MANZO JOINS MERCIER WITH WIN AT CECIL COUNTY

RISING SUN, Md. – Nine-time NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Funny Car National Champion Frank Manzo had to wait an extra 12 hours before knocking out Dan Pomponio for the win in the funny car final today at Cecil County Dragway With an afternoon rain delay and racing running late into the night on Saturday, the funny car final was postponed until Sunday morning, joining the rest of final eliminations originally scheduled for Sunday.

Manzo picked up where he left off on Saturday with a 5.836 second lap at 249.16 mph against Pomponio in the final round. Pomponio slowed to a 6.408 second 172.89 mph in the final after qualifying third with a 5.935 second run. The win, Manzo’s fourth in a row at Cecil County, should move him into the point’s lead for the national championship.

Prior to the postponement of action on Saturday, Dan Mercier used a 5.464 second, 268.01 mph lap to win the Top Alcohol Dragster title. This is the second Northeast Division win for the Valley Field, Quebec, racer picking up a win last month at Virginia Motorsports Park over defending Northeast Division Champion Art Gallant.

Manzo was not the only defending event champion to return to the winner’s circle as Michael Hardee of Wilmington, N.C., held off Charlie Greco in the Comp Eliminator final running 8.915 seconds at 152.24 mph. David Ficacci fell to Justin Picillo in Stock Eliminator with Picillo running a time of 11.836 seconds at 103.25 mph.

Kent Hanley recorded a near perfect reaction time in his win over Jeff Szilagyi running 8.917 seconds at 161.30 mph to go along with his 0.003 second reaction time. In Super Gas it was Maugansville, Md., racer Derek Clark beating Scott Reinford in his ’95 Cutlass and Super Street winner Mark Bordone of Kingsville, Md., took out Darrell Jackson running 10.945 seconds at 124.94 mph in his ’68 Barracuda.

Advancing to the Super Stock final was Peter Biondo and Richard Kay which will be run at future NHRA event due to time restraints and approaching weather. Biondo, the reigning NHRA National and Northeast Division Stock Champion, took out Angelo Ditocco in his semifinal match up while Kay had a bye run into the final.

The Northeast Division racers head to Old Bridge Township Raceway Park for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, September 8-10.

The following are round by round results for Top Alcohol Dragster and Funny Car and final round results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Northeast Shootout at Cecil County Dragway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:

Round 1
3) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.449, 259.11 def. 6) Ken Winward, Wilmington, Del., 5.918, 187.70
1) Dan Mercier, Valley Field, Quebec, 5.534, 267.22 def. 8) Bruce Horner, Bergenfield, N.J., 5.651, 245.54
7) Richard Bourke, Old Tappan, N.J., 5.697, 253.09 def. 2) Mike Kosky, Cuddy, Pa., 5.721, 205.94
4) Dave DeAngelis, Middlesex, N.J., 5.565, 249.58 def. 5) Mark Albert, Baldwin, Pa., 5.589, 252.14

Semifinals
Mercier, 5.458, 268.97 def. DeAngelis, 6.796, 141.22
Bourke, 5.652, 252.90 def. Gallant, broke

Final
Mercier, 5.464, 268.01 def. Bourke, 5.573, 255.63

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:

Round 1
1) Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.779, 252.19 def. 8) Marc White, Glendale Hts., Ill., '04 Firebird, 14.543, 48.32
2) Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '01 Camaro, 5.780, 246.57 def. 7) Dan Roman, Wolcott, Conn., '97 Firebird, 6.398, 185.59
3) Dan Pomponio, Berlin, N.J., '00 Camaro, 6.049, 236.84 def. 6) Chris Brown, Ivyland, Pa., '06 Stratus, 6.428, 228.58
4) David Ray, Plaistow, N.H., '01 Avenger, 5.762, 248.20 def. 5) Bruce Mullins, Fredericksburg, Va., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.942, 241.41

Semifinals
Manzo, 5.775, 250.60 def. Ray, 6.187, 180.79
Pomponio, 10.916, 74.12 def. Ferro, foul

Finals
Manzo, 5.836, 249.16 def. Pomponio, 6.408, 172.89

COMPETITION ELIMINATOR

Michael Hardee, Wilmington, N.C., '05 Sunfire, F/SM, 8.915, 152.24 def. Charlie Greco, Berwyn, Pa., '06 GTO, E/A, 7.832, 175.23.

STOCK ELIMINATOR

Justin Picillo, Scitvate, R.I., '72 Chevelle, I/SA, 11.836, 103.25 def. David Ficacci, E. Hanover, N.J., '69 Nova, B/SA, 10.431, 115.26.

SUPER COMP
Kent Hanley, Newtown, Conn., dragster, 8.917, 161.30 def. Jeff Szilagyi, Hellerton, Pa., dragster, 8.932, 168.14.

SUPER GAS

Derek Clark, Maugansville, Md., '95 Cutlass, 9.889, 150.75 def. Scott Reinford, Gilbertsville, Pa., '63 Corvette, 9.883, 158.73.

SUPER STREET

Mark Bordone, Kingsville, Md., '68 Barracuda, 10.945, 124.94 def. Darrell Jackson Sr, Shady Side, Md., '78 Cutlass, 10.932, 127.05.