 |
     |
 |
|
|
NHRA Route 66 Nationals
|
 |
|
The
latest results from the eighth stop on the 2004 NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series
|
By Bobby Bennett Photos by Roger Richards |
SUNDAY - RECORDS FALL AS KALITTA, FORCE, LINE AND GANN EARN VICTORIES AT ROUTE 66 RACEWAY
(5-23-2004)– John Force earned his 111th career Funny Car victory Sunday at the seventh annual NHRA Route 66 Nationals at Route 66 Raceway. Doug Kalitta, Jason Line and Shawn Gann also won their respective categories at the $1.8 million race, the eighth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Force blasted his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang down the quarter-mile in 4.752 seconds at 325.30 mph, well ahead of rival Whit Bazemore, who lost traction in his Matco Tools Dodge Stratus and slowed to a pass of 8.034 at 115.06. It was Force’s second victory of 2004. “After I won earlier this season, I wore that winner’s circle hat for a week,” said Force. “I will never take a victory for granted again in my career. Today we knew in the final round we could try and set a record for time, but we decided to get this old hot rod down the track and go for the win and that is exactly what we did. We had a strategy and we knew we could probably set the national record, but I wanted to get the win and the POWERade money to pay the guys on my team and to pay the bills.”
In order to advance to the final round, Force had to defeat former teammate and the defending NHRA POWERade Funny Car champion, Tony Pedregon. Pedregon was the No. 1 qualifier heading into eliminations. Pedregon darted out to an early lead ahead of Force, who was having mechanical problems in his Mustang, but Pedregon’s Quaker State Chevy Monte Carlo started to swerve towards the left lane, eventually crossing the center-line while hitting the orange cones that separate the lanes. The violation disqualified Pedregon. “My heap wasn’t even running before we had to race Tony,” said Force, a 12-time NHRA champion. “We were going to switch motors out, then (co-crew chief) Bernie (Fedderly) thought the mag-switch was bad, so we changed it. I was going to run it for 100-feet or so then shut it off, just to see what happened. Next thing I know, it’s raining orange cones and I’m thinking ‘hot dog!’ The crosswind had to have hit Tony’s car, because I know him real well and he is way too good of a driver to let something like that happen.”
Bazemore appeared to be the favorite against Force heading into the final round. In his semifinal matchup against Tony Bartone, Bazemore made the quickest and fastest Funny Car pass in NHRA history, establishing a national record for time at 4.713 and hitting a speed of 333.25. Bazemore’s qualifying time of 4.731 backed up the record-setting run, but the Indianapolis resident was unable to run within the required 1 percent mandated by NHRA to set a national speed record in his final round loss. “It's disappointing to lose,” said Bazemore, a three-time winner at Route 66 Raceway. “No matter how good the rest of the weekend is, you come to win the race. We had a good chance and we proved a lot this weekend. I think (crew chief) Lee (Beard) and the team did an outstanding job. The bottom line is we’re disappointed. What matters is winning the race and beating John Force and it didn't happen. We've gone to four final rounds in five races, so we're doing well, we're excited and we're looking forward to going to Topeka. The national record is fine for your ego and it's cool, but what's more important, I think, right now is being able to go down the track on a hot track and being competitive there, and we proved that last weekend. We're not going to see conditions like this for a long time. This is a great, great facility.” Bazemore’s Funny Car teammate, Gary Scelzi, set the national speed record at 330.55, which he backed up in his Hemi-powered Oakley Dodge Stratus during qualifying.
The runner-up finish plus the additional 20 POWERade points awarded for setting the E.T. national record, moved Bazemore atop the point standings for the second time in his career. He led the standings following his win at Memphis, Tenn., last season but was ousted from the top spot by Pedregon at the next event. Force’s win moved him into second place, 13 points behind Bazemore. Del Worsham, who had led the standings since his victory at Phoenix in early March, was eliminated in the opening round Sunday and fell into the No. 3 spot, 32 points behind Bazemore. Kalitta made the quickest Top Fuel pass in NHRA history as he sped down the drag strip in his Mac Tools dragster in 4.420 at 328.22, well ahead of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster driven by Brandon Bernstein, which recorded slower numbers of 5.283 at 182.08 after the front wheels of the dragster lifted of the ground nearly flipping the vehicle over. Bernstein had been 5-0 in final round matchups in his career, including 2-0 this year, but lost to Kalitta, who had defeated in the final round at Phoenix. “It was an interesting day for us for sure,” said Kalitta. “First off, Cory (McClenathan) had us in the second round, but he left early. That was our lucky round for the day. You always need a lucky round. I knew the final against Brandon was going to be a great race. His team is real tough and you have to be prepared because you know he is going to be good on the (Christmas) tree.” The victory moved Kalitta to within 102 points of leader Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army dragster, which was eliminated by Bernstein in the semifinals. Bernstein’s runner-up finish leaves him 43 points out of first place.
