Final round-by-round results from the Eighth annual Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals at Gateway International Raceway, the 12th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series -

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE -- Scott Kalitta, 4.731, 311.13 def. Cory McClenathan, 11.583, 87.07; Bob Vandergriff, 5.691, 252.61 def. Bruce Litton, 10.880, 86.31; Larry Dixon, 4.727, 312.06 def. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 8.800, 113.84; Doug Kalitta, 4.762, 314.39 def. John Smith, 5.036, 283.79; Tony Schumacher, 5.739, 241.58 def. Doug Herbert, 6.224, 262.33; Brandon Bernstein, 4.687, 322.11 def. Brady Kalivoda, 5.005, 270.00; David Grubnic, 4.662, 317.42 def. Scott Weis, 7.233, 119.53; Darrell Russell, 4.660, 312.71 def. T.J. Zizzo, 9.097, 96.56;

QUARTERFINALS -- D. Kalitta, 4.574, 325.92 def. Schumacher, 6.714, 125.20; Dixon, 4.563, 320.51 def. Bernstein, 4.576, 319.98; Grubnic, 4.592, 322.11 def. Vandergriff, 4.881, 285.17; S. Kalitta, 4.594, 328.94 def. Russell, 4.611, 322.73;

SEMIFINALS -- D. Kalitta, 4.834, 220.91 def. S. Kalitta, 6.529, 126.53; Grubnic, 4.601, 315.42
def. Dixon, 11.732, 79.82;

FINAL -- D. Kalitta, 4.535, 326.87 def. Grubnic, 4.794, 304.80.

FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE -- Jerry Toliver, Toyota Celica, 5.116, 280.25 def. Tim Wilkerson, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.128, 262.28; Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 5.360, 273.39 def. Phil Burkart, Pontiac Firebird, 11.622, 76.97; Ron Capps, Monte Carlo, 4.981, 308.21 def. Eric Medlen, Ford Mustang, 5.893, 169.96; Bob Gilbertson, Chevy Camaro, 5.448, 235.10 def. Gary Densham, Mustang, 6.024, 160.04; Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.951, 308.85 def. Jeff Arend, Chevy Corvette, 4.965, 307.37; John Force, Mustang, 5.451, 274.78 def. Jim Head, Celica, 5.563, 207.85; Gary Scelzi, Dodge Stratus, 4.840, 324.67 def. Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 5.040, 259.71; Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 5.118, 302.69 def. Whit Bazemore, Stratus, 5.383, 202.94;

QUARTERFINALS -- Force, 4.817, 319.75 def. Gilbertson, 7.223, 116.12; C. Pedregon, 4.886, 318.24 def. Worsham, 5.077, 301.54; Scelzi, 4.837, 315.49 def. Toliver, 7.294, 111.36; Capps, 4.944, 302.55 def. Johnson Jr., 4.904, 319.37;

SEMIFINALS -- Scelzi, 4.758, 330.23 def. C. Pedregon, 6.608, 134.54; Force, 4.830, 318.92 def. Capps, 8.516, 110.89;

FINAL -- Scelzi, 4.827, 325.30 def. Force, 5.321, 210.28.

PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE -- Warren Johnson, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.798, 203.98 def. Allen Johnson, Dodge Stratus, 6.807, 203.34; Kenny Koretsky, Stratus, 6.824, 203.55 def. Bruce Allen, Grand Am, foul; Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.767, 203.19 def. Rickie Smith, Chevy Cavalier, 6.787, 203.46; Jeg Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.764, 204.29 def. Jim Yates, Grand Am, 6.822, 202.45; Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.764, 204.39 def. V. Gaines, Stratus, 6.777, 203.74; Dave Connolly, Cavalier, 6.759, 205.44 def. Kurt Johnson, Cavalier, 6.787, 203.71; Greg Anderson, Grand Am, 6.723, 205.13 def. Mike Edwards, Grand Am, 6.788, 202.27; Steve Johns, Cavalier, 6.739, 205.79 def. Troy Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.801, 202.67;

