicholson 5.661, 250.41 def. Jones, 5.993, 230.72

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Round 1
1. Bucky Austin, Fife, Wash., '01 Camaro, 5.964, 246.53 def. bye

2. Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '01 Camaro, 6.102, 241.71 def. 
7. Dale Van Gundy III, Anaheim, Calif., '98 Camaro, 6.141, 230.61

3. Mert Littlefield, Garden Grove, Calif., '01 Camaro, 5.977, 234.17  def. 
6. Dennis Taylor, Anaheim, Calif., '02 Camaro, 6.028, 238.81

4. John Patton, Peoria, Ariz., '99 Trans Am, 5.940, 241.71 def. 
5. Lawren Jones, Albuquerque, N.M., '02 Camaro, 9.044, 91.64

Semifinals
Austin, 5.929, 245.94 def. Patton, 6.013, 238.64
Littlefield, 6.003, 237.75 def. Gordon, 6.114, 238.38

Final
Austin, 5.897, 245.18 def. Littlefield, 6.017, 237.92

COMP ELIMINATOR
Michael De Palma Jr., Glendale, Ariz., C/A '91 Lunina, broke the beam def.
Steven Wilmoth, Peoria, Ariz., C/SR '34 Chevy, no show

SUPER STOCK
Abe Loewen, Regina, SK CAN, SS/DM '98 Grand Am, 9.800, 137.09 def. Frank
Grossi, Upland, Calif., GT/BA '01 Grand Am, 9.972, 133.75

STOCK ELIMINATOR
Toby Lang, Auburn, Wash., F/SA '69 Chevelle, 12.222, 107.42 def. Darren
Smith, Palmdale, Calif., DT/SA "00 Dakota, 12.307, 106.46

SUPER COMP
Jerry Denton Jr., Chandler, Ariz., '00 dragster, 9.166, 159.55 def. Jenna
Lucy, Fontana, Calif., '96 dragster, 9.136, 150.80

SUPER GAS
Dave Coapstick, Ontario, Calif., '27 Ford, 10.192, 130.57 def. Robert
Button, Mesa, Ariz., '87 Firebird, 10.246, 134.31

SUPER STREET
Keith Manague, Phoenix, Ariz., '63 Nova, 11.238, 129.06 def. Dale Taros,
Long Beach, Calif., '72 240 Z, 11.224, 124.75

SUPER ELIMINATOR
Darryl Mitchell Jr., Thousand Oaks, Calif., '00 dragster, 8.139, 168.98
def. Scott Wells, Glendale, Ariz., '01 dragster, 8.090, 179.73

MOTORCYCLE
Tom Patterson, Tucson, Ariz., '81 Kawasaki, 10.096, 129.43 def. John
Widmann, Garberville, Calif., '92 Ninja, 9.370, 129.14

QUICK 32
Chuck Hawk, Tucson, Ariz., dragster, 8.119, 163.87 def. Penny Dabbs,
Garland, Texas, '00 dragster, 7.963, 168.62, red light

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nicholson, Austin lead fields at SIR

TUCSON, Ariz. - Darren Nicholson and Bucky Austin are the No. 1 qualifiers going into Sunday's eliminations for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at Southwestern International Raceway. Nicholson, of Mission Viejo, Calif., grabbed the top spot in Top Alcohol Dragster with a run of 5.574 seconds at 254.95 mph. Paul Jones jumped into the number two spot, covering the quarter-mile in 5.691 seconds, 250.18 mph.

"You can't ask for a better day," said Nicholson. "The car is running great, the weather is excellent, and everyone's doing their job. We just need to do what we do best and run our own race and we'll be fine for eliminations."

It was all Austin in the Funny Car class as the Washington resident covered the field by more than a tenth. Doug Gordon follows Austin's 5.853-second pass at 247.34 mph with a 5.968 at 238.55 mph to put him in the number two position.

The No. 1 qualifier in Comp Eliminator was Wayne Ramay of Simi Valley, Calif., with a run of 7.298 seconds. Jim Weakland grabbed the top spot in Super Stock with his '68 Camaro while Las Vegas resident Marka Gallina held on to No. 1 in Stock with a pass of 11.40 seconds. The five low qualifiers will share the $2,500 bonus money from Federal-Mogul's Sealed Power brand.

Eliminations continue Sunday at 9 a.m. Gates at Southwestern International Raceway open at 7 a.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Funny Car run at noon. For more information call the track, (520) 762-9700.

The following are Sunday's pairings and Saturday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Southwestern International Raceway:

 TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1. Darren Nicholson, Mission Viejo, Calif., 5.574 seconds, 254.95 miles per hour vs. 
8. Tony Meredyk, Cypress, Calif., 12.991, 64.44

2. Paul Jones, Stockton, Calif., 5.651, 239.36 vs. 
7. Larry Miersch, Orange, Calif., 6.452, 206.80

3. Don Hudson, Stockton, Calif., 5.677, 252.90 vs. 
6. Steve Cantrell, Wilmington, Del., 6.006, 210.11

4. Chris Demke, Tajunga, Calif., 5.697, 250.18 vs. 
5. Mark Niver, Scottsdale, Ariz., 5.697, 243.41

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1. Bucky Austin, Fife, Wash., '01 Camaro, 5.853, 247.34 vs. Bye
2. Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '01 Camaro, 5.968, 238.55 vs. 
7. Dale Van Gundy III, Anaheim, Calif., '98 Camaro, 6.416, 210.70

3. Mert Littlefield, Garden Grove, Calif., '01 Camaro, 5.970, 240.89 vs. 
6. Dennis Taylor, Anaheim, Calif., '02 Camaro, 6.233, 228.54

4. John Patton, Peoria, Ariz., '99 Trans Am, 5.996, 237.88 vs. 
5. Lawren Jones, Albuquerque, N.M., '02 Camaro, 6.053, 236.55

Not qualified
Pete Rivera, Mesa, Ariz., '97 Firebird - DQ

COMP ELIMINATOR
1. Wayne Ramay, Simi Valley, Calif., A/ND '96 dragster, 7.298, -0.712
2. Scott Hedlund, Irvine, Calif., C/SM '95 Camaro, 8.603, -0.637
3. Michael De Palma Jr., Glendale, Ariz., C/A '91 Lumina, 7.715, -0.605
4. Fred Gross, LaCrescenta, Calif., G/A '98 Firebird, 8.914, -0.586
5. John Edwards, Claremont, Calif., C/EA '96 Avenger, 8.602, -0.578
6. Steven Wilmoth, Peoria, Ariz., C/SR '34 Chevy, 9.055, -0.555
7. Bob Lambeck, Northridge, Calif., D/SMA '98 Oldsmobile, 9.096, -0.534
8. Kenneth Justice Sr., Scottsdale, Ariz., B/AA '99 Firebird, 7.521, -0.519
9. Ed Sigmon, Chatsworth, Calif., C/SR '34 Chevrolet, 9.108, -0.502
10. David Beckley, Wildomar, Calif., A/A '63 Corvette, 7.042, -0.498

SUPER STOCK
1. Jim Weakland, Morrison, Colo., SS/GT '68 Camaro, 10.110, 1.140
2. Frank Grossi, Upland, Calif., GT/BA '01 Grand Am, 9.815, -1.125
3. Don Bevers, Tuscon, Ariz., SS/BM '91 Probe, 9.052, -1.008
4. Abe Loewen, Regina, SK CAN, SS/DM '98 Grand Am, 9.614, -0.966
5. Don Kennedy, Mesa, Ariz., GT/CA '92 Trans Am, 10.158, -0.942
6. Bob Bales, Chino, Calif., GT/AA '92 Firehawk, 9.866, -0.924
7. Toby Torres, El Paso, Texas, SS/CM '88 Mustang, 9.348, -0.922
8. Dave Baumhefner, Boulder, Colo., SS/JA '71 Nova, 10.804, -0.916
9. Gregory Smith, Palmdale, Calif., GT/DA '93 Daytona, 10.285, -0.915
10. Howard Thompson Jr., Wildomar, Calif., GT/AA '97 Pontiac, 9.904, -0.886

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1. Marka Gallina, LasVegas, I/SA '89 Trans Am, 11.450, -1.620
2. Carol Yacavone, Glendale, Ariz., P/SA '80 Trans Am, 12.872, -1.388
3. Darren Smith, Palmdale, Calif., DT/SA '00 Dakota, 12.240, -1.350
4. Bill Nelson, Tucson, Ariz., P/SA '01 Firebird, 12.919, -1.341
5. Ken Etter, Riverside, Calif., I/SA '76 Valare, 11.768, -1.302
6. John Gallina, Las Vegas, G/SA '86 Buick, 11.463, -1.297
7. Robert Mulry, Hollister, Calif., K/SA '74 Firebird, 12.224, -1.206
8. Chuch Norton, Covina, Calif., D/SA '94 Camaro, 11.092, -1.198
9. Bernie Cunningham, Riverside, Calif., E/SA '98 Firebird, 11.279, -1.171
10. Bill O'Connor, Huntington Beach, Calif., HF/SA '80 Horizon, 18.155, -1.135

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Racing kicks off at Southwestern International Raceway

TUCSON, Ariz. - Action kicked off today for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at Southwestern International Raceway for the second stop in the NHRA Pacific Division.

