NHRA Summit Series Finals --Thursday from Famoso Raceway

NHRA SUMMIT RACING SERIES - PACIFIC DIVISION FINALS

FAMOSO RACEWAY, BAKERSFIELD, CALIF.

THURSDAY, OCT. 7, 2004



NHRA SUMMIT RACING SERIES FINALS UNDERWAY 

AT FAMOSO RACEWAY

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Top drivers from 17 racetracks across the NHRA Pacific Division began taking shots at the Famoso Raceway racing surface Thursday, as the NHRA Summit Racing Series Finals got underway.  Competition will begin in earnest Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  More than 700 drivers from four states and Mexico are scheduled to compete for team and individual honors, including the opportunity to advance to the NHRA Finals, held at Pomona, Calif., in November.

            Racers took time trials Thursday and then completed the first round of the bonus Jackpot race.  More than 400 drivers entered the Jackpot event and they will finish up Friday while the "official" time trials begin for the weekend.

            Also on Thursday's schedule was the selection of pairings for Saturday's prestigious Race of Champions.  Champions from the home team out of Famoso now know who they will race.  In the Pro E.T. bracket, Famoso Champion Ray Shearer, a 60-year-old Bakersfield firefighter, a seasoned veteran, will face off with John Phlegar, a Las Vegas contractor who runs for Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  In the first round of the Sportsman Race of Champions Visalia's Brad Thompson will represent Famoso against Byron Boyd of Cassel, Calif., who races for Redding Drag Strip.  Thompson made passes in a 250 mph nostalgia Top Fuel dragster last week at the 13th Annual California Hot Rod Reunion.  Also on the Famoso team is Rick McGee of Exeter, Calif., who won the Top Fuel title at the Hot Rod Reunion.  McGee will be in his Pro E.T. dragster this weekend.

            Famoso's Motorcycle Champion, Charles Rand, of Bakersfield, drew Las Vegas Champion Kahea Woods Jr. and the local High School Champion, Peter Chillbes III will face Southwestern Int'l Raceway's High School Champion, Mike Sweeney, of Green Valley, Ariz., near Tucson.

             

            On Friday, gates will open at 7 a.m. with time trials starting at 8 a.m.  On Saturday, gates open at 7 a.m., times trials will begin at 8 a.m., the Race of Champions kicks off at 1 p.m.  The first round of eliminations for the Summit Drag Racing Series itself will be at 2:30 p.m.

            On Sunday, Gates will open at 6:30 a.m. and eliminations will continue at 8 a.m.

            Racers are hoping to take home some of the $27,160 in posted awards and a chance to advance the national championships for the Summit Drag Racing Series at the Auto Club NHRA Finals next month in Pomona, Calif. There they will face the champions for the other six NHRA geographical divisions. Each winner at Famoso will receive $3,000 for making the finals and each of the national champions will earn another $5,000. High School Racers are running for trophies.

 

Pacific Division 2004 Summit E.T. Racing Series Participating Tracks

 

§         Baja Raceway; Mexicali, Baja California

§         Barona Drag Strip; El Cajon, California

§         California Dragway, Fontana, California 

§         Famoso Raceway; Bakersfield, California 

§         Firebird International Raceway; Phoenix 

§         Infineon Raceway; Sonoma, California 

§         Inyokern Dragstrip; Inyokern, California 

§         Irwindale Dragstrip; Irwindale, California 

§         Las Vegas Motor Speedway; Las Vegas 

§         Los Angeles County Raceway; Palmdale, California  

§         Redding Dragstrip; Redding, California 

§         Rocky Mountain Raceways; Salt Lake City 

§         Sacramento Raceway; Sacramento, California 

§         Samoa Dragstrip; Eureka, California 

§         Southwestern International Raceway; Tucson, Arizona 

§         Speed World Motorplex; Wittman, Arizona 

§         Top Gun Raceway; Fallon, Nevada