SUNDAY
- McCLENATHAN, BAZEMORE, ANDERSON AND SAVOIE
EARN NHRA POWERADE SERIES VICTORIES AT SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NHRA
SOUTHERN NATIONALS
 |
| Top Fuel -- Cory McClenathan, 4.651 seconds,
320.74 mph def. Clay Millican, 4.700 seconds, 315.93 mph. |
(4-16-2004)- Cory McClenathan snapped a two-year
winless streak Sunday at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern
Nationals presented by Pontiac at Atlanta Dragway.
Whit Bazemore, Greg Anderson and Angelle Savoie also were winners
in their respective categories at the $1.8 million race, the seventh
of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
McClenathan, who last won at Pomona Raceway in 2002, outran Clay
Millican for the Top Fuel victory, the 28th of his career. McClenathan's
Berryman/Carrier Boyz dragster crossed the finish line in 4.651
seconds at 320.74 mph, just ahead of Millican's charging 104+ Octane
Boost dragster, which sped a 4.700 at 315.93.
"There comes a time when you start to doubt yourself and begin
to wonder if you will ever win another one of these races,"
said McClenathan, who defeated Scott Weis, David Grubnic and Scott
Kalitta to advance to the final.
"I admit when I woke up this morning I didn't have a feeling
like I was going to win this race," he continued. "But
as the day went on and I saw how we were running I started to gain
confidence. We weren't really the quickest car out here today, but
we were the most consistent. We ran 4.60s all day and let the other
cars make mistakes."
 |
| Funny Car -- Whit Bazemore, Dodge Stratus,
5.025, 299.80 def. Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 10.847, 90.59. |
McClenathan moved to fourth with the victory, 200 behind leader
Tony Schumacher, who was upset in the first round.
Bazemore scored his first Funny Car victory of the season and moved
into second place in the series points standings, defeating teammate
Gary Scelzi's Oakley Dodge Stratus R/T in the final round.
Bazemore, who outran Ron Capps, Del Worsham and Tim Wilkerson in
the first three rounds, raced to a final round effort of 5.025 at
299.80 in his Matco Tools Stratus. Scelzi's machine lost traction
at the start and limped across the finish line in 10.847 at 90.59.
It was his second victory at the track he calls home.
"To win here twice is awesome," said Bazemore, who grew
up in Atlanta. "It is always emotional for me when I win here
because this is where I was introduced to drag racing as a kid.
It's great to be able to live a dream."
With the win, he trimmed Del Worsham's points lead to 51.
 |
| Pro Stock -- Greg Anderson, Pontiac Grand
Am, 6.812, 203.00 def. Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 6.850, 202.58. |
"Trying to win a championship is a learning process,"
said Bazemore, who finished second in points in 2003 and 2001. "I've
learned over the years you have to just get up, dust yourself off
and keep after it. The key is consistency and we had that today."
Anderson earned his fifth consecutive victory in Pro Stock and
22nd of his career, driving his Vegas General Construction Pontiac
Grand Am to a 6.812 at 203.00 to defeat Larry Morgan's Team Mopar
Dodge Stratus R/T, which posted a 6.850 at 202.58. Anderson beat
Mike Edwards, Dave Connolly and Jason Line in earlier rounds.
The victory puts Anderson in exclusive company as only the second
Pro Stock driver in NHRA history to win five consecutive races in
a season (Bob Glidden, 1978). The record for most consecutive wins
in a season for any category is 8, set by the late Dave Schultz
in 1994 in Pro Stock Bike.
"Streaks are nice and records are neat, but you can't focus
on that stuff," said Anderson of his sixth win of the season.
"You have to look at the big picture, and that's the championship.
We overcame a lot of hurdles this weekend and the team worked overtime
at the shop to get our primary motor that we hurt on Friday ready
for today. This was one of the toughest races I have had in a while.
I didn't have the dominant car and I wanted to see if the driver
could step up. This was a really satisfying win."
Anderson increased his points lead to 243 over Kurt Johnson, who
failed to make the call in the semifinals when his car had engine
problems at the starting line.
 |
| Pro Stock Bike -- Angelle Savoie, Suzuki,
7.119, 191.59 def. Shawn Gann, Suzuki, 7.248, 186.15. |
Savoie claimed her first Pro Stock Bike victory of the season and
32nd of her career on her U.S. Army Suzuki, posting a 7.119 at 191.59
to defeat Shawn Gann, who clocked a 7.248 at 186.15 on his Gann
Speed Suzuki.
"After all of the struggles we've been through now I remember
how good it feels to win, and it's a great feeling," Savoie
said. "I'm really, really happy. This was a perfect weekend
for me."
Savoie moved to sixth overall with the win, 49 behind leader Andrew
Hines.
The next NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event is the seventh
annual NHRA Route 66 Nationals, May 20-23 at Route 66 Raceway in
Joliet, Ill.
