CECIL — Over 300 cars qualified Friday at South Georgia Motorsports Park in preparation for today’s main event in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Southeast Division.

All 300 return today for eliminations and the crowning of classification champions in all nine series.

The opening round of qualifying Friday in Top Alcohol Dragsters was led by Michael Gunderson, who topped out with a 5.51-second (265 mph) time, edging fellow Middleburg, Fla., native Jason Cannon. Cannon turned a 5.6-second (253 mph) run.

Both Gunderson, third in series’ points, and Cannon, second in points, outran points-leader Guy Kelly in the opening round. Kelly clocked in with a 5.72-second (238 mph) run, but bobbled midway down the track, nearly crossing the centerline, and had to pull out of the gas.

“We’re just having fun,” said Gunderson, who lost in the finals to Kelly in his last race in Montgomery, Ala. “We’re not really chasing anybody. It don’t matter how fast you’re running out here, as long as you’re having fun.”

Gunderson was having lots of fun after the first round, but Kelly had the final laugh of qualifying.

Kelly came back in the second round of qualifying and turned a 5.48-second (259 mph) time to take over the No. 1 qualifying position.

The first round of qualifying for Top Alcohol Funny Cars saw Division 2 points leader Jay Payne dominate the three-car field. Payne had a 5.92-second run (241 mph) down the quarter-mile dragstrip. His nearest competitor was second-place Jeff Lancaster, who crossed the line in 6.6 seconds (218 mph) in his first-round qualifying run.

Payne maintained the top qualifying spot in the second round, recording a 5.77-second (244 mph) run.

Ronnie ‘The King’ Davis led the Top Sportsman series after the first round of qualifying with a time of 7.31 seconds (189 mph).

“The track was smooth,” said Davis, who won at SGMP earlier this year in his Outlaw 10.5 car. “The air is a little bad because it’s so hot. It should run a little better when the sun goes down. You get better traction and cooler air means more horsepower.”

Davis was right.

In his second pass, this time in the evening, Davis ran 6.94 seconds on the quarter-mile and broke the 200-mph barrier by running 200.59 mph. He’s the No. 1 Top Sportsman qualifier heading into today’s main event.

David Rampy leads the Competition Eliminator series’ after running a 7.42, over a half-second faster than his 7.99 index time. Bobby Dennis lead the Super Stock class running over a second below his index time (10.511 seconds).

John Livingston is the top qualifier from the Stock Eliminator series, running an 11.77, over a second under his 12.95 index time.

The final round of qualifying for all classes excluding alcohol cars continues at 10 a.m. Saturday Eliminations in all classes will start at 2 p.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Cars are scheduled to run eliminations at 5 p.m., 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Tickets are $25 Saturday. Children ages 6 to 12 are $5 each day and kids 5 and under are admitted free.

The following are Friday’s final qualifying results (courtesy NHRA):



TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

1) Guy Kelly, Wadley, Ala., 5.489 seconds, 259.11 mph

2) Michael Gunderson, Middleburg, Fla., 5.516, 267.37

3) Jason Cannon, Middleburg, Fla., 5.609, 253.18

4) Don Fiorelli, Palm Bay, Fla., 5.861, 234.94

5) Duke McDonald, Gainesville, Fla., 12.809, 67.53

6) Cherissa Griffis, Gainesville, Fla., 15.514, 55.20



First-round TAD pairings

1) Guy Kelly, Wadley, Ala., 5.489 seconds, 259.11 mph vs. 6) Cherissa Griffis, Gainesville, Fla., 15.514, 55.20

2) Michael Gunderson, Middleburg, Fla., 5.516, 267.37 vs. 5) Duke McDonald, Gainesville, Fla., 12.809, 67.53

3) Jason Cannon, Middleburg, Fla., 5.609, 253.18 vs. 4) Don Fiorelli, Palm Bay, Fla., 5.861, 234.94



TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR

1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., ’03 Camaro, 5.776 seconds, 244.56 mph

2) Mark Billington, Norcross, Ga., ’01 Avenger, 5.997, 223.17

3) Jeff Lancaster, Hamilton, Ont., ’96 Firebird, 6.364, 224.92



First round TAFC pairings

1) Jay Payne, Claremont, Calif., ’03 Camaro, 5.776 seconds, 244.56 mph vs. Bye

2) Mark Billington, Norcross, Ga., ’01 Avenger, 5.997, 223.17 vs. 3) Jeff Lancaster, Hamilton, Ont., ’96 Firebird, 6.364, 224.92



