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Div. 4 Lucas Oil Series debuts in Houston
03/01/2002
NHRA's South Central division will kick off its 2002 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series with the season-opener at Houston Raceway Park, Mar. 1-3. The event will feature more than 400 drivers in eight racing categories including 260-mph Top Alcohol Dragsters (TAD) and Top Alcohol Funny Cars (TAFC).
Defending Top Alcohol Dragster champion Shelly Howard is set to take on second- and third-place finishers Jay Meyer and Troy Buff. Howard, a registered nurse from Tulsa, Okla., was runner-up here a year ago and went on to win divisional events at the Texas Motorplex in Dallas and Memphis Motorsports Park in Tennessee on her way to the crown.
Freeport, Texas, resident Meyer took win lights at Hallsville Raceway in Texas and as two out-of-division events at Atlanta Dragway in Georgia and Nebraska Motorplex in Scribner, Neb. Buff, from Spring, Texas, won a Houston Raceway Park in 2001 and was runner-up at State Capitol Dragway in Baton Rouge, La.
Jackie Stidham earned his fifth Top Alcohol Funny Car division crown in 2001. The Chickasha, Okla., resident went to three consecutive final rounds to start the season winning at Houston Raceway Park and the Texas Motorplex. He was runner-up at State Capitol Drag Way.
Todd Simpson of Ponder, Texas, finished just 43 points behind Stidham in the point standings. Simpson was runner-up to Stidham in Houston and won the event at Thunder Valley Raceway Park in Noble, Okla.
Gates at Houston Raceway open at 9 a.m. Friday and qualifying and time trials begin at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday the gates open at 8 a.m. and racing action continues at 9 a.m. TAD and TAFC will qualify at 4 p.m. Friday and will get two passes on Saturday at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Eliminations begin Sunday. TAD and TAFC will begin eliminations at noon.
The other classes competing in the event are Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street.
Adult tickets, including pit pass, are $10 Friday, $18 Saturday and $22 Sunday. Children, ages 5-12, are $5 Friday, $10 Saturday and $12 Sunday. Children under 5 are free.
The event is part of a 45-race, $6.5 million series contested across the country. Drivers are competing for a part of a $561,000 champions' purse. They will earn points leading to national and division titles as well as a berth on the team that will represent the South Central division at the Jeg's Allstar event at the NHRA National at Route 66 Raceway in Chicago in September.
The track is located at 2525 FM 565 South. It is east of the Houston Metro area, south of Interstate 10 and east of Highway 146. For more information call (281) 383-RACE or visit the web site at www.houstonracewaypark.com.
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES: Fact Sheet
WHAT: Houston Raceway Park Sportsman Challenge, a round of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, where drivers earn points leading to divisional and national championships. Categories include: Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock Eliminator, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street. The event is the first of six in South Central Division competition.
WHERE: Houston Raceway Park, Houston. Track is located at 2525 FM 565 South. It is east of the Houston metro area, south of Interstate 10 and east of Hwy. 146.
WHEN: Friday through Sunday, March 1-3, 2002
SCHEDULE: Time trials and qualifying schedule for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series:
FRIDAY, March 1 -- Gates open at 9 a.m. Qualifying and time trials begin at 10 a.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualifying is at 4 p.m.
SATURDAY, March 2 -- Gates open at 8 a.m. Final qualifying and time trials are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualifying sessions are scheduled at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
SUNDAY, March 3 -- Gates open at 8 a.m. Eliminations begin at 9 a.m. Eliminations for Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car begin at noon.
PURSE: The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competitors will compete for cash and contingency awards of $156,450, part of the 45-race, $6.5 million series.
2001 EVENT WINNERS: Troy Buff, Top Alcohol Dragster; Jackie Stidham, Top Alcohol Funny Car; Scott Benham, Comp Eliminator; Larry Stewart, Super Stock; Jeff Swanson, Stock Eliminator; Shannon Brinkley, Super Comp; Larry Nelson, Super Gas; Cobb Ware, Super Street
BONUS PROGRAMS:
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES POINTS FUND -- a $561,000 point fund from Lucas Oil, which will be shared by 2002 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series divisional and national champions. Divisional awards include $8,500 each to the Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car champions; $3,000 to the champions in both Competition and Super Stock; $2,000 each to the champions in Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street. The seven national champions will share a bonus of $135,000.
SEALED POWER LOW QUALIFIER BONUS -- a $220,500 overall bonus fund from Federal-Mogul's Sealed Power brand to the low qualifiers at each of the 45 Lucas Oil events and the 23 NHRA national events: $1,250 each in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car; $400 each in Comp Eliminator and Super Stock; and $200 in Stock. (TAD and TAFC compete at 16 of 23 national events.)
JEG'S ALLSTARS: The best of the best from each of NHRA's seven divisions will compete for a share of the $100,000 point fund from Jeg's High Performance. The 2002 Jeg's Allstars event will culminate a year-long points battle between drivers in each of NHRA's Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series' eight classes. The top points earner in each category will qualify to represent his/her division at the 2002 Jeg's Allstars, held in conjunction with the NHRA Nationals in Chicago, Sept. 26-29, 2002. Points are based on in-division races only.
The winning division's team will share $20,000 and individual awards include $7,000 each to the Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car champions, $6,000 to champions in Comp Eliminator and Super Stock, and $4,500 to the Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street champions. Runners-up in all categories will earn $2,000 each. Each Allstars competitor will also receive a share of a $20,000 towing fund to get to the event.
FEATURES: More than 400 drivers in the eight racing categories. Eight-car fields in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car, featuring five-second, 260 mph side-by-side racing.
TICKETS: GENERAL ADMISSION/PIT PASS -- $10 Friday, $18 Saturday, $22 Sunday. Children, 5-12, are $5 Friday, $10 Saturday, $12 Sunday. Children under 5 are admitted free. A three-day pass is $40. For more information please call Houston Raceway Park, (281) 383-RACE or visit www.houstonraceway.com.
Return to 2002 Sportsman News Archive