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David Dilbeck
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Georgia Drag Racing News
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June 2003
National Hot Rod Reunion Article by David Dilbeck
Posted Monday, June 30, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Inaugural Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion
By David Dilbeck
WOW! Where do I begin? The Reunion staff ( Bob Daniels, Eileen Daniels, Steve Gibbs, Ryan Ono, George Phillips, and Yvonne Wagner ) put together an amazing event! Friday morning Hubert Platt, Fred Simmons, Marvin Smith, Mr. Ed ( Miles ), and I left Atlanta and headed toward Bowling Green, KY. During the trip, it was quite an experience listening to the “Georgia Shaker” tell us about his drag racing ( and other ) adventures all over the country during the 1950’s, 1960’s, and 1970’s. Anyone that has ever talked to Hubert will know what I’m referring to!
None of us really knew what to expect at the National Hot Rod Reunion, but upon our arrival in Bowling Green around noon, we were blown away by the wild street rods and custom cars everywhere! After a quick check-in at the Holiday Inn, and a smooth and easy media credential pick-up, we were off to the track! Well, not quite, “Broadway” Bob Metzler drove up as we were in the parking lot. Bob graciously signed autographs for us while he and Hubert told some great stories! What a start!
Upon arrival at Beech Bend Raceway Park, we were even more astounded! There were hundreds of street rods and we hadn’t even been inside the gate! As we entered the track I’m sure that my mouth fell open at the sight of all the old drag cars on display. In addition to all of the great cars, I saw Arnie “Farmer” Beswick, Bruce Larson, Al “Mousie” Marcellus, Don “Big Daddy” Garlits, “Ohio” George Montgomery, Hubert “Georgia Shaker” Platt, Raymond Godman, Roger Lindamood, the Freight Train gang ….. the list goes on and on. A virtual who’s who of drag racing legends!
After a few hours of looking over some of the cars, catching up with old friends, and meeting new friends, it was time to head back to the hotel for the Media/VIP Reception. Living legends Bob Glidden and Don Garlits were at the reception and we also enjoyed the much needed refreshments that were served! I’d like to specifically thank Bill Groak and Michael Hollander of Pacific Communications Group for their assistance in obtaining our media credentials and their hospitality and assistance during the event.
Next on the agenda was the National Hot Rod Reunion Reception. Displayed in front of the Holiday Inn University Plaza Hotel was the Jade Grenade AA/FD and one of Connie Kalitta’s early Bounty Hunter dragsters. Word soon spread through the crowd that the Jade Grenade would be fired up after the ceremony! Before the ceremony started, I had the pleasure to meet several people and visit with several others that I knew. Gary Cochran, Mike Couch ( Buster’s son ), Dave McClelland, Nancy Wilson (Nancy is the organizer of the East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame & Reunion held annually in Henderson, NC. ), and Bob Wilberger were some of the people I visited with. To meet Mr. McClelland was special, indeed! What a nice guy, he even “presented” us with Wallys! I really miss seeing him (and Steve Evans) on television.
Mr. McClelland was the MC for the ceremony that honored Jack Chisenhall, Robert Frakes & Dale Funk, Angelo Giampetroni, Raymond Godman, and Ken Hirata. Don Garlits was the recipient of the Justice Brothers “Spotlight Award” and Bob Glidden was honored as the Grand Marshal of the reunion. Several funny, and sometimes emotional, stories were told by the award recipients. If you ever talk to Dale Funk, ask him about the world’s fastest turtle!
Outside, after the ceremony, you could feel the electricity in the air as a huge crowd buzzed with anticipation of the Jade Grenade being fired up in downtown Bowling Green! I had rushed out as soon as the ceremony was over, hoping to get a photo of the gorgeous green machine with fire belching from the headers, but I couldn’t even see the car due to the crowd that surrounded it. I don’t think anyone was disappointed when the cackling started and nitro fumes filled the air - It was a magical moment that I’ll never forget! After this mini cacklefest, I had the opportunity to talk to Pat Foster and praise him for his workmanship on the Jade Grenade and discuss his days as the driver of the Barry Setzer Vega funny car. I also got to speak with Steve Gibbs and, much to my surprise, Dick LaHaie. Dick had won the first fuel dragster race that I attended ( the 1970 Atlanta $10,000 held at Atlanta Speed Shop Dragway ). Tommy “T.C.”Lemons and Connie Swingle were also spotted during the nights activities.
From riding in an elevator with my ( and a lot of other people’s ) drag racing hero, Don Garlits, to eating a very late dinner at Steak N Shake ( and looking up and spotting Don and Pat Garlits & Tommy Lemons at one booth and Mr. and Mrs. Dave McClelland at another ), the first day of the National Hot Rod Reunion was quite a thrill!
Saturday morning brought an early ride to the track with hopes of the second day being as much fun as the first. With displays of cars such as Brent Hajek’s collection of Fords, it was sure to be great! Platt’s Thunderbolt and Mustang, Nicholson’s Comet, Bonner’s Mustang, Jenkins’ Vega, Gapp and Roush’s Pinto, Lindamood’s Mopars, fuel altereds, front engine dragsters, gassers of all shapes and sizes………. I could go on and on about the cars on display! Soon after arriving at the track, I went by to say hello to Bob Rosetty. Bob is a fellow fuelcoupes ( yahoo group ) member and I wanted to give him a photo I had taken of him match racing his funny car at the Classic Thunder event in Atlanta earlier this year. Bob has done an incredible job restoring the Joe Jacono Rollin’ Stoned Cuda funny and he isn’t afraid to race it! I even got to meet Joe Jacono and have a photo made with him in front of Bob’s car. Boy, this event was getting better and better! Pitted across from Bob was Bruce Larson’s USA-1 Camaro funny car. I had talked to Bruce Friday evening at Arnie Beswick’s trailer and Mr. Larson was nice enough to autograph a photo for me.
After a walk through “California” ( many of the beautiful AA/FD restorations and replicas were pitted together ), I met Randy Walls and had a nice chat with him. Randy told me that Jungle Jim and Jungle Pam didn’t have anything on him and his wife during the early days (when lovely ladies often directed the funny cars back from their burnouts)! I’ve seen photos and I have to agree.
I had made plans to meet up with FE Bob Fermier near the starting line at a specified time, but Bob and his son were tied up in traffic. I then went back over to the Winged Express pit area and met the man behind NitroGeezer.com – George Crittenden. Thanks for the NitroGeezer name tag, George! Larry Reyes and his wife were spotted and we had a short visit. I had met them last September at Sol and Anne Stewart’s Old Drag Racer’s Reunion in Panama City Beach, FL. It was good to see them again. Next, I stopped by Bob Gibson’s American Racing Equipment trailer and met Tom Clary and Maurice Wiggs. They had brought Tom’s restored Dick Harrell Camaro funny car to the reunion. Another fun time talking racing and restorations! While talking to Bob Gibson, I learned that Dan Storey had purchased the Hubert Platt Mustang funny from Georgian Donnie Reeves. Dan and his sons are the owners of Tennessee Thunder Motorsports (an amazing collection of Ford drag cars). I met Dan and later took Hubert Platt by to meet him and his sons. Photos were taken and Hubert was soon “on stage” with his tales of drag racing.
Being close by, I went by and said hello to Gary Peters and Dale Thierer ( owner and driver of the Hemi Hunter AA/FD ). Nancy Wilson, Bob Wilberger, and I later spent some time checking out the cars and talking to several people about her upcoming reunion.
I finally decided to give up on trying to see all of the cars in the pits and headed for the starting line to shoot photos. The afternoon session of fuel dragsters was a highlight, but several things stole the show (at least for me). A moment of silence was held for the late Buster Couch, Cannonball Johnson made a strong pass in his AA/FA (this was only the fourth AA/FA that I had seen race), Arnie Beswick made a super burnout and then laid down a 7.24 @ 193 in his Tameless Tiger Pontiac, and Bruce Larson made a wild 1/8 pass in his Camaro. Another highlight for me was the funny car race between Bob Rosetty and Randy Walls. After a nice burnout by Rosetty, Walls made a wild, out of shape, super smokey burnout. Randy then proceeded to make an extremely crossed up run ( in and out to the throttle at least twice! ) losing to Bob’s beautiful ‘Cuda. Fuel altereds don’t have anything on Randy and his Nova funny car! WOW, again!
While waiting for the night session, I visited with FE Bob Fermier. I also bumped into Tom Long, a neighbor of mine from Georgia, talking to Dave McClelland. Tom is the President of GMP and he had brought a display trailer showcasing his high quality diecast collectibles. From Swamp Rats to Sprint cars, GMP has some great items! Later, I ran into another Georgia friend, Tom Whitfield, cruising on his golfcart. Man, I wish that I had reserved one of those things!
Next up was the night fuel qualifying to be followed by Cacklefest. This is what everyone had been waiting for! Several fuel dragsters made passes, but again, other cars stole the show! Arnie Beswick came to the line and burned through the water, but compared to most of Arnie’s burnouts, it was a little weak. I guess he felt the same way because he backed into the water again and proceeded to lay down a burnout that rivaled the funny car burnouts of the 60’s and 70’s! Arnie then made a mid-seven second run that thrilled the crowd. The car that I (and apparently, most of the crowd) had been waiting for was coming up. Al Marcellus’s famed Winged Express AA/FA driven by Mike Boyd was next in line! I had wanted to see this car make a pass since the 1960’s and I could hardly wait! A strong burnout and then it was time. The header flames lit up the night and Mike drove the infamous altered into the darkness, running a straight as a string low 7 at 200 mph! As Bob Frey would say, the crowd went wild! Mousie, thanks for bringing the car and making a long-time dream come true!
The last thing on the schedule was Cacklefest. This is something you have to see and hear –words don’t do this event justice! Seeing all of the cars being pushed down the track, hearing all of the noise, seeing the header flames in the darkness….. WOW! Larry Dixon, Sr. drove the Howard Cams Rattler and the smile on his face had to hurt! He was still grinning as Larry Dixon, Jr ( and his son ) greeted him after he got out of the digger. Another magical moment! The crowd’s response to Cacklefest was overwhelming - what a night!
The Georgia gang had to leave Sunday morning without going to the track, but thanks to FE Bob Fermier ( and Bill Groak ), GeorgiaDragRacing.com had a photographer at the track Sunday. Thanks, Bob!
Driving back to Atlanta, we could hardly believe what a great time we had at the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion presented by DuPont Automotive Finishes. Thanks to Holley ( and congratulations on their 100th anniversary ), NHRA, DuPont, Beech Bend Raceway Park, the city of Bowling Green, and all of the other people and companies involved. I didn’t know where to begin this article and I don’t really know how to end it. The only way that I can think of is the same way I started – WOW!
National Hot Rod Reunion Photos
National Hot Rod Reunion Article by Marvin T. Smith
Kalitta, Worsham, Krisher, and Scali Win the NHRA POWERade Sears Craftsman Nationals
Posted Monday, June 30, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Not a good event for Georgia teams - Fred Collis goes down in round one of Pro Stock Bike. Kurt Johnson makes it to the second round of Pro Stock, while WJ and Terry Adams lose in round one. Whit Bazemore loses in the first round of Funny Car for the first time in 2003.
NHRA Recap
Warren Johnson loses a heartbreaker in Madison
Posted Monday, June 30, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
After capturing the No. 1 qualifying position with a track record 6.808-second elapsed time, Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Racing team entered Sunday's final eliminations of the Sears Craftsman nationals as one of the leading candidates to end the day in the winner's circle.
Even so, Johnson knew the path to his 91st career victory would not be an easy one, as the entire Pro Stock field was separated by just over five hundredths of a second. In addition, Sunday's warmer temperatures and earlier starting time meant the "factory hot rods" would be dealing with conditions unlike any they had faced all weekend.
Throughout the 2003 POWERade season, Johnson has been among the best in the category in leaving the starting line. However, in the first round, No. 16 qualifier Greg Stanfield was able to gain the advantage at the line, and even though WJ recorded the quickest pass of the first round at 6.845 with a top speed of 202.06 mph, it was not enough to prevent Stanfield from scoring the upset by a mere seven thousandths of a second.
"We were definitely ready for the first round, and our GM Performance Parts Grand Am made a nice run. Unfortunately, you had the combination of my worst reaction time of the weekend, and someone having the best reaction time of the first round, which was a recipe for disaster.
"It's not all bad. The car is coming around, and we found some things on the dyno last week. It's piecing itself together pretty nicely, and we're in a good position entering the second half of the season.
"It's just one of those things. If I had an idea of what would happen in that round, I would have come up with a preventative measure. It wasn't intentional, but it certainly was self-inflicted."
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Kurt Johnson advances to the Madison quarter-finals
Posted Monday, June 30, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Kurt Johnson faced several obstacles entering Sunday's final eliminations of the Sears Craftsman Nationals in Madison, IL. After qualifying 13th, he would be facing a very tough opponent in Mike Edwards in the first round without the benefit of lane choice. In addition, the higher temperatures encountered in the first round meant the teams would be racing under conditions they had not faced all weekend. Finally, in his six previous starts from the 13th position, KJ had not been able to advance to the second round.
But just as they have done all season, the ACDelco crew responded. KJ and Edwards left the line at precisely the same time, with Johnson posting the third-quickest pass of the round at 6.877 seconds with a top speed of 200.89 mph to upset the No. 4 qualifier.
This set the stage for a second round encounter with Allen Johnson. However, the match-up was over shortly after it began, as almost immediately after launching, Kurt found himself fighting to maintain control of his race car and slowed to a 7.526-second elapsed time, allowing his opponent to gain the round win.
"We were pretty pleased that our ACDelco Cavalier ran that 6.87 in the first round. We had changed motors after qualifying, so we were happy to make a nice, straight pass in the bad lane. That was an important round win, because if you lose in the first round, you stand to lose a lot of points.
"We hoped to pick up a couple hundredths in the second round by moving into the left lane. We made a few changes because the track temperature went down ten degrees. Unfortunately, it didn't like it, spinning and shaking. The tires might have been at fault, but it still shouldn't have behaved that way.
"Greg (Anderson) had the opportunity to pick up points on us, but, in NASCAR terms, we both hit the wall at the same time. We're at the halfway point of the season, and we're only 70 points out of the lead, so we're doing fine.
"We'll be testing in Denver this week, making sure all our guns are loaded for that race, and get ready to power through the second half."
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
FOR FIRST TIME ALL SEASON, BAZEMORE DOES NOT ADVANCE TO SECOND ROUND
Posted Monday, June 30, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
MADISON, Ill. (June 29, 2003) - For the first time all season, No. 5
qualifier Whit Bazemore did not advance his Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge
Stratus R/T to the second round, losing today to Ron Capps with a
tire-smoking 5.220/271.30 to Capps' 5.078/297.35. Despite the 4:30 p.m.
start of final eliminations, today's first two rounds were held under the
heat of an afternoon sun, with the track temperature hovering around the
136-degree mark.
"It's frustrating and surprising because we made four really good runs in
qualifying, two of them in the heat of the day," said the two-time U.S.
Nationals champion who remains second in the POWERade Drag Racing Series
despite this defeat with 963 points. "The car never showed signs of smoking
the tires early at all the entire weekend. We had a tune-up to go down the
track today and we knew it was a little hotter, obviously, and the team
tuned accordingly. It just wasn't meant to be today."
Crew chief Lee Beard opted to make a lane change to the left side just
before the pair lined up for the start. "We ran well in both lanes in
qualifying," said Bazemore. "We liked the left lane more than the right.
People smoked the tires in both lanes. I think the lanes today were pretty
even, actually, so I don't think it was really an issue."
Bazemore lost some more ground to Tony Pedregon in the Funny Car
championship, but it's not something he dwells on, he says. "Our goal is to
be consistent and to do the best we can every race. We don't get caught up
in any championship hoopla. We don't wake up thinking about a championship.
We wake up thinking about being the best we can be and trying to win rounds
and win races. That's how you win championships, by digging deep and doing
your best every day.
"It's not the best result today for our Matco Tools Dodge team, obviously.
We'll test between now and the West Coast swing probably quite a bit. We'll
go there and hopefully be stronger and better and ready to get back to where
we were."
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
Atlanta Dragway Results by Tim Glover
Posted Sunday, June 29, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
RACE DATE: June 28, 2003
FROM: Tim Glover
EVENT: 17th ANNUAL NIGHT OF FIRE, presented by INGLES Supermarkets &
POWERade at Atlanta Dragway
NIGHT OF FIRE
(Commerce, GA - June 28) Fans definitely got their money's worth at the
Ingles / Powerade Night of Fire, held at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, GA.
Two jet dragsters (Paul Miller - US One) and (Danny Sullivan - Chicago
Rush), a '34 Ford wheelstander (Danny O' Day - Brookfield, MA), a team of
three freestyle motorcycle riders and a field of Dixie Pro Stockers (Pro
Modified cars), along with six classes of bracket racers kept the fans in
the seats entertained. On the manufacturer's midway, a moonwalk and a face
painting booth kept the younger fans entertained, while the Coca Cola Ticket
Tank kept the rest of the fans entertained, giving away tickets to places
like the Thunder Road museum, Stone Mountain, Braves games and more. The
evening for the spectators was topped off with the largest fireworks show in
North Georgia. The entire exhibition crew wowed the crowd with three
different exhibition sessions.
