40th annual AAA Auto Club NHRA Finals
Same Day Coverage from event #23 on the 23-race NHRA POWERade Drag Race Series
by Susan Wade
Photos by James Drew, Mark Westfall

SUNDAY - FORCE FATHER-DAUGHTER TANDEM CELEBRATE NHRA VICTORIES AT AUTO CLUB NHRA FINALS; Schumacher, Anderson and Savoie also earn wins in NHRA POWERade season finale

(11-14-2004) – John Force and his daughter Ashley shared an emotional winner’s circle celebration Sunday at the Auto Club NHRA Finals, the first time a father and daughter have earned NHRA victories at the same event.

Force raced to his 114th career Funny Car victory, while his 21-year-old daughter captured the Top Alcohol dragster win at Pomona Raceway during NHRA’s season finale. Tony Schumacher, Greg Anderson and Angelle Savoie also were winners in their respective pro categories at the $1.8 million race in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

The senior Force clocked a 4.734 second run at 328.28 mph in his Castrol GTX Start Up Ford Mustang to defeat Del Worsham and earn his fifth victory of the season and the 11th at his home track. Worsham, who earned $100,000 for finishing second in the championship points chase, clocked a 4.804 at 314.39 in the Checker Schuck's Kragen Chevy Monte Carlo with his only runner-up finish of the season in six final round appearances.

“It’s a great weekend here and an emotional weekend,” Force said. “This is a look at the future of the sport and Force Racing. Watching her win I felt an obligation to try and win. Kenny and Brandon (Bernstein) won at the same race in Las Vegas three years ago. When she won I just got up for (the final round) and was able to get by the kid and get it done. I don’t know where she gets it? I would like to say that I taught her everything, but I didn’t. The pressure doesn’t seem to affect her. I am proud of her.”

Ashley used a holeshot start to upset national champion Mitch Myers in the sportsman dragster class in the Lucas Oil Series to earn the third national event victory of her young career.

“It’s amazing,” said Ashley, who drives the Mattel Toy Stores dragster. “I can’t believe that just happened. I am very happy with the outcome. All the people I love were down there in the winner's circle -- my dad, my mom and our teammates -- celebrating at the same time, so to win this race was a lot of fun.”

Force, 55, said he expects his daughter to join him in the professional ranks in 2006.

“I was winning so much all these years and I was on the road a lot and when I would come home my kids didn’t understand,” Force said. “Now that I am racing with (Ashley) and her two sisters (Brittney and Courtney), they can see what I actually do and they understand what it takes. It’s like I have another life and time to share with my daughters. It’s very special.”

Schumacher earned his 10th Top Fuel victory of the season, setting the single-season win mark for the category. He drove his U.S. Army dragster to the finish line in 4.550 at 313.07 to hold off rookie Morgan Lucas, who posted a 4.807 at 228.50 in his Lucas Oil dragster in his second straight final round appearance.

"To win Indy, 10 races overall, the POWERade world championship, and the NHRA Finals all in one season, that's so awesome for this team,” Schumacher said. “This is something that as a kid you sit around and dream about it. Now we're here and the year is done, we're all safe, and we get two months to enjoy everything we've done."

Anderson added another victory to the greatest single-season performance by a pro driver in NHRA history. He drove his Summit Racing Pontiac Grand Am to a pass of 6.722 at 205.35 for his 31st career victory, while runner-up Jason Line trailed with a 6.825 at 205.29 in his KB Framers Grand Am.

"You couldn't script it any better," Anderson said. "I'm the luckiest man in the world. My jaw hurts from smiling so much. I just can't remember coming into a race day with such enthusiasm. There was nothing to lose today and everything to gain and we just went out and raced for fun. Now we'll take both teams and head to Hawaii and celebrate."

He finished his dominating yearlong run by setting major NHRA records for victories (15), final rounds (19), elimination round wins (76), No. 1 qualifying positions (16), and earning his second NHRA POWERade world championship title in record time by the largest margin of victory in the history of the sport (742 points).

"I think the single-season win total record is the biggest accomplishment of the year," Anderson said. "We come to these races to win. That's what it's all about. The championship is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but the race win is what gets me fired up. It's instant gratification for all the long hours."

Savoie raced to her fourth victory of the season in Pro Stock Bike and the 35th of her career by defeating U.S. Army teammate Antron Brown in the final. Savoie rode her Suzuki to a winning performance of 7.036 at 188.04, while Brown posted a 7.141 at 184.67, also on a Suzuki.

"What a wonderful day, especially getting to race Antron in the final with our special paint schemes," said Savoie, whose bike was painted like a WWII tank. "I've been saying all weekend, 'Not bad for a girl on a tank.' The truth is we say thanks to the troops every time a camera is in front of us but the reality is that we can never thank our troops enough. They're the real heroes.

With the victory, Savoie finished less than two rounds shy of winning her fourth NHRA world championship title.

"I was feeling great until I heard I finished 38 points out of winning the championship," said Savoie, the most prolific female winner in NHRA history. "I know exactly where I gave it up when I lost to (champion) Andrew (Hines) -- it was in the first round at St. Louis. We'll get 'em next year."

The 2005 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series opens with the 45th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals, Feb. 10-13 at Pomona Raceway.

SPORTSMAN FINALS

Final round-by-round results from the 40th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway, the final of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series -

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE -- Morgan Lucas, 4.519, 325.77 def. Larry Dixon, 4.516, 327.43; David Grubnic, 4.543, 329.42 def. Brady Kalivoda, 5.109, 223.17; Cory McClenathan, 4.546, 325.69 def. Clay Millican, 4.606, 320.58; Brandon Bernstein, 4.718, 304.46 def. Scott Weis, 8.579, 96.78; Scott Kalitta, 4.542, 326.95 def. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 13.701, 59.52; David Baca, 4.568, 325.06 def. Doug Herbert, 4.611, 321.96; Tony Schumacher, 4.494, 325.45 def. John Smith, 7.231, 125.66; Doug Kalitta, 4.598, 274.61 def. Andrew Cowin, 8.931, 76.73;

QUARTERFINALS -- Lucas, 4.526, 326.08 def. D. Kalitta, 5.532, 183.42; Baca, 4.859, 287.11 def. McClenathan, 6.778, 125.71; S. Kalitta, 4.658, 278.92 def. Bernstein, 12.544, 66.15; Schumacher, 4.488, 321.88 def. Grubnic, 11.460, 77.21;

SEMIFINALS -- Lucas, 4.615, 312.64 def. S. Kalitta, 7.925, 97.55; Schumacher, 4.477, 329.34 def. Baca, 4.802, 257.73;

FINAL -- Schumacher, 4.550, 313.07 def. Lucas, 4.807, 228.50.

FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE -- Del Worsham, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.993, 285.17 def. Johnny Gray, Dodge Stratus, 8.589, 100.84; Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.766, 325.06 def. Ron Capps, Monte Carlo, 5.184, 227.11; John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.780, 323.27 def. Tony Bartone, Chevy Camaro, 12.052, 76.05; Gary Densham, Mustang, 4.750, 321.42 def. Jim Head, Toyota Celica, 10.307, 78.02; Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 4.807, 324.83 def. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 11.123, 87.11; Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 4.790, 321.96 def. Bob Bode, Pontiac Firebird, 8.137, 98.55; Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.831, 323.81 def. Whit Bazemore, Stratus, 6.196, 208.55; Eric Medlen, Mustang, 4.817, 319.90 def. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 8.620, 96.33;

QUARTERFINALS -- Worsham, 4.785, 324.98 def. Burkart, 10.239, 87.02; Force, 4.764, 321.58 def. Medlen, 4.883, 316.97; Densham, 4.764, 326.48 def. Johnson Jr., 5.496, 187.11; Scelzi, 4.802, 325.14 def. T. Pedregon, 5.556, 190.16;

SEMIFINALS -- Force, 4.728, 323.97 def. Scelzi, 7.729, 111.78; Worsham, 4.786, 322.34 def. Densham, 6.718, 131.57;

FINAL -- Force, 4.734, 320.28 def. Worsham, 4.804, 314.39.

PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE -- V. Gaines, Dodge Stratus, 6.742, 204.45 def. Dave Connolly, Chevy Cavalier, 6.810, 205.04; Rickie Smith, Cavalier, 6.801, 204.51 def. Kenny Koretsky, Stratus, 7.189, 152.12; Mike Edwards, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.744, 203.19 def. Jeg Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.756, 205.72; Steve Johns, Cavalier, 6.732, 204.11 def. Jim Yates, Grand Am, 6.782, 204.54; Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.756, 204.42 def. Kurt Johnson, Cavalier, 6.761, 204.54; Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.727, 204.91 def. Bruce Allen, Grand Am, foul; Greg Anderson, Grand Am, 6.704, 205.47 def. Jerry Haas, Cavalier, 6.803, 204.05; Ron Krisher, Cavalier, 6.756, 203.86 def. Fernando Cuadra, Cavalier, 6.772, 204.91;

QUARTERFINALS -- Line, 6.779, 204.98 def. Gaines, 6.769, 204.11; Krisher, 6.763, 204.85 def. Johns, 6.780, 202.30; Edwards, 6.765, 204.32 def. Morgan, 6.753, 204.91; Anderson, 6.732, 204.73 def. Smith, 6.785, 204.29;

SEMIFINALS -- Line, 6.755, 205.82 def. Krisher, broke; Anderson, 6.710, 205.94 def. Edwards, 6.748, 205.16;

FINAL -- Anderson, 6.722, 205.35 def. Line, 6.825, 205.29.

PRO STOCK BIKE:

ROUND ONE -- Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.147, 184.95 def. Blaine Hale, Suzuki, 7.285, 182.85; Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.215, 184.80 def. Joe DeSantis, Suzuki, 7.694, 156.23; Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.191, 184.04 def. Kurt Matte, Suzuki, foul; Chip Ellis, 7.153, 186.82 def. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.316, 181.62; GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.165, 187.34 def. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.164, 185.33; Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.250, 182.23 def. Chip Hunter, Suzuki, foul; Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.147, 186.48 def. Matt Smith, Suzuki, 7.205, 184.14; Angelle Savoie, Suzuki, 7.071, 187.63 def. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.275, 183.15;

QUARTERFINALS -- Ellis, 7.228, 179.78 def. Johnson, foul; Phillips, 7.287, 183.27 def. Scali, 7.240, 181.20; Brown, 7.175, 185.36 def. Treble, 7.254, 182.08; Savoie, 7.138, 185.95 def. Tonglet, 7.215, 185.74;

SEMIFINALS -- Brown, 7.131, 188.20 def. Phillips, 7.244, 185.54; Savoie, 7.081, 187.96 def. Ellis, 7.129, 187.18;

FINAL -- Savoie, 7.036, 188.04 def. Brown, 7.141, 184.67.

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SUNDAY NOTES - WJ prepared to graduate, Whit is up on the tires again and the Darrell Russell Auction is a success...

School's Out! -- Warren Johnson never really wanted to be a Pro Stock driver. He studied the way they operated and had his own ideas about how they could run better. But he didn't want to be the one to slide behind the wheel and test his theories on the drag strip.

He decided he had little choice: "[Wife] Arlene didn't want to drive, Kurt was too young to get a license, and the dog couldn't get one. The driving part hasn't fascinated me."

Once he began driving 31 years ago, he discovered his creative instincts were on-target. In the course of competing in 435 races and setting NHRA and class records, the Buford, Ga., resident won 92 events and six series championships, reached 143 final rounds, and earned 130 No. 1 qualifying honors.

His nickname has been "The Professor of Pro Stock," and he has decided to retire from driving his GM Performance Parts Grand Am after the 2005 season and his "School's Out Tour."

Johnson, 61, announced Sunday that both money and time influenced his decision to retire as a driver after 453 NHRA starts. "I've had a pretty fortunate career in the Pro Stock class," he said. "These cars don't run on gasoline. They run on money. That's part of my decision. I've been thinking about it for about two or three years."

"I will still be involved in racing," Johnson said. "It's just gotten to the point lately that I'm wearing too many hats, which prevents me from doing the job as well as I would like to. I was born handicapped -- I have only two hands. And I couldn't hire more people to devote to these projects, to getting these cars ready where they need to be performance-wise. If I can eliminate one assignment and make our operation more successful, it's a positive move. By not driving, I will have more time to spend on some very important projects."

He said son Kurt will continue driving the ACDelco Chevy Cavalier. He said he expects to field two cars in 2006. "We may even have three," he added. Johnson said he is considering candidates but won't announce any hires until the middle or the end of next year.

He said he and Kurt will rebound from their sub-par year and contend for the 2005 championship. "And based on some of our recent developmental work," he said, "I believe next year could be our best in terms of competitiveness. I know that's a pretty bold statement, considering how many good cars there are in Pro Stock. But I think we're going to step up and raise the bar."

Fred Simmonds, GM's Drag Racing Group Manager, said, ."When you think about General Motors and drag racing, one name comes to mind, and that's Warren Johnson. I can't think of anyone in racing who has had a more positive impact than Warren in performance and safety." He is Mr. General Motors Drag Racing."

Seattle Redux?- Whit Bazemore spoke out several years ago about the poor racing surface at Seattle that since has been improved. He said this summer that Indianapolis Raceway Park might host the sport's premier event but that the facility isn't a showplace. He added Pomona Raceway to his list Sunday.

Bazemore, the No. 10 Funny Car qualifier, blamed the less-desirable right lane for his first-round defeat by Tommy Johnson Jr. It relegated him to sixth in the final standings, naturally a bitter disappointment for the Don Schumacher Racing contender who earlier this season led the NHRA Powerade points for three races. That was the longest in his career that he has maintained the No. 1 spot.

He said Pomona Raceway "was a one-lane track today, so if you didn't have lane choice, you were going to be [expletive] out of luck. We got beat because we smoked the tires at the hit [of the throttle] in the right lane. . . . When we look at why we did get beat, we have to go back to qualifying and look at why we qualified 10th instead of the top half. It boiled down to lane choice today [Sunday]."

Bazemore said he spoke with starter Rick Stewart and said Stewart "told me that he has told NHRA that they need to repave right there at the starting line. He said he's been on them for years that they need to repave. I think it comes down to the competition department."

He added, "I think that's an issue NHRA needs to address. . . . It's not fair to any team that doesn't have the lane choice to be faced with that situation. You look at the facts, and the facts are that not one Funny Car won from the right lane [in the opening round]. They all smoked the tires. It's a situation similar to what we had in Seattle for many years, and we got that fixed. This needs to be fixed, as well."

Second effort -- Team Checker-Schuck's-Kragen headliner Del Worsham, who came away from seven early-season races with the Funny Car lead, scrapped with Gary Scelzi all through qualifying and the first three rounds of eliminations for second place in the Funny Car standings. He prevailed in his Chevy Monte Carlo and claimed the $100,000 paycheck, while Scelzi, in the Oakley Dodge Stratus, lost to John Force in the semifinal and had to settle for a $50,000 reward at Monday night's awards banquet in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

Worsham, runner-up to Force, raised some eyebrows when he beat teammate Phil Burkart in the second round. But Burkart's co-crew chief, Chris Cunningham, defused any controversy by saying immediately that he helped Worsham.

"We're not going to lie. We're not going to play games. And we're not even going to keep quiet about it. We have lane choice, but we're giving Del the left lane," Cunningham said. "We've absolutely always raced, but this is different -- and that's our decision. This is strictly our (blue CSK team) decision. We took a vote on our team, and it was unanimous."

Cunningham said Worsham asked him if that's really what Burkart and his team wanted to do. "We are absolutely sure," Cunningham answered. "This is too big a deal for Del, and he has come too far to have his own team end his day."

Added Cunningham, "This is team racing right now. we’re a part of the bigger picture, of Team CSK." His thinking before the matchup was "We're going to outsmart that right lane." He said, "For the first time in the history of Team CSK, these two cars are working together."

Wait till next year! -- Scelzi countered his frustration with his trademark sense of humor: "I tell you what, Del and I fought a battle. I hope the fans enjoyed it, because I've got to go throw up. . . . Del and his team hit their stride at the right time. They've never finished second before, and it’s a big deal, especially against Force. I think Force has his work cut out for him next year, because the Worsham team is obviously on its game."

Scelzi, who had thee victories, three runner-up finishes and was No. 1 qualifier twice., said he was pleased with his team and his own performance. "I think we proved to ourselves and to everyone else that we can run on any type of race track," he said. "We're pretty pleased. We're ready to get after it."

Scelzi had a little help from Force, too. The reigning class champion had a slow reaction time (a rather slow .188 of a second to Scelzi's .083) against Scelzi. "He tried," Scelzi said. "John has a little trouble against me now and again, and we enjoy that. It makes us proud that we can shake up the 13-time champion every now and then. But don't worry about John. He'll come back meaner and stronger than ever next year, and so will we."

Scelzi said crew chief Mike Neff "is really coming into his own."

The Auction is a success - Saturday's Darrell Russell Memorial Auction, with items donated from the entire motorsports community, raised $270,000. All proceeds from the live and silent phases went to the Darrell Russell Memorial Fund and Russell's widow, Julie. She attended the event organized by two-time Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon and his wife, Allison, in cooperation with Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School.

