Tom Bayer Racing and the Toyo Tires Top Alcohol Dragster Team locked up the 2007 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Northwest Division Top Alcohol Dragster Championship that included five final round finishes in five events contested. Thomas Bayer, driver of the Impatience Racing dragster of Steve and Patty Federlin won the title in his rookie season at the helm of an alcohol dragster. Bayer was elated with the accomplishment. "One of our goals this season was to win the Northwest Division (division 6) championship title," Bayer stated. "With Steve and Patty's past success with alcohol dragsters, we accomplished a great deal in a short span of time, considering our first race was in April of this year". Bayer won divisional races in Mission, BC, Canada, Medford, Oregon, and was the runner-up in Seattle, Woodburn, Oregon, and an out-of-division event at Fontana, California, and has the potential to complete the season as one of the top three drivers in the nation. Along with Steve and Patty Federlin and the diligent crew members of the team, Bayer credits Toyo Tires, Valvoline, Pyroil, Crower Cranks, GRP Rods, System One, Dave Barcelon's Truck Town, B&J Transmission, Crane Cams, Clark Gaskets, and Pacific High Reach for a truly successful season with the Top Alcohol Dragster.
After a very successful racing venture across the United States that included stops in Brainerd, Minn., Rising Sun, Maryland, Reading, Penn., and Indianapolis, Indiana, the Impatience Top Alcohol Dragster racing team of Steve and Patty Federlin will head to Dallas, Texas for the 2007 O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals. Although the team did not win an event on the four race tour of the Midwest and Eastern states, driver Thomas did go to the final round at the Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd with his Lucas Oil/Toyo Tires/K&N Filters Super Comp dragster. He was the number one qualifier and a semifinalist at the Cecil County Dragway Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event in Rising Sun, Maryland with the Toyo Tires Top Alcohol Dragster, where the team also was awarded the "Best Appearing Crew".
Thomas Bayer made his first appearance at the National Hot Rod Association's most prestigious event, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis. The team did not compete with the Top Alcohol Dragster at Indy, but went to the third round in both Super Gas and Super Comp with the Thomas Bayer displays his first Top Alcohol Dragster National Event trophy at Seattle. Lucas Oil/Toyo Tires/K & N Filters Corvette and dragster. "I think we represented our sponsors in a very positive way at Indy", Bayer said, "we had both cars in front of a huge crowd and we were pleased with our performance".
Prior to attending the U.S. Nationals, the Toyo Tires Team competed at Cecil County Dragway in Rising Sun, Maryland. Steve & Patty Federlin had the car run extremely well on the east coast and Thomas nailed down the number one qualifying spot with a 5.439 second, 261.57 mph blast. Thomas beat Troy Buff in the first round of eliminations, but lost to Mike Kosky in the semifinals. Richard Bourke defeated Kosky in the final.
The Toyo Tires Top Alcohol Dragster went into eliminations at the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at Reading, Penn., as the number five qualifier at 5.376, 262.18 mph, but Thomas lost in round one to John Finke, 5.39 to a losing 5.42. The Steve & Patty Federlin "Impatience" Top Alcohol Dragster qualified in the top half of the field at Brainerd with a 5.497 second, 258.52 mph blast with the Toyo Tires dragster, but in the first round the car slowed due to breakage. "We broke an exhaust valve in round one and that resulted in some serious engine damage," Bayer claimed. "We'll have an all new engine in the car for the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals. I can't thank the team enough, Steve and Patty have this car running as well as any blown car on the circuit, and Kyle and Thomas put some really long days in to have this car ready to race".
With near perfect weather at Infineon Raceway, a contrast from the wet weather the team endured at Seattle, allowed the team to complete the rain delayed Seattle Northwest Division event, as Bayer and A/Fuel Dragster driver Brandon Johnson matched up in the final qualifying pass of the weekend with the divisional event title on the line. A great side-by-side match ended shortly before the finish line as breakage ended the Toyo Tires teams chances for the win. "We had a great race going," Bayer claimed. "We hurt a rocker arm on the burnout and it cost us the race." Johnson won that race in 5.476 seconds, 260.66 to Bayer's second best of 5.628, 243.81. The team currently has a divisional record of two wins and three runner-up finishes in five races contested, and leads the Division 6 Top Alcohol Dragster point's chase.