“This is the first victory we have earned for (crew chief) Rahn Tobler,” Kalitta said. “(Rahn’s wife) Shirley (Muldowney) was here, along with so many members of my family and tons of friends from Michigan. This win was awesome.” Line scored the first Pro Stock victory of his career when teammate and fellow Pontiac Grand Am driver Greg Anderson fouled at the starting line and was disqualified. Line also earned the No. 1 qualifying position in his KB Framers-sponsored Pontiac, giving him and Anderson seven of the eight top spots this season, and seven of eight possible victories. “I saw Greg red-light at the start, but I wish he hadn’t done that,” Line said. “I was really surprised to see him leave early. But, he’s as happy for me as anybody else out there. It’s a win-win situation for us, the whole team wins.” Line, the 1993 Stock eliminator national champion and a former employee for Joe Gibbs Racing on the NASCAR circuit, earned his first victory in his 12th professional start. “As a former sportsman racer, to win in the Pro Stock category is amazing,” said the 34-year-old Line. “My goal for the whole year was to make it to one final round. Now we’ve been to three final rounds already and we won one of them.” Gann rode his Mac Tools/Gann Speed Suzuki to the winner’s circle for the first time this season and the third time of his career when current point standings leader Andrew Hines also fouled at the starting line atop his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson. “I saw Andrew red-light at the start,” said Gann. “The Harley-Davidsons have the obvious advantage right now in this class. But, we knew going up to the starting line that anything could have happened. This is racing, and that is the way it goes. Throughout my career I have usually put together a stretch of late round appearances. I hope this win, coming this early in the season, is the beginning of that late round stretch. I just hope this one lasts all year.” The NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series continues with the16th annual O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals, May 27-30, at Heartland Park Topeka in Topeka Kan.
Sportsman Results
Final round-by-round results from the seventh annual NHRA Route 66 Nationals at Route 66 Raceway, the eighth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series -
TOP FUEL:
ROUND ONE -- Scott Weis, 5.565, 203.49 def. Doug Herbert, 7.528, 103.44; Tony Schumacher, 4.571, 318.09 def. T.J. Zizzo, 5.187, 218.34; Darrell Russell, 4.558, 315.78 def. Clay Millican, 4.619, 294.95; Cory McClenathan, 4.511, 324.90 def. David Baca, 4.544, 323.58; Doug Kalitta, 4.487, 331.28 def. Larry Dixon, 4.563, 325.85; Brandon Bernstein, 4.477, 333.41 def. Bob Vandergriff, 6.886, 117.22; Scott Kalitta, 4.504, 332.84 def. Brady Kalivoda, 4.721, 282.24; David Grubnic, 4.501, 327.51 def. Mike Strasburg, 8.743, 93.66 QUARTERFINALS -- Schumacher, 4.472, 332.67 def. S. Kalitta, 6.698, 118.46; Weis, 4.545, 327.27 def. Grubnic, 4.525, 327.19; D. Kalitta, 8.225, 99.03 def. McClenathan, foul; Bernstein, 4.527, 328.70 def. Russell, 4.566, 329.58; SEMIFINALS -- D. Kalitta, 4.465, 332.10 def. Weis, 4.566, 327.66; Bernstein, 4.462, 332.26 def. Schumacher, 4.829, 300.60; FINAL -- D. Kalitta, 4.420, 328.22 def. Bernstein, broke.
FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE -- Eric Medlen, Ford Mustang, 4.816, 317.94 def. Jeff Arend, Chevy Corvette, 4.894, 316.75; Gary Densham, Mustang, 4.792, 326.63 def. Bob Bode, Pontiac Firebird, 5.796, 168.14; Tony Pedregon, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.993, 279.15 def. Jerry Toliver, Toyota Celica, 9.596, 78.20; Whit Bazemore, Dodge Stratus, 4.856, 312.13 def. Ron Capps, Monte Carlo, 4.955, 283.85; Tony Bartone, Chevy Camaro, 4.825, 310.84 def. Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 7.010, 129.44; Bob Gilbertson, Firebird, 4.896, 311.49 def. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, broke; Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 4.847, 310.20 def. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 6.245, 144.77; John Force, Mustang, 4.836, 311.70 def. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 4.856, 316.23; QUARTERFINALS -- Bazemore, 4.762, 324.67 def. Wilkerson, 4.818, 318.69; Medlen, 4.752, 320.58 def. Densham, 4.798, 325.22; Bartone, 5.502, 207.72 def. Gilbertson, 15.201, 82.66; Force, broke def. T. Pedregon, broke; SEMIFINALS -- Force, 4.721, 329.50 def. Medlen, 9.910, 97.84; Bazemore, 4.713, 333.25 def. Bartone, 10.811, 78.91; FINAL -- Force, 4.752, 325.30 def. Bazemore, 8.034, 115.06.
