Woodburn Dragstrip
Race #5 July 16/17/18 1999 NHRA Northwest Division
22nd Annual Federal Mogul Drag Racing Series
Brought to you by Les Schwab Tires & KPTV Oregon's 12
Woodburn 1999 Federal-Mogul official results here.
A new Division Six record 428 NHRA cars filled the Woodburn Dragstrip
pits for the fifth Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event of the
1999 season. Track operator Jay Livingston said it best when he
acknowledged new Div. 6 records this year at Boise, then Mission
and now here in Woodburn. "This record probably won't last
long", he stated in his post race speech.
With temperatures running ten degrees above normal and track temperatures
over 130 degrees, many racers had difficulty running consistent
numbers or, in some cases, getting into the show at all. A perfect
example being the list of non-qualifiers in Federal-Mogul Funny
Car. The previous week's winner in Sonoma (Div. 7) and Mission champ,
Pete Swayne did not qualify, nor did the strong California team
of the Minor Brothers.
NOTE: This page was an experiment gone wrong...sorry for any
inconvenience
Federal-Mogul Dragster Rick Santos,
the defending world champion, came north for only the second time
in 1999, but once again he was in a world of his own, running track
record numbers throughout the three days of this event. The Oakwood
Homes machine ran a string of 5.5 second passes that had the entire
field covered. Santos ran 5.54/253.95 on Friday, 5.53/253.73 Saturday,
then 5.53, 5.56 and a 5.59 in the final against runner-up Mark Hentges
who had run a best of 5.63 on Friday, but could not run under 5.71
(in the final) on Sunday. Other drivers in the sixties were Dale
Carlson (#3 @ 5.65), And Melanie Troxel ( #4 @ 5.66).
Federal-Mogul Funny Car It was
a little more wide open for the plastic fantastics, although by
the end of Saturday the top two qualifiers Steve Gasparrelli (#1
@ 5.885) and Pat Austin (#2 @ 5.889) looked to be the drivers to
beat. The two would eventually advance to the final in less-than-spectacular
fashion where Austin got by a tire-spinning Gassparrelli 5.97/204
to a 6.22/204.
Competition Eliminator The hi-tech
category saw a nice 18 car program with Portland's Rob Robinson
coming out on top when he singled for the title after runner-up
Tommy Brown was unable to make the call after blowing up his cool
4 cylinder Chevy F/ED in the previous round.
Super Stock The DeFrank Brothers
were one-two in Super Stock qualifying, but when the smoke cleared
it was fellow Californian Frank Grossi taking home the Wally. The
Upland Ca resident drove a superb race with reaction times of .506
in round one, .508 in round two, a .514 (against Jimmy defrock)
in the semis before facing Vaughn Hultsman in the final who saw
red. Division Seven cars were very strong here claiming seven of
the top ten qualifying positions. By the quarter finals only two
of eight cars left were from the Northwest (Dave Wren and Gary Rouse).
Stock was much better on the
'Leader', but for the juggernaut that is Don Little. The Westly
California driver of the big, bad yellow A/SA 1970 Hemi Cuda won
his fifth FMDRS event of 1999 with a victory here. It was an amazing
accomplishment for Little who's crowd favorite wheelstanding Mopar
defeated the hard-driving Todd Gale of Pasco Wa. in his radabanziacal
H/SA 1970 Camaro in the money run.
Pro Sportsman Motorcycle We were
fortunate enough to see to races in Pro Sportsman Motorcycle as
added to the program was the first ever Div. 6 vs. Div. 7 King of
the Coast contest featuring the top eight riders from each region.
Long-time NW motorcycle drag racer Brian Hudson took the win over
the division seven machine of . On Sunday we had another Div. 6
vs. Div. 7 final, and once again the Leaders came out on top when
Len Darnell of Vancouver Wa. got by number one qualifier Gary Oaks
from Las Vegas.
Super Comp The excited Scott Bacon
from Boring Oregon took the Family Affair Racing Roadster to the
Super Comp podium, getting past the Impatience dragster of Jim Hughes
from Pasco in the final of Super Comp. Hughes had a heartbreaking
.399 red-light with a 8.905 to Bacon's breakout 8.874 on a .423
light.
Super Gas Spokane's Rod Hoerner
put his familiar topless .57 Corvette into the winner's circle with
a victory in Super Gas over the '81 Camaro of Michael Carnes from
Boise Idaho. Bother drivers had identical .423 lights with Hoerner's
9.92 getting him past the finish line before Carnes' close 9.94.
Super Street A great final round
saw both drivers leave with .550 reaction times. At the finish,
winner Thomas Manfred of Liberty Lake Wa. in his 81 Mustang ran
a 10.901 to Wayne Linder Jr's 10.892 breakout in his cool '57 Chevy.
Top Comp It is now official Dragsters
Rule Top Comp, as two of the open wheelers met for the title
here. A final that may prove to be the championship-clinching event
for race winner Mark Barnhart of Emmett Idaho. Although not official,
his win here should wrap up the first ever NHRA Top Comp championship
for the dragster pilot. In a strange final Mike Macbriar of Napa
Ca. left way early after possibly being distracted by a trackside
photographers flash. Regardless Barnhardt went on to victory at
7.658 on a 7.64 dial-in with a .515 light.
Super Pro In another Div. 6 vs.
Div 7 final, Vancouver Wa.'s Gary Hostetler drove his '71 Chevelle
to the title over Karl Greiner from Hornbrook Ca. in his '71 Demon.
Hostetler had a .553 light and ran a 10.64 on a 10.63 to Greiner's
11.634 on an 11.63 dial.
Junior Dragster In the Quick class
final Amanda Elliott from Yakima defeated Jesee DeBartolo from Camas
Wa. .593/8.911 on an 8.90 dial to a .572/11.13 breakout on DeBartolo's
11.15 dial-in. Over in Modified Sean Kennedy from Bellevue took
out S. Billups running 11.45 on an 11.38 dial while Billups broke
out with a 12.25 on a 12.35. Kennedy then went on to win the combined
final over Elliott.
We have some other treats for you as well. Take time to check out
the Golf Cart Nationals coverage
as well as three pages of misc. fotos
that wouldn't fit in anywhere else.
PRE RACE INFO
Unfortunately I have not yet recieved any pre race info nor is
anything posted on the NHRA or Federal-Mogul media sites. After
a quick call to Jonathan Adams this morning at Woodburn Dragstrip
I have managed to get the pre-entry lists for both Federal-Mogul
classes:
Federal-Mogul Dragster: (Track Record Bobby Taylor 5.62/251.04
July 1997)
