SHIELDS EARNS SECOND WIN IN A ROW AT ATLANTA DRAGWAY
COMMERCE, Ga. (May 23, 2011) – The Southeast Division 2009 and 2010 Top Alcohol Dragster champion, Duane Shields, took home another win this past weekend in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Atlanta Dragway. Shields, Boulder City, Nev., won earlier this year at the Winternationals in Pomona, Calif., and at South Georgia Motorsports Park in March during another Southeast Division race. Facing Rich McPhillips, Audubon, Pa., in the finals, Shields had to chase him down to earn his victory with a 5.603 seconds run at 264.49 mph.
Top Sportsman saw a father/son faceoff in the final round. Jeffrey Barker, Warner-Robins, Ga., raced next to his father, Jerry Barker, Ft. Valley, Ga., on Sunday. Jeffrey Barker’s run of 7.006 seconds at 199.14 mph was enough to defeat his dad’s 6.993 second, 198.26 mph pass.
Melinda Green-King, Norfolk, Va., raced against Mark Billington, Norcross, Ga., in Top Alcohol Funny Car on this weekend. Green-King’s lead off the line and pass of 5.820 seconds at 247.38 mph led to a victory over Billington’s pass of 5.791 seconds at 252.28 mph. This is Billington’s second appearance in the finals this season and 3rd time in a row qualifying in the # 1 spot.
Comp Eliminator and Super Stock saw out of state racers face off in the finals. In Comp Eliminator, Bo Butner, Floyd Knob, Ind., met Lee Sharp, Louisville, Tenn. Butner and his ’09 Cobalt earned the win when he ran at 8.675 seconds and 128.66 mph against Sharp’s 10.347 second run at 81.30 mph. In Super Stock, Gary Coccaro, Panama City, Fla., met the runner-up finisher at this year’s Gatornationals, Merrill Schrimscher, Lake Mary, Fla. Schrimscher left the line too soon and gave the easy win to Coccaro for the first win of the year for him.
Butner also advanced to the finals in Stock Eliminator over the weekend where he faced Jeff Adkinson, Damascus, Ga. Butner’s ’10 Mustange wasn’t a match for Adkinson’s ’69 Camaro in this race when Adkinson ran a 10.686 second 110.47 mph pass and took home the win.
The 2010 Super Gas National Champion, David Tatum, Palmetto, Ga., faced off against Billy Upton, Taylors, S.C. Tatum drove his ’05 Cavalier for a run of 9.910 seconds at 168.18 mph against Upton’s ’63 Corvette and his run of 9.914 seconds at 157.82 mph to earn the win in Super Gas for the weekend. No stranger to making it to the finals, this is Tatum’s second win in a row and he also has two final round appearances earlier this season at the 4-Wide Nationals and SummitRacing.com Southern Nationals.
In Super Comp, Lauren Freer, Lewisville, N.C., defeated Jason Hoff, Littlestown, Pa. Freer’s faster pass of 8.918 seconds at 174.93 mph helped secure her win. In Super Street, Jimmy Daniel from Montgomery, Ala., ran a 10.920 second run at 140.23 mph against Mike Griggs, Ocala, Fla., and his run of 10.881 seconds at 129.74 mph. Daniel took home the win against Griggs who also had a trip to the finals earlier this year at Bradenton Motorsports Park.
Lynn Ellison, the runner-up finisher at the 4-Wide Nationals met Casey Spradlin, Ranburne, Ala., in the finals in Top Dragster. Ellison, Cathedral City, Ky., got off the starting line first and never looked back for the win over the weekend.
New to the NHRA Southeast Division this year are three index classes that will run in conjunction with the Lucas Oil Series. Travis Bryant, Bowman, Ga., took the win in the 10.00 class while Ricky Pennington, Calera, Ala., won in 11.00. In the 12.00 final, racer John Norris, Royston, Ga., took home the win over the weekend.
Southeast Division racers head to zMax Dragway for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, Aug. 26-28.
The following are Sunday's final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Southeast Division event at Atlanta Dragway:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Round 1
1) Duane Shields, Boulder City, Nev., 5.650, 262.64 def. 6) Don Fiorelli, Palm Bay, Fla., 6.266, 187.42
5) Rich McPhillips, Audubon, Pa., 5.708, 231.28 def. 2) Bruce Horner, Bergenfield, N.J., 5.798, 240.94
3) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 5.854, 233.16 def. 4) Al Moeser, Hilltown, Pa., 5.874, 247.47
Semifinals
Shields, 5.489, 267.59 was unopposed
McPhillips, 5.609, 244.60 def. Allen, 6.086, 217.53
Final
Shields, 5.603, 264.49 def. McPhillips, 5.725, 248.84
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Semifinals
2) Melinda Green-King, Norfolk, Va., '10 Mustang, 5.818, 246.98 def. 3) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '11 Monte Carlo, 5.811, 250.60
1) Mark Billington, Norcross, Ga., '05 Monte Carlo, 12.764, 107.35 was unopposed
Final
Green-King, 5.820, 247.38 def. Billington, 5.791, 252.28
COMP ELIMINATOR
Bo Butner, Floyd Knob, Ind., '09 Cobalt, E/SMA, 8.675, 128.66 def. Lee Sharp, Louisville, Tenn., '09 G5, E/SMA, 10.347, 81.30
SUPER STOCK
Gary Coccaro, Panama City, Fla., '05 Sunfire, SS/BS, 9.017, 136.25 def. Merrill Schrimscher, Lake Mary, Fla., '66 Nova, SS/HA, foul
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Jeff Adkinson, Damascus, Ga., '69 Camaro, B/SA, 10.686, 110.47 def. Bo Butner, Floyds Knobs, Ind., '10 Mustang, AA/SA, 9.564, 142.52
SUPER COMP
Lauren Freer, Lewisville, N.C., dragster, 8.918, 174.93 def. Jason Hoff, Littlestown, Pa., dragster, 8.930, 166.27
SUPER GAS
David Tatum, Palmetto, Ga., '05 Cavalier, 9.910, 168.18 def. Billy Upton, Taylors, S.C., '63 Corvette, 9.914, 157.82
SUPER STREET
Jimmy Daniel, Montgomery, Ala., '63 Tempest, 10.920, 140.23 def. Mike Griggs, Ocala, Fla., '66 Nova, 10.881, 129.74
TOP SPORTSMAN
Jeffrey Barker, Warner-Robins, Ga., '02 Camaro, 7.006, 199.14 def. Jerry Barker, Ft. Valley, Ga., '06 Cobalt, 6.993, 198.26
TOP DRAGSTER
Lynn Ellison, Central City, Ky., dragster, 6.908, 173.58 def. Casey Spradlin, Ranburne, Ala., dragster, 13.902, 62.67
10.00 INDEX
Travis Bryant, Bowman, Ga., '68 Camaro, 10.031, 130.02 def. David Hellriegel, High Springs, Fla., '79 Camaro, 10.063, 133.70
11.00 INDEX
Ricky Pennington, Calera, Ala., '64 Chevelle, 11.004, 117.58 def. Queball Lattie, Jesup, Ga., '77 Vega, 11.019, 121.33
12.00 INDEX
John Norris, Royston, Ga., '86 Camaro, 12.057, 107.39 def. Robbie Shaw, Bowdon, Ga., '87 Firebird, 12.031, 103.78