Gainesville racers took two of the top four spots in Super Pro, but when
the smoke cleared, "Smokey Joe" Smith from Lawrenceville, GA got the nod
over first time finalist Billy Thigpen from Flowery Branch, GA. Smith had
experienced a .519 react in the semifinal round against Brad Howard, so he
took some numbers out of his delay box in his '03 Miller dragster, and said
he knew he was either going to be real good at the starting line or have a
red light. As it turned out, he had a near perfect .501 react, which he
parlayed into the win with a 5.25, 132.18mph (5.24 dial). Thigpen was
tickled to be in his first ever final round, and did a decent job in his '97
Undercover dragster, running 5.11, 133.29mph (5.14 dial). Covington, GA
racer Mike Holman had the last remaining door car in competition by the
semifinals, a beautifully done '70 Buick GSX. He, along with Brad Howard
('02 Miller dragster - Gainesville, GA), was a semifinal finisher. Smith
thanked his wife Sue, Momma Ruth and crew chief Cecil Shiflett for all their
help with the win. He then said that in spite of having the wrong torque
converter and a borrowed engine he had the luck to finish first.
Stephen Daniel had just put in a new engine and transmission in his
Covington, GA based '93 S10 truck, and was working through various bugs en
route to his Sportsman win. The transmission had pretty much given up by
the final, but there was enough left for the win. Daniel's worries were
over the instant Joey Rutledge from Alpharetta, GA (younger brother of multi
time Sportsman champ Jacob Rutledge) left the starting line in his '90
Mustang too early, resulting in a red light. Although Daniel also
experienced a red light, the NHRA rules that the first red light loses in
that situation. Daniel chose to run his truck flat out, and went 11.51,
115.73mph on his 11.49 target. Rutledge's machine carded an equally good
14.80, 91.32mph (14.78 dial). Bert Chapman kept his points lead courtesy of
his semifinal finish in his Gainesville, GA based '71 Nova.
Special Night of Fire trophies were given to Trophy Street and Jr. Dragster
racers. Mel Abney from Cumming, GA experienced his second Trophy Street
win, making it two wins in a row for him, in an all '67 Camaro final.
Abney, a second year racer, said his wife Zena didn't believe he would win
two in a row, and then he added, "Heck, I didn't believe I would win two in
a row. I was just happy to get there." However, he did, defeating
Dawsonville, GA racer Kim Callahan by running closer to his dial in time.
Abney went 13.20, 94.74mph on his 13.08 target, while Callahan was farther
off with a 13.53, 100.58mph (13.36 dial). Both racers reacted within .002
seconds of each other, and said they just ran their cars flat out at the
end, and then looked up to see who won. Kenneth Mason ('94 Firebird -
Canon, GA) was the lone semifinalist.
Scott Saemisch stated before the Motorcycle final he was good for the win,
but "Jay Bird" Rhyne from Athens, GA apparently didn't hear him, and went on
to win his second Night of Fire event in a row. Rhyne won the race on both
ends of the track with a better react and a closer to the dial 12.57,
96.81mph (12.50 dial) on his "old reliable" '81 Kawasaki, which he has been
racing for over six years. Saemisch's Lawrenceville, GA based '91 Kawasaki
was a little farther off pace with an 8.64, 145.03mph shot (8.53 dial).
Rhyne said he was definitely taking his wife Rhonda out the next day with
his winnings. Jimmy "Chacha" Heisler (Kawasaki - Woodstock, GA) was the
semifinal finisher.
Three of the four top finishers in 8-12 year old Jr. Dragster were girls.
Eleven year old Ciara Timblin from North Augusta, SC earned the win via her
better reaction time in a double breakout final against PTI Transport racer
Lauren Turner (12 years old - Jefferson, GA). Both racers broke out by .008
seconds, Timblin with a 10.422, 60.14mph (10.43 dial) and Turner with a
9.272, 69.83mph (9.28 target). Valerie Clements (10 - Central, SC) and
Scott Digby (11 - Walhalla, SC) were the semifinal pair.
Thirteen year old Kyle Denton from McDonough, GA won his fifth Jr. Dragster
race, and his first since moving up to 13-17 Jr. Dragster, thanks to help
from his family and friends. Denton's dad and both grandpas, as well as his
cousin Jacob were there to help and cheer him on. Denton was supposed to
leave for vacation Saturday morning, and actually got in a little bit of
trouble with his mom for deciding to go racing and delaying the vacation for
one day. The move paid off with a special Night of Fire trophy and another
win. Denton met 17 year old Ashley Dumas from Commerce, GA, and took the
win with a .02 over 8.07, 76.76mph shot. Dumas' machine went .03 over with
her 8.21, 78.17mph. Another PTI Transport racer, newcomer Whitney Samples
(14 - Jefferson, GA) finished in the semifinals.
Keith Baker, who hails from Dothan, AL, was ready for action in the Pro
Modified final, but got the automatic win when opponent James Hancock's '57
Chevy broke. Knowing he had already won, Baker still chose to please the
crowd in his '98 Corvette with an all out 4.22, 172.65mph on the eighth mile
course. Charlier Peppers (Auburn, GA - '02 Mustang) and Ron Smith ('68
Camaro - Loganville, GA) finished in the semis.
------------------------------------------------
PRO / SUPER PRO CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: "Smokey Joe" Smith '03 Miller dragster Lawrenceville,
GA 5.25 132.18 (5.24)
R/U: Billy Thigpen '97 Undercover dragster Flowery Branch,
GA 5.11 133.29 (5.14)
Semi: Mike Holman '70 GSX Covington, GA
Semi: "Bad Brad" Howard '02 Miller dragster Gainesville, Ga
------------------------------------------------
SPORTSMAN CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Stephen Daniel '83 S10 Covington, GA 11.51 115.73 (11.49)
R/U: Joey Rutledge '90 Mustang Alpharetta, GA (foul) 14.80 91.32 (14.78)
Semi: Bert Chapman '71 Nova Gainesville, GA
Semi:
------------------------------------------------
TROPHY STREET CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Mel Abney '67 Camaro Cumming, GA 13.20 94.74 (13.08)
R/U: Kim Callahan '67 Camaro Dawsonville, GA 13.53 100.58 (13.36)
Semi: Kenneth Mason '94 Firebird Canon, GA
Semi:
------------------------------------------------
MOTORCYCLE BIKE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: "Jay Bird" Rhyne '81 Kawasaki Athens, GA 12.57 96.81 (12.50)
R/U: Scott Saemisch '91 Kawasaki Lawrenceville, GA 8.64 145.03 (8.53)
Semi: Jimmy "Chacha" Heisler '00 Ninja Woodstock, GA
Semi:
------------------------------------------------
JR. DRAGSTER 8-12 AGE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Ciara Timblin 11 North Augusta, SC 10.42 60.14 (10.43)
R/U: Lauren Turner 12 Jefferson, GA 9.27 69.83 (9.28)
Semi: Valerie Clements 10 Central, SC
Semi: Scott Digby 11 Walhalla, SC
------------------------------------------------
JR. DRAGSTER 13-17 AGE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Kyle Denton 13 McDonough, GA 8.07 76.76 (8.05)
R/U: Ashley Dumas 17 Commerce, GA 8.21 78.17 (8.18)
Semi: Whitney Samples 14 Jefferson, GA
Semi:
------------------------------------------------
PRO MODIFIED CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH
Win: Keith Baker '98 Corvette Dothan, AL 4.22 172.65
R/U: James Hancock '57 Chevy Opelika, AL broke
Semi: Charlie Peppers '02 Mustang Auburn, GA
Semi: Ron Smith '68 Camaro Loganville, GA
Warren Johnson Captures the No. 1 Qualifying Position in Madison
Posted Sunday, June 29, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
On the strength of a track record 6.808-second, 202.12 mph run on Friday evening, Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Racing team captured the No. 1 qualifying position at the Sears Craftsman Nationals in Madison, IL.
This is Johnson's third No. 1 qualifying position of the 2003 season, third at Gateway International Raceway, and 130th of his storied career, the most of any professional competitor in NHRA history.
Although the weather conditions on Saturday precluded any serious challenges at the No. 1 position, Johnson validated his status atop another tough Pro Stock field by posting the second quickest elapsed time of the third session at 6.846 seconds.
"Our GM Performance Parts Grand Am was pretty consistent throughout qualifying. We were the third quickest in the first session, number one after two, and ran the second-quickest pass this afternoon. After we saw that Greg (Anderson) didn't beat our time on that last run, we turned the wick up, and it burned us. But, overall, we're in pretty good shape.
"We're working on several programs right now with the goal of incrementally improving the performance of both Kurt's (Warren's son, who qualified 13th) and my cars, which ultimately will put us in a very good position.
"The key to winning tomorrow will be consistency. The track should not be a problem, unless there are quite a few oil downs, or if it gets extremely late, it could be a problem, because the surface will be damp. But if it's a normal show, we should be fine. It will come down to whichever team is able to make the best decisions and runs, and we're working to ensure it's us."
Johnson also took time to comment on this race's unique format, where the professional classes compete exclusively in the late afternoon and evening.
"The important aspect of night racing is that the fans enjoy it. If they like it, it's fine with us. As long as you qualify at night, racing at night is fine. The bottom line is that the spectators come first and the sponsors second."
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Down to his last run, Kurt Johnson qualifies 13th in Madison
Posted Sunday, June 29, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
After battling to tame a very tricky racing surface on Friday, Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Racing team entered the final day of qualifying for the Sears Craftsman Nationals faced with the unenviable assignment of having to bump himself into the field for Sunday's final eliminations.
Although the early performance numbers showed that he seemed poised to accomplish this task on his first attempt on Saturday afternoon, his car suddenly jumped out of third gear, costing valuable hundredths of a second and leaving the team with one final attempt to qualify. Even so, the team remained confident of racing at Gateway International Raceway on Sunday.
As they have all season, Johnson and crew responded to the challenge. Running in the left lane, the ACDelco Cavalier powered through the quarter-mile in 6.854 seconds with a top speed of 202.24 mph to earn the 13th position for final eliminations.
"We weren't worried heading into the last session, just concerned. We just didn't make a good run until the last one, and it almost bit us. Fortunately, the ACDelco Cavalier made almost a perfect run, running straight and true, with everything working right.
"We were using a little different motor program this weekend, and I think we'll go back to our basic set-up tomorrow, because it should have run quicker than it did. We think there's a couple hundredths left in it, so we'll fine-tune it tomorrow. We may not have lane choice for the first round, but that hasn't bothered us in the past. We're in, and that's what matters on Saturday night."
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
BAZEMORE TAKES NO. 5 QUALIFYING SPOT IN GATEWAY
Posted Sunday, June 29, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
MADISON, Ill. (June 28, 2003) - Whit Bazemore and his Matco Tools Iron Eagle
Dodge Stratus R/T crew had one of those moments between qualifying sessions
that often proves the mettle of the man, or men in this case. While
rebuilding the engine after the third round of qualifying today, in which
Bazemore ran a 4.999/300.73 lap, the second quickest elapsed time next to
this teammate Gary Scelzi's, the team found a problem. Quick work by Lee
Beard and his band of technicians made the repairs in time to warm-up the
car and get it up on the starting line for final round of qualifying. It
wasn't the quickest run of the round (it was the third), but it was his
quickest of the weekend, earning him No. 5 qualifying spot: 4.901/314.31.
"It was a great test for the team," Bazemore said, "not that we're not
tested every week. We had a few things, one thing in the pit area before the
run that went wrong and the guys did an excellent job. I can't say enough
about the team and the leadership and our soldiers and how they performed.
And then to go out and run a .90 flat, which was third low of the session,
was incredible. They were under the gun but they did a perfect job. That was
the easiest pass we made all weekend. It was so easy to drive. It was
perfect."
Bazemore faces Ron Capps in the first round of final eliminations on Sunday,
which begin at 4:30 p.m. "We've gone down the track repeatedly every run so
far and so tomorrow the first round is going to be awfully hard. We're
probably going to see the worst track conditions that we've seen all
weekend. But we feel very confident that we will be in good shape."
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact:JUDY STROPUS
Mopar Motorsports Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals Final Qualifying Notes & Quotes
Posted Sunday, June 29, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Four Mopars Crack Into Pro Stock Field
Bazemore & Scelzi Qualify in the Top Half
MADISON, Ill. (June 28, 2003) -- Allen Johnson leads a group of four Mopar-powered Pro Stock cars headed to tomorrow night’s elimination rounds of the Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals at Gateway International Raceway, just outside St. Louis.
Johnson, who pilots the Mopar Parts Dodge Stratus, grabbed the fifth-qualifying position with a 6.829-second elapsed time at 201.16 mph. The Greeneville, Tenn., resident has a first round match with Mopar factory teammate Larry Morgan.
“We had the good lane on that last run and a really good tune up,” Johnson said. “We had the best 60-foot time (.998) of the day. We were going for the pole and it shook the tires a little. Every car was going left in the left lane, so we tried to adjust a little bit for that, but it wasn’t enough. I got out of the groove and started rattling the tires. So I went ahead and shut it off.”
Speaking of Larry Morgan, the Newark, Ohio, resident stepped up his performance this weekend and nabbed the 12th-qualifed position. Morgan, who won the 2002 NHRA national event at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., clocked a 6.853-second elapsed time at 201.13 mph.
“It’s been a real good weekend so far,” Morgan said. “I’m so proud of all the guys who have been working on this thing at the shop. It’s just been a big boost for our program. It’s going to help all of our programs as well. We’ve struggled for so long, now we finally feel that we’ve moved forward. We’re going to continue this pace and the next two to three races -- we ought to be real good. I’m happy for Mopar because we have so many cars in the program as well. We want this thing to be good for everyone – and that’s the direction we’re headed.”
Three-time POWERade Pro Stock World Champion Darrell Alderman squeaked into the 15th slot. The 53-year-old veteran was on the outside looking in heading into the last session tonight, but powered his Hemi-powered Dodge Stratus to a 6.855-second elapsed time at 201.13 mph. This weekend marked the debut of Alderman’s Dodge Stratus.
“We really didn’t make a good run on that last one,” said Alderman, who faces Greg Anderson in round one tomorrow. “We had a couple hundredths left in that last run. We knew after we ran this afternoon (6.89), the we were in good shape. The air was almost 3,000 feet then, so we figured that we could get in by just making a halfway run. We’ll try to save it all for tomorrow.”
Greg Stanfield anchors tomorrow night’s Pro Stock field. The Bossier City, La., resident ran to a 6.859-second lap at 201.37 mph -- taking the 16th qualified position and setting up a round one match with Warren Johnson.
Gene Wilson improved his qualifying runs today, but it wasn’t enough to break into the Pro Stock field. The 2002 NHRA Rookie of the Year ran a 6.873-second elapsed time at 201.07 mph.
“Conditions were pretty good and the track was pretty good tonight,” Wilson said. “We just had a bunch of little gremlins rear their ugly heads this weekend. Twice, we had problems with our engine. It’s been little things, but it keeps us out. We’ll make adjustments as necessary.”
Bazemore Lands Fifth; Scelzi Takes Seventh
Whit Bazemore piloted his Matco Tools Dodge Stratus Funny Car entry to the fifth position. His Schumacher Racing machine traveled the suburban St. Louis quarter mile in 4.901 seconds and 314.31 mph; setting up a round one eliminator with Ron Capps.
“This track is the ultimate test for all aspects of this team,” Bazemore said. “This track is difficult and challenging to run down due to a lack of traction. It’s a great place to test the downforce and the aerodynamics of the Dodge Stratus body. The advantage that we have with the Dodge, which we haven’t really enjoyed so much in the past, is the amount of adjustability we have in the aerodynamics. We run our full downforce set up during the day session and we’ve gone down the track on all four runs. Due in large part to the downforce we have with the Dodge Stratus.
“The hard part of this track to navigate is the second half,” Bazemore continued. “Anywhere from over 150 mph the aerodynamics play a major role. If you have a lack of downforce at the top end, you really need to cut back on your power and slow your car down. We’ve been very competitive so far this weekend. A large part of that is the Dodge body, our clutch program and the decisions everyone makes. Without a good aerodynamics package to start with, we would be way behind.”
Gary Scelzi and his Oakley backed Dodge Stratus Funny Car took home the seventh qualified slot with a 4.913-second elapsed time at 316.01 mph. The California resident has a first round match with John Force.
Scelzi also recorded the quickest time during the third session of qualifying.
“I have new life again,” said Scelzi, who won this event in the Top Fuel category back in 2000. “We’re trying something new and its starting to throw us a bone. It’s the first time the Oakley Dodge has been low qualifier for a round. We’ve been close before, but not the quickest in the heat of the day. That says something. The first two round tomorrow are going to be just like that. We got after it a little bit tonight and we got greedy. We made three out of four good runs -- and that’s good. We have Force and that other brand of car in the first round – and we’ll see if we can go and put a whooping on them.
