[coverattach=1]8/30/09 Norwalk, OH – Three repeat winners re-established their dominance at Summit Motorsports Park outside Norwalk, Ohio this weekend as over 250 racing entries did battle at the Goodguys 8th DuPont Blue Suede Cruise. Steve Nichols (Funny Car), Darrell Wathen (B/GAS) and Sam Patrick (Nostalgia Gas) went home victorious for the second year in a row as racers enjoyed cool temperatures and an ultra-sticky racing surface which resulted in spectacular runs in both pro and sportsman classes. Rich Guasco’s “Pure Hell” and Dave Hough’s “Nanook” fuel altereds also gave the fans their money’s worth over the weekend coming to the line for a three-race match race which culminated in a thrilling Sunday climax run with Nanook’s 6.460 @ 198.79 defeating Pure Hell’s 6.475 @ 214.11! The crowd went wild!!!!
Nostalgia Funny Car action provided wild side by side action. Sunday’s final round between low qualifier Peter Gallen and Steve Nichols turned into the quickest side-by-side Nostalgia Funny Car race in the history of Goodguys Vintage Drag Racing. Gallen and his gorgeous “Poverty Stricken” ’74 Vega were quickest in every round of qualifying and eliminations and it appeared to be his race to lose. But his slightly tardy reaction times proved to be his undoing in the money round as he lost a heartbreaker on a holeshot to defending event champion Steve Nichols in the Mill Road Boys ’70 Camaro. Gallen and his team put on a show that will not soon be forgotten. His successive runs throughout the weekend were 6.048, 5.898, 5.919, 5.913 and 5.899 in the final.
Like Funny Car, the Nostalgia Top Fuel eliminations pitted the two fastest cars on the grounds in the final with Randy Bridges and car owner Joe Hendricks facing off against multi-time Goodguys event champion Howard Haight in Jim Didio’s New York based “Nitro-Diction” entry with Pete Jennings now serving as crew chief/consultant. Bridges and Hendricks have been on a roll since the Goodguys Hot Rod Nationals in Indy back in June and extended that momentum here in Norwalk taking their first-ever Goodguys Top Fuel win! They again set top speed of the meet when their car zipped to a 257mph speed to defeat the alcohol car of Bill Walls in round one. The final was close as both Bridges and Haight ran 240mph speeds but Bridges edged ahead late to take home the Goodguys hemi Oscar trophy.
In the 7.0 second index Pro Comp I Eliminator, Crawfordsville, Indiana’s Mark Vaught got his first Goodguys win as he and crew chief Keith “Rooman” Burgan ran just quick enough to get the popular win. The quickest run they could muster throughout Sunday’s eliminations was a semi-final 7.335 @ 195.06 over Don Slout who broke. They caught another lucky break in the final when #3 qualifier Don Slagle also broke, giving them their free pass to the spoils.
Owensboro, Kentucky’s Darrell Wathen tasted sweet victory again this year in B/GAS (8.50 index) running a near-perfect an 8.504 in the semis then an 8.507 in the final to defeat Paul Suloff who had trouble gaining traction.
Other winners included Chad Levan (Nostalgia Comp), Sam Patrick (Nostalgia Gas) and Pat McFadden (Hot Rod Eliminator), Ron Normann (Geezer Gasser) Brian Schimmel (1/8th mile Street Rod Shootout) and Kenny Edwards (1/8th mile Hot Rod Shootout).
