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NHRA Federal-Mogul series, Salt Lake City, Sunday results

7 June 1999

NICHOLSON TOO MUCH FOR STRASBURG

        WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah - It wasn't pretty, but Laguna Hills,
Calif.'s Darren Nicholson wasn't complaining in the Rocky Mountain Raceways
winners' circle after claiming the Federal-Mogul Dragster event title over
Lindon, Utah's Mike Strasburg.
        Nicholson, driving Jerry Madern's Peen Rite dragster, broke the
throwout bearing in the car's transmission during the pre-race burnout. 
Compounding Nicholson's problems, at 1,000 feet into the race a
supercharger burst panel broke, slowing the car to a 6.04-second run at 186
mph.
        "We ran good when we needed to, and we had a little luck when we
needed it, too," said Nicholson.  "[Rocky Mountain Raceways] is such a
great place to win.  I wish we could take this track and put it in some
other locations where we race.  It's that nice."
        Despite the loss Strasburg was not licking his wounds.  "It's been
a tough weekend, we have gone through a lot of equipment, but I'm happy
that we reached the final round," said Strasburg, whose race car slowed to
a 7.32-second run when his transmission broke.  "Darren was there for the
taking, no question about it.  I just wish he had run a 5.60 or something,
a run I know I couldn't have beat."
        Federal-Mogul Funny Car honors went to Paso Robles, Calif.'s Doug
Gordon, who beat Pete Swayne of Orange, Calif., in a 6.04-second to
6.21-second duel.
        "We tested here on Thursday and ran a 6.02, and from that tune up
we were able to make small changes to the car, just fine-tuning our way
downtrack," explained Gordon.  "We thought the track would hold a little
more horsepower this morning, and it probably would have but we broke a
rocker arm on the burnout.  The run we made [in the final] was only on
seven cylinders."
        Fortunately for Gordon his final-round opponent, Swayne, was unable
to take advantage after shaking the tires away from the starting line.  "I
was gaining on him but I just ran out of track," said Swayne.




WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah - Final results Sunday from Rocky Mountain Raceways,
the fourth of six events in the 1999 NHRA Pacific Division Federal-Mogul
Drag Racing Series.


FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER
First round: Rick Santos, San Leandro, Calif., no time recorded, no speed
recorded, def. 8. Steve Federlin, Oregon City, Ore., ntr, nsr;  2. Darren
Nicholson, Laguna Hills, Calif., 5.704 seconds, 250.06 mph def. 7. Bob
Perkins, Salt Lake City, Utah, 6.404, 161.49;  3. Melanie Troxel,
Littleton, Colo., 5.679, 257.06 def. 6. Mike McHargue, Lewiston, Idaho,
7.156, 163.22;  4. Mike Strasburg, Lindon, Utah, 6.024, 195.18 def. 5.
Duane Shields, Las Vegas, Nev., 5.998, 225.90.
Second round: Strasburg, 11.415, 78.76 def. Santos, 11.462, 68.42;
Nicholson, 5.639, 252.24 def. Troxel, 5.777, 254.88.
Final: Nicholson, 6.042, 186.76 def. Strasburg, 7.327, 123.89


FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR
First round: 1. Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '99 Firebird, 5.979
seconds, 238.22 mph def. 8. John Weaver, Hanford, Calif., '97 Firebird,
11.177, 69.46;  2. Pete Swayne, Orange, Calif., '97 Firebird, 6.828, 224.27
def. 7. Mert Littlefield, Garden Grove, Calif., '99 Camaro, 11.928, 65.96; 
6. Steve Sommer, Nampa, Idaho, '98 Firebird, 5.994, 243.63 def. 3. Steve
Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '99 Firebird, 11.441, 66.89;  4. Dennis
Taylor, Anaheim, Calif., '99 Avenger, 6.123, 229.53 vs. 5. Bret Williamson,
Campbell, Calif., '92 Trans Am, 8.932, 101.68 (foul).
Second round: Gordon, 5.985, 238.41 def. Taylor, 6.107, 231.06; Swayne,
6.067, 239.23 def. Sommer, 12.315, 74.88.
Final: Gordon, 6.094, 226.81 def. Swayne, 6.213, 240.51.


COMP ELIMINATOR
Andy Manna, Covina, Calif., D/EA '90 Trans Am, 8.921, 130.43 def. Rich
Howell, Yorba Linda, Calif., B/A '32 Bantam, 7.771, 171.20 (foul start).

SUPER STOCK
Byron Broaddus, Yorba Linda, Calif., GT/AA '87 Camaro, 10.615, 125.61 def.
Jimmy DeFrank, Tarzana, Calif., GT/HA '89 Chevrolet, 10.822, 123.66 (break
out).

STOCK
Earl Blake, Las Vegas, Nev., G/SA '68 Barracuda, 12.757, 105.64 def. Neal
Rhodes, Aurora, Colo., F/SA '67 Ford, 11.828, 111.31 (foul start).

SUPER COMP
Matt Schoenfeld, Magna, Utah, dragster, 9.328, 143.67 def. Alan Ellis,
Mapleton, Utah, '23-T Ford, 9.351, 153.34.

SUPER GAS
Steve Sharp, Stockton, Calif., '81 Camaro, 10.309, 131.06 def. Pat Warr
Jr., West Jordon, Utah, '90 Corvette, 10.289, 148.19 (break out).

SUPER STREET
Aaron Sasser, Meridian, Idaho, '66 Chevrolet, 11.381, 128.36 def. John
Peterson, Basin City, Wash., '55 Chevrolet, 11.445, 130.34 (foul start).

SUPER ELIMINATOR
Scott Wells, Glendale, Ariz., dragster, 8.248, 164.02 def. Alan Carey,
Fallon, Nev., dragster, 8.242, 164.95 (break out).

SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
Sean Conner, Boulder City, Nev., '98 Kawasaki, 9.092, 130.79 def. Jake
Geisser, West Valley City, Utah, '85 Suzuki, 8.740, 153.21

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