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NHRA O'Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals
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The
latest results from the sixth stop on the 2004 NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series
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By Bobby Bennett Photos by Roger Richards |
MONDAY - FORCE CLAIMS FIRST BRISTOL WIN; SCHUMACHER AND ANDERSON ALSO TAKE WIN LIGHTS AT BRISTOL DRAGWAY
(5-3-2004) - Bristol Dragway was the only track
on the NHRA schedule where John Force has not posted a win in his
career. That ended Monday as Force earned his 110th career victory
and completed a sweep of NHRA national events during the fourth
annual O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.
"Rusty Wallace told me I was a weak dog the other day, and
that I needed to just go out there and win, just get it done,"
Force said. "He did it a few weeks ago in Martinsville [Va.]
and now I finally got my 110th, so I guess we both still have some
left in the tank."
"Being 4-0 (in final rounds this year) sounds great until
you stand next to Greg Anderson and see that he's 5-0," Schumacher
said. "Man, that's incredible but we're not doing too bad either.
I'm so proud of this entire Army team. We have to thank the diehard
fans who stayed with us through the rain. I think we have every
fan who was able to come back here today partying right here with
us in the winner's circle and they deserve our thanks."
Anderson has a 198-point lead over Kurt Johnson. Line beat Johnson
in the semifinal round. MONDAY - An interesting first round, 4.63s-a-plenty and more rain headed this way
(5-3-2004) - Serious Pedaling and some fortunate wins – The first round match between David Baca and Scott Weis had an eerie resemblance to racing in the old days at Thunder Valley Dragway. Weiss was first out of the gate, but struck the tires first. Baca made up the difference and then went up in smoke so heavy that the car turned sideways momentarily Weis was on and off of the throttle and rode close to the centerline and won with a 6.527, 208.83. Just one round earlier, Clay Millican provided an old-time spark show as he mortally wounded an engine. The good thing for Millican is that he needed only a 5.965, 132.66. Demoralizing – In two consecutive rounds of competition, Tony Schumacher reset both ends of the Bristol Dragway track records. In the semi-finals, Schumacher used a 4.477, 331.36 to continue the U.S. Army’s march through the field. His semi-final lap, although the slowest, at a 4.503, 330.88 would have also claimed the track record before the day began. No diving here – In a pedal-to-the-metal match, Whit Bazemore outreacted teammate Gary Scelzi by a .079 to .080 margin, and scored the victory by a 4.773, 315.56 to 4.821, 315.56 margin. Last year in Seattle, a barn-storm of controversy erupted when a quicker Scelzi was put in the bad lane in the match opposite of the Bazemore, who was ranked higher in the points standings. Bazemore’s interview consisted of the following comment, “No diving here.” Ironically, the next pair featured teammates John Force and Gary Densham. Force won. One to ponder - “How would you like to run a 9.254 and win on a holeshot?” – Announcer Bob Frey commented on the extreme pedal-fest between Phil Burkhart and Cruz Pedregon in the second round. Holeshots are us and 4.63s-a-plenty – Could everyone have had the same tune-up and been dialed into the same reaction performance for the first round? It all started in the first pairing when Doug Herbert used a holeshot and better performance to stop a blower-belt shredding Larry Dixon. Herbert pulled away at the finish line after Dixon made up a slight holeshot and won by a 4.637, 313.22 to 4.639, 318.99. Not to be outdone, the next pair featured a holeshot victory as Scott Weis outreacted and beat Darrell Russell by a 4.636 to 4.633 margin. Four pairs later, David Grubnic also had a 4.636.
It’s a cool one – In the first round of eliminations, the track had a temperature of 59 degrees. Maybe he knew something – When the majority of quick runs were logged in the right lane, Tony Schumacher and crewchief Alan Johnson decided to buck the system and go with the left. Schumacher left no doubt that he was the man to beat with 4.482, 331.48 that essentially left Rhonda Hartman-Smith’s 4.58 looking like it was parked. Difference of Opinion – When David Baca took longer than usual to stage (was not counted out) and then stopped Doug Kalitta with a 4.528, 324.83, evidently some words were exchanged between crews. Although what was said couldn’t be deciphered ad a shove transpired here and there, cooler heads prevailed and they went their separate ways. The interesting thing is that Baca is on the same side of the ladder with Grubnic, one of the Kalitta entries. They could potentially meet in the semis.
