STALBA, MANZO WIN AT NEW ENGLAND
EPPING, N.H. – Karen Stalba and Frank Manzo took home wins for this weekend’s inaugural NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H. Stalba of Hammonton, N.J., qualified third and took out the division point’s leader Daniel Page, Hampstead, N.H., in the final round with a 5.480 second lap at 258.57 mph.
This was Page’s second final round of the month picking up the win in West Lebanon, N.Y., in early July. Stalba outran John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., and Jackie Fricke, Flemington, N.J., in rounds one and two.
Manzo, Morganville, N.J., faced off against Todd Veney, Brownsburg, Ind., as the two drivers qualified one and two and worked their way through eliminations. Manzo ran low elapsed time of each round yet saved his best for the final and Veney posting a mark of 5.608 seconds at 259.91 mph to Veney’s 5.711 at 255.34 mph. The win is Manzo’s second divisional to go along with his three national event wins as he leads the Northeast Division points and sits second nationally.
Local racer Tim Boise, Nashua, N.H., won one for the home state taking the trophy in the Speed Shop at Atco Top Sportsman Series presented by Select Performance. Boise drove his ’05 Cavalier to a 7.545 second, 182.58 mph victory over Gerard Milette, St. Etienne, Quebec.
The Biondo family out of Maspeth, N.Y., took home a pair of wins as Sal won against Chip Ippolito in Comp Eliminator followed by brother Peter taking the win in Super Gas defeating Mike Sawyer.
Katie Sepanek, Moosic, Pa., and Kristin Stanley joined Stalba in representing the female racers in winner’s circle. Sepanek drove her ‘72 Chevelle to the win over Joe Santangelo, Malborough, Conn., and Stanley, Gray, Maine, won in Pro Stock Snowmobile with a pass of 8.421, 152.61 mph on her ’10 Artic Cat. Santangelo was looking for a rare double win as he also advanced to the final in Super Stock but came up short against James Antonette, New Hyde Park, N.Y., and his ’98 Grand Am.
Rounding out the weekend’s winner’s were Al Kenny, Kutztown, Pa., in Super Comp; Gary Federico, Hopewell Junction, N.Y., in Super Street; and Glen Crane, Farmington, Conn., in the MXI/Magnaflux Top Dragster Series presented by Select Performance.
NHRA Northeast Division racers will head to Atco Raceway for their next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, Aug. 5-7.
The following are final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at New England Dragway:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:
Round 1
7) Jackie Fricke, Flemington, N.J., 5.564, 255.82 def. 2) Duane Shields, Boulder City, Nev., 5.586, 261.12
1) Dan Mercier, LaPrairie, Quebec, 5.400, 262.54 def. 8) Tom Pickett, Salem, N.H., 5.779, 197.02
3) Karen Stalba, Hammonton, N.J., 5.499, 259.31 def. 6) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.598, 253.80
5) Dan Page, Hampstead, N.H., 5.677, 262.18 def. 4) Richard Bourke, Old Tappan, N.J., 5.492, 264.13
Semifinals
Page, 5.624, 262.39 def. Mercier, 5.668, 248.52
Stalba, 5.586, 254.81 def. Fricke, 5.729, 214.76
Final
Stalba, 5.480, 258.57 def. Page, 5.534, 263.82
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
Round 1
1) Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '10 Monte Carlo, 5.684, 258.22 def. 9) John Headley, Newportville, Pa., '04 Mustang, 6.099, 232.07
2) Todd Veney, Brownsburg, Ind., '09 Impala SS, 5.802, 253.75 def. 7) Wayne Morris, Lincoln Univ, Pa., '10 Mustang, 5.881, 246.75
6) Fred Tigges, Holbrook, Mass., '01 Avenger, 6.317, 170.32 def. 3) Paul Gill, Brockton, Mass., '08 Mustang, foul
4) Eric Lourie, Terryville, Conn., '02 Camaro, 5.773, 250.88 def. 5) Dan Pomponio, Berlin, N.J., '10 Monte Carlo, 5.819, 243.15
Semifinals
Manzo, 5.654, 257.92 def. Lourie, 5.765, 250.78
Veney, 5.689, 258.07 def. Tigges, broke
Final
Manzo, 5.608, 259.91 def. Veney, 5.711, 255.34
COMP ELIMINATOR
Sal Biondo, Maspeth, N.Y., '07 Cavalier, I/AA, 8.731, 123.62 def. Chip Ippolito, Laconia, N.H., '03 S-10, PSTA, foul.
SUPER STOCK
James Antonette, New Hyde Park, N.Y., '98 Grand Am, SS/CS, 9.732, 139.14 def. Joe Santangelo, Marlborough, Conn., '87 Camaro, GT/FA, 10.228, 127.20.
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Katie Sepanek, Moosic, Pa., '72 Chevelle, I/SA, 11.536, 108.35 def. Joe Santangelo, Marlborough, Conn., '89 Camaro, H/SA, 11.703, 98.77.
SUPER COMP
Al Kenny, Kutztown, Pa., dragster, 8.886, 171.12 def. Justin Mason, Northborough, Mass., dragster, 8.853, 171.51.
SUPER GAS
Peter Biondo, Maspeth, N.Y., '63 Corvette, 9.861, 166.76 def. Mike Sawyer, Leominster, Mass., '03 Cavalier, 9.854, 162.70.
SUPER STREET
Gary Federico, Hopewell Junction, N.Y., '87 Grand National, 10.879, 146.65 def. John Sanborn, Riverside, R.I., '66 Nova, 10.850, 130.39.
TOP SPORTSMAN
Tim Boise, Nashua, N.H., '05 Cavalier, 7.545, 182.58 def. Gerard Milette, St. Etienne, Quebec, '63 Corvette, 7.265, 192.14.
TOP DRAGSTER
Glen Crane, Farmington, Conn., dragster, 7.022, 192.74 def. Debby DiGenova, Derry, N.H., dragster, 6.964, 187.57.
PRO STOCK SNOWMOBILE
Kristin Stanley, Gray, Maine, '10 Arctic Cat, 8.421, 152.61 def. Tiina Duncanson, Acton, Ont., '11 Ski Doo, 8.474, 150.46.
