MIKE SAWYER DOUBLES UP IN LEBANON
WEST LEBANON, N.Y. – Lebanon Valley Dragway witnessed exciting drag racing action over the 4th of July weekend during the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event. Mike Sawyer, Leominster, Mass., went home with two championships yesterday, in Super Gas and Super Street. Sawyer, who won last month at the NHRA SuperNationals, defeated Douglas Marsters, Canton, Maine in Super Gas. Both drivers got off the line with a 0.023 reaction time, but Sawyer’s finish of 9.876 seconds at 158.74 mph was enough for the win over Marsters’ 9.858 in a double break out race. In Super Street, Sawyer met Shawn Fricke from Flemming, N.J. During the run, Sawyer’s early lead and run of 10.908 seconds at 135.71 mph earned him the win in this class as well.
Dan Page, Hampstead, N.H., met Dan Mercier, LaPrarie, Que., in the final of Top Alcohol Dragster. In this battle of the Dans, Page ended up in the top spot with his pass of 5.529 seconds at 261.22 mph against Mercier’s run of 5.516 seconds at 259.35 mph. With a margin of less than a foot, this marks Page’s first victory of the season and Mercier’s second trip to the finals this year.
The 2010 Comp Eliminator National Champion, Al Ackerman, also earned his first divisional win for the 2011 season. Ackerman, Saddle Brook, N.J., had a faster reaction time at the start and kept his lead the whole way down the track over his opponent, Calvin Hill, Tamaqua, Pa. In Top Alcohol Funny Car, Eric Lourie, Terryville, Conn., scored his first win of the season as well after a runner-up finish at this event in 2010. Lourie beat John Anderkia and Todd Veney in rounds 1 and 2 on his way to his final round match up with Dale Cox Jr.
Canadian driver Robert Park, Dundas, Ont., drove his ’86 Camaro against fellow Camaro driver Joe Santangelo II, Marlborough, Conn., and his 1990 ride in Super Stock. While Santangelo’s reaction time was faster, Park’s pass of 10.183 at 127.69 mph was fast enough to defeat Santangelo and his pass of 10.234 seconds at 124.23 mph.
With another margin of victory less than a foot, Lee Zane took home the win over the weekend in Stock Eliminator. Zane, Perry Hall, Md., drove his ’86 Camaro for 11.301 seconds at 116.29 mph against Joe DeMarzo, Mahopac, N.Y., and his ’72 Chevy II’s time of 11.312 seconds at 114.04 mph. In Super Comp, Pennsylvania resident, Steve Martel from Schaefferstown defeated Albany, N.Y., resident, Heather Robilotto, in her home state in the finals during a double breakout.
Rounding out the winner’s were the division’s Top Sportsman, Top Dragster and Pro Stock Snowmobile classes with A.J. Thomson, New Providence, N.J., running 7.135 seconds at 181.48 mph beating Ronnie Proctor, Harpers Ferry, W.V., in Top Sportsman. Ray Balian, Valley Stream, N.Y., won in Top Dragster against Nick Willard, Leominster, Mass., with a pass of 6.945 seconds at 193.53 mph. In Pro Stock Snowmobile, Scott Marsh, Highland, N.Y., defeated S. Hadley, Mass., driver, Brian Hamel.
Northeast Division racers head to New England Dragway for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, July 22-24.
The following are Monday’s final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Northeast Division event at Lebanon Valley Dragway Presented by Diamond RV:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Round 1
4) Dan Mercier, LaPrairie, Quebec, 5.458, 259.98 def. 5) Tom Pickett, Salem, N.H., 5.620, 251.07
2) Karen Stalba, Hammonton, N.J., 5.477, 258.92 def. 7) Richard Bourke, Old Tappan, N.J., 5.655, 240.38
3) Dan Page, Hampstead, N.H., 5.485, 263.30 def. 9) Mike Comella, Mentor, Ohio, 5.455, 264.38
8) Jackie Fricke, Flemington, N.J., 5.619, 253.65 def. 1) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.506, 258.59
Semifinals
Mercier, 5.674, 253.04 def. Fricke, 6.188, 194.50
Page, 5.673, 259.22 def. Stalba, 5.744, 248.61
Final
Page, 5.529, 261.22 def. Mercier, 5.516, 259.35
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Round 1
2) Todd Veney, Indianapolis, '09 Impala SS, 6.674, 218.32 def. 7) John Fiorini, Dalton, Mass., '01 Avenger, 6.737, 219.30
8) John Headley, Newportville, Pa., '04 Mustang, 7.351, 110.09 def. 1) Paul Gill, Brockton, Mass., '08 Mustang, 9.408, 79.13
3) Eric Lourie, Terryville, Conn., '02 Camaro, 5.745, 248.94 def. 6) John Anderika, Pittston, Pa., '10 Monte Carlo, 6.061, 215.24
4) DJ Cox Jr., Whiteford, Md., '09 Monte Carlo, 5.840, 247.92 def. 5) Wayne Morris, Lincoln Univ,, Pa., '10 Mustang, foul
Semifinals
Lourie, 5.788, 248.13 def. Veney, 8.389, 117.32
Cox Jr., 17.373, 54.75 def. Headley, broke
Final
Lourie, broke def. Cox Jr., broke
COMP ELIMINATOR
Al Ackerman, Saddle Brook, N.J., dragster, F/D, 8.022, 165.79 def. Calvin Hill, Tamaqua, Pa., '09 Grand Am, I/AA, 8.196, 163.67
SUPER STOCK
Robert Park, Dundas, Ont., '86 Camaro, GT/EA, 10.183, 127.69 def. Joe Santangelo, Marlborough, Conn., '90 Camaro, GT/FA, 10.234, 124.23
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Lee Zane, Perry Hall, Md., '86 Camaro, H/SA, 11.301, 116.29 def. Joe DeMarzo, Mahopac, N.Y., '72 Chevy II, H/SA, 11.312, 114.04
SUPER COMP
Steve Martel, Schaefferstown, Pa., dragster, 8.892, 167.35 def. Heather Robilotto, Albany, N.Y., dragster, 8.888, 165.28
SUPER GAS
Mike Sawyer, Leominster, Mass., '03 Cavalier, 9.876, 158.74 def. Douglas Marsters, Canton, Maine, '64 Corvette, 9.858, 152.54
SUPER STREET
Michael Sawyer, Leominster, Mass., '67 Camaro, 10.908, 135.71 def. Shawn Fricke, Flemington, N.J., '02 Pontiac, 10.882, 131.64
TOP SPORTSMAN
A.J. Thomson, New Providence, N.J., '63 Corvette, 7.135, 181.48 def. Ronnie Proctor, Harpers Ferry, W.V., '02 Mustang, 6.933, 190.39
TOP DRAGSTER
Ray Balian, Valley Stream, N.Y., dragster, 6.945, 193.53 def. Nick Willard, Leominster, Mass., dragster, 7.089, 176.47
PRO STOCK SNOWMOBILE
Scott Marsh, Highland, N.Y., '10 Ski Doo, 8.458, 152.25 def. Brian Hamel, S. Hadley, Mass., '03 Ski Doo, 8.768, 151.85