You again? – Eric Medlen and Tony Pedregon just can’t seem to get away from each other, both in the press and on the track. In their first meeting, Pedregon was victorious. This time Medlen evened the score with a 4.806, 315.49. National event winner’s club – In two of the first round matches, all four of the national event winners met up. In the first pair, Jerry Toliver met up with Del Worsham and Tim Wilkerson mixed it up with Phil Burkart, Jr. Beating the rain – By starting at 10 AM,
NHRA officials are hoping to get in as many runs as possible before
rain is expected to begin falling again at 1 PM. NHRA officials
narrowed the between rounds time to 65 minutes.
Sportsman Finals
Final round-by-round results from the Fourth annual O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals presented by Quaker State at Bristol Dragway, the sixth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series -
ROUND ONE -- Doug Herbert, 4.637, 313.22 def. Larry Dixon, 4.639, 318.99; Scott Weis, 4.636, 316.52 def. Darrell Russell, 4.633, 309.27; Clay Millican, 4.567, 315.05 def. Scott Kalitta, 4.665, 316.01; Cory McClenathan, 4.604, 315.78 def. Brady Kalivoda, 4.794, 282.13; Brandon Bernstein, 4.524, 325.92 def. Bruce Litton, 5.366, 188.89; David Grubnic, 4.636, 317.34 def. Scott Palmer, 4.871, 278.75; David Baca, 4.528, 324.83 def. Doug Kalitta, 4.568, 326.40; Tony Schumacher, 4.482, 331.04 def. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 4.582, 325.92; QUARTERFINALS -- Millican, 5.965, 132.66 def. Grubnic, foul; Weis, 6.527, 288.83 def. Baca, 10.863, 88.92; Bernstein, 4.561, 325.06 def. McClenathan, 27.280, 68.45; Schumacher, 4.477, 331.36 def. Herbert, 4.780, 230.41; SEMIFINALS -- Millican, 4.596, 309.84 def. Weis, 4.609, 316.60; Schumacher, 4.503, 330.88 def. Bernstein, foul; FINAL -- Schumacher, 5.802, 283.73 def. Millican, 10.446, 73.75.
ROUND ONE -- Eric Medlen, Ford Mustang, 4.806, 315.49 def. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Camaro, 11.927, 77.22; Del Worsham, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.830, 313.51 def. Jerry Toliver, Toyota Celica, 4.865, 317.87; John Force, Mustang, 4.813, 319.75 def. Tony Bartone, Pontiac Firebird, 5.589, 176.70; Whit Bazemore, Dodge Stratus, 4.870, 293.15 def. Bob Gilbertson, Firebird, 10.348, 94.85; Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.848, 319.52 def. Jeff Arend, Chevy Corvette, 11.444, 71.52; Gary Densham, Mustang, 4.827, 319.07 def. Ron Capps, Monte Carlo, 11.391, 76.11; Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 14.898, 85.78 def. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, foul; Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 4.879, 299.60 def. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.799, 323.97; QUARTERFINALS -- Bazemore, 4.773, 315.56 def. Scelzi, 4.821, 323.97; Medlen, 4.789, 319.98 def. Worsham, 4.805, 316.67; Force, 4.786, 325.37 def. Densham, 14.872, 90.71; Burkart, 9.254, 136.10 def. C. Pedregon, 9.239, 178.61; SEMIFINALS -- Force, 4.781, 324.44 def. Burkart, foul; Bazemore, 6.631, 212.76 def. Medlen, 7.026, 292.27; FINAL -- Force, 4.781, 322.88 def. Bazemore, 13.224, 93.50.
