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Bartone and Sickles prevail at delayed Gainesville event

2/25/03
Courtesy NHRA Marketing

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -In the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event being held at Gainesville Raceway, Top Alcohol Dragster driver Tony Bartone and Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Jim Sickles took home the honors.

In Top Alcohol Dragster, Bartone of Manhasset, N.Y., defeated five-time Southeast Division champion, Michael Gunderson of Middleburg, Fla. In the final, Bartone ran 5.281 seconds at 275.81 mph to take out Gunderson, who ran an off-pace 7.325-second pass at 128.16 mph. This is Bartone second win in as many races. He was also the winner at the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series season opener at Pomona Raceway two weeks ago.

In Top Alcohol Funny Car, Jim Sickles defeated seven-time divisional champion Jay Payne in the class final. In the final, Sickles turned in his strongest lap of the weekend, a 5.690-second pass at 252.59 mph to defeat Payne, the defending race champion.

Winners in other categories are Van Puckett of Snellville, Ga., in Competition Eliminator; Peter Biondo of Mt. Laurel, N.J., in Super Stock; George Tamasi, Jr. of Jupiter, Fla., in Stock Eliminator; Steve Cohen of Tribly, Fla., in Super Comp; Corky Markwart of Seminole, Fla., in Super Gas and Dwight Limbaugh of Decherd, Tenn., in Super Street. The winner in John Bleakley Motorhomes Top Sportsman was Sandy Wilkins of Fuquay Varina, N.C.

The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event being held at Gainesville Raceway:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Round 1
6) John Haley, St Louis Park, Minn., 5.436, 263.08 def.
9) Douglas Monroe, Chesapeake, Va., foul

1) Tony Bartone, Manhasset, N.Y., 5.368, 250.00 def.
8) Artie Allen, Jacksonville, Fla., 13.344, 59.26

2) Michael Gunderson, Middleburg, Fla., 5.399, 266.58 def.
7) Don Fiorelli, Palm Bay, Fla., 5.966, 238.15

2) Jason Cannon, Middleburg, Fla., 5.401, 264.62 def.
5) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 10.535, 74.83

Semifinals
Gunderson, 6.400, 158.28 def. Haley, DQ-Centerline
Bartone, 5.300, 275.06 def. Cannon, 8.715, 94.22

Final Round
Bartone, 5.281, 275.81 def. Gunderson, 7.325, 128.16

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Round 1
1) Jim Sickles, Caledonia, N.Y., '02 Dodge Avenger, 5.708, 254.23 def.
3) Mark Billington, Apopka, Fla., '01 Avenger, 6.164, 236.59

2) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., '02 Chevy Camaro, 5.926, 207.66 def.
3) Paul Lee, Gaithersburg, Md., '98 Pontiac Firebird, 6.204, 177.16

Final Round
Sickles, 5.690, 252.59 def. Payne, 5.726, 245.83

COMPETITION ELIMINATOR
Van Puckett, Snellville, Ga., '99 Firebird, 11.208, 97.80 was unopposed

SUPER STOCK
Peter Biondo, Mount Laurel, N.J., '78 Firebird, 10.031, 121.57 def.
Len King, Langley, S.C., '67 Camaro, 10.248, 125.45

STOCK ELIMINATOR
George Tamasi Jr., Jupiter, Fla., '94 Trans Am, 11.686, 84.38 def.
Brian Rowe, New Bern, N.C., '69 Camaro, foul

SUPER COMP
Steve Cohen, Tribly, Fla., Dragster, 8.848, 178.78 def.
George Tamasi Sr., Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., Dragster, 8.867, 175.88

SUPER GAS
Corky Markwart, Seminole, Fla., '01 S-10, 9.934, 133.51 def.
Ronald Erks, Clinton, Ohio, '63 Corvette, 9.968, 155.70

SUPER STREET
Dwight Limbaugh, Decherd, Tenn., '67 Chevelle, 10.921, 132.78 def.
Greg Glenn, Cape Coral, Fla., '93 S-10, 10.874, 126.79

JOHN BLEAKLEY MOTORHOMES TOP SPORTSMAN
Sandy Wilkins, Fuquay Varina, N.C., '01 Camaro, 9.192, 93.64 def.
Mike Thompson, Naples, Fla., '97 Cutlass, foul

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