 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Daily
coverage: SUNDAY - THREE POINTS LEADERS BEATEN IN THE FINAL ROUNDS AT CARQUEST AUTO PARTS NHRA NATIONALS AT ROUTE 66 RACEWAY
(10-3-2004) - Three NHRA POWERade points leaders earned a trip to the final round Sunday during the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway. None of them earned the victory. Doug Herbert (Top Fuel), Del Worsham (Funny Car) and Dave Connolly (Pro Stock) drove to upset victories in their respective categories at the $1.8 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event. Herbert earned his first win since August 2002, beating points leader Tony Schumacher in the final with a 4.516-second pass at 329.75 mph in the Snap-on dragster for his eighth career victory. Schumacher ran a 4.527 at 329.18 in the U.S. Army dragster in the losing effort. “My fun meter is pegged,” Herbert said about his career-best run. “I told my crew chiefs that we needed to run the best lap of our life and that’s exactly what we did. It’s nice when a plan comes together.” Worsham beat 12-time NHRA POWERade champion John Force for a category-leading fifth win this season and 19th of his career. Worsham drove his Checker Schuck’s Kragen Chevy Monte Carlo to a 4.809 at 329.75 to post the win over Force’s 6.854 at 131.11 in his Castrol GTX Start Up Ford Mustang.
"Early on we thought that maybe this was our year," said
Worsham, who also won last weekend in Dallas. "Then we came apart
a bit in the summer with the rule changes, but here lately we've been
right back where we were. We seem to have found it again. Maybe one
of these years we'll get it all together for the whole season.
against Anderson - the recently crowned 2004 Pro Stock world champion - but has earned the victory in the last two meetings. Anderson fouled at the starting line, giving a potential NHRA record 14th season victory away. Connolly has been in five final rounds in the last six events. Connolly didn’t record a time or speed because he broke at the
starting line.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
| Top Alcohol Dragster -- David Wells, 5.339, 268.17 def. Shelly Howard, 5.311, 272.28. |
 |
| Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Mick Snyder, Pontiac Firebird, 5.635, 255.29 def. Paul Lee, Firebird, 5.973, 216.86. |
 |
| Competition Eliminator -- Larry Pritchett, Pontiac Sunfire, 8.120, 134.97 def. Robert Freeman, Chevy Cavalier, broke. |
 |
| Super Stock -- Steven Graham, Chevy Nova, 9.909, 130.67 def. Michael Tueffel, Pontiac Grand Am, 8.803, 154.72. |
 |
| Stock Eliminator -- Larry Hodge, Buick Skylark, 12.454, 104.56 def. Steve Wann, Pylmouth GTX, foul. |
 |
| Super Comp -- Tommy Phillips, Dragster, 8.927, 168.26 def. Damon Dabbs, Dragster, 8.929, 160.59. |
 |
| Super Gas -- Ray Connolly, Chevy Corvette, 9.906, 159.87 def. Damon Dabbs, Chevy Camaro, 9.890, 152.11. |
 |
| Super Street -- Tony Fuller, Pontiac Firebird, 10.835, 140.78 def. Frank Nichols Jr., Dodge Daytona, 10.825, 143.35. |
Final round-by-round results from the Fourth annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway, the 21st of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series -
TOP FUEL:
ROUND ONE -- Bob Vandergriff, 4.587, 316.60 def. David Baca, 4.583, 324.67; Tony Schumacher, 4.477, 331.04 def. David Grubnic, 4.497, 333.58; Brandon Bernstein, 4.526, 331.94 def. T.J. Zizzo, 4.602, 324.36; Doug Herbert, 4.567, 325.30 def. Brady Kalivoda, 4.649, 321.19; John Smith, 4.573, 322.42 def. Clay Millican, 4.571, 321.27; Scott Kalitta, 4.524, 332.18 def. Bruce Litton, 4.672, 314.39; Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 4.659, 311.41 def. Doug Kalitta, 4.684, 280.60; Morgan Lucas, 4.564, 323.43 def. Cory McClenathan, 7.822, 97.46;
QUARTERFINALS -- Herbert, 4.597, 313.07 def. Smith, 6.122, 162.43; Vandergriff, 5.573, 299.93 def. Lucas, 13.573, 62.84; Bernstein, 4.525, 332.43 def. S. Kalitta, 7.943, 103.79; Schumacher, 4.833, 322.88 def. Hartman-Smith, 5.254, 236.51;
SEMIFINALS -- Herbert, 4.627, 290.19 def. Vandergriff, 4.800, 293.35; Schumacher, 4.509, 327.03 def. Bernstein, 4.506, 331.20;
FINAL -- Herbert, 4.516, 329.75 def. Schumacher, 4.527, 329.18.
FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE -- Del Worsham, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.767, 320.05 def. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.867, 319.37; Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.758, 323.27 def. Johnny Gray, Dodge Stratus, 4.838, 324.67; Eric Medlen, Ford Mustang, 4.807, 322.96 def. Jeff Arend, Chevy Corvette, broke; Gary Densham, Mustang, 4.756, 327.59 def. Whit Bazemore, Stratus, 4.754, 317.94; John Force, Mustang, 4.665, 333.58 def. Tony Bartone, Pontiac Firebird, broke; Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 4.854, 298.34 def. Bob Bode, Firebird, 5.002, 290.76; Jerry Toliver, Toyota Celica, 5.084, 273.22 def. Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 7.419, 116.43; Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.761, 320.28 def. Bob Gilbertson, Firebird, 6.048, 151.49;
QUARTERFINALS -- Worsham, 4.864, 305.56 def. Toliver, 4.940, 314.09; C. Pedregon, 5.205, 279.90 def. Densham, 5.480, 186.64; Force, 4.714, 330.96 def. T. Pedregon, 4.809, 298.07; Medlen, 4.740, 328.22 def. Burkart, 4.875, 308.50;
SEMIFINALS -- Worsham, 4.807, 325.77 def. Medlen, 4.783, 323.74;
Force, 4.729, 329.83 def. C. Pedregon, 4.785, 312.21;
FINAL -- Worsham, 4.809, 329.75 def. Force, 6.854, 131.11.