ROUND ONE -- Darrell Alderman, Dodge Stratus, 6.795, 201.19 def. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.853, 200.68; Jeg Coughlin, Chevy Cavalier, 6.881, 199.94 def. Warren Johnson, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.866, 200.44; Dave Connolly, Cavalier, 6.824, 201.88 def. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.837, 201.46; Kurt Johnson, Cavalier, 6.794, 201.82 def. Mark Pawuk, Grand Am, 14.798, 55.74; Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.789, 202.00 def. Troy Coughlin, Cavalier, 8.188, 121.50; Jim Yates, Grand Am, 6.825, 200.65 def. Ron Krisher, Cavalier, 6.816, 201.16; Greg Anderson, Grand Am, 6.771, 202.30 def. Kenny Koretsky, Stratus, 6.829, 201.94; Bruce Allen, Grand Am, 6.799, 200.41 def. Steve Johns, Cavalier, 7.784, 127.01; QUARTERFINALS -- Allen, 6.815, 200.11 def. Connolly, 10.871, 78.69; K. Johnson, 6.801, 201.70 def. Yates, 6.847, 200.29; Line, 6.790, 202.39 def. J. Coughlin, 21.153, 51.14; Anderson, 6.745, 203.25 def. Alderman, 9.355, 90.47; SEMIFINALS -- Line, 6.773, 202.30 def. K. Johnson, 6.822, 202.24; Anderson, 6.750, 202.97 def. Allen, 6.858, 200.65; FINAL -- Anderson, 6.754, 203.12 def. Line, 6.790, 202.94.
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| Greg Anderson continues to dominate Pro Stock qualifying, earning his 11th consecutive top qualifying spot. |
(5-1-2004) - Greg Anderson continues to dominate
Pro Stock qualifying, earning his 11th consecutive top qualifying
spot Saturday during the fourth annual O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley
Nationals at Bristol Dragway.
Tony Schumacher and Whit Bazemore also earned the No. 1 qualifying
position in their respective categories at the $1.2 million race,
the sixth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing
Series.
Anderson drove his Vegas General Construction Pontiac Grand Am to
the top of the 16-car order with a record setting run of 6.790 seconds
at 202.52 mph. It is the 23rd top qualifier of his career.
So far Anderson has defended his 2003 title with four wins and six
qualifying awards. He has been the Pro Stock No. 1 qualifier at
each event dating back to last season's Chicago event in September.
"Just because our cars are better doesn't mean we can just
sit back and expect to win," Anderson said. "We have to
set our game plan on kill and execute on every run. If we don't
think that way, then we are going to get beat."
Anderson will face Kenny Koretsky in the first round. Anderson's
teammate, Jason Line, qualified in the No. 2 position for the second
consecutive event. Line will face Troy Coughlin in the opening round.
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| Tony Schumacher lowered the track record time he set Friday, going 4.523 at 327.66 in the U.S. Army dragster for his first Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier of the season and 10th of his career. |
"I think we've created a monster with Jason," Anderson
said. "He is shifting better, driving better and is better
on the (reaction) lights. He is improving every run and I think
he is going to be one of the top challengers for the win on Sunday."
Schumacher lowered the track record time he set Friday, going 4.523
at 327.66 in the U.S. Army dragster for his first Top Fuel No. 1
qualifier of the season and 10th of his career.
"Alan (Johnson, crew chief) is like a chess player," Schumacher
said. "He is always thinking seven steps ahead of everyone
else. There are a lot of very intelligent crew chiefs out here who
think ahead of the pack, but I still think Alan is a couple of moves
ahead of those guys too."
Schumacher is matched against Rhonda Hartman-Smith in the first
round.
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| Whit Bazemore ran a 4.862 at 318.09 in his Matco Tools Dodge Stratus to lead the Funny Car class for the 25th time of his career and first of the season. |
Bazemore ran a 4.862 at 318.09 in his Matco Tools Dodge Stratus to lead the Funny Car class for the 25th time of his career and first of the season.
"We are getting more and more consistent," Bazemore said. "The run we made this afternoon, the 4.85 was more important because the sun wasn't out but the track temperature was considerably higher than what we ran in last night. It was important that we were able to go down the race track."
Bob Gilberston will face Bazemore in round one.
Final eliminations are set for noon Sunday.
First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the Fourth annual O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals presented by Quaker State at Bristol Dragway, the sixth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.