The third and final stop on the 2009 Goodguys Midwest Vintage Drag Racing Circuit is scheduled for October 16, 17 & 18 at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky. For more visit Goodguys Rod & Custom Association
Final Elimination Results Goodguys 8th DuPont Blue Suede Cruise
Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, OH
Top Fuel:
Winner: Randy Bridges, Virden, IL 5.973 @ 246.80
Runner Up: Howard Haight, Brownsburg, IN 6.110 @ 243.24
Funny Car:
Winner: Steve Nichols, Newark, DE, ’70 Camaro 5.968 @ 235.02
Runner Up: Peter Gallen, Broomoll, PA ’74 Vega 5.899 @ 243.90
Pro Comp I:
Winner: Mark Vaught, Crawfordsville, IN F.E.D. 8.884 @ 191.40
Runner Up: Don Slagle, Mt Lebanon, PA F.E.D. (broke)
Pro Comp II:
Winner: Wayne Sears, Middletown, OH ’32 Bantam 7.319 @ 184.62
Runner Up: Richard Barnard, Conneaut, OH F.E.D 10.712 @ 100.12
B/GAS:
Winner: Darrell Wathen, Utica KY, ’41 Willys 8.507 @ 154.78
Runner Up: Paul Suloff, Barberton, OH ’67 Camaro 9.609 @ 102.04
Nostalgia Comp:
Winner: Chad Levan, West Liberty, OH ’67 Camaro 8.096 @ 173.01
Runner Up: Dave Bommanito, Chesterfield, MI F.E.D. 8.634 @ 146.56
Nostalgia Gas:
Winner: Sam Patrick, Sand Point, MI ’37 Ford 13.586 @ 66.23
Runner Up: Gene Allen, Pataskala, OH ’27 Ford 20.754 @ 41.85
Hot Rod Eliminator:
Winner: Pat McFadden, Bainbridge, OH F.E.D. 10.625 @ 113.40
Runner Up: Maurice Edwards, Norwalk, OH ’67 Camaro 12.466 @ 110.78
Geezer Gassers:
Winner: Ron Normann, Hebron, IL ’41 Willys 9.984 @ 132.62
Runner Up: Martin Stead, LaGrange, OH ’48 Anglia 11.489 @ 114.60
1/8th Mile Street Rod Shootout:
Winner: Brian Schimmel ’55 Chevy Pickup 6.585 @ 108.25
Runner Up: Mark Treziack ’31 Ford Sedan 7.423 @ 92.16
1/8th Mile Hot Rod Shootout:
Winner: Kenny Edwards, ’47 Chevy 7.963 @ 77.74 (was unopposed)
Pro Round by Round Results:
Nostalgia Top Fuel - Round One:
Howard Haight 6.014 @ 234.61 def Kevin Brewer 6.600 @ 130.77
Randy Bridges 6.008 @ 257.78 def Bill Walls 7.233 @ 194.35
Diamond Dave Miller 6.294 @ 219.86 def David Mullett 7.031 @ 199.29
Jeff Miller 6.732 @ 206.67 def. Dennis Corso 7.766 @ 128.62
Round Two:
Howard Haight 6.116 @ 237.13 def. Diamond Dave Miller 9.240 @ 64.89
Randy Bridges 6.761 @ 164.64 def. Jeff Miller 14.879 @ 64.11
Finals:
Randy Bridges, Virden, IL 5.973 @ 246.80 def. Howard Haight 6.110 @ 243.24
Nostalgia Funny Car – Round One
Steve Nichols ’70 Camaro 6.119 @ 228.11 def. Eric Martin ’72 Satellite 7.123 @ 203.31
Peter Gallen ’74 Vega 5.919 @ 242.76 def. Kyle Wurtzel ’72 Vega 8.566 @ 95.05 (both of these runs were bye runs but the teams ran side by side for the fans)
Round Two:
Peter Gallen ’74 Vega 5.913 @ 242.58 def. Kyle Wurtzel ’72 Vega 6.520 @ 161.52
Steve Nichols (Bye) 5.978 @ 209.39
Finals:
Steve Nichols ’70 Camaro 5.968 @ 235.02 def. Peter Gallen ’74 Vega 5.899 @ 243.90
Nostalgia Funny Car action provided wild side by side action. Sunday’s final round between low qualifier Peter Gallen and Steve Nichols turned into the quickest side-by-side Nostalgia Funny Car race in the history of Goodguys Vintage Drag Racing. Gallen and his gorgeous “Poverty Stricken” ’74 Vega were quickest in every round of qualifying and eliminations and it appeared to be his race to lose. But his slightly tardy reaction times proved to be his undoing in the money round as he lost a heartbreaker on a holeshot to defending event champion Steve Nichols in the Mill Road Boys ’70 Camaro. Gallen and his team put on a show that will not soon be forgotten. His successive runs throughout the weekend were 6.048, 5.898, 5.919, 5.913 and 5.899 in the final.
Like Funny Car, the Nostalgia Top Fuel eliminations pitted the two fastest cars on the grounds in the final with Randy Bridges and car owner Joe Hendricks facing off against multi-time Goodguys event champion Howard Haight in Jim Didio’s New York based “Nitro-Diction” entry with Pete Jennings now serving as crew chief/consultant. Bridges and Hendricks have been on a roll since the Goodguys Hot Rod Nationals in Indy back in June and extended that momentum here in Norwalk taking their first-ever Goodguys Top Fuel win! They again set top speed of the meet when their car zipped to a 257mph speed to defeat the alcohol car of Bill Walls in round one. The final was close as both Bridges and Haight ran 240mph speeds but Bridges edged ahead late to take home the Goodguys hemi Oscar trophy.
In the 7.0 second index Pro Comp I Eliminator, Crawfordsville, Indiana’s Mark Vaught got his first Goodguys win as he and crew chief Keith “Rooman” Burgan ran just quick enough to get the popular win. The quickest run they could muster throughout Sunday’s eliminations was a semi-final 7.335 @ 195.06 over Don Slout who broke. They caught another lucky break in the final when #3 qualifier Don Slagle also broke, giving them their free pass to the spoils.
