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NHRA FMDRS: Ormsby Jr., Miner hit home runs at World Series of Drag Racing

5 November 2000


        CHANDLER, Ariz.-On Friday night, Gary Ormsby Jr. of Granite Bay,
Calif. made the long trip from the rain soaked NHRA O'Reilly Fall Nationals
in Dallas, Texas to Firebird Int'l Raceway after all Friday qualifying was
rained out in Dallas.  Ormsby, son of drag racing legend, Gary Ormsby Sr.,
made the long trip worth it by capturing the No. 1 qualifying position and
the $1000 Winston Top Qualifier Bonus at the final Federal-Mogul Drag
Racing Series event of the season.  In Federal-Mogul Funny Car, Larry Miner
of Lodi, Calif. drove his 2000 Dodge Avenger to the No. 1 qualifying
position.

        Ormsby pulled into Firebird Int'l Raceway early Saturday morning
looking to make the field in his Giant Bicycle Federal-Mogul Dragster.  He
came out in his first qualifying pass and moved everyone else down a notch
with the quickest run of the weekend, 5.447 seconds at 258.32 mph.  Ormsby
is on a hot streak as of late but is still looking for his first
Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event win.  He won his first two national
events recently at Topeka, Kansas and Houston, Texas.  Bruce Bowler or
Denver, Colo. laid stake to the No. 2 qualifying position after Friday's
quickest pass of 5.462 seconds at 260.97 mph.

        "I guess we made the right decision," said Ormsby.   "We thought
[Dallas national event] it was a lost cause and we were ready to race this
weekend.  Tomorrow will be tough with all the great drivers in the field,
but I think we have a little more."

        Miner turned the points battle into a war with his qualifying
effort Saturday afternoon.  Miner took the No. 1 qualifying spot away from
current Pacific Division Federal-Mogul Funny Car points leader, John Weaver
of Hanford, Calif. with a run of 5.684 seconds at 253.28 mph.  Weaver moved
to the No. 3 qualifying position, which possibly sets up a final round
showdown for the title.

Eliminations begin at Firebird International Raceway on Sunday at 8 a.m. 
Gates open at 7:30 a.m.  Eliminations for Federal-Mogul Dragster and Funny
Car will begin at 12 noon. 

The following are Saturday's qualifying results from the NHRA Federal-Mogul
Drag Racing Series event at Firebird International Raceway:

FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER
1) Gary Ormsby Jr., Granite Bay, Calif., 5.447 seconds, 258.32 mph vs. 8)
John Shoemaker, Sacramento, Calif., 5.606, 248.71
2)      Bruce Bowler, Denver, Colo., 5.462, 260.97 vs. 7) Mike Strasburg,
Lindon, Utah, 5.596, 253.47
3) David Hirata, Lowell, Ind., 5.467, 263.31 vs. 6) Dale Carlson, Olympia,
Wash., 5.562, 250.27
4) Billy Bybee, McLean, Texas, 5.540, 254.76 vs. 5) Brandon Henkelman, San
Jose, Calif., 5.557, 261.02

Alternates
1. Sergio Recio, El Paso,Texas, 5.607, 250.09
2. Gregg Lawrence, Salem, Ore., 5.719, 250.74
3. Steve Cantrell, Wilmington, Del., 5.752, 239.31
4. Larry Miersch, Fallbrook, Calif., 5.885, 233.48
5. Cliff Bingham, Huntington Beach, Calif., 6.075, 221.42
6. Mark Niver, Scottsdale, Ariz., 8.045, 162.02
7. Marshall Topping, Costa Mesa, Calif., 10.922, 68.51

FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR 
1) Larry Miner, Lodi, Calif., '00 Dodge Avenger, 5.684 seconds, 253.28 mph
vs. 8) Bucky Austin, Fife, Wash., '00 Camaro, 5.900, 242.19
2) Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '99 Firebird, 5.728, 249.76 vs.
7) Bernie Harrington, Apple Valley, Calif., '00 Avenger, 5.891, 241.58
3) John Weaver, Hanford, Calif., '00 Chevrolet Camaro, 5.779, 250.13 vs. 6)
Rod Alexander, Simi Valley, Calif., '97 Oldsmobile Cutlass, 5.883, 247.52
4)      Roger Bateman, Calgary, Alb., Canada, '97 Pontiac Firebird, 5.849,
246.30 vs. 5) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '00 Camaro, 5.860, 250.55

