Federal Mogul Funny Car Driver Frank Manzo Makes it 'Bye' the Competition into the Finals
26 July 1999
Numidia, Pa.- The final day of the NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing
Series event at Numidia Raceway presented interesting situations in the
sport of drag racing on a day filled with fun and excitement.
Weather created the first situation that neither fans nor drivers
expected during eliminations Sunday. Forecasts promised hot humid weather
all day with no real chances of rain. The clouds had another idea
altogether. Sprinkles, then a light shower stopped competition for an
hour, but nothing could stop the inevitable appearance of Morganville,
N.J.'s Frank Manzo in the final of Federal-Mogul Funny Car.
No one knew that Manzo was assured a place in the finals, against Paul
Gill of Brockton, Mass., especially himself, but he made the way through
each of three rounds of competition without so much as another driver
racing against him. This unusual circumstance was caused when Manzo's
first round competitor, Anthony Terenzio of Norwalk, Conn. could not make
that round due to engine problems. Then in the second round Manzo was
given a bye run, where he makes a single pass without a competitor
alongside, that put him right into the finals.
"I never want to make it into the next round, and especially the
finals that way" Manzo said. "I come out here to race against these
drivers and want to win that way."
In the finals Manzo got just what he wanted; a tight competition that
was a drag race all the way to the end against Paul Gill. The run was so
close in fact that Manzo won by only two hundredths of a second.
The winner in Federal-Mogul Dragster, Steve Lamplough of Severna Park,
Md. was part of an entirely different kind of interesting situation as he
was the fourth different winner in four NHRA Northeast Division races. Due
to that fact the championship title is available to all competitors in the
dragster category.
The following are final results from the NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag
Racing Series event at Numidia Raceway, the fourth of six races in the NHRA
Northeast Division listing driver, city, state, make of car, elapsed time
in seconds and miles per hour:
FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER
Round 1
8. Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., 5.956, 225.33 def. 1. Jeanie Booz,
Blooming Glen, Pa., 10.683, 74.60
7. Bruce Insinger, Dushore, Pa., 5.929, 239.10 def. 2. Ron Still, Smyrna,
Del., 5.943, 235.72
6. Steve Lamplough, Severna Park, Md., 6.039, 230.59 def. 3. Mike Kosky,
Cuddy, Pa., 10.302, 78.15
5. Bruce Horner, Bergenfield, N.J., 6.001, 233.40 def. 4. Michael Bartone,
Great River, N.Y., 6.131, 235.78
Round 2
8. McPhillips, (Did not finish, engine broke) def. 5. Horner, (Red light)
6. Lamplough, 6.098, 218.76 def. 7. Insinger, 6.464, 182.62
Final Round
6. Lamplough, 5.883, 236.15 def. McPhillips, 8.926, 101.60
FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR
Round 1
1. Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '99 Avenger, 5.900, 244.03 def. 6.
Anthony Terenzio, Norwalk, Conn., '99 Corvette (Could not make run, broke)
5. Bob Newberry, Schenectady, N.Y., '99 Avenger, 6.026, 237.65 def. 2. John
Sieger, Willingboro, N.J., '96 Acheiva, 7.862, 120.11
3. Paul Gill, Brockton, Mass., '96 Avenger, 5.958, 243.11 def. 4. Jim
Lape,
Myerstown, Pa., '97 Camaro, 6.182, 225.96
Round 2
1. Manzo, 9.601, 103.18 (Bye run)
3. Gill, 5.965, 242.98 def. 5. Newberry, 6.061, 236.65
Final Round
1. Manzo, 5.943, 238.47 def. 3. Gill, 5.967, 242.58
COMP ELIMINATOR
Don Stratton, Beloit, Ohio, B/SR '34 Chevy, 8.282, 161.98 def. Larry
Pritchett, Clarkrange, Tenn., D/SM '97 Grand Am, 8.440, 161.17
SUPER STOCK
Lincoln Morehead, Newburgh, N.Y., GT/EA '87 Camaro, 10.255, 129.40 def. Sal
Biondo, Maspeth, N.Y., GT/IA '92 Firebird, 11.039, 120.28
STOCK ELIMINATOR
Larry Pappas, Lodi, N.J., I/SA '86 Chevy, 12.316, 100.52 def. Tom Dauber,
Clarksburg, N.J., G/SA Chevy II, 12.041, 106.60
SUPER GAS
Billy Leber, Buffalo, N.Y., '65 Chevy II, 9.911, 140.31 def. Steve
Drummond, Laurel, Del., '68 Mustang, 9.896, 149.10
SUPER COMP
Tom Stalba, Williamstown, N.J., 8.920, 160.05 def. Randy Winfelder,
Fallston, Md., 8.933, 161.03
SUPER STREET
Brad Givler, Denver, Pa., '72 Demon, 10.900, 123.43 def. Bob Farrell,
Pequannock, N.J., '69 Camaro, 10.882, 128.29
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