Sat, 16 Sep 2000, 03:40 PM READING - Federal-Mogul Dragster Round 1 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Federal-Mogul Dragster at the 16th annual Keystone Nationals:

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   8 Jeanie Booz         5.572 255.53  Q    9 Mike Kosky          5.592 241.20
 *****WINNER***** 0.568  5.599 252.43  E1                  0.497  9.441  88.24

3:09 PM Federal-Mogul Dragster eliminations open with the closest matchup on the ladder, just 0.020 seconds apart during qualifying. But the race wasn't close at all, Booz driving through tire shake while Kosky's tire shake turned into full-blown tire spin, the rear tires wrapped in a wreath of tire smoke until he finally lifted.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   3 Jeff Wilson         5.449 264.55  Q   14 Ken Winward         5.829 234.66
 *****WINNER***** 0.481  5.443 261.72  E1                  0.560  5.796 236.01

Winward popped the burst panel during his final qualifying attempt, on the burnout, but was able to repair the damage for this round. Wilson's car is unusual - both for a vertical "barge board" atop the engine to smooth out airflow and for having the rear wing ahead of the rear axle. Wilson drilled Winward at the tree, then ran away from him to win easily.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   4 Douglas Foley       5.449 251.06  Q   13 Jeff Bohr           5.817 240.17
 *****WINNER***** 0.594  5.420 257.83  E1                  0.474  5.674 246.57

Bohr did all he could, with over a tenth in the bank at the start and running a tenth and a half better than he qualified, but Foley still had enough to run him down and win by a Margin of victory = 0.134 seconds (approximately 48 feet).

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   5 Tony Lebor          5.483 243.94  Q   12 Steve Cantrell      5.762 240.12
 *****WINNER***** 0.658  5.532 253.85  E1                  0.472  5.746 238.64

Remember the saying, "You snooze, you lose?" Not today. Lebor was dead late and Cantrell turned in a very good lap, but Lebor came by him at the finish line to win by a Margin of victory = 0.028 seconds (approximately 10 feet). Lebor advances, but loses lane choice to Foley next round - both with reaction times you could measure with egg timers this round.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   6 Rich McPhillips     5.520 244.25  Q   11 Bill Reichert       5.728 241.54
 *****WINNER***** 0.533  5.500 237.55  E1                  0.545  8.576 103.06

The launches here were pretty equal, but Reichert's car rattled the tires and started skating around, while McPhillips ran away from him. McPhillips dropped a couple cylinders on the top end, killing his speed, but by then it was all over. McPhillips faces Wilson next round, Wilson with lane choice.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   7 Cliff Bozzelli      5.561 251.02  Q   10 Shawn Bowen         5.647 259.66
                  0.521  5.606 249.16  E1 *****WINNER***** 0.474  5.508 261.57

Big upset here, Bowen picking up a tenth and a half since qualifying while Bozzelli is rattling the tires and losing ground early in the run. The margin of victory = 0.145 seconds (approximately 53 feet).

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   2 Billy Bybee         5.427 262.03  Q   15 Bruce Horner        5.834 236.80
 *****WINNER***** 0.477  5.507 260.56  E1                  0.483  5.981 231.79

Bybee ran very well during qualifying, Horner made his best pass right out of the box. The race went according to form, Bybee driving through a bit of tire shake to take an easy win. He also won lane choice against Bozzelli in round two, by 0.001 seconds.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   1 Dave Hirata         5.372 270.86  Q   16 David DeAngelis     5.916 237.92
 *****WINNER***** 0.451  5.638 266.64  E1                  0.493  8.750  73.38

This one was pretty much David (DeAngelis) against Goliath (Hirata). DeAngelis needed to find a half a second somewhere, or hope Hirata made a big mistake. It didn't happen, but Hirata was vulnerable, shaking the tires very hard and forced to backpedal to get through it. But DeAngelis also had problems of his own, his chutes out before the 1,000-foot marker. Hirata won, but lose lane choice to Booz in round two.