Sportsman Results
 |
| Top Alcohol Dragster -- David Wells, 5.476,
260.97 def. Ashley Force, 6.368, 250.41. |
 |
| Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Paul Lee, Pontiac
Firebird, 5.747, 250.09 def. Jay Payne, Chevy Camaro, 5.692,
255.43. |
 |
| Competition Eliminator -- Raymond Martin,
Roadster, 7.972, 140.14 def. Larry Pritchett, Sunfire, foul. |
 |
| Super Stock -- Tim Cole, Chevy Corvette,
8.787, 153.16 def. Eric Wingo, Chevy Camaro, 10.079, 130.76. |
 |
| Super Comp -- Steve Cohen, Dragster, 8.914,
163.49 def. Ross Laris, Dragster, 8.898, 172.19. |
 |
| Super Gas -- Sherman Adcock Jr, Chevy
Corvette, 9.913, 149.63 def. Chuck Rothermel, Pontiac Grand
Am, 9.926, 165.07. |
 |
| Super Street -- David Anspach, Plymouth
Duster, 10.896, 135.78 def. Lamar Majors, Chevy Vega, 10.887,
124.46. |
SUNDAY NOTES - Anderson's
flying to the moon, Carrier Boyz win big and stunning upsets in
the first round...
 |
| Mark Carrier receives a congratulatory
hug from crew member “Cowboy” after winning his
first NHRA Top Fuel race as a team owner. |
Anderson alludes to rumors - The
rumor that wouldn’t die in Atlanta was that although he's
not cheating, Greg Anderson may be enjoying dominance because he
found a loophole in the Pro Stock rule book. The suggestion is that
Anderson is using hyper-exotic and hyper-expensive metals in his
engine and NHRA may be on the verge of outlawing them due to their
cost and limited availability.
"We flew the space shuttle to the moon, reloaded on exotic
parts, put the motor back together, and we have a good car again,"
joked Anderson after he and team mate Jason Line had to perform
two major engine repairs and swaps. "That's probably the going
to be the story so we'll just agree with it for the sake of argument.”
If a decision is coming from NHRA -- and it’s still a big
IF -- it should be handed down by the Columbus race in June.
Carrier Boyz get first win - Cory McClenathan
gave team owners Mark and Andy Carrier their first national event
win by beating Clay Millican by half a car length in the Top Fuel
final. Millican, who was in his 3rd consecutive NHRA final, was
also looking for the first win for team owner Peter Lehman. Thanks
to his runner up showings, Millican has moved from 14th to 6th in
the NHRA POWERade point standings. The Carrier Boyz are the sons
of IHRA founder Larry Carrier.
Familiar, but fresh faces in victory lane - Other
than Greg Anderson, who seems unstoppable in Pro Stock, first time
winners in 2004 made up the rest of the professional class champions
in Atlanta. Top Fuel winner Cory McClenathan last visited victory
lane at Pomona in the fall of 2002, Whit Bazemore last won in Funny
Car at Memphis in 2003, and Angelle Savoie’s most recent Pro
Stock Bike title came last summer in Chicago.
Anderson, on the other hand, won his 6th race of the year, including
the last five in a row, which matches Ronnie Sox in the early ‘70s
and Bob Glidden, who won the last five races of both the 1978 and
1987 seasons. Glidden also won the first four races of the 1979
season, giving him the longest winning streak in Pro Stock history.
Gilbertson goes rounds (finally) - Number 16 qualifier
Bob Gilbertson earned the upset of the day award when he took out
heavily favored Tony Pedregon after Pedregon went up in smoke in
the opening round of Funny Car eliminations. At race number seven
of the 2004 season, it was Gilbertson’s first round win of
the year. Then he did it again by upsetting Phil Burkart in round
two. The Gilbertson team barely made it to the line in time for
their semi final against Gary Scelzi and without even test firing
the engine before they got there. Gilbertson left on Scelzi, but
lost traction about 100 feet out and his day was over as Scelzi
went just 5.13 at 274.66. “You hate to lose like that,”
said Gilbertson. “We left it alone and just tried to run what
we did the round before (5.06), but the hot track got us.”
Track temperature hovered around 120 to 125 degrees all day.
Team Force exits early - John Force, who has won
6 times at Atlanta Dragway including 4 in a row from 1992 to 1995,
was eliminated this year for the 4th time in the first round (1983,
1987, 2001, 2004). Ironically, Force lost a close race to Phil Burkart,
who was driving the same car Johnny Gray used to beat Force in the
semis in Atlanta last year.
Force’s team mates, Gary Densham and Eric Medlen, faced each
other in round one with Medlen narrowly taking the win. His .0044
margin of victory also earned Medlen an extra $1,000 as winner of
the Motel 6 “Who Got the Light” award, but he smoked
the tires in round two against Tim Wilkerson and Team Force was
done.
Force’s daughter Ashley, however, made it all the way to
her career first Top Alcohol Dragster final where she raced David
Wells. Force left first with a .049 advantage, but she too went
up in smoke and Wells went on to earn his 6th national event title.
Final
round-by-round results from the 24th annual Summit Racing Equipment
NHRA Southern Nationals presented by Pontiac at Atlanta Dragway,
the seventh of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing
Series -
TOP FUEL:
ROUND ONE -- Clay Millican, 4.560, 320.51 def. Larry Dixon,
4.608, 321.50; Darrell Russell, 4.621, 320.74 def. Bob Vandergriff,
4.663, 306.53; Brandon Bernstein, 4.602, 315.86 def. David Baca,
5.549, 173.36; Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 4.815, 278.58 def. Doug Herbert,
broke; Doug Kalitta, 4.583, 325.69 def. Bruce Litton, 4.727, 306.46;
Cory McClenathan, 4.641, 317.64 def. Scott Weis, foul; Scott Kalitta,
4.551, 326.87 def. Tony Schumacher, 7.142, 124.38; David Grubnic,
4.563, 325.61 def. John Smith, 5.302, 193.74;
QUARTERFINALS -- McClenathan, 4.708, 311.13 def. Bernstein,
4.722, 294.50; D. Kalitta, 4.775, 297.68 def. Hartman-Smith, 4.834,
295.66; Millican, 4.631, 322.58 def. Grubnic, 4.664, 302.55; S.
