FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SUPER SHOOTOUT GIVES SUPER
CATEGORIES A CHANCE AT MORE MONEY

U.S. 131 DRAGWAY, Martin, Michigan--The Federal-Mogul Drag
Racing Series at U.S. 131 Dragway presented by Parts Plus
gave the drivers of the Super categories an extra chance to
win extra cash on the first day of qualifying.

  The Super categories in the Federal-Mogul Drag Racing
Series that participated in the Super Shootout of the North
Central Division event are Super Street, Super Gas, and Super
Comp.  Cash awards are given to each respective category based
on how many participants pay to enter this special event.
After the total number of entries are counted they are then
multiplied by twenty which is the entry fee.  Based upon that
amount an award goes to the finalist, runner up, and the two
other semi-finalists.

  Payment to each of these winners of the event begins at forty
percent of the total which goes to the finalist then it goes to
twenty percent for the runner up and ten percent for the two
semi-finalists.  The total cash award for Super Comp. is $1360.00,
$1180.00 for Super Gas, and $600.00 for Super Stock.

  The North Central Divsion offers these special events at almost
all of their races.  This added incentive helps to boost the
overall entry numbers to this event making the drag race at U.S.
131 Dragway that much more attractive to the fans and drivers
alike.

  The top qualifier in Federal-Mogul Dragster was Keith Stark
and the top qualifier in Federal-Mogul Funny Car was Marc White.
Qualifications will continue for all other catagories tommorrow.
Eliminations will start for these other catagories tommorrow as
well. 

  Gates open at 10:00 a.m.  Federal-Mogul Funny Car and Dragster
begin eliminations at 6:00 p.m.

1998 NHRA FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAG RACING SERIES

First day qualifying positions at U.S. 131 Dragway, Martin, Michigan the
third of six rounds in the 1998 NHRA North Central Division Federal-Mogul
Drag Racing Series, listing driver, hometown, state, vehicle, elapsed time
in seconds, speed in miles per hour.


FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER
1. Keith Stark, Danville, Illinois, 5.650, 254.33
2. Shawn Bowen, Montrose, Mich., 5.659, 248.88
3. Bill Reichert, Owosso, Mich., 5.781, 243.34
4. Don Devault, Kentland, Indiana, 5.986, 238.17
5. Ben Barnes, Chesterland, Ohio, 6.209, 214.32
6. Mike Miller, Okemos, Mich., 6.137, 211.27
7. Dave Hedges, Plainwell, Mich., 6.224, 207.44
8. T.J. Zizzo, Prairie View, Illinois, 6.274, 229.25

FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR
1. Marc White, Glendale Hts., Illinois, ‘96 Firebird, 5.694, 240.76
2. Kim Fritts, Greenup, Illinois, ‘96 Firebird, 6.038, 238.18
3. Bob Gottschalk, Toledo, Ohio, ‘97 Avenger, 6.244, 231.95
4. Larry Bakke, Madison, Wisc., ‘97 Camaro, 6.381, 214.37
5. Rich Krohn, Monee, Illinois, ‘97 Trans Am, 6.410, 224.61
6. Tony Bogolo, Hamilton, Ohio, ‘98 Avenger, 7.158, 146.16
7. John Lawson, Joliet, Illinois, ‘98 Firebird, 7.966, 112.81
8. Jeff Craig, Muncie, Indiana, ‘95 Achieva, 8.052, 108.14

COMPETITION
1. Jerry Arnold, Kalamazoo, Mich., E/ED ‘98 Kustoms, 8.573 (-0.627)
2. Tom Haueter, Chardon, Ohio, D/ED ‘94 Chevy, 7.620 (-0.530)
3. Mike Wharram, Morton, Illinois, B/ED ‘97 Clack,`7.132 (-0.528)
4. Garth Hill, Mt. Morris, Mich., E/ED ‘32 Bantam, 8.687 (-0.513)
5. Steve Ambrose, Woodhaven, Mich., I/A ‘23 T, 8.102 (-0.498)
6. David Billingsley, Decataur, Illinois, C/A ‘93 Cutlass, 7.764 (-0.486)
7. Ed Bennett, Carleton, Mich., B/A ‘63 Chevy, 7.492 (-0.478)
8. Douglas Stewart, Edwardsburg, Mich., B/ED Dragster, 7.204 (-0.456)

SUPER STOCK
1. Melissa Butler, Richmond, Indiana, GT/FA ‘90 Sunbird, 10.112 (-0.988)
2. Joe Skinner, Columbia State, Ohio, GT/E Beretta, 9.833 (-0.981)
3. Charlie Westcott, Parma, Mich., GT/E ‘91 Chevy, 9.878 (-0.951)
4. Gene Mcbean, Chardon, Ohio, SS/GA ‘69 Mustang, 9.942 (-0.918)
5. Jerry Silveus, Van Buren, Ohio, GT/IA ‘98 Pontiac, 10.663 (-0.885)
6. Mark Nowicki, Gaylord, Mich., GT/HA ‘90 Dodge, 10.516 (-0.857)
7. Randy Running, Lapeer, Mich., SS/MA Cutlass, 11.296 (-0.854)
8. Rock Running, Lapeer, Mich., GT/JA Achieva, 10.817 (-0.833)

