Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series--Texas Motorplex--Final Qualifying

BUFF, STIDHAM TAKE HOME ALL THE CASH ON SATURDAY AT THE TEXAS MOTORPLEX

ENNIS, Texas. - This morning at the Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series Dash for Cash event at the Texas Motorplex was more like a run and hide from the wind and rain for the over 450 competitors. At 12:30 p.m. the weather cleared up and the Dash for Cash was back on, especially for Federal-Mogul Dragster driver, Troy Buff of Spring, Texas and Federal-Mogul Funny Car pilot, Jackie Stidham of Chickasha, Okla. Both drivers took home all the cash on Saturday by winning their respective postponed final rounds of the rain plagued Houston Raceway Park event from two weeks ago and added another $1000 dollars to their take for capturing the Sealed Power Low Qualifier award. Buff was set to take on Shelly Howard of Tulsa, Okla. in the final round at the Houston Raceway Park Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event two weeks ago when the rains came. It was agreed that the final round would be completed Saturday night after qualifying for the Texas Motorplex event. Due to the rains on Saturday morning it was agreed that their second qualifying attempt would also decide the Houston dragster champion. Buff left on Howard as her tires when up in smoke and shut-off. Buff made the quickest and fastest run of the day with a pass of 5.439 seconds at 261.62 mph to take the low qualifier award away from David Wells of LeMars, Iowa and collect the winners check from Houston. "Its been a nervous two weeks for me and my team", said Buff. "We broke a lot of parts to even make the final round in Houston and we have been working so hard these past two weeks to get the car together for this race. Its been a great day and I hope we can keep the momentum going tomorrow." For Stidham it was the same story. Stidham took on Todd Simpson of Ponder, Texas during the second round of qualifying for not only the Houston Federal-Mogul Funny Car championship but the low qualifier award. Simpson got off the line first but went into severe shake at mid-track while Stidham cruised to the quickest and fastest pass of the day, 5.841 seconds at 244.63 mph. "This is a great was to begin the 2001 season", said Stidham. "Last year was tough for our team and todays run gives us a positive we didn't have all last year. We are just looking forward to tomorrow." Others collecting a Sealed Power Low Qualifier bonus check are Comp Eliminator driver, Mike Johnson of Lowell, Ark., Super Stock driver Brent Johnson of Lecompte, La. and stock driver Amy Faulk of Memphis, Tenn. Eliminatons will begin at the Texas Motorplex on Sunday at 9 a.m. Gates open at 8 a.m. Eliminations for Federal-Mogul Dragster and Funny Car will begin at noon.

The following are the rain delayed final rounds from the Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event at Houston Raceway Park completed at Texas Motorplex on Saturday evening:

FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER Troy Buff, Spring, Texas, 5.439 seconds, 261.62 mph def. Shelly Howard, Tulsa, Okla., 15.514, 54.76

FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR Jackie Stidham, Chickasha, Okla., '00 Camaro, 5.841 seconds, 244.63 mph def. Todd Simpson, Ponder, Texas, '99 Dodge Avenger, 6.095, 238.15

COMP ELIMINATOR Scott Benham, Lagrange, Texas, '96 Chevrolet Lumina, D/AA, 8.012 seconds, 161.92 mph def. Keith Hall, Ravenna,Texas, '90 Chevrolet Camaro, B/SM, 8.909, 149.97

The following are final qualifying results from the NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event at the Texas Motorplex:

FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER 1) Troy Buff, Spring, Texas, 5.439 seconds, 261.62 mph vs. 8) Gary Cooper, Wichita, Kan., 5.836, 203.85 2) David Wells, LeMars, Iowa, 5.475, 257.80 vs. 7) Gene Snow, Ft. Worth, Texas, 5.709, 213.92 3) Joe Fuentes, Leander, Texas, 5.533, 253.37 vs. 6) Lee Callaway, Channelview, Texas, 5.598, 246.17 4) Shelly Howard, Tulsa, Okla., 5.574, 254.59 vs. 5) James Thompson, Vernon, Texas, 5.596, 255.68

Alternates 1. Randy Meyer, Spring Hill, Kan., 11.048, 71.55 2. Mike Bowers, Plano, Texas, 6.280, 198.58 3. Larry Traugott, Woodward, Okla., 6.562, 161.55 4. Carl Magee, Victoria, Texas, 8.441, 187.11

FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR 1) Jackie Stidham, Chickasha, Okla., '00 Camaro, 5.841 seconds, 244.63 mph vs. 8) Michael Heckert, Pittsburg, Kan., '97 Pontiac Firebird, 6.270, 233.70 2) Todd Simpson, Ponder, Texas, '99 Dodge Avenger, 5.906, 244.63 vs. 7) Kebin Kinsley, Arlington, Texas, '98 Oldsmobile Cutlass, 6.094, 227.50 3) Randy Fleming, Independence, Mo. '99 Pontiac Trans-Am, 5.966, 240.00 vs. 6) Jimmy Jones, Cleburne, Texas, '97 Camaro, 6.081, 239.55 4) Bob Alberty, Muskogee, Okla., '99 Firebird, 6.014,221.94 vs. 5) Jody Austin, N. Richland Hills, Texas, '97 Oldsmobile Cutlass, 6.061, 227.67

Alternates 1. EJ Johnston, Violet, La., '99 Oldsmobile Achieva, 6.630, 204.35 2. Warren Dauzat, Baton Rouge, La., '96 Achieva, 6.430, 219.99 3. Ray Heffron, Ft. Worth, Texas, '97 Chevrolet Camaro, 7.811, 166.08 4. Richard Shaver, San Antonio, Texas, '99 Camaro, 17.751, 26.39

COMP ELIMINATOR 1. Mike Johnson, Lowell, Ark., '95 Dragster, C/ED, 7.403 seconds (0.707seconds under Index) 2. Bill Kent, Midland, Texas, '00 Dragster, C/D, 7.014 (-0.706) 3. Dean Howerton, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., '00 Dragster, C/D, 7.028 (-0.692) 4. Maryann Austin, Lowell, Ark., '97 Dragster, C/ED, 7.497 (-0.613) 5. Joey Tanksley, Greenwell Springs, La., '91 Dragster, B/ED, 7.044 (-0.566) 6. Scott Benham, Lagrange, Texas, '96 Chevrolet Lumina, D/AA, 8.995 (-0.565) 7. Joe Swindoll, LaPorte, Texas, '63 Chevrolet Corvette, B/AA, 7.356 (-0.564) 8. Alan Swindoll, LaPorte, Texas, '98 Pontiac Firebird, B/AA, 7.356 (-0.564) 9. Pete Carbery, Odessa, Texas, '89 Oldsmobile Cutlass, B/A, 7.341 (-0.559) 10. Charlie Watson, Humble, Texas, '96 Lumina, F/A, 8.700 (-0.520)

SUPER STOCK 1. Brent Johnson, Lcompte, La., '66 Chevrolet Impala, SS/NA, 11.309 seconds (1.141-seconds under Index) 2. Randall Klein, Lincoln, Neb., '55 Nomad Wagon, SS/NA, 11.334 (-1.116) 3. John Clegg, Victoria, Texas, '73 Firebird, SS/AM, 8.550 (-1.000) 4. Terry Emmons, Pasadena, Texas, '96 Pontiac Firebird, SS/JA, 10.313 (-0.987) 5. Jeff Miller, Pearland, Texas, '97 Firehawk, GT/AA 9.429 (-0.971) 6. Ronnie Cardwell, Ruston, La., '95 Oldmobile Achiva, GT/HA, 10.400 (-0.950) 7. Buz Post, Arlington, Texas, '98 Pontiac Grand Am, SS/CM, 9.043 (-0.857) 8. Steven Reynolds, Pasadena, Texas, '86 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, GT/MA, 11.227 (-0.823) 9. Paul Blackmon, San Antonio, Texas, '91 Oldsmobile Calais, GT/HA, 10.563 (-0.787) 10. Keith Mawhee, Carrollton, Texas, '95 Oldsmobile Achieva, GT/DA, 10.025 (-0.775)

STOCK ELIMINATOR 1. Amy Faulk, Memphis, Tenn., '00 Pontiac Firebird, F/SA, 10.940 seconds (1.210-seconds under Index) 2. George Cox, Memphis, Tenn., '97 Firebird, E/SA, 10.806 (-1.194) 3. Ronnie Cardwell, Ruston, La., '90 Firebird, K/SA, 11.821 (-1.129) 4. Jim Cimarolli, Sulphur Springs, Texas, '70 Chevrolet Nova, C/SA, 10.610 (-1.090) 5. Verne Buchanan, Conway, Ark., '73 Ford Mustang, I/SA, 11.548 (-1.052) 6. Jeff Hefler, Mansfield, Texas, '98 Firebird, F/SA, 11.127 (-1.023) 7. J. Allen Sherman, Donaldsonville, La., '86 Chevrolet Camaro, H/SA, 11.462 (-0.988) 8. Gary Emmons, Pasadena, Texas, '98 Firebird, E/SA, 11.041 (-0.959) 9. Steven Hall, Sweeny, Texas, '68 Mustang, B/SA, 10.607 (-0.943) 10. Gary Slaton, Liberty, Texas, '96 Camaro, E/SA, 11.074 (-0.926)

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