Fetching the biggest payoff was a Randy Green-designed, glass-top coffee table supported by connecting rods and bearing a copy of Russell's signature. Kenny Bernstein bought it for $14,000 and donated it to NHRA reporter Rob Geiger, one of Russell's closest friends.

A golf cart painted with images of the Texas state flag and the Darrell Russell Memorial Fund logo star went for $9,000, and several firesuits and helmets sold in the $5,000-7,000 range.

Between 40 and 50 items will be up for bids in an online auction at www.nhra.com within a couple of weeks.

Proud Dad - John Force, the Funny Car dominator, and daughter Ashley Force, the Top Alcohol Dragster event champion, became the first father-daughter combination to win at an NHRA national event Sunday.

"We were all just yelling and hugging," she said of the family celebration at the top of end of the race track that included her mother, Laurie. "The people I love were all there at the same time."

Ashley Force defeated Oregon driver Mitch Myers on a holeshot to cap a year in which she was NHRA Division 4 champion and winner at the 50th edition of the U.S. Nationals.

It already promised to be an emotional weekend for John Force Racing, with longtime pal and third-car driver Gary Densham making his last appearance for the Auto Club of Southern California, sponsor of his car and the race. Densham reached the semifinals, finished No. 4 in the standings, and posted Funny Car's fastest speed of the meet with his track-record 329.75 mph during qualifying.

Asked how this moment ranks in his storied career, Ashley answered before he could. "Second to me being born," she teased. Then she apologized, "He's getting serious, and I'm messing him up."

But Force told his daughter, who'll turn 22 years old Nov. 29, "I want to thank you for being you. If I never win a race again, you made this good for me." He also told wife Laurie, "You did a good job of raising her, of raising all our children."

Laurie Force had been skeptical about the eldest of her three daughters following in Dad's drag-racing wake and insisted that Ashley get a college education and not enter the sport unless she chose to on her own. Sunday night she said, "It has been surprisingly good."

John Force, though, said the experience of having her driving has "been real scary for me. As a father it's tough. She's done 190 [on the race track] but never has driven on a freeway."

He said, though, he is happy that Ashley could come along at a time when, because of pioneers such as Shirley Muldowney, she can help drag racing grow in popularity. "I've been a mess my whole life. There's no saving me," he said. "But she has a chance to build the sport."

Someone told Force he seemed subdued, and the 13-time champion, flanked by Laurie and Ashley, replied, "Trust me, I know when to shut up."

Densham said he is going to drive a Chevy Monte Carlo next season. However, he said he doesn't have a sponsor, so he can't predict how many race he'll be able to attend. "I want to have enough to do it right," he said. Densham promised he'll enter the season-opening Winternationals and that until he secures major sponsorship, he'll have to revert to funding his own team again. "It takes away what I have in savings," he said, "but what am I going to do? Give it to me kid?" Joking, he added, "He doesn't like me, anyway." That certainly isn’t true. He and son Steven plan eventually to put a team together.

Two victories for Army of One -- Major General Jeff Arnold called Tony Schumacher's Top Fuel-record 10th victory "a great moment for the Army on behalf of all the soldiers serving overseas. He knows his mission, he never accepts defeat, and he always takes care of his team."

Schumacher's U.S. Army-sponsored dragster sported a camouflage-themed salute to World War II veterans. So did the bikes of teammates Angelle Savoie and Antron Brown, final-round opponents in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class.

After winning, Savoie said, "It was a wonderful day -- not bad for a girl on a tank."

This was the seventh straight race in which at least one U.S. Army-sponsored Suzuki had reached the final round (since the Sonoma race in August). Savoie passed Brown in the standings to finish second for the second straight season and improve from her runner-up spot in last year's Finals. The three-time series champion entered the event in third place but moved within 38 points of champion Andrew Hines. She earned her fourth victory of the year, most of any bike rider this season.

Arnold, said she and Brown represent the values the Army embraces. "She not only talks the talk. She walks the walk," he said.

Savoie said, "There's nothing I can do on that race track that can pay back the soldiers for what they do for us. My racing career has been dedicated to the U.S. Army."

Savoie and Brown are going to undergo a five-day basic training session at Ft. Jackson in South Carolina, starting Thursday. Both should do well. Brown was an Olympic-caliber sprinter. Savoie, who has had kick-boxing training, said she has been working on her push-ups stamina.

No. 2 and trying harder -- Team CSK driver Del Worsham, the Funny Car event and series runner-up, of course to John Force, would rather be No. 1. But considering the circumstances in which he entered the Auto Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, he said he's not all that unhappy being No. 2. He was tied for second place with Don Schumacher Racing's Gary Scelzi, not the spot in which he had pictured himself when he led the standings for six straight races earlier in the year and again for one race in June.

"What the heck, we had an unbelievable year, and unbelievable weekend, and more drama than I really care to have," the Newport Beach, Calif., resident said. "The whole second-place thing was all-consuming, whether we wanted to think about it or not. Once we got to the final, we were just up there to race and to see what would happen. The motor ate itself up pretty badly as we tried to outrun [Force], but that's what happens sometimes.

"We accomplished so much this year and this weekend. I'm very proud of our guys and everyone associated with our group. We're extremely proud to run the number "2" on our CSK car next year."

Pro Stock punch -- Greg Anderson and Jason Line, first and second in the qualifying order, also were first and second in the final event order and in the standings. "KB Racing: 1-2 punch. Bang-bang," Anderson put it.

Anderson beat Line to close his season with, in addition to the championship, the NHRA single-season records for victories (15), round-wins (76), final-round appearances (16), and No. 1 qualifier positions (16).

"I'm the luckiest man in the world," Anderson said. "We all come out here to be the man, to kick everybody's butt, and we did a pretty good job of that this year. We're not going to Disneyland. We're going to Hawaii."

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SATURDAY - ANDERSON, KALITTA, FORCE AND ELLIS EARN NO. 1 QUALIFYING AWARDS IN POMONA

(11-13-2004) – Greg Anderson paced the Pro Stock field Saturday at the 40th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway.

Doug Kalitta, John Force and Chip Ellis will also lead their respective categories into Sunday’s 11 a.m. (PT) eliminations at the $1.8 million race, the final of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Anderson set the single-season NHRA record for No. 1 qualifying awards by vaulting to the top of the Pro Stock field for the 16th time this season. Anderson powered his Summit Racing Pontiac Grand Am to a track record E.T. of 6.705 at 205.38 mph.

"I think that's the last (record) I'm going to break this year," Anderson said. "I don't think that there's any more for me to break. It feels great to break this record; I'm awfully excited any time I break records, but I think this one means more to me than some of the races I've won this year. It's a pretty serious accomplishment, and it feels even more special because my old boss, Warren Johnson, held the record I broke.

"I thought we could go in the 60s here today, but it didn't come on like I thought it would, but no one else got any quicker either and we stayed ahead of the pack."

Kalitta captured a category-best seventh No. 1 qualifying award of the Top Fuel season and 23rd of his career with a 4.472 pass at 332.02 in his Mac Tools dragster.

"That was pretty exciting," Kalitta said. "At least it was from where I was sitting. I hope the fans liked it. That was probably the best we could do under those conditions so it was encouraging to back up what we did when there was a bunch of cloud cover Thursday.

"We spent the last few days trying to get ready for race day and I'd have to say we're as prepared as we can be. All three Kalitta cars look strong so we'd like to end the season with a good race day and walk out of here with the trophy."

Force, who clinched the Funny Car championship for the 13th time in his career two weeks ago in Las Vegas, collected his seventh top qualifying award of the season and 124th of his career with a track-record pass of 4.698 at 329.18 in his Castrol GTX Startup Ford Mustang. Force’s elapsed time was the third quickest for a Funny Car in NHRA history.

“Austin (Coil) said that he thought the car could run in the 4.60’s,” Force said. “I promised my daughter (Ashley) that if she would come and watch me run that we would run a 4.60 for her birthday. I have never made a promise like that before and we were able to do it so we are having a great night.”

Ellis took home the top qualifying award for Pro Stock Bike for the second time in four races this season on his G-Squared S&S Star Buell with a track record pass 7.024 at 188.38.

"I was surprised with that 7.02 run," Ellis said. "I was looking for a 7.08 or 7.09. As usual the tune-up was right on and everything went like it was supposed to. It was the best run since I joined the team. Anytime you can be No. 1 is awesome. It doesn't matter whether it's NHRA or Little League, we're happy to get it. Tomorrow we forget about No. 1 and take it one run at a time. I'm going to try to cut good lights. The hope is to go four rounds."

