NHRA FMDRS: Rain forces Tri State Raceway eliminations to be carried to Monday

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

September 10, 2001

EARLVILLE, Iowa -Rain wreaked havoc on the scheduled events at Tri-State Raceway for the third consecutive day. The NHRA Federal-Mogul-Drag Racing Series event presented by Winnebago, which boasted 530 cars, was supposed to finish eliminations late this afternoon. Unfortunately, rain put an end to the day after just three hours of competition. NHRA and track officials plan to finish the race Monday starting at 8 a.m.

In the only round of eliminations for Federal-Mogul Dragster and Federal-Mogul Funny Car there were few surprises. The No. 1 qualifiers in each class, Bruce Bowler and Cy Chesterman, respectively, advanced to the second round.

In round two of Federal-Mogul Dragster, Denver resident Bowler will face David Wells of LeMars, Iowa. The pair is currently battling for the division title. Bowler is the reining champion but is 153 points behind Wells. Wells has two wins and a runner-up finish to his credit in West Central Division competition.

Federal-Mogul Funny Car competition will be the battle of Iowa. The second round of eliminations will pit Sioux City, Iowa, resident Chesterman against long-time rival and Des Moines, Iowa, resident Vern Moats. On the other side of the ladder, Kirk Williams of Glenwood, Iowa, will take on out-of-division competitor, Chuck Cheeseman, from Galena, Ohio. This round is also significant to the point standings as only 32 points separates first-place Chesterman and second-place Williams. Chesterman has won three West Central Division Federal-Mogul races and Williams has been runner-up three times.

The West Central Division Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series makes its final stop at Bandimere Speedway in Denver, September 21-23, 2001.

The following are results from round-one of Federal-Mogul Dragster and Funny Car at the NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event presented by Winnebago at Tri-State Raceway:

FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER
Round 1
1) Bruce Bowler, Denver, 5.528 seconds, 253.95 mph def. 8) Jeff Hamelink,
Savage, Minn., 7.066, 97.88

2) Randy Meyer, Spring Hill, Kan., 5.503, 239.23 def. 7) Billy Bybee,
McLean, Texas, 5.706, 252.88

6) Phil Mass, Gurnee, Ill., 6.077, 234.68 mph def. 3) Paul Jones, Stockton,
Calif., 13.578, 57.46

5) David Wells, LeMars, Iowa, 5.590, 253.73 def. 4) Chris Ricketts, N.
Kansas City, Mo., 6.820, 152.59


FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR 
Round 1
1) Chuck Cheeseman, Galena, Ohio,'01 Trans Am, 5.971 seconds, 248.61 mph
def. 8) Robert Kanenwisher, Conifer, Colo., '00 Avenger, 15.096, 50.47

2) Cy Chesterman, Sioux City, Iowa, '99 Trans Am, 6.254, 208.86 def. 7)
Wayne Butler, Manito, Ill., '98 Firebird, 10.858, 95.82

3) Vern Moats, Des Moines, Iowa, '01 Firebird, 6.244, 231.66 def. 6) Tate
Branch, Artesia, N.M., '99 Avenger, 9.391, 97.03
 
5) Kirk Williams, Glenwood, Iowa, '97 Pontiac, 5.929, 242.91 def. 4) Randy
Fleming, Independence, Mo., '99 Firebird, 6.020, 235.84

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