PRO STOCK:
ROUND ONE -- Jeg Coughlin, Chevy Cavalier, 6.688, 206.48 def. Kenny Koretsky, Dodge Stratus, 12.840, 66.75; Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.674, 206.67 def. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.732, 204.51; V. Gaines, Stratus, 6.720, 205.79 def. Mike Edwards, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.701, 206.20; Rickie Smith, Cavalier, 6.727, 204.98 def. Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.712, 206.70; Mark Whisnant, Cavalier, broke def. Steve Johns, Cavalier, broke; Steve Johns, Cavalier, 6.682, 206.39 def. Mark Whisnant, Cavalier, 6.730, 204.32; Dave Connolly, Cavalier, 6.709, 205.69 def. Ron Krisher, Cavalier, 8.427, 112.63; Greg Anderson, Grand Am, 6.690, 206.32 def. JR Carr, Cavalier, 6.723, 205.22; Bruce Allen, Grand Am, 6.717, 205.26 def. Greg Stanfield, Cavalier, 6.724, 196.85; Jeg Coughlin, Chevy Cavalier, 6.688, 206.48 def. Kenny Koretsky, Dodge Stratus, 12.840, 66.75; Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.674, 206.67 def. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.732, 204.51; V. Gaines, Stratus, 6.720, 205.79 def. Mike Edwards, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.701, 206.20; Rickie Smith, Cavalier, 6.727, 204.98 def. Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.712, 206.70; Steve Johns, Cavalier, 6.682, 206.39 def. Mark Whisnant, Cavalier, 6.730, 204.32; Dave Connolly, Cavalier, 6.709, 205.69 def. Ron Krisher, Cavalier, 8.427, 112.63; Greg Anderson, Grand Am, 6.690, 206.32 def. JR Carr, Cavalier, 6.723, 205.22; Bruce Allen, Grand Am, 6.717, 205.26 def. Greg Stanfield, Cavalier, 6.724, 196.85;
QUARTERFINALS -- Allen, 6.721, 205.32 def. Smith, 6.728, 205.22; Anderson, 6.704, 206.26 def. Coughlin, 6.713, 206.67; Johns, 6.728, 205.04 def. Gaines, 6.749, 205.26; Connolly, 6.714, 205.13 def. Morgan, 6.704, 205.88;
SEMIFINALS -- Connolly, 6.719, 205.60 def. Johns, 11.118,
80.76; Anderson, 6.714, 206.20 def. Allen, 6.734, 205.16;
FINAL -- Connolly, broke def. Anderson, foul.
SUNDAY NOTES - A good day to be a Connolly; Worsham credits Force and Herbert's pegging the fun meter...
(10-3-2004) - Father-son outing -- The fourth annual Carquest Auto Parts Nationals books will list two Connollys of Elyria, Ohio, as winners. Dave Connolly earned his Pro Stock victory over Greg Anderson just after his sportsman-class father Ray captured the Super Gas title in a '63 Chevy Corvette.
"That's awesome," Connolly said of his father's victory. "I
think I was more excited for him, and then I knew we had to go out and
do our job. That's something that we've always dreamed of doing, but
we've got so many cars out here each week, and in drag racing you usually
lose more than you win. This weekend it was just our lucky day and things
were meant to be."
Also making an impressive showing this weekend was Larry Pritchett from Clarkrange, Tenn., who doubled-up with his '04 Pontiac Sunfire with victories in Comp Eliminator as well as in the Jeg's Allstars competition in the Comp Eliminator All Stars class.
Top Fuel just might see a father-son act soon. T.J. Zizzo's father, a longtime Top Alcohol Dragster driver, was scheduled to go for his license Monday at Route 66 Raceway. The plan was the two would campaign the current car together.
Is bad luck still luck? -- Cory McClenathan seemed to have
the luck of the Irish with him and his Berryman Products/Carquest Dragster
at Joliet. He qualified quickest in a Top Fuel field that saw Brandon
Bernstein equal the national speed record of 333.41 miles an hour that
he set at Route 66 Raceway in May. The fastest eight cars on that grid
ran 322 mph or better, and two were in the 4.49-second range on the
quarter-mile.
McClenathan was the first Top Fuel driver to break into the 4.40-second
bracket since NHRA cut back the maximum nitromethane limit in the fuel
mixture from 90 to 85 percent in an attempt to slow the cars for safety.
But he lost to first-round opponent Morgan Lucas, losing traction around
the 330-foot mark.
"We really thought we had a good car here, and the numbers were
showing it," McClenathan said. "The car was in trouble from
the get-go. As soon as I hit the gas it was in trouble. It just really
bit us; it's just really bad timing."
He and the team stayed Monday in Joliet to test before heading to Reading,
Pa., for this weekend's make-up of the rain-delayed Lucas Oil Nationals.
"We need to make this a consistent race car," McClenathan
said.
" We'll do what it takes to make it that way. We just need to make
sure that we can go from starting to half track. This smoking the tire
stuff has got to stop," he said.
McClenathan, who conceded he is in test mode already for 2005, remains
in seventh place.
Cruzin' along -- Cruz Pedregon wasn't a finalist at Joliet like he was at Denver, Seattle, Indianapolis, and Dallas. But he drove his Advance Auto Parts Chevy Monte Carlo to the Funny Car semifinals, and was
He improved from eighth to seventh in the standings.
Coming off of back-to-back final round appearances, Pedregon ran into
a strong John Force in the semifinals.
Despite falling short to a sizzling-hot John Force -- 4.785-second elapsed
time at 312.21 mph to Force's 4.729/329.83 -- Pedregon said he is elated
with his team's second-half surge.
"I'm so happy with how we're running right now," he said. "This car has been performing flawlessly week in and week out. I haven’t had a car like this since the mid 1990s with the McDonald's and Interstate Batteries cars. This is just awesome.
"We know that if we pull into the track and do our thing, we have
a shot every weekend," Pedregon said. "We know we can get
to the final four or the final two. I still think we’re going
to get into the winners circle before the year is out."
As for his chances against Force this past weekend, Pedregon said, "John's
car has been on a different planet this weekend. But I felt if we had
run any of the other teams, we would have had a shot at another final.
There were 25 tough Funny Cars out here this weekend and to be in the
final four is great."
Giving Force Props - Funny Car winner Del Worsham also
acknowledged the level of Force's performance in the Castrol GTX Start-up
Ford Mustang throughout the weekend.
He said he thought the victory was "out of bounds for us. John is apparently racing in his own world. I don't know if there's ever been a more historic couple of days in the Funny Car class, and John is so far out there it's ridiculous. They showed some unbelievable numbers today."
