NHRA FMDRS: Hentges claims division title in record style at Southern Oregon
26 September 2000
MEDFORD, Ore.- All Mark Hentges of Federal Way, Wash. had to do was win in
the semifinal round to clinch the NHRA Northwest Division Federal-Mogul
Dragster Championship-he did one better-won the event. Not only did
Hentges win the Snap-on Tools/KBOI News Channel 5 Valley Thunder Federal
Mogul Dragster Championship he demolished the track e.t. and speed records
in the process. In Federal-Mogul Funny Car, John Hyland of Springfield,
Ore. also took home Southern Oregon Dragway championship honors and track
e.t. and speed records.
It was no easy task, but Hentges worked his way through the 8-car,
five-second field to take his third victory of the year in Northwest
Division competition. In a strange twist, Hentges had to go through three
A-Fuel dragsters on his way to the win. Hentges, who drives a blown
dragster, met up with Southern Calif. racer, Gary Anderson of Anaheim,
Calif. in round one. Anderson never had a chance in this one as Hentges
streaked to the win with a run of 5.540 seconds at 252.92 mph. The second
A-Fuel dragster to fall was Gregg Lawrence of Salem, Ore. who shook the
tires hard at the start and couldn't recover fast enough to catch Hentges
who ran 5.572 seconds at 257.08 mph to Lawrence's pass of 5.724 seconds at
243.50 mph to clinch the division championship and a trip to the final
round. The final pitted Hentges against the quickest A-fuel dragster in
qualifying, Brandon Henkelman of San Jose, Calif. Hentges got a big jump
at the start and cruised to the win and a new track speed record with a
pass of 5.569 seconds at 257.46 mph. Hentges also owns the track e.t
record, which he set in qualifying with a blistering pass of 5.513 seconds.
"When I saw the win light come on after the semi's I was just relieved,"
said Hentges. "I've been No. 2 so many times, and the crew has worked so
hard, I don't think this has set in yet. Now we are going to go to some
national events and have some fun."
Hyland's win at Southern Oregon Dragway was an historic one. It is
historic because it marks the first time three people in one family have
won a NHRA national event and a NHRA divisional event. Hyland's daughter,
Tiffani and son, Sean have both won numerous divisional events and at least
one national event, while dad has only won on the National level. Hyland
began the eliminations with a first round bye run of 5.750 seconds that saw
him break his own track record he set in Saturday's qualifying. Hyland
made it into the final by beating, Renegade Raceway Federal-Mogul Funny Car
Champion, Russ Parker of Salem, Ore. with a track speed record run of 5.758
seconds at 248.46 mph. Hyland entered the record books by beating Dan
McGlone of Gladstone, Ore. in the final with a "slow" run of 5.820 seonds
at 234.35 mph to McGlone's pass of 5.926 seconds at 239.24 mph.
Also in Federal-Mogul Funny Car eliminations, McGlone met up with Bucky
Austin of Fife, Wash.in the semifinals. McGlone beat Austin it what may be
the ultimate holeshot and closest finish in Federal-Mogul Funny Car
history, .000017 (seventeen millionth of a second). McGlone ran 5.956
seconds with a reaction time of .465 to Austin's run of 5.882 seconds with
a .539 reaction time.
Other winners include, Jim Warter of Fox Island, Wash. in Comp;
Bill Blakeney of Bell, Calif. in Super Stock; Steve Wann of Modesto, Calif.
in Stock; Jeff Yoder of Gresham, Ore. in Super Comp; Mike Ferderer of
Buckley, Wash. in Super Gas; and John Uyeyama of Davis, Calif. in Super
Street.
The following are the final results from the NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing
Series event at Southern Oregon Dragway:
FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER
First Round
1) Mark Hentges, Federal Way, Wash., 5.540 seconds, 252.92 mph def. 8) Gary
Anderson, Anaheim, Calif., 6.320, 189.82
2) Steve Federlin, Oregon City, Ore., 5.649, 251.36 def. 7) Paul Jones,
Stockton, Calif., 5.754, 239.23
3) Brandon Henkelman, San Jose, Calif. 5.552, 255.77 def. 6) John
Shoemaker, Sacramento, Calif., 5.711, 245.85
4) Gregg Lawrence, Salem, Ore., 5.681, 248.61 def. 5) Duane Shields, Las
Vegas, Nev., 5.996, 207.31
Semifinals
Hentges, 5.527, 257.08 def. Lawrence, 5.724, 243.50
Henkelman, 5.579, 242.20 def. Federlin, 5.644, 249.66
Final
Hentges, 5.569, 257.46* def. Henkelman, 5.638, 235.75
*Track record
FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR
First Round
1) John Hyland, Springfield, Ore., '00 Camaro, 5.750* seconds, 247.15 mph
def. 8) Bye
2) Bucky Austin, Fife, Wash., '00 Camaro, 5.831, 244.51 vs. 7) Clint
Thompson, Klamath Falls, Ore., '97 Camaro, 18.106, 43.78
3) Dan McGlone, Gladstone, Ore., '99 Camaro, 5.815, 243.30 vs. 6) Lloyd
Bandle, Jacksonville, Ore., '96 Pontiac Firebird, 5.987, 242.17
4) Russ Parker, Salem, Ore., '00 Dodge Avenger, 5.905, 244.56 def. Ron
August Jr., Pleasanton, Calif., '00 Chevrolet Camaro, 5.959, 247.23
Semifinals
Hyland, 5.758, 248.46* def. Parker, 5.912, 243.17
McGlone, 5.956, 240.98 def. Austin, 5.882, 244.82
Final
Hyland, 5.820, 234.35 def. McGlone, 5.926, 239.24
*Track Record
COMP ELIMINATOR
Jim Warter, Fox Island, Wash., '92 Chevrolet Camaro, B/SM, 8.911, 151.01
def. Brian Hyerstay, Eugene, Ore., Dragster, G/D, 9.512, 133.10
SUPER STOCK
Bill Blakeney, Bell, Calif., '68 Camaro, SS/HA, 10.226, 128.62 def. Steve
Wann, Modesto, Calif., '98 Dodge Avenger, GT/TD, 10.969, 120.34(Breakout)
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Steve Wann, Modesto, Calif., '70 Plymouth GTX, C/SA, 10.896, 120.95 def.
Gary McCoy, Eagle, Idaho, '70 Plymouth Cuda, E/S, Foul
SUPER COMP
Jeff Yoder, Gresham, Ore., 8.973, 157.28 def. Mike Drzayich, Auburn, Wash.,
Foul
SUPER GAS
Mike Ferderer, Buckley, Wash., '00 Pontiac Firebird, 10.051, 157.38 def.
John Peterson, Basin City, Wash., '96 Firebird, 9.980, 148.11(Breakout)
SUPER STREET
Ron Fitzhugh, Forest Hill, Calif., '64 Chevrolet Nova, 11.474, 135.51 def.
John Uyeyama, Davis, Calif., '55 Austin, Foul
SUPER DRAG BIKE
Brian Hudson, Kennewick, Wash., '80 Suzuki, 9.086, 144.77 def. Leeland
King, Shelton, Wash., '90 Kawasaki, 8.412, 154.56
TOP COMP
Mark Barnhart, Emmett, Idaho, Dragster, 7.675, 171.14 def. Wes Garvin,
Kennewick, Wash., '23 Roadster, 7.746, 170.42
JR. DRAGSTER
Brandon Yoder, Gresham, Ore., 9.167, 66.77 def. Corey Yoder, Gresham, Ore.,
9.131, 72.12
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