NHRA: Sioux City Iowa's Cy Chesterman tops the ladder in Federal Mogul Funny Car qualifying

14 August 1999

     Scribner, Neb.- Cy Chesterman topped the Federal-Mogul Funny Car
qualifying list after Friday's session in the NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag
Racing Series event at Nebraska Motorplex. 

     Chesterman will be racing to defend his title as winner of the 1998
NHRA Federal-Mogul event in Scribner, Neb.  Defending that title will be no
easy task either.  He will have to compete against competitive drivers like
Vern Moats, of Des Moines, Iowa who is the defending 1998 Federal-Mogul
Funny Car champion in the NHRA West Central Division, and Sam Blue, of Red
Wing, Minn. who recently won his first national event at the Mopar Mile
High Nationals in Denver.  

Shelly Howard, of Tulsa, Okla. is the current leader in the Federal-Mogul
Dragster category after Friday's qualifying session.  She is one of three
out of division racers, from the NHRA South Central Division to be exact,
who are competing for additional points for a championship title.  Howard
is currently ranked third in the points standings for the NHRA South
Central Division championship and will run this weekend's event for points
that will put her closer to first place in the standings.  Cypress, Texas'
Darrell Russell currently holds first place, but his lead could soon fall
to another driver after this weekend's race.  

     That driver, in Federal-Mogul Dragster, is Troy Buffs, of Spring,
Texas.  Buff, who is also trying for a championship title, is looking for
some out of division wins to achieve that goal.  He is currently ranked
third in the Federal-Mogul Dragster national points standings, just 234
points out of first place, and would like to gather as many division points
as possible before competing at any more national events.  

     "I need to get more division wins" explained Buff.  "We want to go for
the national championship, and going to out of division races for points is
one way of achieving that goal." 

     The action continues tomorrow with qualifying and time trials
beginning at 8:00 a.m. with Federal-Mogul Funny Car and Dragster qualifying
at 1 and 3 p.m.

     The following are the first day qualifying results from the NHRA
Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event at Nebraska Motorplex, the fifth of
six events in the NHRA West Central Division:


FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER

1. Shelly Howard, Tulsa, Okla., 5.816 seconds elapsed time, 241.74 miles
per hour.
2. David Wells, Le Mars, Iowa, 5.828, 245.96
3. Darryl Hitchman, Hanford, Calif., 5.879, 239.74
4. Troy Buff, Spring, Texas, 6.011, 228.02
5. Mark Kinser, Grimes, Iowa, 6.069, 203.66
6. Ziggy Zivcovich, Litchfield, Minn., 6.139, 231.54
7. Rob Wendland, Lawrence, Kan., 6.172, 227.10
8. Billy Bybee, McLean, Texas, 6.173, 230.82
9. Calvin Friesen, Headingly, MB, Can., 6.378, 155.30

FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR 

1. Cy Chesterman, Sioux City, Iowa, '99 Pontiac, 6.096 seconds elapsed
time, 237.90 miles per hour
2. Michael Heckert, Pittsburg, '97 Pontiac, 6.141, 231.42
3. Randy Fleming, Independence, Mo., '97 Firebird, 6.165, 226.01
4. Sam Blue, Red Wing, Minn., '97 Achieva, 6.182, 230.53
5. Robert Kanenwisher, Confier, Colo., '98 Avenger, 6.244, 218.60
6. Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, '98 Firebird, 6.313, 235.72
7. Steve Addleman, Sioux Falls, S.D., '97 Firebird, 6.458, 224.43
8. Bruce Carlson, Prior Lake, Minn., '92 Trans Am, 6.536, 197.71
9. Kurt Prososki, Bellveue, Neb., '96 Daytona, 6.921, 217.65
10. Pete Duhart, Huntington Beach, Calif., '92 Pontiac, 7.523, 124.84
11. Vern Moats, Des Moines, Iowa, '99 Firebird, 11.158, 67.55

COMP ELIMINATOR

1. John Linton, Tonkawa, Okla., D/EDragster, 7.693 (-0.497 seconds under
index)
2. Clint Neff, Arvada, Colo., C/Dragster, 7.321 (-0.449)
3. Eloy Lucero, Denver, C/A '95 Mustang, 7.890 (-0.410)
4. Chad Brownlow, Rochester, Minn., C/Dragster, 7.670 (-0.390)
5. Bill Harris, Nebraska City, Neb., F/A '96 Grand Prix, 8.850 (-0.370)
6. Jeff Puerile, Hibbing, Minn., A/EA '32 Bantam, 7.745 (-0.355)
7. Russ Kelly, Omaha, Neb., A/EDragster, 7.102 (-0.338)
8. Duane Robinson, Gardner, Kan., C/A '98 Firebird, 8.122 (-0.178)
9. Don Vincent, Omaha, Neb., C/SR '34 Chevrolet, 9.267 (-0.143)
10. Doug Kjono, Grand Forks, N.D., F/Dragster, 15.104 (6.184 seconds over
index)

SUPER STOCK

1. Bobby Dennis, Shorter, Ala., GT/MA '97 Firehawk, 11.040 (-1.200 seconds
under index)
2. Gary Stinnett, Emporia, Kan., GT/IA '98 Firebird, 10.543 (-1.137)
3. Dan Larson, St. Paul, Minn., SS/KA '85 Camaro, 10.653 (-1.077)
4. Ron Taylor, Lincoln, Neb., SS/MA '69 Chevelle, 11.348 (-0.992)
5. Ritch Ahrens, Greeley, Colo., GT/EA '87 Firebird, 10.141 (-0.979)
6. Randy Mans, Rogers, Minn., GT/IA '95 Acheiva, 10.745 (-0.935)
7. Gene Bichlmeier, Norfolk, Neb., SS/K '66 Chevy II, 10.544 (-0.926)
8. Jason Lynch, Chapmansboro, Tenn., SS/IA '66 Chevy II, 10.269 (-0.901)
9. Buggs Dennis, Shorter, Ala., SS/OA '88 Cutlass, 11.897 (-0.893)
10. Jeff Miller, Pearland, Texas, GT/AA, 9.669 (-0.891)

STOCK ELIMINATOR

1. Stewart Triggs, Fremont, Neb., GF/S '83 Dodge, 15.789 (-1.471 seconds
under index)
2. Clint Blezien, Bensenville, Ill., O/SA '91 Camaro, 12.292 (-1.368)
3. Bob Shaw, Sedalia, Mo., V/SA '82 Riviera, 14.759 (-1.281)
4. Neal Rhodes, Aurora, Colo., F/SA '67 Fairlane, 11.294 (-1.046)
5. Delmer Wood, Tulsa, Okla., C/SA '69 Camaro, 10.849 (-1.031)
6. Mike Wenke, Conway Springs, Kan., B/SA '69 Mustang, 10.748 (-0.982)
7. Jay Roeder, Waverly, Iowa, N/SA '89 Mustang, 12.521 (-0.979)
8. Steve Koppien, Sioux Falls, S.D., B/SA '69 Camaro, 10.765 (-0.965)
9. Larry Hill, Hickory, Ky., C/SA '71 Barracuda, 10.918 (-0.962)
10. Dave Young, St. Paul, Minn., B/SA '63 Polara, 10.776 (-0.954)

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