SAME DAY COVERAGE
Checker, Schuck's & Kragen NHRA Nationals
Phoenix, AZ.

By Matthew Brammer
Photos by Marty Reger and Frank Smith

For complete event photo coverage, click on: Phoenix Gallery

Matthew Brammer provides a video introduction to the weekend.
Friday Video Pit Notes - Meet Frank Pedregon
Saturday Video Pit Notes - Erica Enders Makes the Show!
Sunday Video Pit Notes - Meet the NHRA Fans!

Looking Back at Phoenix - Our Unofficial Awards and More

(3-1-2005) - Call it the sweet smell of success. OK, so it was tainted with a noseful of tire smoke and might have been laced with Brut cologne.

But Ron Capps got a whiff of confidence once again at Firebird International Raceway in Chandler, Ariz., near Phoenix. He took his Brut-sponsored Dodge Stratus Funny Car to Sunday's final round of the Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals.

Capps won the 2004 race there, but that was about the last success he has had. After a split oil tank spewed fluid on the starting line at Pomona and caused him to split before he could make his first run for new boss Don Schumacher, Capps was eager to perform well.

He took out former teammate Tommy Johnson Jr., the Winternationals winner, in the first round of eliminations. Then he out-pedaled rookie Robert Hight in an unattractive but effective victory to advance to the semifinals against Phil Burkart Jr. Capps beat Burkart and lost to Force in the final -- as he had there in 2000 (and to Chuck Etchells in 1998).

But he said that the wild ride against Hight made him yell, "Yee-Hah!" on the radio to his crew as he crossed the finish line.

Capps said the car "just struck the tires right away to the point you know you're done, you're dead in the water, you're not going to be able to make up any ground striking the tires that early. And out of the corner of my eye, I see Robert go up in smoke. I just couldn't get the tires going.

"I finally let off the throttle on one of the pedals and grabbed a whole lot of brake to try to stop the tires' inertia from turning," he said. "And I gave it a little bit of half-throttle. It sounded like a pack full of ugly ducklings. It just sounded terrible. But it started accelerating and grabbing. And I saw him sashaying. I thought he hit the wall, to be honest."

He said the crew, including crew chiefs Ed "The Ace" McCulloch and Dan Olson told him the "Yee-Hah . . . was kind of cool. Those kind of runs are fun when you're on the winning end."

Against Force, Capps had a stellar .060 reaction time to Force's .095. Capps was ahead at half-track but Force ran him down to win by .0196 of a second with a 4.802 elapsed time (at 324.12) to Capps' 4.856/321.27.

Easy John, you never know what people might think. (Motel6 Vision)

"I actually thought we won," Capps said. "You're tucked back in that Dodge body so far that you can't see the guy next to you. Even in a close race you can't hear him, so I thought the light was burned out on the guardrail when I went through there. Then I saw John's light at the last second, it was on, so I knew it had to be a close race."

He said he was disappointed because McCulloch and Olson had got the car to behave the way they had wanted it to. They'll have to wait until the March 17-20 Gatornationals at Gainesville, Fla., to see if they've made any gains.

McCulloch said, "When you get to the final, you're supposed to win, but I'm glad. We had a good day. Ron saved us in the second round when he pedaled it, got us by that. You're supposed to capitalize on that and go on and win. We're a new group. This is only our second race, and we're making progress and we'll get better.

"We just didn't run quick enough. I know how to fix it. I know how to run better," he said. "We know what to do, if we could run it again. The only problem is that they (Force's team) probably would run better, too."

Capps moved into fourth place in the Funny Car standings. - Susan Wade

CompetitionPlus.com's Weekend Winners:

Biggest winners of the weekend:

Biggest winners of the weekend Award Winners.

The John Force Racing team. This trio of Ford Mustang Funny Cars rebounded from a triple disappointment at Pomona. Owner John Force, driving the Castrol GTX Start Up Ford, claimed his 115th career victory and jumped from ninth to second in POWERade points, just 12 behind leader Phil Burkart Jr. Eric Medlen and his Castol Syntec Mustang reached semifinals for the second consecutive year at Firebird International Raceway. Automobile Club of Southern California Ford Mustang driver Robert Hight qualified second with a personal-best elapsed time of 4.723 seconds at a track-record 329.99 mph.

Biggest losers of the weekend:

Doug Kalitta and Greg Anderson. Kalitta, the incredibly talented but so-far-unlucky driver of the Mac Tools Dragster, owns the fastest speed in NHRA history (325.57 mph) as well as the two quickest elapsed times and only runs in the 4.42-second range. But he's 0-2 in elimination rounds this year. Anderson, who dominated the Pro Stock class for the last two seasons, has struggled in qualifying and has just one round-win after two events.

The "Not Tony Schumacher Again!" Award winner.

The "It's About Time" Award:

Pro Stock winner Allen Johnson, for winning his first Wally since the Atlanta 2002 race. He also gave Dodge its first victory in the class Larry Morgan won at Sonoma, Calif., in 2002. Johnson predicted, "I think the parity is back in Pro Stock. We'll probably see 12 to 14 winners this year like we did in 2002." The J&J Racing Team Mopar Dodge Stratus driver leads the points for the first time in his career.

The "Not Tony Schumacher Again!" Award:

Morgan Lucas, Top Fuel runner-up for the third time in the last four events (dating back to the October 2004 ACDelco Nationals at Las Vegas) and twice to reigning champion Tony Schumacher. "I feel a little sorry for Morgan," Schumacher said. "I know what that's like. I went to nine finals before I won, so I know you start thinking things like, 'What do I need to do to win one of these things?' He'll get his. That's a great car and he's a good driver." Lucas is third in the standings, seven points off Schumacher's pace.

The "It's All In A Name" Award:

Allen Johnson -- and Alan Johnson, the Pro Stock winner and the crew chief for Tony Schumacher's winning U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster. Let's see . . . Tommy Johnson won the season opener. Pressure's on at Gainesville for the Pro Stock father-son duo of Warren and Kurt Johnson and bike veteran Steve Johnson.

The "And Winning Is Better Than Being A Semifinal Loser" Award:

Pro Stock's Richie Stevens, who shrugged off his Round 2 defeat to teammate Jeg Coughlin Jr. by saying, "We made it to the second round. It's better than being a first-round loser."

The "Yes, Dear, You're Right So Far" Award:

Hartman Motorsports Top Fuel driver John Smith, for sharing "shop-talk" with expectant wife Rhonda Hartman-Smith, who has stepped from her dragster for awhile. "What I think is the greatest thing so far," she said, "is that he talks to me and tells me what's happening with the car because he knows I understand. I haven't been critical on him, at least not yet." With a laugh she added, "Maybe if he gets left-on or something like that."

The "Helping Hands" Award winner.

