Mon, 8 Aug 2005, 04:31 PM Billington and Callaway Cash in at SGMP

Courtesy of NHRA Field Marketing

CECIL, Ga. -- After more than two months of waiting, Lucas Oil competitors in eight categories completed their final eliminations today at the rescheduled Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event presented by CSR Performance Products being held this weekend at South Georgia Motorsports Park.

Starting from the No. 5 qualifying position, South Central division racer Lee Callaway of Channelview, Texas earned the win in Top Alcohol Dragster over Bradenton Motorsports Park winner, Artie Allen. Before meeting up with Allen in the dragster final, Callaway eliminated Robin Samsel and Southeast Division points leader and defending race winner, Guy Kelly of Wadley, Ala. In the final round, Callaway used a significant starting line advantage to defeat Allen, who ran a quicker and faster 5.566 second pass at 251.91 mph, to Callaway's pass of 5.602 seconds at 236.75 mph.

In Top Alcohol Funny Car, defending SGMP champ, Mark Billington of Norcross, Ga., claimed the race victory when for the second year in a row he took out points leader and defending division champ, Jay Payne. Prior to facing Payne in the championship round, Billington eliminated Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., racer John Alberigi III and Montgomery, Alabama's, John Sullivan. In his bout with Payne, Billington improved significantly over his prior runs and laid down a 5.821 second pass at 245.67 mph to earn the win. Payne ran an off-pace run of 6.332 seconds at 164.93 mph.

Other winners at this weekend's event were David Eaton of Merritt Island, Fla., in Competition Eliminator; Andy Fogle of Norway, S.C., in Super Stock; Peter Biondo of Maspeth, N.Y. in Stock Eliminator; Steve Deatherage of Rockledge, Fla., in Super Comp; John Gant of Tampa, Fla., in Super Gas and Joseph Skala of Palmetto, Fla. in Super Street. In TracStar System Satellites Top Sportsman Series competition, Ronnie Davis of Suwanee, Ga., was the winner.

After racers complete eliminations from the delayed Gainesville Raceway Lucas Oil Series event on Sunday afternoon, the next stop for racers on the NHRA Southeast Division tour is the division's season finale at Silver Dollar Raceway in Reynolds, Ga., October 21-23. Additional information about the event can be obtained calling (478) 847-4414 or by logging on to www.SilverDollarRaceway.com or www.NHRA.com.

The following are Sunday's final elimination results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event being held this weekend at South Georgia Motorsports Park

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Round 1 
5) Lee Callaway, Channelview, Texas, 5.727, 239.95 def. 
4) Robin Samsel, Marion, Ind., 8.185, 116.25; 

7) Alan Bradshaw, Odessa, Texas, 5.797, 252.76 def. 
2) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., broke; 

1) Guy Kelly, Wadley, Ala., 5.561, 252.80 def. 
8) Dick Garlets, Lowell, Ind., 12.248, 82.40; 

6) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 5.625, 251.53 def. 
3) Dan Lucas, Cumming, Ga., 9.188, 86.95; 
 
Semifinal 
Allen, 5.622, 245.90 def. Bradshaw, 12.087, 58.40; 
Callaway, 5.459, 256.55 def. Kelly, 5.486, 255.10; 
 
Final
Callaway, 5.602, 236.75 def. Allen, 5.566, 251.91. 
 
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Round 1 
1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '02 Camaro, 5.767, 248.52 def. 
6) Will Hanna, Richwood, Texas, '00 Avenger, broke; 

3) Mark Billington, Norcross, Ga., '01 Avenger, 5.937, 242.89 def. 
4) John Alberigi III, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., '99 Thunderbird, broke; 

5) John Sullivan, Montgomery, Ala., '03 Firehawk, 6.103, 213.06 def. 
2) Monty Todd, Montgomery, Ala., '02 Camaro, 10.547, 77.55; 
 
Semifinal 
Payne, 5.844, 236.59 was unopposed; 
Billington, 5.943, 240.38 def. Sullivan, 10.707, 78.20; 
 
Final 
Billington, 5.821, 245.67 def. Payne, 6.332, 164.93. 
 
COMPETITION ELIMINATOR
David Eaton, Merritt Island, Fla., '32 Bantam, A/AP, 6.981, 178.61  def. 
Mike Saye, Johnston, S.C., '92 Cutlass, H/A, 9.023, 146.29. 
 
SUPER STOCK
Andy Fogle, Norway, S.C., '04 Cavalier, GT/BA, 10.015, 125.90  def. 
Hugh Meeks III, Montgomery, Ala., '93 Achieva, GT/AA, 10.179, 99.78. 
 
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Peter Biondo, Maspeth, N.Y., '69 Camaro, C/SA, 11.051, 111.65 def. 
Jimmy Hidalgo Jr., Donaldsonville, La., '98 Camaro, B/FIA, 10.778, 121.78. 
 
SUPER COMP
Steve Deatherage, Rockledge, Fla., dragster, 8.909, 164.13 def. 
Lindsey Wood, McAlpin, Fla., dragster, 8.913, 178.24. 
 
SUPER GAS
John Gant, Tampa, Fla., '27 roadster, 9.917, 139.72 def. 
Mike Fuqua, Hendersonville, Tenn., '00 Corvette, 12.304, 93.29. 
 
SUPER STREET
Joseph Skala, Palmetto, Fla., '84 Camaro, 10.918, 125.68 def. 
Jeff Blardininelli, Vero Beach, Fla., '68 Camaro, 10.975, 130.95. 
 
TOP SPORTSMAN
Ronnie Davis, Suwanee, Ga., '63 Corvette, 7.126, 195.87 def. 
Tommy Turner, Naples, Fla., '04 Cavalier, 7.406, 186.15.