PRO STOCK:
ROUND ONE -- Steve Johns, Chevy Cavalier, 6.841, 202.36 def. Bruce Allen, Pontiac Grand Am, 9.361, 99.63; Rickie Smith, Cavalier, 6.864, 201.40 def. Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 6.842, 202.03; Warren Johnson, Grand Am, 6.842, 202.15 def. Mike Edwards, Grand Am, broke; Jeg Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.852, 201.07 def. Mark Pawuk, Grand Am, 6.890, 199.67; Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.858, 199.82 def. Troy Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.881, 201.25; Kurt Johnson, Cavalier, 6.885, 201.31 def. Kenny Koretsky, Stratus, foul; Greg Anderson, Grand Am, 6.810, 202.06 def. Mark Whisnant, Cavalier, 6.897, 200.44; Dave Connolly, Cavalier, 6.833, 202.52 def. Jim Yates, Grand Am, foul; QUARTERFINALS -- W. Johnson, 6.855, 201.58 def. K. Johnson, 6.901, 200.98; Line, 6.810, 202.70 def. Johns, 6.842, 202.42; Connolly, 6.834, 201.94 def. J. Coughlin, 6.865, 201.01; Anderson, 6.823, 202.03 def. Smith, 6.845, 202.15; SEMIFINALS -- Line, 6.799, 202.73 def. Connolly, 6.846, 202.33; Anderson, 6.828, 201.58 def. W. Johnson, 6.847, 201.82; FINAL -- Line, 6.840, 202.48 def. Anderson, foul.
PRO STOCK BIKE:
ROUND ONE -- Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.206, 181.37 def. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, foul; Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.234, 185.18 def. Fred Collis, Suzuki, 7.243, 183.24; Shawn Gann, Suzuki, 7.204, 185.36 def. David Feazell, Harley-Davidson, 7.426, 179.52; Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.158, 187.34 def. Blaine Hale, Suzuki, 7.351, 169.74; GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.174, 186.67 def. Scott Valetti, Kawasaki, 7.286, 179.44; Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.210, 185.13 def. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.694, 134.19; Angelle Savoie, Suzuki, 7.186, 188.38 def. Chip Hunter, Suzuki, 7.395, 178.71; Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.269, 183.47 def. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.162, 184.77; QUARTERFINALS -- Gann, 7.273, 183.22 def. Berry, 7.324, 182.21; Treble, 7.227, 182.80 def. Savoie, foul; Phillips, 7.197, 184.98 def. Tonglet, 7.226, 184.93; Hines, 7.120, 187.68 def. Brown, foul; SEMIFINALS -- Gann, 7.271, 184.12 def. Phillips, 7.274, 183.17; Hines, 7.093, 187.76 def. Treble, 7.233, 183.57; FINAL -- Gann, 7.242, 185.26 def. Hines, foul. SUNDAY - Force is on a roll, King Demon Crown Rescheduled and Bartone rolls to the semis...
(5-23-2004) - Take-a-knee - That was certainly the speculation when Team Force driver Eric Medlen suffered a malfunction on the burnout against boss John Force. It might not have mattered anyway as Force reproduced his personal best with a 4.721, 329.50 for the victory. According to Force it was a clutch malfunction that led to Medlen's mechanical woes. Force of Habit? – In a race that was odd by any standard, Tony Pedregon threw away an almost sure victory when he crossed the centerline opposite of John Force. Pedregon had the advantage out of the gate by a .077 to .086 margin and inexplicably drifted just past the eighth-mile mark. Force took in the victory with a 4.964. The most impressive part of Force’s victory is that he made it to the lanes at the last possible moment and hadn’t fired the engine before making the run. Force spoke in circles at seemingly 10,000 words per minute and slowed enough to close with the decipherable utterance of, “I looked out my window and it was raining orange cones and all I could say was, ‘hot dog!” More Force - Force's Subconscious Thoughts - In reminding race fans about his upcoming appearance on the Dennis Miller show reminded fans to, "Watch me on the Miller Light show on Thursday."