“The full downforce on this car is a big part of our success,” Scelzi added. “But, it doesn’t make you walk on water. So, we can’t get as greedy as we did tonight, but we need to know that because come semifinals, we know where we can’t go. You press as hard as you can, but you know we’re not going to go where we were tonight. We’ll do what we can do. It will run mid 4.90s in the heat of the day tomorrow. We know we have something -- so I like where I’m at right now.”
David Harris, Cox Marketing Group
Public Relations Manager
Mopar Motorsports
Whisnant Misses the Show in St. Louis
Posted Sunday, June 29, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
MADISON, Ill. – Mark Whisnant, driver of the RW Performance / Snap-On Tools Chevrolet Cavalier has failed to qualify for the 7th annual Sears Craftsman Nationals in St. Louis, Mo. Whisnant’s best run of the event was in the last session of qualifying where he ran a 6.871 / 200.74 mph, which left him in the 21st position and outside looking in.
“We are trying some new things here this weekend,” said Whisnant. “and it looks like we need some more track time to get it right. If we could have tested before we came here the outcome may have been different, but we did not have that luxury.
“We picked it up in the last session. It was the first time we were able to get the car down the track all weekend. We were in the show for a little while, but it was too little, too late.
“We are encouraged by what we did in the last session, but we still need to test before we head to Denver. Hopefully with some track time the outcome in Denver will be different than it was here in St. Louis.”
RW PERFORMANCE PRO STOCK CHEVY CAVALIER
MARK WHISNANT – DRIVER
REID WHISNANT – OWNER
CONTACT: Patti Miles-Hamlin
Bernstein, Densham, Johnson and Gann Top Qualifiers at Craftsman Nationals
Posted Sunday, June 29, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Whit Bazemore qualifies #5 in funny car with a 4.901 314.31.
Georgia Pro Stock racers Warren Johnson ( #1 -6.808 @ 202.12 -track ET record ), Kurt Johnson (#13 - 6.854 @ 202.24 ), and Terry Adams (#14 -6.854 @ 201.61 - Barry Grant team driver ) make the top 16. Barry Grant (#18 - 6.864 200.32), Mark Whisnant( #21 - 6.871 200.74 ), and Gene Wilson( #22 -6.873 201.07 ) aren't able to make the show.
Fred Collis runs a 7.161 @ 185.66 to qualify #5 in Pro Stock Bike.
Saturday Recap
Another Georgia Drag Racer is Gone Much Too Soon
Posted Saturday, June 28, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
I just found out that former Georgia drag racer Scottie Scott passed away earlier this month in Florida. Scottie drove some of the wildest cars around! I had the pleasure of talking to Mr. Scott a couple of months ago on the phone. He will be missed. R.I.P. Scottie
BAZEMORE COLLECTS NO. 4 SPOT IN FRIDAY QUALIFYING
Posted Saturday, June 28, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
MADISON, Ill. (June 27, 2003) - Whit Bazemore found himself No. 1 in the
first round of qualifying today in his Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus
R/T, with a 5.079/288.39 pass in the heat of the day. He ended the day in
No. 4 spot, however, with a conservative yet stout 4.909-second elapsed time
at 314.31 mph.
"The conditions between the two sessions were so different that, as far as
qualifying goes, the first run this afternoon is largely irrelevant. So
tonight, as far as qualifying is concerned, we consider to be our first run.
It was very important to go down the track tonight and be competitive. So we
did that with a .90, which was conservative, which put us No. 4.
"The thing about the first run today and the first run tomorrow happening at
6 p.m., the track is still awfully hot. So those are the conditions that
we're going to face in the first and second rounds of the race on Sunday.
Those two runs are important for that.
"Tomorrow night will be exciting for the fans and for our Matco Tools Dodge
team. I think we're capable of running definitely a low .80 here, so if
everything goes to plan, that's what we should run and we should easily be
in the top two or three."
Judy Stropus
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
WJ Leads the Field Halfway through Qualifying in Madison
Posted Saturday, June 28, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Mother Nature smiled on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series during the first day of qualifying for the Sears Craftsman Nationals in Madison IL, as for the first time in many races, the entire day's activities were held without interruption under clear skies.
Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Grand Am Racing team took full advantage of the good weather at Gateway International Raceway. After opening with a third-best 6.844-second attempt in the late afternoon session, WJ came back in the evening time trial with a track record 6.808-second, 202.12 mph run to claim the No. 1 position entering Saturday's final two attempts.
"That was a very good run, but certainly not perfect. Hitting the set-up is always a guesstimate at best, due to the variances in the track conditions from afternoon to night. For example, the track was about 25 to 30 degrees cooler tonight than it was in the afternoon.
"We could have gotten greedy and tried to run a 6.77 or 6.78, but then it could have gone over the line, shook the tires and gone 9.77.
"You have to have a controlled amount of wheel speed, and getting that balance is tough. We'd rather give up two hundredths and make a respectable run, as we did tonight, than getting to the breaking point. It's better to be conservative and get down the track than going for the throat. Of course, if it was a one shot deal for $100,000, we'd have loaded our GM Performance Parts Grand Am for bear, but under these circumstances, our primary goal is getting in the show. With that in mind, we're pleased with today's results."
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Mopar Motorsports Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals Qualifying Notes & Quotes
Posted Saturday, June 28, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
MADISON, Ill. (June 27, 2003) -- Mopar NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series drivers completed the first night of qualifying for this weekend’s Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals at Gateway International Raceway, just outside St. Louis.
Darrell Alderman, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Stratus
Johnson & Johnson Racing
Hometown: Morehead, Ky.
Age: 53
Current Weekend Best Qualifying Time: 6.880 seconds
Current Weekend Best Speed: 200.47 mph
Current Weekend Qualifying Position: 19th
Notes: Darrell Alderman sits on the outside looking in after the first day of qualifying. His Mopar Parts Dodge Stratus drove to a 6.880-second elapsed time at 200.47 mph.
“We shook a little bit with the new car,” said Alderman, who debuted his new Dodge Stratus tonight. “We’ll go back and look at the computer and see if we can’t get into the show tomorrow.”
Allen Johnson, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Stratus
Johnson & Johnson Racing
Hometown: Greeneville, Tenn.
Age: 43
Current Weekend Best Qualifying Time: 6.829 seconds
Current Weekend Best Speed: 201.16 mph
Current Weekend Qualifying Position: 5th
Notes: Allen Johnson powered his Mopar Parts Dodge Stratus to the provisional fifth position with a 6.829-second elapsed time at 201.16 mph.
“We made a killer run on that last one,” Johnson said. “We have a lot left in our 60-foot times. We could have gone a low 6.82 or a high 6.81 that time. That car is awesome -- it’s an unbelievable chassis and car. There won’t be any difference in the lanes on Sunday either.”
Larry Morgan, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Neon
Larry Morgan Racing
Hometown: Newark, Ohio
Age: 48
Current Weekend Best Qualifying Time: 6.853 seconds
Current Weekend Best Speed: 201.13 mph
Current Weekend Qualifying Position: 10th
NOTES: Larry Morgan showed some spark tonight in his Hemi-powered Dodge Neon. The Newark, Ohio resident grabbed the provisional 10th slot with a 6.853-second elapsed time at 201.13 mph.
“We didn’t make as good of run on our second one as our first,” Morgan said. “It sure feels good to stay in the show though. It’s sure a big improvement from where we were the last time we raced. We found and worked on a bunch of little things. All of our thrashing on this thing is starting to pay off. And with Bob Glidden here, he makes sure we don’t miss a beat.”
Gene Wilson, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Stratus
Larry Morgan Racing
Hometown: Adairsville, Ga.
Age: 30
Current Weekend Best Qualifying Time: 6.893 seconds
Current Weekend Best Speed: 200.29 mph
Current Weekend Qualifying Position: 24th
NOTES: Gene Wilson and the Mopar Parts Dodge Stratus missed the show after posting a 6.893-second elapsed time at 200.29 mph.
“We made a nice hit in that last one,” Wilson said. “We made a good clutch run, but our engine was a little down. We hurt something in the engine during our warm-up procedure for round one. We fixed it, but we may have something else going on now. We’re going to put in a fresh bullet tomorrow and try and get into the show.”
David Harris, Cox Marketing Group
Public Relations Manager
Mopar Motorsports
Head, Densham, Johnson, and Gann Lead Pro Qualifying at the NHRA POWERade Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals
Posted Saturday, June 28, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Friday Recap
Press Releases on GeorgiaDragRacing.com email newsletter
Posted Thursday, June 26, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
In addition to the press releases that I post here, you can join the GeorgiaDragRacing yahoo group to receive other drivers' press releases/news ( and the ones I post in the GDR news ) direct. There is no charge. To sign up, go to Georgia Drag Racing Yahoo Group .
Alderman to Debut New Stratus at GIR This Weekend
Posted Thursday, June 26, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Gateway International Raceway -- Madison, Ill.
Preview Notes & Quotes
Alderman to Debut New Stratus at GIR This Weekend
Johnson & Johnson Racing Very Pleased With Progress
MADISON, Ill. (June 25, 2003) -- Three-time POWERade Pro Stock World Champion Darrell Alderman will debut his new Hemi-powered Dodge Stratus Pro Stock entry at this weekend’s Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals at Gateway International Raceway.
Alderman, who has been competing with a Dodge Neon for the first part of the season, will join teammate and team owner Allen Johnson with the new car. The team completed testing at the Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway on Tuesday, and feel very confident in what they have for this weekend. Mopar factory teammate Gene Wilson also competes with a Dodge Stratus.
“We had an extremely hot and slick track at Bristol to work with and the car made it down every time,” Johnson said. “This car has a few different aero things on it than mine does, so it should even be a little better. The new Stratus is an excellent race car but, more importantly, it’s a great Sunday car. I love my Stratus and I think Darrell is going to have a lot of luck with his.”
Johnson drove his Stratus to the semifinals during the most recent NHRA national event at National Trail Raceway in Hebron, Ohio. The Greeneville, Tenn., resident qualified the car fifth and knocked out Jim Yates in the first round and defending Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin, Jr. in the quarters. It was only the third time that Johnson had competed with the Stratus at a national event.
Alderman, 53, is taking aim at a 29th NHRA national event victory. The Morehead, Ky., resident drove to the finals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J., last month.
“The new Stratus will be a good car for us,” said Alderman, who currently sits 10th in the POWERade Pro Stock title chase. “The car is much more drivable than the Neon was, and will be fine aerodynamically. The Mopar engineers, especially (aero engineer) Terry DeKoninck, have put a lot of time and effort in making this car competitive. The results will be shown on the race track.”
David Harris, Cox Marketing Group
Public Relations Manager
Mopar Motorsports
Kurt Johnson is Ready to Shine in the Madison Moonlight
Posted Thursday, June 26, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Second generation driver looks to score Sunday night win in his ACDelco Cavalier
SUGAR HILL, GA., June 24, 2003 - At 22 of the 23 stops on the 2003 NHRA POWERade schedule, the weekend's timetable is virtually unchanged. Three of the four qualifying sessions are held during the day, with the fourth and final time trial held on Friday evening, offering fans the opportunity to experience the spectacle of drag racing "under the lights". Final eliminations are held on Sunday, starting just before midday, with the winners crowned by the late afternoon.
However, at this weekend's Sears Craftsman Nationals in Madison, IL, the schedule of events will be drastically different. In order to minimize the effects of racing in the heat of a Midwestern summer, all on-track activities for the professional classes will be held in the late afternoon and early evening, concluding with final eliminations on Sunday night. As ACDelco Cavalier pilot Kurt Johnson sees it, this unique arrangement will necessitate making changes to their normal weekend ritual.
"This should certainly be an interesting weekend in St. Louis," stated Johnson. "The biggest difference will be in the timing of our normal at-track routine. For example, since we don't run until late in the day, I might be able to squeeze in a visit to the gym before I go out to the track. The most important benefit, however, is that it should be more comfortable for the fans, who won't have to endure the daytime heat in the stands.
"The fun for the racers will begin in qualifying. Even though we run later in the day, we're at that time of year where it will still be light for the early sessions, so the track will still have substantial heat in it. Therefore, the Pro Stock cars will have the best chance of making the show during the two later sessions on Friday and Saturday. If the left lane is quicker, as it has been in the past, it could be a one shot deal.
"Once we get to eliminations, the first round will be the toughest, since we'll be facing conditions on Sunday afternoon that we won't have seen all weekend. By the semifinals, the track should cool enough, requiring a completely different set-up. The bottom line is that, just like every other race on the schedule, whoever makes the right calls will win the race, and it's our job to make sure our ACDelco Cavalier is the one in the winner's circle."
Located just across the Mississippi river from St. Louis, Gateway International Raceway is one of the newest tracks on the NHRA circuit. Although this year's race will be only the seventh visit to Madison by the world's fastest quarter-milers, Johnson has already inscribed his name in the record books, with a win and a No. 1 qualifying position. As such, it is an event that he is not only looking forward to, but sees as a crucial component in his pursuit of that elusive first championship.
"I've enjoyed racing at Gateway since we starting going there in 1997," opined Johnson. "It's a nice smooth, wide track that you can pour as much power to as you'd like and still get down it. Except for that glitch last year when we broke the transmission, we've also done fairly well there, so I'm looking forward to this weekend's race.
"We're getting to that time of year where you start to keep an eye on the points chase, but right now our primary focus will be on Madison. The name of the game is to qualify well, win the race and gain some ground on the leader. That is how we will approach this weekend. It doesn't matter if we're racing at the crack of dawn or in the middle of the night, this ACDelco Cavalier crew will be ready for the challenge."
Facts on Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Racing Team entering the
Sears Craftsman Nationals:
* KJ in St. Louis: This will be Kurt's seventh appearance at Gateway International Raceway, where he won in 1998. In addition, he was the No.1 qualifier in 1999. Other than an atypical DNQ a year ago, KJ has qualified no lower than third at this event.
* Traveling in Elite Company: Kurt's 27 national event victories tie him with Cory McClenethan for 15th on the all-time NHRA professional win list, and give him sole possession of fifth in the Pro Stock Career Victories, breaking a tie with legendary Pro Stock driver Lee Shepherd. Kurt's most recent win came at the Lucas Oil NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, IL.
* POWERade Points standings: After the eleventh of 23 events, Kurt sits second in the 2003 POWERade Championship standings with 942 points, 64 behind current leader Greg Anderson, and 221 ahead of his father, Warren Johnson, who is in third. Kurt finished sixth in 2002, his tenth consecutive Top 10 finish.
* Winning percentage: Kurt's .642 elimination round winning percentage (326-182) ranks 11th among all active NHRA professional drivers.
* Career best elapsed time: 6.716 seconds, Englishtown, NJ, 2003
* Career best top speed: 206.61 mph, Englishtown, NJ, 2003
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Whisnant Ready for St. Louis
Posted Thursday, June 26, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Madison, Ill. – Mark Whisnant, driver of the RW Performance / Snap-On tools Pro Stock Chevrolet Cavalier, is looking forward to the 7th annual Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals this weekend in St. Louis, Mo.
"I have always done pretty well in St. Louis, and think we can have a good race again this year," said Whisnant of Stockbridge, Ga.
"It is always very hot in St. Louis, and that plays right into our hand. We have a good hot weather tune up, and have never had any problem getting down the track at Gateway. So, I feel pretty confident that we will be able to qualify for this event.
"NHRA has come up with a pretty unique format for this race, and I like it. Running the whole race at night is going to make it much better for the fans. It gets so hot at some of these races, that sometimes I wonder how they do it. You really have to love drag racing a lot to take that kind of torture, but thank God they do. For the people paying to watch this race this is a much better deal. Hopefully this RW Performance / Snap-On Tolls Chevrolet is one of the cars they are watching on Sunday night."
Qualifying at the 7th annual Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals in St. Louis, Mo. will begin on Friday June 27 and finish on Saturday June 28. Eliminations will take place on Sunday June 29 at 4:00 PM CST.
Whisnant Quick Facts
Currently 17th in 2003 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Points (280 points)
Finished 10th 2002 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Points
Career Best ET 6.772 (Houston 2003)
Career Best MPH 202.73 (Englishtown 2002)
RW PERFORMANCE PRO STOCK CHEVY CAVALIER
MARK WHISNANT – DRIVER
REID WHISNANT – OWNER
CONTACT: Patti Miles-Hamlin
Bazemore Hopes to Change His St. Louis Luck
Posted Thursday, June 26, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
MADISON, Ill. (June 24, 2003) - Whit Bazemore's favorite memory of his NHRA
Funny Car career at Gateway International Raceway is from 1998 when he beat
John Force on a holeshot advantage in the first round (.479 R/T for Baze,
.529 for Force. Bazemore's winning numbers were 5.254/280.19 to Force's
5.252/278.37).
The rest of Bazemore's results at the track whose address is Madison, Ill.,
but is in fact just over the bridge from St. Louis, Mo., is somewhat of a
blur to the driver of the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus R/T Funny
Car. He did, however, advance to the semifinal round that year - his highest
finish at this track - where he lost to Chuck Etchells.
