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NHRA FMDRS: Nearly 700 cars chasing championships at Firebird Raceway

7 November 1999


        PHOENIX, Arizona - A Pacific Division record 684 racecars converged
on Firebird International Raceway for final qualifying efforts on Saturday.
 Racers came from as far as Australia and England to make the final NHRA
Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event and gather points for the elusive
Federal-Mogul Championship.  In Federal-Mogul Funny Car, Roger Bateman of
Calgary, Alb., Canada collected the $1000 Top Qualifier bonus from Winston
and put himself in great position to capture the Northwest Division
Championship in tomorrow's eliminations.  Mark Woods Jr. of Kingsburg,
Calif. drove his Federal-Mogul Dragster to the No. 1 qualifying position
after a runner-up finish at Firebird Raceway last year.
        Bateman could not better his great run from Friday (5.724 seconds
at 250.78 mph) in Saturday's two qualifying attempts, but it was still
enough to take the No. 1 qualifying position over a field of 17 at Firebird
Raceway.  In Saturday's qualifying, Bateman made two quality passes down
the hot Arizona track, but held back a little for tomorrow's eliminations. 
In round one of eliminations on Sunday, Bateman will face first alternate
Marc White of Glendale Hts., Ill, who is chasing a North Central Divisional
Championship.  White made the Federal-Mogul Funny Car field when the Funny
Car of Norm Hill of La Habra, Calif. blew an engine in Friday's qualifying
attempt and caught on fire at the far end of the track.  Hill was taken to
the hospital with minor burns on his hands and legs.  He was kept overnight
for observation and released on Saturday.  Hill did qualify No. 8 but will
not be able to repair his Federal-Mogul Funny Car before tomorrow's
eliminations, so White takes his place as first alternate against Bateman.
        "Our runs today were basically test runs", said Bateman.  "Tomorrow
we will be running in the heat of the day and we wanted to see how the car
would react to the track on a couple different set-ups."  "Facing Marc
[White] in the first round will not be easy.  He didn't qualify well but
that team can step up at any time and blow the rest of us off the track."
        Woods is looking for a little revenge after losing to Rick
Henkelman of San Jose, Calif. in last years final round at Firebird
Raceway.  Woods came out for Saturday's first qualifying attempt and didn't
hold back after a six month hiatus from racing and ran by far the quickest
lap of the day with a run of 5.414 seconds at 251.63 mph.  
        "It feels great to come back after six months and be able to take
the No. 1 qualifying spot", said an ecstatic Woods.  "The best part is I
think we can run in the 5.30's.  I think we will need a little more for
tomorrow because this field is so strong."
Eliminations begin at Firebird International Raceway on Sunday at 8 a.m. 
Gates open at 7:30 a.m.  Eliminations for Federal-Mogul Dragster and Funny
Car begin at noon. 

The following are Saturday's qualifying results from the NHRA Federal-Mogul
Drag Racing Series event at Firebird International Raceway:

FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER
1)     Mark Woods, Kingsbury, Calif., 5.414 seconds, 251.63 mph vs 8)
Darren Nicholson, Laguna Hills, Calif., 5.653, 249.30
2) Rick Henkelman, San Jose, Calif., 5.510, 239.65 vs 7) Rob Wendland,
Lawrence, Ks., 5.646, 252.38
3) David Wells, LeMars, Iowa, 5.547, 252.71 vs. 6) Kent Nuckols,
Albuqerque, N.M., 5.637, 248.75
4) Dale Carlson, Olympia, Wash., 5.548, 254.86 vs. 5) Darryl Hitchman,
Hanford, Calif., 5.629, 238.64

Alternates
9) David Baca, Brentwood, Calif., 5.704, 254.62
10) Duane Shields, Las Vegas, Nev., 5.711, 248.16
11) Cliff Bingham, Huntington Beach, Calif., 5.737, 245.90
12) Mike Strasburg, Lindon, Utah, 5.779, 243.02
13) Mark Niver, Phoenix, Ariz., 5.800, 225.35
14) Steve Federlin, Oregon City, Ore., 5.848, 240.85
15) Rob Turner, Northans, England, 6.005, 238.09 

FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR
1) Roger Bateman, Calgary, Alb., Canada, '97 Pontiac, 5.724 seconds, 250.78
mph vs. 8) Norm Hill, La Habra, Calif., '94 Dodge, 5.903, 222.36
2) John Weaver, Hanford, Calif., '99 Chevrolet, 5.747, 249.76 vs. 7) Steve
Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '99 Pontiac, 5.881, 240.38
3) Mert Littlefield, Garden Grove, Calif., '99 Chevrolet, 5.769, 242.67 vs.
6) Larry Miner, Woodbridge, Calif., '98 Dodge, 5.864, 246.21
4) Bucky Austin, Fife, Wash., '98 Pontiac, 5.781, 245.58 vs. 5) John
Hyland, Springfield, Ore., '99 Chevrolet, 5.854, 243.15