Milli-Can’t Today – After an astounding pair of runner-up finishes, IHRA multi-time World Champion Clay Millican’s run of good fortunes at NHRA POWERade events hit a speed bump in the first round of eliminations. Darrell Russell took the 104+ Octane Boost-sponsored Millican out in the first round with a 4.55, 316. Vote for Miller – After qualifying the weakest since his DNQ last season in St. Louis, Dixon just couldn’t overcome the abbreviated 14th position especially in matching up against Doug Kalitta, who was making his 99th consecutive start. Kalitta blasted out a 4.48, 331, which was well beyond what Dixon’s 4.463, 325 could overtake. This marked the fourth time that Dixon has lost in the first round. This marks the most early-round departures for the two-time champion since 1999 when he suffered 10. Bud Wiser – After watching the Miller car stumble in the first round, Budweiser-sponsored Brandon Bernstein put his rolling billboard to work and in a rapid way. In one fell swoop, Bernstein defeated Bob Vandergriff, Jr., and laid down the best numbers of the weekend with a 4.477, 333.41.
Record Watch – During Saturday qualifying, Gary Scelzi snagged the Funny Car speed record as he backed up Friday’s 330 with a 330.55. Tony Pedregon had a 331.28 on Friday, but could not back up the mark. Saturday offered no reprieve and Sunday’s first round only netted a 279-mile per hour effort. In the semis, Whit Bazemore stole his teammate's thunder as he returned to post the quickest-ever run in the history of Funny Car with a 4.731, 333.25. Bazemore returned and backed up the record with a 4.713. In Top Fuel, Brandon Bernstein laid down the Top Fuel track record and unofficially blasted out the fastest speed ever in the first round with a 333.41. Bernstein backed up the record with a 332.26. Not to be outdone, Doug Kalitta established the quickest Top Fuel elapsed time in the history of the sport with a 4.420. What to do? - The King Demon Crown, postponed yesterday because of rain, has been rescheduled until qualifying at Topeka. However, in the event that both Greg Anderson and David Connolly lose in the first round, it will be run in Chicago. Both drivers will be eligible for a double-up bonus if they win the special shootout and final eliminations in Topeka. That thing got a Hemi? - Gary Scelzi could have used a non-tire smoking version in the final round. Scelzi's misfortune turned out to be the break Tony Bartone needed as he swoop in on the win with the quickest run of his career, a 4.825, 310.85. No stopping the Lizard - Bob Gilbertson scored
on of the more interesting victories in the first round as points
leader Del Worsham made contact with the centerline. Interestingly
enough, the body on Gilbertson's ride is a former Skoal body once
campaigned by Tommy Johnson, Jr. Johnson failed to qualify this
weekend and his teammate Ron Capps was a first round casualty.
SATURDAY - T. Pedregon, Grubnic, Line and Hines Earn Top Spots at Route 66 Raceway; Scelzi Sets Speed Record
(5-22-2004) - Defending NHRA POWERade Funny Car champion Tony Pedregon earned his 28th career No. 1 qualifying position Saturday at the seventh annual NHRA Route 66 Nationals at Route 66 Raceway. David Grubnic, Jason Line and Andrew Hines also earned the No. 1 qualifying positions in their respective categories at the $1.8 million race, the eighth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Pedregon made the quickest and fastest Funny Car pass in NHRA history when he blasted down the drag strip in 4.716 seconds at 331.28 mph behind the wheel of his Quaker State Chevy Monte Carlo on Friday. Pedregon will need to record a time of 4.763 to establish a national E.T. record and earn an additional 20 championship points. He can establish a national speed record if he reaches 327.96 mph or greater, but bonus points are not awarded for speed records. Heavy rain and severe thunderstorm warnings halted the second qualifying session of Funny Car and Top Fuel.
“We dropped a cylinder down track and I shut it off early,” said Pedregon, who has been the top qualifier three times this season. “We would’ve liked to have had tonight’s session but Mother Nature took over. We’re still very pleased with how the car is performing and I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s race. “We have a great team established here and I’m thrilled to have earned the No. 1 spot. Last night’s run was very exciting. (Crew chief) Dickie (Venables) and Kurt (Elliott) have been doing an outstanding job on the Monte Carlo. We’re going to go after it tomorrow and do our best to put four consistent runs together and see if we can get our first victory of the season.” Gary Scelzi established a national record for speed when he reached 330.55 in his Hemi-powered Oakley Dodge Stratus R/T, backing up last night’s speed of 330.15. Scelzi’s qualifying pass on Friday night was the first Funny Car pass to eclipse the 330-mph barrier. “The speed is cool, but the coolest thing is the car has gotten down the race track three times in a row and it's done exactly what we wanted it to do, where we wanted it to do it," Scelzi said. “Granted, this is not a hot, slippery race track, but the humidity is a big factor and we need to be careful. Who knows what lies ahead? Right now we're extremely happy, we're pleased the car is doing everything it needs to do. And it's really fast, which is a beautiful thing.”