Owensboro, Kentucky’s Darrell Wathen tasted sweet victory again this year in B/GAS (8.50 index) running a near-perfect an 8.504 in the semis then an 8.507 in the final to defeat Paul Suloff who had trouble gaining traction.
Other winners included Chad Levan (Nostalgia Comp), Sam Patrick (Nostalgia Gas) and Pat McFadden (Hot Rod Eliminator), Ron Normann (Geezer Gasser) Brian Schimmel (1/8th mile Street Rod Shootout) and Kenny Edwards (1/8th mile Hot Rod Shootout).
The third and final stop on the 2009 Goodguys Midwest Vintage Drag Racing Circuit is scheduled for October 16, 17 & 18 at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky. For more visit Goodguys Rod & Custom Association
Final Elimination Results Goodguys 8th DuPont Blue Suede Cruise
Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, OH
Top Fuel:
Winner: Randy Bridges, Virden, IL 5.973 @ 246.80
Runner Up: Howard Haight, Brownsburg, IN 6.110 @ 243.24
Funny Car:
Winner: Steve Nichols, Newark, DE, ’70 Camaro 5.968 @ 235.02
Runner Up: Peter Gallen, Broomoll, PA ’74 Vega 5.899 @ 243.90
Pro Comp I:
Winner: Mark Vaught, Crawfordsville, IN F.E.D. 8.884 @ 191.40
Runner Up: Don Slagle, Mt Lebanon, PA F.E.D. (broke)
Pro Comp II:
Winner: Wayne Sears, Middletown, OH ’32 Bantam 7.319 @ 184.62
Runner Up: Richard Barnard, Conneaut, OH F.E.D 10.712 @ 100.12
B/GAS:
Winner: Darrell Wathen, Utica KY, ’41 Willys 8.507 @ 154.78
Runner Up: Paul Suloff, Barberton, OH ’67 Camaro 9.609 @ 102.04
Nostalgia Comp:
Winner: Chad Levan, West Liberty, OH ’67 Camaro 8.096 @ 173.01
Runner Up: Dave Bommanito, Chesterfield, MI F.E.D. 8.634 @ 146.56
Nostalgia Gas:
Winner: Sam Patrick, Sand Point, MI ’37 Ford 13.586 @ 66.23
Runner Up: Gene Allen, Pataskala, OH ’27 Ford 20.754 @ 41.85
Hot Rod Eliminator:
Winner: Pat McFadden, Bainbridge, OH F.E.D. 10.625 @ 113.40
Runner Up: Maurice Edwards, Norwalk, OH ’67 Camaro 12.466 @ 110.78
Geezer Gassers:
Winner: Ron Normann, Hebron, IL ’41 Willys 9.984 @ 132.62
Runner Up: Martin Stead, LaGrange, OH ’48 Anglia 11.489 @ 114.60
1/8th Mile Street Rod Shootout:
Winner: Brian Schimmel ’55 Chevy Pickup 6.585 @ 108.25
Runner Up: Mark Treziack ’31 Ford Sedan 7.423 @ 92.16
1/8th Mile Hot Rod Shootout:
Winner: Kenny Edwards, ’47 Chevy 7.963 @ 77.74 (was unopposed)
Pro Round by Round Results:
Nostalgia Top Fuel - Round One:
Howard Haight 6.014 @ 234.61 def Kevin Brewer 6.600 @ 130.77
Randy Bridges 6.008 @ 257.78 def Bill Walls 7.233 @ 194.35
Diamond Dave Miller 6.294 @ 219.86 def David Mullett 7.031 @ 199.29
Jeff Miller 6.732 @ 206.67 def. Dennis Corso 7.766 @ 128.62
Round Two:
Howard Haight 6.116 @ 237.13 def. Diamond Dave Miller 9.240 @ 64.89
Randy Bridges 6.761 @ 164.64 def. Jeff Miller 14.879 @ 64.11
Finals:
Randy Bridges, Virden, IL 5.973 @ 246.80 def. Howard Haight 6.110 @ 243.24
Nostalgia Funny Car – Round One
Steve Nichols ’70 Camaro 6.119 @ 228.11 def. Eric Martin ’72 Satellite 7.123 @ 203.31
Peter Gallen ’74 Vega 5.919 @ 242.76 def. Kyle Wurtzel ’72 Vega 8.566 @ 95.05 (both of these runs were bye runs but the teams ran side by side for the fans)
Round Two:
Peter Gallen ’74 Vega 5.913 @ 242.58 def. Kyle Wurtzel ’72 Vega 6.520 @ 161.52
Steve Nichols (Bye) 5.978 @ 209.39
Finals:
Steve Nichols ’70 Camaro 5.968 @ 235.02 def. Peter Gallen ’74 Vega 5.899 @ 243.90
