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 READING,
PA (October 4-7) -- The 17th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals provided
the latest setting for Team Hoosier to flex it's muscles. This time,
all four classes in which Team Hoosier was in the finals of, they came
away a winner. A perfect 100%! All told, six drivers on USA-made
Hoosier tires would make it to the final round in four different
classes, assuring at least two national titles on the weekend. But
that wasn't good enough, as all four classes would have a Hoosier-shod
winner when all the smoke had cleared. Mark Hentges and Rick Santos
would go head-to-head in the Federal-Mogul Dragster class, while Frank
Manzo would be Team Hoosier's only hope in the Federal Mogul Funny Car
class. In Stock competition, Bob Letellier and Mickey Whaley would
carry the Hoosier banner into the final round, with Rod Fuller being
the single Hoosier hopeful in the Super Comp class. FEDERAL-MOGUL
DRAGSTER
We knew this one could be a good one and it turned out to be a
great one! Mark Hentges and Rick Santos have been winning using
Hoosier's 34.5/17.0-16 C06 drag tires for quite some time. So on one
hand, we were very pleased to have two Hoosier cars make it to the
final round, but on the other, one of these great competitors would
have to settle for runner-up honors. Both Hentges and Santos compete
in Northwest's Division 6, so both competitors traveled across the
country to end up, once again, facing each other in the class
finals. Hentges posted an astounding .415 RT to Santos' .506
RT to get the jump at the light. He used this to power his way to the
win with an ET of 5.338 seconds (265.22 mph) to Santos' 5.293 ET
(266.11 mph), narrowing Santos' FM/D championship points lead. The
contest was the fastest blown alcohol dragster final in history with
both combatants riding on the Hoosier brand. In addition to making
the final round, Santos' weekend was highlighted when he set the FM/D
ET record in the second round of competition when he posted a 5.278
second ET (267.16 mph), to establish a new world record which he later
backed up to make it official. FEDERAL-MOGUL FUNNY CAR
Frank Manzo would once again make it to the final round in
Federal-Mogul Funny Car competition for Team Hoosier looking for his
sixth national win of the season. Not even a newly developed tire by
his opponent in the final round could defeat Manzo and his Hoosier
34.5/17.0-16 C06 drag tires. Manzo put together a .474 RT with a 5.615
ET (255.48 mph) to capture the win on USA-made Hoosier tires,
amazingly this was his sixth national win this season. STOCK
In the other "All-Hoosier" final round, Bob Letellier
met Mickey Whaley in the final race of Stock competition. Letellier
used a .545 ET to Whaley's .571 RT to get the early jump. He then
extended that lead with an 11.551 ET to Whaley's 11.799 ET to take the
victory and his first national win of the season. Both competitors use
Hoosier's 30.0/9.0-15 Radial C07 drag tires. SUPER COMP
Hope for a perfect four-for-four record for Team Hoosier in the
final round rested on the shoulders of Rod Fuller and his Hoosier
33.0/16.5-15 S C07 tires in Super Comp. Fuller's competition took off
too soon resulting in a red light win and capping a perfect weekend
for Team Hoosier in the finals in which they competed. With three events
remaining on the NHRA National schedule, we would like to thank all
the drag racers across the world who have made the 2001 season so
successful for Team Hoosier. |