Kalitta, 4.599, 320.74 def. Russell, 4.613, 322.19;
SEMIFINALS -- Millican, 4.928, 279.90 def. D. Kalitta,
5.669, 233.32; McClenathan, 4.660, 316.90 def. S. Kalitta, 4.894,
238.85;
FINAL -- McClenathan, 4.651, 320.74 def. Millican, 4.700,
315.93.
FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE -- Tim Wilkerson, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.854,
317.57 def. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.906, 309.77; Eric Medlen,
Ford Mustang, 4.909, 294.75 def. Gary Densham, Mustang, 4.904, 314.09;
Bob Gilbertson, Pontiac Firebird, 5.030, 261.47 def. Tony Pedregon,
Monte Carlo, 6.614, 141.28; Whit Bazemore, Dodge Stratus, 4.865,
316.97 def. Ron Capps, Monte Carlo, 4.945, 265.33; Jerry Toliver,
Toyota Celica, 5.419, 251.72 def. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo,
6.900, 142.55; Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 4.892, 314.17 def. Jim Head,
Celica, 8.213, 100.07; Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 4.892, 316.08 def.
Tony Bartone, Chevy Camaro, 4.949, 268.06; Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo,
4.829, 323.89 def. John Force, Mustang, 4.918, 309.20;
QUARTERFINALS -- Wilkerson, 4.854, 317.94 def. Medlen,
6.191, 150.36; Bazemore, 4.841, 319.52 def. Worsham, 7.158, 109.17;
Gilbertson, 5.060, 302.28 def. Burkart, 7.167, 120.32; Scelzi, 4.866,
319.29 def. Toliver, 4.992, 310.98;
SEMIFINALS -- Scelzi, 5.139, 274.66 def. Gilbertson, 7.094,
151.26; Bazemore, 4.956, 305.63 def. Wilkerson, 5.777, 172.25;
FINAL -- Bazemore, 5.025, 299.80 def. Scelzi, 10.847,
90.59.
PRO STOCK:
ROUND ONE -- Bruce Allen, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.819, 202.85
def. Warren Johnson, Grand Am, 6.847, 202.15; Kenny Koretsky, Dodge
Stratus, 6.892, 202.18 def. Rickie Smith, Chevy Cavalier, 6.980,
181.42; Dave Connolly, Cavalier, 6.853, 202.64 def. Troy Coughlin,
Cavalier, 6.881, 201.58; Darrell Alderman, Stratus, 6.828, 202.18
def. Ron Krisher, Cavalier, 6.852, 202.64; Larry Morgan, Stratus,
6.824, 202.91 def. Steve Johns, Cavalier, 7.285, 145.28; Jason Line,
Grand Am, 6.799, 203.71 def. JR Carr, Cavalier, 8.416, 120.69; Greg
Anderson, Grand Am, 6.776, 202.82 def. Mike Edwards, Grand Am, 6.846,
201.61; Kurt Johnson, Cavalier, 6.842, 202.30 def. Jeg Coughlin,
Cavalier, 6.852, 202.06;
QUARTERFINALS -- K. Johnson, 6.837, 202.15 def. Alderman,
6.847, 202.21; Morgan, 6.832, 202.58 def. Allen, 6.856, 202.06;
Line, 6.799, 203.52 def. Koretsky, 6.876, 202.42; Anderson, 6.819,
202.48 def. Connolly, 6.844, 203.00;
SEMIFINALS -- Morgan, 6.827, 200.89 def. K. Johnson, broke;
Anderson, 6.802, 203.34 def. Line, 6.796, 203.74;
FINAL -- Anderson, 6.812, 203.00 def. Morgan, 6.850, 202.58.
PRO STOCK BIKE:
ROUND ONE -- Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.253, 187.57 def.
Matthew Smith, Suzuki, 7.335, 175.94; Fred Collis, Suzuki, 7.283,
181.45 def. Craig Treble, Suzuki, foul; Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.178,
186.79 def. Blaine Hale, Suzuki, 7.437, 180.00; Angelle Savoie,
Suzuki, 7.153, 189.87 def. Josh Helvie, Kawasaki, 7.299, 180.89;
Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.280, 182.97 def. Michael Phillips, Suzuki,
foul; GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.178, 191.76 def. Chip Hunter,
Suzuki, 7.276, 183.79; Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.217, 184.42
def. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.251, 183.94; Shawn Gann, Suzuki, 7.232,
188.02 def. Tommy Grimes Jr, Suzuki, foul;
QUARTERFINALS -- Collis, 7.274, 183.49 def. Berry, 7.295,
183.34; Gann, 7.223, 185.84 def. Scali, 7.371, 187.34; Tonglet,
7.178, 186.51 def. Hines, 7.190, 191.95; Savoie, 7.152, 190.46 def.