The "Helping Hands" Award:
Crew members from Scott Palmer's Top Fuel team and Frank Pedregon's and Jack Wyatt's Funny Car teams met Gary Densham at his pit to help him repair his Racebricks Chevy Monte Carlo for the second round. Densham upset No. 1 Funny Car qualifier Tony Pedregon but had to scramble because he crossed the finish line with the car engulfed in flames. The popular veteran said he blew up about a third of his parts inventory on the run but the kindness of his fellow competitors made up for it. "This is why I'm in drag racing," Densham said. "Driving the car is only a small part of the deal. The fact people from other teams care enough to come over and help you out when you need it is just awesome. I can't thank those guys enough. I hope we can repay the debt some day."

The "No Friends On The Track" Award:

Funny Car's Del Worsham, who lost to Whit Bazemore in the first round by 13-thousandths of a second. Had he won, he would've faced Checker Schuck's Kragen teammate Phil Burkart Jr. next time out. Worsham didn't hesitate to predict how that match-up would've turned out: "I'd have whipped him."

The "High Road" Award:

Top Fuel driver Brady Kalivoda, dismissed suddenly, unexpectedly, and by mail from the seat of the BME Dragster by team owner Bill Miller. Although Kalivoda said Miller hasn't contacted him since he received the letter, the Seattle driver graciously has thanked Miller for the chance to drive the dragster and wished his successor, Bobby Lagana Jr., the best of luck.

The "Duh-Duh, Ron-Ron-Ron" Award winner.

The "Duh-Duh, Ron-Ron-Ron" Award

Pro Stock runner-up Ron Krisher, whose Chevy Cavalier evidently dropped a valve in his final-round pass against Allen Johnson. "I don't like broken motors. That doesn't make me feel real good," he said. Krisher beat Pomona champion Dave Connolly and runner-up Warren Johnson, then Pomona top qualifier Jim Yates to advance. Krisher began last season with four DNQs and six in the first nine events on the way to a dozen in all. He called his 2005 fortunes "a heck of a turnaround," adding, "We've got a lot of power, and we didn't have a lot of power last year. That's the whole secret - if you've got power, you can win. If you don't have power, you're not going to win anything."

The "Oh, Great! The Media Will Keep Bugging Me" Award:

Don Prudhomme, who's on the verge of capturing his 100th NHRA victory in his combined driver-owner career. Both of his charges, Larry Dixon in Top Fuel and Winternationals winner Tommy Johnson Jr. in Funny Car, lost in the opening round. That prolongs the "Snake's 100th" watch.

The "Spread The Confidence Around" Award:

Tony and Frank Pedregon, the Funny Car-driving brothers. John Force used to say he loved their brother Cruz Pedregon's audacity. Claimed Force, "He would jump out of the car and say, 'I'm the best!' -- even when he lost!" Perhaps it's in the genes, but the other two brothers showed their confidence at Phoenix. Tony, No. 1 qualifier for the second straight race, said, "In comparison to a lot of teams that are doing this, we have set the bar pretty high. We have the type of performance that money can't buy. . . . Not too many cars can sit as No. 1 qualifier for two races in a row." Said Frank, before losing in the opening round to Force, "I know we have a car for the hot conditions, so I'm not worried about John. I think Force is going to get the brunt of what we have to offer. He's had his day in the sun, and now its our turn to dance. I'm hungry, I need to run rounds, and I need TV time and coverage - I really need a sponsor so we can keep making things happen. We're here to ruin someone's day, or somebody's year. That's why we're here."

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SUNDAY - SCHUMACHER, FORCE AND JOHNSON WIN AT CHECKER SCHUCK’S KRAGEN NHRA NATIONALS

(2-27-2005) - Defending NHRA Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher raced to victory Sunday at the Checker Schuck’s Kragen NHRA Nationals at Firebird International Raceway near Phoenix.

John Force and Allen Johnson also were winners at the $1.8 million race, the second of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Schumacher earned his 22nd career Top Fuel victory and third at FIR by posting a final round performance of 4.485 seconds at 329.50 mph in his U.S. Army dragster to defeat upstart Morgan Lucas, whose Lucas Oil dragster lost power past mid-track and recorded a 4.967 at 207.53.

Schumacher drove his consistently quick dragster to early round wins over Bruce Litton, Cory McClenathan and Brandon Bernstein before racing past Lucas in the final-round.

"It's so cool to drive a car for the best Top Fuel team I've ever seen, from either the inside or across the pit with someone else," said Schumacher, who regained the series points lead with the victory. "Alan (Johnson, crew chief) is at a level that's better than anything he's ever done before. The car is perfect.”

It was the third runner-up finish for Lucas, who has been to three finals in 10 career Top Fuel starts.

"I feel a little sorry for Morgan,” Schumacher said. “I know what that's like. I went to nine finals before I won so I know you start thinking things like, 'What do I need to do to win one of these things?' He'll get his. That's a great car and he's a good driver."

Defending series champ Force earned his 115th Funny Car victory by powering to a 4.802 second run at 344.12 mph in his Castrol GTX Start Up Ford Mustang to hold off Ron Capps, who drove his Brut Dodge Stratus to a 4.856 at 321.27 in his first final round appearance since 2003.

It was Force’s eighth victory at FIR, the most by any NHRA driver.

“We love coming to Arizona,” Force said. “This was a good win. We were running 4.60s last year like magic and went to Pomona two weeks ago and got overconfident and stopped reading the track and started running on ego. (Austin) Coil (crew chief) told me we were going to fix it this weekend and we did.”

Force, who increased his head-to-head record against Capps to 34-7 with the victory (7-2 in final round meetings), was happy to renew his rivalry with his old friend.

"I'm glad to see Capps back in the mix because he's been down for awhile," Force said. "I gave him a big ol' kiss down there because I was happy for him. He said, 'What's that?' and I told him it was that cologne he's wearing, I couldn't resist. He's running good now and that's another car to worry about.”

Capps, whose last victory came at Phoenix in 2003, was pleased to be back in a final round after enduring his worst season ever in ‘04.

“We were close,” Capps said. “It’s disappointing because we wanted to get Brut and Dodge a win. To come out on the losing end hurts a little bit, but it’s OK. We made huge, huge gains. I’m really excited about going to the next race in Gainesville (Fla.).”

Semifinalist Phil Burkart, who upset Cruz Pedregon in the first round and defeated Whit Bazemore in the second, claimed the series points lead in Funny Car for the first time in his career.

“It’s not like we need any extra motivation, but it made a chill run down my back to hear that,” said Burkart, who was runner-up at the season-opener in Pomona, Calif. “We know it’s only the second race of a 23-race season, and we have the mindset that we’ll probably have to win at Gainesville to keep the top spot, so we’ll go down there and try to do that. For the next couple of weeks I’m going to be looking closely at the newspaper in the hope they run the standings. It’s going to be an honor to see my name at the top.”

