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DRAGS: 12th Nitro Nationals Heats Up Sears Points Drag Strip April 15 & 16

6 April 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

WHAT: The Goodguys 12th Nitro Nationals Championship Drag Races will feature over 300 1972 and earlier drag racing vehicles including 250mph front engined, nitro burning Top Fuel dragsters, alcohol guzzling 200mph Pro Supercharged coupes and sedans, injected Junior Fuel dragsters, Blown Altereds, plus Hot Rods and Street Machines such as 32 Fords and 69 Camaros. The 12th Nitro Nationals is stop number two of the five-race 2000 Goodguys/Red Line Oil West Coast Championship Series. Classes of competition will include Top Fuel, A/Fuel, Pro Supercharged, Junior Fuel, A/GAS, B/GAS, Nostalgia Eliminator, Nostalgia II and Sportsman classes featuring Hot Rods and Street Machines 1972 and earlier.

In the year 2000, the Goodguys Red Line Oil West Coast Championship Series visits Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield (March 10-12) Sears Point Raceway twice (April 15 & 16 and Sept. 9 & 10), Pomona Raceway in Los Angeles (July 29 & 30) and the series finale is October 28 & 29 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

WHEN: Saturday, April 15th and Sunday, April 16th. Event gates open 8:00am to 5:00pm both days. Professional qualifying Saturday at 11:00am and 2:00pm. Final Professional eliminations begin Sunday at Noon.

WHERE: Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma. The track is located at the junction of Hwys 37 & 121. The Sears Point telephone number for event information is (707) 938-8448.

TICKETS: Tickets are available at the event only. General admission is $20 each day and includes FREE parking and PIT PASS. Juniors 7-12 $5 per day.

CAR SHOW: A giant hot rod & custom car show will be featured in addition to the racing. Over 500 1972 & earlier hot rods, custom cars, muscle cars & classics will be on display at Sears Points "Upper Paddock" area.

EXHIBITS: A special Manufacturers Midway will offer participants and spectators an opportunity to buy products and talk directly with speed equipment reps as over 50 exhibits are expected.

Goodguys Points Series Leaders Look to Extend Stride at Sears Point as Nitro Nationals Drags takes Center Stage

Sonoma, CA - When the final elimination rounds were completed at the 41st Goodguys March Meet at Bakersfields Famoso Dragstrip, history had been made. The 41st edition of the March Meet, drag racings version of Woodstock, had officially stamped itself "alive and well" after a tedious reconstruction process by the Goodguys Vintage Drag Racing Association - an arm of the Alamo, CA based Goodguys Rod & Custom Association. Both spectator attendance and racer turnout surpassed all expectations making the 2000 March Meet officially the worlds largest nostalgia drag racing event.

Goodguys revived the March Meet in 1994 after it lay dormant and was left for dead. The March Meet, which kicks off the five-race Goodguys Red Line Oil West Coast Championship Series, has revisited its former glory years.

Years like 1970, When teams would compete from all over the United States, making Bakersfield a drag racing Mecca. The March Meet featured a record 35,000 spectators over three days with close to 400 entries vying for class titles. Competition was held in twelve classes with, the winners establishing a stronghold on valuable series points.

Now the focus is Northern Californias traction tarmac, Sears Point Raceway. The 12th Nitro Nationals is ready to blast off April 15 & 16 bringing all the stars and cars of drag racings glory days. With its sticky starting line and horsepower friendly sea level atmospheric conditions, Sears Point may be the perfect venue to set new class records.

In the series signature, 250mph Top Fuel class, Sunland, Californias Bill Alexander will look to extend his points lead at the Nitro Nationals.

Alexander defeated Santa Rosas Jim Murphy in a thrilling Top Fuel finale at the March Meet. Murphy is the defending Goodguys Top Fuel Champion and with a new paint scheme and a revamped dragster, he will be tough to beat at the 12th running of the Nitro Nationals. Others to watch out for in Top Fuel at Sonoma will be 3rd generation top fueler Larry Gotelli Jr. of South San Francisco, Kayesville, Utahs Jack Harris, Fresnos Denver Schutz, San Jose s Gerry Steiner and Pleasantons Mike Fuller among others. Towing all the way from Cedar Falls, Iowa to compete in Top Fuel will be March Meet low qualifier Roger Lechtenberg. Lechtenberg and car owner Dale Suhr will make all five Goodguys/Red Line Oil Series events in 2000.

Pro Supercharged competition is getting downright superlative with points leader Gary Reinero of Merced leading the way in his alcohol guzzling 200mph 1948 Austin. Reinero went from a near disastrous qualifying mishap at the March Meet to the winners circle, defeating Danvilles Mike Leonard in the final at Bakersfield. Others who figure in the mix at Sonoma include Danvilles Ronnie Nunes (who holds both ends of the class record with his 62 Corvette), San Joses Rick Souza and his mighty 62 Bubble Top Chevy Impala, Merceds Steve Wood and his 53 Studebaker, San Leandros Steve Woods who will steer his 1948 Anglia and Howard Anderson of Sacramento whos stunning 37 Chevy is as pretty as race cars come.

In A/Fuel , Salinas dragster veteran Steve San Paolo was a runaway freight train in Bakersfield, setting a new class ET and MPH record as well as dusting off all comers. San Paolo, who turned 69 last year, will face stiff competition at Sears Point from Jim Paul of Auburn, San Joses Dusty Renteria, Los Angeles Bill Genco and Kin Bates of Redding.

The final professional eliminator, Junior Fuel is always exciting at Sears Point. Sears Point Raceway is and always has been Junior Fuel friendly with many national class records being set here. Sixty-Two year old Don Enriquez of Mission Viejo was victorious at the March Meet gaining a valuable series points lead over Bullhead City, AZ Bill Wayne. Enriquez returned to driving in 1999 after a twenty-two year hiatus. Both Enriquez and Wayne will have to hold off Wayne Ramay of Davis, CA, San Lorenzos Dan Fenton and the queen of the class, Auburns Stacy Paul if they want to taste the winners circle again.

Qualifying and time trials for the 12th Nitro Nationals will be held Saturday, April 15th from 9:00am to 5:00pm with professional qualifying session scheduled for 11:00am and 2:00pm. Sundays final eliminations are scheduled for NOON. Mendy Fry originally of Santa Rosa, California will serve as the events Grand Marshal. Fry raced the Goodguys circuit in the early 90s as well as an alcohol dragster on the NHRA circuit before hanging up her driving gloves following her father Ron Frys 1993 death. Along with her car builder/crew chief father, Fry was well on her way to becoming a drag racing super star. She is now married and living in Southern California where she works as a recruit specialist for Robert Half International.

Joining the drag racing action at the Goodguys 12th Nitro Nationals will be a show & shine featuring rods, customs & classics through 1972 vintage and a manufacturers midway full of exhibits offering various automotive related merchandise.

General admission is $20 per day and a two-day pass is available for $35. Kids 7-12 are $5 and kids 6 and under are FREE. Pit passes are included with admission. For more information contact Goodguys at (925) 838-9876 Ext. 129.

Text provided by John Drummond

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.