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 ENGLISHTOWN,
NJ (May 16-19) -- Hoosier-shod drivers had their best showing of the
season this past weekend at the NHRA 33rd annual Matco Tools
Supernationals in New Jersey. Nine drivers using Hoosier tires made it
to their respective class finals in six different classes. All six
classes were eventually won by Hoosier-shod cars. Fred Hahn and Troy
Critchley met in Pro Modified, while Duane Shields made it to the
finals in Top Alcohol Dragster. Frank Manzo and Bobby Martin met in
the Top Alcohol Funny Car final, while Peter Biondo carried the
Hoosier banner into the Stock final. In the 3rd
"all-Hoosier" final, Mike Mitchell met Jack Sepanek in the
Super Comp final, while Steve Drummond made it to the Super Gas final.
PRO MOD
It was a pair of Corvettes meeting in the Pro Mod final, as Fred Hahn
in a '01 Corvette met Troy Critchley in a '53 Corvette. Both drivers
used a pair of Hoosier's 34.5/17.0-16 C2000 drag tires. Hahn had the
better light (.469 RT) and the better ET (6.267 ET/226.73 mph) to take
the win in the Summit Racing Corvette.
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Duane Shields, on a pair of Hoosier 34.5/17.0-16 C2000 drag tires, won
the T/A Dragster final after posting a quicker light and a better ET
over his non-Hoosier-shod adversary. Shields used a .526 RT to get the
jump and then powered to the win with a 5.308 ET (266.37 mph) after
his competition encountered some tire shake
problems. Shields, during an earlier round set the national ET
record at 5.263 seconds.
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
In T/A Funny Car, another pair of Hoosier-shod cars battled their
way into the class finals. This time, it was Frank Manzo and Bobby
Martin as each driver used a pair of Hoosier 34.5/17.0-16 C2000 drag
tires. Manzo posted the quicker light with a .473 ET. He then powered
his way to the win after matching the national record ET set by Tony
Bartone (also on Hoosiers). Manzo's ET was a blistering 5.549 seconds
(259.91 mph). Manzo's speed eclipsed the national record but none of
his previous runs were fast enough to back up the effort and set a new
national record.
STOCK
In a double breakout final in Stock, Peter Biondo captured yet another
win for Team-Hoosier. Using a pair of Hoosier 30.0/9.0-15 C07 Radial
tires, Biondo had the better light and was the lesser offender with a
10.911 ET (10.92 dial) to his competition's 10.193 ET (10.21 dial). The -.009 difference was
enough to take the win.
SUPER COMP
Mike Mitchell and Jack Sepanek in Super Comp was the third Hoosier vs.
Hoosier final. Mitchell got the jump at the light with a .405 RT over
Sepanek's .433 RT. Sepanek broke out by a slim -.001 margin to give
Mitchell his first national event win after posting a 8.955 ET on the
8.90 index. Both drivers used Hoosier's 33.0/16.5-15 S C07 drag tires.
SUPER GAS
In the Super Gas final, hopes for a perfect six-for-six weekend were
not dashed when Steve Drummond captured the win on a pair of Hoosier
32.0/14.5-15W D05 drag tires after his adversary broke out and
Drummond recorded a 9.915 ET on the 9.90 index.
The final tally for Team-Hoosier was nine drivers in
six different class finals resulting in six class wins. Congratulations
to all the competitors trusting the USA-made Hoosier tire brand.
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