NHRA FMDRS: Austin and Strasburg Enjoy Victory at Weather Delayed Event
29 January 2001
CHANDLER, Ariz.-With Saturday's time trials and qualifying sessions
cancelled due to Mother Nature unleashing her fury, racing resumed Sunday
at Firebird International Raceway. However, after the first round of
elimination's, competition was postponed until Monday due to recurring
inclement weather.
The Sealed Power Low Qualifier awards went to: Brandon Henkelman in
Federal-Mogul Dragster (5.695 e.t., 261.52 mph), John Weaver for
Federal-Mogul Funny Car (5.896 e.t., 241.28 mph), Kirk Kuhns in Competition
Eliminator (6.500 e.t., 218.19 mph), Michael Ogburn in Super Stock (8.984
e.t.), and Bill Rink in Stock (11.775 e.t.). In the end there were ten
winners: Mike Strasburg in Federal-Mogul Dragster, Pat Austin in
Federal-Mogul Funny Car, Bill Kent in Competition Eliminator, John Scheiss
of North Hills, Calif., in Super Stock, Chad Loge in Stock, Billy Modex in
Super Comp, Bob Bielaszka in Super Gas, Bernie Polvadore of Peoria, Ariz.,
in Super Street, Bill Webber of Kingman, Ariz., in Super Eliminator, and
Rich Newport of West Valley City, Utah in Motorcycle.
In Federal-Mogul Dragster competition, Lindon, Utah resident, Mike
Strasburg stormed through the field to capture his second straight
divisional victory and his first of the 2001 season with a stellar run of
5.587 and 252.05 mph. "I thought winning in Las Vegas was hard, said a
jubilant Strasburg, but this was much more difficult because of the weather
conditions. It feels good none the less." In Federal-Mogul Funny Car,
long-time competitor Pat Austin of Tacoma, Wash. came away with the victory
after holding off a tough Steve Gasparelli of West Covina, Calif. Austin''
run of 5.752 and 248.43 mph was his best run of the weather delayed event
and narrowly edged Gasparelli's 5.735 and 256.16 mph.
In other racing news, making his racing debut in a Darian/Meadows
Federal-Mogul Dragster, is Brandon Bernstein, the son of five-time NHRA
champion Kenny Bernstein. Talking about the comparisons to his famous
father, "Those are big shoes to fill, but I'm not really worried about
filling them. I think I need to concentrate and focus my energy on my
career and not worry about being Kenny Bernstein's son," Brandon said.
Lastly, winning the Best Appearing Car award was Dean Hoffman of Laguna
Hills, Calif. Taking the Best Engineered honors was Yorba Linda, Calif.
resident Kirk Kuhns for his 1963 Pro-Mod Corvette. Finally, the Best
Appearing Crew award went to the Federal-Mogul Dragster team of Kevin Brown
of Clearfield, Utah.
The following are Monday's final round results from the NHRA Federal-Mogul
Drag Racing Series event at Firebird International Raceway in Chandler,
Ariz.:
FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER
Round 1
1) Mike Strasburg, Lindon, Utah, 6.677 e.t., 138.56 mph def. BYE
2) Brandon Henkelman, San Jose, Calif., 5.695 e.t., 261.52 mph def. 13)
Brian Hough, Eugene, Ore., 15.101 e.t., 39.76 mph
12)Brandon Bernstein, Lake Forrest, Calif., 5.775 e.t., 253.90 mph def.