QUARTERFINALS -- J. Coughlin, 6.774, 203.12 def. Line, 6.764, 204.17; Connolly, 6.769, 205.26 def. Morgan, 6.773, 202.27; Johns, 6.742, 205.16 def. Koretsky, 6.766, 203.52; Anderson, 6.727, 204.88 def. W. Johnson, 6.795, 203.58;

SEMIFINALS -- Johns, 6.732, 205.51 def. J. Coughlin, 6.760, 203.55; Anderson, 6.731, 204.73 def. Connolly, 6.790, 200.02;

FINAL -- Anderson, 6.726, 204.98 def. Johns, 6.779, 205.32.

PRO STOCK BIKE:

ROUND ONE -- Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.199, 185.92 def. Fred Collis, 7.302, 177.79; Josh Helvie,
Kawasaki, 7.192, 183.39 def. Matt Smith, Suzuki, 7.258, 181.50; Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.124,
191.35 def. GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.298, 183.97; Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.188, 183.64 def. Tommy Grimes Jr, Suzuki, 7.279, 181.28; Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.166, 185.95 def. Angelle Savoie, Suzuki, 7.139, 185.66; Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.194, 183.62 def. Chip Hunter, Suzuki, 7.261, 182.82; Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.196, 183.87 def. Blaine Hale, Suzuki, 7.293, 180.26; Shawn Gann, Suzuki, 7.207, 185.18 def. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.236, 181.59;

QUARTERFINALS -- Johnson, 7.135, 185.56 def. Gann, 7.242, 181.98; Scali, 7.240, 182.01 def. Brown, 19.618, 32.31; Treble, 7.178, 189.79 def. Helvie, 7.381, 177.25; Phillips, 7.187, 185.15 def. Hines, foul;

SEMIFINALS -- Treble, 7.106, 191.70 def. Phillips, 7.320, 182.77; Johnson, 7.202, 183.57 def.
Scali, 7.227, 182.87;

FINAL -- Johnson, 7.220, 183.34 def. Treble, 7.129, 186.28.

SUNDAY NOTES - The Harley gesture, Whit is Del meat and a one lane blacktop at Gateway...

Russell Accident - Top Fuel racer Darrell Russell was involved in a top-end crash during the quarter-finals. He was airlifted to a local trauma center via helicopter to the St. Louis University Medical Center. Russell succombed to his injuries.

The staff at CompetitionPlus.com sends their deepest sympathies to the family of Russell and the Joe Amato team.

Direct Suggestion - Upon winning the quarter-finals, Funny Car racer Gary Scelzi offered the following suggestion to the NHRA's Graham Light over the PA system, "Hey Graham, the next time you have a situation like we just had, you could let us get out of the car and give us a 15 minute warning instead of keeping us strapped in there for 40 minutes."

The incident Scelzi was referring to was the extensive oildown committed by Cruz Pedregon. The two pairs of Funny Cars in line to run were forced to remain in their cars.

Harley Attitude – After two of the three Buell and Harley-Davidson V-rods were eliminated from the first round, Andrew Hines saved face for the Screamin’ Eagle by winning on a holeshot. The real action was not in Hines defeating Angelle Savoie, but in older brother Matt Hines making gestures towards the U.S. Army team and the words that were exchanged between the two teams. Reportedly, the scenario developed over a staging issue. At one time, before Hines staged, he rapped the throttle uncharacteristically. When asked why he did that, Hines uttered, "I wanted to let her know that I was over there."

Hines strapped a .062 holeshot on Savaoie and snagged the 7.166 to 7.139 victory.

Weather Concerns – Just west of Gateway International and St. Louis, Mo., is a storm cell that hot Kansas City and was headed to east towards the track. By judging the radar, the event could be threatened as it reaches the semi-finals.

Get well soon – CompetitionPlus.com would like to extend get well wishes to veteran NHRA announcer Bob Frey who is under the weather and unable to make the trip to St. Louis.

One Lane Blacktop – In all eight first-round matches of Top Fuel, every combatant in the right lane smoked the tires. In fact, there wasn’t a winner in the right lane until the third pair of Funny Cars when Ron Capps got the best of Eric Medlen.

Be Careful what you ask for - Part 2 – Just last week in Englishtown, NJ, Whit Bazemore pointed out that he wanted to run Del Worsham in the first. After gaining a lead and apparently on the road for victory, Bazemore’s car suffered breakage and that enabled Worsham to drive by for the victory and snag the points lead. There was a serious case of déjà vu as the two met up in the first round and Worsham was able to snake by when Bazemore suffered parts attrition.

The Force is in the right lane – The first two victories in the right lane both came at the expense of John Force Racing. It all started when Capps beat Medlen and continued when Bob Gilbertson got the best of Gary Densham. John Force nearly bit the bullet when he smoked the tires enabling Jim Head to pull ahead. However, Head lost the blower belt enabling Force to slip by for the win.

Prudhomme is 3 for 3 after round one – For the first time in 2004, all three of Don Prudhomme’s nitro machines advanced to the second round of eliminations. This marked the first time since the first Chicago race in 2003 that this happened.

By the numbers – The margin of victory in Jerry Toliver’s triumph over Tim Wilkerson in the first round was .0058 in their 5.116, 280.25 to 5.128, 262.28 decision. The interesting thing was that Wilkerson was not under power at the stripe. The close racing continued as Tommy Johnson, Jr. beat Jeff Arend by a .0099 margin.

Thanks Son – The 500-inch engine between the fenders of Warren Johnson’s GM Performance Parts-sponsored Grand Am is the same one that carried his son Kurt to the final round last weekend in Englishtown.

It’s a “Ponti” Act – Phil Burkart has been doing battle all weekend with the Pontiac Firebird that Del Worsham won two national events with. The Monte Carlo body that the CSK-sponsored driver previously utilized on his flopper suffered minor damage in last weekend’s Englishtown fire. The body was in the pits minus the sponsor’s lettering.

SATURDAY - SCELZI RACES TO CAREER-BEST TIME TO EARN NO. 1 POSITION IN FUNNY CAR AT SEARS CRAFTSMAN NATIONALS; Russell, Anderson and Brown also earn top qualifying positions at Gateway International Raceway

"I think that was the worse job of driving I've ever done in my life, but who cares" - Gary Sclezi

(6-26-2004) - Gary Scelzi raced to his first No. 1 qualifying effort of the season in Funny Car Saturday night at the Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals.

Darrell Russell, Greg Anderson and Antron Brown also set track records to earn No. 1 qualifying positions in their respective categories at the $1.8 million race, the 12th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Eliminations begin Sunday at 4:30 p.m. (CT).

Scelzi powered his Oakley Dodge Stratus R/T to a track record run of 4.724 seconds at 329.50 mph at Gateway International Raceway to lead the 16-car lineup. It was the 36th No. 1 position of his career, 33 of which were earned during his Top Fuel career from 1997-'01.

"It's been awhile. I don't know if I'm more excited about qualifying No. 1 or about the consistency we showed today." - Darrell Russell

"I think that was the worse job of driving I've ever done in my life, but who cares," said Scelzi of his career-best elapsed time. "When you run tracks that historically are a bit slippery you take all the weight out of the front end so it can get down through there. The problem is that it's harder to steer that way because the front end is up in the air a lot more. I was moving to the centerline and I was yanking and yanking the steering wheel left and all of a sudden it made a big move and I thought, 'I screwed up.' But it still ran over there and we were able to get the number."

Russell earned the second No. 1 qualifying award of his career in and first since the '02 season, powering his Amato Racing Top Fuel dragster to a leading run of 4.511 at 328.54.