Brown, foul;
SEMIFINALS -- Gann, 7.224, 186.72 def. Collis, 7.309,
181.84; Savoie, 7.160, 183.52 def. Tonglet, foul;
FINAL -- Savoie, 7.119, 191.59 def. Gann, 7.248, 186.15.
SATURDAY - MORGAN
EARNS FIRST NO. 1 QUALIFYING POSITION IN MORE THAN 13 YEARS TAKING
TOP SPOT IN PRO STOCK AT SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NHRA SOUTHERN NATIONALS
AT ATLANTA
 |
| Larry Morgan ended Greg Anderson's qualifying
streak by racing to the No. 1 position in Pro Stock Saturday
at the 24th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals
. |
(5-15-2004) -- Larry Morgan ended Greg Anderson's
qualifying streak by racing to the No. 1 position in Pro Stock Saturday
at the 24th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals
presented by Pontiac at Atlanta Dragway.
David Grubnic, Tony Pedregon and Angelle Savoie also will lead
their respective categories into Sunday's 11 a.m. eliminations at
the $1.8 million race, the seventh of 23 events in the $50 million
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
Anderson, who had claimed the last 11 top qualifying positions
dating back to last season, qualified third in his Pontiac Grand
Am. Morgan captured his first No. 1 qualifying award in more than
13 years, powering his Team Mopar Dodge Stratus R/T to a track record
time of 6.796 seconds at 202.91 mph. It was the fifth of his career,
and the first top qualifying effort for a Dodge in Pro Stock since
Feb. 2003.
In taking the top spot, Morgan preserved the mythical consecutive
qualifying record held by his legendary crew chief, Bob Glidden.
From 1986-'88 Glidden reeled off 23 consecutive No. 1 qualifying
awards, a record that many drag racing insiders feel may never be
touched. His impressive run included No. 1 performances at every
race during the 1987 season.
"Anybody who breaks that record is going to be a bad dude,
because Bob is awesome," Morgan said. "This means so much
to me and Bob. This feels almost as good as winning a race. I'm
really excited for Mopar and all of the Dodge fans out there. This
is the first one in a long time for me and it really feels good."
 |
| Dave Grubnic, a native Australian, earned
his fourth career No. 1 position and third of the season in
the Kalitta Air dragster. |
Grubnic, a native Australian, earned his fourth career No. 1 position
and third of the season in the Kalitta Air dragster, clocking a
track record time of 4.469 at 324.44.
"It's not just about my car," Grubnic said. "It's
about all three Team Kalitta cars. Whenever one of us does well,
we're all happy. We ran pretty well today. The car was actually
quicker than the Army car to half-track in the last session so that
was encouraging.
"We didn't think anyone would touch the 4.46 so the important
thing for us today was to see what this track would hold when the
sun was out. Sometimes you have to fall off the cliff to learn those
lessons and we saw a bit of that today. I have full faith in Connie
(Kalitta) and the boys that they'll have all three cars ready to
win tomorrow. We'll see which one of us does the best."
Pedregon claimed his second No. 1 qualifying effort of the season
and the 27th of his career, posting a track record performance of
4.765 at 329.83 mph in his Quaker State Chevy Monte Carlo.
 |
| Tony Pedregon claimed his second No. 1
qualifying effort of the season and the 27th of his career,
posting a track record performance of 4.765 at 329.83 mph in
his Quaker State Chevy Monte Carlo. |
"I had a good idea that this was something we could accomplish
on our own," Pedregon said. "I don't think a lot of people
thought this team would be one that would come out and run a 329-mph
top speed, at Atlanta Dragway of all places. It's a real credit
to General Motors and the work they've put into this Monte Carlo
body.
"We had thoughts about trying to back up that number today
because we heard it might be a little cooler with cloud cover but
you have to race the conditions and when it got hot we didn't have
the chance. Maybe tomorrow, who knows, but the real goal is to win.
I wouldn't mind getting to 330 mph first either. That's a pretty
exclusive club in our sport."
 |
| Angelle Savoie, a three-time series champion
in Pro Stock Bike, earned her first No. 1 qualifying position
of the season by posting a 7.121 at 189.02 on her U.S. Army
Suzuki. . |
Savoie, a three-time series champion in Pro Stock Bike, earned
her first No. 1 qualifying position of the season by posting a 7.121
at 189.02 on her U.S. Army Suzuki. It was her 35th career No. 1
effort, and fifth at Atlanta Dragway.
"This is awesome. I can't tell you how happy I am for this
entire U.S. Army team. We've all been working so hard to get these
results and, finally, it has paid off. Personally, I really needed
this. I was beginning to wonder if I had lost my edge. I questioned
whether I could do this anymore. This ended up being a real confidence
booster. Now, of course, we have to prepare for race day. After
all, this was only qualifying. But, we'll enjoy this moment, and
then quickly focus on Sunday."
First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for
the 24th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals
presented by Pontiac at Atlanta Dragway, the seventh of 23 events
in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Pairings based
on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.
