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DRAGS: San Leandro Resident Santos Makes it Two-in-a-row at His Home Track

5 July 1999

        SONOMA, Calif. - Defending Federal-Mogul Dragster and Defending
Sears Point Raceway Champion, Rick Santos of San Leandro, Calif. made it
look easy as he made it two wins in a row at the NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag
Racing Series event at Sears Point Raceway.  Forty year veteran of NHRA
Drag Racing, Mert Littlefield of Garden Grove, Calif. beat the long-shot
odds and took home his first Federal-Mogul Funny Car win since '94.  
        In Sunday's eliminations, Santos was the picture of consistency
with three runs of 5.55 seconds or better.  Things were not so bright after
Friday's qualifying attempt when he broke the transmission and rear end. 
"If we were at any other track we couldn't have rebuilt the car," said
Santos.  In round one, Santos had a run of 5.532 seconds at 247.40 mph
against a run of 6.111 seconds at 230.65 mph for Tony Meredyk of Cypress,
Calif.  Second round Santos faced another San Leandro resident, Chris Lane,
and posted a run of 5.556 seconds at 252.24 mph and won the right to face
Melanie Troxel of Littleton, Colo. in the final.
Troxel made it to the final by beating Rick Henkelman of San Jose, Calif.
in the closest race of the day.  Henkelman posted a run of 5.649 seconds at
248.59 mph while Troxel just beat him at the finish line with a run of
5.627 seconds at 250.37 mph.  
The final matched the current No. 1 points leader in the Pacific Division,
Santos, and the No. 1 points leader in the Northwest Division, Troxel. 
Troxel beat him off the line with a quick reaction time of .427 to Santos
.475.  Santos made it up at the finish when Troxel had to turn off just a
little early.  Santos recorded a run of 5.539 seconds at 248.87 mph to
Troxel's run of 5.711 seconds at 245.59 mph.
        "The car was consistent all day," said Santos.  "This track is very
tricky because of the heat and the short concrete. I thought consistent low
5.50's could maybe win here and that is what we were able to pull off."
        Littlefield was also consistent with three runs of 5.92 seconds or
better.  Round one Littlefield beat Dennis Taylor of Anaheim, Calif. in a
close race, Littlefield's run of 5.921 seconds to Taylor's run of 5.954
seconds.  In round two Littlefield faced the 1998 Pacific Division
Runner-up in Federal-Mogul Funny Car, John Weaver of Hanford, Calif. 
Littlefield won when Taylor lost an engine about 200-ft. from the finish. 
In the final, Littlefield came up against No. 3 qualifier, Pete Swayne of
Orange, Calif.
Littlefield stayed consistent with another run of 5.9 seconds at 238.36 but
didn't need it because Swayne broke at half-track.
"It's been a lot of hard work to get here, by my crew, my wife, and
everybody that helped us," said an ecstatic Littlefield.  "The feeling I
had when I saw Pete [Swayne] break is indescribable.  This is just great
for the team, it's been a long time coming."  
The following are Saturday's qualifying results from the NHRA Federal-Mogul
Drag Racing Series event at Sears Point Raceway:

FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER 
Rick Santos, San Leandro, Calif., 5.539 seconds, 248.87 mph def. Melanie
Troxel, Littleton, Colo., 5.711, 245.59

FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR  
Mert Littlefield, Garden Grove, Calif., '99 Chevrolet, 5.539 def. Pete
Swayne, Orange, Calif., '98 Pontiac, 11.298, 106.78
 
COMP ELIMINATOR
Rick Braun, Redlands, Calif., '97 Pontiac, C/EA def.

SUPER STOCK
Tony DeFrank, Tarzana, Calif., '98 Pontiac, GT/GA, def.

STOCK ELIMINATOR
Don Little, Westley, Calif. '70 Plymouth, A/SA def.
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