Fri, 17 Nov 2000, 11:14 AM DeBonis Leads Five-day Points Standings

Courtesy of Moroso Motorsports Park

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- After two days of competition in the 19th annual Sunoco 5-Day E.T. Championships at Moroso Motorsports Park, local racer Claude DeBonis of West Palm Beach, Fla., is leading the points standings. DeBonis, a former four-time NHRA Motorcycle E.T. champion, drove his new 2001-model Worthy-built dragster to a $10,000 victory on Thursday evening. DeBonis ran right on his 7.84-second dial-in in the final round to stop Clinton, Iowa's Ed Bousman, who broke out by two thousandths of a second with a 7.948 on his 7.94 dial. Bousman, a regular competitor in the Moroso event, drives a Racecraft chassied dragster.

Chassis-builder Danny Nelson of Batesville, Ark., was the lone semifinalist on Thursday and Tim Butler of Sarasota, Fla., and Jeff Strickland of Red Bay, Ala., earned quarterfinal money.

"I've had this new car for about two months and it's been very good, but this is the first time I've been able to put it all together for a win," said DeBonis. "I've been racing here at Moroso for 12 years and this track has been very good to me, but this win is the biggest."

On Wednesday, Steve Dillman of Indianapolis, Ind., earned the $10,000 top prize when he drove his Undercover dragster to a final round victory over Butch Henry of Galena, Md. Dillman, who is part of Harold Stout's Winnebago team, used a .507 reaction time and a 7.92 on his 7.91 dial to defeat Henry, who ran off his 10.26 dial with a 10.32 in his '68 Dodge Charger.

George Tamasi Jr., of Downingtown, Pa., a former Five Day winner, reached the semifinals before falling to Dillman. Mark Dennebaum of Scranton, Pa., and Tom Henry of Boyertown, Pa., were the quarterfinalists.

After two days of competition, DeBonis leads the points standings with 52. Bousman (51), Dillman (47), Henry (46) and Nathan Naive (45) follow him. At the conclusion of the Five Day E.T. Championships, the overall points champion will earn a $7,500 bonus. Competitors earn five points for each round win with the winner of each day receiving a two point bonus and the runner-up a one point bonus.

More than 300 of the country's best sportsman racers are on hand at the Five Day Championships including former NHRA champs Scotty Richardson, David Rampy, Steve Cohen, and IHRA champs Anthony Bertozzi and Dave Elrod.



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