Troy Ray (near lane) was thwarted in his semifinal match up with Shawn Bowen.

The final-round match. (Alan Miller photo)

In the other semifinal it was Bowen and Ray in a David-versus-Goliath scene, but in this story Goliath won. Bowen ended Ray’s night with a 5.346/85.84 to Ray’s 6.104/85.54. The race was actually much more exiting than the numbers indicate as Bowen was all over the race track and actually got sideways and rolled up on two wheels to nearly vertical and likely would have barrel rolled the car had the Zoomie headers not prevented it. Ray said after the race, "I saw him up on two wheels and I think had I got back into the throttle I could have beat him but I just didn’t know what he was going to do and I didn’t want to crash my car or his so I just coasted.”

That win by Bowen set up a final round between the number one and two qualifiers.

As it turned out the Bowens finally found a way to take some power out of their car, saying later that they even considered leaving it in high gear. Young, in his first-ever final, got the same car tuner Jerry Newman had given him for every lap that night. Bowen left first with a .1307 to Young’s .1763 and never gave up the lead, running a 4.3333/184.98 to Young’s 4.4760/167.11. That speed gave him Top Speed of the meet to go along with Low ET.


After the race in the winner’s circle a jubilant Bowen team celebrated and Mike Bowen said, “This is why we come we come. To race and win, nothing else.”

Will they make it three in a row? Next race for the series is a joint event with the IHRA at Cordova Dragway Park on July 18-19.

Hedman Husler Hedders Championship Points after two events;

1. Shawn Bowen, MI - 220
2. Bazz Young, WI - 188
3. Fred Farndon, OK - 154
4. Greg Jacobsmeyer, MO - 95
5. Mark Sanders, WA - 89
6. Paul Romine, IN - 88
7. Troy Ray, KY - 87