NOBLE RESULTS

DIVISION 4
Thunder Valley Raceway Park
Noble, Okla.  Sept. 19-21


Results will be posted as soon as they are available.

Friday Qualifying

Saturday Qualifying

Sunday Race

Instant Stats
Friday Qualifying: 

Results Friday after the first rounds of qualifying
at Thunder Valley Raceway Park, the final event of
the South Central Division’s six NHRA Federal-Mogul
Drag Racing Series schedule:

        This weekend promises to bring some of the
best racing of the season to Oklahoma.  On the first
day of qualifying there are 29 Federal-Mogul Dragsters
and 24 Federal-Mogul Funny Cars scheduled to race here.
Many of the teams are from other NHRA divisions and
locked in fierce battles for divisional and national
championships.

        At the end of qualifying today, Federal-Mogul
Dragster driver Randy Parks, Lombard, Ill., and Federal-
Mogul Funny Car driver Johnny Gray, Carlsbad, N.M., lead
their categories.  Parks’ elapsed time (e.t.) of 5.701
is identical to that of number two qualifier, Bill Ancona.
Parks won by virtue of a better speed of  248.55 mph to
Ancona’s 245.43.  Gray won with an e.t. of 5.813 at
247.93 mph.  He beat number two qualifier Vern Moats by
less than two hundredths of a second.  

        The top three qualifiers in Federal-Mogul Funny
Car -- Gray, Moats and Cy Chesterman of Sioux City, Iowa --
are in a heated battle for NHRA’s West Central Division
championship.  That score could be settled this weekend.

        In other Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series
categories, Buddy Nickens, of  Houston, who is the current
division points leader, heads up Competition Eliminator,
Mike Cotten, Broken Arrow, Okla., is in the top spot in
Stock Eliminator and Randall Klein leads in Super Stock.

        Qualifying continues tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. for all
categories with Federal-Mogul Dragsters and Federal-Mogul
Funny Cars making two more qualifying passes at 2:00 and
5:00 p.m. Gates at Thunder Valley Raceway open at 8:00 a.m.
 
FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER
1. Randy Parks (Lombard, Ill.)          5.701, 248.55
2. Bill Ancona (Mansfield, Texas)       5.701, 245.43
3. Bobby Taylor (Laguna Hills, Calilf.) 5.730, 248.82
4. Billy Bybee (McLean, Texas)          5.741, 244.56
5. Mark Taliaferro (Odessa, Texas)      5.759, 219.72
6. Darrell Russell (Cypress, Texas)     5.772, 246.23
7. Darryl Hitchman (Hanford, Calif.)    5.926, 237.15
8. Gene Snow (Fort Worth, Texas)        5.931, 233.82

MOGUL FUNNY CAR
1. Johnny Gray (Carlsbad, N.M.), ‘97 Firebird     5.813, 247.93
2. Vern Moats (Des Moines, Iowa), ‘97 Avernger    5.834, 247.18
3. Cy Chesterman (Sioux City, Iowa), ‘97 Pontiac  5.931, 234.00
4. Jackie Stidham (Chickasha, Okla.), ‘97 Olds    5.946, 237.46
5. Todd Paton (Paris, Ontario, Can.), ‘97 Pontiac 5.991, 239.36
6. Bob Alberty (Muskogee, Okla.), ‘95 Firebird    6.104, 223.88
7. Kenny Sayers (Houston), ‘97 Pontiac            6.381, 220,96
8. Doug Markham (Del City, Okla.), ‘95 Olds       5.453, 208.42

COMPETITION ELIMINATOR
1, Buddy Nickens (Houston), ‘94 Oldsmobile          8.628
2, Jeff Naiser (Houston), ‘95 Chasis Craft          7.228
3, Ruben Celedon (Edinburg, Texas), ‘94 Cutlass     8.151
4, David Rampy (Piedmont, Ala.), ‘32 Ken Kier       7.724
5, Greg Stanfield (Bossier City, La.), ‘92 Dragster 7.616

