Wed, 14 May 2003, 03:31 PM NHRA Lucas Oil Series Racers Ready to Roll at Raceway Park

Courtesy of NHRA Field Marketing

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. -- More than 400 racers in NHRA’s Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will compete alongside their professional racing brothers at the K&N Filters NHRA SuperNationals, May 15-18, 2003. Drivers in Top Alcohol Dragster (TAD), Top Alcohol Funny Car (TAFC), Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street will be at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park to continue their quest for points leading to national championships.

Frank Manzo

Look for the longtime rivalry between TAFC veterans Frank Manzo and Bob Newberry to continue here. This year, both drivers are running extremely well and have faced each other in two final rounds, coming away with a win apiece. Newberry, of Schenectady, N.Y., also beat Jeff Craig at the national event in Gainesville, Fla. Manzo has been to two races and faced Newberry in the final round at both of them.

Manzo, a resident of Morganville, N.J., is an eight-time TAFC national champion and in 2002, he earned his sixth straight title. Manzo is no stranger to the winner’s circle at Raceway Park. He’s made 13 final-round appearances at national events here since 1981, and he has won seven of those.

In TAD, there may see a repeat of last year’s final round when Las Vegas resident Duane Shields beat eventual national champion Arthur Gallant of Boxboro, Mass. After a yearlong battle for the title in 2002, that had Shields going from coast-to-coast, Gallant edged him out by 42 points. At this point in 2003, Shields is fifth in the point standings and Gallant is No. 18.

This year, the current points fight is between 19-year-old Morgan Lucas of Riverside, Calif., and veteran racer Tony Bartone of Manhasset, N.Y. Lucas will likely be running at the divisional race in Bakersfield, Calif., but Bartone remains a question mark. He is not listed on the entry list for this event, but Raceway Park is his home track and Bartone typically does well here.

NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]

Nov 06- LAS VEGAS - Top Alcohol Funny Car Final, Round 4 Eliminations
Nov 06- LAS VEGAS - Competition Eliminator Final, Round 5 Eliminations
Nov 06- LAS VEGAS - Top Dragster Final, Round 5 Eliminations
Nov 05- POMONA 2 - Event Preview
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Competition Eliminator
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Super Stock
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Stock Eliminator
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Super Gas