NE: Atco final summary

Atco N.J. Resident Takes Victory

ATCO, N.J. -- The final results from Atco Raceway are in and on Father's Day with partly cloudy skies the hometown boy from Atco N.J., Jack Donnelly took home the victory at his home track. Donnelly's pass at over 162 mph was good enough to defeat Steve Cohen, of Trilby, Fla. Stephen Szupka, of Willow Grove, Pa., took the victory in Comp Eliminator and fell one win short of the double up in Stock Eliminator. Szupka ran a time of 8.324 at 158.48 mph to defeat divisional hitter Sal Biondo, of Maspeth, N.Y. Chris DePascale who hails from Parlin, N.J., drove his '04 Corvette to victory in Super Gas with a pass at 9.916 seconds at 158.59 mph defeating this year's Jegs All-Star champion Mike Sawyer from Acton, Mass.

In Super Stock action, N. Babylon, N.Y., resident Joseph Franco III came out of the No. 1 qualifying position to take home his very first Wally in Lucas Oil Competition. Franco had previously gone winless in his first two final appearances. Don Pires Jr, from Dighton, Mass., piloted his '72 Nova to the winners circle in the Stock Eliminator class, defeating Steve Szupka denying him the extremely difficult feat of winning in two categories.

Ed Wiley from Brooksville, Fla., had a perfect reaction time and was dead on with a zero in the finals of Super Street. This drag racing terminology can be summed up in layman's terms by saying that Wiley had a perfect run in the finals in his '67 Camaro.

In action away from the racing service, Bucky Hess won the Classic Auto Body Best Appearing Car award for his beautiful brand new hemi powered King Cuda. The Best Engineered Car sponsored by Hoops Fire Protection went to Tom Goldman and the R. Champlin Crane & Excavating Best Appearing Crew went to the Top Alcohol Dragster team of Bill Evans.

Yesterday's action included the finals of Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car. In Top Alcohol Dragster action, Authur Gallant of Boxboro, Mass., piloted his Dragster to the winners circle. The Top Alcohol Funny category saw for the first time this season a winner other then Frank Manzo of Morganville, N.J., that driver was Marc White, of Glendale Hts., Ill. Manzo's streak of 47 consecutive round wins came to a halt in the first round of yesterday's action in a loss to Marty Nothstein, of Orefield, Pa. on a whole shot.

Northeast Division racers head to Lebanon Valley Dragway for the next NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, July 4-6.

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

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 21.307, 72.41 def. Mike Kosky, Cuddy, Pa., broke.

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR

Marc White, Glendale Hts., Ill., '08 Mustang, 5.761, 249.53 def. Marty Nothstein, Orefield, Pa., '08 Impala, 5.755, 253.42

COMP ELIMINATOR

Stephen Szupka, Willow Grove, Pa., dragster, F/ED, 8.324, 158.48 def. Sal Biondo, Maspeth, N.Y., '93 Beretta, I/AA, 8.566, 130.28

SUPER STOCK

Joseph Franco III, N. Babylon, N.Y., '85 Camaro, GT/HA, 10.176, 127.85 def. Kent Hanley, Newtown, Conn., '94 Cavalier, GT/BA, 9.868, 131.63

STOCK ELIMINATOR

Don Pires Jr, Dighton, Mass., '72 Nova, H/SA, 11.789, 104.37 def. Steve Szupka, Willow Grove, Pa., '85 Camaro, J/SA, 11.619, 108.73

SUPER COMP

Jack Donnelly, Atco, N.J., dragster, 8.890, 161.77 def. Steve Cohen, Trilby, Fla., dragster, 8.887, 173.83

SUPER GAS

Chris DePascale, Parlin, N.J., '04 Corvette, 9.916, 158.59 def. Mike Sawyer, Acton, Mass., '03 Cavalier, 9.909, 162.37

SUPER STREET

Ed Wiley, Brooksville, Fla., '67 Camaro, 10.900, 133.28 def. Rob Derr, Rosedale, Md., '80 Grand Prix, 10.889, 137.90

-credit: nhra