Duane Shields and Matt Gill raced to victory at this weekend’s NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at New England Dragway and the final stop in the NHRA Northeast Division Lucas Oil Series.
 
Shields, Boulder City, Nev., collected his fourth win of the year having won earlier at Gainesville Raceway, Lebanon Valley Dragway and Maple Grove Raceway. Shields qualified number one in Top Alcohol Dragster and took out Dan Page in the semifinals to advance to the final round against Josh Hart who was coming off a big win at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. Shields saved his best run of eliminations for last as he crossed the finish line in 5.213 seconds at 278.92 mph to defeat Hart.
 
Gill, Brockton, Mass., faced off with regional points leader Dan Pomponio Jr. in the Top Alcohol Funny Car money round with Gill laying down a 5.643 second lap at 265.33 for the win and the trophy. The win is Gill’s second of the year having won the season opener at Virginia Motorsports Park.
 
Former NHRA Lucas Oil World Champion Iggie Boicesco went dead-on in his Super Gas final round with Chuck Rothermel and Chip Ippolito closed the deal on Gary Guarriello for the win in Comp Eliminator. Boicesco went 9.900 on the 9.90 dial for his 15th Lucas Oil divisional win and Ippolito grabbed his first in five finals. Ippolito, Laconia, N.H., won on a holeshot posting a 7.621, 172.36 mph run.
 
In the Magnaflux Top Sportsman and Top Dragster classes it was Eric Cabral and Van Di Genova posting the wins respectively. Cabral used a stellar .003 second reaction time for the early lead and a combined .020 package for the win over Jeff Brooks. Di Genova was better at the start against Mark Payne and held on for her first win with a 6.701, 195.73 pass.
 
Others taking home wins and the NHRA Wally trophy were Timothy Stickles in Super Stock, Shane Oakes in Stock, Kyle Bigley in Super Comp, Shawn Fricke in Super Street and Mark Wakem in Pro Stock Snowmobile.
 
The NHRA Summit Jr. Drag Racing League Northeast Division Direct Cabinet Sales Series was also in action this weekend with Albert Gouveia beating Cody Cumming in the 6-9 class; Tyler Christopher took out Brandon Miller in 13-17; and Paul Stalba won over Christopher Khoury in 10-12.
 
Where this event wraps up the Northeast Division Lucas Oil divisional schedule, racers can still compete outside their division and at national events. Most of these racers will head to Maple Grove Raceway, Reading, Pa., for the Dodge NHRA Nationals and the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series this weekend Sept. 13-16.
 

The following are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at New England Dragway:
 
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER:
Round 1
1) Duane Shields, Boulder City, Nev., 5.220, 279.85 was unopposed;
7) Tom Pickett, Salem, N.H., 6.192, 183.59 def. 2) Jackie Fricke, Flemington, N.J., 7.043, 141.86
3) Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., 5.300, 271.79 def. 6) Bruce Horner, Bergenfield, N.J., 5.648, 231.75
5) Dan Page, Hampstead, N.H., 9.531, 177.46 def. 4) Dan Mercier, Saint-Michel, Quebec, foul
 
Semifinals
Shields, 5.229, 278.12 def. Page, 6.597, 139.21
Hart, 5.309, 272.06 def. Pickett, 5.927, 251.34
 
Final
Shields, 5.213, 278.92 def. Hart, 7.471, 137.85
 
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:
Round 1
1) Dan Pomponio, Berlin, N.J., '10 Monte Carlo, 5.492, 263.36 def. 6) Phil Burkart, Yorkville, N.Y., '15 Camaro, 6.015, 264.96
2) Ray Martin, Anchorage, Alaska, '13 Monte Carlo, 9.032, 67.90 def. 5) Bill Naves, Salisbury, N.C., '12 Monte Carlo, 18.077, 42.06
4) Matt Gill, Brockton, Mass., '16 Camaro, 6.510, 257.33 def. 3) Fred Tigges, Holbrook, Mass., '14 Monte Carlo, 8.634, 105.32
 
Semifinals
Gill, 7.631, 130.38 def. Martin, broke
Pomponio, broke was unopposed
 
Final
Gill, 5.643, 265.33 def. Pomponio, broke
 
COMP ELIMINATOR
Chip Ippolito, Laconia, N.H., '03 S-10, PSTA, 7.621, 172.36 def. Gary Guarriello, Wakefield, R.I., dragster, C/ED, 7.237, 181.64.
 
SUPER STOCK PRESENTED BY ATI
Timothy Stickles, Dover, N.H., '90 Oldsmobile, GT/KA, 10.538, 125.47 def. Jeff Roell, Danbury, Conn., '10 Cobra, FSS/G, 9.396, 141.42.
 
STOCK ELIMINATOR PRESENTED BY ATI
Shane Oakes, Ottsville, Pa., '83 Camaro, G/SA, 10.925, 111.51 def. Allison Smyth, Uxbridge, Mass., '98 Firebird, B/SA, 10.349, 126.45.
 
SUPER COMP
Kyle Bigley, West Milford, N.J., '14 Undercover, 8.909, 169.83 def. Michael Handras, Hicksville, N.Y., '12 Racetech, 8.923, 166.19.
 
SUPER GAS
Iggie Boicesco, Warminster, Pa., '17 Corvette, 9.900, 167.28 def. Chuck Rothermel, Kinderhook, N.Y., '01 Pontiac, 9.895, 163.43.
 
SUPER STREET
Shawn Fricke, Flemington, N.J., '02 Firebird, 10.874, 131.88 def. Don Garbinski, Philadelphia, Pa., '71 Challenger, 10.871, 144.07.
 
MXI/MAGNAFLUX TOP SPORTSMAN PRESENTED BY SELECT PERFORMANCE
Eric Cabral, Manchester, N.H., '41 Willys, 7.287, 186.69 def. Jeff Brooks, Fredericksburg, Va., '51 Henry J, 6.790, 202.82.
 
MXI/MAGNAFLUX TOP DRAGSTER PRESENTED BY SELECT PERFORMANCE
Val Di Genova, Derry, N.H., '00 Dan Page, 6.701, 195.73 def. Mark Payne, Waynesboro, Va., '01 Undercover, 7.007, 191.40.
 
PRO STOCK SNOWMOBILE
Mark Wakem, Poland, Maine, '03 Skidoo, 8.385, 158.69  def. John Parenteau, Brentwood, N.H., '12 Artic CAT, 8.497, 154.09.
 
DIRECT CABINET SALES PRESENTS JUNIOR DRAGSTER 6 - 9 Albert Gouveia, Rehoboth, Mass., dragster, 12.064, 53.76 def. Cody Cumming, Milton, N.H., dragster, 14.390, 43.57.

DIRECT CABINET SALES PRESENTS JUNIOR DRAGSTER 13 - 17 Tyler Christopher, Raymond, N.H., '10 Gufleman, 7.941, 82.29 def. Brandon Miller, Canterbury, Conn., '12 BOS, 7.956, 82.18.
 
DIRECT CABINET SALES PRESENTS JUNIOR DRAGSTER 10 - 12 Paul Stalba, Hammonton, N.J., '14 Halfscale, 8.960, 72.77 def. Christopher Khoury, Derry, N.H., '07 Dragster, 9.395, 67.36.