Volume IX, Issue 8, Page 50

BOSTON TEA PARTY

Local Racers Score Big at 13th Annual Fun Ford Epping

Story & Photos by Rod Short
8/21/07

Manny Buginga of Brockton, MA was the big $10,000 winner in ProCharger Street Renegade with a 7.614/189.15 pass in his turbocharged small block Mustang.

For years fans of the Fun Ford series have bemoaned how so few Fun Ford Showdown racers make the long, long haul up to the annual stop in Epping, NH. With the success that the local racers had against the Fun Ford regulars this year, it’s easy to see why.

Travis Franklin (near lane) lost the battle when he lost to Buginga at Epping, but won the war by wrapping up his first season championship in ProCharger Street Renegade.

Manny Buginga underscored that fact by winning the big $10,000 prize in ProCharger Street Renegade when he defeated class point’s leader Travis Franklin in a highly anticipated championship round. Buginga was the quickest car in the class all weekend as he qualified first with a stellar 7.587 at 189.28. That pass, which earned him a bye into

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the second round. Some others didn’t have it as easy. Number six qualifier Shawn Gallager upset Ron Cox, Yanni Paparosmas beat Eric Laferreier while Travis Franklin defeated Nick Boudreau. In the semifinals, class point’s leader Franklin uncorked his quickest pass of the season with a 7.639 to 7.735 victory over Paparosmas while Buginga showed little mercy with a 7.610 to 8.259 thrashing of Gallager. With a record purse on the line, the finals turned out to be a battle between local racer Buginga against series regular Franklin, North versus South, turbo against blower. Buginga won the battle as he drove around Franklin’s holeshot to post a 7.614 pass to the bank as Franklin lifted when it was apparent that all hope was lost.

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