Scott Hedlund and Wayne Ramay qualified one and two, respectively, in the Comp. Eliminator category. Hedlund, of Irvine,Calif., ran his '95 Camaro to a 8.603-second pass, .637-second under the index. Ramay clocked in at 7.404 seconds, .606-second under his index.

Jim Weakland took the number one spot in Super Stock with a run of 10.110 seconds, 1.140-seconds under his index in his '68 Camaro. The Colorado resident is followed by Frank Grossi who covered the quarter-mile in 9.826, 1.114 under the index. Tucson's Don Bevers qualified his '91 Probe in the number five position with a 9.119-second pass.

In Stock Eliminator, it was Marka Gallina qualifying number one with a run of 11.450 seconds to lead Darren Smith of Palmdale, Calif., in the number two spot and Tucson resident Bill Nelson who sits in the number three spot with a run of 12.919.

The annual Southwestern International Raceway Media Challenge was held on Thursday with nine of the local media racing in evenly matched Pontiac Grand Am vehicles. In the final round of eliminations, it was Sonia Ruiz of Fox 11 KMSB-TV taking out Fox co-worker Patricia Pearson for the win and more importantly, "bragging rights."

Qualifying continues Saturday at 8 a.m. Gates at Southwestern International Raceway open at 7 a.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Funny Car run at 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. For more information call the track, (520) 762-9700.

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

COMP ELIMINATOR
1. Scott Hedlund, Irvine, Calif., C/SM '95 Camaro, 8.603 seconds, -0.637 under the index
2. Wayne Ramay, Simi Valley, Calif., A/ND '96 dragster, 7.404, -0.606
3. Michael De Palma Jr., Glendale, Ariz., C/A '91 Lumina, 7.730, -0.590
4. Fred Gross, La Crescenta, Calif., G/A '98 Firebird, 8.914, -0.586
5. John Edwards, Claremont, Calif., C/EA '96 Avenger, 8.602, -0.578
6. Bob Lambeck, Northridge, Calif., D/SMA '98 Oldsmobile, 9.096, -0.534
7. Kenneth Justice Sr., Scottsdale, Ariz., B/AA '99 Firebird, 7.521, -0.519
8. Ed Sigmon, Chatsworth, Calif., C/SR '34 Chevrolet, 9.108, -0.502
9. David Beckley, Wildomar, Calif., A/A '63 Corvette, 7.044, -0.496
10. Steven Wilmoth, Peoria, Ariz., C/SR '34 Chevy, 9.143, -0.467

SUPER STOCK
1. Jim Weakland, Morrison, Colo., SS/GT '68 Camaro, 10.110 seconds, 1.140 under the index
2. Frank Grossi, Upland, Calif., GT/BA '01 Grand Am, 9.826, -1.114
3. Abe Loewen, Regina, Sask., CAN, SS/DM '98 Grand Am, 9.620, -0.960
4. Don Kennedy, Mesa, Ariz., GT/CA '92 Trans Am, 10.158, -0.942
5. Don Bevers, Tuscon, Ariz., SS/BM '91 Probe, 9.119, -0.941
6. Toby Torres, El Paso, Texas, SS/CM '88 Mustang, 9.348, -0.922
7. Dave Baumhefner, Boulder, Colo., SS/JA '71 Nova, 10.820, -0.900
8. Bob Bales, Chino, Calif., GT/AA '92 Firehawk, 9.898, -0.892
9. Howard Thompson Jr., Wildomar, Calif., GT/AA '97 Pontiac, 9.904, -0.886
10. Gregory Smith, Palmdale, Calif., GT/DA '93 Daytona, 10.314, -0.886

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1. Marka Gallina, Las Vegas, I/SA '89 Trans Am, 11.450, -1.620
2. Darren Smith, Palmdale, Calif., DT/SA '00 Dakota, 12.240, -1.350
3. Bill Nelson, Tucson, Ariz., P/SA '01 Firebird, 12.919, -1.341
4. Ken Etter, Riverside, Calif., I/SA '76 Valare, 11.768, -1.302
5. John Gallina, Las Vegas, G/SA '86 Buick, 11.463, -1.297
6. Robert Mulry, Hollister, Calif., K/SA '74 Firebird, 12.224, -1.206
7. Chuch Norton, Covina, Calif., D/SA '94 Camaro, 11.143, -1.147
8. Riachard Pauley, Saugus, Calif., C/SA '68 Mustang, 11.066, -1.074
9. Tommy Gaynor, Vancouver, Wash., E/SA '96 Firebird, 11.377, -1.073
10. Duane Dickens, San Clemente, Calif., D/SA '98 Firebird, 11.236, -1.054