NHRA FMDRS results, Sunday from Noble, Oklahoma

27 September 1999
LOCAL BOY CONTINUES TO DOMINANT THNUDER VALLY

        Noble, Okla.- Jackie Stidham, of Chickasha, upset number one
qualifier Pete Swayne to win his forth funny car title at Thunder Valley
Raceway Park in five years.  The win is Stidham's forth in a row in the
NHRA South Central division with victories in Hallsville, Texas; Baton
Rouge, La.; and Dallas, Texas leading up to this event, the O'Reilly
Thunder Valley Autumn Classic.
        "We struggled through qualifying, changed a few things and clinched
our fourth South Central Division Championship with this win,"  Stidham
remarked as he made his way to the Winner's Circle. Stidham has won
championships in 1991, 1993, 1997 and now in 1999.  
        "I won this event with the moral support of everyone who came out
to see me race, those who can't follow me around on the circuit. This ones
for all of you"
        Swayne, from California and racing out of his division, clinched
the Pacific Division Funny Car Championship with his runner up finish and
picked up the Winston $1,000 top qualifier money. Not a bad weekend for
either Stidham or Swayne.
        Darrell Russell has all but wrapped up the division championship in
Federal-Mogul Dragster as he took out number two in the points, Troy Buff
with a run of 5.654 seconds at 249.03 mph to Buff's 5.771, 247.79 in the
final round. Both racers can attend races outside the division in attempt
to gain points but would need to travel either to Bristol, Tenn. or
Phoenix, Az. which is not in either racer's plans.
        "This weekend was a picture of consistency," said Russell when
asked about the event. "We didn't hurt a thing all weekend. We knew the
final was an all or nothing shot at the championship between Troy and us."
        In other competition, Oklahoma resident R.C Boggs of Choctaw, drove
his Super Street '62 Nova past Robert Leming with a 10.681 second pass at
126.38 mph. Boggs has been racing for 18 years capturing his first win this
weekend.  
        
        The following are final results from the NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag
Racing Series O'Reilly Thunder Valley Autumn Classic at Thunder Valley
Raceway Park, Noble, Okla.:

FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER
Round One
1. Rob Wendland, Lawrence, Kan., 5.660 seconds, 249.794 mph def. 8. Kent
Nuckols, Albuquerque, N.M., 5.910, 240.96
2. James Tompson Jr., Vernon, Texas, 5.824, 241.41 def. 7. Lee Callaway,
Channelview, Texas, 6.921, 207.23
3. Darrell Russell, Cypress, Texas, 5.754, 246.71 def. 6. Shelly Howard,
Tulsa, Okla., 5.753, 246.71
5. Troy Buff, Spring, Texas, 5.714, 246.77 def. 4. Billy Bybee, McLean,
Texas, 10.087, 84.20

Round Two
Buff 5.817, 245.96 def. Wendland, 6.195, 173.27
Russell, 5.687, 247.86 def. Thompson Jr., 5.824, 241.41

Final
Russell, 5.654, 249.03 def. Buff, 5.771 247.79

FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR
Round One
1. Pete Swayne, Orange, Calif., '98 Pontiac Firebird, 5.852, 247.25 def. 8.
Richard Shaver, San Antonio, Texas, '98 Avenger, broke
7. Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '99 Pontiac, 5.982, 241.48 def. 2.
Jimmy Jones, Cleburne, Texas, '97 Chevrolet, Camaro, 5.969, 240.51
6. Jackie Stidham, Chickasha, Okla., '98 Oldsmobile Achieva, 5.873, 246.03
def. 3. Tate Branch, Artesia, N.M., '98 Dodge Avenger, 5.873, 246.03
4. Randy Fleming, Independence, Mo., '99 Pontiac, 5.929, 242.39vs. 5. Todd
Simpson, Ponder, Texas, '99 Avenger, 8.686, 99.03

Round Two
Swayne, 5.815, 246.98 def. Fleming, 6.378, 192.26
Stidham, 5.898, 244.63 def. Gordon, 8.366, 102.71

Final
Stidham, 5.942, 246.44 def. Swayne, 11.292, 83.87

COMP ELIMINATOR
David Cook Jr. Houston, Texas, B/D '92 dragster, 7.010, 194.38 def, Joey
Tanksley, Baton Rouge, La., B/ED dragster, 7.125, 188.32

SUPER STOCK
Randall Klein, Lincoln, Neb., SS/NA '56 Nomad, 11.582, 111.11 def. Gary
Stinnett, Emporia, Kan., GT/IA '99 Pontiac, 10.610, 125.24

STOCK ELIMINATOR
Bub Miller Edwardsville, Kan., O/SA '79 Spirit, 13.471, 97.10 def. Harvey
Emmons III, Pasadena, Texas, D/SA '98 Pontiac, 11.239, 118.89

SUPER COMP
Tim Ekart, Manhattan, Kan., '96 dragster, 8.903, 170.45 def. Donnel Gaines,
Stephenvile, Texas, '32 Rodster, 8.961, 164.56

SUPER GAS
Jimmy Lewis, Mesquite, Texas, '94 Roadster, 9.913, 148.80 def. Dave
Slatten, Ft. Collins, Colo., '99 Corvette, 9.890, 152.49 broke out

SUPER STREET
R.C. Boggs, Choctaw, Okla., '62 Nova, 10.681, 126.38 def. Robert Leming,
Amarillo, Texas, '67 Camaro, 10.878, 128.55 red light

MOTORCYCLE
Chris Oravecz, Arlington, Texas, '81 Suzuki, 9.894, 132.68 def. Shane
Eperjesi, Lake Dallas, Texas, Kawasaki, 8.568, 150.82