See the Brand New 1999 Photos of Project:Stocker!

Well, not too bad for a rookie year!  We got the round that we needed at Virginia's FMDRS, but was bumped back out of the Top 10 by an even better performance posted by Rich Hoerth, so the final standings leave us in 11th place in NHRA Division 1 Stock Eliminator.

1999 True Value Keystone Nationals
& the points finale at Beaver Springs Dragway

With our single qualifying run counting for Stock Class Eliminations, the Parkway team collected its first Wally for its 15.55 pass in EF/SA.  Beard fouled in round 2 of the regular eliminations to 2-time Bracket Finals champion Robert Pare.  Beard returned to home track Beaver Springs Dragway for the final day of points toward the IHRA Bracket Finals qualifying, and backed up last week's runner-up in Heavy with a semi-final finish good enough to spring Beard back into the #2 spot in points on the last day.

Semi-Final Finish Rounds Out Parkway's
NHRA Division 1 Schedule at Cecil County

With our new Dynamic converter installed, the Parkway stocker was set for a great weekend.  The began by out-qualifying the other EF/SA entry in the field, posting a quicker 15.45 ET and topping 88 mph.  In the first round of eliminations, Beard defeated Englishtown winner Ron Urquhart to pick up the Bounty Hunter bonus.  Beard faced Greg Schmutz, Ron Thomas, and former world champion Tex Miller before taking a bye in the 1/4's, then fell to a superb run by former Super Stock world champion Peter Biondo in the semi-finals.   Beard now lies just one round out of the Top 10 for NHRA Division 1, so the team will chase points at the Division 2 points race in Virginia.

View MPEG movie from night qualifying.

Englishtown FMDRS Draws 141 Stockers

With the highest draw in Stock Eliminator entries at any event in recent memory, just making the 128 car qualified field bump was going to be a challenge at the 1999 Englishtown Federal Mogul Drag Racing Series Points meet.  After an initial qualifying effort not touching the index, Project:Stocker found nearly two tenths of a second in Friday's night session, holding on to the #113 slot going into Saturday's final run, with just over 120 cars making runs.   More cars made the trip for Saturday's qualifying run, totaling 141 entries.   When the dust cleared, our Friday night efforts paid off, as we qualified #128, making the cut by less than three hundredths of a second.  Beard fell in the first round of eliminations, however, to an excellent run laid down by eventual runner-up Brian VanPoppel.

Parkway Dry Cleaners to back Project:Stocker

Beard Racing and Project:Stocker is proud to announce an association with Tommy Ciccarone of Parkway Dry Cleaners to fly the Parkway colors for the 1999 NHRA Drag Racing season.  The car is currently (2/18/99) being finished up at Bob Barber's Paintworks in Stowe, PA, with the body work and application of the burgundy and white paint scheme, designed in VirtualPaint by driver Michael Beard.   Beard then did the lettering, in association with JD-WEB.  Also bannered on the car are sponsors Jim's Used Cars, Jim's Auto Repair, Shogun Industries, Billy Nees Race Cars, Susquehanna School of Combative Arts & Fitness Center, Aaron Nowell Construction, Gemini Enterprises, and Fast Eddie's Starters & Alternators.  The team plans to hit all six NHRA FMDRS Division 1 points meets, three Nationals Opens (US13, Atco, & Maple Grove), as well as two National Events (E-town and Maple Grove).

Paintworks works miracles

Bob Barber of Paintworks, Stowe, PA has undertaken the project of painting project:stocker, and from all indications, it seems that when everything is done, the car will look as good or better than when it rolled off the showroom floor. Check out the Paintworks Photo Report for the full story and many "in progress" pics.