BOURKE, VENEY WIN LUCAS OIL REGIONAL

Words by Eric Lotz
Photos by Richard Muir

TAD Winner Richard Bourke

At historic Cecil County Dragway in the final NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series East Regional event of the year, Richard Bourke parlayed qualifying success at recent events into his first victory of the season in Top Alcohol Dragster and Todd Veney won Top Alcohol Funny Car for the second time this year.

"The car's been running great in qualifying all year," said Bourke, who paced the field at three of the four East Regional events he entered this season, sometimes by as much as seven-hundredths of a second. "We've had a few problems in eliminations, but this time everything went right."

Bourke was No. 1 after the first session with the only run in the 5.30s (5.38), was overtaken by Canadian Dan Mercier's 5.37 in the last-shot session, and reclaimed the lead one pair later with a 5.36. Sixteen drivers attempted to qualify, and the bump was Frank Schuster's 5.48.