Randy Weber of Loxahatchee won the Top Eliminator event Saturday in the 29th annual Citrus Nationals at Palm Beach International Raceway.

Weber, in his 1997 Undercover dragster, outraced Doug Putnam of Palm Beach Gardens in the final round. Putnam drove a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro.

Weber could have won a $3,000 prize, with $1,800 going to the runner-up, but in the camaraderie of the Citrus Nationals, the two agreed before the final to a more equitable $2,000-$1,800 split.

Jeremy Jarosz of Boca Raton won the $1,000 prize in the Super Eliminator category.

Jarosz, in a 1993 Ford Mustang, outran Nivardo Mesa of Hialeah in a 1971 Chevrolet Camaro in the final round.

The final races were run in front of nearly empty grandstands after thousands of race fans moved a few hundred yards to the stage where country singer Josh Thompson was performing.

Racing began about 90 minutes later than scheduled because of fog and wet conditions at the track west of Jupiter, formerly known as Moroso Motorsoirts Park.

The top payouts among the 11 categories racing today are $4,000 each in the Top Alcohol Dragster and ProMod events.

Bill Evans of Miramar will race in the Top Alcohol category against Don Fiorelli of Palm Bay, Robin Samsel of Marion, Ind., and Bruce Horner of Bergenfield, N.J.

In the ProMod competition, Matt Buck of Lantana, Jimmy Marino of Palm Beach Gardens, Jack Lumsden and Doug Horween of Loxahatchee and Keith Rusell of Jupiter are among the eight who qualified for the quarterfinal round.

In other events completed Saturday:

- Buck replicated almost exactly in the finals his semifinal performance in his 2000 Worthy, winning the Quick 16 competition. Buck had a .019 second reaction time and a 6.934-second elapsed time in his semifinal win over Charlie Cullotto of Palm City, then had a .018 reaction and 6.935 elapsed time down the quarter-mile track in the finals to defeat David Hoxie Jr. of Jupiter Farms. Buck could have won a $1,000 top prize, with $400 going to the runner-up, but he and Hoxie agreed to a $750-$650 split.

- Wayne King of Port Charlotte won the Quick 16 Door Car competition by defeating William Lanziesern of Marco Island in the finals. King and Lanziesern also agreed to a $750-$650 split.

- Tim Hunt of Boynton Beach won the finals of the Pro Bike competition by default when Michael Fulks of Loxahatchee fouled by going too soon. Hunt won $400.

- Bill Garren of Port St. Lucie edged Randy Mackail of Jupiter in the finals of the Street Bike event. Garren won $175.

- Kenny Anderson, 12, of Lake Worth won the Junior competition for drivers 8 to 12 years old. Racing in half-scale dragsters, Anderson defeated John Tolisano of Jupiter in the final round.

-Courtesy Paul Ivice, Palm Beach Post