Andrew Hines qualified for the 16-bike elimination round, earning him enough points to clinch his first career season championship in Pro Stock Bike and the first for Harley-Davidson.

"The first thought I have is what an outstanding accomplishment for my dad (Byron) this championship is," said Hines, who at 21 becomes the youngest pro category champion in NHRA history. "He's been in this sport for a long time and he's won a bunch of championships but to take this program with Harley-Davidson and build it up to a championship level this fast is really something.

"I'm so happy that I'm the guy on the seat. I have an outstanding team around me. From my dad and my brother Matt, to Joe Vanderbrink, Greg Cope, Meredith Schultz, and Ray Veirs, I'd take this group over anyone. There isn't a better team in all of motorsports in my opinion. I'm really just another name on the Vance & Hines roster of champions."

First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the 40th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway, the final of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.

Top Fuel -- 1. Doug Kalitta, 4.472 seconds, 332.02 mph vs. 16. Andrew Cowin, 4.640, 314.97; 2. Tony Schumacher, 4.485, 327.11 vs. 15. John Smith, 4.615, 308.99; 3. David Baca, 4.487, 327.43 vs. 14. Doug Herbert, 4.606, 315.64; 4. Scott Kalitta, 4.509, 328.54 vs. 13. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 4.602, 320.43; 5. Brandon Bernstein, 4.517, 331.77 vs. 12. Scott Weis, 4.600, 321.12; 6. Clay Millican, 4.521, 326.16 vs. 11. Cory McClenathan, 4.598, 319.22; 7. David Grubnic, 4.522, 330.31 vs. 10. Brady Kalivoda, 4.594, 322.19; 8. Larry Dixon, 4.534, 326.16 vs. 9. Morgan Lucas, 4.546, 320.66.

Funny Car -- 1. John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.698, 329.18 vs. 16. Tony Bartone, Chevy Camaro, 4.854, 310.55; 2. Gary Densham, Mustang, 4.706, 329.75 vs. 15. Jim Head, Toyota Celica, 4.849, 313.07; 3. Del Worsham, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.728, 329.67 vs. 14. Johnny Gray, Dodge Stratus, 4.837, 324.05; 4. Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 4.728, 327.03 vs. 13. Bob Bode, Pontiac Firebird, 4.829, 307.44; 5. Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.734, 321.12 vs. 12. Ron Capps, Monte Carlo, 4.791, 318.92; 6. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 4.759, 327.11 vs. 11. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.772, 324.51; 7. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.759, 326.79 vs. 10. Whit Bazemore, Stratus, 4.769, 326.95; 8. Eric Medlen, Mustang, 4.764, 321.04 vs. 9. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 4.764, 318.02.

Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.705, 205.94 vs. 16. Jerry Haas, Chevy Cavalier, 6.770, 204.39; 2. Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.715, 205.57 vs. 15. Kurt Johnson, Cavalier, 6.766, 204.08; 3. Steve Johns, Cavalier, 6.720, 205.16 vs. 14. Jim Yates, Grand Am, 6.758, 203.89; 4. Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 6.725, 206.16 vs. 13. Bruce Allen, Grand Am, 6.756, 204.91; 5. Mike Edwards, Grand Am, 6.728, 204.76 vs. 12. Jeg Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.755, 205.47; 6. Ron Krisher, Cavalier, 6.739, 205.19 vs. 11. Fernando Cuadra, Cavalier, 6.753, 205.26; 7. V. Gaines, Stratus, 6.741, 204.91 vs. 10. Dave Connolly, Cavalier, 6.744, 205.35; 8. Kenny Koretsky, Stratus, 6.742, 205.26 vs. 9. Rickie Smith, Cavalier, 6.742, 204.51.

Pro Stock Bike -- 1. Chip Ellis, Buell, 7.024, 188.38 vs. 16. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.204, 184.47; 2. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.091, 188.65 vs. 15. Blaine Hale, Suzuki, 7.199, 190.40; 3. Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.092, 191.57 vs. 14. Matt Smith, Suzuki, 7.195, 185.28; 4. Angelle Savoie, Suzuki, 7.111, 186.85 vs. 13. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.185, 185.84; 5. GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.115, 194.66 vs. 12. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.184, 185.23; 6. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.131, 191.59 vs. 11. Kurt Matte, Suzuki, 7.179, 186.05; 7. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.137, 187.26 vs. 10. Chip Hunter, Suzuki, 7.167, 186.18; 8. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.142, 186.51 vs. 9. Joe DeSantis, Suzuki, 7.162, 188.33

SATURDAY NOTES - Gann gets bounced, An emotional Hines and Anderson ties WJ

Fuelish mistake -- Shawn Gann, fourth in the Pro Stock Motorcycle points entering the Auto Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, was disqualified from the event because of a fuel violation. The Stoneville, N.C., rider made the field Friday in 13th position, but his run was disallowed and he was sidelined for the rest of the weekend without gaining any points.

Good champion -- A year ago, Geno Scali clinched the Pro Stock Bike title simply by qualifying and said, "If I can do anything to promote my sport I want to do it. . . . I want to be a good champion." He was, and he turned over the crown to Andrew Hines with a gracious gesture. Hines' Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson was a mangled mess after his early Saturday run, in which the chain broke and tore through the body of the bike. Scali, the No. 2 qualifier, and fellow competitor Craig Treble, No. 6, pitched in and helped Hines prepare the team's show bike -- a 2002 machine that has been hauled around the country for display purposes -- to run in the final session.

"They just wanted to see me go down the track and lock up this championship," Hines said. "Everybody's been pushing me, all my competitors. They've helped me become a better rider, a better racer, and a better person."

Hines signed and donated the wrecked bike to the Darrell Russell Memorial Auction.

Not according to plan -- Andrew Hines was bit emotional after finally clinching the Pro Stock Motorcycle championship. It could be that he was wondering if he'd ever close the deal. It could be that he still was shaken from his third-session accident. But it appeared the sentimental value of this championship made it worth more than the $50,000 payoff.

The 21-year-old Brownsburg, Ind., resident followed older brother Matt, a three-time champion (1997-99) and replaced him as NHRA's youngest champion in any pro class.

He admitted, "This championship right now has me all spun around." As for continuing the family tradition of excellence and Matt's precedent, he said he's overwhelmed a bit "just being able to follow in his footsteps has an awesome thing. I watched Matt my whole life when I was growing up. Now he's out there watching me."

Hines said he just was relieved, "just being able to put the bike back together in two hours and put a body on it." The display bike came in handy. "We stole the body off that thing and chopped it up, took the wheelie bar off, cut a few tubes and put them in the right place. And it went down the track fairly straight. I had to ride it, but my team gave me the awesome bike to go fast."

Hines had eight No. 1 qualifier positions en route to the title. "It looks like we're dominating, but we're not the best," Hines said.

Chip Ellis stole some of Hines' thunder with a 7.024-second E.T. that became the track record. No. 4 qualifier G.T. Tonglet's 194.66-mph speed also set a track mark. Tonglet is Hines' teammate.

Low numbers, high drama -- John Force heads the quickest Funny Car field in NHRA history with his 4.698-second blast at 324.18 mph in the final qualifying session in his Castrol GTX Start-Up Ford Mustang. It aced out teammate Gary Densham, who held the No. 1 spot with his Auto Club of Southern California Mustang only as long as it took the Safety Safari crew to clear the track from the fire that engulfed the Mustang of third team member Eric Medlen during their side-by-side run. Densham ended up No. 2 with a 4.706 E.T.

Del Worsham, who maintained the top position all weekend until the final few pairings, took the No. 3 spot, barely ahead of rival Gary Scelzi. Worsham and Scelzi entered the event tied for second place in the standings, so every point could earn -- or cost -- a sizeable amount of cash. The two recorded identical 4.728-second E.T.s, and Worsham was granted the No. 3 spot and Scelzi No. 4 based on their speed. Worsham ran 329.67 in his Team CSK Chevy Monte Carlo, Scelzi 327.03 in the Oakley Dodge Stratus.

Force, elated with his track record E.T., exclaimed, "I'm bitchin' " and said he was going to go immediately "to the Darrell Russell Memorial Auction and spend 10-thousand bucks." But he said of Worsham, "When he found out he got that one point -- that one point -- he was jumping up and down. I told him, 'You had all year to get that one point!' "

Densham reset the track speed record at 329.75 mph. He was philosophical about losing his grip on the top spot for his final event with John Force Racing. "The important thing is that Eric is OK," he said. "Maybe tomorrow we'll make a real parting shot."

Force later joked of his longtime friend, "Densham, he run so fast he'll grow hair."

