Drag Racing : Ormsby Defeats Amato to Take Top Fuel Title at Phoenix Track
Veteran Gary Ormsby beat defending NHRA world champion Joe Amato Sunday to capture the Top Fuel championship at the Super Bowl of Drag Racing at Firebird Raceway.
Ormsby, from Auburn, Calif., recorded an elapsed time of 5.16 seconds at a speed of 271.41 m.p.h. to beat Amato, who qualified on the provisional pole during qualifying.
Ed McCulloch, of Hemet thwarted Art Hendey’s upset bid in Funny Car by stopping the San Bernardino driver in the final round.
McCulloch, driving an Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, smoked the tires off the starting line and registered a 15.78-second run. Hendey, however, couldn’t get off the starting line because of a problem with his Pontiac Trans Am’s wheelie bars.
In Top Alcohol Funny Car, Brad Anderson of West Covina recorded a track-record 6.15-second run at 225.56 m.p.h. to defeat defending world champion Pat Austin of Tacoma, Wash.
Blaine Johnson also shattered a track record en route to defeating Bruce McDowell of Bonita for the Top Alcohol Dragster championship.
Johnson ran a 6.15, and McDowell a 6.22.
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