Johnson scored his third career victory and first since 2002 by beating Ron Krisher in the final round. Johnson, who moved into the series points lead for the first time in his career with the win, covered the distance in 6.801 at 202.36 in his J&J Racing Team Mopar Dodge Stratus, while Krisher trailed in his Valvoline Chevy Cavalier, clocking a 6.887 at 190.65.

"I think the parity is back in Pro Stock," Johnson said. "We've been dominated by Greg (Anderson) for the last two years so the rest of us are pretty anxious to get some wins ourselves. He's been two or three hundredths ahead of everyone, but I don't think there were many races today decided by more than a thousandth of-a-second. We'll probably see 12 to 14 winners this year like we did in 2002.”

Johnson defeated V. Gaines, Jason Line and Jeg Coughlin to advance to the final round. It was the first Pro Stock win for Dodge since 2002 (Larry Morgan, Sonoma, Calif.).

"This was a big win for our program and for Mopar,” Johnson added. “It's been awhile since Mopar has won a race in Pro Stock so it's nice to put them back in the winner's circle.”

The NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series continues with the 36th annual Mac Tools NHRA Gatornationals, March 17-20 at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway.

Sunday's sportsman final results from the 21st annual Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals at Firebird International Raceway. The race is the second of 23 in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

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Final round-by-round results from the 21st annual Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals at Firebird International Raceway, the second of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE -- Cory McClenathan, 4.558, 325.85 def. David Baca, 4.646, 314.75; David Grubnic, 4.534, 324.36 def. Larry Dixon, 4.551, 325.69; Morgan Lucas, 4.550, 321.12 def. Rit Pustari, 4.629, 315.78; Brandon Bernstein, 4.544, 330.80 def. Scott Weis, 5.380, 182.82; Scott Kalitta, 4.553, 326.63 def. Scott Palmer, foul; Doug Herbert, 5.888, 287.35 def. John Smith, 5.910, 243.33; Andrew Cowin, 5.139, 205.16 def. Doug Kalitta, 5.960, 210.64; Tony Schumacher, 4.477, 329.10 def. Bruce Litton, 6.429, 135.73;

QUARTERFINALS -- Lucas, 4.517, 324.12 def. Herbert, 4.647, 303.16; Bernstein, 5.244, 257.48 def. S. Kalitta, 6.661, 134.15; Grubnic, 4.578, 321.19 def. Cowin, 4.711, 314.39; Schumacher, 4.520, 322.34 def. McClenathan, 4.974, 268.65;

SEMIFINALS -- Schumacher, 4.498, 327.35 def. Bernstein, 4.561, 299.66; Lucas, 4.671, 307.37 def. Grubnic, 7.804, 111.97;

FINAL -- Schumacher, 4.485, 329.50 def. Lucas, 4.967, 207.53.

FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE -- Whit Bazemore, Dodge Stratus, 4.870, 318.54 def. Del Worsham, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.876, 318.69; Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 4.854, 316.15 def. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.861, 310.98; Gary Densham, Monte Carlo, 4.922, 271.08 def. Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.987, 267.53; Robert Hight, Ford Mustang, 4.752, 327.51 def. Tony Bartone, Monte Carlo, 4.967, 312.28; John Force, Mustang, 4.744, 329.67 def. Frank Pedregon, Stratus, 8.134, 108.76; Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 4.763, 328.54 def. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 6.682, 134.40; Ron Capps, Stratus, 4.813, 317.87 def. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 5.953, 160.35; Eric Medlen, Mustang, 4.780, 324.28 def. Bob Gilbertson, Monte Carlo, 4.912, 299.80;

QUARTERFINALS -- Burkart, 5.534, 195.53 def. Bazemore, 9.904, 72.85; Capps, 8.979, 226.77 def. Hight, 9.817, 107.41; Force, 4.918, 298.80 def. Scelzi, 8.624, 90.84; Medlen, 4.782, 325.06 def. Densham, 5.991, 161.42;

SEMIFINALS -- Capps, 4.860, 316.60 def. Burkart, 4.894, 306.95; Force, 4.810, 323.97 def. Medlen, 7.223, 120.12;

FINAL -- Force, 4.802, 324.12 def. Capps, 4.856, 321.27.

PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE -- Jeg Coughlin, Dodge Stratus, 6.773, 203.06 def. Greg Anderson, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.761, 204.91; Ron Krisher, Chevy Cavalier, 6.762, 204.32 def. Dave Connolly, Cavalier, 6.781, 203.25; Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.767, 203.43 def. V. Gaines, Stratus, 6.748, 203.95; Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.768, 204.54 def. Kurt Johnson, Cavalier, 6.769, 204.11; Richie Stevens, Stratus, 6.748, 204.42 def. Erica Enders, Cavalier, 6.806, 203.22; Jim Yates, Grand Am, 6.733, 204.45 def. Mike Edwards, Grand Am, 6.761, 203.98; Warren Johnson, Grand Am, 6.736, 204.57 def. Ben Watson, Cavalier, foul; Greg Stanfield, Cavalier, 6.767, 204.45 def. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.786, 203.40;

QUARTERFINALS -- A. Johnson, 6.771, 202.85 def. Line, 6.809, 204.39; Coughlin, 6.781, 203.65 def. Stevens, 6.802, 204.26; Krisher, 6.767, 204.60 def. W. Johnson, 7.252, 151.14; Yates, 6.761, 203.77 def. Stanfield, 6.807, 203.71;

SEMIFINALS -- A. Johnson, 6.779, 202.64 def. Coughlin, 6.780, 203.98; Krisher, 6.781, 203.83 def. Yates, 6.775, 203.46;

FINAL -- A. Johnson, 6.801, 202.36 def. Krisher, 6.887, 190.65.

SUNDAY NOTES - Funny Car Thrills, Ben Watson's Challenge and a New Look for "Bodie" Smith

(2-27-2005) - A Broken Finger and Explosions – It’s what Drag Racing is All About - Veteran racer Gary Densham put on quite a show in the first round of eliminations, displacing number-one qualifier Tony Pedregon, 4.922 to 4.987 seconds. As Densham crossed the finish line, his engine exploded, sending flames and smoke into the air, giving fans an exciting finish to a close, side-by-side race.

Densham said, “We were lucky to stay in, and we knew we’d give them a good race that first round. It was flying, -- it should have been ‘.75 to ‘.78, and I don’t know why, but it just blew up.”

Densham’s rookie-laden team was suffering already – the clutch mechanic, Melissa Downing, had broken her hand ten minutes before the first round on Friday.

Sporting a clutch dust-blackened cast, Downing said, “I was working on the clutch and my hand slipped and I smashed it straight into the bell housing. I just fractured the bone in my hand – they call it a boxer fracture, which means the fracture runs through the middle of the bone.”

