---

NHRA FMDRS: Drag Racing, Gainesville Raceway, Fla., Race Results

20 February 2000

BARTONE 1, MANZO 0

     Gainesville, Fla. - When it came to head-to-head battles between
Manhasset, NY's Tony Bartone and Morganville, NJ's Frank Manzo in 1999, the
New Yorker chalked up an impressive 4-0 win-loss record.
        However, when the silverware was handed out at season's end it was
Manzo, not Bartone, who collected the NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series
Funny Car world title, the fifth of his storied career.
        Stung by the defeat Bartone has entered the 2000 drag racing season
with a resolve to stop Manzo and win his second-career title.  On Sunday at
Gainesville Raceway Bartone again drew first blood in the duo's personal
on-track battle, downing Manzo in the final with a 5.77-second run at 251
mph.  Manzo slowed to a 10-second pass.
        "One win doesn't make a season, but to win the title we've got to
stop Frank anywhere we can, and that's what we did here today," said
Bartone.
        In the dragster class Middleburg, Fla.'s Michael Gunderson cruised
to an easy victory when final-round opponent and temporary teammate Jay
Payne broke.  Gunderson, driving a new nitro-fueled injected dragster
claimed the win with a 5.47-second lap.

        
The following are the final results from the NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing
Series event at Gainesville Raceway:

FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER

Round 1
1. Michael Gunderson, Middleburg, Fla., 10.566 seconds, 74.93 mph def. 8.
Dan Lucas, Cumming, Ga., broke
3. Jay Payne, Upland, Calif., 5.619, 252.95 def. 6. Cherrisa Griffis,
Gainesville, Fla., 6.385, 217.81
2. Bob Bears, Clearwater, Fla., 12.134, 58.92 def. 7. Artie Allen,
Jacksonville, Fla., 6.743, 177.51 (red-light)
5. Don Fiorelli, Palm Bay, Fla., 6.097, 211.31 def. 4. Bill McCornack,
Lexington, Ky., 6.569, 221.78

Round 2
3. Payne, 5.735, 246.03 def. 2. Bears, 5.792, 228.89
1. Gunderson, 6.015, 250.48 def. 5. Fiorelli, 7.310, 125.41

Final Round
1. Gunderson, 5.479, 256.62 def. 3. Payne, broke


FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR 

Round One
2. Frank Manzo, Morganville, NJ, '00 Avenger, 5.877 seconds, 249.58 mph
def. 3. Mark Billington, Apopka, Fla., '95 Achieva, 10.090, 81.61
1. Tony Bartone, Manhasset, NY, '99 Camaro, 5.790, 252.03 def. 4. Jerry
Freeman, New Market, Ala., '98 Avenger, 6.723, 192.26

Final Round
1. Bartone, 5.774, 251.67 def. 2. Manzo, 10.907, 79.36 


COMP ELIMINATOR

Larry Pritchett, Clarkrange, Tenn., E/SM '98 Grand Am, 8.356, 148.12 def.
Bert Dawson, East Liverpool, Ohio, D/A '99 Firebird, 8.060, 156.95


SUPER STOCK

Herbie Null, Elgin, SC, GT/BA '87 Camaro, 9.717, 134.06 def. Dan Fletcher,
Rochester, NY, SS/HA '69 Camaro, 10.141, 128.35


STOCK ELIMINATOR

Edmond Richardson, Goodlettsville, Tenn., E/SA '94 Camaro, 11.213, 110.74
def. Bud Rowe, Bridgeton, NC, K/SA '90 Camaro, 11.872, 109.79


SUPER COMP

Claude DeBonis, West Palm Beach, Fla., dragster, 8.908, 155.87 def. Peabody
Harrell, Vidalia, Fla., dragster, 8.935, 162.48


SUPER GAS

Bart Graham, Weirsdale, Fla., '74 Vega, 10.625, 101.91 def. Mark Horton,
Millbury, Ohio, '99 Corvette, broke


SUPER STREET

Ken Etchison, Sarasota, Fla., '78 Camaro, 10.891, 121.29 def. Steve
Beckham, Anniston, Ala., '68 Camaro, 10.887, 123.18 (break out)