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Bandle holding his own Mail Tribune/Drew Fleming By Don Hunt WHITE CITY � Lloyd Bandle is one of the older competitors at the Federal Mogul Northwest Drag Racing Series being held at the Southern Oregon Dragway this weekend. And the trucking company owner from Jacksonville is the only participant in the 350-car field who has undergone triple bypass surgery after suffering a heart attack 2� years ago. But with his health problems behind him and looking fit as a fiddle at age 52, Bandle is holding his own in the funny car division. He was one of six drivers who broke the Federal Mogul funny car track record for elapsed time and miles per hour during qualifying runs Saturday. Final eliminations in eight racing categories will be held today beginning at 9 a.m. Springfield�s John Hyland registered the top funny car marks Saturday with an elapsed time of 5.809 seconds at 245.03 mph, shattering the old records of 5.95 seconds and 239 mph by Eugene�s Brian Hough a year ago. Track records also fell like dominoes in the dragster class as five drivers topped the old mark. Mark Hentges of Federal Way, Wash., emerged as the No. 1 qualifier with an ET of 5.513 and a top speed of 255.76 mph. It was shortly after dinner one night in 1998 when Bandle broke into a cold sweat and began experiencing back pain. He thought he had acquired a bad case of food poisoning, but when the discomfort persisted his wife insisted he go to the hospital. Tests confirmed he had suffered a moderate heart attack, but it wasn�t until several months later that he had the triple bypass. "I made the decision (to have the surgery) after I went up to Seattle for a race," says Bandle, who owns L & S Trucking. "The first time I got into my car the adrenaline starting flowing and I could hardly breathe. I had to have another guy drive the car." Bandle gave up smoking, began walking on a treadmill and improved his eating habits. The lifestyle changes have put him in excellent health, he says, noting that he had to pass a physical to climb back into his funny car. "I love to work and I love to race, and I wasn�t ready to give up either one," says Bandle, who drives a 1996 Firebird that packs 3,000 horsepower. "So I had to make some changes." Bandle qualified in sixth place Saturday with an ET of 5.94 seconds and a top speed of 244.17 mph. He�ll be matched against Gladstone�s Dan McGlone in a quarterfinal clash this morning when final eliminations get under way. Bandle began racing in his hometown of Torrance, Calif., when he was 14 and continued racing into the 1970s, when work and family put his hobby on hold. He came out of retirement six years ago. "I like the teamwork that�s involved in this sport, I like the challenge and I like the rush you get when you do down the track," Bandle says. Hyland, meanwhile, ran strong throughout qualifying and will be the man to beat during today�s funny car eliminations. He broke the track record during both of his qualifying runs Saturday. "This track is in excellent shape," said Hyland, who ranks third in points in the Northwest Division and is 13th nationally. "And the cool air helped to set all of these records." Cooler air creates more oxygen, enabling the engines to take in more fuel and make more horsepower, he explained. Hentges shattered the dragster record Saturday morning and was hoping to go even faster later in the day. But a broken blower belt foiled his second qualifying run. "I felt like I was on my way to a 5.4 (ET)," said Hentges, who is closing in on the Northwest Division championship and stands fifth nationally. "But it wasn�t a big deal. We�ll just come back (today) and try to run consistent." Along with the funny car and dragster classes, drivers are competing in competition, super stock, stock, super comp, super gas and super street classes. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA