FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
First wins for Johnson and Clough

Mission, B.C. - Racers returned to a packed house at Mission Raceway Park for the conclusion of the rain-delayed Lordco Auto Parts B.C. Nationals, race two of seven in Northwest Division competition of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

Despite the presence of heavily favored contenders, rookie Brandon Johnson in Top Alcohol Dragster and Rod Clough in Top Alcohol Funny Car took home wins.

Johnson of Shelton, Wash., had never even reached the semifinals, before racing here today at Mission Raceway Park. The rookie pilot defeated Duane Shields, who finished sixth last year nationally in the first round, then Northwest Division champion Mark Hentges in the semifinals. In the final, Johnson took the win uncontested as Joey Severance was unable to challenge Johnson in the final due to mechanical problems.

After losing twice this year to Bucky Austin, the third time was a charm for Clough, as the Grotek Top Alcohol Funny Car racer took home his first win of the year. The difference in this race was in reaction times, as Clough's .505-second time was .202 seconds better than Austin, and enough for the Abbotsford, B.C., resident to earn the win despite a slower elapsed time.

Winners in other categories were Rick Dingle of Olympia, Wash., in Comp; Gray Faul of Spanaway, Wash., in Super Stock; Steven Cozakos of Maple Valley, Wash., in Stock; Don Rhyne of Boring, Ore., in Super Comp; Mike Ferderer of Buckley, Wash., in Super Gas; and Bob Munoz of Tacoma, Wash., in Super Street.

Brian Hudson of Kennewick, Wash., also took the win in NHRA Kerker Motorcycle Series action and Mike Weiss of Port Orchard, Wash., took the win in Top Comp.

Northwest Division competition of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will make its next stop at Woodburn Dragstrip in Woodburn, Ore., on July 12-14.

The following are final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at Mission Raceway Park:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER 
1)  Mark Hentges, Federal Way, Wash., 5.419 seconds, 255.39 mph 
2)  Joey Severance, Spanaway, Wash., 5.456, 250.69 
3)  Gary Anderson, Anaheim, Calif., 5.459, 248.48 
4)  Duane Shields, Las Vegas, 5.469, 257.43 
5)  Brandon Johnson, Shelton, Wash., 5.470, 260.11 
6)  William Edwards Jr., Sumas, Wash., 5.612, 240.51 
7)  Steve Federlin, Oregon City, Ore., 5.620, 255.24 
8)  Greggory Lawrence, Salem, Ore., 5.625, 253.16 

Not Qualified 
9)  Michael Cofini, Spokane, Wash., 5.656, 252.66 
10)  Greg Tacke, Great Falls, Mont., 5.779, 251.11 
11)  Kim Parker, Graham, Wash., 5.819, 208.14 
12)  Bernie Plourd, Covington, Wash., 5.885, 203.02 
13)  Leo Grocock, Mission, B.C., 6.628, 193.09 
14)  Paul Julien, Mission, B.C., 8.135, 137.38 
15)  Mitch Myers, Hermiston, Ore., 9.034, 59.54 

Round 1 
Hentges, 5.579, 155.82 def. Plourd, 5.770, 243.70 
Severance, 5.513, 260.19 def. Federlin, 5.618, 255.75 
Anderson, 12.264, 84.31 def. Edwards, no time 
Johnson, 5.567, 256.92 def. Shield, 5.485, 259.44 

Semifinals 
Johnson, 5.521, 256.11 def. Hentges, 5.606, 255.39 
Severance, 5.472, 257.65 def. Anderson, 5.656, 262.44 

Final 
Johnson, 5.629, 240.51 def. Severance, did not run 

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR 
1)  Bucky Austin, Fife, Wash., '02 Firebird, 5.673 seconds, 257.73 mph 
2)  Randy Parker, Graham, Wash., '99 Avenger, 5.797, 236.59 
3)  Rod Clough, Abbotsford, B.C., '97 Firebird, 6.166, 225.90 
4)  John Knox, Lacey, Wash., '97 Mustang, 6.288, 227.84 
5)  Matt Goss, Junction City, Ore., '01 Firebird, 6.377, 228.60 
6)  Tim Nemeth, Surrey, B.C., '96 Cutlass, DQ 

Semifinals 
Austin, 5.844, 149.10 def. Nemeth, no time 
Clough, 8.870, 97.65 def. Knox, did not run 

