NE: Cecil County Saturday summary

MERCIER, MANZO WIN AT CECIL COUNTY

RISING SUN, Md. -- Dan Mercier and Frank Manzo outran their fields to take home wins at this weekend's NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Northeast Shootout at Cecil County Dragway.

Mercier, running out of Montreal, Quebec, CAN., saved his best run of the day in his Top Alcohol Dragster to take the win over defending NHRA Division Champion John Finke with a 5.347 second, 271.79 mph pass. Mercier beat Kimmelyn Buff Pesz in his semifinal match up and Ken Winward in round one on his way to the final round.

Morganville, N.J., racer Manzo captured his 12th Top Alcohol Funny Car win at Cecil County Dragway dating back to 1992. Manzo out ran John Anderika, covering the quarter-mile in 5.628 seconds at 257.68 mph. The win extends the 11-time NHRA National Champion's points lead and all but locks up his 12th National Championship. Anderika beat local racer DJ Cox Jr. of Whiteford, Md., in the semifinals with a 5.749 second lap to Cox's 5.853 second run.

Final qualifying and time trials were completed in the remaining six classes with Tony Terry taking the top spot out of Forest, Va., in Comp Eliminator, Joseph Franco, N. Babylon, N.Y., was No. 1 in Super Stock, and Gene Monahan of Brockton, Mass., leads the field in Stock. Bel Air, Md., racer Gary Ewing is second in Super Stock in his '69 Camaro and Gary Simpers Jr. of Northeast Md., is second in Stock.

Racing continues Sunday at Cecil County Dragway. Gates open at 8 a.m. with racing scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and children 11 and under are free. For more information, call (410) 287-6280 or visit www.cecilcountydragway.com.

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

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:

Round 1

5) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.500, 271.13 def. 4) Justin Davis, Murrieta, Calif., 10.464, 77.03

3) Kimmelyn Buff Pesz, The Woodlands, Texas, 5.367, 266.00 def. 6) Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., 24.376, 25.68

2) Dan Mercier, Montreal, Quebec, 5.407, 271.52 def. 7) Ken Winward, Wilmington, Del., 6.186, 165.90

1) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.359, 268.92 def. 8) Mike Kosky, Cuddy, Pa., 5.473, 258.86

Semifinals

Mercier, 5.482, 253.28 def. Buff Pesz, 5.464, 260.56

Finke, 5.441, 274.16 def. Gallant, 5.348, 269.73

Final

Mercier, 5.347, 271.79 def. Finke, 7.820, 113.57

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:

Round 1

1) Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '05 Monte Carlo, 5.599, 258.57 was unopposed

2) DJ Cox Jr., Whiteford, Md., '02 Firebird, 5.795, 246.89 def. 7) John Headley, Newportville, Pa., '00 Mustang, 6.154, 186.87

3) John Anderika, Pittson, Pa., '02 Camaro, 5.758, 240.94 def. 6) Scott McNiece, Brick, N.J., '08 Mustang, 6.021, 236.38

5) Frank Schuster, Chesterfield, N.J., '02 Firebird, 6.524, 203.92 def. 4) Wayne Morris, Lincoln Univ, Pa., '06 Stratus, 13.607, 62.75

Semifinals

Manzo, 5.599, 258.81 def. Schuster, 8.854, 84.21

Anderika, 5.749, 245.90 def. Cox Jr., 5.853, 241.93

Final

Manzo, 5.628, 257.68 def. Anderika, 12.815, 66.57

COMP ELIMINATOR

1) Tony Terry, Forest, Va., '04 Cavalier, F/AA, 8.005 seconds, -0.635 (under index)

2) Anthony Bertozzi, Ashland, Va., '34 Chevy, B/SR, 7.852, -0.628

3) George Supinski, Freehold, N.J., '06 Cavalier, E/SM, 8.515, -0.625

4) Michael Hardee, Hampstead, N.C., '05 Sunfire, E/SM, 8.519, -0.621

5) Charlie Greco, Berwyn, Pa., '06 GTO, D/AA, 7.670, -0.610

6) Al Ackerman, Saddle Brook, N.J., dragster, F/D, 8.089, -0.601

7) Frank Aragona, Freehold, N.J., '32 Bantam, G/EA, 8.293, -0.597

8) Sal Biondo, Maspeth, N.Y., dragster, D/ED, 7.398, -0.592

9) Lonnie Johnson, Ettrick, Va., '99 Neon R/T, B/AA, 7.063, -0.577

10) Scott Benham, La Grange, Texas, '05 Sunfire, E/SM, 8.564, -0.576

SUPER STOCK

1) Joseph Franco III, N. Babylon, N.Y., '85 Camaro, GT/HA, 10.091 seconds, -1.259 (under index)

2) Gary Ewing, Bel Air, Md., '69 Camaro, SS/JA, 10.069, -1.231

3) Vic Santos, N. Reading, Pa., '85 Firebird, GT/HA, 10.121, -1.229

4) Tom Sheehan, Belle Vernon, Pa., '00 Sebring, GT/IA, 10.275, -1.225

5) Brian Oakes, Williamstown, N.J., '69 Camaro, SS/CA, 9.142, -1.208

6) Jay Higgins, Fayetteville, N.C., '08 Cobalt, SS/BM, 8.451, -1.199

7) Byron Worner, Duncannon, Pa., '96 Camaro, SS/IA, 9.803, -1.197

8) Bob Cupp, Alexandria, Va., '65 Chevelle, SS/KA, 10.359, -1.191

9) Dennis Steward, Dover, Pa., '91 Daytona, GT/IA, 10.311, -1.189

10) Howard Barsky, Langhorne, Pa., '57 Chevy, SS/NA, 11.267, -1.183

STOCK ELIMINATOR

1) Gene Monahan, Brockton, Mass., '90 Firebird, J/SA, 11.387 seconds, -1.363 (under index)

2) Gary Simpers Jr, Northeast, Md., '91 Thunderbird, P/SA, 12.457, -1.293

3) Jeffrey Bardekoff, Commack, N.Y., '64 Fury, B/SA, 10.263, -1.287

4) Steve Szupka, Willow Grove, Pa., '85 Camaro, J/SA, 11.485, -1.265

5) Monty Bogan, Centreville, Va., '01 Firebird, A/SA, 10.045, -1.255

6) James Conte, Pearl River, N.Y., '69 Mustang, C/SA, 10.453, -1.247

7) Jason Silver, Marlboro, N.Y., '88 Cutlass, P/SA, 12.514, -1.236

8) Dave Casey, Hampden, Mass., '86 Camaro, G/S, 10.971, -1.229

9) Jack Matyas, Bethlehem, Pa., '04 GTO, E/SA, 10.773, -1.227

10) Lenny Williams, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., '71 Gran Sport, G/SA, 11.074, -1.226

-credit: nhra