Grubnic powered the Kalitta Air dragster to the No. 1 spot for the fourth time this year and the fifth time of his career when he covered the distance in a category-best time of 4.471 at 331.77. “I am just a spokesman for the team, because it is Connie Kalitta, the Oberhoffer brothers (Jim and Jon, tuners), and the rest of the guys on the team because they make the car perform like it has been,” Grubnic said. “If you look at the eight races we have had so far this season, Kalitta Racing has earned the No. 1 qualifying position at six of them with Doug (Kalitta) and Scott (Kalitta) each getting one too. My car is used for R&D, but whatever we run on my dragster, I’m sure it can adapt to the other two cars. We’re a team and we all work together.” Line drove his KB Framers Pontiac Grand Am to the top of the Pro Stock order for the first time in his career when he shut the clocks off at 6.802 at 202.33 to pace the 16-car field. Line and teammate Greg Anderson, winner of six races and six No. 1 qualifying awards this season, have combined for seven of eight top qualifying spots in 2004. Anderson qualified in the No. 2 slot behind Line. “The Grand Am made a really nice run and I am getting better at driving it,” said Line, a leading contender for the 2004 Auto Club Road to the Future award given annually to the NHRA’s top rookie. “It’s a pretty cool feeling earning that first No. 1 spot and it is fun driving the car, but really I love working on it. I usually am working on Greg’s car, just right now I happen to have the quicker Grand Am. Greg is very unselfish though and he is very happy that I was the top qualifier.”
Line has been the runner-up to Anderson twice this season (Houston and Bristol, Tenn.) but has yet to visit the winner’s circle in 2004. As the duo continues to dominate the Pro Stock class, final round meetings seem to be inevitable. “If I could choose my final round opponent, the person I would defeat for my first career victory, it would be Greg,” said Line. “Greg is the very best in this category and he is the one you would want to beat.” Hines earned his third career Pro Stock Bike No. 1 qualifying position, all coming this season, when he crossed the finish line atop his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson in 7.167 at 184.62 to lead the two-wheel category. “The second session wasn’t as good as the first one as far as the weather conditions go,” Hines said. “We ran the best 60-foot time we have ran all year on that second run so I know we could have done better. I ran against (teammate) GT (Tonglet) in that last round, but I didn’t even see him the whole time and was able to slip past him for the No. 1 spot. I may have bragging rights in the pits tonight, but it is all in good fun.”
First-round pairings for Sunday’s professional eliminations at the seventh annual NHRA Route 66 Nationals at Route 66 Raceway, the eighth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
TOP FUEL -- 1. David Grubnic, 4.471 seconds, 331.77 mph vs. 16. Mike Strasburg, 4.690, 307.16; 2. Scott Kalitta, 4.503, 331.20 vs. 15. Brady Kalivoda, 4.667, 308.57; 3. Brandon Bernstein, 4.504, 329.10 vs. 14. Bob Vandergriff, 4.660, 312.06; 4. Doug Kalitta, 4.517, 327.11 vs. 13. Larry Dixon, 4.653, 308.78; 5. David Baca, 4.529, 329.83 vs. 12. Cory McClenathan, 4.629, 321.96; 6. Darrell Russell, 4.553, 329.91 vs. 11. Clay Millican, 4.628, 323.81; 7. Tony Schumacher, 4.563, 326.71 vs. 10. T.J. Zizzo, 4.621, 319.90; 8. Scott Weis, 4.580, 325.06 vs. 9. Doug Herbert, 4.594, 315.34. FUNNY CAR -- 1. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.716, 331.28 vs. 16. Jerry Toliver, Toyota Celica, 4.909, 290.88; 2. Whit Bazemore, Dodge Stratus, 4.731, 329.02 vs. 15. Ron Capps, Monte Carlo, 4.870, 323.12; 3. Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 4.732, 330.55 vs. 14. Tony Bartone, Chevy Camaro, 4.852, 293.47; 4. Gary Densham, Ford Mustang, 4.755, 326.56 vs. 13. Bob Bode, Pontiac Firebird, 4.852, 313.37; 5. Eric Medlen, Mustang, 4.763, 322.04 vs. 12. Jeff Arend, Chevy Corvette, 4.844, 318.77; 6. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 4.771, 315.27 vs. 11. Bob Gilbertson, Firebird, 4.840, 317.27; 7. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 4.805, 317.94 vs. 10. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.831, 307.93; 8. John Force, Mustang, 4.811, 323.58 vs. 9. