NHRA FMDRS: New Car, One Run, Autin on the Pole at Mission B.C.
7 May 2000
MISSION, B.C.- It took Pat Austin and his Tacoma, Wash., based crew
five 24-hour days to assemble the team's new Federal-Mogul Funny Car in
time for the Lordco Auto Parts B.C. Nationals at Mission Raceway Park.
It took Austin just a single five-second run to claim the pole
position at the NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event, to firmly
establish himself as favourite to claim Sunday's title, and to determine he
has the best race car he has ever driven.
"We only took delivery of the car at the beginning of this week,"
said Austin, who sold his previous racer, the quickest Federal-Mogul Funny
Car in the world with a 5.56-second lap to its credit, to a driver in
Sweden. "We've been working day and night to get everything together, to
make sure everything fits."
Having spent all day Friday and most of Saturday dodging
rainshowers, Austin finally got a shot at the famed Mission Raceway Park
quartermile late Saturday and reeled off a 5.65-second run, nearly
two-tenths of a second quicker than second-placed John Hyland, who recorded
a 5.84-second lap.
"Looking at the [computer] data the car was really spinning the
tires on that pass," Austin said of his first run in the car. "I'd have
liked to have made a run in the second qualifying session Saturday evening,
but the track was getting too cold and we simply would have spun or shaken
the rear tires."
Austin paused, the added, "You know, if the track temperature was
better I think this car could run a low 5.50, maybe even a 5.40."
Olympia, Wash.'s Dale Carlson set the pace in the Federal-Mogul
Dragster field with a 5.54-second pass. After beginning the year with a
runner-up finish at the Autozone Winternationals in Pomona, Calif. the
Giant Bicycle Federal-Mogul Dragster team has been looking for some
answers. Carlson finished 1999 number eight in the world in his
Federal-Mogul Dragster. In Carlson's final qualifying attempt on Saturday
he made a strong pass that could have been even stronger if not for his
dragster skating all over the Mission quarter-mile.
"We could of run in the 5.40's but we went an extra 100-feet with
all of the skating we did," said Carlson. "We have been struggling the
last few races and it feels good to get the numbers back. I am looking
forward to tomorrow."
The NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series at Mission Raceway Park
continues Sunday with eliminations beginning at 8:30 a.m. Federal-Mogul
Dragsters and Federal-Mogul Funny Cars will begin first round of
eliminations at 12 noon.
The following are Saturday's qualifying results from the NHRA Federal-Mogul
Drag Racing Series event at Mission Raceway Park:
FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER
1) Dale Carlson, Olympia, Wash., 5.544 seconds, 254.38 mph vs. Bye
2) Duane Shields, Las Vegas, Nev., 5.599, 251.81 vs. 7) Leo Grocock,
Mission, B.C., 7.473, 127.06
3) Steve Federlin, Oregon City, Ore., 5.686, 251.04 vs. 6) Don Clease,
Mission, B.C., 6.722, 197.36
4) Mark Hentges, Federal Way, Wash., 5.953, 231.89 vs. 5) Kim Parker,
Graham, Wash., 6.272, 216.50
FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR
1) Pat Austin, Tacoma, Wash., '99 Pontiac Firebird, 5.655 seconds, 253.02
mph vs. 8) Clint Thompson, Klamath Falls, Ore., '97 Chevrolet Camaro,
6.033, 225.05
2) John Hyland, Springfield, Ore., '00 Camaro, 5.829, 246.91 vs. 7) Mitch
Meyers, Hermiston, Ore., '99 Chevrolet Corvette, 6.015, 237.40
3) Bucky Austin, Fife, Wash., '00 Camaro, 5.848, 246.37 vs. 6) Roger
Bateman, Calgary, Alberta, '97 Firebird, 5.955, 249.79
4) Russ Parker, Salem, Ore., '00 Dodge Avenger, 6.060, 232.97 vs. 5) Mike
Giuliani, Abbotsford, B.C., '96 Oldsmobile Achieva 5.919, 239.23
COMP ELIMINATOR
1. Brian Hyerstay, Eugene, Ore., '97 Dragster, G/D, 9.273 seconds
(0.767-seconds under Index)
2. Bruce Perkin, Maple Ridge, B.C., '87 Pontiac Trans Am, C/SM,
9.031(-0.699)
3. Phil Cocuzza, Acton, Calif., '95 Pontiac Firebird, B/EA, 7.907 (-0.643)
4. Craig Schuck, Eugene, Ore., '95 Dragster, C/ED, 7.376 (-0.634)
5. Jeff Lane, North Bend, Wash., '34 Chevrolet, B/SR, 8.149 (-0.611)
6. Rob Smith, Anaheim, Calif., '98 Dragster, D/ED, 7.594 (-0.606)
7. Jim Warter, Fox Island, Wash., '92 Chevrolet Camaro, B/SM, 8.771
(-0.599)
8. John Edwards, Claremont, Calif., '96 Dodge Avenger, CE/A, 8.399 (-0.491)
9. Mike Pessemier, Graham, Wash., '99 Dragster, B/D, 7.007 (-0.473)
10. Ralph Van Paepeghem, Boise, Idaho, '32 Chevrolet, A/EA, 7.608 (-0.472)
SUPER STOCK
1. Terry Sherrill, Klamath Falls, Ore., '57 Chevrolet Corvette, SS/AM,
8.586 seconds (0.964-seconds under Index)
2. Rick McKinney, Richmond, B.C., '84 Oldsmobile Achieva, SS/KA, 10.645
(-0.905)
3. Byron Setters, Red Deer, Alberta, '96 Chevrolet Camaro, GT/DA, 9.903
(-0.897)
4. Don Thomas, Spruce Grove, Alberta, '89 Camaro, GT/DA, 9.915 (-0.885)
5. Dave Wren, Lynden, Wash., '68 Plymouth, SS/AA, 9.158 (-0.842)
6. Jeff Lane, North Bend, Wash., '91 Achieva, GT/CA, 9.888 (-0.812)
7. Bill Stewart, Marysville, Wash, '74 Plymouth, SS/KA, 10.787 (-0.763)
8. Art Congdon, Calgary, Alberta, '91 Chevrolet Calais, GT/BA, 9.816
(-0.734)
9. Gordon Merkley, Langley, B.C., '66 Chevrolet, SS/F, 9.918 (-0.732)
10. Gale Sasser, Meridian, Idaho, '66 Chevrolet, SS/HA, 10.216 (-0.684)
STOCK ELIMINATOR
1. Randy Hutchings, Calgary, Alb., ET/SA '81 Dodge, 12.085 (1.465-seconds
under Index)
2. Calvin Queahpama, Portland, Ore., T/SA, '65 Chevrolet, 13.428 (-1.372)
3. Bruce Flodin, Abbotsford, B.C., CT/SA '94 Dakota, 12.023 (-1.327)
4. Joe Aluise Jr., Larvel, Md., A/SA '63 Belvedere, 10.019 (-1.281)
5. Adam Bowdish, Lake Oswego, Ore., P/SA '66 Chevrolet, 12.545 (-1.205)
6. Don Elgin, Des Moines, Wash., N/SA '74 Pontiac, 12.130 (-1.170)
7. Sean Cour, Brush Prairie, Wash., E/SA '97 Camaro, 10.849 (-1.151)
8. Tom Skjonsberg, Red Deer, Alb., A/SA '70 Barracuda, 10.184 (-1.116)
9. Fred Deuchar, Brush Prairie, Wash., K/S '65 Malibu, 11.748 (-1.102)
10. Steve Hanby, Salem, Ore., M/SA '85 Camaro, 12.053 (-1.097)
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