En fuego -- Medlen steered his burning Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang to a halt and cooly sauntered away from it during the last session. "I think John knows something we don't," he said. "He told me before the run, 'You don't have to be a hero. We've got AAA insurance.' I'm not letting him talk to me no more before I run."

Force knew how fiercely Worsham and Scelzi had been battling for the better qualifying position, and he said he asked Medlen before the rookie's run, "They're pushin' it to the limit. Know what that means?" He said Medlen responded with an enthusiastic thumbs-up and said, "Low E.T.!"

"No," Force said. "Fire!" Force said he joked to Medlen to "mention [sponsor] AAA if it burns. I was kind of kidding and I kind of wasn't."

Force, of nearby Yorba Linda, Calif., said performing well at Pomona is special. Although he won the spring race at Chicago this year and reached the final round in the fall race there, he said, "In Chicago, who cares? Here, I care." Then he wisecracked, referring to rival car owner and Windy City businessman Don Schumacher, "In Chicago it was just to piss off Schumacher."

Last chance -- Cory McClenathan, the only active Top Fuel driver to have won this event, made the 16-car field in the Carrier Boyz Dragster on the fourth and final qualifying chance. His throttle cable broke Thursday, then he lost traction Friday and in Saturday's first session. Facing a 4.662-second bump, McClenathan recorded a 4.59-second E.T. and jumped into the field in the No. 11 spot.

No. 1 qualifier Doug Kalitta said he was surprised to learn that McClenathan, the Finals winner in 1992 and 2002, was the lone competitor who has been in the winners circle here. "It's a good opportunity," Kalitta said, alluding to his Mac Tools Dragster and owner Connie Kalitta's three-car stable. "Hopefully, it'll be one of our cars."

Another notch -- Greg Anderson has a long list of 2004 accomplishments in the Summit Racing Pontiac Grand Am, aside from earning his second straight Pro Stock championship. He owns the NHRA single-season records for victories (14), round-wins (72), and final-round appearances (15) in 22 events. He rewrote his own elapsed-time and speed records in October at Chicago, where he also led the quickest Pro Stock field in NHRA history.

The Charlotte, N.C., resident wasn't content, though, with all that. He wanted to earn a 16th No. 1 qualifier position. He did, with a track-record 6.705-second E.T. in the final session.

That gave him the NHRA record among all pro drivers for most top-qualifier positions in a season. It broke the mark he shared with former mentor and key rival Warren Johnson.

"Any time you break a record, it's more exciting than winning a race," Anderson said. "You've got to cherish them. That's a serious record. I do have a special tie-in with ol' W.J."

Anderson had promised Friday that the Pomona Raceway crowd would see a 6.6-second run by a Pro Stock car Saturday. That didn't happen. "We should have. I guess we suck," he said with a laugh. "I don't know the answer. Nobody else got quicker from Thursday, and that boggles my mind. But we stayed ahead of the pack."

After Saturday's first session, Anderson and KB Racing teammate Jason Line, the No. 2 qualifier, were separated by two-thousandths of a second. In the final order, they were one-hundredths of second apart.

"It almost looked scripted," Anderson said. "If I hadn't gotten it [the record], it would have still been a good day for KB Racing. I guess it was my lucky day. The Good Lord's looking after me."

Fastest Pro Stocker at Pomoma -- Larry Morgan set the track's Pro Stock speed record at 206.16 mph. His 6.725-second E.T. was only fourth-quickest.

Mailman visits -- NBA star Karl Malone, who's taking a break from action with the Los Angeles Lakers because of knee problems, was on hand as a guest of NHRA. Making a trip to the starting line to experience the sensory overload of a Top Fuel dragster launch was Billy Gibbons, a member of the rock band ZZ Top.

Official Sponsors - NHRA, the Budweiser brand of Anheuser-Busch, American Honda, Fernandez Racing (three-time IRL race winner in ’04 with owner-driver Adrian Fernandez) and BMW have become official sponsors of the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Assn.'s 50th Anniversary Celebration in 2005. AARWBA is the country’s oldest and largest organization of motorsports media professionals.

NHRA legend Kenny Bernstein will receive AARWBA's "Pioneer in Racing" award at the organization's 35th annual All-America Team dinner, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2005, at the Sheraton Hotel in Pomona, Calif.

Bernstein won six championships during his career and is the only driver to claim titles in both the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes. He became the first driver to make a 300-mph pass in 1992 at Gainesville, Fla. Bernstein retired at the end of the 2002 season but returned to the track the following year, substituting for injured son Brandon. Bernstein-owned teams also won in the NASCAR Cup and CART open-wheel series.

AARWBA presents the Pioneer award to recognize lifelong contributions to the sport. Among the previous recipients are Parnelli Jones, Dan Gurney, Andy Granatelli, Hershel McGriff and the Agajanian family.

"Kenny Bernstein is a natural choice for the Pioneer award," AARWBA President Dusty Brandel said. "Not only is his name found throughout the NHRA record book, he has been one of the sport's greatest personalities and ambassadors, and has always been very cooperative with AARWBA members and all the news media."

Fourteen drivers, elected by AARWBA members from seven categories – stock car, open wheel, road racing, drag racing, short track, touring series and at-large – will be honored at the All-America Team dinner. The top vote-getter earns AARWBA’s Jerry Titus Memorial Award. Information on tickets for media, companies and the general public, is available at AARWBA.org, or by writing to AARWBA, 922 N. Pass Ave., Burbank, CA 91505. Telephone 818/842-7005.

Broadcaster Bob Jenkins will be Master of Ceremonies for the All-America Team dinner, at which the 12 nominees for AARWBA’s Newsmaker of the Half-Century award -- the headline event of the 50th Anniversary Celebration -- will be announced. The AARWBA Board of Directors will select the nominees from an initial list of 50 of the greatest names from American motorsports. The dozen nominees will then be presented to the full AARWBA membership for a final vote, and the Newsmaker of the Half-Century will be announced at a public ceremony next May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in the days leading up to the 89th Indianapolis 500.

Porsche Cars North America, NASCAR, Toyota Motorsports, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indy Racing League, Valvoline and the Champ Car World Series previously were announced as official AARWBA 50th anniversary sponsors.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will provide $10,000 in prize money for AARWBA’s annual journalism contest, which includes writing, broadcasting and photo categories. The contest is open to all AARWBA members and entries are independently judged.

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FRIDAY - KALITTA, WORSHAM, ANDERSON AND ELLIS CONTINUE TO LEAD QUALIFYING AT AUTO CLUB NHRA FINALS 

(11-13-2004) – Doug Kalitta raced to the qualifying lead in Top Fuel Friday at the 40th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway.

Del Worsham, Greg Anderson and Chip Ellis also were qualifying leaders in their respective categories at the $1.8 million race, the final of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Kalitta, who has solidified his position in second place in the season point standings, did not improve on his leading effort of 4.472 seconds at 328.62 mph in his Mac Tools dragster, but remained in the top spot.

“It would’ve been great to get in a quick time tonight but it wasn’t meant to be,” Kalitta said. “We had it loaded it up and it lost traction. Tony (Schumacher) had a good run in the opposite lane. Tomorrow we’ll get the car in race mode and prepare for Sunday.”

Schumacher posted the quickest run of the day at 4.485 seconds in the U.S. Army dragster, which moved him into second in the 16-car order.

Worsham, who entered the race tied with Gary Scelzi for second place in the Funny Car point standings, drove his Checker Schuck’s Kragen Chevrolet Monte Carlo to a 4.737 at 328.54 to pace the category. Worsham has won this race two of the previous three seasons.

"That was a good run for us, much cleaner than last night's pass," said Worsham, who lives in Chino Hills, Calif. "We were probably a little lucky last night. There was a lot of tire shake during that run and I almost had to lift but it cleared up right at the last minute. Today's run was just smooth and perfect.

"We'll push it a little bit tomorrow to see if it goes back to tire shake or if we can get a little more E.T. out of it. The air should be good so we'll stand on it and see what happens. We have to be smart because we want to stay No. 1 if we can. It's so much fun having all your friends and neighbors reading your name in the headlines."

Anderson stayed at the top of the Pro Stock field by virtue of his Thursday performance of 6.713 at 205.10 in his Summit Racing Pontiac Grand Am. Should he remain at the top spot Anderson will pass Warren Johnson for the most single-season No.1 qualifying awards in NHRA history.

"I thought we'd all be running 6.60s today after the way we started," Anderson said. "But the air went away and the (adjusted altitude) was probably 500, 600 feet worse, which knocked at least three hundredths of a second off our E.T.s. I guess tomorrow morning will now be the run where everyone shoots for the moon.

"I'm kinda surprised that more people didn't step up today, even though it was hotter. Larry Morgan did but not many others. After the tire spinning we saw yesterday I figured a lot of people would get better. I'm sure they will by tomorrow morning. It should be exciting."