Perhaps the points leader and 12-time champion was inspired by David Grubnic's 333.58-mile-an-hour pass in the opening round of Top Fuel competition -- although, just as incredibly, that fastest pass in NHRA history came in a losing effort against eventual runner-up Tony Schumacher.
Within minutes of Grubnic's staggering run, Force clocked an identical
speed in his Round 1 Funny Car victory over Tony Bartone. He set national
records for time and speed -- and earned 20 valuable points for his
13th-championship quest -- with his 4.665-second, 333.58-mph showing.
Force had been on a roll at this event, startling everyone -- including
crew chief Austin Coil -- with his 4.697-second E.T. (at 332.75 mph)
Saturday that led the quickest field in Funny Car history. Only a week
earlier, Coil had said emphatically that the new nitro-content rule
almost guarantees no record-setting chances the rest of the season.
("We were anticipating a low 4.72," Coil said, "but, you have to understand, we were in uncharted territory with regard to fuel volume and several other things. Plus, we were on an outstanding race track in weather conditions that were extraordinary." Joked Force, "He told me he's going to 80 percent tomorrow.")
For Worsham, who's perfect in five final-round appearances, the triumph was sweet because it was the second in a row, the 19th of his career and the fourth straight in such head-to-head matches against Force.
Maybe it was twice as satisfying, considering he and crew-chief father Chuck Worsham had struggled for weeks to find an effective combination for their Checker Schucks Kragen Chevy Monte Carlo on hot tracks with the new restrictions. That was an adjustment for Worsham, of Newport Beach, Calif., who had led the Funny Car standings through six of the first seven races this year and again for one week in June.
Worsham said it was daunting "going into the finals and knowing you're outperformed" but said the "best way to race John Force is don't overachieve, just run your number."
His strategy paid off, in one sense: he overtook Scelzi for second place in the standings. Ironically, though, because Force got 20 bonus points for his national record, Worsham lost ground in the title chase. He entered he event in third place, 236 points off Force's pace. Despite the victory, he's 237 behind Force, who could clinch his record-extending championship at Reading.
"To come out here and run the way we have and win five races, I think it's all building blocks," Worsham said. "It's been going on for 14 years now, and each year we seem to get a little bit better. One of these days maybe we'll win the Powerade championship."
Pass the Pepto - John Force said Saturday after snagging
the No. 1 qualifying position that he has "been sick for weeks,
trying to get this championship back" after Tony Pedregon interrupted
his reign. But Force didn't walk away from Joliet empty-handed. He became
the first Funny Car driver to break the 4.70-second barrier at 4.697
seconds), and he set NHRA national records for elapsed time (4.665 seconds)
and speed (333.58 mph). In addition, he extended his qualifying streak
to 343 consecutive events, earned the 123rd No. 1 qualifier award of
his career, and extended his points lead to 237 over Del Worsham.
"We made a statement, but we didn't finish the job," Force
said. "We could have closed everybody out. I just want to get it
done. We're taking a good race car to Reading (and this week's Lucas
Oil Nationals) so I feel pretty good."
Force also was the first to break the 4.90- and 4.80-second barriers. He was clocked in 4.889 seconds on July 6, 1996 at Topeka, Kan., and in 4.787 seconds on Oct. 24, 1998 at Dallas, Texas. Now-retired Funny Car driver Chuck Etchells beat him to the first sub-5.00 second time in 1993.
'Fun meter pegged!' -- Doug Herbert has had quite a start to his week. He began with his eight career Top Fuel victory Sunday at Joliet. Then he and his team plan to swing up to Kenosha, Wis., to the headquarters of Snap-On Tools before heading to Reading, Pa., for this weekend's action. In the meantime, Herbert will have a special friend to show off to the sponsors -- a gold Wally statue. He said he and his son plan to have a terrific birthday, one they share. This Tuesday will be his 37th and his son's ninth.
"My fun meter's pegged," the Lincolnton, N.C., veteran said.
Herbert said he and his Snap-On Tools Dragster team needed "a spark, something to get us going." They got Herbert's first triumph with new crew chief Ed "The Ace" McCulloch and his first since August 2002 at Sonoma, Calif.
He cooled down a sizzling Schumacher with a 4.516-second elapsed time at 329.75 miles an hour in a side-by-side race that epitomized Sunday's action on the NHRA-showcase quarter-mile. The U.S. Army Dragster driver had won four of the previous six races.
Schumacher, battling tire shake, had a 4.527-second E.T. at 329.18 mph. He will have to wait until this weekend at Reading, Pa., to try again for his record-tying ninth victory of the season.
"We've got to run not our best run of this race -- we've got to run the best race of our life," Herbert said he told himself and his crew. "And that's what we did. It's nice when the plan comes together. There's not a better time to win a race than right now," Herbert said, "and I am so happy to win on the fastest race track that there is. We ran our best speed and E.T."
Indeed, beating Schumacher is something few have mastered. Herbert said to outshine Schumacher's crew chief, he would have to be at his best: "I've been racing Alan Johnson for a long time, and he is one tough dude. And Tony does a good job of driving that car. They're leading the points for a reason . . . because they're the best."
Not intimidated - Dave Connolly isn't the least bit
intimidated that Greg Anderson reset both ends of the Pro Stock class'
national records and claimed his 14th No. 1 qualifying spot of the season
to lead NHRA's quickest-ever Pro Stock field.
The 21-year-old from Elyria, Ohio, started in the No. 2 spot and drove
his way past veterans Ron Krisher, Larry Morgan, and Steve Johns on
the way to his second straight victory and third in the last five races.
Anderson, going for his NHRA-record 14th victory this season, red-lighted.
Then Connolly's Bullet Motorsports Chevy Cavalier broke, and he coasted
to the finish line so slowly he didn't register a time or speed.
"It was definitely was unusual," Connolly said. "We might
never be that lucky again."
He added, "It should be a boost to our whole team that we've got
him that scared where he's making mistakes now. Nobody at the beginning
of the year even pushed him even to have to cut lights, because he had
the whole field covered."
Connolly, who has appeared in the final round at six of the last seven
races, passed Jason Line for second place in the standings.
"Greg pretty much took the record from us, but he gave us the finals,"
Connolly said. "I wish the 2005 season started a couple of weeks
ago."
He said he didn't know that Anderson had fouled. "I didn't even
go a car length and it went dead right," Connolly said. "As
soon as I went to stage there was water coming out of the headers and
we blew the motor up. I was coasting up through there and looked up
and saw the win light on, and everybody was on the radio and told me
he red-lighted and to take it on down through there."