Top Fuel -- 1. David Grubnic, 4.469 seconds, 324.44
mph vs. 16. John Smith, 4.772, 308.14; 2. Tony Schumacher, 4.510,
329.02 vs. 15. Scott Kalitta, 4.769, 296.18; 3. Cory McClenathan,
4.545, 323.50 vs. 14. Scott Weis, 4.756, 303.03; 4. Doug Kalitta,
4.548, 325.85 vs. 13. Bruce Litton, 4.703, 309.42; 5. Doug Herbert,
4.564, 321.65 vs. 12. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 4.701, 311.20; 6. David
Baca, 4.567, 324.51 vs. 11. Brandon Bernstein, 4.680, 315.12; 7.
Darrell Russell, 4.570, 326.00 vs. 10. Bob Vandergriff, 4.654, 312.13;
8. Larry Dixon, 4.573, 323.43 vs. 9. Clay Millican, 4.589, 309.98.
Funny Car -- 1. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Monte Carlo,
4.765, 329.83 vs. 16. Bob Gilbertson, Pontiac Firebird, 5.297, 237.75;
2. Whit Bazemore, Dodge Stratus, 4.797, 324.20 vs. 15. Ron Capps,
Monte Carlo, 5.064, 277.20; 3. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 4.806,
319.98 vs. 14. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.977, 324.12; 4. Tommy
Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.825, 321.88 vs. 13. Jerry Toliver, Toyota
Celica, 4.976, 322.27; 5. Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 4.828, 319.45 vs.
12. Jim Head, Celica, 4.937, 294.95; 6. Eric Medlen, Ford Mustang,
4.828, 322.42 vs. 11. Gary Densham, Mustang, 4.927, 315.42; 7. Del
Worsham, Monte Carlo, 4.835, 323.04 vs. 10. Tony Bartone, Chevy
Camaro, 4.921, 304.25; 8. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 4.835, 313.37
vs. 9. John Force, Mustang, 4.894, 313.88.
Pro Stock -- 1. Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 6.796,
203.80 vs. 16. Steve Johns, Chevy Cavalier, 6.840, 202.76; 2. Jason
Line, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.802, 203.34 vs. 15. JR Carr, Cavalier,
6.839, 201.58; 3. Greg Anderson, Grand Am, 6.804, 203.00 vs. 14.
Mike Edwards, Grand Am, 6.834, 201.58; 4. Jeg Coughlin, Cavalier,
6.806, 202.61 vs. 13. Kurt Johnson, Cavalier, 6.832, 202.58; 5.
Darrell Alderman, Stratus, 6.816, 203.00 vs. 12. Ron Krisher, Cavalier,
6.832, 202.76; 6. Dave Connolly, Cavalier, 6.821, 203.40 vs. 11.
Troy Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.831, 202.27; 7. Kenny Koretsky, Stratus,
6.821, 203.16 vs. 10. Rickie Smith, Cavalier, 6.829, 202.73; 8.
Bruce Allen, Grand Am, 6.822, 202.94 vs. 9. Warren Johnson, Grand
Am, 6.828, 203.12.
Pro Stock Bike -- 1. Angelle Savoie, Suzuki, 7.121,
189.02 vs. 16. Josh Helvie, Kawasaki, 7.258, 183.97; 2. Michael
Phillips, Suzuki, 7.130, 191.16 vs. 15. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.255,
187.50; 3. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.135, 187.96 vs. 14. Blaine Hale,
Suzuki, 7.253, 187.55; 4. GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.150, 192.91
vs. 13. Chip Hunter, Suzuki, 7.240, 189.73; 5. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson,
7.161, 189.73 vs. 12. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.236, 186.95; 6. Shawn
Gann, Suzuki, 7.177, 190.24 vs. 11. Tommy Grimes Jr, Suzuki, 7.234,
186.25; 7. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.193, 189.71 vs. 10. Fred Collis,
Suzuki, 7.217, 184.80; 8. Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.194, 187.39 vs.
9. Matthew Smith, Suzuki, 7.203, 190.32.
Tragedy in Commerce!
Yes, that’s beer spilled all over the hot Georgia
asphalt after a hapless vendor overturned his cart at Atlanta Dragway
on Saturday.
SATURDAY NOTES - Angelle's final
hurrah, Morgan the streak breaker and a Funny Car Birthday...
(5-15-2004) -
Savoie saves best for last - It wasn’t as humid on
Saturday as on the first day of qualifying, but temperatures reached
the high 80’s, with track temperatures about 115 - 120 degrees
for the early qualifying session and more than 130 degrees for the
last chance round. The hot track proved tough to handle as only
the Pro Stock Bike class showed a change on the qualifying leadership
board. In the last pairing of the day Angelle Savoie stole the qualifying
lead from Michael Phillips with a 7.121 at 187.76 mph.
Morgan stops Anderson’s streak - Greg Anderson
ran the quickest e.t. of the final Pro Stock qualifying session
at 6.804 seconds, but it wasn't enough to continue a streak of 11
consecutive number one qualifying performances coming into the race
at Atlanta Dragway.
Instead, the defending series champion will start from the third
position behind team mate Jason Line and pole sitter Larry Morgan
at 6.796 seconds. Anderson earned low qualifying honors at 20 of
the last 29 national events and his average starting position since
the opening race of the 2003 season is 1.66. The Atlanta race also
marks the first time in 33 events dating back to the 2003 season-opening
Winternationals in Pomona, Ca, that a GM-branded racecar has not
been low qualifier in Pro Stock.