COMP ELIMINATOR

1) David Rampy, Piedmont, Ala., ’32 Bantam, A/EA, 7.429 seconds, -0.561 (under index)

2) Mike Saye, Johnston, S.C., ’92 Cutlass, H/A, 8.903, -0.557

3) Dick Maris, Valrico, Fla., dragster, C/D, 7.070, -0.540

4) Larry Pritchett, Clarkrange, Tenn., ’04 Sunfire, A/SM, 8.066, -0.474

5) Don Eberly, Brunswick, Ga., ’96 Achieva, H/AA, 9.014, -0.456

6) Van Puckett, Snellville, Ga., ’04 Cavalier, G/AA, 8.682, -0.448

7) Richard Larsen, Tyrone, Ga., dragster, A/ND, 7.222, -0.428

8) Jerry Hemmingson, Concord, N.C., ’02 Cavalier, B/A, 7.363, -0.417

9) Kenneth Horne, Fayetteville, N.C., ’97 Achieva, H/SMA, 9.406, -0.374

10) Michael Hardee, Wilmington, N.C., ’04 Sunfire, D/SMA, 8.852, -0.348



SUPER STOCK

1) Bobby Dennis, Shorter, Ala., ’95 Achieva, GT/KA, 10.511 seconds, -1.239 (under index)

2) Andy Fogle, Norway, S.C., ’04 Cavalier, GT/AA, 9.354, -1.046

3) Johnny Kelley, Walhalla, S.C., ’68 Barracuda, SS/AA, 8.988, -0.912

4) Terry Pearson, Spanish Fort, Ala., ’02 Cavalier, GT/CA, 9.788, -0.912

5) Rick Brewer, Jacksonville, Fla., ’67 Corvette, SS/IA, 10.107, -0.893

6) Richard Mace, Jacksonville, Fla., ’01 Trans Am, GT/EA, 10.059, -0.891

7) Brent Johnson, Lecompte, La., ’91 Calais, GT/IA, 10.614, -0.886

8) Mike Crutchfield, Montgomery, Ala., ’90 Camaro, SS/BS, 9.171, -0.879

9) Joe LoCicero, Snellville, Ga., ’88 Camaro, GT/CA, 9.822, -0.878

10) Blair Patrick, New Hope, Tenn., ’68 Mustang, SS/GA, 9.986, -0.864



STOCK ELIMINATOR

1) John Livingston, Nashville, Tenn., ’91 Camaro, F/FIA, 11.779 seconds, -1.171 (under index)

2) Doug Patrick, Boca Raton, Fla., ’72 Cutlass, L/SA, 11.877, -1.123

3) Jeff Velde, Vero Beach, Fla., ’67 Shelby, A/SA, 10.223, -1.077

4) Brian Rowe, New Bern, N.C., ’95 Camaro, B/FIA, 10.671, -1.029

5) Woodro Josey, Byron, Ga., ’98 Firebird, B/FIA, 10.699, -1.001

6) Peter Noriega, Hileah, Fla., ’80 Malibu, V/SA, 14.832, -0.968

7) Lee Tuttle, Albany, Ga., ’66 Bel Air Wagon, T/SA, 13.736, -0.964

8) Steve Haulman, Navarre, Fla., ’85 Camaro, J/S, 11.703, -0.947

9) Scott Demmy, Ft. Pierce, Fla., ’87 Mustang, G/FIA, 12.204, -0.946

10) Tom Hemmingson, Concord, N.C., ’66 Malibu, L/S, 12.063, -0.937



TOP SPORTSMAN

1) Ronnie Davis, Commerce, Ga., ’63 Corvette, 6.945 seconds, 200.59 mph

2) Gilmer Hinshaw, Burlington, N.C., ’99 Monte Carlo, 7.277, 189.82

3) Billy Vaughn, Knoxville, Tenn., ’92 Camaro, 7.281, 189.87

4) Dave Saul, Winter Park, Fla., ’96 Firebird, 7.299, 179.83

5) Jerry Barker, Byron, Ga., ’02 Cavalier, 7.330, 189.23

6) Tommy Turner, Naples, Fla., ’04 Cavalier, 7.357, 188.33

7) Greg Hinds, Arab, Ala., ’63 Corvette, 7.401, 186.74

8) Corey Glidewell, Corinth, Miss., ’03 Cavalier, 7.407, 187.68

9) Larry Hutcheson, Christmas, Fla., ’02 Cavalier, 7.417, 185.00

10) Jeremy Glidewell, Corinth, Miss., ’95 Cutlass, 7.427, 185.59