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 4.815, 319.82. PRO STOCK -- 1. Jason Line, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.802, 202.33 vs. 16. Troy Coughlin, Chevy Cavalier, 6.866, 201.16; 2. Greg Anderson, Grand Am, 6.808, 203.25 vs. 15. Mark Whisnant, Cavalier, 6.864, 200.92; 3. Kenny Koretsky, Dodge Stratus, 6.831, 201.40 vs. 14. Kurt Johnson, Cavalier, 6.864, 202.61; 4. Dave Connolly, Cavalier, 6.833, 203.03 vs. 13. Jim Yates, Grand Am, 6.858, 200.35; 5. Jeg Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.834, 201.88 vs. 12. Mark Pawuk, Grand Am, 6.857, 199.88; 6. Warren Johnson, Grand Am, 6.842, 202.85 vs. 11. Mike Edwards, Grand Am, 6.851, 201.37; 7. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.845, 201.85 vs. 10. Rickie Smith, Cavalier, 6.847, 201.91; 8. Bruce Allen, Grand Am, 6.846, 202.70 vs. 9. Steve Johns, Cavalier, 6.846, 202.21. PRO STOCK BIKE -- 1. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.167, 184.62 vs. 16. Blaine Hale, Suzuki, 7.314, 180.91; 2. GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.169, 187.16 vs. 15. Scott Valetti, Kawasaki, 7.312, 182.26; 3. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.174, 186.20 vs. 14. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.296, 181.76; 4. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.197, 184.14 vs. 13. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.293, 181.45; 5. Angelle Savoie, Suzuki, 7.202, 184.19 vs. 12. Chip Hunter, Suzuki, 7.289, 180.77; 6. Shawn Gann, Suzuki, 7.223, 185.08 vs. 11. David Feazell, Harley-Davidson, 7.279, 180.74; 7. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.223, 184.25 vs. 10. Fred Collis, Suzuki, 7.268, 181.06; 8. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.225, 183.59 vs. 9. Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.259, 181.01.
SATURDAY NOTES - Crappy weather, Matco Tools extension and consistent Vandergriff
Delayed Demon - The final round of the King Demon Crown was postponed due to rain and scheduled for 10 AM on Sunday. meeting in that final will be Greg Anderson and Dave Connolly. Extend a tool - Saturday looked like a pretty day to extend a contract. Or, at least that's how team owner Don Schumacher saw it. Schumacher announced that his team's involvement with Matco Tools will extend into 2006. Matco Tools joined Schumacher Racing in 2001 as primary sponsor
of the Whit Bazemore-driven Matco Tools Dodge Stratus Funny Car,
as well as associate sponsor on the U.S. Army-backed Top Fuel Dragster
piloted by Tony Schumacher. Since then, Matco Tools has become associate
sponsor on the HEMI-powered Oakley Dodge Stratus Funny Car steered
by Gary Scelzi and the Schumacher-owned U.S. Army Pro Stock Bikes
ridden by Angelle Savoie and He ought to feel at home - John Force will make
a guest appearance on "The Dennis Miller Show" this Tuesday
along with one of the 320 mile-an-hour Castrol GTX Ford Mustangs
in his Funny Car stable. That really blows - That's what a lot of racers were saying when wind gusts reached as high as 30 miles per hour before the storms hit on Saturday. Once the rains had come and gone, the winds died down substantially. Not a good day for Johnsons - Three drivers with the last name Johnson entered the first round of eliminations for the King Demon Crown. All three, Warren Johnson, Allen Johnson and Kurt Johnson were early round casualties. Adding salt to the wounds, all three were second off of the starting line. Vandergriff the Bracketeer? - Bob Vandergriff, Jr., made his return to Top Fuel and some think his efforts might be better served in bracket racing. In four of his five runs up until Friday, Vandergriff had either recorded a 4.65 or a 4.66. The only time that he didn't run the magic number was a shut-off to conserve engine parts.
FRIDAY - T. Pedregon Makes Quickest and Fastest Funny Car Pass in NHRA History; Scelzi First to 330-mph
(5-21-2004) - Gary Scelzi made the first Funny Car pass in NHRA history over 330-mph seconds before defending Funny Car champion Tony Pedregon made the quickest and fastest pass in history Friday at the seventh annual NHRA Route 66 Nationals at Route 66 Raceway. David Grubnic, Greg Anderson and GT Tonglet led their respective categories after the first day of qualifying at the $1.8 million race, the eighth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Scelzi's historic run came in the Hemi-powered Oakley Dodge Stratus R/T as the Fresno, Calif., resident hit 330.15 mph moments before the defending champion stole the spotlight. "The car was actually going a little slower in the first half of the track than we normally run," said Scelzi, who earned three Top Fuel championships before switching to Funny Car in 2002. "I think we could have run 332 or 333. You know, it was stunning to make the run, but with Tony doing what he did, I didn't have much time to let it sink in."