In a rare reversal of fortunes, Troy Coughlin outqualified his
brother Jeg, starting 10th compared to 15th for Jeg, who continues
to hold the longest active qualifying streak in NHRA's most competitive
professional class. Jeg Coughlin has now qualified for 43 straight
events. The last race he failed to qualify at was in 2002 at Route
66 Raceway in Joliet, IL.
Happy Birthday, Phil! - Phil Burkart had plenty
to celebrate on Saturday -- his 39th birthday -- after he made the
quickest pass in the third Funny Car qualifying session and the
third-quickest in the final session before ending up 8th over all.
Burkart will face John Force in round one on Sunday.
Whit Bazemore finished qualifying in Atlanta in the runner up spot
for the third time this season. His lap of record came in Friday
night’s session when he went 4.797 at 324.20.
"The weekend as a whole has been really positive for the team,”
said Bazemore. “Today, we were consistent and we were within
a couple of hundredths of low E.T. of the day. Lee (Beard, crew
chief) is still finding his way back to the tune-up after spending
most of the season trying to compensate for a mechanical problem
that we really didn't know existed until this week. Whenever that
happens it's really hard for a crew chief because he's trying to
tune the car for the conditions and other variables such as a new
Goodyear tire, and at the same time, unbeknownst to him, there is
a mechanical problem that is making the car
very inconsistent.”
Tommy Johnson Jr.’s fourth place starting position matched
his season-best start in March at Phoenix. His teammate, Ron Capps,
made it into the starting field in 15th place.
Battle of champions - Two-time defending NHRA Top
Fuel champion Larry Dixon finished qualifying in the 8th position
with a 4.573 at 323.43, pitting him against defending IHRA champ
Clay Millican (4.589 at 309.98) in round one of eliminations. Last
year, Millican beat Millican beat Don Lampus and Brandon Bernstein
on his way to a semi-final appearance, where he lost to Dixon.
Australian David Grubnic qualified number one at Atlanta Dragway
with a track record 4.469, which also was the first 4.40 run in
the track‘s history. Grubnic’s team mates Doug Kalitta
and Scott Kalitta qualified 4th and 15th, respectively.
FRIDAY - PEDREGON RACES TO
FASTEST FUNNY CAR SPEED IN NHRA HISTORY DURING FRIDAY QUALIFYING
AT SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NHRA SOUTHERN NATIONALS
 |
| Defending Event and World Champion Tony
Pedregon paced the Funny Car division with a new track record
and initially established a new speed mark as well. |
(5-14-2004) - Tony Pedregon raced to the qualifying
lead in Funny Car Friday at the 24th annual Summit Racing Equipment
NHRA Southern Nationals presented by Pontiac at Atlanta Dragway.
David Grubnic, Larry Morgan and Andrew Hines also were leaders
in their respective categories at the $1.8 million race, the seventh
of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
Pedregon, the defending series champion in the 6,000 horsepower
category, clocked the fastest Funny Car speed in NHRA history, powering
his Quaker State Chevy Monte Carlo to a 329.83 mph pass in a track
record time of 4.765 seconds.
"I'm impressed," Pedregon said. "This is our first
race with the new Monte Carlo body and I really think this body
is built for the way we run our car. We use a big power tune-up
and the body really responded. The main thing I noticed was how
quiet it was in there compared to the other bodies. I'm just so
glad we're finally on equal footing with the other designs. We're
not handicapped any more.
"It was one of those runs where everything went right. We
stayed after Bristol and tested and I think that helped us a bunch.
We haven't had a lot of runs this year where everything went right.
But this time Dickie (Venables, crew chief) and the guys took advantage
of some good conditions and Dickie did a great job reading the track,
and we had a nice run."
In order to set the NHRA national speed record, Pedregon needs
to post a speed within 1 percent of the record time as required
by NHRA rules (326.53 mph).
 |
| Aussie Dave Grubnic powered his Kalitta
Air dragster to a track record time of 4.469 at 324.44 to lead
Top Fuel qualifying. |
Grubnic powered his Kalitta Air dragster to a track record time
of 4.469 at 324.44 to lead Top Fuel qualifying. It was the fourth
sub-4.5 second run for Grubnic, as well as a career-best.
"This is fantastic," Grubnic said. "I can't take
any of the credit. That should all go to Connie (Kalitta, team owner)
and the guys. I'm just the lucky guy that gets to drive the car
down the racetrack. I really didn't know what to expect with the
conditions, but knowing Conrad I expected we'd run about a 4.50.
When I heard Jon O. (co-crew chief Jon Oberhoffer) say we'd run
a 4.46 on the radio I couldn't believe it. It's fantastic for the
entire Kalitta Air gang."
Morgan interrupted Greg Anderson's stronghold in Pro Stock by setting
the pace with a track record time of 6.796 at 202.91 in his Team
Mopar Dodge Stratus R/T.
 |
| Larry Morgan interrupted Greg Anderson's
stronghold in Pro Stock by setting the pace with a track record
time of 6.796 at 202.91 in his Team Mopar Dodge Stratus R/T. |
"Our team couldn't be any happier right now," Morgan
said. "This is almost as good as a win. All the guys at the
shop and (my crew chief) Bob Glidden made this happen. Bob has really
turned this program around. I'm really happy for him.
