Sun, 7 Nov 1999, 01:27 AM Almost 700 Cars Chasing Championships

Courtesy of NHRA Marketing at Firebird FMDRS

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- A Pacific Division record 684 race cars converged on Firebird International Raceway for final qualifying efforts on Saturday. Racers came from as far as Australia and England to make the final NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event and gather points for the elusive Federal-Mogul Championship.

In Federal-Mogul Funny Car, Roger Bateman of Calgary, Alb., Canada collected the $1000 Top Qualifier bonus from Winston and put himself in great position to capture the Northwest Division Championship in tomorrow's eliminations. Mark Woods Jr. of Kingsburg, Calif. drove his Federal-Mogul Dragster to the No. 1 qualifying position after a runner-up finish at Firebird Raceway last year.

Bateman could not better his great run from Friday (5.724 seconds at 250.78 mph) in Saturday's two qualifying attempts, but it was still enough to take the No. 1 qualifying position over a field of 17 at Firebird Raceway. In Saturday's qualifying, Bateman made two quality passes down the hot Arizona track, but held back a little for tomorrow's eliminations.

In round one of eliminations on Sunday, Bateman will face first alternate Marc White of Glendale Hts., Ill, who is chasing a North Central Divisional Championship. White made the Federal-Mogul Funny Car field when the Funny Car of Norm Hill of La Habra, Calif. blew an engine in Friday's qualifying attempt and caught on fire at the far end of the track. Hill was taken to the hospital with minor burns on his hands and legs. He was kept overnight for observation and released on Saturday. Hill did qualify No. 8 but will not be able to repair his Federal-Mogul Funny Car before tomorrow's eliminations, so White takes his place as first alternate against Bateman.

"Our runs today were basically test runs", said Bateman. "Tomorrow we will be running in the heat of the day and we wanted to see how the car would react to the track on a couple different set-ups." "Facing Marc [White] in the first round will not be easy. He didn't qualify well but that team can step up at any time and blow the rest of us off the track."

Woods is looking for a little revenge after losing to Rick Henkelman of San Jose, Calif. in last years final round at Firebird Raceway. Woods came out for Saturday's first qualifying attempt and didn't hold back after a six month hiatus from racing and ran by far the quickest lap of the day with a run of 5.414 seconds at 251.63 mph.

"It feels great to come back after six months and be able to take the No. 1 qualifying spot", said an ecstatic Woods. "The best part is I think we can run in the 5.30's. I think we will need a little more for tomorrow because this field is so strong."

Eliminations begin at Firebird International Raceway on Sunday at 8 a.m. Gates open at 7:30 a.m. Eliminations for Federal-Mogul Dragster and Funny Car begin at noon.

Following are Saturday's qualifying results from the NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event at Firebird International Raceway:

FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER
 1) Mark Woods, Kingsbury, Calif., 5.414 seconds, 251.63 mph vs. 8) Darren
Nicholson, Laguna Hills, Calif., 5.653, 249.30
 2) Rick Henkelman, San Jose, Calif., 5.510, 239.65 vs. 7) Rob Wendland,
Lawrence, Ks., 5.646, 252.38
 3) David Wells, LeMars, Iowa, 5.547, 252.71 vs.. 6) Kent Nuckols,
Albuquerque, N.M., 5.637, 248.75
 4) Dale Carlson, Olympia, Wash., 5.548, 254.86 vs.. 5) Darryl Hitchman,
Hanford, Calif., 5.629, 238.64

Alternates:
 9) David Baca, Brentwood, Calif., 5.704, 254.62
10) Duane Shields, Las Vegas, Nev., 5.711, 248.16
11) Cliff Bingham, Huntington Beach, Calif., 5.737, 245.90
12) Mike Strasburg, Lindon, Utah, 5.779, 243.02
13) Mark Niver, Phoenix, Ariz., 5.800, 225.35
14) Steve Federlin, Oregon City, Ore., 5.848, 240.85
15) Rob Turner, Northans, England, 6.005, 238.09

FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR
 1) Roger Bateman, Calgary, Alb., Can., '97 Pontiac, 5.724, 250.78 vs.. 8)
Norm Hill, La Habra, Calif., '94 Dodge, 5.903, 222.36
 2) John Weaver, Hanford, Calif., '99 Chevrolet, 5.747, 249.76 vs.. 7) Steve
Gasparrelli, West Covina, Calif., '99 Pontiac, 5.881, 240.38
 3) Mert Littlefield, Garden Grove, Calif., '99 Chevrolet, 5.769, 242.67 vs..
6) Larry Miner, Woodbridge, Calif., '98 Dodge, 5.864, 246.21
 4) Bucky Austin, Fife, Wash., '98 Pontiac, 5.781, 245.58 vs.. 5) John Hyland,
Springfield, Ore., '99 Chevrolet, 5.854, 243.15