Morgan clocked the quickest run of the day in Pro Stock in his Dodge Stratus at 6.725 at 205.22, which moved him into second in the 16-car lineup.

Ellis leads the Pro Stock Bike category, running a track record time of 7.063 at 187.36 on his G-Squared S&S Star Buell. The former AMA Pro Star champion, who is in search of his second career No. 1 qualifying award, captured the honor at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis earlier this season.

Andrew Hines, rider of the Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson, is currently 11th in the Pro Stock Bike qualifying order. Should he remain qualified, Hines, 21, will win the category points title and become NHRA’s youngest world champion.

“Everyone keeps coming up to me congratulating me, but we haven’t done anything yet,” Hines said. “It’s great to be qualified for now, but the pressure isn’t gone. I’m concerned about race day and we need to step up and get ready for Sunday. I want to earn one more win before the season is over and that’s where the pressure comes from.”

Qualifying continues Saturday at 11 a.m. (PT).

Results Friday after qualifying for the 40th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway, final of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.

Top Fuel -- 1. Doug Kalitta, 4.472 seconds, 328.62 mph; 2. Tony Schumacher, 4.485, 327.11; 3. David Baca, 4.487, 327.43; 4. Scott Kalitta, 4.509, 328.54; 5. Clay Millican, 4.521, 326.16; 6. Brandon Bernstein, 4.526, 330.31; 7. David Grubnic, 4.529, 330.31; 8. Morgan Lucas, 4.566, 320.66; 9. Brady Kalivoda, 4.594, 319.45; 10. Larry Dixon, 4.598, 320.43; 11. Scott Weis, 4.600, 321.12; 12. John Smith, 4.615, 308.99; 13. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 4.664, 298.47; 14. Gary Ormsby Jr, 4.714, 278.06; 15. Mitch King, 4.794, 297.02; 16. Scott Palmer, 4.801, 305.29.

Funny Car -- 1. Del Worsham, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.737, 328.54; 2. John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.747, 324.12; 3. Eric Medlen, Mustang, 4.764, 321.04; 4. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 4.764, 317.49; 5. Gary Densham, Mustang, 4.775, 326.71; 6. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.777, 323.74; 7. Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.779, 321.12; 8. Gary Scelzi, Dodge Stratus, 4.780, 327.03; 9. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.796, 324.51; 10. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 4.811, 324.44; 11. Bob Bode, Pontiac Firebird, 4.829, 307.44; 12. Whit Bazemore, Stratus, 4.829, 305.63; 13. Jim Head, Toyota Celica, 4.849, 313.07; 14. Tony Bartone, Chevy Camaro, 4.854, 310.55; 15. Ron Capps, Monte Carlo, 4.887, 315.86; 16. Johnny Gray, Stratus, 4.891, 320.36.

Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.713, 205.94; 2. Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 6.725, 205.22; 3. Mike Edwards, Grand Am, 6.728, 204.76; 4. Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.729, 204.82; 5. Ron Krisher, Chevy Cavalier, 6.739, 204.39; 6. Dave Connolly, Cavalier, 6.744, 205.35; 7. Kenny Koretsky, Stratus, 6.744, 205.26; 8. V. Gaines, Stratus, 6.751, 204.88; 9. Steve Johns, Cavalier, 6.751, 204.98; 10. Rickie Smith, Cavalier, 6.753, 204.05; 11. Kurt Johnson, Cavalier, 6.766, 204.08; 12. Jerry Haas, Cavalier, 6.770, 204.11; 13. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.774, 203.61; 14. Ben Watson, Cavalier, 6.776, 203.46; 15. Bruce Allen, Grand Am, 6.776, 203.43; 16. Fernando Cuadra, Cavalier, 6.777, 204.20.

Pro Stock Bike -- 1. Chip Ellis, 7.063, 187.36; 2. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.091, 188.65; 3. Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.118, 187.31; 4. GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.126, 188.83; 5. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.137, 187.26; 6. Angelle Savoie, Suzuki, 7.157, 185.95; 7. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.157, 185.51; 8. Joe DeSantis, Suzuki, 7.162, 185.23; 9. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.165, 186.36; 10. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.185, 185.84; 11. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.202, 165.23; 12. Chip Hunter, Suzuki, 7.204, 185.95; 13. Matt Smith, Suzuki, 7.211, 184.45; 14. Blaine Hale, Suzuki, 7.216, 186.54; 15. Fred Camarena, Suzuki, 7.219, 182.95; 16. Jay Matthews, Suzuki, 7.239, 183.79.

FRIDAY NOTES - Teacher's in the house, That fast Chip Ellis and Remembering Darrell Russell...

Ignoring advice -- Del Worsham remembers the substitute teacher who sauntered into one of his high-school classes about 17 years ago and asked, "Has anybody ever planned to become a drag racer?"

"I've told everybody since I was about five years old that that's what I wanted to do," said Worsham, now 34 and at the top of the Funny Car grid for these Auto Club of Southern California NHRA Finals. "So I thought this guy was setting me up."

It turned out the teacher had a family member who got involved in drag racing, didn't fare well, and saw the career move unravel his family. So he advised the young Worsham not even to think of it. Of course, Worsham didn't listen. "I was pretty lucky to have a family and friends and sponsors who have allowed me to do this for a living," he said.

That substitute wasn't on hand Friday at Pomona Raceway, but some of Worsham's other teachers were, watching the young Southern Californian try to stay ahead of Gary Scelzi, the man with whom he is locked in a battle for second place. The difference between finishing second and third in the standings is $50,000, and Worsham has been treating each qualifying session as a do-or-die opportunity for the Checker-Schuck's-Kragen Chevy Monte Carlo.

In Thursday's opening session, he and his crew chief/father, Chuck Worsham, discussed whether they should try a conservative approach on the cold and untested track. Chuck Worsham heartily voted to go for it "like it was the finals and see what happens." He grabbed the No. 1 position with a 4.737-second elapsed time at a track-record 328.54 mph. He hung onto it and said he plans to "push it a little bit harder and try to find that threshold."

Scelzi, who smoked the tires and was 19th on the list after Thursday's runs, improved to eighth in his Oakley Dodge Stratus with a 4.78-second E.T. It was the fourth-quickest pass of that round and the fastest.

"It did exactly what [crew chief] Mike Neff wanted it to do," Scelzi said. "We were just a little bit too far over center at about 300 ft. last night. He made a change and he called the shot of what it was going to run, and it did exactly that. He didn't say it wasn't going to go any faster and it didn't. . . . When we run tomorrow we'll be able to pick it up a little bit and see exactly what we can get away with on Sunday. We're in good shape. We lost a run, but we're not hurt by any means."

Not so fast -- All Andrew Hines has to do to clinch the Pro Stock Motorcycle championship is put his Vance & Hines Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson into the 16-bike field. It sounds easy, but he failed to do so in Thursday's opening session. He responded with a 7.202-second pass at 165.23 mph in Friday's lone session that was good enough for the 11th spot. If he remains in the field after Saturday's final two qualifying sessions, Hines will wipe his brother Matt from the record books as NHRA's youngest series champion.

Hines said Friday he isn't taking anything for granted.

"Everyone keeps coming up to me and congratulating me," he said, "but we haven't done anything yet. It's great to be qualified for now, but the pressure isn't gone. I'm concerned about race day, and we need to step up and get ready for Sunday. I want to earn one more win before the season is over, and that's where the pressure comes from."

Champion Chip dominates -- Chip Ellis established himself as the top bike rider Thursday after making virtually no changes to his G-Squared/S&S/Buell. He kept his No. 1 spot in the order Friday, despite experimenting with a new engine and tire.

He made a pass of 7.101 seconds Friday but retained his position with Thursday's track-record elapsed time of 7.063 at 187.36.

"I've got an awesome bike. And I've been ridin' it OK," Ellis said.

He added he could have posted a better number -- in the 7.06 to 7.08 range -- had he not made what he called a mistake on his part. "I short-shifted from third to fourth gear. I didn't let the engine wind up enough before I shifted." He said that cost him probably three or four hundredths of a second.

He said his bike, which team co-owner George Bryce tunes along with Ken Johnson, shakes when it idles "but going down the race track it's real smooth. It has more torque than an in-line-cylinder engine."

Ellis wrapped up the AMA Pro-Star 600 Supersport Series championship last weekend in Gainesville, Fla., riding a Yamaha R6.

Team co-owner George Smith said he was pleased with the new motor's performance. "That gives us two good powerplants for the weekend."

Promises, promises -- Greg Anderson said he was certain the Pro Stock field would put up qualifying numbers that would relegate his Thursday-best 6.717-second elapsed time to the bump spot.