Alternates
9)     Mark White, Glendale Hts., Ill., '99 Pontiac, 5.914, 244.69 
10) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '97 Oldsmobile, 5.924, 239.27
11) James Bartoli, Duarte, Calif., '97 Pontiac, 5.927, 234.25
12) Bob Gallio, Fullerton, Calif., '97 Pontiac, 5.956, 239.06
13) Rod Alexander, Simi Valley, Calif., '97 Oldsmobile, 5.966, 236.80
14) Sam Blue, Red Wing, Minn., '97 Oldsmobile, 5.977, 241.11
15) Jett Field, Pocatello, Wash., '97 Oldsmobile, 6.096, 235.64

COMP ELIMINATOR
1. Jeff Gillette, Benicia, Calif., '97 Dragster, B/ED, 7.028 seconds,
(0.572-seconds under Index)
2. Jim Warter, Fox Island, Wash., '92 Chevrolet, B/SM, 8.875, (-0.565)
3. Jeff Lion, Fresno, Calif., '97 Pontiac, F/A, 8.636, (-0.554)
4. Rick Braun, Redlands, Calif., '97 Pontiac, B/EA, 8.037, (-0.553)
5. Craig Schuck, Hayward, Calif., '95 Dragster, C/ED, 7.502, (-0.548)
6. Fred Gross, La Crescenta, Calif., '96 Pontiac, D/A, 8.055, (-0.545)
7. Tom Snyder, Longmont, Colo., '23 Chevrolet, 6.860 (-0.540)
8. Larry Henderson, Scott City, KS, '97 Pontiac, 7.350, (-0.540)
9. Andy Manna Jr., Covina, Calif., '90 Pontiac, 8.863, (-0.537)
10. Brian Morrison, Chino Hills, Calif., '92 Chevrolet, 8.904, (-0.536)

SUPER STOCK
1. John Schiess, North Hills, '91 Oldsmobile, GT/CA, 9.558 seconds
(1.292-seconds under Index)
2. Don Studley, Orange, Calif., '99 Dodge, GT/TC, 10.488, (-1.122)
3. Tony DeFrank, Tarzana, Calif., '98 Pontiac, GT/GA, 10.245, (-1.115)
4. Tommy Eriksson, Bellflower, Calif., '93 Oldsmobile, GT/DA, 9.846,
(-1.104)
5. Jimmy DeFrank, Tarzana, Calif., '89 Chevrolet, GT/HA, 10.487, (-1.023)
6. Ronald Fruchey, Oxnard, Calif., '87 Buick, SS/DX, 8.723, (-1.013)
7. Bob Lambeck, Northridge, Calif., '97 Oldsmobile, SS/CM, 9.027, (-1.013)
8. Bo Butner, Clarksville, Ind., '98 Pontiac, SS/AM, 8.670, (-1.010) 
9. Bill Bennett, Mt. View, Calif., '87 Chevrolet, GT/EA, 10.096, (-1.004)
10. Doug Lambeck, Irvine, Calif., '92 Chevrolet, SS/BS, 9.139, (-1.001)

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1. Darren Smith, Palmdale, Calif., '98 Dodge, DT/SA, 12.178 seconds,
(1.512-seconds under Index)
2. Bill Rink, Naperville, Ill., '74 Pontiac, K/SA, 11.750, (-1.380)
3. Scott North, West Valley, Utah, '84 Buick, AF/SA, 13.928, (-1.332)
4. Marty Woffard, Gore, Okla., '66 Chevrolet, 11.876, (-1.304)
5. Bobby DeArmond, Gallup, N.M., '69 Chevrolet, 10.262, (-1.198)
6. George Thomson, Van Nuys, Calif., '73 Ford, 11.456, (-1.174)
7. Chuck Rayburn, Castro Valley, Calif., '70 Dodge, 10.541, (-1.169)
8. John Shaul, Fultonham, N.Y., '64 Plymouth, 10.557, (-1.153)
9. Clark Holroyd, Chino, Calif., '68 Chevrolet, 10.568, (-1.142)
10. Harry Doolittle, Grosse Ile, Mich., '99 Pontiac, 13.160, (-1.140)

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