Tue, 15 Jun 2010, 10:06 PM Double Take

By Kelly Wade Photo copyright 2010 Auto Imagery, Inc.

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. --

Guest vs. Kosky

The group of Lucas Oil Series finalists at the NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown may have had some folks rubbing their eyes, squinting, and trying to figure out if time had reversed one week and they were back in Chicago. Top Alcohol Dragster's Monroe Guest and Top Alcohol Funny Car dominator Frank Manzo, both victors last week, returned to the winner's circle, and Chicago Allstars winner Joe Santangelo also picked up the Super Stock trophy at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. Other winners in E-town were Sal Biondo (Comp), Ken Miele (Stock), Brad Plourd (Super Comp), and Matt Schurman (Super Gas).

Weather that has troubled the Full Throttle Series tour all season continued to be a factor, and the Lucas Oil finals were pushed to a Monday finish. Guest, in his third national event final round of the season - and of his career - proved unaffected by the elements and qualified his Tigerflow A/Fuel Dragster fifth with a 5.454. When first-round opponent Tom Pickett had trouble with his blown Pickett Service Centers rail before he even left the starting line, Guest easily advanced to the second round, where he was meant to take on Bruce Horner but got a freebie when Horner broke in the staging lanes and could not make the call.

The Mannford, Okla., racer finally had a chance to put his racing skills to the test in the semifinals, when he was first off the starting line to No. 1 qualifier Darren Nicholson but had to battle to regain the lead before half-track. The two raced side-by-side towards the finish line, where Guest surged ahead to get the win light on a holeshot, 5.432 to 5.368. Luck was again on his side in the final, where Mike Kosky, the No. 2 qualifier, broke the blower belt just off the starting line. Guest clocked his best time of the weekend, a 5.388, in his winning pass.

Manzo vs. Ferro

Kosky, an eight-time finalist and two-time winner in Englishtown (1987 and 1988), claimed round wins over Ken Winward, Dan Mercier, and Darvin Martinets on his way to the money round.

The Top Alcohol Funny Car finalists have locked the other kids out of the yard as of late. Al-Anabi Racing pilot Manzo and Mickey Ferro, in his Ryco Hydraulics Monte Carlo, have scrapped in the final three times over the course of a week and four times this season: Manzo won over Ferro in Gainesville, beat him in the Chicago Allstars and main event, and scored again in Englishtown for his 83rd national event win. Ferro, who won in Houston earlier this year, was first off the starting line, .052 to .066, but Manzo took the lead just past the 60-foot timer and kept ahead to clock a winning 5.468 to 5.520.

Manzo earned a 77th low qualifier award of his career with a quick 5.476 and kicked off eliminations with a bye run. In the second round, he used a .046 reaction and 5.544 to beat Fred Tigges and record his 507th round win, breaking a tie with Pat Austin for the most round wins in the class. Todd Veney, wheeling his Permatex/Follow a Dream Impala, was four-thousandths quicker off the starting line in the semifinals but said goodnight after he was unable to recover from a nasty bout of tire shake.

Biondo vs. Bertozzi

After qualifying in the second spot, Ferro advanced on red-lighting John Headley in the first round for the quarterfinals bye and then got a gift when Alexis DeJoria couldn't get her Tequila Patron Mustang started for the semifinals.

Brother Peter made his way to the Stock winner's circle in Chicago, but this time it was Sal Biondo going for gold. Biondo was making headway in both Comp and Super Stock in Englishtown, ultimately earning a final-round spot in both categories. He came up just a bit short in Super Stock but got the win in Comp with a defeat of Anthony Bertozzi, who was .022-second too quick off the starting line. Both drivers were piloting Vinny Barone-owned entries.

Biondo, who last won Comp at the 2009 Chicago event, was a frequent benefactor of the color red. He got the nod in the first round when Mark Hopkin's was .019 red at the tree and then beat veteran racer David Rampy, (-.53) 8.22 to (-.56) 7.23 in round two. A .007 red-light by David Allen in the quarters set Biondo up for a semifinals match with Frank Affronti, and Biondo clocked a quick .003 reaction to his opponent's .119 foul start.

Santangelo vs. Biondo

Fourteen-time national event finalist Bertozzi, who scored his seventh national event win in Charlotte in the Stock category earlier this season, was last in a Comp final at the NHRA Carolinas Nationals in 2008, where he fell to Arnie Martel. His road to the match with Biondo at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park included victories over Richard Schonberger, Frank Aragona Jr., Joe Carnasciale, and Al Ackerman.