Top Fuel -- 1. Tony Schumacher, 4.523 seconds, 327.66 mph vs. 16. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 4.760, 302.35; 2. Doug Kalitta, 4.530, 326.32 vs. 15. David Baca, 4.709, 308.35; 3. David Grubnic, 4.532, 323.89 vs. 14. Scott Palmer, 4.699, 297.22; 4. Brandon Bernstein, 4.535, 327.98 vs. 13. Bruce Litton, 4.654, 319.07; 5. Cory McClenathan, 4.561, 322.19 vs. 12. Brady Kalivoda, 4.651, 316.15; 6. Scott Kalitta, 4.569, 327.66 vs. 11. Clay Millican, 4.634, 310.48; 7. Darrell Russell, 4.573, 326.56 vs. 10. Scott Weis, 4.623, 312.71; 8. Larry Dixon, 4.602, 321.42 vs. 9. Doug Herbert, 4.607, 316.30.
Funny Car -- 1. Whit Bazemore, Dodge Stratus, 4.770, 321.27 vs. 16. Bob Gilbertson, Pontiac Firebird, 5.055, 305.49; 2. Cruz Pedregon, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.815, 320.66 vs. 15. Jeff Arend, Chevy Corvette, 4.999, 310.05; 3. John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.817, 322.50 vs. 14. Tony Bartone, Firebird, 4.998, 301.13; 4. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 4.821, 315.78 vs. 13. Jerry Toliver, Toyota Celica, 4.924, 293.35; 5. Eric Medlen, Mustang, 4.832, 318.24 vs. 12. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Camaro, 4.893, 313.15; 6. Gary Densham, Mustang, 4.840, 322.65 vs. 11. Ron Capps, Monte Carlo, 4.870, 316.90; 7. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 4.851, 310.27 vs. 10. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 4.865, 312.93; 8. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.856, 321.58 vs. 9. Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 4.857, 319.52.
Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.790, 202.52 vs. 16. Kenny Koretsky, Dodge Stratus, 6.880, 200.38; 2. Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.839, 201.13 vs. 15. Troy Coughlin, Chevy Cavalier, 6.878, 199.82; 3. Kurt Johnson, Cavalier, 6.841, 201.13 vs. 14. Mark Pawuk, Grand Am, 6.877, 199.29; 4. Bruce Allen, Grand Am, 6.841, 200.05 vs. 13. Steve Johns, Cavalier, 6.875, 200.47; 5. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.851, 200.71 vs. 12. Dave Connolly, Cavalier, 6.874, 199.76; 6. Ron Krisher, Cavalier, 6.851, 200.11 vs. 11. Jim Yates, Grand Am, 6.873, 199.61; 7. Jeg Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.853, 201.19 vs. 10. Warren Johnson, Grand Am, 6.860, 201.58; 8. Darrell Alderman, Stratus, 6.853, 200.56 vs. 9. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.859, 200.08.
SATURDAY NOTES - Scheme change for Bernstein, Vandergriff's return and Schumacher saves best for last...
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| In his first full pass, Bob Vandergriff, Jr., a former national event winner, found his way into the qualified field with a 4.715. However, the run was deemed to be a licensing pass, and was disallowed in the qualifying order. |
Ace and Snake - One of the more interesting match ups in Top Fuel will match Larry Dixon versus Doug Herbert. Dixon will have lane choice. The real rivalry behind the scenes will be that of tuner Ed McCulloch (Herbert) and team owner Don Prudhomme. This will mark the second match-up and Prudhomme leads the unofficial rivalry by a 1-0 margin.
Army of One - While most of the Top Fuel entries struggled with tough atmospheric conditions, Tony Schumacher was clearly an army of one. The U.S. Army-sponsored entry driver laid down an incredible 4.523, 327.66, to climb to the top spot. His lap also lowered the track elapsed time.
Richard Hartman, Richard Hartman - Richard Hartman has spent most of his time the last decade tuning Top Fuel dragsters. This weekend in Bristol, Hartman was behind the wheel of a nitro Funny Car that he partners with fellow South Carolinian Andy Kelley. Hartman fell short of the 5.05 bubble, but his 5.149, 292.58 will serve as motivation as the team heads to Atlanta in two weeks.
