Sunless in Seattle
by Larry Pfister
Despite the fact that overall Seattle International Raceway is a little
less than perfect, the track surface for this race was as good as it's
been in a long time. Yes, those dips and bumps are still there, and
after watching flopper after flopper swap lanes on Saturday, I had to
wonder what all the fuss over Ashcroft was about...Regardless, something
in the order of just over 400 (unofficial) cars came to Kent for the
annual race including a few of the Div. 7 racers we don't see at too
many other Div 6 venues. While this often increases the level of competition
making life more difficult for the Div. 6 racers, it's fun for the spectators
to see some new cars...what few spactators attend this event.
A total of nine Federal-Mogul Dragsters
included four injected nitro cars, all of whom were running very well,
so well that many felt Rick Henkelman's 5.37 track record was in jeopardy.
Though it was not to be as Melanie Troxel's 5.409 qualifier was as quick
a run as we would see this weekend. I am not sure if her first round
262.48 was a record, though would hold for top speed of this event.
FMD hilights included Dale Carlson's stunning 5.461/258.09 run that
not only was a personal best but got the Giant Bicycles machine past
Henkelman's 'Die Blown Alky Scum'-stickered nitro car. The final
was definately anti climactic as Troxel's steady 5.486/253.13 was plenty
for Carlson's shaking, shutoff pass.
FMD notes also include a fine 5.862/237.55mph for Kim Parker, bettering
her previous best by nearly half a second. She lost in round one with
a 5.985/232.43 proving better days are ahead for this team. Bad news
was the disappointing effort of Steve Federlin who had a miserable weekend
hurting parts, loosing first round and only managing a best of 5.877/239.78.
Here is a team that has been struggling for months, a sad situation
for some awfull nice folks. And even though he was 9th in an eight car
field, it was great to see Brett Hordermann rebound from the big Mission
wheelie to run in the fives at 5.917/235.78.
Federal-Mogul Funny Car was all Pat
Austin, though just one decent run from John Weaver had the Tacoma star
watching the DreamWeaver car out his side window for the entire quater
mile during a history-making semi final race. Weaver got into the program
from the 9th spot after number five qualifier John Hyland pulled out
as a result of not having the parts left to run on Sunday. Pat Austin,
the hottest car in the world at this time, was hammering out sixties
seemingly at will, while the usually stout ride of Weaver had a best
8.08 going into the semi against the big red Pro-Max car. I heard second
hand that the California team made a gear change for the race against
Austin, for they must have done something as once the clutch dust cleared
we had witnessed the quickest side-by-side FMFC contest ever. Pat's
.465/5.633/251.93 proved better than Weaver's close .506/5.644/250.63!
And you thought the lanes were not equel here...go figure.
The final was another non-contest as Austin's 5.77/248 defeated Bateman's
shutdown pass.
Other flop news included a 5.748/250.47 personal best for runner-up
Roger Bateman, this fresh off an impressive 5.87 the weekend before
at Edmonton. We saw a total of 14 FMFCs here not including two licensing
passes very late on Saturday night. Bucky Austin was looking good with
a number two qualified run of 5.67/248.44, but he had problmes and lost
to Bateman in the other semi-final. Most radical run of the weekend
was Ron Alzheimer's first Saturday qualifier when he lost a bunch of
oil on the line, got sideways, went up on the two left side wheels then
crossed the centerline, before coming down in one piece. Also thrilling,
for the fans, continues to be the wheelstand and handling problems of
Mike Cofini.
In Comp we saw the C/EA '97 Firebird
of Rick Braun (listed as being from Redlands, Wa.) with the big 5 on
the window dominate the event qualifying number one with a new national
record of 8.206, then moving through the field of 14 cars to defeat
Doug Lambeck's C/SM '95 Camaro in the final with an 8.26/159.53 to a
9.12/150.88. Another record-setter in Comp was Eugene, Oregon's Brian
Hyerstay who took his tiny Porsche-powered G/D to the new national mark
with a 9.498.
The early-on Super Stock favorite looked
to be Bob Lambeck as he took his 'new/old' SS/CM '98 Olds to the number
one spot nabbing an 8.885/155.64 national record in the process, but
he would fall to eventual runner-up Steve Pollack in round one. Then
in the final, number three qualifier Rod Stults in his venerable SS/MA
'64 Chevelle Wagon took the event title outlasting 23 other competitors.
Final round results were 11.44/114.35 for Stults to Polack's redlight.
Seattle veteran Don Elgin lead the 39 car Stock
field with a -1.184 12.226 in his N/SA '74 Grand Am and went all the
way to the semis before running into Jody Lang, who qualified 36th.
On the other side of the ladder, brother Toby Lang the number 34 qualified
driver, was very steady and had a bye into the final. It was a pair
of Chevelles that met in the run for the Wally but it was over early
as Toby drew a red eye.
The story of the event however came in Super
Comp and Super Gas when Buckley
Washington's only pofessional drag racer, Mike Ferderer, won both titles.
He defeated Dan Lafferty in S/Comp (.408/8.901 to a .423/8.906) and
Anthony Castillo in Super Gas (.405/9.907 vs. a redlight). He did it
with great lights throughout eliminations and amazingly consistant runs.
He did it on a track he knows well, and he did it against 31 other SC
drivers and 26 Super Gassers. It was the second time he has pulled off
such an accomplishment, the first being at Douglas Colorado a few years
ago, but he did take time to acknowledge the fact his wife was here
to see this one, along with a number of friends. Good-on-ya Ferd, this
writer loves it when 'characters' do something of note and you can bet
the first people he pulls in against at Woodburn will be gritting their
teeth wanting badly to put him in the box...who says Super Comp is
boring?