Obviously, the injury didn’t slow the team down.

Densham lamented, “Out of the five people I’ve got here, three of these kids never touched a funny car until four weeks ago, and those were the ones that were left with me. But we made do.”

Once he got his blackened car back to the pits, several teams offered help and direction to the rookie squad. “The great thing about drag racing, the reason I keep coming back, is: we’ve got a really young and inexperienced crew and yet look at all the people who came over and gave us a hand. Jack Wyatt’s guys, Scott Palmer’s guys, Frankie Pedregon’s guys – that’s what makes this whole sport – the people that are out here and how they’ll give you a hand.

“That and the fans. Like they say every week, we’ve got the greatest fans in all of motorsports,” Densham said.

Just a Bunch of Kids from Australia - Australian Andrew Cowin took out the stalwart Doug Kalitta in the first round of eliminations in a classic “David vs. Goliath” showdown. Both racers struggled on the track, but Cowin sent the 2004 Top Fuel runner-up back to the pits in a 5.139 to 5.960-second tire smokefest.
“I was just tickled to death,” Cowin said.

“We’re just a team of kids from Australia overseen by my dad – he’s like everyone’s dad on the team.

“We lucked out on that run. The car broke, but, on race day, it’s ‘first to the other end wins,’ and we won it! So I was just tickled pink, you know?

“The second round we got it down the race track, but it wasn’t quick enough. We’d hurt it the first run, and tried to make it lame on the second run, but it was too lame. It was just a weak dog,” he said.

Ice Driving in the Desert - Robert Hight and Ron Capps gave an exhibition on the fine art of ice driving during one of the most exciting matches of the weekend. Both cars lost traction, smoked the tires and narrowly avoided crossing the center line or hitting the wall. Capps squeaked out what he called an incredibly ugly win.

“It was the ugliest and the funnest win I’ve ever had. These are the ones you love to do. It was like ice racing -- kind of like in a video game. It was really, really weird to watch Robert out of the window having the same problems, me in the car trying to get my car going, grabbing brake. I thought he hit the wall at one point.

“I finally gave it half throttle, and these things don’t like half throttle – they sound like wounded ducks -- but it did the job, hooked up and made it to the finish line.

Hight shook his head and explained: “I know, I know. I smoked the tires on the starting line, and I never saw him, so I got back into it, and, unlike Pomona, I was squeezing every time I got into it. It just went sideways, and once I got it straight again, I kept squeezing, never saw him, never saw him, but, every time it was just like ‘whoop’ doing a burn out.

“We didn’t hit the wall or blow it up, so we had a way-better weekend this weekend than we did in Pomona, so I feel better leaving here than when I left there,” Hight said.

Ben Watson IS racing this year - When ESPN commentators said Ben Watson wasn’t even racing last year, he took it personally. This season, he’s on a mission to prove his detractors wrong.

“We’re finally getting a lot closer. We’ve qualified two in a row, and that’s more than we did all last year,” Watson said.

“We’ve just been slow because we’re trying to do it ourselves. I’m the only guy doing the motor - my dad drives the truck, and helps with the clutch - that’s it.

“Now we have to figure out why the car keeps shaking in third gear,” he said.

“This year is completely different than last year. I don’t know why, but Greg Anderson is halfway down the page, Richie Stevens number one, Jim Yates – you never saw that last year.

“I don’t know – I don’t think we got that much better, I mean it sure looks like it. Maybe we did. It’s going to be exciting, that’s for sure,” he said.

Bazemore Knocks Out Last Year’s Event Champion - Whit Bazemore was on his game in the first round of Funny Car eliminations at the Checker Schuck's Kragen Nationals, sending defending event champion and No. 3 qualifier Del Worsham home early. In a tight wire-to-wire contest, Bazemore, who qualified 14th, nosed his Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus across the line .0132 of a second ahead of Worsham with a 4.870-second elapsed time at 318.54 mph to Worsham's losing 4.876/318.69. Bazemore's reaction time of .078 outdid Worsham's .085.

Bazemore won the round but lost lane choice in his match-up against Worsham's teammate Phil Burkart Jr. in the quarterfinal. That made little difference, however, as the Matco Tools Dodge instantly veered to the right at the hit of the throttle, as the right-side cylinders self-destructed. Bazemore slowed to a 9.904-second crawl at 72.85 mph, while Burkart struck the tires, yet claimed the win with a 5.534/195.53.

"We broke something in the engine," said Bazemore. "At three-tenths of a second something broke and the engine basically quit firing on the right side, so it was a 4-cylinder Hemi. It just wasn't our day to win. It's something in the ignition. We'll figure it out, but it's definitely got a problem.

"The first round was exciting," he added. "We've got some good teammates over here, Ron Capps and Gary Scelzi, and they're awfully good. Capps was low in reaction-time average last year, I was second. Scelzi's got three (Top Fuel championship) rings weighing down his hand. My goal is to be the best driver at Schumacher Racing. That's awfully hard, because those guys are so good. To get a close win the second week in a row like that is great," he said, alluding also to his second-round win against Tony Pedregon at Pomona, "but, at the end of the day it's just your job. It's my job and we do what we do. Our lights (reaction times) are what they are. They're decent, they're not the best, but they're very, very consistent and that's the name of the game.

"It's just unfortunate we couldn't take advantage of that and the weakness that the Phil Burkart team had against us. That was frustrating."

It’s an All Black Car - “Things are a little different this year,” says Top Fuel racer John Smith. “We have an all-black car this year, and our main sponsor is Hartman Motorsports. We’ve got plenty of parts and we’ve got a good-running race car.

Smith faced off in the first-round with Doug Herbert in a side-by-side contest marred by tire smoke. Herbert earned the win-light with a 5.888 second pass, compared with Smith’s 5.910.

While winning is Smith’s ultimate goal, he knows the value of long-term sponsorship partners.

“We’re trying to put a good program together for someone to see and come out here and sponsor us,” Smith said.

“We’re going through a growing period right now, because I’m trying to help tune the car now, and having Rhonda out watching me is tough,” he said.

Smith’s wife, Rhonda Hartman-Smith, laughed and said, “I feel good, I’m relaxed. No matter what, I was ready for a little time off, but I’m enjoying having John drive. I miss it a little but, but that will just make me work a little harder to come back.

While Rhonda says she hasn’t offered any critical analysis of her husband’s driving, she says, “What I think the greatest thing so far is that he talks to me and tells me what’s happening with the car because he know I understand.

“I haven’t been critical on him, at least not yet,” she laughed. Maybe if he gets left on or something like that.”

Husband John put things in perspective by saying, “Our family life, that’s what comes first. With Megan, and the new baby on the way, we’re enjoying life right now. There’s no stress, and we don’t really have to answer to anybody other than ourselves, so, we just have to come out and do the best we can.”

