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ZIZZO Jr. TAKES UDRA SUPERCHARGED DRAGSTER TITLE
T.J. Zizzo of Round Lake, Ill., sewed up the 2000 UDRA points championship
for Supercharged Dragster. When Zizzo beat second-place points man (at
the time) Ryan Cantrell and the Bad Frog Beer car in the semi's, he
locked the honors down.
THE WILD, WILD MIDWEST
Now that Bob Metzler's Memorial Day weekend Union Grove "Olympics" are
history, Cordova may be the only independent race where almost any kind
of race car, chaotic or charismatic, can be seen. Below are just a few
examples.
Jeff Merritt - The Merrillville, Indiana driver ran a blown and injected
Pontiac Trans Am in the Unlimited Pro Stock class, running treaded street
slicks, mufflers, and rear stabilizer wing. He was winless, but did
run a 7.50/180.12.
Bob Leverich - This 40-plus veteran of the sport had one of the more
unusual set-ups in the Alcohol ranks. He was running a small-block Buick
with Barnes cylinder heads with the blower up off a spider-legged manifold.
The car bears a close resemblance to the Alcohol Dragster run by past
NHRA national-event winner Dale Hall ran in the 1970s and 1980s. Leverich
logged a best time of 6.68/210.50.
Tom Harger - The Des Moines, Iowa driver had one of the most impressive
(for lack of a better term) non-booked-in cars at the World Series.
He wheeled a '67 Camaro sporting a 309-cid Chevy small block with nitrous
oxide. What was really special was the thing ran as quick as an 8.93/149.76
with Harger clutching and shifting a manual four-speed. Harger raced
in the No Box (non-electronics) bracket at Cordova.
Dom Paris - What was really unique about the Rico & Dom Paris twin,
rear-engine Top Fueler was that this was not a replica car. The pipe
is really the 240-inch 1971 chassis built by Gary Wood's Stiletto company
and most of the engine parts (twin 392s) are original in the old chizlers.
The car does have a new roll cage, there's an updated Dana rear-end
and a few other concessions to contemporary times, but overall this
is the car featured in Drag Racing magazine in 1971. It has a best of
7.20/210 and ran a best of 7.34/206 at Cordova. As a sidenote, Rick
Neilson of the fabled Cheap Trick band is a backer of the car.
Lou Novotny - The Parma, Ohio driver started drag racing in 1958 and
has run well over half the World Series events, mostly in Top Gas, Top
Fuel, and now Supercharged dragster. Novotny's dragster is rather different
in the engine department, flashing a 440-cid wedge Plymouth for power.
Steve Olson - Over 30 years ago, the Olson Bros. of Burlington, Iowa
held the AHRA B/A record with a SOHC Ford-powered '32 Ford complete
with ancient, thick spoke M&H front tires. That car, less cammer, but
with Ford wedge, was racing in the No Box bracket. The car was consistently
in the 9.0s during the World Series.
"ANIMAL" ROARS ... in pain
Longtime UDRA Pro Stock campaigner "Animal Jim" Feurer showed for the
Unlimited Pro Stock competition at Cordova, taking runner-up honors
on Friday night with his gorgeous 1999 Ford Thunderbird.. Feurer ran
as quick and fast as a 6.95/201.04 (although considering how fast the
UDRA Pro STocks are, that might night seem like much). However, as he
attempted to grip the steering wheel one couldn't help but notice his
hands looked like something from "The Mummy's Curse." They were heavily
bandaged and gauzed for burns suffered in a shop fire earlier in the
week.
UNLIMITED PRO STOCK and how!
This year's World Series marked the first time that UDRA ran blown cars
with the nitrous, unlimited cube Pro Stockers. Jeff Merritt's blown
Firebird, Randy Adler's blown '63 Corvette, and Dan Provenzano's blown
"Purple Throbber" '66 Corvette took three of the eight spots in the
eight-car Unlimited Pro Stock field.
THACKER GETS WHACKED
Former UDRA Supercharged dragster champion Marty Thacker ran the quickest
association e.t. with a 5.72 two weeks before the World Series. In round
one on Friday night, he looked like he was on a similar run when he
took a 5.87/203.98 win over Lou Novotny. Unfortunately, a fuel line
came off, burning six bearings, wiping the push rods and scorching the
crank.
 Bret
Kepner interviewing NHRA Top Fuel World champ Tony Schumacher before
his match with Shirley Muldowney. That's Great Lakes Dragaway Hall of
Famer, "Broadway Bob" Metzler, in shades and signature t-shirt.
THE DRO TIP OF THE HAT GOES TO ...
Race announcer Bret Kepner. We've been friends for almost 20 years and
like everyone else, I marvel at his knowledge of the sport. I noticed
that on the IHRA and now ESPN broadcasts he was a way above average
announcer, but I had never heard him work a race live. I did at Cordova,
and can say without fear of contradiction, that he's the very best in
the drag racing business and one of the best of all-time. Thorough knowledge,
a genuine enthusiasm for the sport, and an on-the-edge-of-your-seat
style, it's strictly a race for second place when Kepner's in the house.
In fact, a number of the above notes came from the omniscient Mr. Kepner's
mike work. And a piece of work he is.
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