Alternates
1. Pete Swayne, Orange, Calif., '97 Firebird, 5.912, 244.25
2. Ron August Jr., Pleasanton, Calif., '00 Camaro, 5.916, 246.57
3. Mike Andreotti, Colusa, Calif., '94 Dodge Daytona, 5.934, 241.41
4.      John Patton, Peoria, Ariz., '99 Pontiac Trans Am, 6.002, 239.40
5. Jett Field, Pocatello, Idaho, '00 Avenger, 6.071, 241.63
6.      Pete Rivera, Mesa, Ariz., '97 Firebird, 6.452, 223.50

COMP ELIMINATOR
1. Andy Manna Jr., Covina, Calif., '90 Pontiac Trans Am, D/EA, 8.446
seconds (0.684 seconds under Index)
2. David Meyers, Dallas, Texas, '99 Chevrolet Camaro, C/A, 7.605 (-0.665)
3. David Cook, Magnolia, Texas, '00 Dragster, A/D, 6.599 (-0.661)
4. Dale Eaton, Glendale, Ariz., '00 Dodge Dakota, A/T, 7.592 (-0.648)
5. Ed Sigmond, Chatsworth, Calif., '34 Roadster, C/SR, 8.800 (-0.630)
6. Craig Eaton, Glendale, Ariz., '00 Dakota, '00 Dakota, A/T, 7.613
(-0.627)
7. Randy Jones, Monarch Beach, Calif., '99 Pontiac Firebird, C/A, 7.671
(-0.599)
8. Dean Howerton, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., '00 Dragster, C/D, 7.137
(-0.593)
9. Joey Tanksley, Greenwell Springs, La., '91 Dragster, B/ED, 7.030
(-0.580)
10. Clint Neff, Arvada, Colo., '99 Dragster, C/D, 7.151 (-0.579)

SUPER STOCK
1. Don Studley, Orange, Calif., '99 Dodge Dakota, GT/TD, 10.479 seconds
(1.441-seconds under Index)
2. Steve Wann, Modesto, Calif., '98 Dadge Dakota, GT/TD, 10.769 (-1.151)
3. Frank Grossi, Upland, Calif., '00 Pontiac Grand Am, GT/BA, 9.610
(-1.090)
4. Sid Bonnecarrere, Gray, La., '68 Dodge Dart, SS/AA, 9.078 (-1.062)
5. Tony DeFrank, Tarzana, Calif., '98 Pontiac Grand Am, GT/FA, 10.217
(-1.043)
6. Jimmy DeFrank, Tarzana, Calif., '89 Chevrolet Camaro, GT/HA, 10.469
(-1.041)
7. Bob Lambeck, Northridge, Calif., '98 Oldsmobile Cutlass, SS/CM, 9.001
(-1.039)
8. Ritch Ahrens, Greeley, Colo., '90 Pontiac Firebird, GT/EA, 10.079
(-1.021)
9. Howard Thompson, Wildomar, Calif., '95 Ford Mustang, GT/EA, 10.079
(-1.021)
10. Cliff Reigle, Ashland City, Tenn., '67 Camaro, SS/FA, 9.887 (-1.013)  

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1. Darren Smith, Palmdale, Calif., '98 Dodge Dakota, DT/SA, 12.213 seconds
(1.477-seconds under index)
2. Bill Rink, Naperville, Ill., '74 Pontiac Trans Am, K/SA, 11.709 (-1.421)
3. Marty Woffard, Gore, Okla., '66 Chevrolet Nova, L/S, 11.904 (-1.276)
4. George Thomson, Van Nuys, Calif., '73 Ford Mustang, H/SA, 11.366
(-1.264)
5. Robert Pond, Rancho, Calif., ''67 Mustang, A/S, 10.158 (-1.252)
6. Dave Irwin, Glendale, Ariz., '95 Chevrolet, P/SA, 12.711 (-1.229)
7. Don Sarrett, Glendale, Ariz., '77 Ventura, V/SA, 14.804 (-1.216)
8. F.J. Acosta, Belle Rose, La., '96 Camaro, E/SA, 10.976 (-1.194)
9. Bobby Dettermond, Gallup, N.M., '69 Camaro, A/SA, 10.28 (-1.180)
10. Al Corda, Elk Mound, Wis., '99 Pontiac Firebird, C/SA, 10.755 (-1.105)