NHRA: Johnson, Hentges, and Austin put on show at Mission Raceway Park
24 July 2000
MISSION, B.C.- The rain finally cleared at 8 a.m. and the track dried
at 10 a.m. and racing began at 10:01 a.m. at the NHRA Mopac Mission
Canadian National Open. Five-time NHRA Pro Stock champion, Warren Johnson
of Buford, Ga. excited the crowd with his first six-second pass of the
weekend. Federal-Mogul Dragster pilot Mark Hentges of Federal Way, Wash.
and Federal-Mogul Funny Car driver Bucky Austin of Fife, Wash. made their
way through five car fields to take wins at the first round of the NHRA
Canadian National Open Series.
Defending NHRA Pro Stock Champion, Johnson made his way to Mission
to test tires before making his way south next weekend to the Prolong Super
Lubricants Northwest Nationals in Seattle. After failing to make a
sub-seven second pass on Friday and Saturday, Johnson came out Sunday
looking for an elusive six-second pass. He did it twice on Sunday to the
elation of the crowd. His first and quickest pass was 6.943 seconds at
199.73 mph and nearly matched that on his second run with a pass of 6.971
seconds at 199.73 mph.
In Federal-Mogul Dragster, Hentges was the class of the field on
this day with three runs of 5.49 seconds or better. The final round pitted
the top two points leaders in the Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series
Northwest Division, Hentges and Dale Carlson of Olympia, Wash. Carlson
took the advantage off the starting line but went into tire shake almost
immediately and had to pedal through to the finish. After a slow reaction
time Hentges made up the difference at mid-track and streaked to the win
light with a run of 5.494 seconds at 258.19 mph to Carlson's 5.576 seconds
at 257.36 mph.
Austin drove his Texaco Superflo Federal-Mogul Funny Car to his
first win of the year. In a great final round match-up, Austin took on
track favorite, Roger Bateman of Calgary, Alb. Bateman had tire shake
right from the start and couldn't drive through it while Austin ran the
quickest pass of the day at 5.769 seconds at 248.48 mph to take the win.
In other news, two Canadian records were set in Sunday's
eliminations. Ron Houniet of Maple Ridge, B.C. rode his Top Fuel
Motorcycle to a new Canadian record with a run of 6.78 seconds at 206.04
mph. Also, Don Murray of White Rock, B.C. drove his '56 Corvette to the
new Canadian Pro Street e.t. record with a pass of 7.597 seconds at 183.46
mph.87v
The following are the final results from the Mopac Mission Canadian
National Open at Mission Raceway Park:
FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER
First Round
1) Dale Carlson, Olympia, Wash., 5.453 seconds, 260.64 mph def. Bye
2) Mark Hentges, Federal Way, Wash., 5.470, 258.47 def. 5) Leo Grocock,
Mission, B.C., 6.373, 180.39
3) Bob Haffner, Mission, B.C., 5.983, 228.65 def. 4) Bill Edwards Jr.,
Sumas, Wash., 6.205, 216.08
Quarterfinals
Carlson, 5.544, 258.84 def. Haffner, 7.422, 116.70
Hentges, 5.498, 262.00 def. Bye
Finals
Hentges, 5.494, 258.10 def. Carlson, 5.576, 257.36
FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR
First Round
1) Bucky Austin, Fife, Wash., '00 Chevrolet Camaro, 16.240 Seconds, 55.45
mph def. Bye
2) Roger Bateman, Calgary, Alberta, '97 Pontiac Firebird, 6.197, 247.32
def.
5) Rod Clough, Abbottsford, B.C., '96 Oldsmobile Achieva, 7.133, 195.31
2) John Evanchur, Edmonton, Alb., '97 Achieva, 6.089, 235.41 def. 3) Randy
Parker, Graham, Wash., '00 Dodge Avenger, 6.243, 220.58
Quarterfinals
Austin, 5.784, 247.32 def. Evanchur, 6.151, 234.43
Bateman, 5.809, 255.75 def. Bye
Finals
Austin, 5.769, 248.48 def. Bateman, 11.221, 70.13
SUPER STOCK/STOCK COMBO
Bill Bushmaker, Auburn, Wash., '76 Plymouth, I/SA, 12.078 seconds, 97.86
mph def. Bill Stewart, Marysville, Wash, '74 Plymouth, SS/KA, 11.254,
121.16
TOP COMP
Dale Giroux, Canyon Creek, Alb., '91 Chevrolet Cavalier, 7.906, 174.08 def.
Ken Kennedy, Port Coquitlam, B.C., '93 Dragster, 8.493, 161.49
SUPER COMP
Jeff Woodbury, Pasco, Wash., 8.900, 164.53 def. Mike Ferderer, Buckley,
Wash., 8.923, 158.33
SUPER GAS
Mike Ferderer, Buckley, Wash., '00 Pontiac Firebird, 9.932, 159.94 def. Joe
Mura, Vancouver, B.C., '63 Chevrolet II, 9.954, 140.29
SUPER STREET
Steve Simms, New Norway, Alb., '72 Chevrolet Vega, 10.906, 123.38 def.
Arlyn Staiger, Federal Way, Wash., '68 Chevrolet Nova, 10.955, 128.71
SUPER PRO
Rob Mason, Mission, B.C., '71 Chevrolet Vega, 8.711, 154.10 def. Martin
Rachel, Richmond, B.C., '78 Chevrolet Malibu, 10.687, 122.16
PRO
Quentin Chambers, Bellingham, Wash., '72 Chevrolet Chevelle, 10.480, 129.44
def. Martin Jackman, Mission, B.C., '66 Chevrolet II, 11.720, 113.03
SPORTSMAN
Brad Potter, Pitt Meadows, B.C., '66 Pontiac Firebird, 15.206, 81.75 def.
Clint Steele, Merritt, B.C., '69 Chevrolet Camaro, 13.160, 102.56
JR DRAGSTER
Aaron Giroux, Canyon Creek, Alb., 9.417, 63.94 def. Darren Barton, Langley,
B.C., 9.750, 66.03