NHRA Federal-Mogul Firebird Raceway Results

     
Final round results Sunday at Firebird Raceway/Boise, the first
of six events in the Northwest Division in the 1997 NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag
Racing Series:

Advancing from the second qualifying position, Frank Pedregon won the
Federal-Mogul Dragster category at the NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing
Series event held at the 27th Auto Parts ‘n Stuff Ignitor at Firebird
Raceway.  Joining Pedregon in the winners circle was Roger Bateman who
claimed the Federal-Mogul Funny Car title. 

Pedregon and Bushey both ran 5.81-second runs, but Pedregon’s starting line
reaction was quicker giving him the win. Bushey was considered the favorite
to win being the #1 qualifier and ran consistent 5.6-second runs all
weekend, but he slept at the starting line and handed Pedregon his first
drag racing win.

Roger Bateman’s victory in the Federal-Mogul Funny Car came at the expense
of Dan McGlone. In the final round Bateman recorded a 6.05-second, 237-mph
run to take the win.

The NHRA-Winston Divisional Top Qualifier Bonus pays $2,500 per event to
top drivers in five classes of cars. This weekend bonus payouts include
$1,000 each to Federal-Mogul Funny Car driver Steve Sommer and
Federal-Mogul Dragster driver Chess Bushey, $200 each in Competition and
Super Stock awarded to Bob Panella and Jim DeFrank, and $100 in Stock
Eliminator awarded to Joe Sorensen.

FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER – Frank Pedregon (Alta Loma, CA), 5.81 e.t., 239.17
mph, def. Chess Bushey (Ramona, CA), 5.81 e.t., 241.56 mph.

FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR – Roger Bateman (Calgary, Alberta), 6.05 e.t.,
237.71 mph, def. Dan McGlone (Gladstone, OR), 6.35 e.t., 227.15 mph

COMPETITION ELIMINATOR – Bob Panella (Stockton, CA), 8.55 e.t., 145.86 mph,
def. Jim Warter (Fox Island, WA), 9.09 e.t., 151.51 mph

SUPER STOCK – Don Thomas (Spruce Grove, Alberta), 10.397 e.t., def. Jimmy
DeFrank (Tarzana, CA), 10.646 e.t.

STOCK ELIMINATOR – Bill Hegard Jr. (Vancouver, WA), 11.24 e.t., def. Mary
Ann Method (Kennewick, WA), red light

SUPER COMP – Mike Seekins (Seattle, WA), 9.264 e.t., def. Michael Peck
(Woodville, WA), red light

SUPER GAS – Todd Hoerner (Spokane, WA), 10.221 e.t., def. Dan Lafferty
(Twin Falls, ID), red light

SUPER STREET – Ron Cross (Springfield, OR), 11.24 e.t., def. Loren Olsen
(Port Orchard, WA), 11.27 e.t.

KORBEL SUPER ELIMINATOR – Mark Barnhart (Emmet, ID), 8.269 e.t., def. John
Evans (West Valley, UT), red light