DIVISION CHAMPS REIGN IN ATLANTA

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES – SOUTHEAST DIVISION
ATLANTA DRAGWAY, COMMERCE, GA.
October 1, 2006
Contact: Eric Lotz, NHRA


COMMERCE, Ga. – Reigning NHRA Southeast Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Champions Guy Kelly, Jay Payne, and Steve Cohen captured wins and took home trophies today at Atlanta Dragway.

Kelly, who has taken most of the year off from racing, ran consistent 5.40’s (seconds) throughout eliminations for the win in Top Alcohol Dragster. Kelly beat Ashley Force in his semifinal match up before meeting up with Aaron Olivarez in the final. The Wadley, Ala., racer ran 5.430 seconds at 263.56 to Olivarez’s 5.717 at 246.53 mph for the win.

The final round appearance moves Olivarez into the division point’s lead with Force sitting in second.

Payne used a 5.667 second 257.97 mph to beat John Sullivan in the final of Top Alcohol Funny Car and pick up his 4th win of the year. The win also clinches the sixth division funny car championship and 11th NHRA championship overall for the Claremont, Calif., resident.

Cohen, of Trilby, Fla., put his ’04 Grand Am Super Gas entry in the winner’s circle with a win over Rock Haas running 9.910 seconds at 156.97 mph while Bob Butner beat teammate Jeff Taylor in Comp Eliminator.

The division’s TracStar Systems Satellites Top Sportsman class was won by Jeffrey Barker of Warner-Robins, Ga., with a 7.191 second, 191.05 mph lap over Rip Dennis, clocking in at 7.780 seconds, 172.70 mph.

Mickey Whaley took the win in Stock Eliminator beating out Randy Wilkes at the finish line with an 11.082 second, 117.77 run in his ’69 Camaro and Matt Antrobius won over Terry Pearson in Super Stock. Antrobius ran his ’87 Camaro to a 10.055 second, 117.63 mph pass.

In Super Comp it was Jimmy Stahl of Boone, N.C., winning over Jeff Strickland of Red Bay, Ala., and Michael Ruff won over Dan Moore in Super Street in his ’92 Camaro.
Southeast Division racers head to Silver Dollar Raceway in Reynolds, Ga., for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, October 20-22.

The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Atlanta Dragway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:
Round 1
1) Aaron Olivarez, Sandy, Utah, 5.434, 261.52 def. 8) Dan Lucas, Cumming, Ga., 6.081, 209.01
5) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.594, 260.76 def. 4) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 5.857, 188.33
2) Ashley Force, Azusa, Calif., 5.543, 262.13 def. 7) Cherissa Griffis, Gainesville, Fla., 6.156, 194.83
3) Guy Kelly, Wadley, Ala., 5.477, 254.86 def. 6) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., foul

Semifinals
Kelly, 5.462, 255.92 def. Force, 5.537, 260.81
Olivarez, 6.241, 211.10 def. Thacker, foul

Final
Kelly, 5.430, 263.56 def. Olivarez, 5.717, 246.53

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
Round 1
6) John Sullivan, Montgomery, Ala., '04 Firebird, 5.893, 243.81 def. 3) Mark Billington, Norcross, Ga., '01 Avenger, broke
4) Monty Todd, Wetumpka, Ala., '01 Camaro, 5.922, 242.23 def. 5) Bill Naves, Salisbury, N.C., '97 Firebird, 6.277, 226.66
2) Steve Harker, Gainesville, Ga., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.789, 253.33 def. 7) William Fulford, Virginia Beach, Va., '01 Corvette, broke
1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.690, 255.82 was unopposed

Semifinal
Sullivan, 5.823, 245.67 def. Harker, 5.938, 248.16
Payne, 5.759, 255.48 def. Todd, 5.921, 241.67

Final
Payne, 5.667, 257.97 def. Sullivan, 5.833, 244.92

COMP ELIMINATOR
Bo Butner, Floyds Knobs, Ind., '05 Cavalier, AA/SM, broke def. Jeff Taylor, Floyds Knobs, Ind.,
'05 Grand Am, G/SMA, broke

SUPER STOCK
Matt Antrobius, Bellbrook, Ohio, '87 Camaro, GT/DA, 10.055, 117.63 def. Terry Pearson, Spanish
Fort, Ala., '05 Cavalier, GT/BA, 11.767, 70.64

STOCK ELIMINATOR
Mickey Whaley, Kinston, N.C., '69 Camaro, D/SA, 11.082, 117.77 def. Randy Wilkes, Zanesville,
Ohio, '01 Firebird, A/FIA, 10.348, 125.31

SUPER COMP
Jimmy Stahl, Boone, N.C., dragster, 8.899, 170.86 def. Jeff Strickland, Red Bay, Ala., dragster,
8.892, 169.19

SUPER GAS
Steve Cohen, Trilby, Fla., '04 Grand Am, 9.910, 156.97 def. Rock Haas, White Lake, Mich., '63
Corvette, 9.893, 159.70

SUPER STREET
Michael Ruff, Orlando, Fla., '92 Camaro, 10.920, 127.57 def. Dan Moore, Scottsmore, Fla., '89
Grand Am, 10.945, 133.86

TOP SPORTSMAN
Jeffrey Barker, Warner-Robins, Ga., '02 Camaro, 7.191, 191.05 def. Rip Dennis, Florence, Miss.,
'99 S-10, 7.780, 172.70