It didn't happen. But Anderson continued to hold the No. 1 position with an only-slightly-better 6.713 in the Summit Racing Pontiac Grand Am. His 205.94 from Thursday still is the fastest of the weekend so far, and No. 2 Larry Morgan, at 205.22, is the only other driver to top 205 mph.

"The track was better today, but the air went away," Anderson said. "Sorry I lied to you. I thought today we could do a (6.)69. Tomorrow morning, I promise, we'll see 6.60-something.

"I know a lot of cars made some bad runs today," he said, referring to the 6.777 bump and the fact Mark Whisnant and Jim Yates were knocked from the lineup, and Jeg Coughlin and Warren Johnson still are among the unqualified. He expressed mild surprise that "most didn't gain on their set-ups from yesterday."

He reiterated that he really would cherish this No. 1 spot if its holds, because it would give him the NHRA record in all pro classes for most qualifiers in a season. Asked if he would not be content to share the honor of 15 top-qualifier spots with former mentor Warren Johnson, Anderson said, "I shared a lot of years of my life with him. I believe it's my turn now."

Russell tribute -- Morgan Lucas, the No. 8 qualifier, will try to improve his positioning Saturday's two qualifying sessions. And he will carry some extra inspiration. His Lucas Oil/Joe Amato Racing Dragster will have a special paint scheme that reads, "In Loving Memory of Darrell Russell" for the remainder of the 40th edition of the season-closer. Lucas took over the ride following Russell's death this past June in a racing accident at St. Louis.

Crew chief Wayne Dupuy, will apply the new look in time to coincide with the Darrell Russell Memorial Auction at the NHRA Hospitality area Saturday afternoon and evening. The public is invited to attend the live auction at 6 p.m., as well as participate in the silent auction that will start at 3 p.m. Saturday and extend online at www.nhra.com through Monday.

Kalitta going for it -- Despite an aborted run Friday, Doug Kalitta still leads the Top Fuel field with two sessions left to go. "We were out there, just going for it," Kalitta said. He said his Mac Tools crew will spend Saturday "getting more in a race mode" and "trying to get a good baseline." He said, " We want a good, steady set-up for Sunday."

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THURSDAY - WORSHAM, KALITTA, ANDERSON AND ELLIS QUALIFYING LEADERS THURSDAY AT AUTO CLUB NHRA FINALS

(11-11-2004) - Del Worsham raced to the qualifying lead in Funny Car Thursday at the 40th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway.

Doug Kalitta, Greg Anderson and Chip Ellis also were qualifying leaders at the $1.7 million race, the final of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Worsham drove his Checker Schuck’s Kragen Chevy Monte Carlo to a 4.737 second run at a track record speed of 328.54 mph to lead the Funny Car order.

“That was an exciting run," Worsham said. "It sure didn't hurt us that the session dragged out a little, although we kept the same tune-up in there. I kept running back to the trailer to check the weather station but I didn't see enough to make me want to change anything. It all worked out.”

Worsham is tied with Gary Scezli for second place in the POWERade point standings with $100,000 up for grabs for the position. Scelzi lost traction in his Hemi Oakley Dodge Stratus and qualified 19th.

“We're in a big battle for second,” Worsham said. “We came into the race tied in the points so every single one you earn, even in qualifying, is huge. The difference between first and second is big as far as money goes so we want to qualify better than them if we can. They smoked the tires so I know they were going for it."

John Force was second in the Castrol GTX Start Up Ford Mustang with a 4.747 at 324.12, while Auto Club Road to the Future candidate Eric Medlen was third with a 4.764 at 320.28 in the Castrol Syntec Mustang.

Kalitta led Top Fuel with a 4.472 at 328.62 in his Mac Tools dragster.

"Right out of the gate that was a great way to start," Kalitta said. "The car ran well, obviously, and it drove nice and straight down the lane. What a great way to start the weekend. We almost won here last year. We got to the finals and had a great car but didn't get it done.

“I've yet to win at this track so we'd really like to finish the deal this time through. In my family, this race and this track are very important. As far back as I can remember there was talk of going to California and racing at Pomona. There's so much history here and it just makes you want to win that much more."

David Baca posted a career-best performance of 4.487 at 327.43 in his family-owned dragster for second, while season champ Tony Schumacher was third in the U.S. Army dragster with a 4.503 at 318.99.

Anderson moved into the lead in Pro Stock, powering his Summit Racing Pontiac Grand Am to a 6.717 at 205.94. With a No. 1 performance this weekend he would become the NHRA’s all-time leader for a top qualifying efforts in a season with 16.

"That run should show just what's going to happen here this weekend," Anderson said. "This should be the quickest field ever and I wouldn't be surprised to see a national record. The conditions are perfect and it's supposed to be like this all weekend. It's exciting and we're all anxious to get back out there.

“That number (6.71) will probably be the bump before we're through. This track always needs a few runs before it totally comes around. Certainly, everyone overestimated it today because I saw a lot of tire spin. By Saturday, everyone will be dialed in. Hopefully, we stay No. 1 because getting that record is our goal."

Fellow Grand Am drivers Mike Edwards (6.728 at 204.76) and Jason Line (6.729 at 204.82) were second and third respectively in the lineup.

Ellis raced to the top spot in Pro Stock Bike, covering the distance in a track record time of 7.063 at 187.36 on his G-Squared S&S Buell.

“The only word that can describe my run is awesome," Ellis said. "George Bryce and Ken Johnson (co-crew chiefs) had the bike tuned just right for the conditions here at Pomona. The bike ran straight, I made the shifts on time, and the result was an awesome opening pass."

Andrew Hines, who at 21 could become the youngest NHRA world champion in history by qualifying for the 16-bike field, was 21st after the first session, as his Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson slowed near mid-track.

Hines’ closest competitor for the championship, Antron Brown, was third on his U.S. Army Suzuki with a 7.118 at 187.31.

Qualifying continues Friday with a professional session at 2 p.m. and two sessions on Saturday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Eliminations start on Sunday at 11 a.m.

Thursday's qualifying results for the 40th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway, final of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Friday and Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.

Top Fuel -- 1. Doug Kalitta, 4.472 seconds, 328.62 mph; 2. David Baca, 4.487, 327.43; 3. Tony Schumacher, 4.503, 318.99; 4. Scott Kalitta, 4.509, 322.34; 5. Clay Millican, 4.521, 322.04; 6. Brandon Bernstein, 4.533, 330.31; 7. Brady Kalivoda, 4.594, 316.30; 8. Larry Dixon, 4.598, 320.43; 9. Scott Weis, 4.600, 321.12; 10. John Smith, 4.615, 308.99; 11. Scott Palmer, 4.801, 305.29; 12. Chris Karamesines, 4.809, 301.74; 13. Mitch King, 4.840, 259.66; 14. Steven Chrisman, 5.009, 262.08; 15. Andrew Cowin, 6.232, 135.25; 16. Mike Strasburg, 6.287, 141.15.

Funny Car -- 1. Del Worsham, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.737, 328.54; 2. John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.747, 324.12; 3. Eric Medlen, Mustang, 4.764, 320.28; 4. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 4.764, 317.49; 5. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.777, 323.74; 6. Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.779, 321.12; 7. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.796, 324.51; 8. Whit Bazemore, Dodge Stratus, 4.829, 305.63; 9. Jeff Arend, Chevy Corvette, 4.896, 315.64; 10. Gary Densham, Mustang, 4.909, 248.52; 11. Frank Pedregon, Pontiac Firebird, 4.950, 304.46; 12. Tony Bartone, Chevy Camaro, 4.983, 310.55; 13. Terry Haddock, Camaro, 5.180, 234.94; 14. Jim Head, Toyota Celica, 5.414, 193.93; 15. David Benjamin, Firebird, 7.010, 121.72; 16. Bob Gilbertson, Firebird, 7.321, 141.18.

Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.717, 205.94; 2. Mike Edwards, Grand Am, 6.728, 204.76; 3. Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.729, 204.82; 4. Larry Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 6.733, 205.22; 5. Ron Krisher, Chevy Cavalier, 6.739, 204.17; 6. Dave Connolly, Cavalier, 6.744, 205.35; 7. Kenny Koretsky, Stratus, 6.744, 205.26; 8. Steve Johns, Cavalier, 6.751, 204.17; 9. Rickie Smith, Cavalier, 6.753, 203.92; 10. V. Gaines, Stratus, 6.754, 204.88; 11. Kurt Johnson, Cavalier, 6.766, 204.08; 12. Jerry Haas, Cavalier, 6.770, 204.11; 13. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.775, 203.61; 14. Ben Watson, Cavalier, 6.776, 203.46; 15. Mark Whisnant, Cavalier, 6.781, 203.43; 16. Jim Yates, Grand Am, 6.787, 203.80.