Though Anderson is in no danger of losing his lead, he did increase
his margin over his closest competitor from 638 points to 680.
Showing Heart - Scott Weis didn't qualify for the 16-car Top Fuel field, but he's out in front in the battle to raise awareness for the Congenital Heart Defect Society. He and his Race Girl Dragster displayed special graphics to draw attention to the CHD Awareness Quilt Project (www.chdquilt.org).
Jennifer Bennett, the society's executive director, whose daughter Ashley has CHD, said the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series "rose to the top" of her steering committee's list of potential spokesmen. "Before I could finish asking, Scott volunteered to help our organization," she said. "We hope by partnering with Scott we can raise awareness of this condition and raise funds to research new therapies for children living with CHD."
Weis said he was touched to learn of Ashley Bennett. "It's humbling that a four-year-old child has to take five different medicines because of a CHD. It's an honor to support the Congenital Heart Defect Society."
a
d v e r t i s e m e n t
Click to visit our sponsor's
website
SATURDAY - NATIONAL RECORDS FALL; NO 1 QUALIFIERS ARE SET FOR CARQUEST AUTO PARTS NHRA NATIONALS AT ROUTE 66 RACEWAY
 |
| Just a week after he clinched his second consecutive NHRA POWERade Pro Stock world championship, Greg Anderson set the national records for time and speed, running a 6.661-second pass at 207.75 mph. |
(10-2-2004) - Route 66 Raceway continues to play host
to national record times and speeds as two champions put their name
in the record books again Saturday during the fourth annual CARQUEST
Auto Parts NHRA Nationals.
Just a week after he clinched his second consecutive NHRA POWERade Pro
Stock world championship, Greg Anderson set the national records for
time and speed, running a 6.661-second pass at 207.75 mph in his Summit
Racing Equipment Pontiac Grand Am.
John Force - the current Funny Car points leader - is aiming for his
13th career NHRA world championship. He turned in the quickest pass
in Funny Car history with a 4.697 at 325.30 for the 123rd No. 1 qualifying
award of his career. Force needs to run a 4.744 pass on Sunday to set
the national record and earn the 20-point bonus.
Cory McClenathan (Top Fuel) also led qualifying at the $1.8 million
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event.
Anderson set both ends of the national record at Englishtown, N.J. in
2003 before David Connolly ran the quickest pass during the first round
Saturday. Connolly went 6.667, but didn't back it up before Anderson
laid down quicker numbers, earning the 31st No. 1 qualifying spot of
his career.
"We've absolutely been thinking about records ever since we got
here and saw the forecast," Anderson said. "We only get conditions
like this maybe once or twice a year so you have to be ready to take
full advantage of it. We got one chance last year in E-town (Englishtown)
and this is the first chance we've had since then, really. It sure gets
your heart pumping when you see how good it is out there."
 |
| John Force - the current Funny Car points leader - turned in the quickest pass in Funny Car history with a 4.697 at 325.30. |
Force has a 233-point lead over second-place Gary Scelzi, who qualified
in the No. 7 spot. Third place driver Del Worsham qualified second after
four rounds, but was in the No. 1 spot after the first three qualifying
sessions.
"That was an important pass because Del Worsham was No. 1 up until
that point and he's right behind us in the points," Force said.
"If he had jumped up a little bit then he'd have the E.T. record
and he'd get the extra 20 points. It still might happen but at least
we can try to one-up whatever he does. At this point in the chase, 20
points is big."
McClenathan ran to the top of his category with a 4.490 pass at 328.62
in his CARQUEST dragster for his 29th career top qualifier.
"This is just awesome for the team," McClenathan said. "[Co-crew
chief] John Stewart came back on board two races ago and we're right
back to the way we were running before. The guys did a great job. I'm
just the lucky guy who gets to wheel the car. When you race under conditions
like this you know you can just throw the trailer at it and it will
probably stick. That's what we did and the car was perfect.
 |
| Cory McClenathan ran to the top of his category with a 4.490 pass at 328.62 in his CARQUEST dragster for his 29th career top qualifier . |
"The NHRA made some rule changes to make us safer and it threw
everyone off for a little while but I knew it wouldn't take us long
to get right back to the times and speeds we were running before. Sure,
the conditions are perfect here, but a 4.4 is a 4.4 no matter how you
slice it."
Final eliminations are set for 11 a.m. on Sunday.
First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the Fourth annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway, the 21st of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.
Top Fuel -- 1. Cory McClenathan, 4.490 seconds, 328.62
mph vs. 16. Morgan Lucas, 4.716, 310.41; 2. Doug Kalitta, 4.496, 330.63
vs. 15. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 4.698, 321.96; 3. Scott Kalitta, 4.517,
332.34 vs. 14. Bruce Litton, 4.690, 316.90; 4. Clay Millican, 4.540,
326.16 vs. 13. John Smith, 4.634, 306.74; 5. Doug Herbert, 4.540, 322.88
vs. 12. Brady Kalivoda, 4.625, 325.30; 6. Brandon Bernstein, 4.541,
333.41 vs. 11. T.J. Zizzo, 4.622, 322.27; 7. Tony Schumacher, 4.542,
329.02 vs. 10. David Grubnic, 4.622, 324.28; 8. David Baca, 4.558, 329.83
vs. 9. Bob Vandergriff, 4.615, 309.63.
Funny Car -- 1. John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.697, 332.75
vs. 16. Tony Bartone, Pontiac Firebird, 4.862, 317.64; 2. Del Worsham,
Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.730, 328.54 vs. 15. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo,
4.858, 319.29; 3. Eric Medlen, Mustang, 4.763, 325.30 vs. 14. Jeff Arend,
Chevy Corvette, 4.854, 320.36; 4. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.766,
325.30 vs. 13. Johnny Gray, Dodge Stratus, 4.850, 317.34; 5. Gary Densham,
Mustang, 4.769, 326.32 vs. 12. Whit Bazemore, Stratus, 4.847, 314.31;
6. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 4.789, 323.43 vs. 11. Bob Bode, Firebird,
4.844, 308.50; 7. Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 4.827, 324.59 vs. 10. Jerry
Toliver, Toyota Celica, 4.832, 317.27; 8. Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo,
4.828, 313.07 vs. 9. Bob Gilbertson, Firebird, 4.830, 316.82.
Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.661,
207.75 vs. 16. JR Carr, Chevy Cavalier, 6.718, 206.13; 2. Dave Connolly,
Cavalier, 6.667, 207.30 vs. 15. Ron Krisher, Cavalier, 6.711, 206.51;
3. Steve Johns, Cavalier, 6.670, 206.73 vs. 14. Mark Whisnant, Cavalier,
6.707, 206.20; 4. Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.675, 207.40 vs. 13. Rickie
Smith, Cavalier, 6.705, 205.88; 5. Greg Stanfield, Cavalier, 6.675,
207.15 vs. 12. Bruce Allen, Grand Am, 6.699, 206.29; 6. Mike Edwards,
Grand Am, 6.676, 206.86 vs. 11. V. Gaines, Dodge Stratus, 6.698, 206.76;
7. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.680, 206.73 vs. 10. Allen Johnson, Stratus,
6.692, 206.23; 8. Kenny Koretsky, Stratus, 6.684, 205.94 vs. 9. Jeg
Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.685, 206.89.
SATURDAY NOTES - Cory's got his mojo going on, Tight Pro Stock field and problems in the Snake pit...
 |
| Vinny Arcadi does his best impression of a 747 taking off during Saturday qualifying. (ESPN2) |
(10-2-2004) - Please prepare for take-off - Funny Car hopeful Vinny Arcadi had a bit of a scare in his Delta Sonic/Citgo Camaro during Saturday's first session, the second overall. The front end of his car raised up, then he got all four tires off the ground before it came down and banged the wall.
"Pretty good for a short flight, huh? We were almost up there as long as Orville and Wilbur and surely as high," Arcadi said. "We hit pretty hard, but we didn't do any real damage. We bent the headers up."
With a set of headers he borrowed from fellow racer Dale Creasy, Arcadi ran a 5.013-second elapsed time in the final session but missed the cut. Tony Bartone slipped in with a 4.862.
Mac Attack - All too often for Cory McClenathan, the close of an NHRA season has signaled time to start marketing himself again to potential new sponsors. Despite his outstanding credentials, the Anaheim, Calif., native has had to keep proving himself over and over in a world in which financial deals can be fragile or fleeting.
But this season is different. And nothing could have put an exclamation mark on that more than his performance Saturday at the Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Joliet, Ill.
McClenathan drove the Berryman Products/Carquest Dragster to a 4.490-second elapsed time at 328.62 miles an hour. It was the quickest anyone has run since NHRA in July limited the nitromethane mixture in the fuel to 85 percent in an attempt to make drag racing safer.
"I knew it would be a matter of time before these cars would get back to the big speeds," he said. "You can do whatever you want on it. You can pretty much throw the trailer at it, and that's what we did."
It was just the second race at which co-crew chief John Stewart was working in tandem with Todd Smith in tuning the car. Stewart was crew chief at last September's edition of this event when McClenathan qualified second with a career-best 4.463-second E.T.
In addition, he was able to put the event's title-sponsor -- his associate sponsor for this race -- at the forefront of the Top Fuel class with his 29th No. 1 qualifying spot. It came the day after his team announced it had secured a multiyear sponsorship agreement with FRAM.
"I'm ecstatic," he said. "I feel very lucky. This is a great show with a lot of good cars." Then, alluding to Kalitta cousins' performances that put them in second and third (Doug 4.496/328.62, Scott 4.517/332.34), he said, "We were a tick better today, and that was the first time in awhile."
Also in the Top Fuel class, Brandon Bernstein capped his qualifying by equaling the national speed record of 333.41 mph he established on this quarter-mile in May in the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Dragster.
Not "Force"ing the issue - Funny Car points leader John Force also took advantage of dramatically cooler temperatures and Joliet's perfectly prepared Route 66 Raceway quarter-mile.
Force, looking to lock up his 13th series championship, recorded his class' first pass in the 4.6-second range. His 4.697-second elapsed time at 332.75 miles an hour in the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang was the quickest and second-fastest in Funny Car history. Only Whit Bazemore, who clocked a 333.25 here in May, has topped that speed.
"The motor isn't hurting itself. It's happy," Force said, adding, "Why was Michael Jordan so good here? Maybe it was the cool air. I'm not comparing myself to Michael Jordan -- I can't even dribble a ball."
Austin Coil, Force's crew chief, quickly figured out how to make power after the nitro rule change. Joked Force after his eye-popping pass, "He told me he's going to 80 percent tomorrow."
Force refused to gloat about his feat. "The thing I feared most, even though we have a real good cushion," he said of his championship chase, "is that things could happen -- like last week at Dallas when I red-lighted. When I red-lighted, Austin Coil couldn't stop laughing. He told me, 'You look like a trainee.' I've been sick for weeks, trying to get back this championship."
He said Saturday's performance was especially sweet because he didn't make it into the record books for breaking the 300-mph barrier and wasn't Funny Car's first driver quicker than five seconds.
 |
| Tony Schumacher gives a camera a try in sort of a reverse Whit Bazemore kind of thing. Bazemore was a noted photographer before going nitro racing (Connie LaBounty). |
Hey Sarge, Try This - Top Fuel's Tony Schumacher was walking back toward the pits after his Saturday morning run, and he wandered into the area where National Speed Sport News photographer Russ LaBounty was shooting action on the track.
LaBounty handed him one of his cameras and offered him a chance to take a few shots.
Although Schumacher has a reputation for being a gracious gentleman, somehow it's doubtful he will return the "job-sharing" offer.
Here's a shocker - Greg Anderson, who clinched his
second straight class championship last week, will lead the quickest
Pro Stock field in NHRA history. The Charlotte, N.C., resident grabbed
the top-qualifying position with a 6.661-second elapsed time at 207.75
mph that rewrote his own 17-month-old national records for time and
speed.
He reclaimed his dominance after Dave Connolly had topped the class
with a 6.669-second E.T. elapsed time (at 207.30 miles an hour) that
for a couple of hours was the quickest run ever in the class.
Anderson added another footnote to his season that features a record
13 victories and a 62-6 mark in eliminations. He and Greg Stanfield,
who posted a 6.675-second E.T. in the opposite lane, combined to tie
the record for quickest side-by-side run in Pro Stock history.
Just 47-thousandths of a second separate No. 1 Anderson's 6.661-second E.T. and No. 16 J.R. Carr's 6.718-second effort.