Final 
Clough, 6.002, 240.96 def. Austin, 5.895, 248.89 

COMPETITION ELIMINATOR 
Rick Dingle, Olympia, Wash., '00 Dragster, C/ED, 7.512 seconds, 168.76 mph def. 
Adam Bowdish, West Linn, Ore., '89 Firebird, F/SM, 9.699, 107.47

SUPER STOCK 
Gray Faul, Spanaway, Wash., '66 El Camino, SS/MA, 11.905, 109.30 def. 
Don Thomas, Spruce Grove, Alta., '89 Camaro, GT/HA, 10.598, 126.22

STOCK ELIMINATOR 
Steven Cozakos, Maple Valley, Wash., '69 Nova, G/SA, 11.489, 112.28 def. 
Todd Gale, Pasco, Wash., '70 Camaro, I/SA, 12.136, 106.55

SUPER COMP 
Don Rhyne, Boring, Ore., '00 Mullis, 8.907, 177.16 def. 
Rodney Souza, Eugene, Ore., 8.903, 172.77 

SUPER GAS 
Mike Ferderer, Buckley, Wash., '02 Pontiac, 9.886, 159.63 def. 
Joe Mura, Vancouver, B.C., '63 Chevy, 9.861, 138.82 

SUPER STREET 
Bob Munoz, Tacoma, Wash., '55 Chevy, 10.901, 121.57 def. 
Steve Lowe, Langley, B.C., '68 Camaro, 10.907, 131.31 

TOP COMP 
Mike Weiss, Port Orchard, Wash., '01 Dragster, 7.595, 177.06 def. 
Rick Smyth, North Bend, Ore., '96 Dragster, 7.741, 175.98

NHRA KERKER MOTORCYCLE SERIES 
Brian Hudson, Kennewick, Wash., '80 Suzuki, 9.097, 138.73 def. 
Al Omond, Sardis, B.C., '84 Ninja, 9.821, 130.32 

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES: Fact Sheet

WHAT: A one-day event, the conclusion of the rain-delayed Lordco Auto Parts BC Nationals, a round of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Drivers will earn points leading to divisional and national championships. Categories include Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock Eliminator, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street. The original date was May 3-5.

WHERE: Mission Raceway Park, Mission, B.C. Track is located 10 miles north of Sumas, Wash., on Highway 11.

WHEN: Saturday, June 22, 2002

SCHEDULE: Time trials and qualifying schedule for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series:
SATURDAY, June 22 - Gates open at 7 a.m. Time trials and qualifying begin at 8:30 a.m. Eliminations begin at noon.

TICKETS: GENERAL ADMISSION/PIT PASS -- $20 Saturday, $25 with a pit pass. Children 12 and under are admitted free with a paid adult. For more information please call Mission Raceway Park, (604) 826-6315.

PURSE: The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competitors will vie for cash and contingency awards of $143,700, part of the 45-race, $6.5 million series.

2001 EVENT WINNERS: Mark Hentges, Top Alcohol Dragster; Bucky Austin, Top Alcohol Funny Car; Jeff Lane, Comp Eliminator; Bill Stewart, Super Stock; Jody Lang, Stock Eliminator; Marc Heritage, Super Comp; Justin Jones, Super Gas; Jason Heard, Super Street

BONUS PROGRAMS:
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES POINTS FUND -- a $561,000 point fund from Lucas Oil, which will be shared by 2002 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series divisional champions and national champions. Divisional awards include $8,500 each to the Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car champions; $3,000 to the champions in both Competition and Super Stock; $2,000 each to the champions in Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street. The seven national champions will share a bonus of $135,000.

SEALED POWER LOW QUALIFIER BONUS -- a $220,500 overall bonus fund from Federal-Mogul's Sealed Power brand to the low qualifiers at each of the 45 Lucas Oil events and the 23 NHRA national events: $1,250 each in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car; $400 each in Comp Eliminator and Super Stock; and $200 in Stock. (TAD and TAFC compete at 16 of 23 national events.)

JEG'S ALLSTARS: The best of the best from each of NHRA's seven divisions will compete for a share of the $100,000 point fund from Jeg's High Performance. The 2002 Jeg's Allstars event will culminate a year-long points battle between drivers in each of NHRA's Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series' eight classes. The top points earner in each category will qualify to represent his/her division at the 2002 Jeg's Allstars, held in conjunction with the NHRA Nationals in Chicago, Sept. 26-29, 2002. Points are based on in-division races only.