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| Bristol will mark the final event for the current paint scheme on Brandon Bernstein’s Budweiser-sponsored dragster. |
No Born on Anymore – Bristol will mark the final event for the current paint scheme on Brandon Bernstein’s Budweiser-sponsored dragster. The current scheme represents Budweiser’s “Born-On-Date” advertising pitch. The team will revert to the standard Budweiser livery for the next event in Atlanta. Our suggestion is a scheme dedicated to Leon, the fictional self-serving professional football player.
Two out of three ain’t bad – or is it? – In two of his first three qualifying attempts defending POWERade Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon went up in smoke before half-track. Following his only successful qualifying attempt on Friday evening, Dixon commented, “"After we smoked the tires on the first run, we needed to set the car up so that we got qualified and we did that. I'm happy that we're now in the show because it's been proven that you can win from any position on Sunday."
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| This weekend in Bristol, Richard Hartman was behind the wheel of a nitro Funny Car that he partners with fellow South Carolinian Andy Kelley.. |
He’s Back – In a last minute decision, Bob Vandergriff, Jr., made a visit to Bristol Dragway. Initially, the team had planned to test the day after the event in Bristol, Tenn., but decided that if they were going to head to Bristol, they might as well use the event as a test session and gain the opportunity to make a few dollars along the way. In his first full pass, Vandergriff, a former national event winner, found his way into the qualified field with a 4.715. However, the run was deemed to be a licensing pass, and was disallowed in the qualifying order.
TV Change – The NHRA announced a change in their weekend television programming. The new schedule is as follows:
Saturday, May 1 ESPN will air two hours of qualifying highlights
at 7 p.m. (ET)
Sunday, May 2 ESPN2 will air three hours of final eliminations coverage
at 7 p.m. (ET)
In by a whisker – Kenny Koretsky found a
way to get into field as he laid down a 6.880, 200.38 to push out
a 16th position after the third session. Koretsky bumped out his
longtime racing associate Rickie Smith, who was close with a 6.881.
FRIDAY - SCHUMACHER, BAZEMORE AND ANDERSON LEAD QUALIFYING AT O'REILLY THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS
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| Tony Schumacher used a track record time of 4.529 seconds at 324.368 mph in his U.S. Army dragster to lead the Top Fuel. |
(4-30-2004) - Top Fuel points leader Tony Schumacher paced the Top Fuel category Friday during the fourth annual O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.
Whit Bazemore and Greg Anderson also earned the provisional No. 1 qualifying position in their respective categories at the $1.2 million race, the sixth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
Schumacher used a track record time of 4.529 seconds at 324.368
mph in his U.S. Army dragster to lead the Top Fuel category after
two rounds of qualifying. Schumacher has three wins so far this
season but has failed to earn a No. 1 qualifying position this season.
"(Not being the No. 1 qualifier) wasn't holding us back,"
Schumacher said. "We were still winning the races. Being the
top qualifier is great. It's a great place to be and we would love
to stay there.
"The competition is so good right now that if we can go out and run better tomorrow, so can the other cars."
Bazemore ran a 4.862 at 318.09 in his Matco Tools Dodge Stratus to lead the Funny Car class. If Bazemore can hang on to the top spot, it will be his first of the season.
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| Whit Bazemore ran a 4.862 at 318.09 in his Matco Tools Dodge Stratus to lead the Funny Car class. If Bazemore can hang on to the top spot, it will be his first of the season. |
"The car is coming around due to everyone's performance on this team," Bazemore said. "We've had some good performances, we just haven't been consistent. We need to have four good runs in qualifying to help us on Sunday. So far, we're 2-for-2."
Anderson drove his Vegas General Construction Pontiac Grand Am to the top spot in Pro Stock, setting both ends of the track record with a 6.790 pass at 202.52. If Anderson can keep the No. 1 spot for two more sessions, it will be his 11th consecutive top qualifier.
Anderson and his teammate Jason Line tested at Bristol Dragway for two days last week. They were surprised there weren't more teams sharing the track time.
"There were only three or four other teams testing out here," Anderson said. "That really surprised me. But you can see that our cars and other teams that tested like Allen Johnson did well today. If I was getting crushed on race day I would certainly be testing, especially at the track that we were scheduled to race at the following weekend. Maybe they just don't want it as bad as we do."