"Hopefully for Dodge and Summit we can stay on the pole tomorrow,
but we'll need a little luck. It's gonna be good in the morning.
There are a handful of guys out here who worry us, including Greg.
We test so much and we gain a little each week it seems like."
Hines led Pro Stock Bike on his Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson
with a time of 7.162 at 184.32 mph.
 |
| Matt Hines led Pro Stock Bike on his Screamin'
Eagle Harley-Davidson with a time of 7.162 at 184.32 mph. |
"That's the smoothest run I've made all year," Hines
said. "We've finally figured out how to get this bike off the
starting line. That was our best 60-foot time ever. It's taken some
trial and error, but I think we have the hot set-up for this bike.
The two-bike thing is really working. We saw what GT (Tonglet, teammate)
did in front of us and made an adjustment to the RPM. That helped
the early numbers, for sure."
Qualifying continues Saturday at 11 a.m.
Results Friday after qualifying for the 24th annual Summit
Racing Equipment
NHRA Southern Nationals presented by Pontiac at Atlanta Dragway,
seventh of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing
Series. Qualifying continues Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. David Grubnic, 4.469 seconds, 324.44
mph; 2. Tony Schumacher, 4.510, 328.38; 3. Cory McClenathan, 4.545,
323.50; 4. Doug Kalitta, 4.548, 325.85; 5. Doug Herbert, 4.564,
321.65; 6. David Baca, 4.567, 324.51; 7. Darrell Russell, 4.570,
326.00; 8. Larry Dixon, 4.573, 323.43; 9. Clay Millican, 4.589,
309.98; 10. Bob Vandergriff, 4.654, 312.13; 11. Brandon Bernstein,
4.680, 315.12; 12. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 4.701, 311.20; 13. Bruce
Litton, 4.703, 309.42; 14. John Smith, 4.772, 308.14; 15. Scott
Weis, 5.514, 171.25; 16. Luigi Novelli, 6.548, 127.67.
Funny Car -- 1. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Monte Carlo,
4.765, 329.83; 2. Whit Bazemore, Dodge
Stratus, 4.797, 324.20; 3. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 4.806, 319.98;
4. Tommy Johnson Jr.,
Monte Carlo, 4.825, 321.88; 5. Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 4.828, 319.45;
6. Eric Medlen, Ford
Mustang, 4.828, 318.39; 7. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 4.835, 323.04;
8. Phil Burkart, Monte
Carlo, 4.835, 312.64; 9. Jim Head, Toyota Celica, 4.937, 294.95;
10. John Force, Mustang, 4.955, 289.51; 11. Gary Densham, Mustang,
4.958, 314.68; 12. Jerry Toliver, Celica, 4.976, 322.27; 13. Cruz
Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.977, 324.12; 14. Tony Bartone, Chevy Camaro,
5.313, 243.02; 15. Richard Hartman, Pontiac Firebird, 5.341, 285.11;
16. Ron Capps, Monte Carlo, 5.725, 175.98.
Pro Stock -- 1. Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 6.796,
202.91; 2. Jason Line, Pontiac Grand
Am, 6.802, 203.28; 3. Greg Anderson, Grand Am, 6.809, 202.64; 4.
Bruce Allen, Grand Am, 6.822, 202.52; 5. Darrell Alderman, Stratus,
6.830, 202.06; 6. Warren Johnson, Grand Am, 6.830, 201.97; 7. Dave
Connolly, Chevy Cavalier, 6.834, 202.27; 8. Kurt Johnson, Cavalier,
6.841, 201.91; 9. Ron Krisher, Cavalier, 6.845, 202.03; 10. Jim
Yates, Grand Am, 6.845, 200.98; 11. JR Carr, Cavalier, 6.847, 200.92;
12. Rickie Smith, Cavalier, 6.850, 201.94; 13. Mike Edwards, Grand
Am, 6.857, 200.74; 14. Steve Johns, Cavalier, 6.863, 202.18; 15.
Jeg Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.866, 201.70; 16. Kenny Koretsky, Stratus,
6.872, 202.00.
Pro Stock Bike -- 1. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson,
7.162, 184.32; 2. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.165, 187.23; 3. Shawn Gann,
Suzuki, 7.195, 186.77; 4. Angelle Savoie, Suzuki, 7.209, 188.65;
5. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.229, 185.89; 6. Fred Collis, Suzuki,
7.239, 184.55; 7. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.253, 188.62; 8. Blaine
Hale, Suzuki, 7.253, 185.56; 9. GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.260,
186.59; 10. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.261, 186.95; 11. Steve Johnson,
Suzuki, 7.268, 187.99; 12. Kurt Matte, Suzuki, 7.280, 184.12; 13.
Josh Helvie, Kawasaki, 7.287, 183.97; 14. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.289,
183.05; 15. Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.300, 187.39; 16. Matthew Smith,
Suzuki, 7.305, 183.29.
Where does driver safety fit into the equation?
(5-14-2004) - That's exactly what a lot of people
are wondering following an incident that also involved the latest
marketing gimmick for drag racing television coverage. We're not
going to say whether or not it contributed to the intensity of one
crash on Friday or not, but one thing is certain...it didn't help
matters much.
Bob Casella, from Murrysville, Pa, crashed his SS/DA '69 Camaro
on Friday morning in the first elimination round of Super Stock.
