Tue, 13 Mar 2001, 08:33 AM Race Rock Restaurant Adds Ten Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series Racecars

Courtesy of NHRA Marketing To Their Impressive Collection (For the Night)

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Race Rock Supercharged Restaurant in downtown Orlando hosted eight drivers and ten cars from the NHRA Southeast Division Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series on Wednesday, March 7. Almost every class of racecar in the Federal-Mogul Series was represented in the display. Over 2000 race fans enjoyed everything from McLean, Texas' Billy Bybee's Second Wind Federal-Mogul Dragster to Trilby, Fla.'s Steve Cohen's Super Gas Chevrolet Corvette and two Super Comp Dragsters. Other drivers that signed autographs and displayed their cars were: Ziggy Zigovitch of Litchfield, Minn. and Cherissa Giffis of Gainesville, Fla. with their Federal-Mogul Dragsters; Mark Billington of Apopka, Fla. and his Federal-Mogul Funny Car; Lennart Bergquist of St. Petersburg, Fla. and Glen Treadwell of Sorrento, Fla. brought their Comp Eliminator cars to the display; Larry Ericksmoen of St.Petersburg, Fla. and his Super Comp Dragster; Chuck and Wendi Trotter's of Orlando, Fla.'s Super Gas Ford Thunderbird and Rick Sampson's brand new Ford Mustang Super Gasser.

FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER DRIVER, ZIVKOVICH IN STABLE CONDITION AFTER CRASH

Federal-Mogul Dragster pilot, William "Ziggy" Zivkovich, 45, of Litchfield, Minn. was taken away by a Life Flight helicopter after a horrible looking incident in the first round of qualifying on Saturday at Orlando Speed World Dragway. Zivkovich was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center with minor injuries after his 1998 Uyehara Federal-Mogul Dragster struck the guard wall at the 750 foot mark. The car began to go into severe tire shake off the line and began to drift towards the centerline and out of the groove . The dragster then got sideways trying to correct itself went head on into the guard wall and into a cloud of smoke and dust. Zivkovich was awake and alert as he was extracted from the car.

In a later incident, Chuck Smithfield of Battleground, Wash. went for a wild ride in his Comp Eliminator '96 Chevrolet Beretta. Smithfield's Beretta began to drift to the right out of the groove and as the car tried to correct it got sideways and flipped on its roof. The car slid on its roof for about 700 feet. Smithfield walked away unharmed.

THREE-TIME IHRA FUNNY CAR CHAMPION IS LOOKING FOR A NHRA CHAMPIONSHIP

Von Smith, 37, of Oak Ridge, Tenn. started the 2001 season as a NHRA rookie with a new car, a new engine and a new major sponsor. Smith came over to run strictly NHRA national and divisional events in his Jensen Audio Federal-Mogul Funny Car this season after winning the IHRA Pro Funny Car National Championship in 1996, 1998-99. Smith started his racing career racing stadium motocross and then moved into alcohol dragster before taking on the alcohol funny car ranks. Smith's major sponsor, Jensen Audio stepped up this year after being an associate sponsor for many years. Part of the deal for Jensen to step up its sponsorship was for Smith to run all six NHRA Southeast Divisional events and ten televised NHRA national events.

Smith's 2001 Pontiac Firebird Federal-Mogul Funny Car is brand new from the tires up. Smith comes in with an additional 300 horsepower from his IHRA days with a 526 c.i. Brad Anderson Engine and a PSI Blower.

"Believe me-I can tell at the 1000 foot mark that I have a little extra in the engine", said Smith. "I'm real happy to be running over in the NHRA now. Don't get me wrong, my three [IHRA]championships were hard work, but now week in and week out we will go against the top racers in the world." Smith made all the Federal-Mogul Funny Car competitors sit up and take notice that he was serious about running for the Federal-Mogul national championship at the first Southeast Division Federal-Mogul event at Gainesville Raceway in late February. Smith took on and beat all-comers including defending Federal-Mogul Funny Car National Champion, Frank Manzo of Morganville, NJ, in the final round.

WATCH OUT SUPER STOCKERS-EDMOND RICHARDSON IS HERE

Edmond Richardson, 37, of Greenbrier, Tenn. is a NHRA sportsman racing legend. The defending NHRA Federal-Mogul Stock Eliminator National Champion and Southeast Division Stock Eliminator Champion has won three national championships in Super Comp, three South Central Division Super Street championships in Super Street, four South Central Division and two Southeast Division Super Comp championships, one South Central Division Super Gas championship, and one Southeast Division Super Stock championship.

In 2001, Richardson will not defend his Stock Eliminator national championship and go for the Federal-Mogul national championship in Super Stock. Richardson built from the ground up a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am Super Stocker which he will run along with his Borg-Warner Sponsored Super Comp Dragster. Later in the season Richardson's daughter, Ashley Richardson, will keep the racing in the family and pilot one of her fathers Super Comp Dragsters.

"All it comes down to is that I want to win a national championship in all categories", said Richardson. "Eventually down the road I would like a shot to drive Top Fuel Dragster or Funny Car."

CSI PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS SPONSORS NHRA SOUTHEAST DIVISION

CSI Performance Products is a leader in high performance aluminum accessories for racecars, specializing in water pumps.

CSI Performance will sponsor the Best Appearing and Best Engineered cars at all six NHRA Southeast Division Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series events.

Ralph Barrett of Gainesville, Fla. collected the CSI Performance Best Appearing Car honors with his '01 Super Gas Chevrolet Corvette. Jimmy Ayers of Newnwn, Ga. took home the CSI Best Engineered Car award with his '57 Super Gas Eagle One Chevrolet Corvette.

The Sealed Power Low Qualifier Award was also given out on Sunday at Orlando Speed World Dragway. Michael Gunderson of Middleburg, Fla. in Federal-Mogul Dragster and Von Smith of Oak Ridge, Tenn. in his '01 Pontiac Firebird Federal-Mogul Funny Car collected $1000 each from Sealed Power. In Comp Eliminator, Frank Aragona of Franklin Square, NY, took home $200 from Sealed Power. Jerry Silveus of Van Buren, Ohio is $200 richer after taking low qualifier honors in Super Stock. In Stock, Bob Dennis of Shorter, Ala. Drove his '82 Oldsmobile Cutlass to the No. 1 qualifying position and collected $100 for his effort.