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Go...No Go...Go...Pedal it man...Pedal it.

(2-27-2005) - Ron Capps gives a text book example of how to pedal your Funny Car to victory as he beat Robert Hight in the second round.

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SATURDAY - Schumacher, Pedregon and Stevens Take No. 1 Positions

(2-26-2005) - Defending NHRA POWERade world champion Tony Schumacher raced to his second consecutive No. 1 qualifying position of the season Saturday at the Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals near Phoenix.

Tony Pedregon and Richie Stevens also will lead their categories into Sunday's 11 a.m. eliminations at the $1.8 million race, the second of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Schumacher posted a track record time of 4.474 seconds at 326.24 mph in his U.S. Army dragster to earn his 13th career top qualifying award in Top Fuel.

"We ran two 4.4-second runs today in the heat, which no one else was able to do," said Schumacher, who posted a 4.486 on his other pass during the day. "That puts the U.S. Army team in a good position going into tomorrow because we know we can run well when the sun is out."

Doug Kalitta was second with a 4.490 at 327.19 in his Mac Tools dragster. Meanwhile, No. 5 qualifier Brandon Bernstein set a track record speed, clocking a 333.74 mph run in the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster, the fifth fastest speed in NHRA history.

Pedregon captured his 30th top qualifying position in Funny Car and second of the season, as his 4.703 at 325.06 performance from Friday night was not bettered.
"The goal today was to get down the track," said Pedregon, who shut his Q-Racing Monte Carlo off early and still posted a 4.83 on his best effort of the day. "The track was almost as good as it was last night only with a little more heat. We felt like our 4.70 time was safe so we were conservative. You really can't pull these (cars) back too much or you drop cylinders, but we wanted to see how to run without pushing it to the edge."

Rookie Robert Hight was second in his Auto Club Ford Mustang with a 4.723 at a track record speed of 329.99. Defending event winner Del Worsham was third with a 4.748 at 324.98 in the Checker Schuck's Kragen Chevy Monte Carlo.

In Pro Stock, Stevens drove his Team Mopar Hemi Dodge Stratus to a track record performance of 6.735 at 205.35 to earn his second career No. 1 qualifying position.

"To get the first No. 1 qualifier for Don Schumacher Racing's Pro Stock program is really special," Stevens said. "I knew we'd do well out here but I didn't expect it to happen this quickly. Bob (Glidden, crew chief) is really excited. He was happy last night but now that it's official he's all smiles. It's great to see."

In the first round Stevens will face fellow NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League alum Erica Enders, the fifth female to qualify for Pro Stock eliminations in NHRA history.
"I'm glad Erica got in. We're friends and it's cool to see her doing well," Stevens said. "She's getting the hang of it and she'll get better and better as time goes on. It'll be fun racing her tomorrow morning."

Enders, whose life as a Jr. Drag Racing League competitor was documented in the successful Disney Channel original movie "Right On Track", will try to become the first female in Pro Stock to advance past the second round. The only female Pro Stock competitor in NHRA history to win a round of eliminations in Pro Stock is Lucinda McFarlin, who defeated Don Beverley in the first round of eliminations at Memphis, Tenn. in 1992.

"We went to Pomona expecting to qualify and we were disappointed that we didn't get it done," Enders said. "But it's great that we are in the field in just our second attempt. I couldn't be happier about it, but now it's time to focus on racing in the elimination rounds."

First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the 21st annual Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals at Firebird International Raceway, the second of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.

Top Fuel -- 1. Tony Schumacher, 4.474 seconds, 327.74 mph vs. 16. Bruce Litton, 4.854, 295.66; 2. Doug Kalitta, 4.490, 327.19 vs. 15. Andrew Cowin, 4.717, 296.57; 3. Doug Herbert, 4.499, 330.63 vs. 14. John Smith, 4.699, 282.30; 4. Scott Kalitta, 4.500, 327.82 vs. 13. Scott Palmer, 4.678, 295.27; 5. Brandon Bernstein, 4.508, 333.74 vs. 12. Scott Weis, 4.676, 303.91; 6. Morgan Lucas, 4.510, 324.59 vs. 11. Rit Pustari, 4.601, 312.57; 7. Larry Dixon, 4.517, 330.39 vs. 10. David Grubnic, 4.571, 323.12; 8. David Baca, 4.553, 326.32 vs. 9. Cory McClenathan, 4.569, 325.53.

Funny Car -- 1. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.703, 325.06 vs. 16. Gary Densham, Monte Carlo, 4.920, 277.72; 2. Robert Hight, Ford Mustang, 4.723, 329.99 vs. 15. Tony Bartone, Monte Carlo, 4.885, 314.97; 3. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 4.748, 324.98 vs. 14. Whit Bazemore, Dodge Stratus, 4.882, 313.44; 4. John Force, Mustang, 4.760, 323.35 vs. 13. Frank Pedregon, Stratus, 4.853, 318.84; 5. Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 4.770, 327.66 vs. 12. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 4.816, 311.27; 6. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.780, 320.66 vs. 11. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 4.814, 319.67; 7. Ron Capps, Stratus, 4.791, 321.88 vs. 10. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.808, 323.89; 8. Bob Gilbertson, Monte Carlo, 4.803, 322.88 vs. 9. Eric Medlen, Mustang, 4.806, 317.19.

Pro Stock -- 1. Richie Stevens, Dodge Stratus, 6.735, 205.35 vs. 16. Erica Enders, Chevy Cavalier, 6.789, 203.40; 2. Warren Johnson, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.743, 205.16 vs. 15. Ben Watson, Cavalier, 6.780, 203.03; 3. Mike Edwards, Grand Am, 6.743, 204.39 vs. 14. Jim Yates, Grand Am, 6.779, 203.46; 4. Kurt Johnson, Cavalier, 6.746, 204.94 vs. 13. Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.774, 204.85; 5. V. Gaines, Stratus, 6.754, 204.14 vs. 12. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.769, 203.55; 6. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.754, 204.29 vs. 11. Greg Stanfield, Cavalier, 6.768, 204.66; 7. Dave Connolly, Cavalier, 6.755, 204.70 vs. 10. Ron Krisher, Cavalier, 6.764, 204.76; 8. Jeg Coughlin, Stratus, 6.756, 204.63 vs. 9. Greg Anderson, Grand Am, 6.757, 205.07.

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SATURDAY NOTES - Enders Makes History, The King is in the House and WJ Hanging Tough

Enders in the History Books Now - Pro Stock rookie Erica Enders became just the fourth woman in NHRA history to qualify for a 16- car elimination round today at Firebird International Raceway.