Starting from the left lane he broke loose at the start and veered
toward the centerline where he hit the triangular sponsorship sign
just past the starting tree. After hitting the sign Casella veered
back and hit the left wall very hard, then bounced off it and went
back across track and hit the other wall before coming to a stop.
(See photos above for photographic example following the accident.)
The time is coming soon that the NHRA and all sanctioning bodies
are going to have to consider that anything posted on the racing
surface past the tree is a hazardous measure. However, if the marketing
aspects are going to overrule safety, some suggest that creating
a foam version might be a better avenue. After all, isn't that why
we do the foam timing blocks instead of the old photo cell timers?
- Bobby Bennett
FRIDAY NOTES - Records fall by the
wayside, True meaning to the term "Hot" Lanta and Super
Stock Mishap
 |
| Six track records fell at Atlanta Dragway
on Friday, led by Tony Pedregon's fastest pass in NHRA Funny
Car history at 329.83 mph. |
(5-14-2004) - Record-setting day in Atlanta
- Six track records fell at Atlanta Dragway on Friday,
led by Tony Pedregon's fastest pass in NHRA Funny Car history at
329.83 mph. To officially back up that speed for an NHRA national
speed record, Pedregon needs to run within one percent of it (326.53
mph or better) during the Atlanta event. Pedregon also sat on top
of the qualifying order with a track record 4.765 after two rounds
of qualifying. The Quaker State driver said he was "impressed"
by the new Monte Carlo body that he's using for the first time at
this race.
"One thing I noticed is that it drives better, and I think
that's because it has better frontal downforce and better overall
aerodynamics," said Pedregon. "The new Chevrolet is also
more stable and it's quieter inside the car. I got on the radio
and said that it ran at least a 4.78. I would have been happy with
that but then they said it ran the 4.76 at 325, and I said, 'all
right!' Then they said it went 329 mph and I got a little loud after
that."
David Grubnic led Top Fuel qualifying after two rounds with a track
record 4.469 that was also a career-best ET for the Kalitta Racing
driver. Number two at the halfway point was Tony Schumacher, who
went 4.510 at 328.38, a new track speed record. After 17 cars made
attempts, only Scott Kalitta with two aborted passes was not qualified.
The big news in Pro Stock was that Greg Anderson was not number
one, after Larry Morgan earned that position with a track record
6.796. Anderson's team mate Jason Line was second at 6.802 and a
track record 203.28 mph.
Andrew Hines ran 7.162 at 181.35 to lead the Pro Stock Bike field,
followed by Geno Scali and Shawn Gann.
Hot times - Despite temperatures in the mid-80's
and high humidity, the spectators were out in force with the Atlanta
Dragway grandstands full on both sides of the track. Track temperature
was about 112 degrees in the afternoon pro qualifying session and
dropped to about 94 degrees in the evening.
Tale of two Skoals - Don Prudhomme's blue and
green Skoal Funny Car teams met with mixed results after two rounds
of qualifying. Tommy Johnson Jr. put the blue car 4th at 4.825 at
321.88 and Ron Capps was 16th after a smoky 5.725 at only 175.98
mph in the green car. Both cars have struggled in both qualifying
and elimination rounds this year, but since mid-April Johnson has
made full passes on 11 of his last 12 runs. "We found all of
our problems a few races ago and our performance is bringing the
confidence back to the crew," said Johnson. "You go to
the starting line knowing that the car is going to make it down
the race track and it's going to run good. Everybody's confidence
was down and now I'm as happy as can be. Everybody is working together
really well and things are starting to flow."
Johnsons test in preparation - Warren Johnson
spent two days testing at Carolina Dragway in Jackson, SC while
his son Kurt spent the week before the Atlanta race working on the
engine dyno. The father and son team were 6th and 8th after two
rounds of qualifying on Friday.
Edwards debuts new car - On Monday, Pro Stock
driver Mike Edwards picked up a brand-new 2004 Grand Am built by
Jerry Haas and debuted the car on Friday. He made two test runs
each day on Tuesday and Wednesday at Gateway International in St.
Louis before heading to Atlanta, where he was qualified 13th with
a 6.857 at 200.74 after two sessions. An Edwards crew member said
the car's purchase was unplanned, but after missing the cut at two
races already this year, Edwards knew he needed something new.
And Arend doesn't debut new truck - Funny Car
driver Jeff Arend and his new team were working out of a cramped
gooseneck trailer in Atlanta despite having a new (to them) big
rig parked just a few miles away. Arend said he bought Tim Wilkerson's
previous rig through Sioux City Kenworth, but since it didn't arrive
until Wednesday night it was too late for it to fit into the pit
area and had to be parked at a nearby truck stop.
Super Stock accident - Bob Casella, from Murrysville,
Pa, crashed his SS/DA '69 Camaro on Friday morning in the first
elimination round of Super Stock. Starting from the left lane he
broke loose at the start and veered toward the centerline where
he hit a triangular sponsorship sign just past the starting tree.
After hitting the sign Casella veered back and hit the left wall
very hard, then bounced off it and went back across track and hit
the other wall before coming to a stop. He was transported via air
ambulance about 40 miles to Gwinnett Medical Center for evaluation
and treatment. There was no word on his condition as of Friday night
when the track closed.
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