IHRA: Charlie Hunt Racing Keeps Final Round Streak Intact
22 June 1999
CORDOVA, ILL.--- Charlie Hunt has got a good thing going with the two-car approach. The veteran car-owner from Kingsport, Tn., has had one of his two cars in a Pro Stock final at every event this season. They entered this weekend's competition at Cordova Raceway Park for the IHRA Amalie Oil Summer Nationals with optimism. Their hunch was right.Veteran driver Tom Lee, also from Kingsport, continued the team's assault on former World Champion Jon Yoak by beating him for the fourth time in 1999. He also beat his teammate and the current points leader Floyd Cheek, who resides in Soddy Daisy, Tn., in the second round.
"I really enjoy seeing our cars in the final round," smiled Lee. "I like seeing Floyd there, but I like seeing myself there even more. We are really enjoying this moment right now."
Cheek opened the first qualifying session with a relatively "slow" 6.85/205.16. Lee was the last to run during the session and benefited from data acquired on Flood's run. He used it to his advantage and posted the second quickest lap of the session with a 6.77/206.29. After the first session, Lee was second and Cheek was tenth. During the second go round, the duo flip-flipped qualifying order and both produced a 6.80 elapsed time, with Lee's 206.93 edging out Cheek's 205.76.
During the third session, Cheek was the quicker of the two with a 6.784/205.63. That elevated him into the 7th spot. Lee failed to improve with a 6.81, but held onto his 5th position. Both cars stepped in the final session as Lee ran a 6.75/207.24 and Cheek complimented his teammate with a 6.75/206.70.
.Cheek opened the first qualifying session with a relatively "slow" 6.85/205.16, while Lee who was the last to run in the session was able to benefit from the data acquired from Cheek's run, and use it to his advantage, he posted the second quickest run of the session with a 6.77/206.29, good enough for the second spot, Cheek is in tenth. During the second go round the duo traded positions. Both drivers carded 6.80 elapsed times, with Lee's 206.93 edging out Cheek's 205.76. During the third session, Cheek was the quicker of the two with a 6.784/205.63. That run vaulted him into the seventh position. Lee failed to improve with a 6.81, but held on to the fifth position. Both cars stepped it up in the final Night of Fire qualifying session as Lee ran a 6.75/207.24, with Cheek running an almost identical 6.75/206.70.
Tom Lee opened the first round of eliminations with a 6.848/205.19 defeat of Bob Holzer while Cheek took longtime IHRA veteran Charlie Peppers. This created a second round match of teammates for the second team this season. Lee stopped Cheek for the first time in a tight contest.
Lee held lane choice against rookie driver Jeremy Bevins in the semi-finals. Lee defeated Bevins with a stout 6.819/205.38 to Bevins tire rattling 7.263/156.89, moving Lee into his first final round of the season versus Yoak. Lee drilled him on the starting line with a 6.806/206.16 to Jon Yoak's game 6.791/199.43, giving himself and Hunt their third win of the season.
The Universal Brake Parts-sponsored team plans to continue their championship conquest at the IHRA CARQUEST Empire Nationals in Leicester, NY., during the weekend of July 9-11. The duo of Cheek and Lee, along with each Pro Stock contestant, will be afforded four qualifying runs during the course of the event and the quickest sixteen entries will compete in final eliminations on Sunday. This event will be televised on ESPN2 with the dates TBA in an upcoming issue of Drag Review.
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