NHRA FMDRS race notes from Texas Motorplex
1 June 1999
TOP STORIES FROM NHRA FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAG RACING SERIES AT TEXAS MOTORPLEX
Federal-Mogul Funny Car driver Todd Simpson from Ponder, Texas lost an
engine due to an explosion during his first qualifying run on Friday during
the O'Reilly NHRA Federal-Mogul Divisional at Texas Motorplex.
The engine exploded a little past the halfway point of the track. A
broken crankshaft caused the engine to seize sending a fireball of methanol
out from under the car, which quickly went out. Simpson was uninjured and
walked away from the accident eager to repair the damages and prepare for
eliminations.
Dick Simpson, Todd's father, said "We won't make any more qualifying
runs on Saturday, we need to get prepared for eliminations to try and take
the win." "We brought two spare engines with us but one of them is broken
so it could make this race more challenging, but we'll make it okay"
Simpson added.
Final qualifying for the Federal-Mogul Funny Car and Dragster
categories was cancelled due to thunderstorms Saturday evening.
The Winston Top Qualifiers in those categories had to be determined by
the first run that was made giving those honors to Federal-Mogul Dragster
driver Darrell Russell, Federal-Mogul Funny Car driver Jimmy Jones. In
Competition Eliminator Ruben Celedon took top honors as did Super Stock
driver and multiple Winston Top Qualifier Randall Klein, and Stock
Eliminator driver Verne Buchanan.
1998 NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series Super Gas national champion
Jimmy Lewis could be on the road to achieving a second national
championship for the 1999 season, a feat that has never been done.
Lewis is currently in third place in the national point standings
behind the leader Gary Risk. After going out in the fourth round during
the weekend's competition, Lewis will need some national event wins to make
sure he stays in contention for the national championship title. With only
fourteen points separating Lewis and Risk, this is sure to be a tight
competition for the rest of the year.
Phylis Lewis, Jimmy's wife, said "We don't check how we're doing
during the year, in fact I don't even read National Dragster until the last
divisional race of the year at Firebird Int. Raceway in Phoenix." "When
that race comes around, especially if we have a chance at the national and
divisional championships, I read Dragster cover to cover."
Lewis started his year off right with a win at the Autozone
Winternationals in Pomona, Calif. in the Super Gas category and followed up
with a win at the NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event at Memphis
Motorsports Park, again in his Super Gas Roadster.
Excitement could be heard and felt from the Stidham Bros. Trailers
Racing Team as Federal-Mogul Funny Car driver Jackie Stidham, from
Chickasha, Okla. won his third NHRA South Central event at the O'Reilly
NHRA Federal-Mogul Divisional at Texas Motorplex.
"We think that this championship is ours but you never know, there are
still some great drivers out there like Todd Simpson and Tate Branch"
Stidham said.
With three wins and two final round runner-ups out of five NHRA South
Central Division events Stidham, has a very comfortable lead over second
place driver Todd Simpson, from Ponder, Texas who was last year's
Federal-Mogul Funny Car champion in the same division. There is a
possibility for Simpson to catch Stidham, but it would require nothing less
than a win at every race Simpson runs at.
"Mathematically it would be very difficult for someone to catch me at
this point, even if they raced at several more out of division events"
Stidham explained.
The reason that it would be so difficult for another Federal-Mogul
Funny Car racer to catch Stidham is due to the fact that racers receive
fewer points at out of division races. So the 1999 NHRA South Central
Division Federal-Mogul Funny Car champion, if it does turn out to be
Stidham, could be receiving his fourth division championship title in his
racing career which is a career achievement by itself.
"If my math is correct and we win this year's title this will be our
fourth division championship which I am very excited about" Ronnie Stidham,
Jackie's brother, said about this weekend's victory.