6/21/14
MARK COLLECTS FIRST OF TWO 2K S/P CHECKS
ZETTERBERG AND RAHNER SCORE IN PRO AND STREET
STEPHENS, AGAIN, IN BIKE
A big weekend opened with great weather and lots of racers looking to pull in some bucks, especially in the Super Pro bracket. The first of a pair of two thousand to win S/P events over the two day period was enticing, especially with the purse being guaranteed by the folks at R&R Truck Maintenance. With that amount of money to be had everyone sharpened their spears and took a shot at the big payday. Ultimately, Frank Mark Jr and his dragster prevailed in the final round against Dave Catherman’s Camaro, a surprising matchup to most observers.
Mark Orlowski opened the quarterfinal round by pushing out Donny Algieri in a tight match, 6.67, 117 to a slightly too quick 6.07 and 166.13. Mark dispatched Ralph DeBruin, whose RED is sponsored by R&R, on a better RT and 6.51 when DeBruin’s mount was broken and coasted. Bob Bennett got the better of Don Knoblick when the dragster cranked out a 6.47 at 150 that reeled in the Vega’s 8.29, 128. Dave Catherman had a single into the semis. Mark took care of Orlowski’s Vega in the SF round when the dragster ran a right on 6.33, 158 to an also on the dial 8.67, 117 with identical reaction times. Catherman then moved into the final by downing Bennett, 8.45, 122 to a 6.48 at 144. The deciding race started with another set of identical RTs and looked to be a super shootout. By the time the thousand foot stripe came up, Mark had secured the treasure with a time of 6.32 and 159.78 that forced Catherman to break out at an 8.41, 122.66.
Rob Zetterberg and Joe Dukin became the first pair of finalists from Great Meadows to face each other in recorded memory. Dukin dusted points leader Greg Myers to get out of the quarters while Zetterberg was besting Mark Santee and his Mercury Comet. Scott Embley rounded out the winners on a bye run. Dukin soloed into the final and put his S-10 mount in the show while Zetterberg and the Monte Carlo went off against the Chevelle of Embley. With a quicker light and a 9.61, 134 ticket the local guy bumped Embley’s run under 9.59, 137. Zetterberg was on the bulb in the title race, cutting a .007 and marching to the top end win with a card of 9.6 seconds and a speed of 134.14. Dukin copped a runner-up finish at 9.41, 141.46.
The Street deal fell to Jeff Rahner and his slow but consistent 66 Chevy wagon. H was a single in the QF then gunned down the always tough Frank Armando in the semis, 16.23 and 83.63 to the loser’s 11.55, 115.71. Doug Kelly drove his Camaro to a win over Bill Doczi and then points leader Bill Hakucsa who fouled out in the semifinal round. Getting four seconds on the tree, Rahner put a hole shot on Kelly and never looked back as the wagon took the win at 16.26 and 77.25 to a 12.30 and 109.81 for the Hugger.
Barry Stephens has finally got his competition license renewed, and while he entered the weekend leading the Bike points, he opened that spread even more. Stephens was victorious over Steve Giordano, Don Hookway and Ken George to get into the trophy run. Dave Ferguson had defeated Dave Thoman and Vinny Cianci before receiving a single in the semis. Ferguson gave the race up on the start with a redlight to lose at 9.89, 130.02 and gave Stephens another win at 9.58, 133.58.
Patty MacDonald won her first Trophy cup in her pretty 77 Gremlin over Joe Lao. MacDonald needed only a 17.63 at 71.22 to garner her first title as Lao went 13.50, 103.00 on a late start.
Mike Canova and his 56 Chevy won Consolation One over Mike Nagle, 7.89 and 128 to a 9.52, 106 effort. Scott McGrath became the first motorcycle rider to win in Consolation Two, defeating Bob Dukin’s Malibu, 9.75 and 131 against a 9.48, 137.34.
Making for a full show, the East Coast Impala circuit was on hand to run a double race of their own. Stew Droad took the first of the pairof races in his 95 model Impala over Bob Lynch. The Newton Ct racer recorded a 13.46, 101.86 to the Glen Ridge NJ entrant’s 15.02, 75.54 on a red light start. In the second race it was Michelle Mallory from Ringoes hauling in the trophy when she took the measure of Bill Deblasio out of Huntington Station NY. Mallory caught the green just right and hurried to victory at 12.93 at 104.48. Deblasio came up short to runner-up with times of 12.63 and a speed of 107.46.