Another positive nugget gleaned from the Gateway International Raceway
archives is that Bazemore is one of only eight NHRA drivers (the others are
John Force, Tony Pedregon, Kenny Bernstein, Doug Herbert, Matt Hines,
Angelle Savoie and Steve Johnson) who have qualified for all six races to
date.
The Indianapolis resident is enjoying his best NHRA season of his 16-year
career in the first half of 2003, having reached the semifinal round in nine
of the 11 races so far, as well as five finals resulting in two wins, and
he's second in the POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings. So
the two-time U.S. Nationals champion is eager to turn his Gateway luck
around at the Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals this weekend by collecting
another win and carving away as many of those 101 points as he can from Tony
Pedregon's lead for the Funny Car championship.
"Some tracks you have better records at than at other tracks," says
Bazemore, who has qualified in the top half of the field in each race this
season. "St. Louis is one where we've just never really had stellar results.
It's one of those places where we've struggled some and that happens. It's
just kind of coincidental. In the last couple of years we've struggled in
the heat with the race car and this is one of the hottest races and hottest
tracks that we race on. I feel a lot more confident this year going in there
because I know we have tune-up more suited to the conditions that we'll
experience."
Bazemore's Matco Tools team, led by crew chief Lee Beard, is working hard to
chip away at Tony Pedregon's points lead for Bazemore to earn his first
driver's championship. The team's strongpoint has been its consistency this
year, and Beard and the crew expect their momentum to continue. "We have a
good car," Bazemore affirms. "We have the second or third quickest car right
now consistently, so that's where we are. We're very competitive, but we
have to work on our car. Lee and Dan (Olson, co-crew chief on Bazemore's and
Gary Scelzi's cars) are addressing some of our weak spots on the race track.
We need to qualify, go rounds and win races."
This Sunday's final eliminations will be held in the evening, with first
round scheduled for 4:30 p.m. "It will still be somewhat in the heat of the
day in the summertime in St. Louis, so I don't see the advantage of that,
really. It'll still be hot on Sunday," Bazemore adds.
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Warren Johnson Aims to Hit Season Midpoint with St. Louis Win
Posted Thursday, June 26, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
GM Performance Parts crew looks for third Sears Craftsman Nationals win
SUGAR HILL, GA., June 23, 2003 - The 2003 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season will reach its midpoint with the running of next weekend's Sears Craftsman Nationals in St. Louis, MO. As he prepared his GM Performance Parts Grand Am to compete at Gateway International Raceway, Pro Stock standout Warren Johnson took time to look back on his accomplishments during the first 11 races.
Virtually every competitor would gladly accept Johnson's record of two wins, two No. 1 qualifying performances and a third-place standing in championship race. However, after six championships and 90 national event wins, the man known as "The Professor of Pro Stock" grades his performance on a slightly steeper scale.
"Overall, I would give our team a C for the first half," stated Johnson. "Obviously, missing the show in Joliet was the low point, with the two wins in Pomona and Atlanta being the other side of the pendulum.
"We have to improve on our ability to get down the race track consistently, including qualifying. We made progress in that area in Columbus, where we qualified fourth and were among the quickest cars in eliminations. In addition, we are looking at ways to further increase our performance during the second half.
"So far we've been cautious dealing with this new GM Performance Parts Grand Am, as we don't have a complete book on exactly what its characteristics are. We haven't gone for the throat yet, but even with a somewhat conservative approach, it appears to be a pretty fast car. We're certainly going in the right direction."
This final race of the first half is unlike any other on the schedule, as all on-track action will occur in the late afternoon and evening. However, with over 27 years of Pro Stock racing experience, W.J. is prepared to take the challenges of this unique event in stride, and with two wins in six previous appearances, he is well versed on what it takes to succeed at the track located in the shadows of the famous Gateway Arch in St. Louis.
"Although it's certainly unusual for our series, having a night race shouldn't really affect our game plan," detailed Johnson. "We've had qualifying sessions on Friday nights and early Saturday mornings at previous events this season where the conditions were quite similar to what we'll encounter in St. Louis, so we have an idea what we'll be facing.
"Unless the humidity gets extremely high, racing at night should certainly help the race track, as we'll be running on a much cooler surface than what we encounter during the day. Of course, with its relatively low elevation and being located so close to the Mississippi, the dew point could get to the stage where the track could be relatively tricky later in the evening.
"The surface at Gateway International Raceway has been pretty good, although the starting line has been a little slippery in the last few years, especially in 2001. However, keep in mind that I learned to race on marginal tracks, unlike many of my competitors. That experience was invaluable, as it taught me how to get down the track under less than ideal conditions.
"The bottom line is that it really doesn't matter when you race. You always have to be ready, and I guarantee this GM Performance Parts Racing team will be on their game when they pull in the gates in Madison."
Facts on Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Racing Team entering
the Sears Craftsman Nationals:
* WJ is "The Man" in Madison: This will be Warren's seventh NHRA Pro Stock national event appearance at Gateway International Raceway, where he has won twice (including the inaugural event in 1997), while compiling an 11-4 elimination round record.
* Gateway Qualifying Stats: In his six previous races in Madison, Warren has been the No. 1 qualifier twice (1998 and 2001), and has only qualified outside the top half of the field once, with an overall qualifying average of 4.5.
* One year ago: WJ qualified fifth for last year's race in Madison with an elapsed time of 6.893 seconds and a top speed of 200.44 mph, but was upset in the first round.
* Winning Streak: With his win in Atlanta, Warren Johnson has now won at least two races in 18 of the past 22 years. In addition, his current streak of winning at least one race a year for 22 consecutive years is the longest in NHRA history.
* POWERade Points standings: After the eleventh of 23 events, WJ stands third in the 2003 POWERade points standings with 721 points, 285 behind current leader Greg Anderson, and trails second place Kurt Johnson by 221 markers.
* No. 1 in National event wins: WJ's 90 national event victories are the most ever in the history of the Pro Stock division and place him second on the all-time NHRA win list. His most recent win came at the 2003 Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Ga.
* Career best elapsed time: 6.715 seconds, Englishtown 2003
* Career best top speed: 205.69 mph, Englishtown 2003
Event schedule:
Qualifying: Friday, June 27: Two sessions at 5:15 & 8:15 p.m.
Saturday, June 28: Two sessions at 5:15 & 8:15 p.m.
Eliminations: Sunday, June 29: Pre-race ceremonies - 3:30 p.m.
First round of eliminations - 4:30 p.m.
TV Schedule:
Qualifying Highlights: Saturday, June 28: 10:00 p.m. - 12:00 midnight (ESPN2)
Early Eliminations Coverage: Sunday, June 29: 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. (ESPN)
Final Eliminations Coverage: Sunday, June 29: 9:00 - 11:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
NHRA2Day: Sunday, June 29: 11:00 - 11:30 a.m. (ESPN2)
(Note: All TV times are Eastern. Please check your local listings for updated air times.)
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
MOORE KIDS DOUBLE UP AT ALBANY DURING CITGO BRACKET SERIES GEORGIA BRACKET NATIONALS
Posted Thursday, June 26, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
By Tim Glover
(Albany, GA - June 21 - 22) The Citgo Bracket Series made its first trip
down south to a sold-out US 19 Dragway for the Georgia Bracket Nationals.
"Some of the nation's best bracket racers helped make the event a huge
success. Track owner John Baldwin and crew supplied an excellent race track
for the event," said promoters Danny Sons and Chris Barker. They added,
"These guys know how to put cars down the track. Two races in two days were
completed in 14 hours, with three time trials and two Run For the Money
events." The Moore family had "moore" fun in Jr. Dragster action both days,
with both brothers making it to both finals. Each one took home a winner's
trophy, with Bryan Moore winning Saturday and Justin Moore winning Sunday.
Saturday's action started off with the Barker Trailer Sales Run For the
Money, where 50 percent of the cash taken in from the participants goes to
the racer in each class that runs closest to their dial-in time. "FLYING"
Bryan Jones took the cash home in Super Pro and Ken Grant won the footbrake
class portion of the purse.
Two door cars and two dragsters remained in competition when Saturday's
Super Pro semi-finals rolled around. Tony Fuller, "Hot Rod" Fuller's
younger brother from Florida, took on Scott Bishop's Nova. Both drivers
were .517 on the tree and both went dead-on with a nine for a .000 finish.
Fuller got the nod and went on to the final. The other semi-final featured
former Jr. Dragster racer Lindsey Wood out of the CSI Performance camp
facing Bobby Childs. Woods' day ended with a .495 redlight against the
always tough Childs. Childs didn't waste his free run, turning in a .511
aided dead-on 5.459. In the final, Childs was having battery problems, so
the crew kept the charger on the car all the through the staging lanes. In
spite of Child's problems, the final was still a tight race, with Fuller
putting a .014 second package together (.507 and 5.047 dead-on) to defeat
Childs' .018 second package (.513, 5.455 dead-on).
In Footbrake, a classic Mopar vs. Chevy showdown helped tempers flare a
little. After both racers decided not to split, Wesley Purvis from
Leesburg, Georgia drove his Dodge Dart to a final round win over Albany
racer Frankie Bishop's Budweiser sponsored Nova. A .535 light was all the
Dart needed to take out multi-time track champ Bishop after he missed the
tree and broke out with a 7.34, 93.63 (7.38 target) trying to catch Purvis'
.02 over 7.49. "Dyno Don" Temples from Albany and Kelly King (Stockbridge,
GA) finished in Saturday's semis.
Junior Dragster featured a family showdown when younger brother Justin Moore
was defeated by older brother Bryan Moore in the final. Justin's .563 light
was good for runner up spot after Bryan cut a .545 light and ran a little
closer to his 9.02 target with a 9.09. Justin went 9.50 on a 9.42 dial.
Second generation racer Bobby Mouat was the lone semi-finalist.
In Sunday's Barker Trailer Sales Run For The money event Ralph Cashwell was
the winner
in Super Pro and Kenny Bevins was tops in footbrake.
Sunday was declared FROG day in South Georgia. Frog Killingsworth from
Phoenix City Alabama drove his Mustang to the winner's circle, defeating
John Masio from Bradenton, Florida. Killingsworth's .508 and a 7.116 on a
7.09 target was all he needed to outlast Masio, who had a blown seal, but
was able to nurse it to the final round. Both ran .02 seconds over their
dials, so Masio's later .535 react, coupled to a 4.97, determined the
outcome. The semi-finalists were Michael Parr from Sumner, Georgia and the
red hot Tony Fuller from Oviedo, Florida.
Kenny Bevins from Albany, Georgia topped off an already great day with the
Footbrake defeat of Ronny Lee's beautiful Chevy Nova from Bradenton,
Florida. Bevins was the beneficiary of a .490 red-light in the final for
the $1000 payday, but nailed his dial in time of 7.26 with a 7.261 shot.
Lee's car was also close, turning in an 8.05, 85.41 (8.03 target). Andy
Mitchell was the semi-final finisher.
The Moore family outlasted the field again on Sunday. This time, however,
little brother Justin took the win. Both brothers left this weekend with
$150 in their pocket. In the winner's circle, Moore's mom said the kids were
taking mom and dad to the beach now! Brian Chason from Whigham, Georgia and
Colton Grove out of Leesburg, Georgia finished in the semi-final round.
- 30 -
Results:
June 21
SATURDAY SUPER PRO CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Tony Fuller dragster Oviedo, FL 5.04 134.78 (5.04)
R/U: Bobby Childs 5.45 126.41 (5.45)
Semi: Lindsey Wood dragster McAlpin, FL
Semi: Scott Bishop Nova
------------------------------------------------
SATURDAY FOOTBRAKE CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Wesley Purvis Dart Leesburg, GA 7.49 91.43 (7.47)
R/U: Franky Bishop Nova Albany, GA 7.34 92.63 (7.38)
Semi: "Dyno Don" Temples Albany, GA
Semi: Kelly King Stockbridge, GA
------------------------------------------------
SATURDAY JR. DRAGSTER CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Bryan Moore Albany, GA 9.09 68.73 (9.02)
R/U: Justin Moore Albany, GA 9.50 70.95 (9.42)
Semi: Bobby Mouat Ty Ty, GA
Semi:
June 22
SUNDAY SUPER PRO CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Frog Killingsworth Mustang Phenix City, AL 7.11 96.34 (7.09)
R/U: John Masio Bradenton, FL 4.97 138.87 (4.95)
Semi: Tony Fuller dragster Oviedo, FL
Semi: Michael Parr Sumner, GA
------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY FOOTBRAKE CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Kenny Bevins Camaro Albany, GA 7.26 96.30 (7.26)
R/U: Ronny Lee Nova Bradenton, FL 8.05 85.41 (8.03)
Semi: Andy Mitchell
Semi:
------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY JR. DRAGSTER CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Justin Moore Albany, GA 10.12 58.80 (10.90)
R/U: Bryan Moore Albany, GA 10.01 61.31 (10.90)
Semi: Brian Chason Whigham, GA
Semi: Colton Grove Leesburg, GA
National Hot Rod Reunion Photos
Posted Monday, June 23, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Here are a few pics from the National Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green, Kentucky. More pics soon. What a fantastic event!
Photos
JETS, FREESTYLE BIKES, FIREWORKS COMING TO ATLANTA DRAGWAY
Posted Thursday, June 19, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION: Craig Armstrong, 706-335-7736 or 706-654-1898
Atlanta Dragway will host the 17th annual "Night of Fire, presented by Ingles Supermarkets and POWERade" on Saturday, June 28, featuring 300-mph Jet Dragsters, high-flying freestyle motocross, the quickest Pro-Modifieds in the southeast, and the "World's Fastest Wheelstander" in three separate exhibition runs. Spectators will also be treated to the biggest aerial fireworks display in North Georgia, according to track General Manager, Craig Armstrong.
"This is a show that the whole family can enjoy," Armstrong said. "We've got something for almost everyone, from drag racing to clowns and face painting for the kids to a huge pre-Independence Day fireworks spectacular. This is one show during our racing season where the emphasis is really on fun!"
In addition to all of the exhibition vehicles, five classes of cars and motorcycles are set to compete in the NHRA Summit Racing Series bracket program, from exotic Super Pro machines down to quick street-legal cars competing in the Trophy Street class. Also on tap will be the 8-to-17 year-old stars of the NHRA Junior Drag Racing League in their half-scale dragsters.
Spectator gates will open at 1:00 PM on Saturday afternoon for Night of Fire, with NHRA racing action continuing throughout the afternoon and evening, and the first of three exhibition runs slated for 5:30 PM. The fireworks show will begin at approximately 10:15 PM, and will cap off the evening with blazing aerial pyrotechnics.
Adult tickets to Night of Fire are $20, Juniors (ages 6-12 years) $10, and kids under 6 are free. A Family Pass, which includes two Adult tickets, two Junior tickets and four POWERades, is available for $55. Spectators may save $5 on one ticket, or $10 on one Family Pass, with a POWERade purchase receipt from any Ingles supermarket.
Located just off Interstate 85 at Exit 149 in the Banks Crossing area of Commerce, Georgia, Atlanta Dragway presents weekly NHRA drag racing from late February through late November, including the Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals presented by Pontiac in early May, a nationally televised NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event. Additional information on Atlanta Dragway events is available online at www.atlantadragway.com.
Anderson Wins Pro Stock In Columbus
Posted Monday, June 16, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Greg Anderson, driver of the Vegas General Construction Pontiac Grand Am, started the 39th annual Pontiac Excitement Nationals in Columbus, Ohio from the Number 1 position on the Pro Stock eliminations ladder. It was in the final session of qualifying that Anderson recorded a 6.875 / 200.53 mph to take the Number I spot.
In Round 1 Anderson met Number 16 qualifier V. Gaines. At the hit of the throttle Anderson took the lead and kept it to easily defeat Gaines. Anderson ran a 6.922 / 199.17 mph to defeat Gaines with a 6.968 / 197. 42 mph.
Round 2 place Anderson opposite what is turning out to be his most powerful contender for the Pro Stock Championship Kurt Johnson. Johnson took the advantage at the starting line, but it was not enough to hold off Anderson. At the strip it was Anderson who ran a 6.919 / 197.42 mph to defeat Johnson with a 6.943 / 199.40 mph.
The semi-finals placed Anderson across from Allen Johnson. Anderson was on his game when he cut a near perfect light of .001 of a second. He kept the lead to the end of the quarter-mile to defeat Johnson. Anderson ran a 6.895 / 199.91 mph to defeat Johnson with a 6.907 / 199.49 mph.
In the final round, Anderson would have lane choice against Scott Geoffrion. Anderson took the advantage at the starting with another stellar light of .003 of a second. He stayed out in front all the way down the racetrack to defeat Geoffrion and take his fifth victory of the season.
"Wow, what a day," said Anderson. "This has been a day filled with highs and lows for myself and this Vegas General Construction team. First Jason’s (teammate Jason Line) crashed in the first round. Thank God, he came out of it fine. Then the frustration of fighting a very treacherous racetrack track. To be standing in the winner’s circle tonight is nothing short of a miracle.