3)Dale Carlson, Olympia, Wash., 5.823 e.t., 244.12 mph
4) Darryl Hitchman, Hanford, Calif., 5.761 e.t., 219.36 mph def. 11) Don
Hudson, Stockton, Calif., 5.991 e.t., 241.32 mph
5) Steve Cantrell, Wilmington, Del., 7.208 e.t., 126.14 mph def. 10) Kevin
Brown, Clearfield, Utah, 10.300 e.t., 79.18 mph
6) Sergio Recio, El Paso, Texas, 11.585 e.t., 59.29 mph def. 9) Marshall
Topping, Costa Mesa, Calif., No Show
7) Mark Niver, Scottsdale, Ariz., 5.800 e.t., 255.68 mph def. 8) Gary
Anderson, 11.164 e.t., 83.05 mph
Round 2
Strasburg, Lindon, Utah, 8.540 e.t., 94.55 mph def. Niver, Scottsdale,
Ariz., No Show
Hitchman, Hanford, Calif., 9.793 e.t., 93.41 mph def. Cantrell, Wilmington,
Del., 5.730 e.t., 238.17 mph
Henkelman, San Jose, Calif., 8.364 e.t., 100.95 mph def. BYE
Recio, El Paso, Texas, 5.603 e.t., 253.09 mph def Bernstein, Lake Forrest,
Calif., 7.406 e.t, 253.09 mph
Semi-Finals
Strasburg, 5.585 e.t., 251.30 mph def. Hitchman, 5.915 e.t., 189.31
Henkelman, 5.638 e.t., 261.78 mph def. Recio, 6.230 e.t., 157.87
Final Round
Strasburg, 5.587 e.t., 252.05 mph def. Henkelman, 5.735 e.t., 256.16 mph
FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR
Round 1
1) Pat Austin, Tacoma, Wash., 10.354 e.t., 80.42 mph def. BYE
13) Ray Heffron, Fort Worth, Texas, 9.314 e.t., 112.12 mph def. 2)Bucky
Austin,
Fife, Wash., 9.859 e.t., 61.04 mph
3) Steve Gasparelli, West Covina, Calif., 5.903 e.t., 217.74 mph def. 12)
Pete
Rivera, Mesa, Ariz., No Show
4)John Weaver, Hanford, Calif., 5.896 e.t., 241.28 mph def. 11) John
Patton, Peoria, Ariz., 6.575 e.t., 224.81 mph
5) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., 6.269 e.t., 229.51 mph def. 10) Jimmy
Bartoli, Duarte, Calif., No Show
6) Bernie Harrington, Apple Valley, Calif., 6.488 e.t., 218.94 mph def. 9)
Brett Williamson, Campbell, Calif., 31.179 e.t., 32.52 mph
7)Jason Rupert, Anaheim, Calif., 6.754 e.t., 172.39 mph def. 8) Lawren
Jones, Albuquerque, N.M., 9.967 e.t., 81.96 mph
Round 2
Austin, Tacoma, Wash., 5.790 e.t., 242.58 mph def. BYE
Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., 6.009 e.t., 237.75 mph def. Weaver, Hanford,
Calif., 25.117 e.t., 24.85 mph
Rupert, Anaheim, Calif., 9.154 e.t., 77.21 mph def. Heffron, Fort Worth,
Texas, No Show
Gasparelli, West Covina, Calif., 5.692 e.t., 240.81 mph def. Harrington,
Apple Valley, Calif., 6.282 e.t., 227.04 mph
Semi-Finals
Austin, 5.822 e.t., 237.09 def. Gordon, 5.843 e.t., 240.34
Gasparelli, 5.800 e.t., 239.40 def. Rupert, 6.333 e.t., 214.28
Final Round
Austin, 5.752 e.t., 248.43 mph def. Gasparelli, 5.819 e.t., 247.19 mph
COMPETITION ELIMINATOR
Bill Kent, Midland, Texas, '00 Dragster, 7.232 e.t, 162.53 def Ed Sigmon,
Chatworth, Tenn., 9.395 e.t., 121.37
SUPER STOCK
John Schiess, North Hills, Calif., '91 Oldsmobile, 9.703 e.t., 132.24 mph
def. Ron Courtney, Johnston, S.C., '80 Pontiac, 10.471 e.t., 123.08 mph
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Chad Loge, Livermore, Calif., '79 Volare, 11.747 e.t., 110.66 mph def.
Scott Loge, Livermore, Calif., '78 Volare, 12.919 e.t., 99.49 mph
SUPER COMP
Billy Modex, Sidney, Neb., '99 Dragster, 8.993 e.t., 167.20 mph def. Rick
Beckstrom, Novato, Calif., 8.996 e.t., 174.28 mph
SUPER GAS
Bob Bielaszka, Lancaster, N.Y., '96 Grand Prix, 9.987 e.t., 141.34 mph def.
Dave Coatsick, Ontario, Calif., '27 Ford, 9.937 e.t., 137.99
SUPER STREET
Bernie Polvadore, Peoria, Ariz., '78 Pinto, 10.998 e.t., 119.25 mph def.
Keith Manogue, Phoenix, Ariz., 10.983 e.t., 135.02
MOTORCYCLE
Rich Newport, West Valley City, Utah, '97 Suzuki, 8.239 e.t, 160.33 mph
def. Phillip Nasca, Chico, Calif., '93 Ninja, 9.825 e.t., 132.87 mph
SUPER ELIMINATOR
Bill Webber, Kingman, Ariz., '00 Dragster, 7.947 e.t., 179.88 mph def. Jim
Luttrell, Apache Junction, Ariz., '97 Dragster, 7.914 e.t., 184.52