"We've been a little off our game the last three races and maybe it's in large part to the heat we're feeling from everyone closing the gap on us." - Greg Anderson

"It's been awhile," Russell said. "I don't know if I'm more excited about qualifying No. 1 or about the consistency we showed today. It just seems like everything's coming to us right now and it's a great feeling. The guys are working well together and Wayne (Dupuy, crew chief) is loving this new Brad Hadman chassis. He's got the set-up right now. I was watching every car ahead of us and I didn't really feel comfortable until the last few pairs ran and I saw that no one was really stepping up. You still never know with (Tony) Schumacher and he was right next to us but we held on and we couldn't be happier."

Anderson claimed the ninth No. 1 qualifying position of the season and 25th of his career in Pro Stock by clocking a 6.702 at 205.26 in his Vegas General Construction Pontiac Grand Am.

"This team's been working very, very hard and we tested again before this race. It all paid off because I think we finally have the right set-up for the bike. We've been making good power all year; we've just had a hard time getting it down to the track." - Antron Brown

"We've been a little off our game the last three races and maybe it's in large part to the heat we're feeling from everyone closing the gap on us," Anderson said. "It's certainly got us to thinking and we've been trying some different things. It's really starting to get fun out there for all of us. The class is better all the way around."

Brown took his seventh career top qualifying award in Pro Stock Bike with a 7.086 at 187.68 on his U.S. Army Suzuki.

"That was great back-to-back runs for this U.S. Army team," said Brown, also the top qualifier at Gateway in 2001. "This team's been working very, very hard and we tested again before this race. It all paid off because I think we finally have the right set-up for the bike. We've been making good power all year; we've just had a hard time getting it down to the track."

First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the Eighth annual Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals at Gateway International Raceway, the 12th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.

Top Fuel -- 1. Darrell Russell, 4.511 seconds, 328.54 mph vs. 16. T.J. Zizzo, 4.724, 313.37; 2. David Grubnic, 4.524, 325.22 vs. 15. Scott Weis, 4.692, 316.45; 3. Brandon Bernstein, 4.539, 327.19 vs. 14. Brady Kalivoda, 4.676, 323.12; 4. Tony Schumacher, 4.547, 326.24 vs. 13. Doug Herbert, 4.671, 311.63; 5. Doug Kalitta, 4.554, 327.03 vs. 12. John Smith, 4.656, 319.37; 6. Larry Dixon, 4.556, 318.84 vs. 11. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 4.631, 319.82; 7. Bob Vandergriff, 4.586, 321.81 vs. 10. Bruce Litton, 4.631, 321.12; 8. Cory McClenathan, 4.588,\ 319.82 vs. 9. Scott Kalitta, 4.589, 326.48.

Funny Car -- 1. Gary Scelzi, Dodge Stratus, 4.724, 329.50 vs. 16. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.999, 302.62; 2. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.765, 324.90 vs. 15. Jeff Arend, Chevy Corvette, 4.977, 305.77; 3. John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.765, 318.39 vs. 14. Jim Head, Toyota Celica, 4.974, 303.57; 4. Whit Bazemore, Stratus, 4.767, 326.48 vs. 13. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 4.965, 299.33; 5. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.800, 321.81 vs. 12. Phil Burkart, Pontiac Firebird, 4.946, 296.63; 6. Gary Densham, Mustang, 4.800, 320.81 vs. 11. Bob Gilbertson, Chevy Camaro, 4.929, 314.09; 7. Eric Medlen, Mustang, 4.806, 319.52 vs. 10. Ron Capps, Monte Carlo, 4.900, 313.44; 8. Jerry Toliver, Celica, 4.883, 314.02 vs. 9. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 4.895, 311.63.

Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.702, 205.41 vs. 16. Mike Edwards, Grand Am, 6.767, 203.77; 2. Steve Johns, Chevy Cavalier, 6.710, 206.07 vs. 15. Troy Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.767, 203.25; 3. Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.718, 204.45 vs. 14. V. Gaines, Dodge Stratus, 6.766, 204.23; 4. Dave Connolly, Cavalier, 6.720, 205.63 vs. 13. Kurt Johnson, Cavalier, 6.766, 204.42; 5. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.736, 203.37 vs. 12. Rickie Smith, Cavalier, 6.763, 203.55; 6. Jeg Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.745, 204.42 vs. 11. Jim Yates, Grand Am, 6.758, 202.97; 7. Kenny Koretsky, Stratus, 6.745, 204.42 vs. 10. Bruce Allen, Grand Am, 6.755, 204.08; 8. Warren Johnson, Grand Am, 6.750, 204.29 vs. 9. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.751, 204.08.

Pro Stock Bike -- 1. Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.086, 187.68 vs. 16. Tommy Grimes Jr, Suzuki, 7.220, 184.37; 2. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.113, 185.87 vs. 15. GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.201, 185.41; 3. Angelle Savoie, Suzuki, 7.152, 186.61 vs. 14. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.201, 186.98; 4. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.165, 185.43 vs. 13. Chip Hunter, Suzuki, 7.187, 186.07; 5. Shawn Gann, Suzuki, 7.166, 186.12 vs. 12. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.186, 184.42; 6. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.174, 185.77 vs. 11. Blaine Hale, Suzuki, 7.185, 185.03; 7. Matt Smith, Suzuki, 7.175, 184.42 vs. 10. Josh Helvie, Kawasaki, 7.183, 183.62; 8. Fred Collis, 7.177, 181.54 vs. 9. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.180, 185.03.

SATURDAY NOTES - Scelzi's on top today, Force's schedule all out of whack and Glidden's inspiration for WJ?

Sell Zee's on Top - The HEMI-powered Oakley Dodge Stratus is rocketing down the quarter-mile again. Gary Scelzi collected his first No. 1 Funny Car qualifying spot of 2004 tonight, at the same time as he destroyed his own E.T. and speed track records from last night with a spectacular 4.724-second pass at 329.50 mph under cool and dry conditions. This was also Scelzi's career-best Funny Car elapsed time, and the speed surpassed the Top Fuel track record, set in yesterday's second round of qualifying, of 328.54 mph.

"When you come to places like this and normally it's slippery," he said, "we take weight out of the front end. And all we had was an empty weight bar in there. This thing left so hard, it had like an .880 60-ft. (increment), which is one of our best. And it just ran incredible incrementals all the way through.

"The front end was light and it was moving over to the centerline and I was just yanking it left, yanking it left. It really wasn't coming back to where I wanted it to. Then when I got out there past half track it made a big move to the left and I thought, Oh no, too much. It was a handful. I wasn't able to enjoy the run because I was so busy trying not to run into anything.

"It's just so exciting. The build-up before the run (was incredible). (John) Force comes by and he goes, Scelzi I'm going 4.71. You're going to be upset or I'm going to the burn center, he says. Either way you're going to be sad when I'm done with you. He came down there tonight and congratulated me after my run. It's just funny because everybody was going to beat that 4.758
(from last night), and we were too. (Whit) Bazemore made his run(4.767/326.48) and we knew what his incrementals were, so we knew how hard we could hit it, where we could hit it.

Buell's fine with Collis – The NHRA mandated rule change adding 40-pounds to the Harley Davidson V-Rods and NHRA-accepted American push rod V-Twins up to 160 cid (such as the G2/S&S/Star Racing Buell) went into effect at this weekend’s NHRA Sears Craftsman Nationals.

After two of four qualifying sessions with the additional weight in place, Fred Collis drove the G2/S&S/Star Racing Buell, powered by an S&S Cycle V-Twin, to a No. 23 qualifying position as the first day of qualifying ended.