"It is an added plus is to win here at our sponsors race. Pontiac and GM have been very good to us. To win the race and take back the points lead, I think there is no better way to thank them for their support.
"And how about my crew! These guys went the extra mile here today. They beat every curve ball that was thrown at them. Today I had my hands full on the racetrack and they had their hands full in the pits. It just goes to show you the caliber of guys I have working for me. Hands down they are the best crew out here; hands down."
VEGAS GENERAL CONSTRUCTION PONTIAC GRAND AM
GREG ANDERSON – DRIVER
KEN BLACK – OWNER
CONTACT: Patti Miles
Kurt Johnson's Columbus Run Ends in the Quarterfinals
Posted Monday, June 16, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Kurt Johnson knew he faced a tough task entering Sunday's final eliminations of the Pontiac Excitement Nationals in Columbus, Ohio. After qualifying ninth, Johnson's pursuit of a second consecutive NHRA national event win would start without lane choice against veteran driver Darrell Alderman. Further complicating Johnson's assignment were the partly sunny skies and increased temperatures at National Trail Raceway, which created a completely new set of tuning conditions from those encountered in qualifying.
As expected, Johnson and ACDelco crew rose to the challenge, combining a stellar .024 reaction time with a solid 6.908-second, 199.58 mph run to easily eclipse his opponent and extend his record of first-round success to seventeen races. Johnson's reward for this accomplishment was a second round meeting with No. 1 qualifier, and primary championship rival Greg Anderson.
Once again, Johnson flashed his starting line prowess, using a nearly perfect .011 reaction time to leave the starting line two hundredths of a second ahead of his adversary. However, K.J. soon found himself fighting to maintain control, costing valuable time. Although he was able to muster a representative 6.943-second, 199.40 mph pass, Anderson's quicker 6.919-second effort allowed him to edge Johnson by a mere two thousandths of a second.
"We made several changes before the second round, all of which were in the right direction, but it got right out of the groove and just spun the tires all the way down the race track. We just couldn't get it hooked up. It's ironic, because when we first got here, we couldn't spin the tires, and now we can't stop it from doing it.
"It just wasn't our ACDelco Cavalier's day. There are four or five ways to pick up two thousandths of a second. I did my job, getting off the starting line first, but spinning the tires got us, and he had me by four or five hundredths at the eighth mile mark.
"Even so, we're glad to get out of here with a race car. There are a couple of our competitors who weren't so lucky. The track wasn't what it should have been this weekend - it really needs to be repaved.
"Nevertheless, we'll move on. We'll go back to the shop, try to find some more power and then head to St. Louis, and get after them there. It would have been nice to win and put some points on Greg, but there's a lot of racing left in this season, and a lot of stuff that's going to happen. We'll be fine."
NHRA POWERade Championship Points
(following the 11th of 23 events)
1. Greg Anderson 1006
2. Kurt Johnson 942
3. Warren Johnson 721
4. Jeg Coughlin 663
5. Scott Geoffrion 509
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
WJ's Day is Cut Short in Columbus
Posted Monday, June 16, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
The weather for Sunday's final eliminations of the Pontiac Excitement Nationals was completely unlike that encountered in qualifying, as for the first time in three days, partly sunny skies greeted competitors and fans at National Trail Raceway. This presented a completely new set of tuning conditions, sending teams scrambling to find the right combination.
Facing Jeg Coughlin in the first round, Warren Johnson knew he would need a nearly perfect run to advance to the second round. As expected, the GM Performance Parts crew was up to the task, as their Grand Am rocketed down the quarter-mile in 6.897 seconds, with a top speed of 198.79 mph, the second quickest pass of the round.
Unfortunately, this outstanding effort was not enough, as Coughlin was just slightly quicker, gaining the narrow victory, and putting a premature end to Johnson's weekend in Columbus.
"It was just one of those deals. It was on a middle 6.88 run until the three-second mark, when it got off to the right side and started spinning the tires in the back half. I tried to keep it parallel to the race track, and stayed with it even when it got close to the wall, but there was nothing I could do.
"Our GM Performance Parts Grand Am is a good race car. We were the quickest car in the right lane in the first round, but it just wasn't enough. We had the misfortune of facing the one car that made it down that left lane. We'll just have to take this bull by the horns, fix it, and be ready for St. Louis."
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Mopar Motorsports National Trail Raceway Elimination Notes & Quotes
Posted Monday, June 16, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Johnson Takes Dodge Stratus R/T to Its First Pro Stock Semifinal
Mopar Funny Cars Drive to the Second Round
HEBRON, Ohio (June 15, 2003) – Allen Johnson drove the new Mopar backed Dodge Stratus R/T Pro Stock car to its first semifinal during today’s NHRA national event at National Trail Raceway.
Johnson lost in the semifinal to Greg Anderson, who posted quick time of the round at 6.895 seconds at 199.91 mph. Johnson logged a 6.907-second elapsed time at 199.49 mph.
Johnson defeated Jim Yates in the first round, clicking off a 6.900-second elapsed time at 198.96 mph. It was the third-quickest elapsed time time of the round. The Greeneville, Tenn., resident then took out defending Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin, Jr., in round two. Johnson ran a 6.907-second lap at 198.85 mph.
“I thought if I could have gotten by the second round -- I would have had a shot at it,” Johnson said. “The Stratus was absolutely awesome all day. We ran three 6.90-second runs in a row. It was like bracket racing out there. The team did an awesome job this weekend and we’ve found our power again. If we have a break or two – we’ll win some races.”
Darrell Alderman and his Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T fell in the first round of competition to Kurt Johnson. The three-time POWERade Pro Stock World Champion shut off at half track, allowing Johnson to cruise to victory.
“The car just spun the tires off the track,” Alderman said. “We were better than Kurt all the way up to that point, but we got real loose and I had to shut it off. We were spinning the tires a little bit too.”
Funny Car Wrap…
Whit Bazemore and his Matco Tools Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car were barely edged at the finish by John Force in the second round of competition. The duo ran identical elapsed times of 4.980 seconds, but Force’s .061 of second reaction time was quicker than Bazemore’s .077.
Bazemore advanced to the second round by outrunning Dean Skuza. The Indianapolis resident logged a 4.866-second elapsed time at 315.93 mph; while Skuza drove to a 4.913-second elapsed time at 295.21 mph.
“It’s pretty frustrating,” Bazemore said. “It may have been a close race, but it’s still frustrating. We have a team over hear that’s capable of winning every single race. But we just didn’t get the job done today. I did the best job I could do, and had the best light of the weekend against John. It’s just how it goes some times.
“We always prepare ourselves,” Bazemore added. “We have built the very best Dodge Stratus we could build, but you still need chips to fall your way.”
The Oakley backed Dodge Stratus R/T of Gary Scelzi smoked the tires in the second round and lost to Ron Capps. In round one, Scelzi ran a 4.830-second elapsed time at 321.42 mph to beat out Cruz Pedregon’s 5.217-second lap at 223.95 mph.
“It’s frustrating,” Scelzi said. “I had a great car in qualifying and had a great car in the first round. It became hot in the second round and we thought we pulled it back enough. It puffed the tire once, I brought it back, but then it just went up in smoke. I don’t know how to fix it and I don’t know what to say. It’s just frustrating. We’ve been getting in trouble before the Dodge body can take over. We weren’t trying to run a big speed, we were just trying to get down the race track. A five flat probably would have won the race. It’s just one of those deals.”
David Harris, Cox Marketing Group
Public Relations Manager
Mopar Motorsports
BAZEMORE ADVANCES TO SECOND ROUND, LOSES TO FORCE
Posted Monday, June 16, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
COLUMBUS, Ohio (June 15, 2003) - For the first time since going out in the second round in the opening 2003 POWERade Drag Racing Series event at Pomona Raceway in February, Whit Bazemore did not advance to the Funny Car semifinals in his Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus R/T. Before today, he had reached the semifinal round in each of the last nine events, as well as to five final rounds, winning two of them.
In the first round of the Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals today, he
defeated Dean Skuza with a 4.866/315.93 against Skuza's 4.913/295.21. His opponent in the second round turned out to be his old nemesis, John Force, who has recently made a turn-around in his season's performance and has become the usual Force to be reckoned with.
The difference in reaction times between the two was a blink of an eye: .077 for Bazemore, .061 for Force. It couldn't have been closer and Bazemore was making up the 16 one-thousandths of a second parity as the pair headed to the finish line, but time ran out. When the clocks flashed identical elapsed times of 4.980 seconds at the end of the quarter mile, the margin of victory for Force over Bazemore was exactly the difference in the reaction times: a mere .0168 of a second.
"There's nothing to say, really," said a disappointed Bazemore, the two-time U.S. Nationals champion, who posted a speed of 292.20 mph in that run versus Force's 286.13. "We did the best that we could do and we lost a drag race. It's very frustrating. We did our best. It just wasn't quite good enough.
"Could I have had a better light?" he asked. "Yes, because there's 700 hundredths (of a second) more to go to perfect. Those are my lights (.085 in the first round). I'm consistent and that's what it is. Those (Force) cars are very good leaving and they (get to the) 60-foot (mark) very well, and that's where we're behind and that's what we're working on to improve our performance, so we can be more competitive at that part of the race track."
In the match-up just before his and Force's, Bazemore watched points leader Tony Pedregon win against his John Force teammate Gary Densham, which put even more pressure on the driver who's No. 2 in points. "I don't care about anybody except what we're doing with our car and our lane and the job that I do. That's all that I concentrate on," Bazemore said.
"We've got a tremendous team and there's no question that we're going to have more success this year. We're gong to go to St. Louis and do what we can do. It is a long year and we have a great opportunity ahead of us. We'll have more success and hopefully win some more races this year and we'll just take it one round at a time as we always do."
Bazemore remains second in the point standings but has lost ground to Tony Pedregon for the Funny Car championship and is now 101 points behind Pedregon, who won today.
"The championship? If things are meant to be, they're meant to be," he commented. "You work hard, you prepare yourself, you prepare the car and the team, you dig deep and do the very, very best you can all the time, and then the rest has to fall into place. It's meant to be that we've already won two races this year, and we have. And the championship is something that we have a huge desire to win and we've made a commitment to win it and that's all you can do. The rest of it is you just have to work hard and do your best
and let the chips falls where they fall."
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
SCELZI GOES TO SECOND ROUND, IS OUSTED BY CAPPS
Posted Monday, June 16, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
COLUMBUS, Ohio (June 15, 2003) - Gary Scelzi had an easy win in the first round of final eliminations in his Oakley Time Bomb Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car today against Cruz Pedregon, with a 4.830-second elapsed time and a strong 321.42 mph against Pedregon's 5.217/223.95.
In the second round of the Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals, the 11th of 23 events in the POWERade Drag Racing Series, he was paired with Ron Capps and was presented with an in-your-face reaction time of .025 to his own .076. Capps was there for the taking, however, as he spun the tires and hit the timing lights at a 5.024/294.75. Scelzi couldn't capitalize on it, though, as he smoked the tires at half track, pedaling to a losing 6.274/167.20 pass.
"Frustration, with a capital F," said the three-time Top Fuel champion. "Three great runs in qualifying; we went quicker every time. First round it was great, then the sun comes out and it gets hot and we're in trouble from the time we hit the gas. We got beat by a 5.02 and it's just hard to swallow because we felt we had a good tune-up for the heat. Obviously, we were just on the wrong side of it, too aggressive again. If we're going to compete and get ourselves in the top five, this can't happen.
"I know Mike (Neff, crew chief) is pulling his hair out," he continued. "We're going to have to do something different. We're going to have to change parts on this car. We're in the process of working on some of that stuff right now. We just don't have the parts available. So, we'll be OK, probably in St. Louis, because it will be at night and hopefully by then we will have some of the stuff to try and maybe we can try it on Monday in St. Louis (testing) in the heat because obviously it's going to be hot there -
that's almost a given - and see if we can make some changes.
"We need to quicken these cars up in the first 300 feet and when we try to quicken them up or try to slow them down they're either still too aggressive or not aggressive enough. There's just not a happy medium."
Scelzi hangs on to ninth place in the Funny Car point standings, with 482 points.
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
CANNON DEFEATED IN FIRST ROUND
Posted Monday, June 16, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
COLUMBUS, Ohio (June 15, 2003) - "We are making headway in our setup and performance," said Scotty Cannon, the popular Mohawk-wearing Oakley Funny Car driver, "but it's always tough when you don't qualify in the top half of the field and have to face the No. 8 qualifier in the first round."
Cannon, of Lyman, S.C., had three decent qualifying runs during the Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals weekend beset with rain delays, but fell just one 10-thousandths of a second short of qualifying No. 8, which relegated him to No. 9 and the less desirable left lane against one of the John Force Racing drivers, Gary Densham.
Cannon scorched Densham at the starting lights with a .055 reaction time to Densham's .067, but soon hazed the tires and lost a cylinder, slowing to a 5.164 second pass at 229.04 mph to Densham's winning 4.876/319.45.
"We just have to continue to work on the setup," said Cannon. "And that's what Phil (Shuler, crew chief) and I are doing, and we'll just keep on working on it until we get it right."
Cannon is 15th in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings, with 371.
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
Fred Collis Gets His First NHRA Pro Stock Bike Win. Dixon, Pedregon, and Anderson Continue Winning Ways at the NHRA POWERade Pontiac Excitement Nationals presented by Summit Racing
Posted Monday, June 16, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Americus, GA's Fred Collis and Star Racing qualify low and win Pro Stock Bike. This was Fred's first NHRA win. Congratulations, Fred!
Larry Dixon won Top Fuel over Darrell Russell. Tony Pedregon picks up the Wally in Funny Car over his boss, John Force. Greg Anderson survives the slip-and-slide Pro Stock Eliminations to beat Scott Geoffrion in the final round. Taylor Lastor and Jason Line suffer top end crashes in the first round, but neither driver is hurt. WJ loses in round one, KJ goes down in round two, and Terry Adams makes it to the semi-finals.
NHRA Recap
SCELZI COLLECTS NO. 6 QUALIFYING POSITION IN COLUMBUS
Posted Sunday, June 15, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
COLUMBUS, Ohio (June 14, 2003) - It looked like Gary Scelzi was going to walk away with another top speed track record after the second round of qualifying today (only one was held yesterday), when he qualified in the third spot with a 320.43-mph run at 4.876 seconds in his Oakley Time Bomb Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car. If the rain had continued, it would have been his. However, the rain subsided and a third and final round was held, in which John Force bettered Scelzi's speed with a 323.66-mph run for a track record.
Scelzi ended up No. 6 after establishing a 4.863-second pass at 320.13 mph in that final round.
"I think this is the first time we outqualified Whit (Bazemore, in seventh), my teammate. That's exciting," the three-time Top Fuel champion said.
"We had to find our limitation and obviously we only picked it up a
hundredth (of a second), which was a little bit depressing, but it made it," he added. "That was good, because it had a lot of tire speed. For it to have the tire speed and to move around like it was trying to do and me being able to keep it in the groove speaks volumes for the Dodge body and for the Oakley tune-up because it made it. Three runs in a row, right down the race track. Two runs at over 320 mph. So, tomorrow I feel pretty confident parking next to anybody out there.
"I think they're all aware that we were one of the few cars that made every single lap and that plays on the competition. Psychologically, mentally and historically we've done the right thing here the last three races; we just haven't had a break. If we get a break tomorrow we could make a mess out of this whole thing.
"We've had a good car; in Chicago it showed. Even though we had lane choice, things didn't work out well. But it came here and went down the race track the first run. We came back in the second run and Mike (Neff, crew chief) didn't get too crazy early and it went right down there smooth as silk, an .87 at 320 mph, and top speed at the time for Dodge and Oakley. I think we're starting to show our colors and if we hit our stride soon enough we'll get that win that's been eluding us and hopefully we'll get us a top five, top four in the POWERade points or somewhere in there. I don't want to look
too far ahead. This is just a few runs and we need to stay this way. But I feel pretty good about my chances. I like the car; it's going down the race track and that's where we were at the beginning and it looks like we've got it back. With a little luck tomorrow we could be talking again."
Scelzi will face Cruz Pedregon in the first round of eliminations tomorrow.
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
CANNON QUALIFIES NO. 9 IN COLUMBUS
Posted Sunday, June 15, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
COLUMBUS, Ohio (June 14, 2003) - Scotty Cannon, in the Oakley Funny Car, had three good qualifying runs for this weekend's Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals, the 11th round of 23 in the POWERade Drag Racing Series. He posted his best pass in the final round, taking the No. 9 position with a 4.892-second elapsed time at 315.64 mph. A fourth qualifying round was cancelled because of rain.
"It's running better; it's running more consistent," he said. "Counting the three runs in Chicago testing, that's the sixth run it's made in a row. I don't want to get my hopes up too much. We're working at it. We're doing the best we can. We were looking to run an .82 or .83 there. It was a little weak early. It's not because we went up there with it weak, but we've been doing some different stuff with the clutch. We couldn't decide whether to
put more clutch in it and a bunch of motor or just put more clutch in it. We thought we had enough motor. We hadn't got it backed down by any means; we've got plenty. We're just trying to run fast and run good all at the same time. Because it looks like -knock on wood -we kind of got five or six good runs back to back and the car's been running good, excellent. It ain't at the top of the pack, but it's right in the middle. We'll just have to peck away at it."