Pedregon earned the provisional top spot with his record-setting pass in the Quaker State Chevy Monte Carlo, which blasted down the quarter-mile in 4.716 seconds at 331.28 to lead all Funny Car competitors. Pedregon, who has two top qualifying positions this season and is seeking the 28th of his career, was emotional following the run. "A little of the thunder was lost with Gary accomplishing the feat first," Pedregon said. "It would have been nice to be the first one to do it, but that is all hindsight and overall it was an awesome run and all the credit has to go to my team. "(Crew chief) Dickie (Venables) and the guys have been around the NHRA for some time, and whatever the call was they made after seeing Scelzi run, well it was the right one. I am happy to have made this pass at Route 66. We know we have been able to run in the 70s here before, and now with this new racing surface, we knew we could make this kind of run with the right conditions."
Pedregon, who left Force Racing prior to the 2004 campaign, ran into the legendary John Force following the record run. "I saw John outside and he gave me a hug," Pedregon said. "That just shows what kind of man he is. After all those years, you don't forget those memories or those kinds of friendships." Pedregon and Scelzi will need to run within the required one percent of their respective performance numbers to establish a national record. Grubnic covered the quarter-mile in 4.557 at 324.28 in the Kalitta Air dragster to pace the 16-car field heading into the final day of qualifying.
Anderson, the defending NHRA POWERade Pro Stock champion and No. 1 qualifier at six of seven events this season, drove his Vegas General Construction Pontiac Grand Am to the top of the Pro Stock order with a time of 6.819 at 201.55. Tonglet covered the distance on the Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson in 7.234 at 184.35 to lead the Pro Stock Bike category. Qualifying continues Saturday at noon.
Friday’s qualifying results for the seventh annual NHRA Route 66 Nationals at Route 66 Raceway, the eighth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. TOP FUEL 1. David Grubnic, 4.557 seconds, 324.28 mph; 2. Tony Schumacher, 4.563, 326.71; 3. Scott Weis, 4.580, 325.06; 4. Scott Kalitta, 4.583, 326.87; 5. Doug Herbert, 4.605, 313.58; 6. Cory McClenathan, 4.629, 321.96; 7. Brandon Bernstein, 4.653, 317.72; 8. Darrell Russell, 4.658, 312.42; 9. Bob Vandergriff, 4.660, 312.06; 10. Mike Strasburg, 4.690, 307.16; 11. T.J. Zizzo, 4.706, 310.13; 12. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 4.721, 303.64; 13. Brady Kalivoda, 4.729, 308.57; 14. Clay Millican, 4.745, 291.19; 15. Larry Dixon, 4.797, 254.86; 16. Chris Karamesines, 4.927, 283.67.
1. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.716, 331.28; 2. Whit Bazemore, Dodge Stratus, 4.731, 326.71; 3. Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 4.762, 330.15; 4. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 4.805, 317.94; 5. John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.813, 323.58; 6. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 4.815, 319.82; 7. Eric Medlen, Mustang, 4.822, 320.89; 8. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.831, 307.93; 9. Tony Bartone, Chevy Camaro, 4.852, 293.47; 10. Gary Densham, Mustang, 4.871, 317.34; 11. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 4.906, 315.27; 12. Jim Head, Toyota Celica, 4.921, 307.72; 13. Jeff Arend, Chevy Corvette, 4.930, 313.88; 14. Bob Gilbertson, Pontiac Firebird, 4.960, 308.57; 15. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.960, 274.44; 16. Ron Capps, Monte Carlo, 4.966, 308.28.
1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.819, 201.55; 2. Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.832, 201.67; 3. Dave Connolly, Chevy Cavalier, 6.847, 201.97; 4. Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 6.860, 201.85; 5. Warren Johnson, Grand Am, 6.862, 201.25; 6. Mark Whisnant, Cavalier, 6.864, 200.74; 7. Bruce Allen, Grand Am, 6.866, 201.58; 8. Kurt Johnson, Cavalier, 6.866, 201.22; 9. Troy Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.866, 200.71; 10. Rickie Smith, Cavalier, 6.867, 201.10; 11. Kenny Koretsky, Stratus, 6.884, 200.98; 12. Ron Krisher, Cavalier, 6.888, 200.77; 13. Mark Pawuk, Grand Am, 6.890, 199.37; 14. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.891, 200.80; 15. Jim Yates, Grand Am, 6.894, 199.94; 16. Steve Johns, Cavalier, 6.897, 201.22.
