Houston FM Final qualifying

Saturday Final Qualifying: 1998 NHRA FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAG RACING SERIES HOUSTON RACEWAY PARK, Baytown, Texas

GAY RECORDS 5.39, PUTS LOCK ON POLE POSITION

HOUSTON RACEWAY PARK, Baytown, Texas -- Rookie driver Shane Gay of Baytown, Texas, claimed the second No. 1 qualifying position of his short career with a career-best 5.397-second run to lead all Federal-Mogul Dragsters at the Pennzoil Winter Classic. Gay, driving the Southern California-based In-N-Out Burger dragster owned by Jerry Darien and Ken Meadows, made his competition debut in the Federal-Mogul Dragster category at Pomona Raceway, Pomona, Calif., two weeks ago, qualifying on the pole position with a 5.44-second run. Saturday at Houston Raceway Park Gay improved on that number with the 5.39-second run, the third-quickest pass in class history. Three tenths of a second separated Gay from his nearest competitor, Tulsa, Okla.’s Shelly Howard, who qualified second with a 5.69-second run. The spread between first and second places in Federal-Mogul Funny Car was somewhat smaller as just two hundredths of a second separated Tate Branch and Jackie Stidham. Branch, of Artesia, N.M., claimed the pole position with a career-best 5.73-second lap recorded Friday evening; Stidham ran a 5.75 Saturday. Eliminations begin Sunday at 9:00 a.m., with the quarterfinals of Federal-Mogul Dragster and Federal-Mogul Funny Car scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m.

1998 NHRA FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAG RACING SERIES

Final qualifying positions at Houston Raceway Park, Baytown, Texas, the first of six rounds in the 1998 NHRA South Central Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series, listing driver, hometown, state, vehicle, elapsed time in seconds, speed in miles per hour.

FEDERAL-MOGUL DRAGSTER

1. Shane Gay, Baytown, Texas, 5.397 seconds, 244.10 mph 2. Shelly Howard, Tulsa, Okla., 5.691, 245.16 3. Lee Callaway, Channelview, Texas, 5.710, 241.28 4. Bill Ancona, Mansfield, Texas, 5.719, 252.38 5. James Thompson Jr., Vernon, Texas, 5.733, 201.25 6. Gene Snow, Fort Worth, Texas, 5.809, 214.33 7. Billy Bybee, McLean, Texas, 5.813, 247.79 7. Scott Hartley, Omaha, Neb., 5.936, 221.29

FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR

1. Tate Branch, Artesia, N.M., ‘97 Avenger, 5.739 seconds, 249.37 mph 2. Jackie Stidham, Chickasha, Okla., ‘98 Acheiva, 5.752, 245.90 3. Todd Simpson, Ponder, Texas, ‘97 Avenger, 5.954, 241.48 4. Todd Paton, Paris, Ont., ‘98 Firebird, 5.994, 237.71 5. Ron Morrison, Oklahoma City, Okla., ‘95 Cutlass, 6.342, 192.71 6. Bob Alberty, Muskogee, Okla., ‘96 Firebird, 20.139, 35.62

COMPETITION

1. Sergio Garcia, Mission, Texas, G/A ‘92 Camaro, 8.884 seconds (0.636 seconds under Index) 2. Arnie Martel, Tewksbury, Mass., C/A ‘97 Pontiac, 7.657 (-0.633) 3. Raymond Martin, Mt. Belvieu, Texas, F/ED dragster, 8.499 (-0.611) 4. Darren Davis, Upland, Calif., C/EA ‘97 Firebird, 8.312 (-0.608) 5. Brian Self, Durant, Okla., B/SM ‘92 Camaro, 8.776 (-0.604) 6. Ruben Celedon, Edinburg, Texas, D/A ‘94 Cutlass, 8.009 (-0.571) 7. David Myers, Dallas, Texas, B/EA ‘96 Camaro, 8.007 (-0.563) 8. Arturo Delgado, McAllen, Texas, B/A ‘93 Oldsmobile, 7.415 (-0.555)

SUPER STOCK

1. Bob Dennis, Shorter, Ala., GT/MA ‘97 Firehawk, 10.817 seconds (1.233 seconds under Index) 2. Randy Hopkins, Scandia, Minn., SS/AA ‘68 Dart, 8.910 (-1.090) 3. Harvey Emmons III, South Houston, Texas, SS/JA ‘95 Pontiac, 10.322 (-0.978) 4. Clark Rand, Belton, Mo., GT/AA ‘90 Camaro, 9.423 (-0.977) 5. Arnie Martel, Tewksbury, Mass., SS/CM ‘95 Achieva, 8.942 (-0.958) 6. Bobby Cassard, Donaldsonville, La., SS/KA ‘87 Firebird, 10.599 (-0.951) 7. Gilbert Johnson Jr., Lecompte, La., GT/MA ‘91 Calais, 11.104 (-0.946) 8. Frank Weaver, Waco, Texas, GT/GA ‘97 Firebird, 10.262 (-0.938)

STOCK

1. Jim Cimarolli, Sulphur Springs, Texas, C/SA ‘69 Nova, 10.546 seconds (1.154 seconds under Index) 2. Jeff Hefler, Mansfield, Texas, F/SA ‘97 Trans Am, 11.142 (-1.008) 3. Bobby Brannon, Bossier City, La., E/SA ‘96 Firebird, 10.996 (-1.004) 4. Pat Joffrion, Belle Rose, La, G/SA ‘95 Camaro, 11.301 (-0.999) 5. Pat Cardwell, Ruston, La., K/SA ‘85 Camaro, 11.975 (-0.975) 6. J. Allen Sherman, Donaldsonville, La., H/SA ‘86 Camaro, 11.484 (-0.966) 7. Andy Thornburg, Wilmer, Ala., J/SA ‘79 Aspen, 11.786 (-0.964) 8. Sammy Pizzolato, Houma, La., F/SA ‘73 Oldsmobile, 11.189 (-0.961)

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