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
BAZEMORE LOSES BODY IN FINAL QUALIFYING ROUND, TAKES NO. 7 SPOT
Posted Sunday, June 15, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
COLUMBUS, Ohio (June 14, 2003) - Whit Bazemore had a spectacular final round of qualifying for tomorrow's Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals at National Trail Raceway, but it wasn't because he broke a track record or was low qualifier. Instead, his Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car body flew off before half-track after a supercharger exploded. Bazemore didn't complete that run, and had to settle for No. 7 position based on the 4.877/313.95 pass he posted in the second of only three qualifying runs held this weekend because of rain.
"We were going for No. 1, that was our goal," he said after the final round. "We thought a high .70 would get the job done and that's what we were going out there to run with the Matco Tools Dodge. I don't know what broke on the car. Obviously we had some kind of a little malfunction in the motor and it blew the supercharger off. To make a long story short, we didn't get the
pole. I think that body's trash, and we'll run another one. I don't know which one. The only way I can tell the difference between the bodies is some have clearer windshields that I like better than some that don't. Actually, that one had a windshield that wasn't so good, so goodbye to that one."
After struggling in the first round of qualifying and with intermittent rain disrupting the schedule, it was important to get in one good run today, which Bazemore did in that second session. "It was a good run," he said. "We did struggle yesterday, all of us did. Today the weather was questionable this morning and all afternoon. It was very very important to make the most out of that possibly one session today. And, as it was, we ran an .87, which was competitive and we lost a little bit of e.t. I let the car
go a little bit left at half-track, and it kind of fishtailed. It was a little loose from half track to the finish line and that cost maybe a hundredth (of a second). All in all, not bad.
Bazemore has qualified in the top half of the field at each of the 11 events so far. "It's a credit to the team. Lee (Beard, crew chief) and Dan (Oldson, co-crew chief) are doing an outstading job," he added. "Everybody is, really. The important thing for us obviously is race day. We need to continue to go rounds and our competition (Tony Pedregon) is looking awfully strong. They're No. 1 again for the sixth time this year. We're still not quite there; we're working hard. I feel like we're the underdog a little bit, but we're chasing and hopefully we can catch.
Bazemore will face Dean Skuza in the first round of eliminations tomorrow.
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
WJ Steps Up, Slots Fourth in Columbus
Posted Sunday, June 15, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
For the second day, rain wreaked havoc at the Pontiac Excitement Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, causing two lengthy delays. As a result, the third and final qualifying session was held late on Saturday afternoon, offering some of the best conditions of the weekend. Warren Johnson took advantage of the situation, covering the quarter-mile in 6.890 seconds, with a top speed of 199.70 mph, earning his GM Performance Parts Grand Am the fourth starting position for Sunday's final eliminations.
"I think we've finally gotten on top of the problem that's been plaguing both our cars early on in the run, and hopefully that last run was indicative of our making the right changes. If so, that should give our GM Performance Parts Grand Am a little more consistency.
"Tomorrow is going to give us a complete change in weather, with partly cloudy skies, some sunshine and temperatures in the high 80's, and it's got to be drier than it was today. With the amount of water in the air, it felt like driving through a swamp, which hurts the performance in these naturally aspirated cars.
"If you make the right adjustments as far as mixture, spark and gearing, you can get close on elapsed time, but the speed always suffers. We'll all be dealing from the same deck, so our job will be to figure it out better than everyone else."
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
KJ Starts Ninth in Columbus
Posted Sunday, June 15, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Although the professional categories were able to complete both qualifying attempts on Saturday at the Pontiac Excitement Nationals, proceedings did not go as normal, as rain caused lengthy delays. Kurt Johnson continued to display the consistency he has shown throughout the 2003 NHRA, recording two 6.901-second runs. His best effort of 6.901 seconds with a top seed of 200.14 mph placed Johnson's ACDelco Cavalier in the ninth position for Sunday's final eliminations, as he looks to maintain his position atop the POWERade championship standings.
"The rain delay put a damper on everything, and made it a long day for everyone, but our ACDelco Cavalier is in the show, and that's what counts right now. We ran a 6.901 on that last run, and although we certainly would like to have run quicker and gotten in the top half, we're pretty happy with what we see on our computer. It looks like we could pick up two or three hundredths, which could be the difference in winning the race.
"We experimented on that last run, trying some components, and it was definitely light on clutch. Running under these conditions, you need the right amount of clutch in these cars, so you don't waste any horsepower.
"I'm excited about tomorrow. The forecast is calling for warmer temperatures, which could work in our favor, because we could probably leave our car alone and go really fast on a hot, greasy track. We'll be keeping our fingers crossed.
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Mopar Motorsports National Trail Raceway Qualifying Notes & Quotes
Posted Sunday, June 15, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Johnson & Alderman Place Mopar in Top Half of the Pro Stock Field
Bazemore & Scelzi Also Run to the Top Half of the Funny Car Standings
HEBRON, Ohio (June 14, 2003) – It was a stellar day of qualifying for the Mopar contingent at National Trail Raceway today. Mopar Pro Stock standouts Allen Johnson and Darrell Alderman; and Funny Car runners Whit Bazemore and Gary Scelzi will all start in the top half of the field for tomorrow’s event.
Allen Johnson made a little history for the new Dodge Stratus R/T Pro Stock car today. The Mopar driver ran a solid 6.893-second elapsed time at 199.20 mph, taking home the fifth-qualified position. It’s the highest position for the Status R/T thus far in
Pro Stock competition, and sets up a first round match with Jim Yates.
“We run faster down low on our first pass of the day,” said Johnson, who ran identical elapsed times during today’s two sessions. “We made a few changes the car didn’t like because we could have run a high 6.87-second run on that last one.
“We sure have to be happy with the weekend though,” Johnson added. “This Stratus is so fast. We have been No. 1 to the 330-foot mark all weekend. This Stratus will go down a dirt road if we give it a chance. I think this car will be great tomorrow after the fuel cars get out there.”
Darrell Alderman drove his Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T into the eighth-qualified position. The three-time POWERade Pro Stock World Champion, who drove to the finals in last year’s event, faces off against current point leader Kurt Johnson in the first round.
“We made a nice run on that last one,” said Alderman, who made his quickest run of the weekend during the last session. “We moved around just a little bit in second gear, but I put it back in the groove and it made it down the track.
“If the track stays like it is now, lane choice won’t be that big of deal,” Alderman continued. “If the sun comes out though, this track usually has uneven lanes – and it’s usually the left one that’s the best.”
Co-team owner and engine builder Roy Johnson talked about his two cars.
“We have found (through testing) that the Stratus is just a much better car in the front half of the run,” Johnson said. “We applied what we learned on Allen’s car to Darrell’s Neon as well – and we changed motor combinations – and it seemed to work. We tested in Bristol (Tenn.) with similar conditions, prior to coming here this weekend, and the Stratus went down the track every time. It was hard to get the Neon down it.”
Larry Morgan, who lives in nearby Newark, Ohio, barely missed the show at his home track. His Mopar-backed Dodge Neon R/T clicked off a 6.938/198.32 mph combination.
“We we’re real loose down track,” Morgan said. “And it really wasn’t what we we’re looking for. You always want to do well, but especially in front of all of your hometown fans. We did find some things this weekend and we are definitely looking forward to St. Louis.”
Gene Wilson and his Mopar Parts Dodge Stratus R/T failed to crack the top 16 today. The 2002 NHRA Rookie of the Year ran a 6.936-second lap at 198.50 mph.
“We made a nice run in that last session,” Wilson noted. “It was an excellent run, matter of fact. We just came up a little short. It’s just the way it goes. We were trying some new things when we got here, and we figured out some problems that we had with the car. We just didn’t figure them out in time.
“Everybody on this team is giving a 110 percent,” Wilson added. “It’s just a matter of time now. It’s kind of tough when you suffer through not qualifying, especially when everyone is giving such an effort. We’re going to pull through it. We found some stuff in the motor and we’re going to correct those problems. We’re going to put some of this good Larry Morgan horsepower in the winner’s circle soon.”
Schumacher Racing Scorches the National Trail Quarter Mile…
Gary Scelzi wielded his Oakley-sponsored Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car to the sixth-qualified position. The California resident, who has first round match with Cruz Pedregon tomorrow, logged a 4.863-second elapsed time at 320.13 mph. It was the second-fastest time recorded for the weekend.
“It’s made three great runs so far this weekend,” Scelzi said. “The first run we went 4.97 (seconds). We put our nose up a little on that run, but it went down the race track. We found out that we had a bad coil in that round. We came right back and went a 4.87. We then jumped on it to see what this car would do and loaded everything up. We just spun the tire harder on that last run. We know what we did tonight won’t get us into the 4.70s at this racetrack. If the sun comes out tomorrow, it really doesn’t matter. If this thing goes down the race track, it’s very exciting.”
Despite blowing his Matco Tools Dodge Stratus R/T body off the frame during the third and final session tonight, Whit Bazemore grabbed the seventh-qualified position with a 4.877-second elapsed time at 313.95 mph. Bazemore will match up with Dean Skuza in the first round tomorrow.
“We’ve struggled some this weekend,” said Bazemore, who has won two of the last three NHRA national events. “Our first run really wasn’t as competitive as we wanted it to be, but I think we’re in the same boat relative to everyone else out there. We moved up during our second run – and that was okay.”
“Tonight, we were in a position to go for the number-one qualifier,” Bazemore added. “And that’s what we we’re trying to do. We thought a high 4.70 would get the job done. I don’t know what really broke on the car, but it sure blew the supercharger off it. That body is trash now.”
David Harris, Cox Marketing Group
Public Relations Manager
Mopar Motorsports
Whisnant Misses the Field in Columbus
Posted Sunday, June 15, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Mark Whisnant, driver of the RW Performance / Snap-On Tools Pro Stock Chevrolet Cavalier, has failed to qualify at the 39th annual Pontiac Excitement Nationals in Columbus, Ohio. Due to rain late Friday and early Saturday, qualifying was shortened to three rounds. Whisnant’s best effort of the weekend was in the third and last session of qualifying. His 6.933 / 198.79 mph would be only be good enough for the 20th position and outside the field.
"I cannot believe it," said Whisnant. "We have to do something, and we have to do it quick. I am not happy with our performance. If we do not turn it around soon we will loose any hope of ending this season in the top ten in points.
"I do not know what the answer is, but in the next couple weeks we are going to do some searching and see if we can find one."
RW PERFORMANCE PRO STOCK CHEVY CAVALIER
MARK WHISNANT – DRIVER
REID WHISNANT – OWNER
CONTACT: Patti Miles
Anderson is on The Pole in Columbus
Posted Sunday, June 15, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Greg Anderson, driver of the Vegas General Construction Pontiac Grand Am, has done it again. For the fourth consecutive race, Anderson has placed his Pontiac at the top of the Pro Stock ladder. It was in the second session of qualifying on Saturday that Anderson ran a 6.875 / 200.53 mph to secure the pole.
"It feels very good to be sitting on the pole here at our sponsors race," said Anderson of Charlotte, NC. "This Vegas General Construction Grand Am is running flawlessly, and I owe that all to the what I feel is the best crew out here.
"My crew chiefs Rob (Downing) and Jeff (Perley) are awesome. They know what this car can do, and they tell me the best is yet to come. Our performance in the past four race, here this weekend, and for that matter the whole season is a testament to the their talent.
"We also have a lot of talent back home in the motor shop. As good as this car is without the horsepower that we have under the hood we would be going home every Saturday.
"The man that makes all of this happen is Ken Black. He is the best team owner on the lot, and he supports us in every way.
"It is my whole team put together: the crew here at the racetrack, the guys back at the shop, and Ken Black. They are making me look good, I am getting the credit but they are the ones that deserve most of the credit, and I never forget that.
‘Of course, we could not do this with out our sponsors. Pontiac has been very good to us. Qualifying Number 1 is a great way to pay them back for all their support. The only better way I can think of is to win the race tomorrow, and that is exactly what we are going to try and do."
GREG ANDERSON – DRIVER
KEN BLACK – OWNER
CONTACT: Patti Miles
Atlanta Dragway Results by Tim Glover
Posted Sunday, June 15, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
RACE DATE: June 13 & 14, 2003
EVENT: Year One Fast Friday and Summit / Hayes Bracket Series race at Atlanta Dragway
ONCE AGAIN, YEAR ONE FAST FRIDAY AND HAYES / SUMMIT BRACKET RACE WASHED OUT
by Tim Glover
For the third bracket race in a row, rain became the ultimate winner. Beginning with the Year One / Fast Friday event on tap for June 13, the gates were never opened due to continuous rain. The
gates did open on time Saturday, but a continuing mist, followed by hard rain, prevented racers from going down the track. Finally, at 2:00pm, management was forced to "pull the plug". Racers who came to the track Saturday were awarded tech points. Track manager Craig Armstrong said, "Obviously, a factor we cannot control is Mother Nature." The next Year One Fast Friday event is scheduled for June 20, 2003 and the next Hayes / Summit bracket race is slated for June 21. Rain checks from the washed out May 17 race will be honored at the next bracket race, scheduled for June 21.
Sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), Atlanta Dragway is located just off I-85 at Exit 149 in the Banks Crossing area of Commerce, Georgia. Information on all 2003 events, including the Powerade Night of Fire scheduled for June 28, 2003, may be obtained by calling the track office (706-335-2301) or logging on to www.atlantadragway.com.
Kalitta, T. Pedregon, Anderson, and Collis Are #1 Qualifiers at the NHRA POWERade Pontiac Excitement Nationals presented by Summit Racing
Posted Sunday, June 15, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Doug Kalitta qualifies #1 in Top Fuel for the seventh time in 2003 with a 4.508 @ 325.30 ( track records ). This broke a 5 year old ET record held by Joe Amato. 73-year-old Chris Karamesines qualified for the 16th position, but Don Garlits ( 71 ) misses the field with a wild, out of shape final attempt.
Tony Pedregon qualified #1 (in Funny Car for the sixth time in 2003 ) and set a new track ET record at 4.780 @ 316.67 in his John Force Racing Mustang funny car. John Force set a new track MPH record with his #2 effort of 4.791 @ 323.66. Whit Bazemore drove his Dodge Stratus to a 4.877 @ 313.95 that is good for the 7th position.
Greg Anderson qualifies #1 in Pro Stock with a 6.875 @ 200.53 ( sixth #1 in 2003 - fifth consecutive )in his Pontiac Grand Am. Anderson's teammate Jason Line qualified in the No. 14 position with a 6.911 @ 199.58 pass in his debut. Scott Geoffrion puts hs Ford into the #2 spot with a 6.883 @ 200.29. Terry Adams ( #3- 6.886 @ 199.55 ), Warren Johnson ( #4 - 6.890 @ 199.85 ), Kurt Johnson ( #9 -6.901 @ 200.14 ), and Barry Grant ( #11 - 6.902 @ 199.20 ) represent Georgia in final eliminations. Mark Whisnant ( RW Performance Cavalier #21 - 6.933 @ 197.97 ) and Gene Wilson ( Mopar Performance Stratus #22 -6.936 @ 198.50 ) failed to qualify.
Fred Collis ( Americus, GA ) picks up his first-ever #1 Pro Stock Bike qualifying position with a 7.193 @ 184.07.
NHRA Saturday Recap
WJ Sits Fourth Halfway through Columbus Qualifying
Posted Saturday, June 14, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Although rain curtailed Friday's qualifying action at Pontiac Excitement Nationals to just one run, Warren Johnson made the most of the situation. Covering the quarter-mile in 6.910 seconds with a top speed of 199.85 mph, Johnson's GM Performance Parts Grand Am placed fourth, with two final attempts remaining on Saturday.
"So far, so good. We had tested earlier in the week, and our results verified what we had figured out just after the Joliet race, so we decided to abandon the approach we used at the previous race, and went back to a more conservative set up. We could have been more aggressive and run a high 6.89, but just as easily missed it and run a 9.89. We'll take what the track gave us and work from there.
"We feel we're back on course. In fact, when compared to some of the other cars, we may have picked up some performance, especially in top speed, so our GM Performance Parts Grand Am is looking a lot better."
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
KJ is Fifth at Columbus Qualifying Midpoint
Posted Saturday, June 14, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
An evening rain shower cut short the first day of qualifying at the Pontiac Excitement Nationals, with the professional categories making only one attempt on Friday afternoon. Kurt Johnson took full advantage of his single run, posting an elapsed time of 6.911 seconds with a top speed of 200.08 mph. This placed the ACDelco Cavalier fifth heading into Saturday's final two qualifying sessions in Columbus, with Johnson looking to move further up in the order.
"Since we weren't sure what the track would give us, we were a little conservative on that first run. After looking at it on the computer, we believe there are a couple hundredths left in it. Even so, we're pretty pleased with our ACDelco Cavalier's performance.
"We were set up for the night session, where the track temperatures would have been only eighty or ninety degrees, so we'll have to change it for tomorrow, basing it somewhat on today's run. Of course, we'll have to wait and see what the weather is like, and try to move up a couple spots."
