NUGENT, BIGHAM, RICKETSON, SALEMI & RAISER TAKE TRUCK NIGHT WINS AT LANCASTER 

LANCASTER, NY – Over 200 vehicles of all shapes and sizes filled the pits on Friday night at Lancaster Dragway @ New York International Raceway Park for Truck Night presented by Mallare Trucking. There were race cars, dump trucks, semi trucks, pickup trucks and even a couple of school buses that made their way down the 1/8-mile drag strip as part of busy night of IHRA Drag Racing.

Ann Marie Nugent of West Seneca, N.Y. scored her first win of the season in Mallare Trucking Top ET. Nugent beat Jim Green to top end to score the victory. In Top 8 Eliminator, Bill Bigham of Niagara Falls earned his second victory of 2019 after he held off a very fast Joe Passero in the finals.

For third time this season Reid Ricketson of Darien Center, N.Y. was victorious in Gianni Mazia’s Mod ET. RIcketson latest final round opponent was veteran Joe Skok, who Ricketson held off at the finish line to pick up the win. Ricketson maintained his Mod class points lead with the victory.

This season in Hebeler’s Sales Bikes & Sleds has been dominated by Lucas Salemi and Mike Peters. Both drivers had won three times each entering Friday night’s event. Their tie breaker for the season win lead was settled in the final round as Peters broke out to give Salemi his fourth win of the year. Coincidently it was only the second time this season the pair met in the final round.

Donny “DJ” Raiser of Lancaster won in Tread City Tire Street for third time in 2019 as he beat Russell Morris in the finals after Morris red lighted.

In the special classes in honor of Truck Night presented by Mallare Trucking, Joe Boyles of East Concord, N.Y. won the Semi Truck class in his 2000 Peterbilt. Ryan Lloyd of Niagara Falls took top honors in the Dump Truck class in his 1998 Kenworth. Both Boyles and Lloyd took home $750 for their wins.  Katie Oswald of Alma, N.Y. won the Street Pick-Up class sponsored by Halleen’s Automotive and Truck Accessories.

The most memorable of night came when racer Keith Cleveland proposed to his girlfriend Tracey Laskowski right on track. He popped the question with a special message on the window of his race car.

Next Friday, August 23, the Buffalo Street Outlaws return to Lancaster as the fastest street cars in Western New York go head-to-head. They join a full night of IHRA Drag Racing with time trials starting at 5 p.m.

RESULTS (Driver, hometown, vehicle, reaction time, dial-in, elapsed time and top speed)

Mallare Trucking Top ET

Winner: Ann Marie Nugent (W. Seneca, N.Y.) 1985 Chevrolet Camaro .514 5.81 5.875 seconds, 117.43.mph

Runner-up: Jim Green (Elma, N.Y.) 1969 Chevrolet Camaro .557 6.10 6.209 seconds, 112.85 mph

Top 8 Eliminator

Winner: Bill Bigham (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) 1923 Ford T Bucket .514 5.74 5.767 seconds, 119.65 mph

Runner-up: Joe Passero (Stevensville, Ontario) R.E. Dragster .541 4.75 4.789 seconds, 145.14 mph

Gianni Mazia’s Mod ET

Winner: Reid Ricketson (Darien Center, N.Y.) 1974 Plymouth Duster .549 7.18 7.240 seconds, 93.00 mph

Runner-up: Joe Skok (Lancaster, N.Y.) 1964 Pontiac GTO .589 6.90 6.933 seconds, 91.26 mph

Hebeler’s Sales Bikes & Sleds

Winner: Lucas Salemi (Clarence Center, N.Y.) Arctic Cat .506 6.51 6.562 seconds, 94.92 mph

Runner-up: Mike Peters (Angola, N.Y.) 1980 Kawsaki .579 5.64 5.627 seconds, 123.05 mph

Tread City Tire Street ET

Winner: DJ Raiser (Lancaster, N.Y.) Chevrolet Truck .561 10.60 10.450 seconds, 65.80 mph

Runner-up: Russell Morris 1966 Plymouth Fury III .443 FOUL

Big Rigs

Winner: Joe Boyles (E. Concord, N.Y.) 2000 Peterbilt 1.040 13.70 13.783 seconds, 54.79 mph

Runner-up: Dave Haseley (Appleton, N.Y.) 2012 Peterbilt .878 14.70 15.081 seconds, 53.48 mph

Dump Trucks

Winner: Ryan Lloyd (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) 1998 Kenworth .983 15.38 15.569 seconds, 47.62 mph

Runner-up: Keith Joseph (Lockport, N.Y.) 2013 Ford .704 12.70 12.646 seconds, 54.53 mph

Halleen’s Automotive Street Trucks

Winner: Katie Oswald (Alma, N.Y.) 2006 Dodge .661 7.70 7.795 seconds, 89.66 mph

Runner-up: Connoe Wieserner (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) .806 10.31 10.398 seconds, 68.31 mph