NHRA FMDRS: Wilson, Townsend score upsets at Bowling Green
30 August 1999
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - As pre-race favorites fell to the wayside,
Jeff Wilson and Danny Townsend stepped up to claim victories at the NHRA
Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event at Beech Bend Raceway Park Sunday in
Dragster and Funny Car, respectively.
Winfield, Mo.'s Wilson, the No. 3 qualifier in Federal-Mogul Dragster, had
to defeat two of the strongest runners in the category before he could pull
into the winner's circle: Shawn Bowen and Bill Reichert. Bowen, of
Montrose, Mich., winner of three-straight events in the NHRA North Central
Division in 1999, shook the rear tires on his dragster in the semifinals
and slowed to a 5.83-second run, trailing Wilson's 5.73-second lap across
the finish line.
Shortly after his defeat of Bowen, however, Wilson had effectively
thrown in the towel. The engine in his dragster was broke and, despite
changing the car's engine and transmission, Wilson felt his crew wouldn't
have time to completely repair the car in time to race Owosso, Mich.'s
Reichert in the final. A car that spilled oil on the track prior to the
final race gave Wilson's team the precious minutes they needed to complete
repairs while NHRA officials cleaned the track.
"I'm not sure we could have made it without the extra time we had,"
said Wilson.
The final round race between Wilson and Reichert was a doozy, with
Wilson holding his slender lead downtrack to claim the win with a
5.69-second run at 247.29 mph to just edge Reichert's right-there 5.702 at
250.04.
"I couldn't see him as we went downtrack, but I knew he was there,"
said Wilson. "I could hear him all the way."
An encounter with the guardwall at Quaker City Raceway, Salem,
Ohio, in July could have effectively ended Townsend's NHRA North Central
Division title hopes. However, two event victories in two races have
thrust the Muncie, Ind., racer back into the thick of the points chase,
just 43 points behind leader Marc White of Glendale Heights, Ill., and 33
behind second-placed Joliet, Ill.'s John Lawson.
"The car has been running good since we repaired it after the crash
at Salem," explained Townsend. "I think it would have run good there, too,
but since we returned to racing at Cincinnati it has run very well."
Townsend, the No. 3 qualifier, got quicker throughout eliminations
Sunday and saved his best run for last. Facing White, Townsend unleashed a
5.869-second lap at 247.29 mph to easily cover his opponent, who got out of
shape and slowed to a 7.08-second pass.
With the championship now in sight, Townsend believes his chances
of claiming a seventh career title are good.
"That's what we're aiming to do," said Townsend when asked if he
can snatch this year's championship from Lawson and White. "With the win
here we now have a shot at it."
The following are the final results from the NHRA Federal-Mogul
Drag Racing Series event at Beech Bend Raceway Park, Bowling Green, Ky.:
FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER
Round 1
1) Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.723 seconds, 247.29 mph def. 8) Dana
Stripe, Lexington, Ky., 6.052, 196.53; 2) Shawn Bowen, Montrose, Mich.,
5.688, 248.66 def. 7) Mike Miller, Okemos, Mich., 5.933, 230.80; 3) Jeff
Wilson, Winfield, Mo., 9.565, 70.42 def. 6) Gary Ward, Cincinnati, Ohio,
no-show; 5) Bill McCornack, Lexington, Ky., 5.931, 236.88 def. 9) Cherissa
Griffis, Gainesville, Fla., 9.604, 92.21.
Round 2
Reichert, 5.895, 245.94 def. McCornack, 5.964, 238.13; Wilson, 5.735,
240.68 def. Bowen, 5.834, 247.29
Final Round
Wilson, 5.694, 247.29 def. Reichert, 5.702, 250.04.
FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR
Round 1
1) Marc White, Glendale Heights, Ill., '99 Firebird, 5.908 seconds, 247.29
mph def. 6) Howard Poepping, Belleville, Ill., '82 Trans Am, 7.038, 156.81;
2) Danny Townsend, Muncie, Ind., '97 Firebird, 5.920, 247.29 def. 5) Chuck
Cheeseman, Galena, Ohio, '98 Firebird, 5.938, 245.94; 3) John Lawson,
Joliet, Ill., '99 Firebird, 6.019, 244.60 def. 4) Kim Fritts, Greenup,
Ill., '98 Firebird, broke.
Round 2
White, 11.413, 72.46, bye run; Townsend, 5.902, 247.29 def. Lawson, 6.057,
241.97.
Final Round
Townsend, 5.869, 247.29 def. White, 7.082, 146.11
COMP ELIMINATOR
David Rampy, Piedmont, Ala., B/ED dragster, 7.069, 182.95 def. Joey
Tanksley, Baton Rouge, La., B/ED dragster, 7.111, 188.31
SUPER STOCK
Elisha Boyd, Sunrall, Miss., SS/TA '99 Chevrolet, 9.360, 144.71 def. Ronnie
Smith, Springfield, Tenn., SS/KA '83 Chevrolet, 11.099, 118.74
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Dave Walther, Lanesville, Ind., H/S '69 Chevrolet, 11.446, 111.39 def. Nick
Folk, Durand, Ind., G/SA '95 Chevrolet, 11.861, 102.51
SUPER COMP
Shannon Mingee, Champaign, Ill., dragster, 8.911, 154.12 def. Ross Laris,
Raceland, La., dragster, 8.898, 161.88 (break out)
SUPER GAS
Joe Harper, Jackson, Miss., '96 Dodge, 9.926, 154.12 def. Doug Gumbert, New
Richmond, Ohio, '63 Chevrolet, 9.889, 150.51 (break out)
SUPER STREET
Brian Hughes, Hughes Springs, Texas, '67 Chevrolet, 10.884, 123.29 def. Tom
Flowers, Bowling Green, Ky., '71 Nova, 10.840, 126.41 (break out)
-- 30 --
NHRA FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAG RACING SERIES
NORTH CENTRAL DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER
1. Shawn Bowen, Montrose, Mich., 330 points
2. Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 267
3. Jeff Wilson, Winfield, Mo., 222
4. Mike Miller, Okemos, Mich., 203
5. Don Devault, Kentland, Ind., 160
FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR
1. John Lawson, Joliet, Ill., 267 points
2. Marc White, Glendale Heights, Ill., 277
3. Danny Townsend, Muncie, Ind., 234
4. Chuck Cheeseman, Galena, Ohio, 192
5. Kim Fritts, Greenup, Ill., 139
--30--