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TEAM MANCUSO FACES OFF IN FINAL ROUND ACTION AND VANCIL SCORES BIG NUMBERS AT THE ROEDER HARLEY-DAVIDSON BUCKEYE NATIONALS PRESENTED BY DRAG SPECIALTIES, JUNE 12TH AND 13TH, NORWALK RACEWAY PARK

Winston-Salem, N.C., June 22, 2004 The All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA) was able to dodge Norwalk's rains this year to complete eliminations under a hot sun on raceday.

Early season dominator Steve Stordeur beat boss Johnny Mancuso in an all-Mancuso H-D Screamin' Eagle Nitro Harley final. But despite losing to Mancuso in the semi, Doug Vancil couldn't hide his Cheshire cat grin after solving the riddle of his new clutch system and laying down a 6.29 at 221.74 mph lap in qualifying good enough for the #1 spot and a new 4.094 1/8th mile E.T. record.

After trailing Buckeye Bill Bertolette in qualifying, Arizonan Jack Romine delivered the goods when it counted, on Laser Innovations' Flaming Banana, and took the JIMS Pro Fuel win over Bertolette in the final.

Floridian Chuck Jones said he could step it up when pushed, and he did just that at Norwalk, running low ET of the class and putting down #1 qualifier Scott Truett in the Kresto Pro Drag final. Truett had lane choice and the starting line advantage in the final.

#1 qualifier Dirk Higgins pushed his Jon Miller prepared, Thiel's Wheels mount past Mark Collier in S&S Pro Stock, erasing Collier's nearly 2/10ths advantage off the line.

Pennsylvania car dealer Scott Tepper won an easy one in S&S Pro Gas when Atlanta winner Brook McCabe broke his tranny in the final.

Gene Lummus H-D rider Junior Pippin continued to maintain his performance edge over defending Joker Machine Pro Modified champion Cliff Dwy. Both ran their best race laps in the heat of the day at Norwalk, with #1 qualifier Pippin adding another "W" to his '04 win column after erasing Dwy's starting line advantage.

New Jersey rider Joe Sternotti scored his second straight Rivera/Primo Street Pro win and took over the points lead from four-time champ Travis Lummus, who struggled with an electrical problem all weekend on his Gene Lummus H-D mount. Sternotti beat J.P. Williams in the final.

#1 qualifier John Burdynski had to swallow his pride after redlighting to eventual runner-up Mike Roberts in a Dragmasters Hot Street semi. H-D/Buell dealer of Lakeland, Florida, Donnie Huffman, beat Roberts in the final. Pennsylvania's Bruce Croneberger set a new 1/4 mile record in Norwalk with a 131.06 mph pass.

Tilley H-D racer Tripp Nobles beat Iowa dealer Clay "Wheelie" Wilwert in the Screamin' Eagle V-Rod final. #1 qualifier Tripp had an easy day when round one opponent Jim Wise killed his V-Rod at launch, sending Nobles to a semifinal bye to the final.

Pennsylvania grain and vegetable farmer Blake Holliday won an easy one in Red Line Oil Super Gas when Freedom H-D rider Dave Ostrowske deep-stage fouled in the final.

Virginian G.W. Bass parlayed a starting line advantage into a double breakout win against Allen Nusbaum in S&S Supersport.

Young multi-time runner-up Bill Lee Jr. finally snagged the hardware on his very racy Buell, beating champ Larry Guy in the Performance Corner Super Eliminator final. Lee, a peripheral member of Florida's Dragmasters team, qualified #1 in the index class with a perfect 10.900.

'04 ET champ J.P. Hendrzak beat back-at-the-track Nick Gonatas of Youngstown, OH, in a double-breakout Screamin' Eagle Performance final.

Joe Perry scratched Super Eliminator winner Bill Lee Jr. out of the Syn3 ET final, winning the race on his painfully ponderous Buell Blast when Lee just couldn't wait any longer and lit the redeye.

No one need wait long for the next AHDRA race on June 26th and 27th. That will be the Kresto Pacific Nationals presented by Eastside Harley-Davidson at Pacific Raceways near Seattle, Washington.

For more information on the 2004 Screamin' Eagle Performance Parts Championship Series, please contact 336-924-2095 or visit www.ahdra.com.

FINAL RESULTS

Screamin' Eagle Nitro Harley Top Fuel
WinnerSteve Stordeur 473 6.471 205.04
R/UJohnny Mancuso .478 6.510 199.82
S & S Cycle Pro Stock
WinnerDirk Higgins .615 7.686 168.89
R/UMark Collier .420 8.666 135.43
JIMS Pro Fuel
WinnerJack Romine .505 6.755 204.54
R/UBill Bertolette .526 6.871 187.44
S & S Cycle Pro Gas
WinnerScott Tepper .483 8.138 160.71
R/UBrook McCabe .448 13.561 56.62
Kresto Pro Drag
WinnerChuck Jones .567 7.353 172.67
R/UScott Truett .522 7.488 173.81
Joker Machine Pro Modified
WinnerJunior Pippin .488 8.350 153.86
R/UCliff Dwy .427 8.432 154.44
Rivera-Primo Street Pro
WinnerJoe Sternotti .551 9.289 147.12
R/UJ.P. Williams .520 10.024 137.00
Screamin' Eagle V-Rod
WinnerTripp Nobles .568 10.041 128.92
R/UClay Wilwert .715 10.547 127.27
Dragmasters Hot Street
WinnerDonnie Huffman .514 10.456 128.89
R/UMike Roberts .578 10.836 127.02
Redline Oil Super Gas (9.70 Index)
WinnerBlake Holliday .615 9.752
R/UDave Ostrowske deep 9.901
S & S Cycle Super Sport (10.30 Index)
WinnerG. W. Bass .496 10.285
R/UAllen Nusbaum .562 10.244
Performance Corner Super Eliminator (10.90 Index)
WinnerBill Lee Jr. .466 10.931
R/ULarry Guy .495 10.869
Screamin' Eagle Performance (11.50 Index)
WinnerJ.P. Hendrzak .485 11.394
R/UNicholas Gonatas .517 11.315

Syn3 ET
WinnerJoe Perry .584 16.30 16.150
R/UBill Lee Jr. .478 11.00 10.908

Winner Circle Photos


Top Fuel - Stordeur

Pro Fuel - Romine

Pro Stock - Higgins

Pro Drag - Jones

Pro Gas - Tepper

Pro Modified - Pippin

Street Pro - Sternotti

Hot Street - Huffman

V-Rod - Nobles

Super Gas - Holliday

Super Sport - Bass

SE - Lee

SEP - Hendrzak

ET - Perry