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
Final Round Results
Goodguys 9th Blue Suede Cruise, Summit Motorsports Park
Norwalk, OH
Top Fuel:
Winner: Troy Green, Purcell, OK 5.823 @ 254.76
Runner Up: Roger Lechtenberg, Cedar Falls, IA 5.800 @ 258.47
Funny Car:
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
Pro Comp II:
Winner: Brandon Anderson, Woodhaven, MI 7.585 @ 175.05
Runner Up: Pat Malloy, Buchanan, VA 7.525 @ 173.52
B/GAS:
Winner: Bob Sarkisian, Pinckney, MI ’48 Anglia 8.521 @ 154.86
Runner Up: Rob Davis, Lawrenceberg, IN ’67 Nova 8.497 @ 158.95 (*foul)
Nostalgia Comp:
Winner: Al Goodman, Novelty, OH ’23 T 8.319 @ 156.50
Runner Up: Don Nave, S. Whitley, IN 8.456 @ 155.54
Nostalgia Gas:
Winner: Ben Browder, Fairborn, OH ’55 T Bird 9.527 @ 132.36
Runner Up: Sue Campbell, Ramtoul, IL ’41 Willys 9.080 @ 148.80
Hot Rod Eliminator:
Winner: Larry Strosher, Curtice, OH ’64 Chevy II 11.330 @ 108.39
Runner Up: Barb Hillyer, Plainfield, IN ’64 Falcon 11.709 @ 112.21
Nostalgia Pro Stock:
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:
Top Fuel Rd 1:
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
Semi Finals:
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
Finals:
Troy Green 5.823 @ 254.76 def. Roger Lechtenberg 5.800 @ 258.47
Funny Car Rd 1:
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
Finals:
Shawn Bowen, ’77 Firebird 6.034 @ 230.65mph def. Steve Nichols, ’70 Camaro 6.439 @ 176.44mph