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1. Mike Cotten (Broken Arrow, Okla.), ‘73 Duster    11.778
2. Vern Buchanan (Conway, Ark.), ‘73 Mustang        12.100
3. Pat Joffrion (Belle Rose, La.), ‘95 Z28          11.541
4. Jim Cimarolli (Sulpher Springs, Texas), ‘69 Nova 11.105
5. Mike Smith (Osage Beach, Mo.), ‘71 Nova          11.425

SUPER STOCK
1. Randall Kline (Lincoln, Neb.), ‘56 Nomad     11.612
2. Gilbert Johnson (Lecompte, La.), ‘91 Calais  11.287
3. Gary Stinnett (Emporia, Kan.), ‘97 Pontiac   10.752
4. Brent Johnson (Pasadena, Texas), ‘66 Impala  11.760
5. Randy Mans (Rogers, Minn.), ‘95 Achieva      11.067

Saturday Qualifying Final: 


Results Saturday after the final rounds of qualifying at
Thunder Valley Raceway Park, the final event of the South
Central Division’s six NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing
Series schedule: 

As the NHRA season winds down, it seems as though all the
competitors in the Federal-Mogul categories have hit
their stride. Witness the all five-second field in Federal-
Mogul Dragster here this weekend. In Federal-Mogul Funny
Car, seven out of eight qualifiers ran five-second
elapsed times (e.t.). Competition was tough as all eight
qualifiers in each of the two categories made runs ranging
from 5.569 to 5.759 in dragsters and 5.813 to 6.058 in
funny car. 

In the end, Bobby Taylor, from Laguna Hills, Calif., found
the best combination as he is the top qualifier with an
elapsed time (e.t.) of 5.874 at 236.84 mph. Unfortunately,
on his last pass of the night, Taylor’s car suffered what
appeared to be a major clutch explosion, which split the
car in two just behind the driver’s compartment. Taylor
was unhurt but the car was destroyed. 

In Federal-Mogul Funny Car action Johnny Gray of Carlsbad,
N.M. retained his number one qualifying position from
yesterday. Gray ran a 5.813 e.t. at 247.93 mph. In other
qualifying classes, Jeg Coughlin, Jr., from Columbus, Ohio,
in Competition Eliminator, Stock Eliminator driver Pat
Joffrion, from Belle Rosa, La., and Super Stocker Randall
Klein, from Lincoln, Neb., have each earned a top
qualifier’s bonus. 

Eliminations in all eight sportsman categories begin tomorrow
at 9:00 a.m. Federal-Mogul Dragsters and Federal-Mogul Funny
Cars run beginning at 12:00 noon. Gates at Thunder Valley
Raceway open at 8 a.m. 

FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER
1. Bobby Taylor (Laguna Hills, Calilf.) 5.569, 253.09
2. Randy Parks (Lombard, Ill.)          5.594, 251.88
3. Billy Bybee (McLean, Texas)          5.620, 247.25
4. Darrell Russell (Cypress, Texas)     5.690, 250.27
5. Allen Hartley (Omaha, Neb.)          5.693, 224.10
6. Bill Ancona (Mansfield, Texas)       5.701, 245.43
7. David Wells (Lemars, Kan.)           5.732, 244.96
8. Mark Taliaferro (Odessa, Texas)      5.759, 219.72

MOGUL FUNNY CAR
1. Johnny Gray (Carlsbad, N.M.), ‘97 Firebird          5.813, 247.93
2. Vern Moats (Des Moines, Iowa), ‘97 Avernger         5.834, 247.18
3. Todd Paton (Paris, Ontario, Can.), ‘97 Pontiac      5.901, 243.63
4. Cy Chesterman (Sioux City, Iowa), ‘97 Pontiac       5.931, 234.00
5. Jimmy Jones (Cleburn, Texas), ‘97 Camaro            5.940, 239.87
6. Jackie Stidham (Chickasha, Okla.), ‘97 Olds Achieva 5.946, 237.46
7. Todd Simpson (Ponder, Texas), ‘97 Avenger           5.954, 238.47
8. Kenny Sayers (Houston), ‘97 Pontiac                 6.058, 236.34

