Mon, 6 Nov 2006, 11:03 AM Goodguys Close Out VRA Racing Season on a High Note at Famoso Raceway

Courtesy of John Drummond Photo copyright 2006 Marc Gewertz

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. --

Brett Harris

An abbreviated 2006 Goodguys/VRA Nostalgia Drag Racing Series came to a picture perfect end today at Auto Club Famoso Raceway, just north of Bakersfield as all 14 class finals were run at sunset. It was almost as if Mother Nature was in sync with the drag racing gods - timing the whole thing just right.

The Nostalgia Top Fuel race outcome and the championship points battle hung in the balance of the final which featured 2005 Goodguys champion Rick White against 25 year old hard charger Sean Bellemeur. At stake in the final for Bellemeur was his first-ever Goodguys Top Fuel event win and his first-ever Goodguys Top Fuel Championship. His bid fell short just after he left the line as his Plaza Hotel & Casino entry went up in smoke. White, who had struggled all season, found the winning combination here at the 'Finals streaked away to win the event in 5.873 seconds. Utah's Brett Harris, who had gone out in today's second round, won the Goodguys Top Fuel Championship as his second round finish here and big win earlier in the season at Pomona gave him the needed points for his first-ever Goodguys Top Fuel title. Harris also set a new Goodguys Top Fuel class speed record this weekend at 261.24.

Kris Krabill

In Nostalgia Funny Car action, it was a coming out party for class rookie Lee Jennings Jr. In the trophy dash, Jennings' 5.975 @ 239.80 defeated Dennis LaCharite's gallant 6.191 @ 228.89. Jennings debuted his gorgeous 'Code Red" 1971 Plymouth Barracuda earlier this year with modest success but this weekend was the picture of consistency reeling off two five second runs under the guidance of father Lee Jennings Sr and crew chief Ray Zeller. "Racing this car with my dad and Ray handling the setup makes my job of driving easy" he said. Class points leader Kris Krabill would have been Jenning's final round opponent but parts breakage allowed LaCharite to run the final via the break rule. Krabill's win in Pomona and his final-round berth here at the 'Finals easily secured his first Goodguys Nostalgia Funny Car Championship for car owner Gary Turner. Del Worsham, who raced here this weekend behind the wheel of he and his father's recreated "Blue Max" Ford funny car lost in today's first round after losing traction.

Scott Parks

Scott Parks won the race and his 3rd consecutive Goodguys Junior Fuel title coming all the way to California from his Burlingame, Kansas homebase. If three straight Goodguys Junior Fuel Championships isn't impressive enough, Parks reeled off three-straight sub-seven second elapsed times today, the quickest being a career best 6.884 in the semis.

In AA/GAS it was "The Old Man" - 70 year old Steve Woods who took down all comers in his new "Grocery Outlet" sponsored 1963 split window Corvette. Woods led the AA/GAS action from wire to wire, parlaying his number one qualifying slot into victory. In the final, Woods defeated last year's champ, Chris Abbey with a 6.699 to Abbey's 6.725.

Doctor Kin Bates was the big winner in A/Fuel winning both the event and the 2006 Goodguys A/Fuel Championship. It was his first championship title in 15 years of racing with Goodguys/VRA.

In an interesting side note, every Pro class final round winner was victorious with VP racing fuels in their gas tanks!

Other winners included John Rasmussen (Junior Fuel B), Don Chemello (A/GAS), Pat McDonald (B/GAS), Tommy John (C/GAS), Ed Carey (D/GAS), Dan Schrokosch (Nostalgia Eliminator), Steve Olmsched (Nostalgia II), Casey Dow (Nostalgia III) and Rocky Phillips (Hot Rod).

2006 Goodguys/VRA Class Champions:
Top Fuel: Brett Harris
Funny Car: Kris Krabill
AA/GAS: Dale Boomgarden
A/Fuel: Kin Bates
Junior Fuel A: Scott Parks
Junior Fuel B: John Rasmussen
A/GAS: Don Chemello
B/GAS: Pat McDonald
C/GAS: Scott Morgan
D/GAS: Ed Carey
Nostalgia Eliminator: Don Taros
Nostalgia II: Traci Sterbens
Nostalgia III: Craig Wallace
Hot Rod Eliminator: Diane Diedrich