The 21-year-old Houston resident drove her Cagnazzi Racing Chevy Cavalier to a 6.789-second pass at 203.40 mph to qualify in the No. 16 spot. It is her second professional race and first qualifying effort.

Enders will face Richie Stevens in the first round. Enders and Stevens are the first two former Jr. Dragster drivers in NHRA history to graduate to Pro Stock.

"We may have qualified 16th, but we're still racing on Sunday and that's what matters most," Enders said. "We have Richie in the first round and that's going to make it even better because we used to race together for a long time."


Cory Mac Makes up for a Rough Start - In an inauspicious start to qualifying on Friday, McClenathan did not receive a time. He rebounded in the Friday night session when the FRAM AirHog dragster stopped the Firebird finish line timers in 4.570 seconds at 315.86 miles per hour -- the third quickest time of the session.

In the first session at on Saturday, Cory Mac struck the tires, losing traction, and coasted to the finish line. He closed out qualifying by recording his best elapsed time of qualifying, a 4.56 second pass earning him the number nine position on Sunday.

"We were really happy about that final pass," said McClenathan

"We're just taking small steps - a little bit at a time. This FRAM AirHog dragster is starting to get more aggressive and be more consistent at the same time.

"We're trying to learn certain areas. We run really well in the middle of the track, it's the start that's been rough for us. That's what we're working on now - the first 60- to 100- feet. Once we put it all together we'll be right there near the big guys or with them. Don't underestimate this team and don't count the FRAM AirHog out. We've got a car that's capable of doing good numbers."

Two surprise spectators from Seattle are attending this second event of the season - Jerry Ruth, the outspoken, outrageous, self-proclaimed "King" of Top Fuel in the 1960s and early '70s, shook off the chilly Northwest to say hi to old pals such as Don Schumacher Racing's Lee Beard (himself a former Seattle resident). Ruth hasn't raced in decades. Seattle native Brady Kalivoda -- whose father, Dick Kalivoda, ironically, was one of Ruth's main rivals in the old days -- competed in the season-opening Winternationals but during the two-week layoff found himself suddenly without a ride in the BME Dragster. So he, too, watched the Top Fuel action with interest.

Exactly What we Needed - After running a personal competition-fastest run of 329.99 miles per hour in a personal quickest 4.723 seconds earning him a second qualifying position, Robert Hight couldn't help but smile.

"That's exactly what we needed, to go down the track twice, really good runs. We changed the fire bottles to the front to make the car more drivable, and every move I made with the steering wheel I could feel it.

"That was the best run I've ever made, and hopefully we're in good position for tomorrow," he said.

Baca Splits the Pack with a '.53 - "We were really trying to just go A to B which we did - a '.57 was ok and got us where we need. We came back and saw 50's and 51's spit up there, and actually our numbers were the same as theirs at half track, but we smoked the tires on the big end - something we don't normally do.

Baca qualified in the middle of the field at number eight, posting a 4.553 second 326.32 miles per hour pass.

"We've got a tough draw in the morning with Cory, but, we've run him a few times," he said.

Hungry for Force - After solidly placing in the show with a 4.853 second pass, Frank Pedregon made the decision to pass on his final qualifying run. Crew chief Scott Grahm explained, "We're an under-funded team, and any time we don't have to run the car, and I don't think I will learn anything else, I try to save parts," Grahm said.

"I'm not really happy with the draw, John Force, but, if we'd have run and improved, I don't think that would have changed our plan. We were solidly in the show, so I feel it was a good decision," he said.

Pedregon responded, "We're two-for-two in qualifying. We're on the diet, our car isn't on the diet, so we were just trying to be smart. I know we have a car for the hot conditions, so I'm not worried about John [Force]. Unfortunately, I think Force is going to get the brunt of what we have to offer. He's had his day in the sun, and now its our turn to dance. I'm hungry, I need to run rounds, and I need TV time and coverage - I really need a sponsor so we can keep making things happen.

"We're here to ruin someone's day, or somebody's year. That's why we're here," he said.

WJ Powers to the Second Starting Position in Phoenix - Making competitive runs while still getting a handle on his race car, Warren Johnson qualified his GM Performance Parts Grand Am second for Sunday's final eliminations of the Checker Schuck's Kragen Nationals in Phoenix, AZ.

After opening with a solid effort on Friday, Johnson clocked the quickest Pro Stock pass of the day on Saturday morning, tripping the Firebird Raceway clocks in 6.743 seconds, with a top speed of 204.94 mph.

Having cemented the second starting spot for Sunday, "The Professor" used his final timed run to try a different combination, producing the fastest top speed of the day at 205.16 mph, and putting the team in a good position to score their third win in the Valley of the Sun.

"Since we've had limited track time with this new GM Performance Parts Grand Am, and it's a different animal both in the chassis and the engine combination, we take advantage of any opportunity to try new things. Therefore, we hope to qualify well early in the weekend so we can make a few calculated changes in the subsequent qualifying sessions to learn something.

"Basically, that is what we have done this weekend, and slowly but surely, it's coming along. There were a couple sessions where we didn't pick up, but now we know now to go in that direction again. Once we can get a solid two days at a test track, we'll get it sorted out, which we expect will happen by Gainesville.

"But for now, we have a fairly competitive package, and the track is actually pretty decent. The rubber is a little thin on it, but everyone seems to be able to get down it. The right lane is a little suspicious in the middle of the track, with several people having a problem with the car moving around, but overall, it's not bad. Fortunately, we don't have mineshaft conditions, because then we would be in trouble. But for these atmospheric conditions, it's more than adequate, and we'll deal with it as best as possible tomorrow."

Lucky Seven? - Larry Dixon entered the day in the number 11 qualifying spot and ran a 4.517 second 330.39 mile per hour final qualifying effort of the weekend to claim the number seven spot and earn lane choice in the first round of Top Fuel eliminations.

"I never lacked confidence in our team's ability to find a setup for this race track," Dixon said. "That's why they give us four qualifying runs. We're in the top half of the field, now we have to go out and see what we can do.

"We needed to learn to have more confidence in our equipment," crew chief Dick LaHaie added. "We don't have many runs on this combination. The things we did last year don't work with this setup. These cars run on horsepower. We won a lot of races with the clutch. We can't do that anymore. The sanctioning body wants cookie-cutter race cars and right now, Alan Johnson has the sharpest cookie cutter."

FRIDAY - PEDREGON, KALITTA AND STEVENS QUALIFYING LEADERS AT CHECKER SCHUCK’S KRAGEN NHRA NATIONALS

(2-25-2005) - Tony Pedregon raced to the qualifying lead in Funny Car Friday at the Checker Schuck’s Kragen NHRA Nationals at Firebird International Raceway near Phoenix.