The 2003 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock champion said the four wins out of five races this season were not going to be enough to satisfy the team.
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| Greg Anderson drove his Vegas General Construction Pontiac Grand Am to the top spot in Pro Stock, setting both ends of the track record with a 6.790 pass at 202.52.. |
"We want the championship, we want more wins than last year,
we want the records and we want the bragging rights," Anderson
said. "We're not going to slow down, but I can't imagine that
the other teams won't quicken their pace, so we have to keep working."
Qualifying continues Saturday with sessions at noon and 3:30 p.m.
Final eliminations are set for noon Sunday.
Results Friday after qualifying for the Fourth annual O'Reilly
NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals presented by Quaker State at Bristol
Dragway, sixth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final
eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. Tony Schumacher, 4.529 seconds,
324.36 mph; 2. Doug Kalitta, 4.530, 326.32; 3. David Grubnic, 4.532,
323.89; 4. Brandon Bernstein, 4.535, 327.98; 5. Cory McClenathan,
4.561, 322.19; 6. Scott Kalitta, 4.569, 327.66; 7. Darrell Russell,
4.573, 326.56; 8. Doug Herbert, 4.607, 316.30; 9. Larry Dixon, 4.617,
320.58; 10. Scott Weis, 4.623, 312.71; 11. Clay Millican, 4.634,
310.48; 12. Brady Kalivoda, 4.651, 316.15; 13. Bruce Litton, 4.654,
319.07; 14. Scott Palmer, 4.699, 297.22; 15. David Baca, 4.709,
308.35; 16. John Smith, 5.692, 244.43.
Funny Car -- 1. Whit Bazemore, Dodge Stratus, 4.770,
321.27; 2. Cruz Pedregon, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.815, 320.66; 3. John
Force, Ford Mustang, 4.817, 322.50; 4. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo,
4.821, 314.90; 5. Gary Densham, Mustang, 4.840, 322.65; 6. Gary
Scelzi, Stratus, 4.857, 319.52; 7. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo,
4.870, 319.67; 8. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 4.906, 307.09; 9.
Ron Capps, Monte Carlo, 4.915, 313.00; 10. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo,
4.921, 300.60; 11. Jerry Toliver, Toyota Celica, 4.924, 275.22;
12. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Camaro, 4.944, 313.15; 13. Eric Medlen,
Mustang, 4.997, 299.06; 14. Tony Bartone, Pontiac Firebird, 4.998,
300.26; 15. Bob Gilbertson, Firebird, 5.055, 305.49; 16. Jeff Arend,
Chevy Corvette, 5.088, 296.89.
Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac Grand Am,
6.790, 202.52; 2. Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.840, 201.10; 3. Kurt Johnson,
Chevy Cavalier, 6.841, 201.13; 4. Bruce Allen, Grand Am, 6.841,
200.05; 5. Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 6.851, 200.71; 6. Ron Krisher,
Cavalier, 6.851, 200.11; 7. Jeg Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.853, 201.19;
8. Darrell Alderman, Stratus, 6.853, 200.56; 9. Allen Johnson, Stratus,
6.859, 200.08; 10. Warren Johnson, Grand Am, 6.860, 201.58; 11.
Jim Yates, Grand Am, 6.873, 199.61; 12. Dave Connolly, Cavalier,
6.874, 199.67; 13. Steve Johns, Cavalier, 6.875, 198.29; 14. Mark
Pawuk, Grand Am, 6.877, 199.29; 15. Troy Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.878,
199.82; 16. Rickie Smith, Cavalier, 6.881, 199.91.
THURSDAY NOTES- ‘Thunder Valley’ pivotal stop en route to POWERade championship
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| As news breaks, we'll pass it on to you. |
(4-29-2004) - Bernstein looking for repeat performance – Brandon Bernstein is hoping for a repeat performance of last season’s dominating victory for the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel team. Bernstein qualified No. 1 at Bristol last year, setting the track e.t. (4.530) and speed (328.38-mph) records en route to taking the victory and assuming the points lead for the first time. Bernstein comes into the race fresh off of his second national event victory of the year, running his career final round record to 5-0.
