NHRA: Top stories from NHRA FMDRS event at Numidia Raceway
27 July 1999
The 1999 NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event got off to an
exciting start for the local media of the area as Numidia Raceway hosted
its first NHRA Media Drag Race Challenge at its track. The event was held
on Thursday, July 22 before the actual competition began at the track, and
the media could not have been happier with the fun, speed, and excitement
of the challenge.
Media challengers who participated included several newspaper and
radio people, and the excitement even brought out the mayor of Bloomsburg,
Mary Lenzini-Howe and some of the Township Supervisors of the area.
The winner of the event was WHLM radio's Brian Osuch who enjoyed every
second of the challenge. "I had a great time racing the car down the track
but feel that the win was really important as well" said Osuch. "The pride
of my station was at stake and I really did my best to take the win light."
Another radio station DJ, Tony Paselli, saw the media challenge as an
opportunity to learn more about the sport of drag racing. "The thing I
really appreciated about getting into these cars and racing is it really
gave me a good perspective on what these professional drag racers go
through" Paselli explained. "I runnered-up to Brian and was happy that I
made it as far as I did. After all it's nothing to be ashamed of when you
make it to the finals of a media challenge, maybe I'll take the win next
year."
There were 16 different competitors at this year's media challenge
making the race a true competition for all those who participated.
There were several success stories in the 1998 NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag
Racing Series last year, but few were as amazing as last year's NHRA
Northeast Division champion in Comp Eliminator, Santo Volpe.
Volpe, who is from Allentown, Pa., began the 1998 season as a rookie
in the Competition Eliminator field. He was a seasoned bracket racer, but
had always run in an automatic car where shifting wasn't a factor in
winning and losing; that changed when he began to race in Comp. That
change, however, didn't seem to affect him as Volpe went through his season
as a rookie as he quickly made his way up the ladder, and, by the end of
the year, had become the division champion. Volpe's effort was so
successful, in fact, that he had the national championship within sight as
well. Volpe finished second in the national standings, only behind 1998
Comp Eliminator national champion Bob Andrews.
The race at Numidia Raceway, where Volpe is currently third in the
qualifying ladder, could very well be the victory he needs to begin his
road to another championship in the '99 season. Volpe is the defending
champion at Numidia Raceway, which is his hometown track, so a win could be
just the boost he's looking for.
"Even though we're not where we want to be at this point, we realize
that there are still plenty of races left, and we aren't in that bad a
position to go for another championship" Volpe said. "This was how our
season was going last year, we just need that little boost to get us going
in the right direction."
The NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event at Numidia Raceway offered
fans an opportunity to see a full day of drag racing with all their
favorite drivers, and, as an added bonus, they got to see a pro wrestling
tournament at no additional charge.
As the day came to a close Saturday evening with some fast drag racing
and a lot of excitement, Winston Top Qualifiers Jeanie Booz, of Blooming
Glen, Pa. in Federal-Mogul Dragster, and Frank Manzo, of Morganville, N.J.
in Federal-Mogul Funny Car made it known they're looking for another win at
this weekend's race. Both drivers just came off wins at Lebanon Valley
Dragway in Albany, N.Y. two weeks ago, and have their sights on the
winner's circle at this weekend's race. But that wasn't all the fans were
treated to.
As if the excitement of 240-mph cars going five seconds down the track
wasn't enough to entertain the fans, Numidia Raceway gave everyone an extra
treat as the sun went down. Pro wrestlers came from all over the country
came to show what they're made of in the ring at Numidia Raceway. Some of
the wrestlers even hailed from the infamous ECW (Extreme Championship
Wrestling) where the only rule that exists is that there are no rules.
Included in the highlights of the wrestling were H-C Loc who wrestled
Shockwave, and the ECW team Twin Tackles who went up against Bad Crew.
The only thing that can be said about the wrestling that went on in
the ring is that there were several chairs and trashcans, as well as tables
that were used on some of the wrestlers that will never look the same
again.
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.
Eight competitors out of the hundreds of other racers had something to
celebrate before the competition event began at the NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag
Racing Series event at Numidia Raceway. Those eight racers were the
winners of the Wittnauer Watch Mid Season Points Leader award, given to
those competitors who had the most NHRA Northeast Division points after the
third of six racers in the 1999 season.
The award winning drivers include Jeanie Booz in Federal-Mogul
Dragster, who won only her second divisional event in her career at Lebanon
Valley Dragway, Frank Manzo the defending national and divisional champion
in Federal-Mogul Funny Car, Al Ackerman in Comp. Eliminator, defending
national and divisional champion in Super Stock, Dan Fletcher, Peter Biondo
in Stock, defending division champion in Super Comp, George Tamasi Jr.,
Chuck Rothermel in Super Gas, and last but not least Bill Curtin in Super
Street.
These mid season points leaders will be presented with a Wittnauer
watch, a prize valued at $200 featuring the NHRA Federal-Mogul logo, during
a Sunday morning ceremony at the track. Wittnauer is a manufacturer of
fine Swiss watches that is located in New York, and distributes its watches
all over the United States.
--30--
Editors Note: For hundreds of hot racing photos and racing art, be sure to visit The Racing ImageGalleries and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.