Doug Kalitta and Richie Stevens also were qualifying leaders in their respective pro categories for the $1.8 million race, the second of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Pedregon powered his Q-Racing Chevy Monte Carlo to a track record time of 4.703 seconds at 325.06 mph to lead the 16-car order. Pedregon’s elapsed time was the sixth quickest for a Funny Car in NHRA history.

"We tested here and made a lot of runs so we expected to be in the mid-4.7 second range considering the conditions,” Pedregon said. “The 4.70 really validates what we did in Pomona and Dickie (Venables, crew chief) is definitely getting his confidence back, which helps him tune better.”

If Pedregon hangs on to the position, it will be his second straight No. 1 qualifying effort to start the season.

"Last season it took (teams) time to adjust to all the (rule) changes,” Pedregon said. “Now we're seeing increases across the board. It's an exciting time to be in a Funny Car."

Del Worsham was second with a 4.748 at 324.98 in his Checker Schuck’s Kragen Monte Carlo, while John Force was third in his Castrol GTX Start Up Ford Mustang, posting a 4.760 at 323.35.

Kalitta was quickest in Top Fuel, clocking a performance of 4.490 at 327.19 in his Mac Tools dragster.

"I think we all tried a little too hard out there tonight," Kalitta said. "I know my car was tuned up pretty good because it threw the belt off real early in the run and it never does that. Friday nights are like that. You have to just go for it and some times you push too hard. The good news was we had a nice run earlier under the sun.”

Tony Schumacher was second in the U.S. Army dragster (4.493, 326.24) and Doug Herbert posted a career-best performance to take third in his Snap-on Tools dragster, covering the distance in 4.499 with a track record speed of 330.63.

Stevens drove his Team Mopar Hemi Dodge Stratus to the top of the order in Pro Stock with a career-best performance, covering the distance with a track record effort of 6.735 at 205.35.

"We tested my car and Jeg (Coughlin's) car earlier this week in Tucson and that really paid off for us," Stevens said. "We switched over to the six-inch clutch everyone is using now and we needed the test time to figure it out. We're obviously going in the right direction with it but we could still use more time.”

Stevens, who returned to the series full-time this season with Schumacher Racing after a three-year absence, has one No. 1 qualifying position in his career (Topeka 1999).

"It's so great to be back in Pro Stock and back in such a great car,” Stevens added. “It was like riding a bike. I really feel like I picked up right where I left off. Don has given me a great opportunity and I can't thank him enough. To have all of his resources and Bob Glidden tuning our cars is just awesome."

Mike Edwards took second in his Young Life Pontiac Grand Am with a 6.743 at 204.39, while Kurt Johnson was third in his ACDelco Chevy Cavalier, posting a 6.746 at 204.51.

Qualifying continues Saturday at noon, with eliminations set for 11 a.m. Sunday.

Friday's qualifying results for the 21st annual Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals at Firebird International Raceway, second 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, 4.490 seconds, 327.19 mph; 2. Tony Schumacher, 4.493, 326.24; 3. Doug Herbert, 4.499, 330.63; 4. Scott Kalitta, 4.500, 327.82; 5. Morgan Lucas, 4.510, 321.96; 6. David Baca, 4.553, 326.32; 7. Cory McClenathan, 4.570, 315.86; 8. Brandon Bernstein, 4.595, 326.16; 9. Rit Pustari, 4.601, 308.43; 10. Scott Palmer, 4.678, 295.27; 11. Larry Dixon, 4.695, 311.70; 12. Andrew Cowin, 4.717, 296.57; 13. Mike Strasburg, 4.868, 241.50; 14. Bruce Litton, 5.308, 187.65; 15. Scott Weis, 5.344, 182.18; 16. Mitch King, 5.874, 165.76.

Funny Car -- 1. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.703, 325.06; 2. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 4.748, 324.98; 3. John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.760, 323.35; 4. Gary Scelzi, Dodge Stratus, 4.770, 327.66; 5. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.780, 320.66; 6. Ron Capps, Stratus, 4.791, 321.88; 7. Eric Medlen, Mustang, 4.806, 314.09; 8. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 4.814, 319.67; 9. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 4.816, 311.27; 10. Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.834, 270.21; 11. Tony Bartone, Monte Carlo, 4.885, 314.83; 12. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.895, 301.60; 13. Gary Densham, Monte Carlo, 4.920, 277.72; 14. Whit Bazemore, Stratus, 4.953, 302.55; 15. Jim Head, Stratus, 4.972, 298.80; 16. Terry Haddock, Chevy Camaro, 4.981, 308.07.

Pro Stock -- 1. Richie Stevens, Dodge Stratus, 6.735, 205.35; 2. Mike Edwards, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.743, 204.39; 3. Kurt Johnson, Chevy Cavalier, 6.746, 204.51; 4. Dave Connolly, Cavalier, 6.755, 204.26; 5. Warren Johnson, Grand Am, 6.762, 204.29; 6. Ron Krisher, Cavalier, 6.764, 204.76; 7. Greg Anderson, Grand Am, 6.766, 204.79; 8. V. Gaines, Stratus, 6.768, 204.14; 9. Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.774, 204.54; 10. Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.775, 203.22; 11. Jeg Coughlin, Stratus, 6.776, 204.01; 12. Jim Yates, Grand Am, 6.779, 203.43; 13. Ben Watson, Cavalier, 6.780, 202.61; 14. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.787, 204.29; 15. Bruce Allen, Grand Am, 6.799, 202.42; 16.. Kenny Koretsky, Stratus, 6.804, 202.82.

FRIDAY NOTES – Tony P on a Roll, Anderson Still Struggling and Doug Kalitta Glad it’s Not Sunday

(2-25-2005) - Making Gains - Although he's currently qualified in the middle of the Pro Stock field at number eight, V. Gaines is very pleased with his performance.

"The testing we did last week in Tucson paid off. We expect to qualify in the top half every weekend," Gaines said.

"We made some great advances in the second half of last season, and we hope to just continue the streak. We found the problems with our car, and now we're ready to go," he said.

Phoenix Fireworks - Tony Bartone gave the fans a spark during his first run Friday afternoon. At the top end, the header dropped and sparks flew in the air as he finished his run.

Bartone explained, "The good news is that the car ran pretty good. The reason the car made the big move on the top end was that the header broke and went on the ground, and we lost the down force on the right side of the car.

"I had to do a lot of steering on the top-end to keep the car on the track. I was just trying to keep it in my lane and keep the pedal down. I thought to myself ‘I hope the finish line gets here quickly,'" he said with a laugh.

A Better Day Ahead - Current NHRA Funny Car points leader Don Prudhomme's Skoal Racing Funny Car team tried to lay the groundwork for the defense of their Winternationals title Friday at Firebird International Raceway, but ended up in the No. 12 position with a best-of-two elapsed time of 4.895 seconds.

