NHRA FMDRS: Record Setting Race Concludes at Indianapolis Raceway Park
1 May 2000
INDIANAPOLIS - Running under sunny skies and warm temperatures,
with a record 703 cars, the Car Quest Spring Challenge, a round of the NHRA
Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series, finished with a flurry at Indianapolis
Raceway Park.
The Federal-Mogul Funny Car final was decided by 17 thousandths of a second
and the Federal-Mogul Dragster final pitted a guy with a brand new,
untested car against a guy whose car and trailer were stolen two weeks ago.
Chuck Cheeseman of Galena, Ohio, faced No. 1 qualifier Marc White in the FM
Funny Car final. At the end of the race the scoreboards on both sides of
the track flashed 5.81-second elapsed times (e.t.). When the times were
carried out to the thousandths place, it showed that Cheeseman's had a zero
on the end while White's had a three.
"I didn't know where Marc was," said Cheeseman afterward. "I shook to
about half track and when it stopped I looked around and saw him less than
a half car length back. He had lane choice and took what was the better
lane. I guess I must have shook a little less than him."
Having run in the '70s all weekend, Cheeseman said he would have like to
have made another run in that range but he is gratified with the win.
"I'm sure Marc would have liked to repeat his top qualifying number of
5.732, too," said Cheeseman.
In the Federal-Mogul Dragster final, Shawn Bowen of Montrose,
Mich., who just made the switch from a blown alcohol dragster to A-fuel,
drove to the win over Jeff Wilson of Winfield, Mo. Bowen's car had not
even been down a racetrack before Friday's first qualifying session.
Wilson left the line before Bowen, but at about half-tack the car
suffered such severe tire shake that the parachutes came loose, virtually
stopping the run at that point. Bowen ran 5.745 e.t. at 251.04 mph to
Wilson's 12.005 e.t. at 51.51 mph.
"We should have done this before," said a grinning Bowen. "It's
definitely a lot different than the other car. There's a lot more pick-up
at half-track. We had a fast car before and we did pretty well, but with
all the other guys making the change, we felt we had to if we were going to
keep up. It's great!"
If there were such a thing as an award for the come-back driver of
the race, it would have belonged to Wilson. After a win at the NHRA
national event at Houston Raceway Park in Texas, Wilson's truck and trailer
(with the racecar in it) were stolen from a restaurant parking lot. They
were found several hours later, but two motors and various parts were gone.
The team barely managed to get enough parts together to make it to this
race.
Winners in other categories are Mike Farrell, Louisville, Ky., over
Jerry Arnold, Kalamazoo, Mich., in Comp; Jason Tinburg, Bonner Springs,
Kan., over Fred Bartoli, Elk Grove, Ill., in Super Stock; Brad McFarland,
West Union, Ohio, over Nick Folk, Durand, Ill., in Stock; Patrick
Mulligan, Mt. Morris, Ill., over Joshua Kamplain, N. Salem, Ind., in Super
Comp; Greg Kamplain, W. Salem, Ind., over Robert Trace, New Richmond, Ohio,
in Super Gas; and Linn Bebout, Gargin, Ohio, over Rudy Matthews, Ohio City,
Ohio, in Super Street.
The following are the final results from the Car Quest Spring
Challenge, a round of the NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event at
Indianapolis Raceway Park:
FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER
Round 1
1) Jeff Wilson, Winfield, Mo., 8.503 e.t., 100.11 mph def. 8) Tony Zizzo,
Prairie View, Ill., 15.983 e.t., 47.03 mph
7) Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill., 5.860 e.t., 223.58 mph def. 2) Dave
Hirata, Lowell, Ind., 6.683 e.t., 165.68 mph
3) Shawn Bowen, Montrose, Mich., 5.604 e.t., 259.66 mph def. 6) Dana
Stripe, no time recorded
4) Russ Lindert, Mateno, Ill., 5.654 e.t., 251.60 mph def. 5) Gary Ward,
Cincinnati, Ohio, 10.117 e.t., 71.25 mph
Semi-Finals
Wilson, 6.297 e.t., 221.62 mph, def. Lindert, broke
Bowen, 5.659 e.t, 253.80 mph def. Thacker, 5.970 e.t., 233.76 mph (foul)
Final Round
Bowen, 5.745 e.t., 251.04 mph def Wilson, 12.005 e.t., 51.51 mph
FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR
Round 1
1) Marc White, Glendale Hts., Ill., '99 Pontiac, 5.762 e.t., 253.23 mph
def. 8) Larry Bakke, Madison, Wis., '97 Camaro, no time recorded
2) Chuck Cheeseman, Galena, Ohio, '98 Firebird, 5.703 e.t., 253.52 mph def.
7) John Reikas III, Glendale Hts., Ill., '96 Camaro, 6.740 e.t., 180.36 mph
3) Danny Townsend, Muncie, Ind., '97 Firebird, 11.272 e.t., 75.38 mph def.
6) Mark Poyser, Ft. Wayne, Ind., '95 Mustang, no time recorded
5) Jeff Craig, Muncie, Ind., '96 Olds, 6.143 e.t., 246.03 mph def. 4) Fred
Hagen, Chicago, '99 Dodge, 8.397 e.t., 110.24 mph
Semi-Finals
Cheeseman 5.858 e.t., 252.59 mph def. Townsend, 11.127 e.t., 75.83 mph
White, 5.734 e.t., 255.17 mph def. Craig 6.011 e.t., 247.04 mph
Final Round
Cheeseman, 5.810, 252.31 mph def. White, 5.813, 252.80 mph
COMP ELIMINATOR
Mike Farrell, Louisville, Ky., '32 roadster, A/EA, 7.476 e.t., 176.43 mph
def. Jerry Arnold, Kalamazoo, Mich., '32 roadster, E/EA, 8.476 e.t., 152.59
mph
SUPER STOCK
Jason Tinburg, Bonner Springs, Kan., '68 Camaro, SS/HA, 10.370 e.t., 113.92
mph def. Fred Bartoli, Elk Grove, Ill., '00 Pontiac, GT/DA, 10.051 e.t.,
131.02 mph
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Brad McFarland, West Union, Ohio, '71 Chevy, C/SA, 10.783 e.t., 113.69 mph
def. Nick Folk, Durand, Ill., '95 Camaro, G/SA, 11.580 e.t., 110.30 mph
SUPER COMP
Patrick Mulligan, Mt. Morris, Ill., '99 dragster, 8.918 e.t., 155.79 mph
def. Joshua Kamplain, N. Salem, Ind., '95 dragster, 8.894 e.t., 160.34 mph
SUPER GAS
Greg Kamplain, W.Salem, Ind., '27 roadster, 9.912 e.t., 151.95 mph, def.
Robert Trace, New Richmond, Ohio, '97 Cavalier, 9.916 e.t., 147.71 mph
SUPER STREET
Linn Bebout, Gargin, Ohio, '96 Olds, 10.893 e.t., 136.28 mph def. Rudy
Matthews, Ohio City, Ohio, '69 Camaro, 10.883 e.t., 135.54 mph
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