After using the first qualifying session on Friday as a test session to ensure that the additional weight was distributed properly, Collis recorded a pass of 7.317 seconds at 177.09 mph in his first full run down the Gateway International Raceway quarter-mile during today’s evening session.

I love riding the Buell,” said Collis. “It’s coming around. The bike's going real straight and it’s fun to ride. It’s a good piece of equipment.”

“I want to be on the bike that gives me the best elapsed time, but it looks like with all the testing we’ve done and competing in national events the Buell is coming around. It has so much potential and is definitely the bike for the future,”

Collis qualified in the top half of the field

Force's Dilemma - "This schedule screws me up because I got too much sleep and not enough Budweiser at night." - John Force following a Saturday qualifying run at dusk.

That Sucketh - Not only did Jason Line suffer breakage against Stevie Johns in the final qualifying session, but he had a front row seat as Johns passed him in the qualifying order.

Tire Woes - Tony Pedregon's efforts may be hampered by his crew's inability to get a full handle on the new tire.

“We’re having some issues with this new tire and we’re dealing with tire shake early," explained Dickie Venables, crew chief. “The sidewalls on the tires are stiffer and we went one way with the set up and feel like we need to go the other way now. We’ll get it dialed in for tomorrow and be ready to go.”

“I’m confident that we’ll get this tire situation handled,” added Pedregon. “It’s something I’m sure Dickie will figure out and we’ll be set to go. I’m looking forward to racing tomorrow and going some rounds.”

A good cause - CMKXtreme Racing team members Jeff Arend and Connie Cohen visited St. Louis Shriners Hospital prior to the race Friday morning, meeting with over 50 children. Arend and Cohen distributed CMKXtreme souvenirs, signed autographs and spent several hours talking about NHRA Drag Racing with the children and their grateful parents.

Sign of the times - You know things are getting a little wierd when you see Bob Glidden walking with Warren Johnson with his arm around the professor and appearing to be giving a pep talk. It must have worked because Johnson broke a qualifying drought by ending up 8th.

Did you know? - Although Greg Anderson has been low in 25 events, this marked the first time that it has ever been in St. Louis.

Unpopular Occupation - "When it comes to the grand scheme of things, you wouldn't want to have to make a living as a foam block." - Announcer Alan Reinhart following Top Fuel racer Bruce Litton's wheelstanding run that took out several blocks.

Publicity award - During an interview over the PA, ESPN's Cold Pizza Kit Hoover uttered, "What's that Bernstein kid's name?"

FRIDAY - RUSSELL, SCELZI, ANDERSON AND TREBLE LEAD QUALIFYING FRIDAY AT THE SEARS CRAFTSMAN NHRA NATIONALS

Darrell Russell was the quickest in Top Fuel after the first day.

(6-25-2004) - Darrell Russell raced to the qualifying lead in Top Fuel Friday with a career-best run at the Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals at Gateway International Raceway.

Gary Scelzi, Greg Anderson and Craig Treble also were leaders Friday at the $1.8 million race, the 12th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Unseasonably cool temperatures at the midwest drag strip combined with a nighttime race schedule to produce track record performances in three of the four pro categories. Qualifying continues Saturday at 5 p.m. for Sunday's 4:30 p.m. eliminations.

Russell clocked a track records for time and speed with a pass of 4.511 seconds at 328.54 mph in his Amato Racing dragster to pace the 16-car lineup.

"We're plenty happy," Russell said. "To go home tonight knowing we're on top of the heap with a career-best to boot is pretty special, even if it's just for one night. I don't know if it will be this cool tomorrow so we might hold on to the top spot. I guess we'll have to see."

Australian David Grubnic was second with a 4.524 at 325.22 in the Kalitta Air dragster, while Brandon Bernstein was third in the Budwesier/Lucas Oil dragster, posting a 4.539 at 327.19.

