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NHRA O'Reilly Spring Nationals
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The
latest results from the fifth stop on the 2004 NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series
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By Bobby Bennett Photos by Roger Richards |
SUNDAY -STOFFER JOINS ELITE GROUP OF FEMALE WINNERS IN NHRA HISTORY; BERNSTEIN, WILKERSON AND ANDERSON ALSO WIN AT O'REILLY SPRING NATIONALS IN HOUSTON
(4-18-2004) - Karen Stoffer became the seventh woman in NHRA history to win a professional race Sunday, earning the Pro Stock Bike title of the 17th annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park. Brandon Bernstein, Tim Wilkerson and Greg Anderson also earned victories in their respective categories at the $1.9 million race, the fifth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Stoffer earned her first career victory in the two-wheel category by beating Antron Brown in the final. Stoffer rode to the win with a 7.159-second pass at 186.38 mph to top Brown's run of 7.176 at 186.05 in a battle between two Suzukis. The final margin of victory was .0018 seconds, or approximately six inches. "I knew it was going to be a tough road for us because we
had such good competition on our side of the ladder," Stoffer
said. "But we are a tough team too and right now anything seems
possible. All I can say is 'wow' because I don't know how to describe
it any other way."
"For a team that might not have been here, this is just amazing," Stoffer said. Bernstein earned the fifth Top Fuel win of his career in his Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster and is a perfect five-for-five in final round appearances. Bernstein went 4.695 at 271.79 to beat first-time finalist Clay Millican's 5.032 at 238.81. Bernstein has earned five wins in just 13 career races. He was quick to give credit to the tuning ability of crew chief Tim Richards. "I can't say enough about the performance of the car," Bernstein said. "Tim and the entire team are doing such an incredible job. I feel very fortunate to have a great car and a great ride. This is a dream come true." Bernstein had a full house of guests this weekend. The Texas native
graduated from Texas A&M and had his grandfather, Bert Bernstein
and mother, Donna Easom, cheering him on.
With the win, Bernstein moved closer to the top of the point standings. Tony Schumacher lost to Larry Dixon in the second round and saw his points lead cut to 38 - less than two rounds of competition. "It's still early in the season but someone needs to stop him before he runs away with (the championship)," Bernstein said. "It's going to be a tough battle. I'm not going to say that I was cheering for (Dixon, during the second round matchup against Schumacher) but I will say that I was happy that I saw the win-light on that side of the track." Wilkerson earned the fourth win of his career in Funny Car with a 4.896 pass at 303.30 in his Levi, Ray & Shoup Chevy Monte Carlo to beat Jerry Toliver's 5.081 at 277.03 in his Schick Toyota Celica. Wilkerson beat Funny Car points leader Del Worsham in the semifinal round before claiming the victory. The win helped Wilkerson move into the No. 3 spot of the points order. "We were lucky to get around Del," Wilkerson said. "It
seems like every time we meet it is the darndest race. We're going
to keep chasing him and hopefully we'll meet enough in the later
rounds that we will been in the hunt at the end of the season." "The track was a little funky for us," Wilkerson said. "But it came around to us. It's wonderful." Anderson beat his teammate in the Pro Stock finale in a duel between
a pair of Pontiac Grand Ams. Anderson earned the 20th win of his
career by turning in a 6.738 run at 205.57 in the Vegas General
Construction car to top Jason Line's 9.466 at 98.16 in the KB Framers
car.
"Jason had a better light (reaction time) and he was faster to the 60-foot mark," Anderson said. "But then his car got out of the groove and I am not sure if anyone could have saved it. He shut it off before hitting the wall. I would have been happy if he won too. It would have been a better race if the car hadn't had problems." Line said he hopes he gets another shot at beating his boss. "It should have been a better race and I hope I get another chance to race Greg in the final," Line said. "The car just went left and I had to shut it off. But it was tuned up to race. It should have been a real good finish. We should have finished so close to where we could have received the Motel 6 'Who Got the Light' award. Next time." Anderson has four wins in just five national events this season. If he wants to break records, he will break his own. Anderson set the record for the most wins in a season - 12 - last year en route to his first POWERade Pro Stock championship. While Anderson admits he may be dominating the category now, he said he thinks it is good for the fans. "The best thing for the category is for everyone to run quicker
and faster," Anderson said. "Our team works very hard
at finding more power and I think we are just elevating the category.
Already other teams have stepped up their team too. Jeg (Coughlin)
and Warren (Johnson) both turned in faster runs than I did and that
shows you they are finding the power. The next NHRA POWERade series event is the fourth annual O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tenn., April 30- May 2.