The SS/DM '97 Achieva driven by Biondo in Super Stock was another potent Barone entry. In the closing round of Super Stock, Biondo - freshly back to the starting line after his Comp victory - was out of the gate with a respectable .030 launch, but Santangelo was quicker by eight-thousandths and closed the deal at the stripe, lighting up the scoreboard with a 10.217 on his 10.21 dial to Biondo's 9.286 (9.28) and getting the win light by just seven-thousandths.

Miele vs. Van Poppel

Santangelo was .006 at the tree and 10.290 on his 10.23 dial to stop Comp finalist Bertozzi in the third round of Super Stock and then survived a double-breakout affair with Mark Markow in round four. The GT/GA '90 Camaro driver was better at both ends of the track to put Ray Scardelli on the trailer and pick up a bye run into the final.

A neat .004-second reaction aided in Biondo's defeat of Marty Rinehart Jr. in the third round, and he notched victories over Byron Worner and Tim Worner before advancing when Lincoln Morehead went red by nine-thousandths in the semifinals.

Englishtown's 1997 winner, Miele, drove to another victory at the New Jersey track when Brian Van Poppel broke out of his 10.77 dial by .046-thousandths in the Stock final. Miele wheeled his AA/SA '67 Mustang to wins over Joe Lisa, who red-lighted in the third round, fourth-round breakout challenger Bob Twynam, and Dave Barton before surviving a double-breakout semifinals match with Russell "Bubba" Linke.

Plourd vs. Kenny

Van Poppel was lucky in round three when Northeast heavy-hitter Anthony Fetch was .019 in the red and then again when Steve Szupka fouled by .018 in round four. He picked up the semifinals bye run when Dustan Lowell broke out by .025 in their quarterfinals match.

After a runner-up in Super Stock at the Chicago event, touring sportsman racer Plourd cashed in with a Super Comp victory over Al Kenny. Plourd was quicker off the starting line, .016 to .033, and cleared a 8.940 on the 8.90 index to Kenny's breakout 8.898.

Plourd, who last saw the Super Comp winner's circle at the 2009 Northern SPORTSnationals in Columbus, was all dialed-in and recorded a series of excellent starts, including .010, .011, and .006, en route to the final. His heightened game regularly forced opponents to breakout during eliminations, and in the fourth round, Chris DePascale ran dead-on the index to Plourd's .012-over, but starting-line prowess made the difference and Plourd got the win by a slim two-thousandths margin of victory.

Schurman vs. Northrop

Another familiar face rounded out the winner's circle celebrations: Schurman was the 2001 Super Street winner in Englishtown. His Super Gas defeat of Dan Northrop in the closing round was his second national event win. The Green Brook, N.J., racer drove his '96 Beretta to victory in the double-breakout match, 9.887 to 9.872 on the 9.90 index after claiming a semifinals win over Tom Nicholson, who was dead-on 9.90 but unable to recover from a .060 launch to Schurman's speedy .018.

Notably, Northrop earned his final-round position after stopping Top Fuel's Shawn Langdon, a notorious bracket racer and former sportsman champion, in the semifinals.

Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competitors will return to action at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol this coming weekend, June 18-20.

Monday's Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series final results from the 41st annual NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.

Top Alcohol Dragster -- Monroe Guest, 5.388, 265.74 def. Mike Kosky, 12.776, 59.24.

Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Frank Manzo, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.468, 263.67 def. Mickey Ferro, Monte Carlo, 5.520, 259.21.

Competition Eliminator -- Sal Biondo, Chevy Beretta, 8.654, 125.18 def. Anthony Bertozzi, Dragster, foul.

Super Stock -- Joe Santangelo, Chevy Camaro, 10.217, 128.13 def. Sal Biondo, Olds Achieva, 9.286, 136.07.

Stock Eliminator -- Ken Miele, Ford Mustang, 9.942, 132.41 def. Brian Van Poppel, Pontiac Firebird, 10.724, 122.95.

Super Comp -- Brad Plourd, Dragster, 8.940, 155.13 def. Al Kenny, Dragster, 8.898, 183.27.

Super Gas -- Matt Schurman, Chevy Beretta, 9.887, 167.43 def. Dan Northrop, Chevy Vega, 9.872, 148.48.