The winning division's team will share $20,000 and individual awards include $7,000 each to the Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car champions, $6,000 to champions in Comp Eliminator and Super Stock, and $4,500 to the Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street champions. Runners-up in all categories will earn $2,000 apiece. Each Allstars competitor will also receive a share of a $20,000 towing fund to get to the event.

NHRA KERKER MOTORCYCLE SERIES: Run in conjunction with the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the NHRA Kerker Motorcycle Series is an opportunity for competitors in NHRA's Sportsman Motorcycle class to earn points toward divisional championships. The $7,400 champions' purse posted by Kerker will be paid to first, second and third place points finishers in NHRA divisions that host Sportsman Motorcycles.

The top four riders from each division in the NHRA Kerker Motorcycle Series will be invited to compete in the NHRA Kerker King of the Coast competition. In 2002, the All-Star invitational will be run during the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in November. The rider who is crowned the Kerker King of the Coast will earn $1,000. The runner-up in the 16-bike field will receive $500.

Currently, Sportsman Motorcycles are run in NHRA's South Central, West Central, Northwest and Pacific divisions.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Severance and Austin on top after day one at Mission

Mission, B.C. - Over 400 racers made qualifying runs today during the first day of racing at the Lordco Auto Parts B.C. Nationals, the second of seven events in Northwest Division competition of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

"The track is great and I expect a lot of records to be broken," said Mike Rice, NHRA Northwest Division Director.

Dragster pilot Joey Severance, of Spanaway, Wash., made a 5.456-second, 250.69-mph run to put him ahead of his competitors. Fourteen other racers in the Top Alcohol Dragster category will be looking to shoot him during tomorrow's qualifying sessions.

In Top Alcohol Funny Car, Bucky Austin of Fife, Wash., is leading the field after a 5.673-second, 257.73 mph pass. Local favorite, Rod Clough, driver of the Team Roadway Grotek Top Alcohol Funny Car is currently third, but is optimistic that he will make a quicker run during tomorrow's qualifying sessions.

"I think I pushed the car a little too hard today and I smoked the tires a little," said the Abbotsford, B.C., resident. "I'll back it off a little tomorrow and should have a quicker run."

Top qualifiers in other classes are Jimmy DeFrank of Chatsworth, Calif., in Comp; John Gallina of Henderson, Nev., in Super Stock; and Marka Gallina of Las Vegas, in Stock.

Shelton, Wash., resident Leeland King, is currently the number qualifier in Sportsman Motorcycle of the NHRA Kerker Motorcycle Series.

Gates at Mission Raceway Park open tomorrow at 8 a.m., with qualifying resuming at 8:30 a.m. Top Alcohol Funny Car runs at noon and 4 p.m., and Top Alcohol Dragster at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. For more information call the track at (604) 826-6315.

The following are Friday's qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at Mission Raceway Park:

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
1)  Joey Severance, Spanaway, Wash., '96 Dragster, 5.456 seconds, 250.69 mph
2)  Gary Anderson, Anaheim, Calif., '97 Dragster, 5.459, 248.48
3)  Duane Shields, Las Vegas, '00 Dragster, 5.469, 257.43
4)  Brandon Johnson, Shelton, Wash., '02 Dragster, 5.470, 260.11
5)  William Edwards Jr., Sumas, Wash., '79 Dragster, 5.612, 240.51
6)  Greggory Lawrence, Salem, Ore., '98 Dragster, 5.625, 253.16
7)  Michael Cofini, Spokane, Wash., '95 Dragster, 5.697, 239.42
8)  Kim Parker, Graham, Wash., '02 Dragster, 5.819, 208.14
9)  Mark Hentges, Federal Way, Wash., '02 Dragster, 6.052, 165.71
10) Leo Grocock, Mission, B.C., '89 Dragster, 6.628, 193.09

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
1)  Bucky Austin, Fife, Wash., '02 Firebird, 5.673 seconds, 257.73 mph
2)  Randy Parker, Graham, Wash., '99 Avenger, 5.797, 236.59
3)  Rod Clough, Abbotsford, B.C., '97 Firebird, 6.166, 225.90
4)  Matt Goss, Junction City, Ore., '01 Firebird, 14.752, 65.92