Sportsman Results -
Final round-by-round results from the 17th annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil at Houston Raceway Park, the fifth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series - TOP FUEL: ROUND ONE -- Cory McClenathan, 4.577, 311.34 def. Darrell Russell, 6.322, 146.13; Clay Millican, 4.597, 314.31 def. Mark Kinsella, 4.886, 270.75; Larry Dixon, 4.609, 302.69 def. Brady Kalivoda, 4.783, 272.89; Doug Herbert, 4.817, 296.89 def. Scott Palmer, 4.851, 284.03; Scott Kalitta, 4.629, 315.27 def. David Grubnic, 4.639, 307.58; Tony Schumacher, 4.588, 318.32 def. Bruce Litton, 4.782, 273.11; Doug Kalitta, 4.560, 316.67 def. David Baca, 4.599, 311.34; Brandon Bernstein, 4.609, 313.58 def. John Smith, foul; TOP FUEL: QUARTERFINALS -- S. Kalitta, 4.612, 312.21 def. Herbert, 4.735, 293.92; Dixon, 4.562, 317.94 def. Schumacher, 6.820, 117.70; Bernstein, 5.415, 253.75 def. McClenathan, 6.135, 257.58; Millican, 4.869, 284.81 def. D. Kalitta, 5.094, 264.44; SEMIFINALS -- Bernstein, 4.646, 308.92 def. S. Kalitta, 4.812, 250.46; Millican, 4.810, 287.72 def. Dixon, 10.091, 93.15; FINAL -- Bernstein, 4.695, 271.79 def. Millican, 5.032, 238.81.
ROUND ONE -- Tim Wilkerson, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.824, 310.77 def. Bob Gilbertson, Pontiac Firebird, 11.488, 86.97; Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 4.881, 306.40 def. Whit Bazemore, Dodge Stratus, 6.606, 139.34; Jerry Toliver, Toyota Celica, 5.052, 293.03 def. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 8.336, 95.75; Gary Densham, Ford Mustang, 6.842, 129.32 def. Jim Head, Celica, broke; John Force, Mustang, 4.847, 308.99 def. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.924, 303.03; Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 5.037, 309.56 def. Jeff Arend, Chevy Corvette, 9.057, 100.28; Eric Medlen, Mustang, 4.921, 302.41 def. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.904, 302.14; Tony Pedregon, Chevy Camaro, 4.892, 296.63 def. Ron Capps, Monte Carlo, 4.947, 306.81; QUARTERFINALS -- Wilkerson, 4.918, 308.00 def. Medlen, 6.845, 132.26; Worsham, 4.941, 296.50 def. Scelzi, 5.010, 300.40; Toliver, 6.174, 221.16 def. Force, broke; Densham, 5.488, 248.98 def. T. Pedregon, 6.182, 178.26; SEMIFINALS -- Toliver, 5.429, 273.55 def. Densham, 13.224, 86.95; Wilkerson, 4.964, 303.16 def. Worsham, 4.963, 297.02; FINAL -- Wilkerson, 4.896, 303.30 def. Toliver, 5.081, 277.03.
ROUND ONE -- Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 6.787, 203.06 def. Jim Yates, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.813, 202.97; Dave Connolly, Chevy Cavalier, 6.819, 203.25 def. Darrell Alderman, Dodge Stratus R/T, 6.787, 203.65; Mike Edwards, Grand Am, 6.792, 203.40 def. Rickie Smith, Cavalier, 6.793, 203.71; Kurt Johnson, Cavalier, 6.789, 203.03 def. Ron Krisher, Cavalier, 6.818, 202.52; Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.745, 204.60 def. Steve Johns, Cavalier, 6.787, 203.83; Warren Johnson, Grand Am, 6.761, 204.82 def. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.767, 204.01; Greg Anderson, Grand Am, 6.731, 204.54 def. Mark Whisnant, Cavalier, 6.789, 203.71; Jeg Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.757, 204.85 def. Bruce Allen, Grand Am, 6.781, 203.58; QUARTERFINALS -- Edwards, 6.803, 203.98 def. W. Johnson, 6.827, 204.17; J. Coughlin, 6.762, 204.57 def. K. Johnson, 6.770, 203.80; Line, 6.760, 204.17 def. Connolly, 6.795, 203.55; Anderson, 6.736, 205.07 def. Morgan, foul; SEMIFINALS -- Line, 6.766, 203.83 def. Edwards, 6.878, 202.73; Anderson, 6.738, 204.82 def. J. Coughlin, 7.336, 147.99; FINAL -- Anderson, 6.738, 205.57 def. Line, 9.466, 98.16.
ROUND ONE -- Angelle Savoie, Suzuki, 7.174, 186.59 def. Fred Collis, Suzuki, foul; Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.112, 187.83 def. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.267, 186.67; GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.216, 186.20 def. Blaine Hale, Suzuki, foul; Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.130, 188.04 def. Fred Camarena, Suzuki, 7.301, 179.18; Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.216, 184.19 def. Josh Helvie, Kawasaki, foul; Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.248, 184.70 def. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.267, 185.26; Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.160, 187.44 def. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.224, 187.81; Shawn Gann, Suzuki, 7.172, 188.31 def. Chip Hunter, Suzuki, broke; QUARTERFINALS -- Brown, 7.223, 185.31 def. Gann, 7.210, 186.36; Scali, 7.118, 188.41 def. Savoie, 7.289, 185.82; Stoffer, 7.134, 185.82 def. Tonglet, 7.184, 187.68; Hines, 7.132, 189.52 def. Berry, 7.239, 184.67; SEMIFINALS -- Stoffer, 7.196, 184.98 def. Hines, 7.215, 177.00; Brown, 7.214, 184.47 def. Scali, 7.193, 186.82; FINAL -- Stoffer, 7.159, 186.38 def. Brown, 7.176, 186.05.
