2001 Sport Compact Season Comes To an End At Moroso
By Angela Wall
PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL - Moroso Motorsports Park was host to its final drag racing event of the year, the Import & Sport Compact Winter Showdown. Although it's December the weather has lost track of time. The heat was burning on and off Moroso's 1/4 mile for the array of 4 and 6-cylinder vehicles that swarmed Moroso on Sunday, December 9, 2001.
The race track was zooming with some of South Florida's hottest racers. In the Super Quick class Oakland Park's Pacific Performance owner Steven Thomson challenged Miami native Len Monserrat in the final round. It was duel to the finish - line that is - as Thomson drove his 2000 Honda at 141.08 mph in just 9.877 seconds to defeat Monserrat's '91 Eclipses' time of 10.692 at 134.40 mph. Monserrat had been battling new engine upgrades that just weren't clicking right. But keep an eye on Len as he has just signed a new sponsor and will be in a 2002 Eclipse next season that promises to give Thomson a hard run for the title.
The Pro Outlaw class saw ETs in the 7 second range as all the bad boys enter this all out class. It was Miramar's Hector Garcia that took home the $1,000 cash purse when he overtook Michael Ventura of Kissimmee with a 9.886 E.T. at 142.69 mph to Ventura's 10.628 at 122.23. The Super Comp class saw a new name in the win box as Jose Rosado drove his '89 Honda CRX to a victory over West Palm Beach local Dwayne Lopez. The Super Mod class saw reigning points leader Larry Doty fall to Moroso's 2001 Super Mod points winner Karla Watts. And in the Quick 16 bracket class, the often heard name of Travis Bussin came up green. Bussin of Casselberry, FL took his '92 Civic to 116 mph in 11.746 seconds, which beat out Jorge Llaguno of Miami's '01 Acura.
RACE RESULTS
SUPER COMP E.T. MPH DI RT
Wn: Jose Rosado/West Palm Beach 14.572 87.64 13.97 .676
RU: Dwayne Lopez/West Palm Beach 14.271 82.06 13.60 .488
SUPER MOD
Wn: Karla Watts/Stuart 16.322 83.20 16.35 .614
RU: Larry Doty/Margate 16.623 83.72 16.68 .607
QUICK 16
Wn: Travis Bussin/Casselberry 11.746 116.53 11.67 .656
RU: Jorge Llaguno/Miami 12.222 117.92 12.00 .540
PRO OUTLAW
Wn: Hector Garcia/Miramar 9.886 142.69 .999
RU: Michael Ventura/Kissimmee 10.628 122.23 .681
SUPER QUICK
Wn: Steven Thomson/Oakland Park 9.877 141.08 .710
RU: Len Monserrat/Miami 10.692 134.40 .519
CAR SHOW RESULTS
BEST OF SHOW
Gary Ryan/ Miami '97 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GST
BEST ENGINE
Jim Miller/Boca Raton '94 Acura Integra
BEST PAINT
Michael Germain/Naples '99 Honda Accord
BEST GRAPHICS
Frank Bapisteller/Ft. Myers '94 Mazda MX6
BEST INTERIOR
Gonzalo Biaquero/West Palm Beach Honda Prelude
BEST DISPLAY
Shark Pimp/Palm Beach Gardens '00 Isuzu Rodeo LS
HOTTEST CHIC CAR
Esther Ortega/Hialeah '97 Honda Civic
BEST TEAM
Rizen Sun
CLUB PARTICIPATION
Nothing Lower
BEST HONDA ONE
Karen Abitabilo/Jupiter '97 Civic Coupe
BEST HONDA TWO
Matthew Thomas/Miami '96 Civic
BEST HONDA THREE
Billy Gamley/Boynton Beach '94 Civic
BEST ACURA
Chris Traad/Miami '93 Integra
BEST TOYOTA
Alain Garcia/Lake Worth '94 Corolla
BEST NISSAN
Pat DiDomenico/Titusville '98 200SX SE
BEST TRUCK/SUV
Jorge Vargas/Hollywood '00 Ford Explorer
BEST EXOTIC
Staffan Ahlstrom/Stuart '77 Volvo
BEST MITSUBISHI
Chaz Aprile/Palm Beach Gardens Eclipse
BEST VW
Marissa Bechtel/Davie '97 Golf
BEST KOREAN
Yuri Flores/Hialeah Gardens '98 Hyundai Tiburon
BEST FORD FOCUS
Robert Quinn/Greenacres '01
BEST DOMESTIC COMPACT
Charlie Guanci Jr./Miami '01 Chrysler PT Cruiser
AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE
Eddy Faubla/West Palm Beach '98 Acura Integra
Richard Robinson/Miami '96 Honda Civic HB
Danny Swangin/Miami '97 Honda Accord
Herlan Verde/Miramar '90 Acura Integra
Chris Seaton/Port St. Lucie '00 Honda Civic SI
Jenrry Martin/Hialeah '92 Honda Civic HB
Stephen Addbon Jr./Hobe Sound '94 Chevy S-10
Rob Brittingham/Ft. Lauderdale '97 Mitsubishi Eclipse
Jacob Diaz/Miami '00 Honda Civic
Vu Linh Nguyen/Port St. Lucie '00 Toyota Celica GTS
Happy Holidays,
Angela Wall
Moroso Motorsports Park
Promotions & Marketing
(561) 622-1400
mail@MorosoMotorsportsPark.com
