Photo Credit – Bob Johnson
Green, Bowen take home first Goodguys Event Wins at 9th Blue Suede Cruise
Norwalk, OH
– Nostalgia fuel drag racers Troy Green (top fuel) and Shawn Bowen
(funny car) had themselves a day to remember during final eliminations
of the Goodguys 9th Blue Suede Cruise at Summit Motorsports
Park in Norwalk, OH as both young guns took home their first ever
Goodguys event wins and set track records in the process. The entire
weekend was memorable with the sights and sounds of thousands of hot
rods coming together with vintage dragsters here at America’s Race
Track. Throw in cameo appearances by “Big Daddy” Don Garlits and his
flame belching “Swamp Rat” 1968 era dragster and you have a complete
picture of what the Blue Suede Cruise is all about.
Top
Fuel racing here was fierce from Sunday’s opening bell. Green, driving a
sleek new dragster owned by Frank and Debra Ousley (with a tune up from
Texas based legend Dale Emery), set an all time track record here for a
front engined Top Fuel dragster, posting a 5.775 @ 248.11 mph blast in a
first round win over Tony Bartone . The previous record for a front
engine top fuel dragster in these parts was 5.94 set back in 2001.
Continuing his quest for victory, Green dispatched Ernest McClain’s
Chevy fueler with a 5.932 @ 231.99mph in the semis. His final round
competition proved to be none other than two-time Goodguys event
champion and #1 qualifier “Radar” Roger Lechtenberg in the menacing
“Orange Crate” machine. In the race of the weekend, Green parlayed a
.092 reaction time advantage into a 5.823 @ 254.76mph win over
Lechtenberg who charged to a 5.800 @ 258.47 – the fastest top fuel speed
recorded at a Goodguys event in the Eastern Time zone. The final margin
of victory was just two ten thousandths of a second, leaving the crowd
pounding on the bleachers in excitement.
In
Nostalgia Funny Car Action, Grand Blanc, Michigan’s Shawn Bowen and his
“Violator” ’77 Firebird sent a shot across the bow to the rest of the
nation’s vintage floppers that he and his team mean business. Bowen, a
former NHRA Division III National Champion and 3-time NHRA national
event winner in Alcohol Dragster ran Low ET of the meet right off the
trailer going 5.929 @ 242.50 on Friday afternoon. In the opening round
of Sunday’s eliminations, Bowen cruised to an easy 5.983 @ 242.23mph
victory over John Hale in the “Nitro Boss” ’69 Mustang from Dallas,
Texas. On the other side of the ladder, two-time Blue Suede Cruise
winner Steve Nichols and his ’70 Camaro racked up a first round 6.007 @
226.70mph win over Steve Timosyk’s period perfect ’69 Camaro. In the
final, Bowen wasted no time getting to the lead rocketing to a piston
smoking 6.034 @ 230.65mph win – his first-ever Goodguys event win. He
credited his father Mike for building a winning car and his brother
Scott for providing the tune up. His wife Nicole and their two sons
Austin and Dylan were also on hand for the big win.
Williamsport,
Pennsylvania’s Don Slout, winner of the Hot Rod Nationals in
Indianapolis earlier this year made it back to back event wins in the
Freedom Racing Engine’s sponsored Pro Comp I division. Slout squared off
against last year’s Blue Suede Cruise winner mark Vaught in the final
and got the win when Vaught had staging issues. In the 7.50-index Pro
Comp II division, it was Wood Haven, Michigan’s Brandon Anderson getting
his first Goodguys win behind the wheel of his ’23 T.
The exhibition cars were out in force at the 9th
Blue Suede Cruise. Headlining the program was the Goodguys-debut of
Nostalgia Pro Stock. The eight and nine second period correct
doorslammers brought back fond memories for fans and put on a memorable
show. After two all-run rounds on Sunday, the two quickest cars came
back for the Chicago style final round. Kenosha, Wisconsin’s Mark Ispen
got the win in his ’79 AMC. The popular Geezer Gassers and Nostalgia
Super Stockers rounded out the exhibition playbill.