Head's punishment, An Un "Bee"lievable experiences and Wilk's take on the new tire...
Taking a knee - With a commanding lead in the Pro Stock point, some skeptics might suggest team order in the final round with Greg Anderson defeating Jason Line. Anderson denied such an allegation and pointed out that Line would have passed Warren Johnson in the points with a victory. You make the determination. Got Wilk? – Tim Wilkerson made a huge statement in his first round. After qualifying second behind Gary Densham, he stepped up with a 4.824, 310.77. Shaving Again – Jerry Toliver scored his second first round win since winning Pomona. Toliver performed a bit of mastery similar to his Pomona triumph by taking out a heavily favored Phil Burkart, Jr. The Schick-sponsored entry took advantage of Burkart’s loss of traction to win with a 5.052, 293.03. However, the victory came at a cost as he experienced a late chute and ended up in the sand-trap. The Toyota Celica body suffered significant front-end damage. Cruel and Unusual Punishment – Jim Head was poised to win his first round of competition since making the switch to Funny Car from Top Fuel. That is, until he crossed the centerline. Densham, who had smoked the tires and called it a day, had a front-row seat for the disqualification of the “Punisher” car. Densham’s comment was, “I thought I lost it fair and square,” Gary Densham. Litton returns – Just three weeks ago, Bruce Litton suffered a horrendous crash at an IHRA event in San Antonio. Litton emerged with only a slight concussion, but the same could not be said for his new Brad Hadman dragster. The Lucas Oil-sponsored driver returned to competition with his 2002 dragster. He landed a spot in the field, but fell in the first round. For Litton, he was just happy to be there. He added, “Just to be out here racing again is an absolutely great testimony to the resolve of our team. Underdogs neutered – Of the eight first round winners in Top Fuel, seven were from the top half of the qualifying ladder. It might take a while – John Force opened eliminations for the 328th consecutive time. If someone were to start afresh now and make a run for the streak, they’d have to qualify in every event until the year 2018. POWERade Drag Racing – An Un “Bee” Livable experience – A section in front of Houston Raceway Park had to be cordoned off and for a good reason. A swarm of honey bees had decided to get a front row seat for the event in the area normally reserved for standing room only spectators. NHRA officials later used a vacuum cleaner to get rid of the bees. That solved the problem until Sunday morning’s pre-race festivities. The bees came back. This time a torch was used. Force finds his Mojo – “It’s like we are born again. We have found our morale.” – John Force after stopping Tommy Johnson, Jr. in the first round. First for everything – With his victory over Cruz Pedregon in the opening round, Eric Medlen won for the first time in his career on a holeshot. When Stars collide – Just one week after the parting of ways with rider Angie McBride, Star Racing/G2 team owner George Bryce returned to action with Fred Collis. Their reunion netted a sixth qualifying effort, which put him opposite of Angelle Savoie in the first round, another former Star Racing rider. Collis lost this one on the starting line with a -.007 red light. It’s a woman’s world – For the first time in drag racing history there were two female winners at the same national event. Karen Stoffer (Pro Stock Bike) and Eric Enders (Super Gas) were the victorious drivers. How did that get in there? – “I knew that horseshoe would eventually fall out.” – Brandon Bernstein in a post-race interview Best Observation – “We were on the old tire all day today, so you might not ever see us here again.” – Funny Car winner Tim Wilkerson on his chances of winning again this season. More Sunday Notes...TOP FUEL * Brandon Bernstein, from Lake Forest, Calif., remained undefeated in final round appearances in his young career when he outran first-time finalist Clay Millican for his fifth career victory and second of the season. Bernstein powered the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster to the finish line in 4.695 seconds at 271.79 mph, driving past Millican’s 104+ Octane Boost dragster, which lost traction and slowed to pass of 5.032 at 238.81. Bernstein has five victories in 13 career Top Fuel starts. * Bernstein also earned his first No. 1 qualifying position of the season and the third of his career, recording low E.T. of the event with his pass of 4.516 at 320.58 to lead the Top Fuel field . * With the victory, Bernstein moved within 38 points of current POWERade point leader Tony Schumacher, who was eliminated in the second round by defending NHRA POWERade champion Larry Dixon. FUNNY CAR * Tim Wilkerson, from Springfield, Ill., notched his fourth career victory in the Levi, Ray & Shoup Chevy Monte Carlo when he covered the quarter-mile in 4.896 seconds at 303.30 mph, outrunning Jerry Toliver’s Schick Quattro Toyota Celica, which clocked a slower run of 5.081 at 277.03. Wilkerson’s first victory of the season catapulted him from ninth to third in the NHRA POWERade standings, two points behind second-place Gary Densham. Toliver, who won the season-opener at Pomona, Calif., then failed to qualify at the following event at Phoenix, moved into fifth in the standings with his 10th career final round appearance. * Densham drove his Auto Club Ford Mustang to the top of the Funny Car qualifying order for the second time this