Bonin Blisters Track In Return To Racing -- Driver Makes Top-Fuel Pass In 4.99 Seconds

KENT - To no one's surprise, veterans Joe Amato, Jim White and Darrell Alderman took qualifying leads, but it was Canadian-born Gordy Bonin of Federal Way who provided the biggest surprise of the Northwest Nationals yesterday.

Bonin, 42, making his first quarter-mile pass in almost two years in a top-fuel car he was invited to drive only late last week, raised some eyebrows with a blistering run of 4.990 seconds during the fastest day of drag racing ever at Seattle International Raceway.

"That's a good place to start," said Bonin after bettering his personal best of :05.10 in the car defending Northwest Nationals champion Gary Ormsby was forced to give up as a consequence of his battle with cancer. Ormsby, of Roseville, Calif., won the Northwest Nationals last year.

With his :04.990, Bonin is in fourth place on the top-fuel ladder going into today's double-round of qualifying leading up to tomorrow's final eliminations. Bonin trails Amato, Frank Hawley and Kenny Bernstein.

Amato, the top-fuel points leader from Old Forge, Pa., who has won three of the 11 National Hot Rod Association Winston Series events this year, ripped off an :04.966 that bettered Hawley's year-old track record of :04.982. Hawley, of Gainesville, Fla., had an :04.981 yesterday and Bernstein, of Dallas, was in at :04.987.

Amato's time was the fastest of five sub-five-second runs - two more than the total of three sub-fives of last year. Until last year, no one ever had posted a sub-five quarter mile at SIR.

White, of Tulsa, Okla., took the funny car qualifying lead with a run of :05.304 in a Dodge Daytona-bodied flopper. Alderman, of Lexington, Ky., showed why he is leading the pro stock point standings by taking the qualifying lead with track-record marks of :07.272 and 189.59 mph in his Daytona.

While fans and foes of Bonin might have been surprised by his performance, crew chief Lee Beard was less than shocked.

"There was no doubt in my mind that Gordy would be able to drive this car," Beard said. "It's just a matter of Gordy getting used to it and getting some confidence."

The Castrol-sponsored car, built by Al Swindahl of Tacoma, hadn't been raced since early May, when Ormsby became ill. Clearly, Bonin and Beard would love to win on Ormsby's behalf.

"I want Lee to take that trophy to Gary," Bonin said.

Beard added: "The real story is Gary Ormsby. None of us would have had the opportunity if not for him."

Among those watching yesterday were Bonin's parents, Joe, 75, and Marie, 72, who drove 700 miles from their home in Red Deer, Alberta, to see their son drive.

Amato's best run yesterday was achieved as a solo after his scheduled side-by-side opponent, Lori Johns, bailed out of her car at the starting line due to a fuel leak.

Alderman bettered the pro-stock track record with a car featuring a four-speed transmission at a time when five-speed boxes are taking over.

NHRA NORTHWEST NATIONALS QUALIFYING At Kent (Qualifying leaders for tomorrow's $730,100 drag racing event at Seattle International Raceway) TOP FUEL - 1, Joe Amato, Old Forge, Pa., 4.966 seconds (track record), 278.20 mph. 2, Frank Hawley, Gainesville, Fla., 4.981, 283.37. 3, Kenny Bernstein, Dallas, 4.987, 286.80 mph. 4, Gordie Bonin, Federal Way, 4.990, 284.81. 5, Eddie Hill, Wichita Falls, Texas, 4.991, 284.18. 6, Don Prudhomme, Granada Hills, Calif., 5.047, 272.47. 7, Jim Head, Columbus, Ohio, 5.101, 272.23. 8, Tom McEwen, Fountain Valley, Calif., 5.102, 276.58. 9, Dick LaHaie, Lansing, Mich., 5.107, 275.73. 10, Gene Snow, Ft. Worth, Texas, 5.120, 253.66. 11, Cruz Pedregon, San Jacinto, Calif., 5.137, 250.20. 12, Scott Kalitta, Ypsilanti, Mich., 5.149, 276.83. 13, Tim Morgan, Walnut Creek, Calif., 5.150, 266.03. 14, Cory McClenathan, Anaheim, Calif., 5.178, 260.79. 15, Doug Herbert, Lincolnton, N.C., 5.204, 251.60. 16, Lori Johns, Corpus Christi, Texas, 5.211, 270.67. FUNNY CAR - 1, Jim White, Tulsa, Okla., Dodge Daytona, 5.304, 277.60. 2, Del Worsham, Orange, Calif., Oldsmobile Cutlass, 5.391, 267.69. 3, Ed McCulloch, Hemet, Calif., Oldsmobile Cutlass, 5.396, 268.97. 4, John Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Oldsmobile Cutlass, 5.436, 255.82. 5, Al Hofmann, Umatilla, Fla., Ford Probe, 5.452, 272.72. 6, Whit Bazemore, Atlanta, Ford Probe, 5.461, 268.09. 7, Richard Hartman, Cornona, Calif., Oldsmobile Cutlass, 5.467, 251.04. 8, Jim Murphy, Santa Rosa, Calif., Dodge Daytona, 5.485, 259.81. 9, Mike Dunn, Mt. Joy, Pa., Dodge Daytona, 5.499, 261.24. 10, Jim Epler, Vancouver, Dodge Daytona, 5.508, 267.14. 11, Jerry Caminito, Jackson, N.J., Oldsmobile Cutlass, 5.516, 267.85. 12, Wyatt Radke, Justice, Ill., Chevrolet Beretta, 5.536, 258.02. 13, Gary Densham, Bellflower, Calif., Oldsmobile Cutlass, 5.569, 245.70. 14, Paula Martin, Phoenix, Dodge Daytona, 5.628, 254.23. 15, Mark Oswald, Cincinnati, Pontiac Trans Am, 5.755, 207.80. 16, Mark Sievers, Riverside, Calif. Oldsmobile Cutlass, 5.793, 235.10. PRO STOCK - 1, Darrell Alderman, Lexington, Ky., Dodge Daytona, 7.272 (track record), 189.59 (track record). 2, Larry Morgan, Newark, Ohio, Oldsmobile Cutlass, 7.279, 189.47. 3, Scott Geoffrion, Huntington Beach, Calif., Oldsmobile Cutlass, 7.305, 188.36. 4, Rickie Smith, King, N.C., Pontiac Trans Am, 7.318, 189.07. 5, Frank Iaconio, Flanders, N.J., Oldsmobile Cutlass, 7.318, 188.20. 6, Bruce Allen, Arlington, Texas, Chevrolet Beretta, 7.319, 189.47. 7, Vincent Kouhry, Mt. Clemens, Mich., Oldsmobile Cutlass, 7.335, 186.91. 8, Mark Pawuk, Medina, Ohio, Oldsmobile Cutlass, 7.340, 186.45. 9, Jim Yates, Fairfax Station, Va., Pontiac Trans Am, 7.341, 187.22. 10, Bob Glidden, Whiteland, Ind., Ford Probe 7.349, 189.23. 11, Butch Leal, Columbus, Ohio, Chevrolet Beretta, 7.349, 187.46. 12, Jerry Haas, St. Louis, Oldsmobile Cutlass, 7.353, 188.00. 13, Daryl Thompson, Mandeville, La., Oldsmobile Cutlass, 7.368, 187.26. 14, Gordie Rivera, Yuma, Ariz., Chevrolet Beretta, 7.375, 187.03. 15, Jerry Eckman, Newark, Ohio, Pontiac Trans Am, 7.378, 187.34. 16, Ken Delco, Centereach, N.Y., Pontiac Trans Am, 7.378, 186.41.