Notes from the NHRA Federal Mogul Drag Racing Series
11 July 2000
DOUGLAS INT'L RACEWAY, Douglas, Wy. -The 2000 NHRA West Central Division
Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series resumed at Douglas Int'l Raceway, located
50 miles northwest of Casper, Wy. Close to 400 drivers were welcomed to
Douglas with very good weather and a near perfect track.
Federal-Mogul Dragster pilot, Billy Bybee of McLean, Texas made it
two wins in a row in the NHRA West Central Division with a convincing win
over the quickest Federal-Mogul Dragster field in Douglas Int'l Raceway
history. Jay Payne of Upland, Calif. drove his Federal-Mogul Funny Car to
his second divisional win in a row with three consistent runs in Sunday's
eliminations.
Bybee dominated the Federal-Mogul Dragster field on Sunday with
three passes of 5.930 seconds or better. After each run was quicker and
faster than the last, Bybee made his way to the final to meet defending
NHRA West Central Federal-Mogul Dragster champion, David Wells of LeMars,
Iowa. Wells took Bybee off the starting line by almost one-tenth of a
second, but Bybee stormed back and made up the difference at the finish
line with a pass of 5.888 seconds at 241.89 mph, breaking the track records
in e.t. and speed he set yesterday in qualifying. Wells also had a stellar
pass of 5.973 seconds at 238.17 mph making the final against Bybee the
quickest and fastest side-by-side run in Douglas Int'l Raceway history.
"This team worked so hard all weekend-they deserve the Wally
[trophy]," said a jubilant Bybee. "They had the car set up perfect all
weekend all I had to do was hit the gas and hold on."
With his victory in Federal-Mogul Funny Car, Payne has the
distinction of winning the Douglas Int'l Raceway championship in both
Federal-Mogul Dragster and funny car. Not one of the seven other
Federal-Mogul Funny Cars came close to the consistency Payne showed all
weekend. Payne made five of his six passes of the weekend in the 6.2's and
6.3's second range. Payne advanced through Lawren Jones of Albuquerque,
N.M. in the first round with the quickest Federal-Mogul Funny Car pass of
the weekend, 6.223 seconds at 228.92 mph. Payne advanced to the final by
beating the tire spinning and defending NHRA West Central Federal-Mogul
Funny Car Champion, Vern Moats of Des Moines, Iowa, with another quick pass
of 6.254 seconds at 227.80 mph. In the final, Payne met up with Jett Field
of Pocatello, Idaho and didn't run as quick but ran quick enough to win
with a pass of 6.335 seconds at 226.51 mph to Field's run of 6.516 seconds
at 211.89 mph.
"First and foremost I need to thank me crew for a fast car run
after run, " said Payne. Scott Albright, Jake Serven, and Paul Evens came
together last week at the Denver Federal-Mogul event and this week in
Douglas to bring home two sweet victories."
Sharing the $2500 Winston Top Qualifier money were Billy Bybee,
Federal-Mogul Dragster; Jay Payne, Federal-Mogul Funny Car; Charlie
Stewart, Competition; Rick Ryan, Super Stock; Steve Couch, Stock.
Baldwin Automotive presented the Best Appearing Vehicle Award to Gary
Lockman's Super Gas '95 Pontiac Firebird, the Best Engineered Vehicle Award
was presented to Dennis Musch and Gary Stinnett's Super Gas 2000 Chevrolet
Corvette, and the Best Appearing Crew Award was presented to Bruce Bowler's
Phoenix Apparel Federal-Mogul Dragster team.
Due to rain four categories ran final rounds at Douglas Int'l Raceway from
the semi-completed Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series at Bandimere Speedway
in Denver back on June 25th. Following are the final round results from
the Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series at Bandimere Speedway completed at
Douglas Int'l Raceway:
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Bob Swan, Belle Fourche, S.D., '67 Shelby Mustang, D/SA, 11.763, 112.61
def. Jim Hughes, Grand Junction, Colo., '67 Chevrolet Camaro, D/S, 11.602,
111.70
SUPER COMP
Steve Swenson, Valley Springs, S.D., 9.376, 158.20 def. Ethan Conyers,
Thornton, Colo., 9.437, 152.73
SUPER GAS
Mark Philbrick, Aurora, Colo., '98 Ford Mustang, 10.421, 146.83 def. Jim
White, Haysville, Kansas, '95 Chevrolet Camaro, 10.415, 149.33
SUPER STREET
Justin Beauer, Ridgnay, Colo., '65 Chevrolet Nova, 11.518, 117.86 def. Mark
Hoppe, Grand Junction, Colo., '70 Nova, 15.425, 111.12 (Foul-Red Light)
Super Gas driver, Mark Philbrick made it an all around great weekend in
Douglas by winning the delayed Super Gas final from Bandimere Speedway on
Saturday and doubling up with the Douglas Int'l Raceway Super Gas title on
Sunday.
Rick Ryan of Aberdeen, S.D. drove his '88 Oldsmobile Cutlass to a new NHRA
National Record in SS/NA with a run of 12.123 seconds.
Billy Bybee reset the Douglas Int'l Raceway track records in e.t. and speed
in the final round of eliminations on Sunday with a pass of 5.888 seconds
at 241.89 mph. Bybee and David Wells of LeMars, Iowa also set the track
record for the quickest side-by-side run in track history in the final
round of eliminations with Bybee's run of 5.888 seconds and Well's run of
5.973 seconds.