season and for the eighth time in his career with his effort of 4.846 at 311.20. * With his semifinal finish, Checker Schuck’s Kragen Monte Carlo driver Del Worsham maintained his position atop the NHRA POWERade Funny Car standings, 85 points ahead of Densham. * Rookie Eric Medlen collected the Motel 6 “Who Got the Light” $1,000 bonus check for his narrow .0014-second victory over Cruz Pedregon in the opening round of Funny Car eliminations. PRO STOCK * Greg Anderson, from Charlotte, N.C., continued to dominate Pro Stock and distance himself in the standings from the rest of the field following his fourth victory in five races this season. Anderson steered the Vegas General Construction Pontiac Grand Am down the quarter-mile in 6.738 seconds at 205.57 mph, well ahead of teammate and first-time finalist Jason Line. It was Anderson’s 20th career victory. Line’s KB Framers Grand Am came out of the groove and began to shake, forcing the rookie to shut the engine off early and coast through the timers at 9.466 at 98.16. Anderson now has an 18-1 record in eliminations this season, 30-1 over the last eight events, and is 154-67 for his career for a .697 winning percentage. * Anderson earned the No. 1 qualifying position for the fifth straight event and for the 10th consecutive time dating back to 2003 (Chicago 2). Anderson drove his Grand Am to both ends of the track record when he shut the clocks off at 6.693 at 205.72. The record for most consecutive Pro Stock top qualifying positions is 23, held by Bob Glidden (1986-’88). Dating back to the 2003 season-opener, Anderson has been the top qualifier at 19 of the last 28 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series events. * Anderson has established nine of 10 possible track records at the first five events this season with his only omission being the speed record at Gainesville, Fla., which was set by Kurt Johnson. * Anderson’s victory increased his lead in the standings to a 156-point margin over Johnson. Jeg Coughlin and Larry Morgan are tied for third, 238 points behind Anderson and 82 points behind Johnson. * Notable DNQ’s: Troy Coughlin and Mark Pawuk. PRO STOCK BIKE * Karen Stoffer made NHRA history, becoming the seventh female winner in a professional category when she rode her Geico Suzuki past Antron Brown for the victory. Stoffer, who was the runner-up to Angelle Savoie at Reading, Pa. in the first all-female final round in Pro Stock Bike history, covered the distance in 7.159 seconds at 186.38 mph. Brown’s U.S. Army Suzuki, which qualified No. 2, posted losing numbers of 7.176 at 186.05. Stoffer’s first-ever NHRA victory came in her third career final round appearance, which moved her into a career-best position of No. 2 in the point standings, six points out of first. * Andrew Hines secured the No. 1 qualifying spot for the second straight event and for the second time in his career, riding the Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson to the top of the qualifying order with his track record time of 7.072 at 190.03. * The O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals was the second of 15 national events for the two-wheel category. * Savoie, the three-time defending Pro Stock Bike champion, qualified in the No. 11 spot atop her U.S. Army Suzuki. It was the second time in her career that she has qualified in the bottom half of the field, both occurrences coming at the first two events of the 2004 season. * With his semifinal finish, Hines remained atop the Pro Stock
Bike standings, six points ahead of Stoffer and 43 points in front
of defending NHRA POWERade champion Geno Scali.
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| Greg Anderson continues to raise the bar in NHRA Pro Stock racing as he earned the No. 1 qualifying position for the 10th consecutive event. |
(4-17-2004) - Greg Anderson continues to raise the bar in NHRA Pro Stock racing as he earned the No. 1 qualifying position for the 10th consecutive event Saturday during the 17th annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park.
Brandon Bernstein, Gary Densham and Andrew Hines also earned the No. 1 qualifying position in their respective categories at the $1.9 million race, the fifth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. It is the second of 15 national events for the Pro Stock Bike category.
Anderson earned the 22nd No. 1 qualifying position of his career in his Vegas General Construction Pontiac Grand Am by setting both ends of the track record with a 6.693-second pass at 205.72 mph.
Anderson produced the best season in NHRA history en route to winning the 2003 Pro Stock championship. The 2004 season has already produced three wins along with nine track records.
"I'm very proud of what we've been able to accomplish because you can come up with all of the horsepower in the world but if you don't know how to put it on the track, it won't mean anything," Anderson said.
The record for the most consecutive No. 1 qualifiers is 23, set by former Pro Stock driver Bob Glidden between the 1986-'88 seasons.
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| Brandon Bernstein earned the third top qualifier of his career with a 4.516 run at 320.58 in his Budweiser dragster to lead Top Fuel. |
"I keep thinking that I am going to wake up and this will all be over," Anderson said. "Life has never been so fun as far as racing is concerned. It's never been quite this fun. This team is successful because we have been so consistent. Everyone pulls their weight around the shop and the track."