“Performance-wise, last year at Bristol was probably we’ve had in our short racing career,” said Bernstein. “Any time you can have a clean sweep at a track it’s a good feeling. We’re excited about coming back to Bristol. It’s a great facility and it really showcases our sport.”
Kalitta enjoying a good early season – Doug Kalitta, driver of the red Mac Tools dragster, the quickest and fastest car in NHRA history, will look to continue his early season good fortune at the Thunder Valley Nationals. Kalitta has reached a pair of final rounds during the first five races on the 2004 NHRA tour and currently sits in third place in the POWERade point’s standings. Kalitta, a 15-time national event winner, won the race at Bristol Dragway in 2001 and he would love nothing more than to repeat that performance this weekend.
“Bristol is a great place for us,” said Kalitta. “The track and facility are both top-notch. We always look forward to racing in Bristol. Our Mac Tools team is having a great year, but we’re anxious to get our first win.”
WJ enters Bristol with everything in place - 6-time POWERade Pro Stock World Champion Warren Johnson enters the O’Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals confident that he has all the proper pieces in place on the GM Performance Pontiac Grand Am to produce the consistency vital to his championship hopes. WJ won the event in 2001 and has a 6-2 elimination round record in four starts at state-of-the-art Bristol Dragway. The ‘Professor’ is currently in fifth place in the POWERade point’s standings, just one round win out of third place.
Anderson rolls into Bristol hunting for his fifth victory of the year - Greg Anderson heads into the Thunder Valley Nationals after putting both of his team cars into the final round at Houston. Anderson took the victory at the O’Reilly Spring Nationals, his 16th triumph in 19 final round appearances over the last 28 national events. The Charlotte, N.C., resident has qualified No. 1 at the last 10 national events dating back to the second race in Chicago last September and he’s qualified the Vegas General Construction Pontiac No. 1 at 19 of the last 28 races, dating back to the beginning of the 2003 season. With a win in Bristol, Anderson would be well on his way to another historic season and back to back NHRA championships.
‘Claustrophobic’ Force hopes to breakout in Bristol - John Force is a study in contradiction. The 54-year-old Californian suffers from claustrophobia, yet has no problem standing amid throngs of shoving, pushing, demanding, yet adoring fans, signing autographs until each one of them is satisfied. He feels like the walls are closing in on him when he’s on an elevator, but he has no problem being strapped into a carbon-fiber pod in which he hurtles down the race track at speeds exceeding 325-mph. Nevertheless, Force’s contradictory existence is no more apparent than at Bristol Dragway, the only track where the 12-time POWERade Series champion has yet to win a national event. Force earned a record $200,000 payday with a victory at the inaugural Winston Showdown, a special event created by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., five years ago, but has yet to advance past the semifinals at a full-scale national event. Force looks to change all that this weekend as Team Castrol strives for their first win of the season.
“I love Bristol and we always run good there,” said Force. “We just haven’t had any luck and sometimes, no matter how fast you are, you need luck, too. What everybody forgets is that there are a lot good race cars out there right now. We just need to focus and we’ll be fine.”
Medlen looking for third No. 1 at Bristol - Eric Medlen will be racing the Castrol SYNTEC Ford Mustang for the first time at beautiful Bristol Dragway, but the car he’ll be driving has a good track record at ‘Thunder Valley’. The 30-year-old rookie Funny Car competitor will be behind the wheel of the same car that qualified No. 1 the last two years at Bristol. The Castrol SYNTEC Mustang also holds the current track Funny Car elapsed time record at 4.765-seconds. Medlen is currently tied for sixth place with two other drivers in the 2004 POWERade points standings.
Densham makes his presence felt in eastern Tennessee – Every time Gary Densham has driven a Funny Car at Bristol Dragway he’s made his presence felt. In 2001, he put the Jimmy Prock-tuned Automobile Club of Southern California Ford Mustang on the pole, earning the first career No. 1 qualifying bonus of his then 30-year career. In 2002, he only qualified 16th, but he advanced into the final round during eliminations in a runner-up performance. And in 2003, he set the track speed record in the red, white and blue Ford Funny Car with a 325.06-mph blast. The only thing that’s missing is a trip to the winner’s circle for Densham. The 57-year-old Bellflower, Calif., resident feels he may have an edge over the competition this weekend.
