MONDAY
MORNING, AUGUST 4,
1969
Wood Turns Quarter
In A Record Time
By LARRY REA
Bobby Wood
worked overtime yesterday afternoon at the Shelby County International
Raceway and the extra duty paid off with a National Hot Rod Association
record.
The Birmingham driver won a two-match Funny Car battle with Eddie Schartman
of Cleveland in a special show on the NHRA's Southeast Division II points
meet at SCIR.
As an extra bit of showmanship, the noted Chevrolet driver climbed behind
his famed Chevy II and hit the wire at :07.58 elapse time, an NHRA record.
While Wood was cracking the NHRA record book, defending Street Eliminator Bo
Laws of Orlando, Fla., swept to an easy victory for his category.
Laws, who picked up $350 for his efforts, turned back Buddy Criscoe of Fern
Creek, Ky., with a final round clocking of :11.66 at 117.03 miles per
hour. Criscoe was clocked at :11.79 at 114.79 mph.
The 33-year-old Laws, a 13-year veteran of drag racing, was the pre-race
favorite in his 427-cubic-inch Chevrolet Corvette.
A crowd of 4,639 watched more than 150 entries compete for points toward a
possible high spot in next month's NHRA World Series at Tulsa, Okla.
Wood's easy win over Schartman, who was filling in for Don Nicholson,
stretched his sub-:07 streak to seven straight over SCIR's 1320 drag
strip. He also won the Funny Car title at the Southern Nationals
earlier this season.
Laws, the 1968 Street Eliminator champion, turned back Nashville's Ronnie
Stewart in a near photo finish in the second round. Laws was clocked
at :11.67, only :00.12 off his existing NHRA record. Stewart, a winner
in the Southern Nationals earlier this season at SCIR, hit the wire at
:11.79.
Wood, driving a 1969 Chevrolet, turned :07.54 on his first at 194.38 mph,
while Schartman had a :08.03 at 176.12 mph. Wood's clocking on only
two-tenths of a second over the SCIR record of :07.52 set earlier this
season by Memphian Larry Coleman.
A fast jump off the line enabled Wood to score a two match victory over
Schartman's 1969 Cougar. Wood was timed at :07.58 at 193.54 mph, while
Schartman had an :07.98 at 181.80 mph.
*
* *
NHRA
Scorecard
FUNNY
CAR: Won by Bobby Wood, Birmingham; 2. Eddie Schartman, Cleveland.
TOP GAS:
Won by the team
of Durel-Rondazzo-Punaky, Kenner, La (:07.93-185.56); 2. Ron Martin,
St. Louis (redlight).
SUPER
STOCK: Won by Bill Tanner, Norcross, Ga. (:10.78-128.93); 2. J.C.
South, Birmingham (:10.97-128.38); 3. Melvin Yow, Lillington, NC.
COMPETITION:
Won by David
Major, Nashville (:10.27-133.13); 2. Sherrill Huff, Lebanon
Junction, Ky. (:11.89-118.73).
STREET: Won
by Bow Laws, Orlando, Fla. (:11.66-117.03); 2. Buddy Criscoe, Fern
Creek, Ky. (:11.79-114.79).
|
|
