Drag Racing Online - Race Results

GOTELLI, BACH, PARKS WIN FUEL CATEGORIES AT HOT ROD NATIONALS

by John Drummond

- Geoff Stunkard Photos

Indianapolis, IN - Larry Gotelli of South San Francisco, Cal. won one of the closest drag races ever contested at Indianapolis Raceway Park in the finals of Nostalgia Top Fuel at the 12th Goodguys NHRA Hot Rod Nationals on Sunday.

Gotelli took an advantage at the starting line of .011 second, then covered the quarter-mile in 6.015 seconds at a top end speed of 240.64 miles per hour to take the win. His opponent, Jack Harris of Kaysville, Utah, was just .001 second slower on the elapsed time, and was moving faster at the finish at 244.23-mph. Both drivers traveled the historic IRP quarter-mile faster than any front-engined dragster had ever done before and sealed the official fastest side by side front engined dragster race in Goodguys history.

"I never saw Jack," said an elated Gotelli in the winner's circle. "It (the finish line) couldn't have come quick enough. The front seal (of the supercharger) pushed out in the lights and we nipped a bunch of pistons. We got lucky there'"

This marked the second consecutive year in which Gotelli reached the Hot Rod Nationals top fuel final. Last year the final was rained out and had to be rerun at Sears Point in October. In the rerun, Gotelli was narrowly defeated by cross town rival Sammy Hale driving the Champion Speed Shop special of Bob McLennan. The win over Harris extended Gotelli's streak to 3 to 0 over the Utah- based "Nitro Thunder" entry in side-by-side competition. Harris was humble in defeat. "We lost to a great car today," he said. "We'll get 'em in Pomona" (referring to the the Goodguys West Coast Hot Rod Happenin' July 29 & 30th at Pomona Raceway). All was not lost in defeat for Harris as he established a new Goodguys/VRA ET record at 6.016 as well as setting the speed mark at 244.23. Jim Murphy had previously held both ends of the record at 6.04 @ 243.96.

In Nostalgia Top Fuel B (The bottom eight of the overall 16-car qualified nostalgia Top Fuel field), Fred Bach of Belleville, Ill., driving the Larry Gould-tuned Bach & Gould 427 SOHC Ford "Cammer" dragster, took the honors with a 6.588 e.t. at 216.65-mph, defeating Randy Laurn of Watertown, S.D., who had a 7.314 at 188.79.

The Junior Fuel category for injected-only cars (no superchargers) went to 16-year-old Scott Parks of Burlingame, Kan., whose elapsed time was 7.447 at 177.04. Charlie Smith of Sapulpa, Okla., the fast qualifier for the class, had an e.t. of 7.563 and a speed of 177.02, but the issue was decided at the starting line when Smith left too soon by .01 second, turning on the red disqualification light. Parks, was competing at his first-ever Goodguys event with a brand new dragster he just built himself. The young Parks was phenomenal all weekend, not running slower than 7.55 on race day. He plans on contesting all remaining Goodguys 2000 West Coast Championship series events from his Burlingame, Kansas home base.

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