PRO STOCK BIKE 1. GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.234, 184.35; 2. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.235, 184.30; 3. Shawn Gann, Suzuki, 7.239, 182.92; 4. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.241, 182.85; 5. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.259, 182.80; 6. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.259, 182.58; 7. Angelle Savoie, Suzuki, 7.278, 180.72; 8. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.293, 181.45; 9. Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.299, 178.80; 10. Fred Collis, Suzuki, 7.303, 176.88; 11. Chip Hunter, Suzuki, 7.322, 180.77; 12. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.328, 180.02; 13. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.333, 178.19; 14. Lloyd Straus, Suzuki, 7.349, 179.73; 15. Josh Helvie, Kawasaki, 7.386, 179.78; 16. David Feazell, Harley-Davidson, 7.409, 177.39. |
 |
| Nitro intern John Ault (left) joins Funny Car racer Bob Gilbertson. On the right is the team's special Junior Intern Kevin Perry. |
Mission Accomplished - Headed into this weekend's event there was much speculation that three performance barriers could fall during the course of the event. The anticipated milestones were Top Fuel's first 4.3-second run, Pro Stock Bike's six-second run and Funny Car's first 330-mile per hour lap. Of the three, it was the latter that transpired on Friday evening. Credit Gary Scelzi as the first to claim the honors as he blasted out a 330.15 during Friday's evening session. Not to be outdone, defending World Champion Tony Pedregon laid down a 331.28. The feat could be attributed to a 15-degree drop in temperature from the first session to the second. The Top Fuel session was postponed due to rain, but the very possiblity that a 4.3-second run could have been produced was very real. As for the Pro Stock Bike, many of the riders feel that the six-second zone won't be breached until Reading.
Cacklefest Cackling - At least one Funny Car driver
was not happy with the NHRA's decision to stage a cacklefest prior
to the nitro session with severe weather looming on the horizon.
Whit Bazemore made his way to the tower to voice his displeasure
about the possibility of missing his qualifying due to rain. The
cackling subsided once he took his run and nailed down a 4.731,
326.71.
The Intern's Assistant - A little bit of help is always a great thing to have when working on a nitro Funny Car. In continuing with their nitro intern program Bob Gilbertson named John Ault as the latest Nitro intern for this race. However, at Route 66, a Junior Intern was added.
Kevin Perry will serve as the Junior Intern. Perry's dad is fan
of Tim Wilkerson and Kevin wanted to paint his Pine Box Derby car
in the colors of LRS. Dad contacted Wilkerson by email and asked
if he could show the pine box derby at the track. After talking
and learning that Kevin had been diagnosed with a form of MS and
that 5/21 was Kevin's birthday, it was arranged to meet Wilkerson
and have a birthday cake in the Wilkerson pit.
Also they contacting the Gilbertson team to see if Gilbertson would
do a long Jungle Jim burnout for Kevin, and it was arranged by team
rep "Berserko Bob" to have Kevin serve as the Junior Nitro
Intern and even have his name placed on the side of Gilbertson's
car.
Hat's off to Beserko, Gilbertson and Wilkerson for quite a noble and memorable gesture that will long be remembered by this family.
Go Go Speed Racer - Never let it be said that Jerry
Toliver can't represent. Toliver's entry rolled out sporting the
"Speed Racer" theme.
This one is appropriate for Toliver's competitive Funny Car.
"I enjoy having themes for my race cars," said Toliver. "And I think the fans do, too. 'Speed Racer' is certainly one that fits the image of our Toyota Celica. We've had the second-fastest speed (328.22 mph) in 2004 POWERade Series racing this year."
Lions Gate Entertainment has released the "Speed Racer"
Collector's Edition V2 DVD, featuring original episodes 12-23 of
the classic. "Speed" races around the globe and defeats
colorful villains, including Dr. Nightcall, Mr. Cumulus and the
infamous "Racer X."
Gimme Back My Bullets - OK, so he's not holding the No. 1 position in the Top Fuel point standings. But don't count two-time defending NHRA POWERade Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon and the Miller Lite team out just yet. Summer is right around the corner and they are looking forward to the heat.
"Are things as great as they have been in the last two years? Obviously not," said Dixon, who holds eighth place after the first seven events of 2004. "But are things as bad as they have ever been? Obviously not. We are still top 10 in points. I can see first place from where we are. It's out there, but I can still see it.
"We're OK because there is a lot of racing left and I know (crew chief Dick) LaHaie knows how to run in the summer and we have more races in the summer this year than ever before. I am looking forward to every race we go to."
This weekend Dixon is anxious to get back on track in Chicago.
In the first seven events of the season Dixon has posted three first round losses - three times the amount of opening-round losses he suffered in 2003. His best performance of the season so far was a runner-up finish at Las Vegas in April. Schumacher leads the points and the category with four wins. Brandon Bernstein, second in points, has two victories. Cory McClenathan has one win.
The Force at 66 – Remember last year? John Force set the NHRA national Funny Car record (and the Route 66 Raceway record) when he pushed his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford through the quarter mile timers in 4.721 seconds at last year's spring race. Force has won only once at Route 66 (June 4, 2000), but it was one of his most memorable – his 86th, the one that broke Pro Stock legend Bob Glidden's career record.
 |
 |