Bernstein earned the third top qualifier of his career with a 4.516 run at 320.58 in his Budweiser dragster to lead Top Fuel.
Bernstein is aiming for his fifth career victory and second of
the season on Sunday.
"It's real important that we are consistent because we don't
want (points leader) Tony Schumacher running away with the points
lead," Bernstein said. "It's difficult to get points back
at the end of the season."
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| Gary Densham paced the Funny Car class with a run of 4.846 at 311.20 in his Auto Club Ford Mustang for his eighth career No. 1 spot and second of the season. |
Densham paced the Funny Car class with a run of 4.846 at 311.20 in his Auto Club Ford Mustang for his eighth career No. 1 spot and second of the season.
"I figured with the heat we had today that our time (from Friday night) had a very good chance of staying at the top," Densham said. "(Crew chief) Jimmy Prock is making great tuning calls and the car is just plain fast."
Hines earned the second top qualifying position of his career and second of the season when he rode his Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson to a track-record time of 7.072 run at 187.94 to lead the Pro Stock Bike category.
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| Andrew Hines earned the second top qualifying position of his career and second of the season when he rode his Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson to a track-record time of 7.072 run at 187.94 to lead the Pro Stock Bike category. |
Hines said he didn't think the bike ran a No. 1 time.
"The bike moved over to the center and I thought that there was no way the run was going to be good enough for the No. 1 spot," Hines said. "This track threw us off for a little bit, but hopefully we have our tuneup set and ready for eliminations."
Final eliminations are set for 11 a.m. Sunday.
First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the 17th annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil at Houston Raceway Park, the fifth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.
Top Fuel -- 1. Brandon Bernstein, 4.516 seconds,
320.58 mph vs. 16. John Smith, 4.716, 305.22; 2. Doug Kalitta, 4.533,
322.81 vs. 15. David Baca, 4.704, 307.72; 3. Tony Schumacher, 4.544,
320.20 vs. 14. Bruce Litton, 4.703, 309.56; 4. David Grubnic, 4.548,
320.28 vs. 13. Scott Kalitta, 4.691, 309.63; 5. Doug Herbert, 4.576,
320.43 vs. 12. Scott Palmer, 4.675, 313.95; 6. Larry Dixon, 4.577,
324.75 vs. 11. Brady Kalivoda, 4.632, 311.77; 7. Clay Millican,
4.578, 310.98 vs. 10. Mark Kinsella, 4.630, 311.70; 8. Darrell Russell,
4.592, 320.66 vs. 9. Cory McClenathan, 4.607, 305.29.
Funny Car -- 1. Gary Densham, Ford Mustang, 4.846,
311.20 vs. 16. Jim Head, Toyota Celica, 5.195, 263.10; 2. Tim Wilkerson,
Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.874, 305.08 vs. 15. Bob Gilbertson, Pontiac
Firebird, 5.146, 283.85; 3. Jeff Arend, Chevy Corvette, 4.878, 299.53
vs. 14. Gary Scelzi, Dodge Stratus, 5.080, 297.48; 4. Phil Burkart,
Monte Carlo, 4.891, 308.07 vs. 13. Jerry Toliver, Celica, 5.023,
288.46; 5. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.896, 311.20 vs. 12.
John Force, Mustang, 4.958, 300.33; 6. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo,
4.898, 296.63 vs. 11. Whit Bazemore, Stratus, 4.927, 300.13; 7.
Eric Medlen, Mustang, 4.901, 297.22 vs. 10. Cruz Pedregon, Monte
Carlo, 4.923, 294.50; 8. Ron Capps, Monte Carlo, 4.912, 312.71 vs.
9. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Camaro, 4.912, 298.27.
Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac Grand Am,
6.693, 205.72 vs. 16. Mark Whisnant, Chevy Cavalier, 6.778, 203.92;
2. Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.723, 205.26 vs. 15. Steve Johns, Cavalier,
6.776, 204.82; 3. Warren Johnson, Grand Am, 6.737, 204.51 vs. 14.
Allen Johnson, Dodge Stratus, 6.770, 204.48; 4. Jeg Coughlin, Cavalier,
6.745, 205.51 vs. 13. Bruce Allen, Grand Am, 6.765, 203.58; 5. Kurt
Johnson, Cavalier, 6.749, 204.57 vs. 12. Ron Krisher, Cavalier,
6.763, 203.89; 6. Mike Edwards, Grand Am, 6.753, 203.74 vs. 11.
Rickie Smith, Cavalier, 6.762, 204.60; 7. Dave Connolly, Cavalier,
6.755, 204.01 vs. 10. Darrell Alderman, Dodge Stratus, 6.760, 204.14;
8. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.756, 204.29 vs. 9. Jim Yates, Grand
Am, 6.757, 203.61.
Pro Stock Bike -- 1. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson,
7.072, 190.03 vs. 16. Fred Camarena, Suzuki, 7.223, 184.45; 2. Antron
Brown, Suzuki, 7.074, 187.94 vs. 15. Josh Helvie, Kawasaki, 7.221,
183.22; 3. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.076, 191.02 vs. 14. Steve Johnson,
Suzuki, 7.198, 188.36; 4. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.103, 188.57 vs.
13. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.193, 185.15; 5. GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson,
7.107, 190.06 vs. 12. Blaine Hale, Suzuki, 7.191, 188.41; 6. Fred
Collis, Suzuki, 7.125, 187.00 vs. 11. Angelle Savoie, Suzuki, 7.184,
185.61; 7. Shawn Gann, Suzuki, 7.146, 187.81 vs. 10. Chip Hunter,
Suzuki, 7.173, 187.76; 8. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.157, 187.44
vs. 9. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.171, 187.44.
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FRIDAY - BERNSTEIN, DENSHAM, ANDERSON AND BROWN EARN TOP QUALIFYING SPOTS AT O'REILLY SPRING NATIONALS
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| Brandon Bernstein raced to the provisional No. 1 qualifying position Friday. |
(4-16-2004) - Texas native Brandon Bernstein raced to the provisional No. 1 qualifying position Friday during the 17th annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park.
Gary Densham, Greg Anderson and Antron Brown also led their respective categories at the $1.9 million race, the fifth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. It is the second of 15 national events for the Pro Stock Bike category.
Bernstein used a 4.516-second pass at 320.58 mph in his Budweiser dragster to lead the Top Fuel category after two rounds of qualifying. If he can stay in the No. 1 position, it will be the first top spot of the season and third in his young career.
"Tim (Richards, crew chief) and the guys really had it hopped up," Bernstein said. "We knew it was getting cooler and the track was getting tight. We saw a couple of good runs in front of us and knew we could turn in a good run."
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| Gary Densham ran a 4.846 at 311.20 in his Auto Club Ford Mustang to lead the Funny Car class. |
Densham ran a 4.846 at 311.20 in his Auto Club Ford Mustang to lead the Funny Car class. Densham was the No. 1 qualifier in Phoenix earlier this season and has sixth other top qualifiers in his career.
Anderson drove his Pontiac Grand Am to the top in Pro Stock, setting the elapsed time track record with a 6.693 run at 205.44.
In the first four races of the season, Anderson has set seven of
eight possible track records. He has been the No. 1 qualifier at
every race dating back to the Chicago 2 event in September. If he
can hang on to the top spot this weekend, Anderson will have a 10-race
streak at the top.
"We were hoping it would be a little cooler than it was,"
Anderson said. "We were thinking we could go after the national
record if it was in the 50s and 60s. But that really isn't our main
concern right now because we already have the national record anyway.
Our main concern is running quicker than everyone else."
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| (Top) Anderson drove his Pontiac Grand Am to the top in Pro Stock, setting the elapsed time track record with a 6.693 run at 205.44. (Bottom). Brown paced the two-wheel category, setting a track record time of 7.074 at 187.94 on his U.S. Army Suzuki. |
Brown paced the two-wheel category, setting a track record time of 7.074 at 187.94 on his U.S. Army Suzuki. Brown has six top qualifying positions in his career going into the weekend.
Qualifying continues Saturday with sessions at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Final eliminations are set for 11 a.m. Sunday.
Results Friday after qualifying for the 17th annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil at Houston Raceway Park, fifth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. Brandon Bernstein, 4.516 seconds, 320.58
mph; 2. Doug Kalitta, 4.533, 322.81; 3. Tony Schumacher, 4.544,
320.20; 4. David Grubnic, 4.548, 320.28; 5. Doug Herbert, 4.576,
320.43; 6. Larry Dixon, 4.577, 324.75; 7. Clay Millican, 4.578,
310.98; 8. Darrell Russell, 4.592, 320.66; 9. Mark Kinsella, 4.630,
311.70; 10. Brady Kalivoda, 4.632, 311.77; 11. Cory McClenathan,
4.650, 303.78; 12. Scott Palmer, 4.675, 313.95; 13. Bruce Litton,
4.703, 309.56; 14. David Baca, 4.704, 307.72; 15. John Smith, 4.716,
305.22; 16. T.J. Zizzo, 4.886, 290.01.
Funny Car -- 1. Gary Densham, Ford Mustang, 4.846,
311.20; 2. Jeff Arend, Chevy Corvette, 4.878, 299.53; 3. Phil Burkart,
Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.891, 308.07; 4. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo,
4.896, 311.20; 5. Eric Medlen, Mustang, 4.901, 286.56; 6. Ron Capps,
Monte Carlo, 4.912, 312.71; 7. Whit Bazemore, Dodge Stratus, 4.927,
297.68; 8. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.956, 294.50; 9. Tim Wilkerson,
Monte Carlo, 4.994, 289.76; 10. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 5.004,
295.08; 11. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Camaro, 5.034, 291.01; 12. Bob
Gilbertson, Pontiac Firebird, 5.185, 282.07; 13. Jerry Toliver,
Toyota Celica, 5.537, 281.95; 14. John Force, Mustang, 5.559, 252.66;
15. Tony Bartone, Firebird, 5.808, 164.95; 16. Jim Head, Celica,
8.079, 100.58.
Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.693,
205.44; 2. Warren Johnson, Grand Am, 6.737, 204.51; 3. Jeg Coughlin,
Chevy Cavalier, 6.745, 204.73; 4. Mike Edwards, Grand Am, 6.753,
203.61; 5. Dave Connolly, Cavalier, 6.755, 203.89; 6. Larry Morgan,
Dodge Stratus, 6.756, 204.29; 7. Kurt Johnson, Cavalier, 6.757,
204.11; 8. Jim Yates, Grand Am, 6.757, 203.61; 9. Darrell Alderman,
Dodge Stratus, 6.760, 204.14; 10. Ron Krisher, Cavalier, 6.763,
203.89; 11. Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.768, 204.54; 12. Steve Johns,
Cavalier, 6.776, 204.35; 13. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.777, 203.89;
14. Mark Whisnant, Cavalier, 6.778, 203.92; 15. Mark Pawuk, Grand
Am, 6.778, 203.19; 16. Rickie Smith, Cavalier, 6.783, 203.95.
Pro Stock Bike -- 1. Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.074,
187.94; 2. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.076, 191.02; 3. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson,
7.082, 190.03; 4. GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.107, 189.79; 5.
Fred Collis, Suzuki, 7.125, 186.07; 6. Shawn Gann, Suzuki, 7.146,
187.81; 7. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.148, 188.57; 8. Michael Phillips,
Suzuki, 7.157, 187.44; 9. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.171, 187.44; 10.
Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.198, 188.36; 11. Fred Camarena, Suzuki,
7.223, 184.45; 12. Kurt Matte, Suzuki, 7.226, 187.21; 13. Josh Helvie,
Kawasaki, 7.230, 181.59; 14. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.231, 184.14;
15. Angelle Savoie, Suzuki, 7.236, 185.61; 16. Blaine Hale, Suzuki,
7.242, 188.41.
THURSDAY NOTES – Racers eager to try out newly resurfaced quarter-mile at HRP
Johnson looking to begin new streak - Tommy Johnson will attempt to begin a new qualifying streak at Houston behind the wheel of his blue Skoal Racing Chevy Monte Carlo Funny Car. Johnson failed to qualify two weeks ago in Las Vegas, ended a 37-race qualifying streak.
Pedregon racing in front of new sponsor – POWERade Funny Champion, Tony Pedregon, will likely feel some added pressure at the O’Reilly Spring Nationals. Pedregon will be racing at the corporate home of his new sponsor, Quaker State. The defending champ has enjoyed considerable success in Houston during his Funny Car career and expects another strong showing this weekend with his new team.
Something Batty? – When it comes to building
momentum, NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Bike rider Lloyd Straus had never
experienced an adrenalin rush on the series like he did during the
Gatornationals. Headed into the final day of qualifying, Straus
was living on Cloud Nine with a spot in the ultra-competitive 16-bike
field. Qualifying ended with Straus just two clicks on the outside,
but the message is clear. The InfiNet/Gotham City team is one that
will be in contention in the events to come.
Straus and his tuner G.T. Tonglet has certainly caught the attention
of some of the best riders the class has to offer.
“This is such a tough class to qualify in, that anytime you
can come close, you have accomplished something to be extremely
proud of,” explained Straus. “I think our performance
sends a strong message that we are more than ready for the challenge.
All we need is a break here and there and we’ll be more than
up to the challenge. We are certainly using the Gainesville event
as a motivational experience to show what hard work and dedication
will provide.”
Scelzi still the quickest in Houston – Gary Scelzi
still holds the track elapsed time record at Houston Raceway Park.
Scelzi set the E.T. mark in 1999, running a 4.480 while driving
the Winston-sponsored Top Fuel dragster. Scelzi, who is in his third
year behind the wheel of a fuel flopper, will be looking for his
first win of the season in his HEMI-powered Oakley Dodge Stratus
Funny Car.
Millican loves the Lone Star State – Defending IHRA Top Fuel champion Clay Millican will be celebrating the one-year anniversary of the debut of his NHRA sponsor, 104+ Performance Additives. Millican, who won the IHRA event in San Antonio two weeks ago, made the best run of his career in Houston last year with a stunning 4.50 at 330 mph. The Lehman Racing team will be gunning for their first NHRA victory this weekend.
Kalitta still looking for first victory of 2004 – Doug Kalitta would be happy to repeat his efforts from last season in Houston this weekend. Kalitta, who drives the red Mac Tools dragster, the quickest and fastest Top Fueler in the world, won the first of four victories here last season, setting the track speed record in the process with a run of 333.91 mph.
Dixon determined heading into Houston – If the weather and track cooperate, two-time and defending NHRA POWERade Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon will be looking to return to the 4.40 elapsed time zone this weekend in Houston. It was five years ago this weekend that Dixon made drag racing history in Houston when he became the first driver to make a run in the 4.40’s with a 4.486 elapsed time in the Miller dragster. Dixon has failed to dip into the 4.40’s since but it has not stopped him from winning a pair of NHRA crowns.