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Mopar Motorsports Qualifying Notes & Quotes - National Trail Raceway – Hebron, Ohio
Posted Saturday, June 14, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
HEBRON, Ohio (June 13, 2003) – Mopar NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series drivers completed the first day of qualifying for this weekend’s national event at National Trail Raceway.
Rain moved into the area and washed out the second round of qualifying, but not before Allen Johnson and Darrell Alderman made the provisional field.
Darrell Alderman, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T
Johnson & Johnson Racing
Hometown: Morehead, Ky.
Age: 53
Current Weekend Best Qualifying Time: 6.920 seconds
Current Weekend Best Speed: 199.46 mph
Current Weekend Qualifying Position: 8th
NOTES: Darrell Alderman and his Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T grabbed the provisional eighth slot with a 6.920-second elapsed time at 199.46 mph. The three-time POWERade Pro Stock World Champion was pleased with his effort.
“We could have run a little better in our 60-foot time,” Alderman said. “However, we were the quickest car in that right lane with our 60-foot time. We’re going to work on some transmission ratios and see if we can’t pick it up a bit.
“It’s the best track conditions we’ve ever had here,” Alderman added. “This track is traditionally real hard to get down. You usually have to baby the clutch and just finesse your way down the track. The track seems to be tight this weekend.”
Allen Johnson, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Stratus R/T
Johnson & Johnson Racing
Hometown: Greeneville, Tenn.
Age: 43
Current Weekend Best Qualifying Time: 6.909 seconds
Current Weekend Best Speed: 198.67 mph
Current Weekend Qualifying Position: 3rd
NOTES: Allen Johnson brought out the new Mopar Parts Dodge Stratus R/T this weekend. The Greeneville, Tenn., resident impressed with a 6.909-second elapsed time at 198.67 mph, taking home a solid place effort after day number one.
“You’re talking about a car this works – this Stratus here,” Johnson said. “We really hit the set up to half track. We’re still not sure if we can totally dial it in, but the elapsed time was pretty good – so we brought it back out. We sure didn’t have a lot left after that run though. We’ll see if we can tune it up just a little bit, and I think we can run a little better in the back half. We’ll see if we can stay where we’re at – or if we can’t improve.
“It looked like we’re one of the top four cars out there,” Johnson added. “D.A. looked pretty good in the right lane, so I’m not sure if there’s a lot of difference right now.”
Larry Morgan, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T
Larry Morgan Racing
Hometown: Newark, Ohio
Age: 48
Current Weekend Best Qualifying Time: 6.975 seconds
Current Weekend Best Speed: 197.22 mph
Current Weekend Qualifying Position: 19th
NOTES: Hometown hero Larry Morgan put together a solid opening round of qualifying today. The Newark, Ohio resident, who drives the Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T, barely missed the top 16 with a 6.975-second elapsed time at 197.22 mph.
“We started out well,” said Morgan, who recorded the third-quickest 60-foot time 1.014 seconds. “If we could have just continued on down the track. It jumped and dropped a thousand rpms. If we can get a hold of the track, which we think we can, we should be in good shape to get in the show. I’m pretty excited.”
Gene Wilson, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Stratus R/T
Larry Morgan Racing
Hometown: Adairsville, Ga.
Age: 30
Current Weekend Best Qualifying Time: 6.979 seconds
Current Weekend Best Speed: 198.50 mph
Current Weekend Qualifying Position: 21st
NOTES: Gene Wilson wasn’t pleased after the first day of qualifying in his Mopar Parts Dodge Stratus R/T. The reigning NHRA rookie of the year clicked off a 6.979-second pass at 198.50 mph.
“Our run this evening was less than spectacular,” Wilson said. “We had a couple of major problems – but, we think we found a handle on that. We have good power this weekend and we want to do well here in Columbus. We just have to go out there and use what power we have.”
David Harris, Cox Marketing Group
Public Relations Manager
Mopar Motorsports
BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR BAZEMORE, EYEING A MOVE INTO NO. 1
Posted Saturday, June 14, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
COLUMBUS, Ohio (June 13, 2003) - Whit Bazemore is hot this season in his Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car. He's reached the semifinal round in all but one of the 10 events so far in the 2003 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, as well as five final rounds. He's won two of the last three, and with another win here at the Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals at National Trail Raceway and two round wins more than Tony Pedregon, he could move into first place in the point standings.
Bazemore is well aware he has this opportunity, but he also knows that this is a long season. And, although he'd be leading the point standings for the first time in his Funny Car career, his focus continues to be on consistency. "It's kind of business as usual," he says. "You feel good that you're doing your job well, and that the team is doing its job well and that the car is very competitive and that part of it feels good because it gives you a lot of satisfaction. We're kind of focused on this race right now. We're trying to get caught up after three races in a row, which is hard on
everybody."
The season is heading into the summer months, which Bazemore concedes could easily turn things around. "Columbus is really the first summer track where traction kind of starts to go away," he says. "It's a different part of the season, where up to this point for the most part we've raced on really good tracks and good weather conditions that kind of benefit big horsepower cars.
"Columbus is one of the first tracks of the summer where it can be a little trickier, depending, of course, on the weather. If you do well in Columbus it could set the tone for the rest of the summer in a way and it could show who has good summer tune-ups and who doesn't. In that respect it's very important that you do well here.
"Any time you're really running well and things change it's a concern
because it could throw a monkey wrench into it. Actually, Chicago (last race at Route 66 Raceway, which Bazemore won) ended up being pretty tricky to get down on Sunday, so I think we made a big stride in Chicago with the tune-up of the car. In the final round the team changed something on the car pretty drastically and it worked well. We fell pretty good. I feel really confident that we are going to be a strong contender at every race for the rest of the year. I feel confident that no matter what the conditions are that our team can adapt the Matco Tools Dodge to those conditions to run competitively.
Bazemore, of Indianapolis, holds both track records here at National Trail Raceway, the elapsed time record of 4.798 seconds as well as top speed of 320.36 mph, both set last year.
But it's his avocation of cycling that makes National Trail Raceway a fun place for him. "There's really great cycling right out of the track," he says. "I like that part of it. It's out in the country; it's really first-class cycling. So, after qualifying, MIke Dunn (ESPN commentator) and I get to go out and get in a good 50 miles with not a lot of automotive traffic. We like that."
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
FASTEST FUNNY CAR DRIVER ON PLANET READY FOR THE HEAT
Posted Saturday, June 14, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
COLUMBUS, Ohio (June 13, 2003) - Now that he's the fastest Funny Car driver
on the planet, after establishing a national speed record of 328.06 mph at
Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill., Gary Scelzi is getting down to business
and is focusing on winning rounds and moving up in the standings in his
Oakley Time Bomb Dodge Stratus R/T. The 11th round of 23 in the NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing Series is this weekend at National Trail Raceway
outside of Columbus, Ohio.
The cool spring season has come to an end, as the series moves into the heat
and haze of the summer months.
"National Trail Raceway is always a tricky race track," says Scelzi, of
Fresno, Calif. "History has shown it always rains here and then it gets hot
and slippery. It's definitely not one of the fastest race tracks we go to,
but it's definitely one of the trickiest.
"If it's cool and the race track is fast, obviously the Oakley Dodge is
fast. If it gets hot I think that (crew chief) Mike Neff has got a great
tune-up for that. Either way I'm looking for big things," adds the
three-time Top Fuel champion still seeking his first Funny Car win. "We set
the national record; we've done everything now except for win. And that's
our mail goal right now is to win a race."
Now that he has the speed record under his belt, he's not concerned about
having it surpassed at this point of the season. "I don't think you're going
to see the speed record even be threatened until probably around Brainerd or
Indy," adds Scelzi, ninth in the point standings going into Columbus,
"because we're in the summer months now. Even at that, no one seemed to have
gotten close to us earlier in the year on the race tracks where they could.
I'm not really concerned abut the speed record right now. Our main focus at
Team Oakley right now is to get a win."
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
Head, Pedregon, Anderson, and Collis Lead Friday's Qualifying at the NHRA POWERade Pontiac Excitement Nationals presented by Summit Racing
Posted Saturday, June 14, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Jim Head leads Top Fuel with a 4.579 @ 317.42, Tony Pedregon is #1 in Funny Car ( 4.820 @ 318.02 ), Greg Anderson leads Pro Stock ( 6.900 @ 200.17 ), and Americus, GA's Fred Collis puts his Suzuki in the #1 position in Pro Stock Bike ( 7.219 @ 183.42 ) before rain washed out the second session of Pro qualifying. Whit Bazemore is currently #11 in Funny Car. Georgians Warren Johnson ( #4 ), Kurt Johnson (#5 ), and Mark Whisnant ( #16 ) are currently in the Pro Stock field, while Terry Adams ( #18 ), Gene Wilson ( #21 ), and Barry Grant ( #35 ) are not quick enough in the first session. Grant Lewis ( Jesup, GA ) qualified #14 in Super Stock and won his first round match. Tom Stevenson ( Flowery Branch, GA ) put his '69 Nova in the #50 position in Stock.
Friday Recap
Consistent Performance is Key to Kurt Johnson's Championship Chase
Posted Thursday, June 12, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
ACDelco crew focuses on winning at tracks where success has previously eluded them
SUGAR HILL, GA., June 9, 2003 - ACDelco Cavalier pilot Kurt Johnson is off to the best start of his Pro Stock career. In the first ten races of the 2003 NHRA POWERade season, he has scored four wins in six final round appearances, and is currently on track to set new personal single-season bests in wins, final round appearances and elimination round wins.
Johnson leads the championship standings entering this weekend's Pontiac Excitement Nationals, and is coming off an exciting victory in Chicago that saw him charge from the 15th starting position to claim the 27th national event win of his career. As such, Johnson realizes he will be the focus of the entire Pro Stock field, as they look to supplant him at the top. However, the majority of pressure to perform comes not from other competitors, but from within the highly motivated ACDelco crew.
"It's certainly been a challenge, but when your car is running as well as our ACDelco Cavalier has this year, we expect ourselves to win," stated Johnson. "Fortunately, my team is really clicking, making all the right calls, and the driver is doing a good job of letting the clutch out on time, so we've been able to deliver on our potential.
"But it's far from easy, as our win in Chicago shows. After being off a bit in qualifying, we were under the gun on Sunday, facing faster cars without lane choice all the way to the final. In addition, we had several issues to deal with throughout the day, including changing motors after the first round. Fortunately, we stayed focused, kept working and ended the day in the winner's circle. That was special."
Johnson's winning effort in Illinois is a microcosm of his 2003 season. In an ironic twist, much of his success this year has come at facilities that have given the Lawrenceville, GA resident trouble in the past. Four of his six final round appearances were the first of his career at that particular track, with his wins in Gainesville, FL, Bristol, TN and Joliet, IL marking his first trip to those particular winner's circles. As Johnson relates, it is part of his plan, with the next target being National Trail Raceway, site of this weekend's event.
"To contend for the championship, you have to be in a position to win at every race," detailed Johnson. "Therefore, we're trying very hard to do well at places where we have yet to win. In the six races of that type so far, the worst we've done is making it to the semi-finals at Englishtown, while everywhere else we've won or been the runner-up.
"Columbus is one of those troublesome tracks. If we can nail that one down and do well in Madison, we'll head back to races we've already won in the past with a tremendous amount of confidence.
"But we're not taking anything for granted. Before even thinking about winning, we first have to qualify. We learned a lot about our ACDelco Cavalier in Chicago, which could be crucial this weekend. We'll combine that with our Columbus notes from last year, which should let us hit the set-up right off the bat. If we all do our jobs, it should be another good weekend."
Facts on Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Racing Team entering the
Pontiac Excitement Nationals:
* KJ in Columbus: This will be Kurt's 11th appearance at National Trail Raceway, where he has one runner-up finish in 1993. In addition, he was the No.1 qualifier in 1998.
* Traveling in Elite Company: Kurt's 27 national event victories tie him with Cory McClenethan for 15th on the all-time NHRA professional win list, and give him sole possession of fifth in the Pro Stock Career Victories, breaking a tie with legendary Pro Stock driver Lee Shepherd. Kurt's most recent win came two weeks ago at the Lucas Oil NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, IL.
* POWERade Points standings: After the tenth of 23 events, Kurt leads the 2003 POWERade Championship standings with 890 points, two points ahead of Greg Anderson, and 204 ahead of his father, Warren Johnson, who is in third. Kurt finished sixth in 2002, his tenth consecutive Top 10 finish.
* Winning percentage: Kurt's .642 elimination round winning percentage (325-181) ranks 11th among all active NHRA professional drivers.
* Career best elapsed time: 6.716 seconds, Englishtown, NJ, 2003
* Career best top speed: 206.61 mph, Englishtown, NJ, 2003
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Warren Johnson Looks to Rediscover Winning Form in Columbus
Posted Thursday, June 12, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
GM Performance Parts Grand Am crew ready to rebound at Pontiac Excitement Nationals
SUGAR HILL, GA., June 10, 2003 - Warren Johnson is arguably the brightest mind in the NHRA's ultra-competitive Pro Stock division. Having competed almost since the category's inception in the early 70's, he has played a vital role in making the "factory hot rods" what they are today, with his many innovations earning him the nickname of "The Professor of Pro Stock". With 90 wins and six championships, Johnson continues to be one of the most feared competitors in the POWERade Drag Racing series, with his GM Performance Parts Grand Am a threat to win every race entered.
However, at the last national event in Joliet, IL, Johnson proved he is also human. For only the fourth time in his storied career, spanning over 400 races, he was a reluctant spectator on Sunday. Rather than bemoaning his misfortune, he began an immediate analysis of the situation, came up with the solution, and, in true "W.J." fashion, heads into this weekend's Pontiac Excitement Nationals confident of regaining the form that saw him win twice in the first ten races.
"Our problems in Joliet came down to a simple mental mistake," explained Johnson. "We simply didn't make the necessary corrections during qualifying. Ironically, the solution was something so obvious that we totally disregarded it, and it came back to bite us.
"I thought of the answer while driving to Charlotte after the race. As soon as I got back to the shop, I got on the computer and checked our runs to confirm it. I feel pretty optimistic that our GM Performance Parts Grand Am will be back on track when we get to Columbus."
One factor favoring Johnson's return to the winner's circle is the location of this weekend's event. Located just outside of Columbus, Ohio, National Trail Raceway is the site of WJ's first NHRA national event elimination-round win, a first round victory over Scott Shafiroff in 1975. Since that time, he has won four races in nine final round appearances in the Buckeye state, and been the No. 1 qualifier eight times.
Johnson's confidence is also bolstered by his ever-increasing familiarity with his new race car. Although the Columbus event will be only its third race, W.J. is pleased with the potential this new Grand Am has shown and hopes to use his experience with the Ohio racing surface to deliver on its promise.
"We've been quite successful at Columbus, and I would attribute that to its resemblance to our home track in Atlanta," detailed Johnson. "The elevation is similar to that of Atlanta Dragway, as well as the weather at this time of year. Therefore, by testing in Commerce we get a fairly good idea of what to expect when we get to National Trail Raceway.
"We're also getting more comfortable with this new GM Performance Parts Grand Am. We've made a few changes since Joliet that we plan to test before this weekend, and it's already shown that it will be a tremendous improvement over our previous car. We just have to learn to treat it correctly. All things considered, I believe we are entering a period where Kurt's and my cars should be at the forefront, starting with this weekend."
Facts on Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Racing Team entering
the Pontiac Excitement Nationals:
* WJ knows the way in Columbus: This will be Warren's 28th NHRA Pro Stock national event appearance at National Trail Raceway, where he has won four times (1985, 1993, 1999, 2001) in nine final round appearances, while compiling a 46-22 elimination round record.
* "The Professor" is No. 1 at National Trail: In his previous 27 races in Columbus, WJ has eight No. 1 qualifying performances, and has qualified lower than fourth only five times (with four of those coming in his first six races (1975 - 1981). Warren's average qualifying performance in Columbus is 2.67.
* Did you know? Warren Johnson scored his first national event elimination round win at National Trail Raceway, defeating Scott Shafiroff in the first round in 1975. (Incidentally, WJ's elimination round record now stands at 760-322.)
* One year ago: WJ qualified third for last year's Columbus race with an elapsed time of 6.878 seconds and a top speed of 199.82 mph, and advanced to the quarterfinals.
* Winning Streak: With his win in Atlanta, Warren Johnson has now won at least two races in 18 of the past 22 years. In addition, his current streak of winning at least one race a year for 22 consecutive years is the longest in NHRA history.
* POWERade Points standings: After the tenth of 23 events, WJ stands third in the 2003 POWERade points standings with 686 points, 204 behind his son and leader Kurt Johnson, and trails second place Greg Anderson by 202 markers.
* No. 1 in National event wins: WJ's 90 national event victories are the most ever in the history of the Pro Stock division and place him second on the all-time NHRA win list. His most recent win came at the 2003 Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Ga.
