NHRA Pomona Roars to the Sound of Turbochargers

13 June 1999
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
IDRC/NHRA WEST COAST NATIONALS
POMONA RACEWAY


POMONA ROARS TO THE SOUND OF ... TURBOCHARGERS


        POMONA, Calif. - In its near-50-year existence the National Hot Rod
Association has sanctioned many racing events in countries around the
globe, but Saturday, June 12, 1999 will go down in the record books as a
first.
        In conjunction with the Huntington Beach, Calif.-based Import Drag
Racing Circuit, NHRA hosted its first "imports-only" drag-racing event,
with more than 270 enthusiasts passing through the technical inspection
lanes to take a shot at the legendary Pomona Raceway quartermile.
        The incredible array of vehicles range from road-going 4-cylinder
compact cars to wild-to-the-max turbocharged, fuel-injected late-model
coupes.  And although Honda clearly is the vehicle manufacturer of choice,
other makes such as Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazda, and Volkswagen are
well represented.
        The racing is a mixture of heads-up and brackets, with the
outrageous Pro 8 category representing the quickest of quick.  After three
qualifying sessions Saturday Orange, Calif.'s Aaron Schley is the top
qualifier with an 8.202-second run at 166.91 mph in his '94 Honda.
        The most competitive of the five heads-up categories is Quick 16
where, in what will surely turn into a footnote in the drag racing history
books, import racing's first all-10-second Quick 16 field spanned from
Ryuehes Kids of Santa Fe Springs, Calif., pole-sitting 10.127-second lap to
Westminster, Calif.'s Billy Mulroney bump spot of 10.946 seconds.
        A Mazda, Toyota, and a Volkswagen head the remaining categories as
Roy Lockhead of Brentwood, Calif., drove his RX-7 to the pole in Outlaw 8;
Reading, Pa.'s Chris Rado and his Supra lead the Street class; and the
vintage Beetle of Glendora, Calif.'s Bob Penton heads the All Motor
category.
        Eliminations begin 10:00 am Sunday.


POMONA, Calif. -- Results Saturday from Pomona Raceway, IDRC/NHRA West
Coast Nationals

Pro 8

1. Aaron Schley, Orange, Calif., '94 Honda, 8.202 seconds, 166.91 mph;  2.
Kevin King, Harbor City, Calif., '97 Nissan, 8.264, 164.74;  3, Abel
Ibarra, Riverside, Calif., '71 Mazda, 8.426, 161.08;  4. Marcos Acosta,
Bronx, NY, '98 Mazda, 9.694, 141.68;  5. Dave Lemon, Signal Hill, Calif.,
'90 Mazda, 10.915, 125.13;  6. Sardis Campodonico, Union City, NJ, '86
Honda, 21.134, 47.11.


Outlaw 8

1. Ray Lockhead, Brentwood, Calif., '95 Mazda, 9.269 seconds, 144.34 mph; 
2. Adam Saruwatari, Arroyo Grande, Calif., '93 Mazda, 10.038, 136.01;  3.
Craig Paisley, Hempstead, HY, '97 Toyota, 10.495, 132.62;  4. Raul Acevedo,
Ewing, Calif., '85 Mazda, 10.498, 108.91;  5. Dennis Marquis, Bronx, NY,
'82 Toyota, 10.912, 125.96;  6. Chris Bubetz, Anaheim, Calif., '64
Volkswagen, 20.777, 00.00.


Quick 16

1. Ryuehes Kids, Santa Fe Springs, Calif., '98 Honda, 10.127 seconds,
145.51;  2. Ed Bergenholtz, Garden Grove, Calif., '89 Honda, 10.135,
146.38;  3. Jojo Callos, Long Beach, Calif., '94 Honda, 10.307, 139.18;  4.
Paul Umholtz, Wahiawa, Hawaii, '92 Honda, 10.316, 142.56;  5. Lisa Kubo,
Rosemead, Calif., '92 Honda, 10.404, 137.99;  6. Kareem El Sherif, Redondo
Beach, Calif., '95 Honda, 10.422, 132.00;  7. Viet Lam, Garden Grove,
Calif., '94 Honda, 10.558, 140.80;  8. Dave Hickman, Lancaster, Calif., '95
Honda, 10.689, 134.83;  9. Lanny Higa, Millani, Hawaii, '92 Honda, 10.702,
142.13;  10. Tony Fuchs, Canoga Park, Calif., '91 Honda, 10.709, 137.63; 
11. Kazu Yamaguca, Honolulu, Hawaii, '98 Honda, 10.713, 138.10;  12. Loc
Tran, San Francisco, Calif., '96 Civic, 10.760, 136.17;  13. Joe Vo,
Hawthorne, Calif., '95 Honda, 10.858, 140.93;  14. Myles Bautista, North
Hollywood, Calif., '99 Honda, 10.882, 133.29;  15. James West, Long Beach,
Calif., '90 Honda, 10.910, 134.22;  16. Billy Mulroney, Westminster,
Calif., '95 Honda, 10.946, 131.42.


Street

1. Chris Rado, Reading, Pa., '94 Toyota, 10.712 seconds, 135.41 mph;  2.
Robert Lives Jr., Chatsworth, Calif., '93 Mazda, 11.897, 122.93;  3. Todd
Chiamparino, San Carlos, Calif., '90 Mitsubishi, 12.143, 124.00;  4. Scot
Gray, Ontario, Calif., '94 Mitsubishi, 12.292, 114.38;  5. Alfred Torres,
Salinas, Calif., '90 Nissan, 12.983, 107.69;  6. Gary Hite, Yorba Linda,
Calif., '96 Mitsubishi, 13.242, 108.47;  7. Chris Damitz, San Diego,
Calif., '85 Toyota, 13.527, 101.95;  8. Michael Mohnert, La Canada, Calif.,
'96 Nissan, 14.394, 90.57.


All Motor

1. Bob Penton, Glendora, Calif., '62 Volkswagen, 11.614 seconds, 112.06
mph;  2. Tony Shagday, Los Altos, Calif., '95 Accura, 11.617, 117.80;  3.
Jay Yuson, Northridge, Calif., '88 Honda, 11.706, 113.62;  4. Roger Sangco,
San Diego, Calif., '88 Honda, 11.723, 115.85;  5. Andrew Shaw, Escondido,
Calif., 11.745, 116.67;  6. Dan Sharma, Torrance, Calif., '86 Honda,
11.834, 112.92;  7. Jeremy Lookofsky, Northridge, Calif., '95 Honda,
11.855, 113.67;  8. James Mutriyakool, Chatsworth, Calif., '85 Mazda,
12.183, 109.48.

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