STOCK
1. John Donato, Wixom, Mich., EF/S ‘91 Dodge, 14.224 (-1.376)
2. Gary Russell, East Spart, Ohio, D/SA ‘98 Firebird, 10.915 (-.0935)
3. Bruce Witherspoon, Lansing, Mich., K/SA  ‘78 Chevy, 12.049 (-0.901)
4. Bill Rink, Naperville, Illinois, M/SA ‘74 Pontiac, 12.263 (-0.887)
5. Richard Desmond, Cloquet, Minn., K/SA ‘74 GTO, 12.069 (-0.881)
6. Vance Cummins, Grand Haven, Mich., DT/SA, 12.620 (-0.880)
7. Jerry Bennett, Mayfield, Kentucky, J/SA ‘79 Aspen, 11.872 (-0.878)
8. Al Provoast, Whittemore, Mich., N/SA ‘79 Buick, 12.430 (-0.870)

IT WAS A RECORD SETTING DAY AT U.S. 131 DRAGWAY

   U.S. 131 DRAGWAY, Martin, Michigan --Eliminations at U.S.
131 Dragway were highlighted by several record breaking runs
including a National record that was set for all drivers
throughout the country.

  The National record was reset in the Competition Eliminator
category of the Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series which is a
category that includes cars that vary from dragsters to
altered roadsters and others.  Jerry Arnold of Kalamazoo,
Michigan who is a local to the area was not expecting a record 
run let alone a National record run.  

  Arnold has been looking for the right combination in one of
his cars for a long time.  Finding the right engine with the
right vehicle type created a very long and arduous process
that required going through four different six cylinder cars
since 1988.  The question that weighed heavily on Arnold’s
mind today was whether or not he had found that perfect
combination to start winning a lot of races and maybe break a
record or two along the way.  

  Not only did Arnold achieve his overall goal of a well tuned
car but he did it in a dragster that he has only had for a
year.  Arnold said “We tried to get a record run two years ago
but I found that a two-speed transmission just wasn’t doing
it.  So then we tried to put in a Dave Moen three-speed
transmission in our new dragster.  That seemed to make it go 
much faster.”

  Cheri Arnold, Arnold’s wife, was equally satisfied with the
National record breaking run.  She explained “This is the
first full run that Jerry has done with the new three-speed
transmission.  We are very happy with the results that we’ve
gotten.”

  The Arnolds were not the only recording breaking racers
over the weekend.

  Federal-Mogul Drag Racers Mark White of Glendale Hts.,
Illinois, and Kim Fritts of Greenup, Illinois both broke
track records at U.S. 131 Dragway. White originally broke both
the elapsed time (ET) record and miles per hour record with a
5.92 seconds elapsed time (ET) and 247.64 miles per hour in his
‘96 Firebird.  Fritts then beat White’s ET with a 5.91 in his
‘96 Firebird. 

  The Winston Top Qualifiers in the remaining categories of
Competition Eliminator, Super Stock, and Stock were Jerry
Arnold, Melissa Butler, and John Donato respectively that were
run during today’s final qualifying. 

MARTIN RESULTS
DIVISION 3 INSTANT STATS
U.S. 131 Dragway, Martin, Mich.

Federal-Mogul Dragster
 	W: Keith Stark, Danville, Illinois, ‘98 Spitzer, 5.605, 257.35
	R/U: Mike Miller, Okemos, Mich., ‘96 McKinney, 5.911, 224.89

Federal-Mogul Funny Car
 	W: Marc White, Glendale Hts., Illinois, ‘96 Firebird, 5.915, 222.64
	R/U: Kim Fritts, Greenup, Illinois, ‘96 Firebird, 7.278, 139.76

Competition
 	W: Jerry Arnold, Kalamazoo, Mich., E/ED ‘98 Customs, 8.539, 153.57
	R/U: Bob Andrews, Cement City, Mich., E/D ‘88 Dragster, 7.568, 174.48

Super Stock
 	W: John Coughlin, Columbus, Ohio, SS/CM ‘98 GrandAm, 9.187, 144.68
	R/U: Randy Wilkes, Zanesville, Ohio, GT/EA ‘88 Camaro, 10.206, 128.95

Stock
 	W: Barrie Poole, Chatham, ON, C/S ‘69 Mustang, 11.295, 114.19
	R/U: Bryan Merkle, Galena, Ohio, M/SA ‘85 Camaro, 12.394, 106.20

Super Comp
 	W: Glenn Julius, Indianapolis, Spitzer, 8.919, 153.58
	R/U: Bryan Richardson, Woodburn, Indiana, Dragster, 8.919, 158.92

Super Gas
 	W: Charles Siegler, Villa Park, Illinois, Chrysler, 9.929, 141.49
	R/U: Richard Batean, Columbus, Ohio, 14.165, 77.98

Super Street
 	W: Linn Bebout, Gambier, Ohio, ‘69 442, 10.840, 132.38
	R/U: John Berberich, Blacklich, Ohio, ‘68 Camaro, 10.803, 124.33