Alternates
 9) Mark White, Glendale Hts., Ill., '99 Pontiac, 5.914, 244.69
10) Doug Gordon, Paso Robles, Calif., '97 Oldsmobile, 5.924, 239.27
11) James Bartoli, Duarte, Calif., '97 Pontiac, 5.927, 234.25
12) Bob Gallio, Fullerton, Calif., '97 Pontiac, 5.956, 239.06
13) Rod Alexander, Simi Valley, Calif., '97 Oldsmobile, 5.966, 236.80
14) Sam Blue, Red Wing, Minn., '97 Oldsmobile, 5.977, 241.11
15) Jett Field, Pocatello, Wash., '97 Oldsmobile, 6.096, 235.64

COMP ELIMINATOR
 1. Jeff Gillette, Benicia, Calif., '97 Dragster, B/ED, 7.028 seconds,
(0.572-seconds under Index)
 2. Jim Warter, Fox Island, Wash., '92 Chevrolet, B/SM, 8.875, (-0.565)
 3. Jeff Lion, Fresno, Calif., '97 Pontiac, F/A, 8.636, (-0.554)
 4. Rick Braun, Redlands, Calif., '97 Pontiac, B/EA, 8.037, (-0.553)
 5. Craig Schuck, Hayward, Calif., '95 Dragster, C/ED, 7.502, (-0.548)
 6. Fred Gross, La Crescenta, Calif., '96 Pontiac, D/A, 8.055, (-0.545)
 7. Tom Snyder, Longmont, Colo., '23 Chevrolet, 6.860 (-0.540)
 8. Larry Henderson, Scott City, KS, '97 Pontiac, 7.350, (-0.540)
 9. Andy Manna Jr., Covina, Calif., '90 Pontiac, 8.863, (-0.537)
10. Brian Morrison, Chino Hills, Calif., '92 Chevrolet, 8.904, (-0.536)

SUPER STOCK
 1. John Schiess, North Hills, '91 Oldsmobile, GT/CA, 9.558 seconds
(1.292-seconds under Index)
 2. Don Studley, Orange, Calif., '99 Dodge, GT/TC, 10.488, (-1.122)
 3. Tony DeFrank, Tarzana, Calif., '98 Pontiac, GT/GA, 10.245, (-1.115)
 4. Tommy Eriksson, Bellflower, Calif., '93 Oldsmobile, GT/DA, 9.846, (-1.104)
 5. Jimmy DeFrank, Tarzana, Calif., '89 Chevrolet, GT/HA, 10.487, (-1.023)
 6. Ronald Fruchey, Oxnard, Calif., '87 Buick, SS/DX, 8.723, (-1.013)
 7. Bob Lambeck, Northridge, Calif., '97 Oldsmobile, SS/CM, 9.027, (-1.013)
 8. Bo Butner, Clarksville, Ind., '98 Pontiac, SS/AM, 8.670, (-1.010)
 9. Bill Bennett, Mt. View, Calif., '87 Chevrolet, GT/EA, 10.096, (-1.004)
10. Doug Lambeck, Irvine, Calif., '92 Chevrolet, SS/BS, 9.139, (-1.001)

STOCK ELIMINATOR
 1. Darren Smith, Palmdale, Calif., '98 Dodge, DT/SA, 12.178 seconds,
(1.512-seconds under Index)
 2. Bill Rink, Naperville, Ill., '74 Pontiac, K/SA, 11.750, (-1.380)
 3. Scott North, West Valley, Utah, '84 Buick, AF/SA, 13.928, (-1.332)
 4. Marty Woffard, Gore, Okla., '66 Chevrolet, 11.876, (-1.304)
 5. Bobby DeArmond, Gallup, N.M., '69 Chevrolet, 10.262, (-1.198)
 6. George Thomson, Van Nuys, Calif., '73 Ford, 11.456, (-1.174)
 7. Chuck Rayburn, Castro Valley, Calif., '70 Dodge, 10.541, (-1.169)
 8. John Shaul, Fultonham, N.Y., '64 Plymouth, 10.557, (-1.153)
 9. Clark Holroyd, Chino, Calif., '68 Chevrolet, 10.568, (-1.142)
10. Harry Doolittle, Grosse Ile, Mich., '99 Pontiac, 13.160, (-1.140)

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