NHRA FMDRS: Santos wins championship, Bowler wins Autumn Classic
25 September 2000
NOBLE, Okla. - Rick Santos clinched his fourth straight Federal-Mogul
Dragster National Championship when Jay Meyer lost to Bruce Bowler by
virtue of a red light in a semi-final match up, giving away his hopes of
catching Santos in the points standing. Santos, who qualified number one
and set both ends of the track record in qualifying, took out Lee Callaway
in round one with a pass of 5.454 seconds at 250.13 mph.
Santos was then disqualified after his semi-final round win against Troy
Buff when Santos and the Oakwood Homes team bypassed the weigh scales
disqualifying themselves from competition.
"We came out here to win the championship, not to mess with the
division points standings. We did what we came here to do which was win the
championship," said Santos as to why the decision was made.
It was Bruce Bowler who went on to take home the win at Thunder
Valley in the Federal-Mogul Dragster Category. Bowler, who out ran Meyer in
the semi-final with a 5.567 to Meyers red-lighting 5.588, took out Troy
Buff in the dragster final with a run of 5.582 seconds at 243.83 mph to
Buff's 5.725, 247.11 mph pass.
Randy Fleming took his Federal-Mogul Funny Car from the number one
qualifying spot with a run of 5.887 seconds at 248.41 mph to a final round
win over Lawren Jones at 5.834 second, 248.41 mph. Jones slowed to a 10.169
at 83.42 mph in the final. Fleming's 5.834 run in the final was low elapsed
time of the event, which he added to his top event speed of 248.75 mph.
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The following are final results from the NHRA South Central Division
Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event at Thunder Valley Raceway Park.
FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER
Round 1
1. Rick Santos, San Leandro, Calif., 5.454 seconds, 250.13 miles per hour
def. 8. Lee Callaway, Channelview, Texas, 5.841, 239.61
2. Jay Meyer, Freeport, Texas, 6.015, 200.75 def. 7. Joe Fuentes, Leander.
Texas, broke
3. Bruce Bowler, Denver, Colo., 5.590, 249.93 def. 6. Kent Nuckols,
Albuquerque, N.M., 5.825, 247.865
5. Troy Buff, Spring, Texas, 5.645, 254.23 def. 4. Shelly Howard, Tulsa,
Okla., 5.648, 249.44
Round 2
Bowler, 5.567, 256.99 def. Meyer, 5.588, 251.11 red light
Buff, 5.578, 254.38 def. Santos - disqualified
Final
Bowler, 5.582, 243.83 def. Buff 5.725, 247.11
FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR
Round 1
1. Randy Fleming, Independence, Mo., '99 Trans Am, 6.209 seconds, 232.25
mph vs. 8.
Bob Alberty, Muskogee, Okla., '98 Pontiac, broke
2. Todd Simpson, Ponder, Texas, '00 Avenger, 5.985, 238.22 vs. 7. Warren
Dauzat,
Baton Rouge, La., '96 Achieva, 6.681, 198.98
6. Lawren Jones, Albuqurque, N.M., '00 Corvette, 6.441, 203.52 def. 3. Pete
Swayne, Orange, Calif., '97 Firebird, 6.723, 204.45
4. Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, '97 Pontiac, 6.063, 239.74 def. vs. 4.
Steve Addleman, Sioux Falls, S.D., '97 Firebird, broke
Round 2
Fleming 6.054, 233.22, def. Williams, 6.562, 165.34
Jones, 20.667, 56.91 def. Simpson - broke
Final
Fleming, 5.834, 248.41 def. Jones 10.169, 83.42
COMPETITION
Larry Pritchett, Clarkrange, Tenn, '97 Grand Am, 8.223, 144.92 def. David
Myers, Dallas, Texas, '99 Camaro, 7.690, 171.46
SUPER STOCK
Jimmy DeFrank, Tarzanna, Calif., '89 Camaro, 10.572, 120.56 def. Vic
Penrod, Walters, Okla., '69 Camaro, 10.571, 123.52
STOCK
Pat Joffrion, Belle Rose, La., '94 Camaro, 11.086, 110.34 def. Rusty Hall,
Sweeny, Texas, '68 Mustang, 10.730, 122.44
SUPER COMP
Mark Huckaby, Irving, Texas, '00 dragster, 8.923, 153.45 def. Terry
Sullivan, Richardson, Texas, '00 dragster, 8.942, 164.44
SUPER GAS
Mitch Truman, Hurst, Texas, '90 Oldsmobile, 10.002, 112.88 def. Carlton
Graham, Fort Worth, Texas, '76 Vega, 9.945, 142.02 red ligth
SUPER STREET
Vernon Rowland, Newcastle, Okla., '76 Chevy, 10.945 def. Deborah Ridenhour,
Fort Worth, Texas, '41 Willy's, 14.187 (no mph recorded for either driver)
MOTORCYCLE
Shane Eperjesi, Lake Dallas, Texas, Suzuki, 8.006, 160.25 def. Buddy
Robinson, Colorado Springs, Colo., Kawasaki, 13.044, 60.21
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