NHRA FMDRS: Bowler, Moats drive around rain to collect wins at Nebraska
15 August 2000
SCRIBNER, Neb. - Bruce Bowler of Denver, Colo. made the Nebraska
Motorplex his favorite track after collecting the $1000 Winston Top
Qualifier Bonus, crushing the Federal-Mogul Dragster track e.t. record, and
winning his second event of the year in his Phoenix Custom Apparel
Federal-Mogul Dragster. In Federal-Mogul Funny Car, Vern Moats of Des
Moines, Iowa also collected his second win of the year in the NHRA West
Central Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series.
Bowler took advantage of the cool track after the lengthy rain
delay and reset the track record on three consecutive runs and set a new
track speed record to make the NHRA West Central Division Federal-Mogul
Funny Car championship points race a little tighter. Bowler got the
advantage of a bye run in the first round after Ed Schmeeckle of
Gothenburg, Neb. broke in Saturday's final round of qualifying. Bowler
slayed the track record of 5.749 seconds set last year by Rob Wendland of
Topeka, Kan. with a pass of 5.691 seconds at 235.04 mph. In the
semifinals, Bowler met up with Northwest Division heavy hitter, Mark
Hentges of Federal Way, Wash and proceeded to break the track e.t. record
of 248.48 mph set last year by Mark kinser of Grimes, Iowa
with a run of 5.646 seconds at 249.10 mph to advance to the final. Bowler
met up with current West Central Division points leader, Billy Bybee of
McLean, Texas in the final and again reset the track e.t. record with a
pass of 5.563 seconds at 245.36 mph. Bybee gave Bowler a close race with a
pass of 5.663 seconds at 248.68 mph.
"I am so happy, I wanted to win this race for my brother, Dale
[Bowler] who died a few weeks back, I couldn't be more thrilled to win it
for him," said a jubilant Bowler. "My brother just got into racing and
made his first full pass just weeks before he passed away. I am so glad he
got to know the feeling before he left us."
Moats drove his Kendall Motor Oil Federal-Mogul Funny Car to the
Nebraska Motorplex championship with steady driving and little luck. Moats
got some luck by having his opponent in all three rounds have to lift at
half-track for one reason or another. Moats took out Kris Hool of Casper,
Wy. in the first round after Hool got a little loose at half-track and had
to lift. Moats beat a tire smoking Randy Fleming of Independence, Mo. in
the semifinal with a pass of 6.361 seconds at 228.31 mph. The final pitted
Moats against No. 1 qualifier, Cy Chesterman of Sioux City, Iowa and again
Moats took the easy win over a tire smoking Chesterman with a winning pass
of 6.222 seconds at 230.76 mph.
The following are Sunday's final results from the NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag
Racing Series event at the Nebraska Motorplex:
FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER
First Round
1) Bruce Bowler, Denver, Colo., 5.691 seconds, 235.04 mph def. Ed
Schmeeckle, Gothenburg, Neb., Broke
2) David Wells, LeMars, Iowa, 5.854, 241.48 def. 7) Ziggy Zivkovich,
Litchfield, Minn., 6.086, 236.03
3) Billy Bybee, McLean, Texas, 5.864, 242.78 def. 6) Calvin Friesen,
Headingly, Man., Canada, Broke
4) Mark Hentges, Federal Way, Wash., 5.784, 245.49 def. 5) Shelly Howard,
Tulsa, Okla., 7.257, 133.17
Semifinals
Bowler, 5.646, 249.10 def. Hentges, 5.697, 246.71
Bybee, 5.698, 248.07 def. Wells, 5.832, 241.48
Final
Bowler, 5.563, 245.36 def. Bybee, 5.663, 248.68
FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR
First Round
1) Cy Chesterman, Sioux City, Iowa, '99 Pontiac Trans Am, 6.086 seconds,
236.22 mph def. 8) Bruce Carlson, Prior Lake, Minn., '97 Pontiac Firebird,
6.483, 189.95
2) Vern Moats, Des Moines, Iowa, '00 Firebird, 6.170, 232.97 def. 7) Kris
Hool, Casper, Wy., '97 Firebird, 7.415, 129.55
3) Randy Fleming, Independence, Mo., '99 Trans Am, 6.140, 237.02 def. 6)
Kurt Prososki, Bellveue, Neb., '96 Dodge Daytona, 6.415, 223.76
5) Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, '97 Avenger, 6.169, 235.91 def. 4) Robert
Kanenwisher, Conifer, Colo., '98 Dodge Avenger, 16.186, 53.15
Semifinals
Chesterman, 7.039, 230.35 def. Williams, 7.175, 222.60
Moats, 6.361, 228.31 def. Fleming, 7.320, 122.69
Final
Moats, 6.222, 230.76 def. Chesterman, 13.633, 60.19
COMP ELIMINATOR
Larry Pritchett, Clarkrange, Tenn., '98 Pontiac Grand Am, D/SM, 8.261,
159.09 def. Jerry Arnold, Kalamazoo, Mich., '99 Dragster, E/ED, 9.062,
117.09
SUPER STOCK
Kevin Nicks, Golden, Colo., '70 Plymouth Cuda, SS/FA, 10.430, 129.08 def.
Tom Cassen, Berrytown, Kansas, '98 Oldmobile Achieva, GT/BA, 9.940, 132.37
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Tony Wood, Tulsa, Okla., '69 Chevrolet Camaro, A/SA, 10.871, 119.25 def.
Nick Folk, Durand, Ill., '96 Camaro, G/SA, 11.953, 109.30
SUPER COMP
Allen Firestone, Velma, Okla., '93 Chevrolet Beretta, 9.004, 154.45 def.
Roger Hammerschmid, Manhattan, Kan., '00 Dragster, Foul--Red Light
SUPER GAS
Sheldon Gecker, Surprise, Ariz., '00 Dodge Dakota, 10.003, 147.29 def. Mark
Philbrick, Aurora, Colo., '98 Ford Mustang, 9.973, 150.62
SUPER STREET
Dolly Wilson, York, Neb., '72 Chevrolet Camaro, 11.004, 119.56 def. Corey
Rinas, Moorhaed, Minn., '74 Dodge Duster, 10.996, 124.10
SUPER BIKE
Brian Johnsen, Rumsey, Minn., '98 Suzuki GSXR, 9.438, 130.41 def. Mike
Voss, Maplewood, Minn., '98 Katana, 9.069, 134.89
JR. DRAGSTER
Trista Henderson, 10.486, 59.98 def. Joe Ekart, Manhattan, Kan., 9.316,
71.14
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