Eliminations

When a promoter opts for the DRO qualified six-car event it sometimes causes confusion as the format of a six-car race brings the quick loser in the first round of eliminations back in order to have a full three-round elimination race. When only five cars make the field the ladder is changed and the number-one qualifier gets a competition bye run in the first round. So Shawn Bowen got a bye into the semifinals.

In the other two first-round races local racer Greg “Jake” Jacobsmeyer - a past St. Louis Funny Car race winner - hooked up against Sanders with Sanders getting to the stripe first despite Jacobsmeyer recording his best lap of the event, a 5.98+ losing effort.

Fred Farndon’s “Nitro Express”  (Don Eckert photo)

Bazz Young advanced to the semifinals easing by Fred Farndon when Farndon shook the tires hard just off the line and had to pedal the throttle.
The second round paired Farndon and Young on one side of the ladder and the one and two qualifiers, Bowen and Sanders, on the other.

The weather and track were at their best for the second round of eliminations which went off about 6:30 p.m. Bowen booted the “Violator” Pontiac to a 5.76/254+ lap driving by Sanders’ best ET of the event a 5.908/244+. Bowen’s ET and speed were good enough for a new national record if he could repeat or better those numbers in the final round.

(Dennis Mothershed photo)

In the other pair Jacobsmeyer, who had burned a piston running the 5.98 pass in the first round, backed down his tune-up to keep from damaging his engine again and still ran a respectable 6.096/237.88 that, combined with a massive holeshot, easily covered the troubled 6.329/226.47 from Young and advanced to the final round against Bowen.

In the final Bowen left first with a .086 RT to Jacobsmeyer’s .112 effort. Bowen’s eighth-mile numbers were an impressive 3.870/201 mph that was nearly two-tenths quicker and 20 mph faster than Jacobsmeyer’s 4.181/180.16 for the same distance and the race was over for all intents and purposes. Jacobsmeyer, knowing he wasn’t going to catch the Champ, eased his car to an early shut-off 6.345/220.84.