Russell has one No. 1 qualifying position during his career, set at Pomona, (Calif.) Raceway's '02 Auto Club Finals. He would like to add another tomorrow and continue his recent momentum, which includes a victory at Columbus, Ohio two weeks ago and a semifinal effort last weekend at Englishtown, N.J.

"The car pulled the front wheels up right at the hit and then every time the clutch levers came in it pulled it back up again," Russell said. "We definitely took advantage of being at the back of the pack. One, we were able to watch all the other cars. Two, it got cooler and cooler as the round went along. Having a good first lap paid dividends because we were positioned at the back tonight."

Gary Scelzi established a track record en route to capturing the provisional Funny Car pole.

Scelzi clocked a track record run of 4.758 at 329.34 in his Oakley Dodge Stratus R/T to earn the provisional No. 1 spot in Funny Car.

"We don't get to run at night like this very much and to be in St. Louis and have the opportunity to absolutely stand on it is almost unheard of," Scelzi said. "I'd say this track will hold just about anything you throw at it. We had a good run early so that allowed us to go for it tonight. It's exciting racing at night. There's flames coming out of each window, and you have to kind of guide yourself by the scoreboards and the walls. It's not boring. By the time we get to Sunday and get past the first round it might be the kind of race people will talk about for a long time. It could really be something special."

Tommy Johnson Jr. was second in the order with a career-best effort of 4.765 at 324.90 in his Skoal Chevy Monte Carlo. Scelzi teammate Whit Bazemore was third in his Matco Tools Dodge Stratus with a 4.788 at 324.20.

Anderson led Pro Stock, posting a track record run of 6.702 at 205.26 in his Vegas General Construction Pontiac Grand Am. His elapsed time was the fifth quickest in NHRA history for Pro Stock.

"It's business as usual, I guess," Anderson said. "We saw better air tonight here than ever before. If it were another three or four degrees cooler then we'd be in range of running national record-type numbers. This track is that good when the conditions are right. It's neat and a lot of fun."

Treble paced Pro Stock Bike on his Matco Tools Suzuki, clocking a 7.139 at 185.87.

"This track is awesome," Treble said. "It's smooth and sticky with a long shutdown area. I race here a lot and I've always loved it. I love it even more right now."

Friday's qualifying results for the eighth annual Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals at Gateway International Raceway, 12th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Qualifying continues Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.

Top Fuel -- 1. Darrell Russell, 4.511 seconds, 328.54 mph; 2. David Grubnic, 4.524, 325.22; 3. Brandon Bernstein, 4.539, 327.19; 4. Tony Schumacher, 4.547, 326.24; 5. Larry Dixon, 4.571, 318.09; 6. Bob Vandergriff, 4.586, 321.81; 7. Cory McClenathan, 4.588, 319.82; 8. Scott Kalitta, 4.589, 326.48; 9. Doug Kalitta, 4.599, 325.92; 10. Bruce Litton, 4.631, 321.12; 11. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 4.635, 319.29; 12. John Smith, 4.656, 319.37; 13. Brady Kalivoda, 4.676, 323.12; 14. Scott Palmer, 4.738, 301.87; 15. Scott Weis, 4.747, 304.53; 16. T.J. Zizzo, 4.776, 308.92.

Funny Car -- 1. Gary Scelzi, Dodge Stratus, 4.758, 329.34; 2. Tommy Johnson Jr., Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.765, 324.90; 3. Whit Bazemore, Stratus, 4.788, 324.20; 4. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.810, 320.51; 5. John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.873, 318.39; 6. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 4.895, 311.63; 7. Bob Gilbertson, Chevy Camaro, 4.929, 308.00; 8. Eric Medlen, Mustang, 4.935, 310.05; 9. Phil Burkart, Pontiac Firebird, 4.946, 259.76; 10. Ron Capps, Monte Carlo, 4.950, 313.44; 11. Gary Densham, Mustang, 4.955, 297.48; 12. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 4.965, 299.33; 13. Jeff Arend, Chevy Corvette, 4.977, 305.77; 14. Tony Bartone, Camaro, 5.043, 286.98; 15. Keith Jackson, Firebird, 5.282, 220.94; 16. Jerry Toliver, Toyota Celica, 5.371, 195.85.

Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.702, 205.26; 2. Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.718, 204.45; 3. Dave Connolly, Chevy Cavalier, 6.724, 205.60; 4. Steve Johns, Cavalier, 6.726, 205.22; 5. Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 6.736, 203.37; 6. Jeg Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.745, 204.42; 7. Kenny Koretsky, Stratus, 6.745, 204.42; 8. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.751, 204.08; 9. Bruce Allen, Grand Am, 6.755, 204.08; 10. Troy Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.767, 203.25; 11. Mike Edwards, Grand Am, 6.769, 203.34; 12. Rickie Smith, Cavalier, 6.771, 203.55; 13. JR Carr, Cavalier, 6.785, 203.06; 14. Jim Yates, Grand Am, 6.786, 202.24; 15. V. Gaines, Stratus, 6.789, 202.85; 16. Ron Krisher, Cavalier, 6.791, 202.82.

Pro Stock Bike -- 1. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.139, 185.87; 2. Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.143, 185.59; 3. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.174, 185.77; 4. Shawn Gann, Suzuki, 7.178, 185.05; 5. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.183, 184.95; 6. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.196, 182.85; 7. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.202, 183.99; 8. Blaine Hale, Suzuki, 7.207, 184.04; 9. GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.208, 184.17; 10. Josh Helvie, Kawasaki, 7.211, 182.65; 11. Tommy Grimes Jr, Suzuki, 7.220, 184.37; 12. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.224, 183.22; 13. Kurt Matte, Suzuki, 7.233, 184.55; 14. Matthew Smith, Suzuki, 7.234, 181.54; 15. Angelle Savoie, Suzuki, 7.244, 184.37; 16. Chip Hunter, Suzuki, 7.267, 184.22.

FRIDAY NOTES - Records fall early, the Harley VRods and their weight and WJ unqualified…

Brandon Bernstein threw out the first pitch during the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs game on Thursday evening. (Jim Compton Photo)

(6-24-2004) - Pro Stock track records hit early – Jason Line hit the record books early in the first session. The hired gun for defending POWERade Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson leapt to the top of the field with both ends of the Gateway track record with a 6.742 at 204.11.

A Few pounds – How much did the NHRA tech department’s decision to add weight to the Harley-Davidsons affect them? After the first session, the Buells and V-Rods accounted for positions 25 – 29. The only problem with that was only 29 bikes are in attendance.

Another career? – Brandon Bernstein was the special guest of the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday evening. His task? Bernstein threw out the first pitch for Thursday’s game versus the Chicago Cubs.

Joe Buck, of the FOX network, interviewed Bernstein later for the television broadcast. Buck had something in common with Bernstein as both are following in the footsteps of their fathers. Buck’s father Jack was a famous broadcaster while Bernstein’s was Kenny, the legendary drag racer.

The pitch? It almost made it to the catcher but one-hopped into the catcher’s mitt.

More Bernstein – This weekend’s event marks the first time that Bernstein has ever raced Top Fuel in St. Louis.

The WJ Watch – Headed into Saturday’s qualifying Warren Johnson is on the outside looking in. He failed to qualify in Englishtown.

Body was low. – Tony Pedregon missed his first qualifying attempt when he experienced problems staging opposite of Tommy Johnson, Jr. Pedregon was given a time-out on the starting line by starter Rick Stewart. The diagnosis according to team publicist Jennifer Chestnut was that the body was too low to the ground. The incident came following an extensive downtime when the infra-red sensors. The incidents were not related.

Quotable – “I’m not exactly a George Bryce fan, but I do feel sorry for the guy now.” – Craig Treble in reference to the latest rules adjustments placing more weight on the Harley-Davidson Pro Stockers.