NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Atlanta Dragway, Commerce, Ga.

SHIELDS AND PAYNE TAKE WINS IN ATLANTA

COMMERCE, Ga. (March 8, 2010) – In the final results from Atlanta Dragway and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Duane Shields, Bolder City, Nev., and Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif. took home the wins in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car respectively.

Shields worked his way through the field and ran 5.354 seconds at 270.75 mph in his final round victory over Randy Meyer, Spring Hill, Kan., who clocked in at 5.412 seconds, 262.18mph.

Payne faced off against Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., and posted a winning run of 5.594 seconds, 256.70 mph in his ’10 Monte Carlo. Ferro drove to a 5.615 second, 257.87 mph lap for his runner up finish.

Other racers visiting the winner’s circle this weekend were Frank Aragona Jr., Freehold, N.J., in Comp Eliminator; Mike Tueffel, Browns Summit, N.C., in Super Stock; Ray Miller, Spring Hill, Fla., in Super Comp; David Tatum III, Palmetto, Ga., in Super Gas; Craig Marshall, Canal Winchester, Ohio, in Stock Eliminator and Donnie Gibbs Jr., Mooresville, N.C., in Super Street. In the division’s Top Sportsman class it was Billy Vaughn, Knoxville, Tenn., taking the win while Phillip Oakley, Owensboro, Ky., won in Top Dragster.

Southeast Division racers head back to Atlanta Dragway for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, September 10-12.

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

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

Round 1
1) Duane Shields, Bolder City, Nev., 5.218, 274.11 was unopposed
3) Dan Mercier, Laprairie, Quebec, 5.605, 263.56 def. 4) Cherissa Griffis-Smallwood, Jacksonville, Fla., 5.625, 2.52.19
2) Randy Meyer, Spring Hill, Kan., 5.310, 265.74 def. 5) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 6056, 191.32

Semifinals
Shields, 5.366, 2.69.62 def. Mercier, 5.604, 255.82
Meyer, 5.368, 257.48 was unopposed

Final
Shields, 3.54, 270.75 def. Meyer, 5.412, 262.18

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR

Round 1
1) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., ’10 Monte Carlo, 5.536, 260.91 def. 6) Bill Naves, Salisbury, N.C., ’97 Firebird, broke
2) Steve Harker, Gainesville, Ga., ’06 Monte Carlo, 5.806, 192.38 def. 5) Melinda Green-King, Norfolk, Va., ’09 Mustang, 5.889, 236.01
3) Jay Payne, Claremont Calif.,’ Mustang, 5.593, 257.92 def. 4) Larry Dobbs, Welland, Ont., ’01 Corvette, 6.087, 186.92

Semifinals
Ferro, 5.582, 260.21 was unopposed
Payne, 5.532, 259.16 def. Harker, broke

Final
Payne, 5.594, 256.70 def. Ferro, 5.615, 257.87

COMP ELIMINATOR

Frank Aragona Jr., Freehold, N.J., dragster, F/ED, 8.193, 159.72 def. Grant Lewis, Jesup, Ga., '05 Grand Am, H/AA, 8.606, 155.65.

SUPER STOCK

Mike Tueffel, Browns Summit, N.C., '98 Grand Am, SS/BM, 8.658, 159.36 def. Jeff Strickland, Red Bay, Ala., '95 Camaro, SS/JA, foul.

STOCK ELIMINATOR

Craig Marshall, Canal Winchester, Ohio, '74 Dart, E/SA, 11.197, 98.64 def. Luke Bogacki, Woodville, Ala., '69 Nova, AA/SA, foul.

SUPER COMP

Ray Miller, Spring Hill, Fla., dragster, 8.931, 171.90 def. Larry Roberts, Laurens, S.C., dragster, 8.958, 179.73.

SUPER GAS

David Tatum III, Palmetto, Ga., '05 Cavalier, 9.945, 163.87 def. Bruce Duncan, Crawfordville, Fla., '03 Cavalier, 9.925, 160.65.

SUPER STREET

Donnie Gibbs Jr, Mooresville, N.C., '71 Nova, 10.920, 124.82 def. Bobby Taylor Jr, Orlando, Fla., '89 Camaro, 10.947, 128.64.

TOP DRAGSTER

Phillip Oakley, Owensboro, Ky., dragster, 6.849, 181.81 def. Steve Furr, Harrisburg, N.C., dragster, 7.138, 183.89.

TOP SPORTSMAN

Billy Vaughn, Knoxville, Tenn., '95 Monte Carlo, 7.025, 193.43 def. Jeff Pittman, Conover, N.C., '68 Chevelle, 7.035, 190.59.