Moving into Super Street Randy
Fries pleased his massive cheering section with a victory over the wheelstanding,
and unfortunately in this case redlighting, Camaro of Rob Platzkow.
It was all door cars in Top Comp
this time around as Todd Hoerner took his '91 Probe to victory over
the '95 Baretta of Gary Olson. It was a fantastic final round as Hoerner's
numbers were .527/7.743/177.87 on a 7.73 dial while Olson had a .533/7.693/178.86
on his 7.68 dial-in. On Saturday Dennis Radford of Barer Oregon took
his '72 Duster to an awesome 6.96/197.42 to become the first Top Comp
car into the six second zone, as well as lay down the gauntlet in an
effort to be the first 200mph Top Comper. It was a fine effort for the
team that impressed us so at Boise during the first race of the year.
I do believe this event makes it about even in the dragster vs door
car wars in T/C with a door vs dragster final at both Boise and Mission
with each version taking a win. Then it was dragster vs dragster at
Ashcroft now door vs door here. Woodburn should be interesting.
Motorcycle had a good showing here despite
a major event in Prince George the same weekend. In fact Greg Cohen
actually stopped here to enter, getting his ten points, before continuing
up to North Central to race there. The final round saw two racers who
had been on the number all day long, Victoria's Lloyd Malovec and Randy
Morken of Forks, Wa. With two-time '99 winner J. Glenn Miller packed
up and gone home after a second round loss it was up to Malovec to try
and uphold the Canadian pride as he was the only non-American in a final
here. His .458/9.057/141.30 on a 9.01 dial was enough to defeat Morken's
.470/9.075/146.14 run on his 9.00 dial. Malovec is now the Vancouver
Island 'Wally' champ with a total of three, one more than Linda MacDonald
and Stan Sipos.
Super Pro saw the pink '68 Camaro of
Bob Warnke defeate the cool, chopped '55 Chevy of Richard Henke, while
Don Larson all the way from Tacoma (...with Oregon plates???) winning
Pro over the '69 Plymouth of Chris Woods.
Coming just over a month before the big one at S.I.R. we discovered
that if the cool weather holds the track is capable of record runs,
though the facility itself is still in drastic need of improvement.
My thanks to Rich Carlson and the Rosen boys (Paul & Phil) for hosting
me in fine form and I must say that the 'build-your-own-giant-burger'
stand is easily the best hamburger in the Division. Now we're off to
Livingston-Land, you KNOW it'll be hotter there, bring on the BudBabes,
this writer definately likes going to Woodburn!...this is ALWAYS the
event that gives us a real good idea who may be on that stage at the
year-end banquet. Look for a bunch of Div. 7 cars, along with some Div.
5 racers to make this event a big one!
HH Notes:
Announcer Steve Wong was in Las Vegas for Saturday. Despite a well-placed
(by some internet idiot) rumor that the Wongster got married in a late
night ceremony to a 6 ft. 3 in. showgirl ("Gawd, don't start that
one....he'll LIKE that" said one female Cert. Crew member in the
tower...and yes he DID like that one!) He showed up on Sunday in fine
form...speaking of which, and I'm very sorry that I do not know his
name) the regular S.I.R. track announcer did a fantastic job working
alone for about 13 hours on Saturday.
More tower notes: "Security, please go over and get those kids
who are setting off fire crackers", the girl in the tower said
calmly. Then moving her binoculars a bit left she panicked. "Uh
security...could you HURRY. Frank Nelson is on his way over there and
we would appreciate if you get there first!" They did and a couple
of kids were saved from what could have been an experience they probably
deserved...
Mere minutes after the fact, Joe Melof was asking how we found out
so quickly that he had purchased Dan Lafferty's Corvette. Look for deliver
after Woodburn, and for the Sharkman to repaint and re-engine (with
a non-bottled combo) the lightweight split window.
There was also an unconfirmed rumor that a Super Street racer bought
Ferd's Pontiac.
"I'm building a Funny Bike" says Mike Scott. "Six seconds,
200 mph" he added with a smile. We can't wait! And right after
his win, Malovec says he wants one too! Right on...let's race!
Pat Austin was also one of the two drivers who were part of the previous
quickest side-by-side FMFC race with Tony Bartone. Pat's 5.712 and Tony's
5.641 came at the 1999 Mac Tools Gatornationals also in the semi-finals.
Must have been an airshow somewhere close this weekend as a couple
of cool flyby's included a Saturday 'right down Broadway' pass
of a Consolidated B-24 Liberator and a Sunday passing of a Lockheed
Super Constallation. (ya I'm into warbirds too...as is that National
Dragster tech guy Wayne Scrabba
who is now marketing brand new Yak 3 air frames direct from eastern
Europe. Said to out-run, out-climb and out-turn a Merlin-powered P51D,
all I can say is I wanna ride!)
Apologies to the Heard family for my getting about as many of their
first names wrong as anyone ever has. I will work on that one for sure,
and please, if I screw up a name send me email...those 1 am pit meetings
can be a little...uh forgetfull...More apologies to the Jr. Dragster
winners, whose results didn't appear on my sheets, though I do know
Michael Peck Jr. won one and the Drzayich car won the other. Speaking
of sheets and the results I have included, I guess there was a problem
with the printer meaning all the official results had to be hand-written,
hence the to be expected errors, so please don't blame anyone, it was
just one of thise things. Now I know why all those Federal-Mogul guys
write down everything from the scoreboards as they happen... I don't
want to be a whiner, but somehow this system has to be updated to eliminate
the human error that the overburdened officials constantly suffer through.
Then again, the lack of media that require as much info as I do are
few indeed... LP
Oh ya Misc images including brackets, Juniors and
much more are here.
