Despite Loss, Grand Blanc’s Bowen Posts Top Speed of the Meet at 245 MPH
Despite Friday rain that washed out qualifying, Mike Taylor of Berwyn, IL, emerged as the winner of the Nostalgia Top Fuel dragster portion of the Northern Nationals at US 131 Motorsports Park Saturday on the basis of low elapsed time of the event.
Taylor, a regular in the NHRA’s Hot Rod Heritage Series, stopped the quarter mile timers in 5.889 seconds at a finish line speed of 235.36 miles per hour in defeating third generation driver Julius Hughes III of Gainesville, FL.
Joining Taylor on the winners’ side of the six-driver program were veteran Jim Young of Salem, WI, and Flushing’s Larry Gotha. Young used a .042 of a second reaction time to beat former IHRA Funny Car pro Shawn Bowen of Grand Blanc despite the latter’s quicker elapsed time and best of the event speed of 245.77 mph.
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Results from the Northern Nationals at US 131 Motorsports Park including reaction time, track time and finish line speed. Hometowns are Michigan unless otherwise indicated:
NOSTALGIA TOP FUEL – Jim Young, Salem, WI, .042, 5.977, 178,43 mph, def. Shawn Bowen, Grand Blanc, .097, 5.937, 245.77 mph; Mike Taylor, Berwyn, IL, .110, 5.889, 235.36 mph, def. Julius Hughes III, Gainesville, GA, .396, 6.489, 194.72 mph; Larry Gocha, Flushing, .112, 6.103, 222.55 mph, def. D. Block, NA, .101, 10.610, 78.67 mph.