“Everybody is going to be on the new Goodyear tire for the first time this weekend,” said Densham,”but Jimmy and I have been running it for a couple of races, and we’ve tested with it ever since it came out. Hopefully, we’ve learned some things that will get us down the track a little quicker than those guys that are playing catch up.” Densham was running the new tire when he qualified No. 1 in Houston two weeks ago.
KJ looking to reel in Anderson with Bristol victory - Kurt Johnson, driver of the ACDelco Chevrolet Cavalier, will be looking to defend his Thunder Valley Nationals title in Bristol. Johnson, who has one victory this season in a pair of final round appearances, is currently in second place in the POWERade standings, 156 points behind leader Greg Anderson. KJ needs the victory to keep Anderson from pulling away any further in the ultra-competitive class. “My primary concern is to make my ACDelco Cavalier go faster,” said Johnson. “We have no control over anyone else’s program, so we’re not going to worry about what they are doing. All we can do is work on our own equipment, trying different ways to improve our performance.” Johnson is 5-2 in elimination rounds at Bristol in four starts.
Bazemore on the hunt for consistency going into Bristol – Whit Bazemore, driver of the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus, is looking to recapture the momentum he created in Las Vegas at this weekend’s Thunder Valley Nationals. Bazemore drove his Lee Beard-tuned Funny Car to a runner-up performance in Las Vegas two races ago, only to lose during the first round at the last event in Houston. He enters the race at Bristol sixth in the POWERade points standings, only 133 points out of first place. Bazemore has enjoyed plenty of success at Bristol Dragway, reaching the final round twice, with a victory in 2001 and a runner-up finish last year.
“The championship battle is close, but we’re not even thinking about that right now,” said Bazemore. “Our objective is to develop some consistency with the Matco Tools Dodge and take advantage of the performance that we’ve shown we have. The biggest thing for our team is we’ve got to win rounds. We have to stop the first round loses. We’ve just been so inconsistent, so up and down this year.”
Worsham shooting for Bristol replay – Current POWERade Funny Car point’s leader and driver of the red Checkers Shucks Kragen Funny Car, Del Worsham, returns to Bristol as the defending event champion this season. Worsham, who took over the point’s lead for the first time in his career with back to back victories in Phoenix and Gainesville earlier this year, could put some distance between himself and second place with another win in Bristol. Phil Burkart Jr., Worsham’s teammate and the driver of the blue CSK Funny Car has also won this season.
“Over the past couple of years we’ve gotten off to a good start but there always seemed to be some other teams doing a little better,” said Worsham. “This year, we’ve just maximized a couple of opportunities, and in the three races we didn’t win we ran good enough to take two of those as well, but just missed. I thought the parity in the class might really help us this year and it has,” Worsham said. “Anybody can beat anybody these days, so it’s hard for any one team to dominate. ”
Schumacher heads to the mountains to regroup – After winning three of the first four races in Top Fuel, Tony Schumacher fell back to earth with a second round loss in Houston, peeling his points lead over Brandon Bernstein back to just 38. Schumacher will attempt to return to the winner’s circle in the Alan Johnson-tuned United States Army dragster in Bristol.
“We had some problems getting down the track in Houston,” said Schumacher. “Given how good the competition will be all year long, no team can afford to have more than a couple bad weekends and expect to win the championship.”
Millican strives for first NHRA win in his home state – Clay Millican is eager to compete at this weekend’s Thunder Valley Nationals, the first of two NHRA events held in his home state of Tennessee. Millican just missed earning his first Wally two weeks ago in Houston, where he reached his first career NHRA final round, but lost to Brandon Bernstein. The driver of the 104 Octane Boost dragster ran his elimination record to 24-26, having raced 25 different drivers in 50 rounds. Under the tutelage of Mike Kloeber, Millican has become lethal on the starting line, leaving the starting line first over 85% of the time this season, second best in the class. The Drummonds, Tenn., native will be attempting to qualify for his 28th NHRA national event in 32 starts.