NHRA: Business as Usual; Santos, Austin Win
12 July 1999
WOODBURN, Ore. - There is no such thing as a 'sure thing' in drag
racing, but it's a safe bet that when Rick Santos and Pat Austin, drivers
of the Oakwood Homes Federal-Mogul Dragster and the Pro/Max Performance
Federal-Mogul Funny Car, respectively, are on the grounds at any drag strip
they're likely to be challenging for event titles by the end of the day.
Such was the case at Woodburn Dragstrip Sunday, site of the Les
Schwab Tire Centers NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event, where both
Santos of San Leandro, Calif., and Tacoma, Wash.'s Austin reached the
winner's circle.
Santos overcame Federal Way, Wash.'s Mark Hentges to claim the
dragster title; Austin powered his way past Steve Gasparrelli of West
Covina, Calif., for the Funny Car win.
Santos had the measure of the dragster field from the opening
qualifying runs Friday, resetting the track record at 5.53 seconds at 253
mph before dismantling the field through eliminations, turning back Hentges
in the final with a 5.59-second run.
For Austin the road to victory lane was a little tougher. In
qualifying Gasparrelli denied Austin the pole position by four-thousandths
of a second, 5.885 seconds to 5.889 seconds. Going into the final round
Gasparrelli maintained lane choice and put Austin in the less-preferred
left lane, but he could only watch his own car spun the rear tires at 300
feet and slowed to a 6.22-second run as Austin claimed the victory with a
5.97-second lap.
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WOODBURN, Ore. - Final results Sunday from Woodburn Dragstrip, the fifth of
six events in the 1999 NHRA Northwest Division Federal-Mogul Drag Racing
Series.
FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER
First round: 1. Rick Santos, San Leandro, Calif., 5.533 seconds, 250.76 mph
def. 8. Kim Parker, Graham, Wash., 5.906, 234.07; 2. Mark Hentges, Federal
Way, Wash., 5.776, 248.00 def. 7. Steve Federlin, Oregon City, Ore., 7.578,
120.74; 3. Dale Carlson, Olympia, Wash., 5.606, 247.93 def. 6. Mike
McHargue, Lewiston, Idaho, 8.504, 97.29; 5. Gary Ormsby Jr., Auburn,
Wash., 5.983, 197.88 def. 4. Melanie Troxel, Littleton, Colo., 9.406,
88.42.
Semifinals: Santos, 5.562, 245.43 def. Ormsby, 5.893, 232.97; Hentges,
5.723, 249.65 def. Carlson, broke.
Final: Santos, 5.595, 249.86 def. Hentges, 5.714, 247.72.
FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR
First round: 1. Steve Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '99 Firebird,
5.901, 232.13 def. 8. Mike Giuliani, Abbotsford, BC, '95 Achieva, 6.125,
231.54; 2. Pat Austin, Tacoma, Wash., '99 Firebird, 5.942, 240.89 def. 7.
Mitch Myers, Hermiston, Ore., '99 Camaro, 9.870, 81.45; 4. Bucky Austin,
Fife, Wash., '98 Firebird, 5.940, 240.06 def. 5. John Hyland, Springfield,
Ore., '98 Mustang, 6.372, 192.84; 6. Clint Thompson, Klamath Falls, Ore.,
'97 Camaro, 5.976, 227.44 def. 3. Russ Parker, Salem, Ore., '97 Firebird,
5.986, 240.38.
Semifinals: Gasparrelli, 6.005, 239.48 def. B. Austin, 6.267, 183.15; P.
Austin, 8.282, 107.01 def. Thompson, broke.
Final: P. Austin, 5.977, 241.54 def. Gasparrelli, 6.221, 204.91.
COMP ELIMINATOR
Rob Robinson, Portland, Ore., C/EA '96 Oldsmobile, 8.413, 160.25 def. Tom
Brown, Westminster, Calif., F/ED dragster, broke.
SUPER STOCK
Frank Grossi, Upland, Calif., GT/BA '96 Oldsmobile, 9.774, 128.68 def.
Vaughn Hultsman, Yuba City, Calif., GT/BA '93 Ford, 11.290, 117.64 (foul
start).
STOCK
Don Little, Westley, Calif., A/SA '70 Barracuda, 10.421, 127.02 def. Todd
Gale, Pasco, Wash., H/SA '70 Camaro, 12.056, 103.09.
SUPER COMP
Scott Bacon, Boring, Ore., '27-T Ford, 8.874, 159.12 def. Jim Hughes,
Phoenix, Ariz., dragster, 8.905, 160.05 (foul start).
SUPER GAS
Rod Hoerner, Spokane, Wash., '57 Corvette, 9.923, 140.93 def. Michael
Carnes, Boise, Idaho, 9.944, 141.11.
SUPER STREET
Thomas Manfred, Liberty Lake, Wash., '81 Mustang, 10.901, 136.96 def. Wayne
Linder Jr., Sunnyside, Wash., '57 Chevrolet, 10.892, 125.20 (break out).
TOP COMP
Mark Barnhart, Emmett, Idaho, dragster, 7.658, 172.74 def. Mike MacBrair,
Napa, Calif., dragster, 7.833, 154.13 (foul start).
SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE
Len Darnell, Vancouver, Wash., '85 Suzuki, 8.476, 151.92 def. Gary Oaks,
Las Vegas, Nev., '78 Kawasaki, 12.479, 66.47.
SUPER PRO
Gary Hostetler, Vancouver, Wash., '71 Chevelle, 10.647, 119.96 def. Karl
Greiner, Hornbrook, Calif., '71 Demon, 11.634, 116.05.
JR. DRAGSTER
Amanda Elliott, Yakima, Wash., dragster, 8.911, 66.11 def. Jesse DeBartolo,
Camas, Wash., dragster, 11.133, 55.27.
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