COMPETITION ELIMINATOR
1. Jeg Coughlin, Jr. (Columbus, Ohio)               8.293
2. Buddy Nickens (Houston), ‘94 Oldsmobile          8.509
3. Pete Carbery (Odesa, Texas), ‘94 Chasis Craft    6.974
4. Ruben Celedon (Edinburg, Texas), ‘94 Cutlass     8.070
5. Greg Stanfield (Bossier City, La.), ‘92 Dragster 7.508

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1. Pat Joffrion (Belle Rose, La.), ‘95 Z28             11.778
2. Mike Cotten (Broken Arrow, Okla.), ‘73 Duster       12.100
3. Scott Richardson (Goodlettsville, Tenn.), ‘89 Chevy 12.614
4. Billy Lynn (Searcy, Ark.), ‘78 Malibu               12.118
5. Vern Buchanan (Conway, Ark.), ‘73 Mustang           11.425

SUPER STOCK
1. Randall Kline (Lincoln, Neb.), ‘56 Nomad         11.510
2. Gilbert Johnson (Lecompte, La.), ‘91 Calais      11.151
3. Gary Stinnett (Emporia, Kan.), ‘97 Pontiac       10.647
4. Randy Mans (Rogers, Minn.), ‘95 Achieva,         10.922
5. Greg Stanfield (Bossier City, La.), ‘87 Camaro   10.131
Sunday Results: 

Results Sunday after the final day of racing at Thunder
Valley Raceway Park, the final event of the South Central
Division's six NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series
schedule:

Chickasha, Okla. resident Jackie Stidham wrapped up the
South Central Division Federal-Mogul Funny Car
championship this weekend with a victory over Johnny Gray,
of Carlsbad, N.M., who is fighting for a divisional
championship in the West Central Division.  Stidham ran a
5.831 elapsed time (e.t.) at 246.17 mph to Gray's 5.869
e.t. at 244.63 mph.

In the Federal-Mogul Dragster category Randy Parks, of
Lombard, Ill., beat Darrell Russell, from Cypress, Texas,
in the final round to pull ahead of Bobby Taylor in the
race for a national championship.  Parks pulled to the
finish line with an e.t. of 11.846 at 68.10 mph when
Russell fouled at the starting line.

In other Federal-Mogul categories Jeg Coughlin, Jr.,
from Columbus, Ohio, was a double winner as he took the
lights in both Competition Eliminator and Super Stock.
Al Corda, of Elk Mound, Wis., won in Stock Eliminator;
Ronnie Loomis of Dickinson, Texas took the Super Gas
crown today; Heidi Robison, from Gardner, Kan., won in
Super Comp; Chris Derrick, of Hallsville, Texas, was
in the top spot in Super Street; and Brian Johnson, from
Friendly, Minn., won in the Sportsman Motorcycle category.
Instant Stats: 


NOBLE RESULTS

DIVISION 4 INSTANT STATS
Thunder Valley Raceway ParkNoble, Okla.

Federal-Mogul Dragster
W: Randy Parks (Lombard, Ill.), 11.846 e.t., 68.10 mph
R/U: Darrell Russell (Cypress, Texas), foul

Federal-Mogul Funny Car
W: Jackie Stidham (Chickasha, Okla.), 5.831 e.t., 246.17 mph
R/U: Johnny Gray (Carlsbad, N.M.), 5.869 e.t., 244.63 mph

Competition
W: Jeg Coughlin, Jr. (Columbus, Ohio), 16.187
R/U: David Cook, Jr. (Houston), 16.891

Super Stock
W: Jeg Coughlin, Jr. (Columbus, Ohio), 9.214
R/U: Jason Tinberg (Bonner Springs, Kan.), 10.135

Stock
W: Al Corda (Elk Mound, Wis.), 10.761
R/U: Jim Cimarolli (Sulpher Springs, Texas), 10.911

Super Gas
W: Ronnie Loomis (Dickinson, Texas), 9.893
R/U: John Vineyard ( ), 10.132

Super Street
W: Chris Derrick (Hallsville, Texas), 10.902
R/U: Jim Abbott, 10.902