Inside the NHRA: NHRA Summit Racing Series (Div. 7)

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Even though the only winner from California lives in Santa Rosa and represented Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, the home team from Famoso Raceway amassed 165 points with an onslaught of early round wins to take the long coveted NHRA Pacific Division Summit Series Finals team title. Infineon Raceway's team finished second with 140 points. And, despite having two racers in the winners circle, Speedworld Motorplex from Arizona, the defending champions, managed to finish only third with 138.

Marcus Wessels, of Santa Rosa, Calif., and Team Infineon took the Pro title in his '68 Dodge by beating Richard Getto of Fallon, Nev., off the starting line, .013 to .014 seconds. Getto was driving his '68 Chevy for the team from Top Gun Raceway.

The Sportsman title went to Tony Marconi of Speedworld Motorplex. Marconi, who lives in Whitman, Ariz., just down the road from his home track, recorded a perfect .000 reaction time that Jim Mahar of California Dragway in Fontana couldn't overcome with his Orange, Calif.-based '65 Plymouth.

In Street Eliminator good friends and business partners Angelo Phillips and Danny Cappello drove their similar Plymouth sedans on similar runs, both going 109 mph at the finish, with Phillips winning the bragging rights around their cabinet shop. Both drivers are from Scottsdale, Ariz., and represent Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix.

The Motorcycle title went to Joseph Smith from Tucson, Ariz., and Southwestern Int'l Raceway on his '84 Kawasaki, holding off Lonnie Woodruff of Bountiful, Utah and Rocky Mountain Raceway.

The only driver to go to the final round from the winning team at Famoso was High School track champion Peter Chilbes III. But after winning the Race of Champions on Saturday, Chilbes couldn't hold on in the main event final, losing to Leroy Duran Jr. from Sun City, Ariz., and Speedworld Motorplex. Duran goes to Sunrise Mourtica High in Peoria, Ariz.

Champions and those finishing in the later rounds shared the $27,160 in posted awards. The Pacific Division Champions now advance to the national championships for the Summit Drag Racing Series at the Auto Club NHRA Finals next month in Pomona, Calif. There they will face the champions from the other six NHRA geographical divisions. Each winner at Famoso will receive $3,500 for making the finals and each of the national champions will earn another $5,000. High School racers are not involved in the Pomona finals but they earned some U. S Savings Bonds for their efforts.

The following are results from the NHRA Pacific Division Summit Racing Series Finals at Famoso Raceway:

PRO
Marcus Wessels, Santa Rosa, Calif., Infineon Raceway, '68 Dodge, 9.433 seconds, 132.82 mph def.
Richard Getto, Fallon, Nev., Top Gun Raceway, '68 Chevy, 9.302, 145.04

Sportsman
Tony Marconi, Whitman, Ariz., Speedworld Motorplex, '66 Dodge, 11.45, 111.48, def.
Jim Mahar, Orange, Calif., California Dragway, 11.450, 111.48.

Street
Angelo Phillips, Scottsdale, Ariz., Firebird Int'l Raceway, '68 Plymouth, 12.310, 109.21 def.
Danny Cappello, Scottsdale, Ariz., '70 Plymouth, 11.991, 109.95.

Motorcycle
Joseph Smith, Tucson, Ariz., Southwestern Int'l Raceway, 84 Kawasaki, 10.35, 124.03 def.
Lonnie Woodruff, Bountiful, Utah, Rocky Mountain Raceway, '78 Kawasaki, 9.489, 131.82.

High School
Leroy Duran Jr., Sun City, Ariz., Speedworld Motorplex, '89 Ford, 14.887, 93.19 def.
Peter Chilbes III, Ridgecrest, Calif., Famoso Raceway, '66 El Camino, 12.917, 101.04

Final Team Points

1. Famoso Raceway 165

2. Infineon Raceway 140

3. Speedworld Motorplex 138

4. Sacramento Raceway Park 125

5. Inyokern Dragstrip 107

6. Irwindale Drag Strip 101

7. Las Vegas Motor Speedway   93

8. California Dragway   87

9. Firebird Int'l Raceway   83

10. Southwestern Int'l Raceway   70

11. Los Angeles Co. Raceway   65

12. Rocky Mountain Raceway   64

13. Top Gun Raceway   58

14. Barona Dragstrip   51

15. Samoa Dragstrip   17

16. Redding Dragstrip   16

17. Baja Raceway     5