Other
event winners included Bob Sarkisian (B/GAS), Al Goodman (Nostalgia
Comp), Ben Browder (Nostalgia Gas), Larry Stroscher (Hot Rod
Eliminator), Keith Palcisko (1/8th mile Hot Rod Shootout) and Larry Fike (1/8th mile Street Rod Shootout).
Next up on the Goodguys Vintage Drag Racing event schedule is the 3rd Nostalgia Nationals, October 15-17 at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky. For more visit www.ggvintagedragracing.com
Goodguys 9th Blue Suede Cruise, Summit Motorsports Park
, Norwalk, OH
Winner: Troy Green, Purcell, OK 5.823 @ 254.76
Runner Up: Roger Lechtenberg, Cedar Falls, IA 5.800 @ 258.47
Winner: Shawn Bowen, Grand Blanc, MI ’77 Firebird 6.034 @ 230.65mph
Runner Up: Steve Nichols, Newark, DE ’70 Camaro, 6.439 @ 176.44mph
Pro Comp I Presented by Freedom Racing Engines:
Winner: Don Slout, Williamsport, PA ’48 Fiat 7.668 @ 174.59
Runner Up: Mark Vaught, Crawfordsville, IN 32.54 @ 36.24
Winner: Brandon Anderson, Woodhaven, MI 7.585 @ 175.05
Runner Up: Pat Malloy, Buchanan, VA 7.525 @ 173.52
Winner: Bob Sarkisian, Pinckney, MI ’48 Anglia 8.521 @ 154.86
Runner Up: Rob Davis, Lawrenceberg, IN ’67 Nova 8.497 @ 158.95 (*foul)
Winner: Al Goodman, Novelty, OH ’23 T 8.319 @ 156.50
Runner Up: Don Nave, S. Whitley, IN 8.456 @ 155.54
Winner: Ben Browder, Fairborn, OH ’55 T Bird 9.527 @ 132.36
Runner Up: Sue Campbell, Ramtoul, IL ’41 Willys 9.080 @ 148.80
Winner: Larry Strosher, Curtice, OH ’64 Chevy II 11.330 @ 108.39
Runner Up: Barb Hillyer, Plainfield, IN ’64 Falcon 11.709 @ 112.21
Winner: Mark Ispen, Kenosha, WI ’79 AMC 9.711 @ 142.19
Runner Up: Mark Pappas, Park Ridge, IL ’81 Camaro 9.167 @ 156.57
1/8th Mile Street Rod Shootout:
Winner: Larry Fike, Shelby, OH, ’66 Chevy II 8.055 @ 86.32
Runner Up: Randy Archer, Berlin Heights, OH, ’66 Plymouth 8.162 @ 85.62
1/8th Mile Hot Rod Shootout:
Winner: Keith Palciscko, Columbia Station, OH ’33 Willys 6.028 @ 113.75
Runner Up: Gary Ippolito, Bay Village, OH ’39 Ford 8.035 @ 89.59
Pro Round by Round Results:
Howard Haight 6.222 @ 205.10mph def Jeff Miller 6.802 @ 201.10
Ernest McClain 6.066 @ 228.31mph def. Michael Sexton 6.846 @ 197.57mph
Roger Lechtenberg 6.132 @ 181.35mph (was unopposed)
Troy Green 5.775 @ 248.11mph def Tony Bartone 8.735 @ 97.94
Troy Green 5.932 @ 231.99mph def. Ernest McClain 9.061 @ 57.40mph
Roger Lechtenberg 5.900 @ 249.07mph def. Howard Haight 5.993 @ 253.47mph
Troy Green 5.823 @ 254.76 def. Roger Lechtenberg 5.800 @ 258.47
Shawn Bowen, '77 Firebird 5.983 @ 242.23mph def. John Hale, '69 Mustang 6.275 @ 229.00mph
Steve Nichols '70 Camaro 6.007 @ 226.70mph def Steve Timosk '69 Camaro 7.952 @ 140.09mph
Shawn Bowen, ’77 Firebird 6.034 @ 230.65mph def. Steve Nichols, ’70 Camaro 6.439 @ 176.44mph
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