Pro Stock Bike -- 1. Chip Ellis, Buell, 7.063, 187.36; 2. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.091, 188.65; 3. Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.118, 187.31; 4. GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.126, 188.83; 5. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.137, 187.26; 6. Angelle Savoie, Suzuki, 7.157, 185.95; 7. Joe DeSantis, Suzuki, 7.162, 185.23; 8. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.185, 185.84; 9. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.187, 184.57; 10. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.194, 182.08; 11. Blaine Hale, Suzuki, 7.236, 186.54; 12. Jay Matthews, Suzuki, 7.239, 183.72; 13. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.284, 176.81; 14. Fred Camarena, Suzuki, 7.294, 181.03; 15. Ryan Schnitz, Kawasaki, 7.325, 181.62; 16. Wesley Wells, Suzuki, 7.332, 177.58.

THURSDAY NOTES - Ellis and the high flying Buell, the real Man of Steel and Flamin' Frank to ride again

(11-11-2004) - Anderson too cool - Two-time and reigning Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson was hot -- and too cool. He leads his field with a 6.717-second pass at 205.94 mph, but he said the track will allow more.

"It is probably going to be the quickest show yet," Anderson said of this 40th annual Auto Club of Southern California NHRA Finals. "We all overestimated the race track. The air is great." But he said something drag racing fans seldom hear drivers say: the temperatures were a wee bit too chilly.

"The way the air is so cool the sun wouldn't have hurt it a bit," the Charlotte, N.C., resident said. "We like to see anywhere from 70-90 degrees. It was a little too cool. You don't often hear us say that. It takes a day or two. It should be good by Saturday -- that's when the cars are going to fly. We're lickin' our chops."

Anderson predicted that his first-session pass barely will be enough to qualify. "You're going to see that run be the bump spot," he said, adding that "we'll set some records, maybe. It's going to be close -- we're definitely going to be in the (6.)60s."

Anderson already owns both ends of the Pomona Raceway records. He set them -- 6.706 seconds, 206.13 mph -- at the Winternationals in February.

Anderson, who has accomplished just about everything a driver can in a single season, has one more goal he can reach this weekend. He shares the NHRA record for most top-qualifier positions in a year with former boss Warren Johnson at 15.

"I really would like to get the pole," he said. "That'd put us ahead of Warren. It'll be tough, but I really would like that."

Looking In - Former NHRA champions Warren Johnson and Jeg Coughlin are among the Pro Stock drivers still unqualified.

Ellis Still Hot - Chip Ellis is still on a roll. The Pro Stock Bike newcomer, who won the previous race at Las Vegas, took the provisional No. 1 qualifying award Thursday with a track-record 7.063-second elapsed time at 187.36 mph.

It lowered the 7.075 that Craig Treble has set a year ago.

"The only word that describe my run is awesome," Ellis said at the end of the first session that ended with points leader Andrew Hines making his championship bid a little harder. Hines was last among the class' 21 entrants with an 8.447-second E.T.

George Smith, co-owner of G-Squared Motorsports, said Ellis' 2004 Buell has undergone few changes since the Oct. 31 victory. "This is the engine that won the last race in Vegas," he said. "The only changes we made were to adjust to the track here at Pomona."

Whatever the crew did, it was perfect, according to Ellis. He said George Bryce, his team co-owner/crew chief and crew chief Ken Johnson had the bike "tuned just right for the conditions. The bike ran straight. I made the shifts on time. The result was an awesome open pass."

Smith said S&S "continues to supply us with power-packed engines. We're working on consistency and longevity."

Historical Value - Going to Pomona to race had a magical ring to it for the Michigan-based Kalitta family. It still carries that quality for Doug Kalitta, who has the provisional No. 1 spot in the Top Fuel class and is hoping that's a harbinger of his first victory on the fabled quarter-mile.

"I've yet to win here. We came close to winning at the last race," he said, referring to the Winternationals, when he was No. 1 qualifier and reached the finals against Tony Schumacher but broke.

Kalitta will finish second in the standings for the second straight year. His 4.472-second pass Thursday (at 328.62 mph) was .021 seconds shy of Tony Schumacher's track E.T. mark. He owns the track speed record with the 333.25-mph speed he reeled off last Nov. 9. It is the ninth-fastest speed in NHRA history. Although he owns the fastest pass ever at 335.57 mph (from this April at Las Vegas) and three of the top nine speeds, he said he would treasure a victory here.

"We don't want to be greedy, by any means," Kalitta said. "But years ago everybody was going to California to race at Pomona. Well, everybody in my family was. We've been fortunate to win a lot of races at a lot of places, but it'd be nice to win here. This place has a lot of history."

David Baca, at 4.487 seconds and 327.43 mph, was second behind Kalitta and the only other dragster driver to run an E.T. quicker than 4.5 seconds.

Every Point Counts - Prior to last month's race at Las Vegas, Del Worsham hadn't been Funny Car's top qualifier since the 2001 Houston event. But if his 4.737-second pass (at a track-standard 328.54) holds up or he improves it and hold onto that No. 1 spot, he'll have the first back-to-back honors in his 18-year career.

"We keep massaging it a little bit at a time," Worsham said of his Checker-Schucks-Kragen Chevy Monte Carlo, "and it's turning into a pretty fast race car."

Worsham entered this last of 23 events on the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series schedule tied with Gary Scelzi and the Schumacher-owned Oakley Dodge Stratus for second place. "Every qualifying position means a lot right now," he said.

He broke Scelzi's track record of 328.38. But at the moment he is more interested in qualifying higher and lasting at least one more round farther than Scelzi on Sunday.

Scelzi, meanwhile, is not yet on the 16-car grid. He was 19th Thursday among the 24 Funny Car entries.

Man of Steel - Gary Densham had the Popeye theme on his car at Las Vegas, but Thursday he was the Man of Steel. Gary Densham is eager to have a fantastic final fling in his last event for John Force Racing and his sponsor, the Auto Club of Southern California, also the title sponsor of this season-ender. He secured the 10th qualifying spot. Usually that wouldn't be a remarkable thing, but Thursday it was. Densham's face was swollen because of an abscessed tooth, and he was concerned that afternoon that he wouldn't be able to wear his helmet without a lot of discomfort. But he pulled it on and made a pass at 4.909 seconds at 248.52 mph in the Ford Mustang. His tooth problem stemmed from a root canal surgery he had undergone about two weeks ago.

Eternal 'Flame' -- He called it the Chicken Coupe. Tony Pedregon had heard all about his dad's front-engine dragster that spun the nickname 'Flamin' Frank' Pedregon andmade him the talk of hot-rod fans in the 1960s. The car ran through 1968, but Tony was just three years old when it was retired.

"My memory goes back to when my dad drove for Don Madden in the Howard Cam Special Top Fuel Dragster," the 2003 Funny Car champion said. "I don't remember much of the Coupe except when it was retired. It sat in the back of our house in Chino [Calif.], and chickens lived in it. That's why we called it the Chicken Coupe."

He and his brother Cruz, deciding they wanted something besides memories by which to remember their late father, have enlisted the help of Pat Foster and Dale Armstrong in recreating Frank Pedregon's famous Fiat Coupe. Foster, owner and chief builder of Foster Slingshots, is teaming with Armstrong, the legendary engine builder, crew chief, and former driver, to reconstruct the car in time to make its on-track debut during the 2005 NHRA Winternationals next February.

Cruz Pedregon called his dad's car unique and said, "We searched around for the original and didn’t have any initial luck. So we decided, after many years of wanting to do it, to recreate it. It was truly unique in the way it looked and the way the tires burned going down the track – it was the one and only cars that went down the track like that. It really became a fan favorite as he raced a lot of the local tracks around Southern California."

Tony Pedregon said Armstrong's involvement has sentimental connotations, because he and Frank Pedregon were fast friends and raced together. "To have Pat Foster actually build the car – and the two of them working together with us – is really amazing," he added. "I think it's amazing to pool this talent together on a project like this. I think that is why this project is even going to be that much more special.

"My dad was very motivated," his youngest son said. "He was resourceful and intelligent, and he made a lot of what little he had. I think that really said a lot about him. Drag racing, even 30 years ago, was still racing."

Cruz Pedregon, the middle son in a trio that includes independent Funny Car team owner Frankie, said of their father, "We know, through watching our dad throughout his racing career, what kind of craftsman he was. We knew how detail-oriented he was. We're going to do that to this car. We're going to make it nicer, shinier than it was. This car will really reflect what 'Flamin' Frank' Pedregon was all about."