Tommy Johnson Jr. began Friday's qualifying with the rather conservative 4.895- second pass at 301.60 mph to place his Chevy flopper in the number seven qualifying spot. Faced with cooling temperatures and a fairly dark drag strip,
Johnson's Monte Carlo was on a blistering pass in the second session before it spun the tires and slowed to a mark of 6.037 at 152.33.

"It was on a great run Friday night before the tires came loose," Johnson said. "We were near the back of the pack and we were trying to run a big number. Our car ran really big speeds at Pomona but this track just wouldn't hold it in the middle. We'll come back out tomorrow and make a few adjustments and hopefully move into the top half of the field."

Night Moves - Tony Pedregon proved that qualifying number one in Pomona wasn't a fluke by running a track record-setting 4.703 in night qualifying.

"Pedregon said, "We kinda' felt up against the wall since we didn't get down the track the first time. But our game plan was to take advantage of these conditions. We knew this track, and that it was a good track because we had done a lot of testing in the pre-season," he said.

"I just didn't expect it to be so dark," he said.

The good news was that Pedregon's team wasn't digging the car out of the sand like after his final qualifying run in Pomona when his parachute failed to open and his car flew through the sand trap.

What a Difference a Season Makes - Pro Stock World Champion Greg Anderson is in an unfamiliar position - in the middle and looking up. After his first run, he was sitting in the number two position, and felt a bit relieved.

"We didn't make a great run, but we got it down there. We're definitely ahead of last time in Pomona - we didn't even get to make the first run," Anderson said.

"We'll just act like last week didn't happen," said Anderson.

He was certainly suffering déjà vu when crewmembers pushed his 2005 Grand Am back from the starting line with a broken motor in the second session, however, forcing him to miss another qualifying pass due to mechanical problems.

Anderson ended the day at number seven, looking forward to redeeming himself in tomorrow's sessions.

It’s All Good, Doug - Doug Kalitta is just glad it's qualifying and not Sunday. After running into the No. 1 spot with a first session pass of 4.490, 327.19, he lost his blower belt and coasted across the line in the evening go.

"I'm sure we had my car tuned up really good, but it threw the belt off early. At least we got a good run in the first session with conditions like we'll have on Sunday," Kalitta said.

"It was disappointing because I know we were going for a better run than we had in the first run, but you're just happy it's not on Sunday. We're in qualifying mode right now," he said.

Pay Attention - Warren Johnson started out No. 1 in the Pro Stock order in his GM Performance Parts Grand Am with a 6.762-second, 204.29-mph pass in the first session Friday but closed the day in fifth place with a 6.788-second E.T. He said he's happy, though.

"We're definitely headed in the right direction. Our GM Performance Parts Grand Am got down the race track on both runs, and I believe we can probably improve on our performance tomorrow morning, even though it should be relatively warm around noon. Overall, I think we're in excellent shape."

He and son Kurt, who drives the ACDelco Cavalier, swapped engines after the Winternationals -- in "The Professor's" words -- "to see how much difference there was in our two cars and/or engines." He said it's "starting to tell us a tale. Now we just have to pay attention."

Kurt Johnson, third at 6.746/204.51, said, "We're in the same predicament as we were in Pomona. We're using a brand-new engine combination, one that has never been down the track in my car. In addition, I had to tune a new set of carburetors for it, so I needed that first run to see where I was fuel-wise. After that, we made some adjustments for tonight's run.

"Even though it was still a little light on the clutch, it made a pretty good run, so I believe this DRCE III will also be a player. Our ACDelco Cavalier is also making our job easier, because we can predict what it's going to do. Overall, I'd have to say we're pretty pleased."

Good, Bad Surprises - Del Worsham, of Funny Car's Checker Schuck's Kragen team, seemed to break his jinx at his sponsor's event. In recent years he has struggled during qualifying, but Friday he came out and grabbed the No. 1 spot in the afternoon with a 4.810-second pass. He settled for No. 2 by the end of the day.

Teammate Phil Burkart gave Team CSK a 1-2 punch in the first session after talking with about 100 high-school students in their pit to talk about drag racing on the track as the smarter alternative to illegal street racing. He ran a 4.814-second E.T. in his Chevy Monte Carlo. But he had visibility problems under less-than-ideal lighting at Firebird Raceway and shut the engine off. As a result, he ended up No. 8 on the list.

Worsham said he has his confidence back after leaving Pomona in sixth place -- a five-place slip from where he was a year ago. "Hey, I'm amped whenever we run well, but it seems a little weird that we were actually hoping for more on that run," Worsham said. "That's
all she had, and it was a great run and we're thrilled to be No. 2, but you might imagine that after the first run we thought we could take a big swing there and maybe hit one a long way. It doesn't matter. We're very happy and have our confidence back."

He said CSK's title sponsorship of the event doesn't intimidate him. "People ask us if there's pressure to win the race. No, there is absolutely no pressure from CSK in that regard. They just want us to do as well as we can. The pressure is to qualify. If you're not in the show at your sponsor's race, that rates as a very bad thing. We've pushed it to the last run a number of times here, so the attitude immediately changed in our pit when we ran well."

Burkart said following his night run, "Unfortunately, I really couldn't see very well. Even backing up from the burnout, I was way off line and could barely see my crew guy's hand as he was trying to point me over. That kind of got me rattled, and I probably wasn't lined up straight. Then, on the run the car just heading for the center line and I wasn't sure where the heck I was. It finally got over in the marbles and smoked the tires. There's no excuse. I'm paid to drive this car and I should be able to figure out where the track is even if they turn the lights off. We were on a big run, and it got away. Maybe I need to eat more carrots."

Adjusting Well - Richie Stevens hasn't been in the seat of a Pro Stock car since 2003, but he has an excellent chance to claim his second career No. 1 qualifier spot since leading the field at Topeka in 1999.

He was quickest Friday int he Team Mopar HEMI-powered Dodge Stratus with a 6.735-second elapsed time at 205.35 mph in the night session that set both ends of the Firebird Raceway record.

He's also driving a different brand of car this year. "This Dodge accelerates a lot faster than any other NHRA Pro Stock car I've ever driven," he said. "The acceleration in the first 60 to 100 feet is quick. It gets the job done."
His effort came after a two-day testing session at the quarter-mile in Tucson, Ariz. They originally had planned to test at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but rain changed the team's plans.

It takes one to know one -- Stevens teammate Jeg Coughlin, the 2000 Phoenix winner and driver of the Jeg's Mail Order Dodge Stratus, said Stevens showed he is championship material. "They sorted some things out with the clutch, and he showed us today what these cars are capable of running. I personally wasn't surprised at all to see him on top," Coughlin said.

Added the two-time series champion, "We should be right there with him. I know what it takes to have a car that runs for the championship, because I've been there two times before, and a couple other times when we were very close. I see all the same things with this team. It's just a matter of time."

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