Each Pro Stock qualifier recorded a career-best time. In addition, all 16 qualifiers and the four quickest non-qualifiers were faster than the track-record Anderson had set here last September.
"This morning we came out conservative," Anderson said. "It was a good, solid run, but it was conservative. We're a team that takes things safe. We stepped on 'er a little more tonight."
He said he was motivated by Connolly's performance, hoping to protect teammate Jason Line by keeping the 21-year-old phenomenon from earning 20 points for setting a national record.
"I figured somebody had to do something about it," Anderson said. Alluding to the cool temperatures which are expected to continue Sunday, he added, "It may not be over yet."
He said the rapidly changing title of quickest and fastest is what drivers like: "This is when your heart gets pumping."
Less Filling, Didn't taste great - Larry Dixon, the two-time defending NHRA Top Fuel champion, saw his qualifying streak end at 53 races. He failed to qualify in the Miller Lite Dragster, ending up 25th in the 26-car list. His string ranked eighth among drivers in the four professional categories and second in the Top Fuel class to Doug Kalitta. The last DNQ for Dixon was at St. Louis in June 2002.
Snake Racing teammate Ron Capps also had a DNQ, his second of the year. He was 10th after Saturday’s first attempt with a 4.895-second E.T. at 316.89 mph. But he experienced an engine explosion on his final pass and slowed to a run of 4.947 at 263.31, just missing the 16-car field.
He said crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler "did a great job running the car this weekend,” adding, “It’s unfortunate that we missed Friday’s second run because of the rain. We had a pretty good handle on things and the car was improving on each run. We had great numbers on our final pass until the engine let go.”
Like Father, Like Son - Warren Johnson, the six-time Pro Stock champion, reached a milestone with son Kurt this weekend, but it wasn't one he ever wanted to claim. Both failed to qualify on the 16-car grid, marking the first time the duo did that in the 11 years they have raced together. Kurt's ACDelco Chevy Cavalier turned a 6.720-second elapsed time, two-thousandths of a second behind J.R. Carr's bump spot (6.718). Warren wound up 25th among the 34 competitors in the GM Performance Parts Pontiac Grand Am.
The DNQ was WJ's fifth this season. Prior to this year, he never had missed more than two races in one season -- and that happened only once, in 2003.
Primarily for the safety of the fans, NHRA dictates that team haulers remain in the pits until one hour after the final fuel car has run. But hardly a tick of the clock later, the father-son team was on the road home. They planned to be in their shop in Sugar Hill, Ga., Sunday.
 |
| The 20th annual Jeg’s Allstars event proved to be a shootout between last year’s champions from Division Four and the Division Two Southeast Dixie Rebels. |
Jeg's All-Stars - The 20th annual Jeg’s Allstars event proved to be a shootout between last year’s champions from Division Four and the Division Two Southeast Dixie Rebels. In closely contested races, Division Two walked away with the $20,000 championship prize, posting 1200 points to Division Four’s 1100. Third place went to Division Six with 900 points.
Division Four Top Alcohol dragster pilot Shelly Howard, a sportsman-class veteran from Tulsa, Oklahoma, posted a low E.T. of 5.300 seconds, a top speed of 277.49 m.p.h., and a championship win over runner-up Ed Schmeeckle of Gothenburg, Nebraska.
Also from Division Four, Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Jackie Stidham posted a personal best 5.555 seconds/256.06 m.p.h. in his break-away victory over perennial contender Jay Payne, who ran a 5.736 second/246 m.p.h. in the final.
Division Two’s Jim Perry defeated 2003 Super Comp champion Jack Beckman. Perry turned in a perfect 8.900 to Beckman’s break-out 8.885-second run in the event finals.
Other 2004 Jeg’s Allstar Champions include Larry Prichett (Div. 2) in Comp Eliminator, Brad Plourd (D6) in Super Stock, Shane Carr (D2) in Stock, Steve Eckard (D3) in Super Gas, and Scott Rollins (D7) in Super Street. (Thanks to Matthew Brammer for contributing this report)
FRIDAY - VANDERGRIFF, BURKART AND MORGAN GRAB TOP SPOTS AT CARQUEST AUTO PARTS NHRA NATIONALS
 |
| Bob Vandergriff Jr. earned the provisional No. 1 qualifying spot in Top Fuel for the first time since 1999. |
(10-1-2004) - Bob Vandergriff Jr. earned the provisional No. 1 qualifying spot in Top Fuel for the first time since 1999 Friday during the fourth annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway.
Phil Burkart (Funny Car) and Larry Morgan (Pro Stock) also lead qualifying in their respective categories at the $1.8 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event. Each pro category had just one run down the race track as rain forced NHRA officials to cancel the second session.
Vandergriff drove his Hedman Hedders dragster to a 4.615-second run at 309.63 mph to lead the category after one session. Vandergriff has three career No. 1 qualifying awards.
"It's been a long time but not that many races, at least for me," said Vandergriff, who took off a few years to focus on his business and new family.
"We came here off a DNQ in Indy so we really wanted a strong start.
We stayed and tested after the U.S. Nationals because the rule changes
with the tires and the 85-percent nitro really threw us a curveball.
"It hurt some teams more than others and we were one of the ones
who really got behind. We had a great tune-up for 90-percent and we've
had some success in the races we've run with it, but it's a whole new
set-up now. Everything changed. I agree with what they're (NHRA) trying
to do. We just have to adjust."
While teams were disappointed to lose the second session on Friday, Vandergriff is already looking forward to the Saturday sessions. Of course, Vandergriff is already qualified for Sunday. Seven Top Fuel drivers in the POWERade Top 10 point standings did not qualify.
 |
| Phil Burkart went 4.789 at 323.43 in his Checker Schuck's Kragen Chevy Monte Carlo to pace the Funny Cars. |
"The weather is supposed to be awesome tomorrow so we'll just have to step it up and run a tenth [of a second] quicker like everyone else," Vandergriff said.
Burkart went 4.789 at 323.43 in his Checker Schuck's Kragen Chevy Monte Carlo to pace the Funny Cars. The run, however, was less than perfect. It may have been the quickest of the round, but it wasn't pretty. The engine suffered damage at the end of the run.
"We determined that the body had shifted back a little bit and
it was preventing the throttle from coming all the way back," Burkart
said. "It really wasn't a scary deal because the motor blew right
away so I was slowing down at the same rate as usual. We actually were
going to skip tonight's round so we're lucky it rained out because I'm
sure someone would have gone quicker.
