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Sunday April 18, 1999 FINALS
A Moment With Bill New
Today I got up close and personal with the patriarch of Firebired Raceway, Bill New. What a neat guy he turned out to be. I was at a spot up track, tower side just below the main gate. The fuel cars were running and out the corner of my eye, here HE comes. Yup, that's Bill. "HI, LARRY PFISTER, HORSEPOWER HEAVEN WEB SITE..." I exclaim quickly, trying to introduce myself before he kicked me out of there. Having been 'removed' from drag strips in the past, I knew exactly why he was coming over to introduce himself. I don't recall exactly what he said but it was something along the lines of "ok, I figured if you were in a spot like this, somebody had to have given you permission". Whew. So Bill New had just come over to give me hell and we end up talking like old friends. Within ten minutes I knew more about this place than I had in twenty years. Not only that, I get the true feeling Bill New has for Firebird Raceway. I asked him if he designed the layout. "Ever been to Carlsbad" he asks me. "It's a lot like that but...." In my mind I recalled one of the most famous photographs in drag racing history: That amazing black and white back-lit burnout shot of the Chi Town Hustler in the late sixties. That was shot at Carlsbad. He went on at length about the lighting, about some possible future ideas he has (WOW) and much more. "This track has such a feeling at night" he said with a riveting gleam in his eye, making me drool to be here in August. He was so easy to talk to, and never came across as anything more than just damn proud of a damn nice drag strip. Thanks Bill. |
Santos left first with a .474 to Troxel's .492 and stayed ahead all the way to record a 5.667/242.98 win as the nitro car trailed with a game 5.753/242.84.
A backfire on the line casued the burst plate to leave town spoiling Giuliani's run to the money.
Bateman raced to a steady 6.066/232.43 win after recording a 6.06 in the semis, an 6.04 in round two and an opening stanza 6.05. The victory makes it three finals in-a-row at this race coupled with two wins. "This place just brings the best out in us" said Bateman later.
Warter's '92 Camaro had a .614 reaction time in the final, but Clint Sallee's .585 couldn't run him down. The Fox Island Wa. based Joint Venture B/SM ran a 9.135/147.56 to a 7.494/179.56 for the Glendive. Montana C/D.
The Super Stock final was one for the old guys as Bill Parmenter from Sandy, Oregon left with a great .530 light in his nostalgia-like SS/NA '57 Chevy. Beside him in the high-tech '98 Pontiac was Tarzana, California's Tony DeFrank who got off with a .592. 'Captain' (Remember F Troop?) Parmenter's 12.725/101.60 run was enough to defeate the quickly closing 10.482/127.55 for DeFrank. FYI: the Chevy qualified 30th out of 30 cars here at .430 under.
In Stock it was another Div 6 vs. Div. 7 battle of classic Detroit muscle, and what better than having an 'A' car win this event. Jim Waldo's C/stick '69 Mustang ran a fast .567/11.166/120.04 to Little's '70 Cuda that laid down a .544/10.655/118.49 for the win.
In Super Comp we saw two of the best looking cars on site go at it on the 9.20 index as yet another Div 6 vs 7 battle ensued. After a great .407 reation time, Don Rhyne from the excited town of Boring , Oregon ran a 9.220 as Brentwood, California's Frank Cervelli (near lane) tried to catch up after a .433 rt only to run under with a 9.18.
After losing in the first round of Super Comp, Mike Ferderer put his game hat on and went all the way in Super Gas. Driving his familier Pennzoil Pontiac, he got off to a sutstantial lead with a .420 light as William Marshall of Battle Ground, Wa. could only muster a .498 out of his cool Ford Probe. Ferd ran 10.302 as Marchall's 10.239 was close, but not close enough.
Super Street saw Vancouver Wa. pilot Jason Heard take his neat '70 Maverick to victory over S.I.R. S/P champ Jim Glenn from Kent. Wa. in his fine '69 Firebird. Heard had a .520 followed by an 11.26 on the 11.20 number to edge out Glenn's .552 11/244.
In the first ever NHRA Final of Top Comp it was maybe fitting that a dragster go up against a door car...with the open wheeler coming out on top. To make things even better it was a heads up race with both cars dialed in with a 7.88. The two Idaho cars put on a great show as Mark Barnhart of Emmett, Id. planted a .500 perfect light on the Wendell, Id. Vette of Lafferty which had a .530. The new dragster carried on to a 7.93/148.36 beside an 8.04/162.24.
Pro Sportsman Bike saw Marysville Wa. driver Wayne Stebing take the win on his '78 Z1R over Kevin Boyer who was here all the way from Edmonton, Ab. on an '82 Suzuki. Stebing, a regular at Mission, ran a .426/9.43 on a .943 dial-in to defeat Stebing's .468/9.162 (9.18 dial).
A couple of very nice local cars fought it out in the Super Pro final with the win going to the '75 Mopar of Boise's Shayne Scheaffer with a .504/11.54 to get by Don Cammack's '70 Camaro from Chubbuck, Idaho who ran a .545/9.24.
Pro Bracket saw the '73 Nova of T.K. Wagner of Nampa, Id chase down Steve Wingert's '68 Chevelle from Boise. Wagner had a .530/11.26, while Wingerts ran .578/13.83.
It was a family affair in Junior Dragster as the Burllington sons of Kuna, Idaho, Gary (left) and Jeff (right) took the respective titles in both the Senior and Junior Divisions. Jeff got by Jenni Evans of Kearns Utah in the Senior final with a .523/10.486/55.544mph run over Evans' .732/11.275/54.50mph run. Gary's .640/10.036/54.12 mph run took the win over Jason Thomas from Meridian Idaho who ran .942/10.203/63.69mph.
The AA/FC finale was all Mitch McDowell as he ran a 6.12/252.30.
As you can see Keith Jackson got seriously close to the guardrail and had to shut off.
Then to close the program Mac McCord ran beside the FMFC of Kerry Moreira. The flopper got to the finish line first with a nice 6.36/227.96 as the Altered went 7.49/202.65 and used up the entire lane.
...much to the crowd's delight!
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