COMPETITION ELIMINATOR
1)  Jimmy DeFrank, Chatsworth, Calif., '89 Cutlass, C/EA, 8.174 seconds, -0.756 under index
2)  Maureen Jondahl, Battleground, Wash., '92 Firebird, G/AA, 8.553, -0.667
3)  Craig Schuck, Eugene, Ore., '95 Sarmento, C/ED, 7.345, -0.665
4)  Tom Tucker, Bend, Ore., '98 Lumina, G/A, 8.588, -0.652
5)  Phil Cocuzza, Acton, Calif., '95 Firebird, B/EA, 7.882, -0.648
6)  Jim Warter, Fox Island, Wash., '92 Camaro, E/SM, 8.698, -0.642
7)  Adam Bowdish, West Linn, Ore., '89 Firebird, F/SM, 8.909, -0.641
8)  Rick Dingle, Olympia, Wash., '00 Dragster, C/ED, 7.434, -0.576
9)  Danny Anderson, Bonney Lake, Wash., '00 Dragster, C/ED, 7.457, -0.553
10) Rob Harrison, North Vancouver, B.C., '91 Beretta, J/A, 8.028, -0.532

SUPER STOCK
1)  John Gallina, Henderson, Nev., '87 Grand National, SS/DX, 8.028 seconds, -1.472 under index
2)  Bucky Hess, Bunker Hill, W. Va., '68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 8.717, -1.283
3)  Michael Ogburn, Mission Viejo, Calif., '68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 8.723, -1.277
4)  Jerry Jenkins, Modesto, Calif., '68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 8.743, -1.257
5)  Jim Johnston, Ladner, B.C., '55 Chevy, SS/PA, 11.711, -1.239
6)  Dave Raybourn, Modesto, Calif., '68 Dart, SS/AA, 8.776, -1.224
7)  David Barton, Wernersville, Pa., '68 Dart, SS/AA, 8.785, -1.215
8)  Allyn Lee, Red Deer, Alta., '68 Barracuda, SS/A, 8.752, -1.198
9)  Gary McGlasson, Los Lunas, N.M., '69 Camaro, SS/HA, 9.784, -1.116
10) Bill Stewart, Marysville, Wash., '74 Barracuda, SS/LA, 10.682, -1.068

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1)  Marka Gallina, Las Vegas, '89 Trans Am, I/SA, 11.208 seconds, -1.392 under index
2)  Bruce Flodin, Abbotsford, B.C., '95 Dakota, CT/SA, 11.715, -1.335
3)  Calvin Queahpama, Warm Springs, Ore., '65 Chevrolet, T/SA, 13.367, -1.333
4)  Randy Hutchings, Calgary, Alta., '81 Dodge, ET/SA, 11.945, -1.305
5)  Robert Pond, Riverside, Calif., '67 Fairlane, A/S, 10.012, -1.238
6)  Don Little, Westley, Calif., '70 Barracuda, A/SA, 10.062, -1.238
7)  J.R. Reitmeier, Lumsden, Sask., '69 Camaro, G/SA, 11.076, -1.224
8)  Tommy Gaynor, Vancouver, Wash., '96 Firebird, F/SA, 10.928, -1.222
9)  Sean Cour, Brush Prairie, Wash., '97 Camaro, D/SA, 10.684, -1.166
10) Tom Skjonsberg, Red Deer, Alta., '70 Barracuda, A/SA, 10.180, -1.120

SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
1)  Leeland King, Shelton, Wash., '90 Ninja, 0.405 second reaction time
2)  Lloyd Malovec, Victoria, B.C., '86 Suzuki, 0.408
3)  Wayne Stebing, Marysville, Wash., '78 Kawasaki, 0.408
4)  Jerry Stinson, Medford, Ore., '84 Ninja, 0.412
5)  Joe Collette, Boise, Idaho, '96 Kawasaki, 0.423
6)  Steve Cross, Calgary, Alta., '82 Suzuki, 0.425
7)  Miles Hauer, Seattle, '81 Suzuki, 0.426
8)  Kevin Brennan, Chilliwack, B.C., '92 Suzuki, 0.426
9)  Mike Fordice, Woodburn, Ore., '84 Suzuki, 0.428
10) Brian Hudson, Kennewick, Wash., '80 Suzuki, 0.430