"It's a shame we blew up the motor but it's nice to be No. 1. We
made it to the final at this race last year and had to shut off after
the burnout because we had an oil leak. It was a tough ending because
we had just run back-to-back 4.77s, so we knew we had a great car. Maybe
we can make up for that this time around."
 |
| Larry Morgan ran to the top of Pro Stock with a 6.734 pass at 204.66 in his Team Mopar Dodge Stratus . |
Morgan ran to the top of his category with a 6.734 pass at 204.66 in his Team Mopar Dodge Stratus.
"This was an especially good run for us because we just put a new motor in and to come out and make that run is a great thing," Morgan said. "I hate that we didn't get another run but we can't control what happens above us. It's going to be colder tomorrow, so we're going to have to make some adjustments and see if we can hang on to the No. 1 spot."
Qualifying continues at 12:15 p.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday. Final eliminations are set for 11 a.m. on Sunday.
Results Friday after qualifying for the Fourth annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway, 21st of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. Bob Vandergriff, 4.615 seconds, 309.63
mph; 2. Clay Millican, 4.617, 315.34; 3. David Baca, 4.647, 315.78;
4. T.J. Zizzo, 4.697, 316.45; 5. Bruce Litton, 4.761, 300.00; 6. Morgan
Lucas, 4.818, 225.94; 7. Chris Karamesines, 4.867, 307.16; 8. Luigi
Novelli, 4.989, 241.67; 9. Doug Herbert, 5.049, 228.81; 10. Joe Hartley,
5.560, 169.96; 11. John Smith, 5.786, 183.27; 12. Mike Strasburg, 6.648,
123.59; 13. Larry Dixon, 7.574, 97.06; 14. Mitch King, 8.700, 95.20;
15. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 9.304, 101.25; 16. Andrew Cowin, 9.692, 86.08.
Funny Car -- 1. Phil Burkart, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.789,
323.43; 2. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 4.803, 323.81; 3. Cruz Pedregon,
Monte Carlo, 4.818, 322.27; 4. Gary Densham, Ford Mustang, 4.824, 293.35;
5. Gary Scelzi, Dodge Stratus, 4.827, 324.59; 6. Tony Pedregon, Monte
Carlo, 4.837, 313.07; 7. John Force, Mustang, 4.840, 323.97; 8. Tommy
Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.873, 319.29; 9. Eric Medlen, Mustang, 4.887,
318.69; 10. Ron Capps, Monte Carlo, 4.905, 316.38; 11. Tony Bartone,
Pontiac Firebird, 4.907, 315.56; 12. Whit Bazemore, Stratus, 4.940,
261.93; 13. Bob Gilbertson, Firebird, 4.998, 301.74; 14. Terry Haddock,
Chevy Camaro, 5.024, 303.30; 15. Johnny Gray, Stratus, 5.045, 305.63;
16. Jerry Toliver, Toyota Celica, 5.233, 217.53.
Pro Stock -- 1. Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 6.734,
204.66; 2. Mike Edwards, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.742, 204.48; 3. Jeg Coughlin,
Chevy Cavalier, 6.746, 203.92; 4. Greg Stanfield, Cavalier, 6.752, 204.26;
5. Kenny Koretsky, Stratus, 6.753, 204.23; 6. Steve Johns, Cavalier,
6.755, 204.60; 7. Greg Anderson, Grand Am, 6.757, 205.35; 8. Bruce Allen,
Grand Am, 6.757, 203.98; 9. Dave Connolly, Cavalier, 6.759, 204.48;
10. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.762, 204.14; 11. Ron Krisher, Cavalier,
6.766, 204.54; 12. Mark Whisnant, Cavalier, 6.769, 203.98; 13. V. Gaines,
Stratus, 6.770, 204.73; 14. Steve Schmidt, Cavalier, 6.770, 204.35;
15. Kurt Johnson, Cavalier, 6.782, 203.77; 16. JR Carr, Cavalier, 6.782,
203.00. 
FRIDAY NOTES - Protest averted, The Shoe comes clean and Hartman talks...
 |
| Virgil Hartman talks about the future of his team. |
(10-1-2004) - PROTEST AVERTED - As distasteful as a protest seemed to NHRA racers, so was the idea that event and series-championship purses were static while the financial and personal risks of competing continue to skyrocket.
However, the Professional Racers Organization (PRO) headed off a confrontation that could have materialized at this weekend's Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet.
So instead of losing one session to a boycott, pro-class drivers lost it to rain Friday night.
"There was a lot of stuff being talked about through the media that isn't true," PRO board member Don Skuza said before Friday's qualifying began. "We're talking with NHRA. We're moving forward."
While several team owners and PRO board members were careful in their wording of the situation, they indicated that teams had contemplated a protest. Boycotting a qualifying session seemed to be the preferred action if NHRA had proven unresponsive to PRO's request to discuss the matter of increased purses.
Instead, drivers were eager to return to the NHRA-showcase track where they set records in May. But rain interrupted qualifying several times before officials halted the action after 23 Pro Stock cars made second-session passes.
In an unrelated move, Don Schumacher is expected to succeed Kenny Bernstein as president of PRO. Bernstein served a two-year term.
BURKART BOUNCES BACK - A year ago, Phil Burkart pleased
his new Checker Schucks Kragen team by reaching the final round of just
his second race, the Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Joliet. However,
an oil leak forced him to shut down his engine and concede the victory
to eventual Powerade champion Tony Pedregon.
He said he had hoped to make up for what he called "the best dream and the worst nightmare all at the same time." He took a bold first step Friday, leading the field with a 4.789-second pass at 323.43 miles an hour and helping his team give the competition a 1-2 punch in the class along with No. 2 Del Worsham.
The run might have been exhilarating for Burkart, a two-time winner this season, but it also was costly. The 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo suffered engine damage at the end of his pass because of a throttle malfunction. He would have been unable to return for the second session, which was washed out by a steady drizzle that halted action in the middle of Pro Stock qualifying.
So Burkart was one of the few who were happy to see the rain arrive, for he was certain that he likely would have lost the first claim on the top-qualifying position of his career. He said his team was concerned about the tire situation, as well, so they might have waived off his second attempt anyway. The shortened session meant he kept the lead at least overnight.
"I was hoping it would hold up," Burkart said, "but you almost expect to see a (Gary) Scelzi or (John) Force run something ridiculous as the last pair."
