ARAGONA, MARTEL LEAD WINNERS AT ATCO

Words by Eric Lotz
Photos by Richard Muir

Frank Aragona and Brian Martel led the Aug. 4-5 winners at Atco Raceway for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Both drivers also now lead the Northeast Division point’s standings and are second in the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals point’s chase.

Aragona grabbed his third win of the year out of Freehold, N.J., in defeating Joe Carnasciale, Cranston, R.I., in Comp Eliminator.  Aragona wheeled his dragster to a lap of 8.269 seconds at 136.08 mph as Carnsciale’s 2006 Cavalier lost power and slowed to an 11.447 in the final round.

Martel, from Magnolia, Del., used a .010 second package to claim his first divisional event win of the year to go along with a national event win back in June. The second-generation driver’s 2009 Cobalt SS/BS had a .007 second reaction time and ran 9.203 on a 9.20 dial to beat Marty Rinehart (Thomasville, Pa.) for the Super Stock title. Rinehart’s ’69 Camaro SS/EA ran 9.862 at 135.76 mph.