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NHRA FMDRS: Reichert the man to beat at Bowling Green

28 August 1999


        BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - The last time Owosso, Mich.'s Bill Reichert
lost a race at Beech Bend Raceway Park was in 1993, six years and 15 rounds
of racing ago.  Since then Reichert has been unstoppable at the Southern
Kentucky track.  That's about to end, says Reichert's friend and on-track
rival Shawn Bowen.
        Bowen, of Montrose, Mich., about 20 minutes drive from Reichert's
race shop, is locked in a battle with Reichert for the NHRA North Central
division Federal-Mogul Dragster title.  Entering this weekend's race Bowen,
who has won three consecutive events, maintains a 54-point advantage over
defending division champion Reichert, but through three rounds of
qualifying at Beech Bend it's Reichert who has the lead, and history, on
his side.
        "We should have won the championship last year," explained Bowen,
who lost the title to Reichert by just six points.  "At an event in Joliet,
Ill., last September, a 50-cent part broke while I was leading the race and
it cost me the championship.  I think we can run some mid-5.50s Sunday and
that should keep us ahead of the rest of the field, but Bill is tough at
this track."
        As if to underscore Bowen's comments, Reichert is the No. 1
qualifier with a 5.609-second run at 252.85 mph recorded Friday, a new
Beech Bend Raceway Park track record.  Bowen is second with a 5.625-second
lap at 250.04 mph.
        "Qualifying No. 1 doesn't mean a whole lot, other than you've got
the fastest car on a given day," opined Reichert.  "We've qualified No. 1
on two other occasions this year and lost in the first round and the second
round.  It's how you do Sunday that counts, and that's all we're
concentrating on."
        Reichert will face Lexington, Ky.'s Dana Stripe in round one of
eliminations, while Bowen will square off against Okemos, Mich.'s Mike
Miller.  If the formbook holds, Reichert and Bowen will meet in the final,
each with a hot streak to maintain.
        Eliminations in all categories are scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m.
Sunday, with the first round of eliminations for Federal-Mogul Dragster and
Federal-Mogul Funny Car slated to begin at 1:00 p.m.

        The following are Saturday's final qualifying results from the NHRA
Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event at Beech Bend Raceway Park, Bowling
Green, Ky.:

FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER
First-round pairings: 1. Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.609 seconds,
252.85 mph vs. 8. Dana Stripe, Lexington, Ky., 5.918, 222.80;  2. Shawn
Bowen, Montrose, Mich., 5.625, 250.04 vs. 7. Mike Miller, Okemos, Mich.,
5.839, 231.99;  3. Jeff Wilson, Winfield, Mo., 5.642, 250.04 vs. 6. Gary
Ward, Cincinnati, Ohio, 5.774, 244.60;  4. Don Devault, Kentland, Ind.,
5.695, 248.66 vs. 5. Bill McCornack, Lexington, Ky., 5.703, 244.60.
Alternates
9. Cherissa Griffis, Gainesville, Fla., 15.358, 51.02
10. Randy Bayne, Elwood, Ind., 15.809, 123.14

FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR
First-round pairings: 1. Marc White, Glendale Heights, Ill., '99 Firebird,
5.832 seconds, 245.94 mph, vs. 6. Howard Poepping, Belleville, Ill., '81
Trans Am, 6.787, 208.36;  2. Danny Townsend, Muncie, Ind., '97 Firebird,
5.880, 247.29 vs. 5. Chuck Cheeseman, Galena, Ohio, '98 Firebird, 5.929,
247.29;  3. John Lawson, Joliet, Ill., '99 Firebird, 5.913, 245.94 vs. 4.
Kim Fritts, Greenup, Ill., '98 Firebird, 5.917, 236.88. 

COMP ELIMINATOR
1. Gary Merrick, Youngstown, Ohio, B/ED dragster, 7.035 seconds
(0.585-second under Index)
2. Joey Tanksley, Baton Rouge, La., B/ED dragster, 7.071 seconds (-0.549)
3. Steve Ambrose, Woodhaven, Mich., I/A '23-T Ford, 7.968 (-0.522)
4. Dave Dupps, Germantown, Ohio, J/A '23-T Ford, 8.151 (-0.509)
5. David Rampy, Piedmont, Ala., B/ED dragster, 7.113 (-0.507)
6. Robert Bailey, Wabash, Ind., A/ED dragster, 6.869 (-0.501)
7. Jason Coan, Greentown, Ind., F/ED dragster, 8.534 (-0.496)
8. Larry Pritchett, Clarkrange, Tenn., D/SM '97 Grand Am, 8.280 (-0.490)
9. Ed Bennett III, Carleton, Mich., AA/A '63 Corvette, 7.163 (-0.487)
10. Wayne Henderson, Indianapolis, Ind., A/ED dragster, 6.887 (-0.483)

SUPER STOCK
1. Jeff Sexton, Fairborn, Ohio, SS/AX '84 Chevrolet, 8.963 seconds
(1.037-seconds under Index)
2. Melissa Butler, Richmond, Ind. GT/FA '90 Pontiac, 10.129 (-0.971)
3. Brian Butler, Troy, Ohio, GT/GA '90 Chevrolet, 10.239 (-0.961)
4. Jerry Silveus, Van Buren, Ohio, GT/IA '99 Pontiac, 10.546 (-0.954)
5. Mike Cates, Milan, Tenn., SS/M '64 Mercury, 10.953 (-0.947)
6. Brent Johnson, Lecompte, La., SS/NA '66 Chevrolet, 11.525 (-0.925)
7. Bo Butner, Floyds Knob, Ind., SS/AM '90 Chevrolet, 8.644 (-0.906)
8. Steve Matukas, Alvaton, Ky., SS/HA '67 Chevrolet, 10.002 (-0.898)
9. Randy Wilkes, Zanesville,Ohio, GT/GA '89 Chevrolet, 10.318 (-0.882)
10. Joey Wilkes, Zanesville, Ohio, GT/FA '92 Chevrolet, 10.218 (-0.882)

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1. Gary Russell, East Sparta, Ohio, L/S '94 Ford, 11.768 seconds
(1.232-seconds under Index)
2. Jennifer Dziorny, Wixom, Mich., CT/SA '94 Dodge, 12.242 (-1.108)
3. Jeff Swanson, Arlington, Tenn., K/S '93 Ford, 11.749 (-1.101)
4. Judy McCormack, Milford, Mich., DT/SA '99 Dodge, 12.411 (-1.089)
5. Johnathan Tarrance, Bremen, Ky., V/SA '82 Chevrolet, 14.712 (-1.088)
6. George Widuch, Hermitage, Tenn., K/SA '78 Plymouth, 11.877 (-1.073)
7. Bill Rink, Naperville, Ill., L/SA '74 Pontiac, 11.949 (-1.051)
8. Woodro Josey, Byron, Ga., D/SA '98 Pontiac, 10.814 (-1.036)
9. Al Provoast, Whittemore, Mich., N/SA '79 Buick, 12.289 (-1.011)
10. Mark Lewis, Inman, S.C., K/SA '74 Chevrolet, 11.954 (-0.996)


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