It was only the second time Burkart and Worsham finished a session first and second. They did so at Denver in 2003.
 |
| Don Schumacher has been a key player in the silly season. |
TOP FUEL TROUBLES - Six of the top seven drivers in the Top Fuel standings failed to qualify in their lone session Friday.
Tony Schumacher, who's going for his record-tying ninth victory this season, was 24th out of 26 entries. No. 2 Doug Kalitta was last, No. 3 Brandon Bernstein 20th, No. 4 David Grubnic 22nd, No. 5 Scott Kalitta 21st. Cory McClenathan, who's seventh in points, was 25th.
Tim Wilkerson, Funny Car's No. 7 driver, will start Saturday's qualifying out of the field, 23rd out of 24. Jerry Toliver was on the bump at 5.233 seconds.
Warren Johnson and son Kurt, as well as two-time defending event champion Jeg Coughlin Jr., were among the 17 Pro Stock drivers not qualified.
SCHUMACHER ADDRESSES RUMORS - Owner Don Schumacher has heard the rumors about the team he calls his "cast of characters." While he acknowledges that cast likely will see some changes in 2005, he addressed the possibilities and hinted that an announcement could come as early as this month's Las Vegas event.
"To my knowledge, Ron Capps has a multiyear contract with Prudhomme. I believe Tommy Johnson does, too. I've read the same stuff on the Internet about Prudhomme downsizing. If Ron Capps became available, I would certainly look to hire Ron Capps, because he's a great driver. But I have to have a car to put him in."
As for the rumors that Capps would bring sponsorship from the manufacturers of the men's cologne Brut, Schumacher said he knew nothing about it. "Please give me the phone number of the person to contact at Brut, and I will contact him," he said.
Son Tony Schumacher, the Top Fuel points leader who's trying to clinch his second series championship, has mused aloud that he might like to switch from a dragster to a Funny Car. It won't happen if his dad has his way.
"I know he has talked about it," Don Schumacher said. "We've discussed it, and my preference would be he stay in a Top Fuel dragster rather than have to run against the Oakley and the Matco Tools Funny Cars and the Wonder Wagon."
He said Johnny Gray's return in the Wonder Wagon in 2005 is "not in my plans right now. We'll run that car the rest of this year."
On the Pro Stock front, Schumacher said his 2005 entries will be Mopar sponsored Dodges. However, he was mum about who will drive those cars. He said he has spoken with Jeg Coughlin Jr., calling the two-time series champion "a great driver, a great personality [who] does a great job with the fans." Schumacher said, "We have certainly talked about him coming on board, but there has been no decision."
He added that he purchased a car from Allen Johnson but "I have not talked to Allen Johnson about him coming to drive for me."
He added, "There are a lot of sponsors looking at NHRA. I have communicated with numerous people. A lot of things could certainly happen, but nothing has happened as of today. I guarantee you I will not announce anything this weekend."
DON'T BLAME ME! - Rhonda Hartman-Smith's decision to take a hiatus from Top Fuel racing seems simple enough. But it hasn't been for her father and team owner, Virgil Hartman.
He said his daughter -- teammate with her husband, John Smith -- has been wanting to take off one year to be with the family. He said the decision was hers to come back in 2005 but when she decided to stay and race this season with mixed results, she would tell him. "You want me to come back."
Clarified Hartman, "No, I do not need you to be a driver for me to race. You're not racing for me -- you're racing for yourself."
He said, "I just told her, 'After [the NHRA Finals at] Pomona, you're done, as far as I'm concerned. You cannot drive my car in 2005.' Even if she came back and said, 'I want to drive,' well, I’d work with her. I'm just tired of her complaining to me about that I'm making her do this."
Hartman-Smith has had chances to hook up with another team owner but chose not to go that route.
Her father said his operation is uncertain what it will do next season. He owns his equipment
"We may not run any Top Fuel car. That's a possibility," Hartman said. He disclosed that he has several different combinations of sponsors for John, none of which involve longtime sponsors Fram and Prestone. Another option, he said, is to run two Top Fuel cars.
"There is a possibility we could run three," he said. "There are people talking to us that supposedly have money that want to drive one of our cars. We told them what the cost is and if they want to do that, these drivers will be bringing the sponsors."
Yet another three drivers have inquired about the possibility of entering an agreement with Hartman for 2005, but Hartman said he hasn't met with any potential sponsors associated with those three.
Hartman said he has spoken with three drivers who say they have a promise of sponsorship funding. These companies are ones that never have been involved in Top Fuel sponsorship or any professional class.
He said Hartman Motorsports is not set up to field a Funny Car, so that
is not one of the directions he will take his team once this season
is completed.
"I do not have to have a fire sale to survive at the end of the year," Hartman, whose primary business is a plastic injection molding company in Williamston, S.C. "Whatever we do will be by choice and not by necessity. We're satisfied with where we are. We've accomplished a lot with what we've got. We just cannot make the next step forward with the same level of funding."
FRAM, CARRIER BOYZ UNITE - FRAM announced Friday a multiyear sponsorship agreement beginning in 2005 with the Carrier Boyz Racing Top Fuel team and driver Cory McClenathan.
"The future looks exciting with Honeywell on board," team co-owner Andy Carrier said. "Being with a Fortune 500 company means a lot to this program. This team has jelled and Cory McClenathan is one of the reasons for our success, and he is one of the reasons that FRAM believes in Carrier Boyz Racing."
McClenathan, who has scrambled during the off-season more than once and sat out the better part of 2001 because of sponsorship difficulties, said, "The agreement with FRAm is a storybook ending to a year-long effort to give Carrier Boyz Racing the final ingredient to contend for the Powerade championship."
LAWSON LOOKING TO QUALIFY - Local Joliet resident and businessman John Lawson has had some career highlights on this Route 66 Raceway quarter-mile, remained out of the Funny Car field Friday because the clutch on his ReadyHosting.com Dodge Stratus broke halfway through his first qualifying attempt.
In 1998, at the inaugural NHRA spring race, Lawson crossed the finish line in flames to win the Top Alcohol Funny Car title. More recently, he advanced to the semifinals, defeating Funny Car champion John Force and perennial contender Ron Capps at last year's spring event.
"I just want to be consistent, go fast, and get down the track
this weekend," said Lawson, whose crew chief is Mark Oswald, the
1984 Funny Car series champion. "I know Mark has things ready.".
© Competitionplus 2004