Wilkerson closing in on 100th career round win – Tim Wilkerson has the opportunity to earn his 100th round win in Houston this weekend. The driver of the Levi, Ray and Shoup Chevy Monte Carlo is just two rounds away from the century mark.
Burkart earns first win for Chevy Monte Carlo Funny Car – Phil Burkart’s second career NHRA national event win was the first ever for the new Chevy Monte Carlo, which made its NHRA debut in February at Pomona. The win was Chevrolet’s 65th all-time NHRA Funny Car win in 135 final round appearances. The victory moved the Team Blue Checker, Schucks, Kragen driver into sixth place in the current POWERade Funny Car points standings.
KJ hoping for repeat in Houston – Pro Stock
driver, Kurt Johnson, would love to repeat his performance from
Houston last year. Johnson drove his ACDelco Cavalier to victory
at last year’s Spring Nationals, setting a new Pro Stock national
speed record with a 205.57 mph blast en route to the win. The 205-mph
run is still the track speed record for the class.
Anderson still a long way from qualifying record –
Greg Anderson has driven to nine consecutive No. 1 qualifying positions
dating back to last September’s NHRA Nationals in Joliet,
Ill. While the streak is the longest in the class in almost 17 years,
the defending POWERade Pro Stock champ still has a long way to go
to break the current mark, which is held by the legendary Bob Glidden.
Glidden holds the record with 23 consecutive No. 1 qualifying positions,
stretching over three seasons from 1985 through 1987.
Stoffer headed to Houston – Pro Stock Bike rider, Karen Stoffer, has decided to compete at the Spring Nationals in Houston, the second race of the season for the class. Stoffer’s successful semifinal finish at the Gatornationals in March convinced the team to go to Houston. Solidifying the decision was the addition of Cycle-Gard by Geico Direct, who will provide additional support at selected events on the 2004 tour.
U.S. Army Pro Stock Bike team looking to improve in Houston – Antron Brown and Angelle Savoie will put their disappointing season opening race in Gainesville behind them as they head to the Spring Nationals. Brown advanced to the quarterfinals but Savoie survived a qualifying crash only to lose on a holeshot in the first round. Both drivers expect to improve on their performances dramatically at Houston, where Brown earned his first No. 1 qualifying spot in 2001 and Savoie won the event in 2001 and 2003.
Daily coverage of the NHRA O'Reilly Spring Nationals
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| As news breaks, we'll pass it on to you. |
(4-15-2004) - WHAT: 17th annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil, the fifth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Professional competitors in four categories earn points leading to 2004 NHRA POWERade championships.
Sportsman competitors in seven categories earn points leading to 2004 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series championships.
WHERE: Houston Raceway Park, Baytown, Texas. From I-10, go south on Hwy. 146, or FM 3180. Then follow FM 565 to the facility. From the south, follow Hwy. 146 to Spur 55, then east to FM 1405, then north to FM 565. For further directions visit houstonracewaypark.com.
WHEN: Thursday through Sunday, April 15-18.
PURSE: Cash and contingency awards of more than $1.9 million.
THURSDAY, April 15 -- Sportsman qualifying and
time trials, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
FRIDAY, April 16 -- Sportsman qualifying and eliminations
begin at 8 a.m.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, April 17 -- Sportsman eliminations,
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
SUNDAY, April 18 -- Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.
FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION: Saturday, April 17, ESPN2 will televise
two hours of qualifying highlights at 10 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, April 18, ESPN2 will televise two hours of final eliminations
at 5 p.m. (ET).
2003 EVENT WINNERS: Doug Kalitta, Top Fuel; Tony Pedregon, Funny Car; Kurt Johnson, Pro Stock; Angelle Savoie, Pro Stock Bike.
TRACK RECORDS: Top Fuel - 4.480 seconds by Gary
Scelzi, Oct. '99; 333.91 mph by Doug Kalitta, April '03
Funny Car -- 4.755 seconds by Gary Densham, April '03; 325.69 mph
by Densham, April '03
Pro Stock -- 6.720 seconds by Warren Johnson, April '03; 205.57
mph by Kurt Johnson, April '03
Pro Stock Bike - 7.132 seconds by Angelle Savoie, April '03; 192.96
mph by Shawn Gann, April '03
NATIONAL RECORDS:
Top Fuel -- 4.441 seconds (Oct. '03, Reading, Pa.) by
Tony Schumacher; 333.25 mph (Nov. '03, Pomona, Calif.) by Doug Kalitta
Funny Car -- 4.721 seconds (May '03, Joliet, Ill.) by
John Force; 329.18 mph (Sept. '03, Joliet, Ill.) by Gary Scelzi
Pro Stock -- 6.670 seconds, 207.18 mph (May '03, Englishtown,
N.J.) by Greg Anderson
Pro Stock Bike - 7.049 seconds (May '02, Englishtown, N.J.) by Angelle Savoie; 194.10 mph (May '01, Englishtown, N.J.) by Matt Hines