As for the Lucas Oil/Toyo Tires Super Comp dragster, Bayer was extremely pleased with the team's performance during the Lucas Oil sponsored event in Minnesota. "We had a winning car at Brainerd" Bayer stated. "In the semifinal we had a bye run and I cut a perfect reaction time, I put more time in the delay box for the final, but we came up with a .005 red light." Jeff Cheney of Cambridge, Minn., recorded an 8.912, (.003 reaction time) for the Super Comp title. Bayer credits Lucas Oil, Toyo Tires, K & N Filters, and Crower Cams for their support. On an added note, Pacific High Reach Super Comp dragster driver Justin Davis drove one of the Tom Bayer Racing Super Comp dragsters at Brainerd and went to the fourth round before being eliminated.
Bayer qualified tenth (5.395) with the Toyo Tires dragster at the Fram Autolite Nationals at Sonoma, and won a first round match with Mark Niver, 5.436 to a losing 5.497. In the second round, Bayer and Pacific Division point's leader Duane Shields paired up. Bayer had a slight advantage off the starting line. 061 to .103, but the win light came on for Shields wild nitro burning dragster in one of the days closest races, 5.270, 275.56 for Shields to a 5.309, 267.53 for the Toyo Tires car. "I led that race from the starting line to within a couple of feet of the finish line." Bayer said. "When I was approaching the 1000 foot mark I was thinking 'I'm going to the semi', but then I saw the nose of Shields car and he clipped me at the line with a .025 second margin win. We made a great run, it was our best pass ever with the dragster, and probably the second quickest time ever by an alcohol dragster." Shields went on to win the event.
Thomas Bayer is currently in third place in the NHRA national event point's standings, behind Michigan racer Bill Reichert, and Colorado's Jim Whiteley. Since June, the Toyo Tires Racing Team has won the Seattle National event, the Lucas divisional race at Medford, was the runner-up at Woodburn, and logged a runner-up finish in the Seattle divisional race.
Next Event:
O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals at Dallas, Texas, September 20-23, 2007
Top Alcohol Dragster qualifying at noon and 2 pm on Friday, and at 2 pm on Saturday. Round one of eliminations is scheduled for 4:15 pm on Saturday, and resume Sunday afternoon. The Lucas Oil Sportsman coverage will be televised on ESPN 2 on September 30, 2007 at 12:00 PM 1:00:00 PM ET (ESPN2)
Tom Bayer Racing Team Facts:
- WON the 2007 NHRA Northwest (Division 6) Top Alcohol Dragster Championship.
- Team Toyo Tires dragster went to the semifinals at the NHRA Lucas Oil drag Racing Series event at Cecil County Dragway, Rising Sun, Maryland
- Toyo Tires Top Alcohol Dragster earned the "Best Appearing Crew" award at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Cecil County Dragway, Rising Sun, Maryland.
- Currently #3 in the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster national point's standings.
- Runner-up at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Brainerd, Minn. In Super Comp (August 2007)
- Won the Schuck's Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Seattle. (July 2007)
- Runner-up at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Seattle. (July 2007)
- Won the NHRA Lucas Top Alcohol Dragster title at Medford, Ore. (July 2007)
- Runner-up at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Woodburn, Ore. (June 2007)
- Won the NHRA Lucas Top Alcohol Dragster title at Mission, B.C. (May 2007)
- Runner-up at the NHRA Lucas divisional at Fontana, Calif. (May 2007)
- NHRA Lucas Oil Super Gas Champion at Phoenix, Ariz. (March 2007)
- Tom Bayer Racing has won over 40 events over the past five years using Toyo racing tires.
- 2006 NHRA Lucas Oil Pacific Division Super Gas Champion
- 2006 NHRA Lucas Oil Pacific Division Super Comp Champion
- 2006 won Super Gas & Super Comp at Woodburn, Ore., NHRALODRS event
- 2004 NHRA Auto Club Finals Super Comp Champion
- 2004 Lucas Oil Super Comp Association Series Champion.
|