* Career best elapsed time: 6.715 seconds, Englishtown 2003
* Career best top speed: 205.69 mph, Englishtown 2003
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Whisnant Ready for Columbus
Posted Thursday, June 12, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Mark Whisnant, driver of the RW Performance / Snap-On Tools Pro Stock Chevrolet Cavalier, is rested, relaxed, and ready to take on the National Trail asphalt at the weekends 39th annual Pontiac Excitement Nationals in Columbus, Ohio. Whisnant, who has struggled in the first part of the season, would like to make Columbus the race where he turns his season around.
Whisnant took advantage of the week off in-between Chicago and Columbus to get some much-needed R and R, and clear his head away from the racetrack.
"Running bad can really wear you out," said Whisnant of Stockbridge, Ga. "You have to work hard to run well in Pro Stock, but I think it is twice as hard on you when you run bad. We work twice as hard at the shop and twice as hard at the racetrack. We have been burning the midnight oil in an effort to get back the edge we lost.
"Then you take it home with you. You constantly think about the racecar. You loose sleep. You begin to not be able to see the forest for the trees. That is when you have to take a step back and get a fresh perspective on what you are doing. It was time for a break.
"Since I left Chicago I have tried not to think about the racecar. My wife Gina and I took our boys, Tyler and Dylan, on vacation. We did the family thing, and I let my crew chiefs, Gary (Pearman) and Markus (Svensson), worry about the car.
"I think the time away has worked, because I am itching to get to Columbus.
"I feel good about Columbus. I have always run well here in the past. Last year I went to the semis and this is where I saw my first final round with the truck. I have had good luck here in the past, hopefully the luck will hold, and we will have a good race here this weekend."
Qualifying at the 39th annual Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals in Columbus, Ohio will take place on Friday June 13 and Saturday June 14. Eliminations will begin at 11:00 AM EST on Sunday June 15.
# # #
Whisnant Quick Facts
Currently 16th in 2003 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Points (270 points)
Finished 10th 2002 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Points
Career Best ET 6.772 (Houston 2003)
Career Best MPH 202.73 (Englishtown 2002)
39th annual Pontiac Excitement Nationals
TV Schedule
Qualifying Highlights
Saturday June 14 7:00 – 9:00 PM EST ESPN2
Repeat Qualifying Highlights
Sunday June 15 3:30 – 5:30 AM EST ESPN2
Eliminations Coverage
Sunday June 15 4:00 – 7:00 PM EST ESPN2
Repeat Eliminations Coverage
Sunday June 22 8:00 – 10:00 PM EST ESPN2
RW PERFORMANCE PRO STOCK CHEVY CAVALIER
MARK WHISNANT – DRIVER
REID WHISNANT – OWNER
CONTACT: Patti Miles
5th Annual Buford Car, Truck & Motorcycle Show Rescheduled for July 19th
Posted Tuesday, June 10, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
5th Annual Buford Car, Truck & Motorcycle Show, Buford , GA, Tel - Mike McClure,770-380-9139, Fax - 678-421-5263. July 19th -- 5th Annual Buford Car Show held in the Buford Church of God parking lot at 4800 South Lee St. Registration begins at 8:00AM. Judging begins at Noon and awards given out between 3:00 - 4:00. Plaques will be awarded to the top 25 cars; top 10 trucks and top 10 Motorcycles. We will also be giving plaques for Best Interior; Best Engine; Best Paint; Most unusual Entry and our special Ladies Choice trophy. All registrants will be eligible for all kinds of giveaways throughout the day with a brand new 350 engine given away at the end of the day. Registration fee is $20.00 per entry. All proceeds will benefit Live Wire Student ministries Missions projects. For any other information contact Mike McClure @ 770-380-9139 or Brian Schlottmann @ 770-945-4901 x205 or mmcclur7@bellsouth.net. Pre register on-line at (www.live-wire.tv) and receive an extra chance for the engine.
2003 National Hot Rod Reunion Latest News - Legendary Drag Racer "Big Daddy" Don Garlits Gearing Up for Reunion
Posted Tuesday, June 10, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
2003 National Hot Rod Reunion Latest News
Charlie Peppers Goes to Semi-Finals at the Hooters IHRA ACDelco Nationals presented by Chevrolet
Posted Sunday, June 8, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
IHRA RESULTS
RAIN STOPS SUMMIT / HAYES BRACKET SERIES EVENT AT ATLANTA DRAGWAY, AGAIN
Posted Sunday, June 8, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
RACE DATE: June 7, 2003
EVENT: Summit / Hayes Bracket Series race at Atlanta Dragway
by Tim Glover
(Saturday, June 7 - Atlanta Dragway) Just like the last Summit / Hayes
Bracket Race on May 17, the bracket action scheduled for June 7, 2003 was
rained out again at Atlanta Dragway. The next bracket race on schedule is
June 14, 2003. The Year One Fast Friday presented by Billy Howell Ford
event scheduled for June 6 was also washed out. The next Fast Friday is
scheduled for June 13, 2003.
Rain Postpones Silver Dollar Raceway Event Until July
Posted Sunday, June 8, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Sun, 8 Jun 2003, 12:51 PM
Courtesy of NHRA Marketing
REYNOLDS, Ga. -- The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, being held at Silver Dollar Raceway this weekend, has been postponed until July 4-5, 2003 due to rain.
The rescheduled July event will feature competition and qualifying in NHRA's eight Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series categories, including 260-mph Top Alcohol Dragsters and Funny Cars, all competing for a share of the $158,145 purse and valuable Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series points.
At the event Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car are scheduled to qualify Friday at 6 and 9 p.m. The opening round of eliminations in the alcohol classes will take place on Saturday at 1 p.m.
For more information please contact Silver Dollar Raceway at (706) 335-2301 or visit them on the web at www.SilverDollarRaceway.com.
5th Annual Buford Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show Rescheduled Due to Inclement Weather
Posted Saturday, June 7, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
THE CAR SHOW WILL BE HELD ON JULY 19TH. Details as they become available.
Charlie Peppers #1 in Pro Stock at the Hooters IHRA ACDelco Nationals presented by Chevrolet
Posted Saturday, June 7, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Dinwiddie, Va.
After two Pro Stock qualifying sessions, Charlie Peppers ( Auburn, GA ) is #1 with a 6.577 @ 211.86 in his Ford Mustang. Tim Nabors ( Lawrenceville, GA ) is currently #18 in his Chevy Cavalier with a 6.650 @ 210.67.
IHRA Results
Auto Zone Super Chevy Show at Atlanta Dragway by Tim Glover
Posted Wednesday, June 4, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
RACE DATE: May 30 - June 1, 2003
FROM: Tim Glover
KING COMES CLOSE TO PULLING OFF FIRST DOUBLE WIN, MILFORD GETS SECOND WIN IN BRACKET RACE AT SUPER CHEVY
(May 30 - June 1, Commerce, GA) The weather held up, the fans were there by the thousands, Chevys in all conditions were there by the hundreds and everyone attending enjoyed something at the 23rd annual Auto Zone Super Chevy Show held at Atlanta Dragway.
Eye candy was everywhere, in the form of General Motors sheetmetal in varying degrees of finish. The car show featured hundreds of pristine Chevys, ranging from unrestored '57 Chevy's to immaculate examples of Chevy's finest. Camaros, Corvettes, Novas, Pickups, El Caminos, and more models were there for inspection. One of the more subtle cars that demanded closer inspection was the '68 Chevy II COPO belonging to Matt Murphy from Marietta, GA. The car was a
stripper ordered by Fred Gibb Chevrolet, and feature a 375hp 396 engine, straight shift, and even had an old set of Mickey Thompson Challenger slicks. Even the Car Corral, which covered virtually the entire right hand side of the staging lane road, featured many show car quality machines, the main difference being Car Corral cars were
for sale to some lucky owner.
GM Performance Division had a large display on the manufacturer's midway, featuring several show cars, some brand new cars and trucks, performance parts and crate motors. One of the crowd favorites was the '95 Monte Car-Low Lead sled, a modern cruiser with lines reminiscent of a '49 Mercury. A new 2003 Silverado SS Extended Cab pickup was on display, available from local dealer Meyer Chevrolet for the paltry sum of $41,000.
One of the event sponsors, Waterloo, featured quality toolboxes for sale. They also gave out a new toolbox to one lucky racer and one lucky car show recipient. Cindy Shea from Trenton, SC was this year's winner in the drag racer drawing, and she also went all the way to the quarterfinals in the Bracket II program.
Even the swap meet area featured some show quality machines, like Chuck Cope's '64 Chevy II, complete with flame throwing exhaust and nitrous oxide. Vintage parts were in abundance, and anyone taking time to sort through the junk was bound to be rewarded with treasure.
Jim Wood from Laurens, SC became the first Super Chevy race winner of the weekend in the Saturday Bonus Race. The Bonus Race features an all run format, with Footbrake (no electronics allowed) and Super Pro (electronics allowed) racers separated until the quarterfinals. The racers are then mixed together for the last few rounds. Although electronics racers have a decided advantage, it was long time Footbrake racer Wood who took the top money in the Bonus Race. Wood met electronics racer Jerry Sosebee in the final and although the self admitted "duck" did not have a good pass, he still got the win light when Sosebee bulbed with a .496 red light. Wood's '71 Chevelle spun the tires in the final, and slowed to an 8.36, 79.53mph on his 8.24 target, but got the automatic win when Sosebee's Lula, GA based '97 Mullis dragster turned on the red light. Sosebee chose to run his car on through, resulting in a 5.45, 125.53 (5.43 dial). Just before his semi-final bye run, Sosebee made the comment, "Looks like door cars beat the dragsters today." Jacob Rutledge from Braselton, GA, who was piloting Kelly
King's '70 GTO, was the lone semi-finalist.
After Bracket I (electronics allowed) action was completed on Sunday, winner Mark Milford from Royston, GA commented the only race he could win was one where Racers For Christ (RFC) pastor Lloyd Shanks held a church service. "I'm going to have to get his
schedule," he added. Milford met semi-pro racer Mike Barrett from Alabaster, AL and took the win light by .001 seconds, courtesy of a slightly better reaction time (.515 seconds for Milford vs. .516 for Barrett). Milford's '02 Undercover dragster carded a 5.37, 126.99mph win on his 5.34 dial in time. Barrett's similarly equipped ''98 Mullis dragster was dialed in at 4.90 seconds and went 4.93, 134.44mph for the runner up spot. Milford then dedicated his second ever race victory to his father, William Milford. Local standout J.D. Reid ('02 Undercover dragster - Conyers, GA) and Danny Sanders ('72 240Z - Elko, SC) finished in the semis.
Stockbridge, GA racer Kelly King decided to pull double duty in both
Bracket II (no electronics allowed) and DOT Street. His decision kept him busier than a one-armed paper hanger throughout eliminations, but thanks in part to help from friends Ricky Rasnick and David Wade, who kept both cars cooled down, he appeared in both finals, winning Bracket II with his '73 Vega. Rickey Morris from Ellenwood, GA came oh-so-close to the win, but was .004 seconds too quick in the final, resulting in a .496 red light. Morris chose to run his '79 Malibu out the back door, and ran a dead on 7.507, 91.14mph (7.50 dial). King's Vega carded a good 7.17, 97.74mph on a 7.15 dial. Lonnie Cothran ('69 Nova - Buford, GA) was King's semi-final round victim. King gave a special thanks to local racer Mike Ramsey for the "moonshine" on Saturday night. "It put my senses into the right kilter," he added with a smile.
Kim Callahan decided to enter DOT Street action this weekend, and continued his win streak in his Dawsonville, GA based '67 Camaro. He recently won the May 10 Trophy Street action at Atlanta Dragway, and after marching through the rounds today, ended up facing none other than Kelly King in the DOT final. Callahan cut the better light (.547 to King's .566), and ended up breaking out less, with a 13.25, 100.56 (13.30 dial). King's '66 Chevy II broke out slightly more with a 12.85, 102.92 (12.91 target). "It feels good to win," added Callahan, who is really enjoying his second year of racing.
"Brat Pack" racer Phillip Wigington made it all the way to the semis with his Canton, GA based '00 Camaro. For the second year in a row, Stan Sinack made it to the semis with his Lilburn, GA based '73 Corvette.
Jr. Dragster combo winner Thomas Davis-Cox (13 years old) from Buford, GA thanked his parents Rex and Darlene for all the money they put into his race car and getting him started in the sport. The junior dragster fields were separated by age until the finals, where the younger (8-12 years old) winner was pitted against the older junior (13-17) winner in a winner takes all final. Cox met Commerce, GA racer Taylor Ramsey (10) in the final, and used a dead on 7.974, 80.35mph (7.97 target) to win against Ramsey's close 8.95,
70.30mph (8.90 dial). "She's been running dead on all day. I love it," added Davis-Cox. Kelly Moore (16 - Westminster, SC) and Danielle Krause (12 - Peachtree City, GA) finished in the semis.
Nitro Coupes are a Super Chevy exclusive, and the wild looking exhibition racers kept fans on their feet with six second, 200mph blasts down the track. "Dangerous Dan" Nickelson, who hails from Laverne, CA, ran away from the competition this weekend with his trusty '94 Beretta. His final round numbers were 6.29, 223.06mph, which opponent Bruce Boland ('33 Chevy Coupe - Stony Creek, Ontario, Canada) could not match. Boland carded an off pace 7.59, 126.27 against Nickelson. Mel Eaves ('57 Chevy - Hudson, FL) and Gary Irving ('37 Chevy Sedan - Bolton, Ontario, Canada) finished in the semis.
SATURDAY BONUS RACE CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Jim Wood '71 Chevelle Laurens, SC 8.36 79.53 (8.24)
R/U: Jerry Sosebee '97 Mullis dragster Lula, GA (foul) 5.45 125.53 (5.43)
Semi: Jacob Rutledge '70 GTO Braselton, GA
Semi:
----------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY BRACKET ONE CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Mark Milford '02 Undercover dragster Royston, GA 5.37 126.99 (5.34)
R/U: Mike Barrett '98 Mullis dragster Alabaster, AL 4.93 134.44 (4.90)
Semi: J.D. Reid '02 Undercover dragster Conyers, GA
Semi: Danny Sanders '72 240Z w/421 chevy Elko, SC
----------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY BRACKET TWO CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Kelly King '73 Vega Stockbridge, GA 7.17 97.74 (7.15)
R/U: Rickey Morris '79 Malibu Ellenwood, GA (foul) 7.50 91.14 (7.50)
Semi: Lonnie Cothran '69 Nova Buford, GA
Semi:
----------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY D.O.T. STREET CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Kim Callahan '67 Camaro Dawsonville, GA 13.25 100.56 (13.30)
R/U: Kelly King '66 Chevy II Stockbridge, GA 12.85 102.92 (12.91)
Semi: Phillip Wigington '00 Camaro Canton, GA
Semi: Stan Sinack '73 Corvette Lilburn, GA
----------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY JR. DRAGSTER COMBO AGE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Thomas Davis-Cox 13 Buford, GA 7.97 80.35 (7.97)
R/U: Taylor Ramsey 10 Commerce, GA 8.95 70.30 (8.90)
Semi: Danielle Krause 12 Peachtree City, GA
Semi: Kelly Moore 16 Westminster, SC
----------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY NITRO COUPE CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH
Win: Dan Nickelson '94 Beretta Laverne, CA 6.29 223.06
R/U: Bruce Boland '33 Chevy Coupe Stony Creek, Ontario 7.59 126.27
Semi: Mel Eaves '57 Chevy Hudson, FL
Semi: Gary Irving '37 Chevy Sedan Bolton, Ontario
GDR Website Updated
Posted Tuesday, June 3, 2003 by johndilbeck
Several new photos have been added today (GDR-00352 through GDR-00364).
Thanks to Danny & Donna Watkins and Ewart C. Irick for sharing their photos with us.
Thanks to each of you for your contributions.
The Top Ranked Photos page was updated. I've decided to discontinue this feature. Thanks to those of you who participated while we tried it.
Kurt Johnson Scores Dramatic Win in Joliet, Retakes POWERade points lead
Posted Monday, June 2, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
ACDelco Cavalier pilot Kurt Johnson scored a dramatic win today, capturing the Pro Stock title at the Lucas Oil NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, IL. This was Johnson's fourth win of 2003, 27th of his career, and first at Route 66 Raceway. Today's performance also allowed Johnson to reclaim the POWERade points lead by just two points over Greg Anderson
"This was just a great day for the ACDelco team," stated an ecstatic Johnson. "Coming out of the fifteenth spot, we feel like we came back from the dead. I took all our notes from this year back to the hotel last night, and spent a few hours going over them to come up with a combination for today.
"Fortunately, Kevin (Horst), Joe (Cottle) and the entire crew did a fantastic job with our Cavalier, and we pulled together as a team to score a big win."
Only twenty-four hours earlier, a Johnson victory had seemed unlikely, as the team battled through qualifying to secure a position in Sunday's field, finally earning the fifteenth position with a 6.814-second, 202.24 mph pass.
However, facing good friend and former teammate Scott Geoffrion in the first round, KJ quickly returned to the impressive form he has shown throughout the 2003 season, combining an outstanding .012 second reaction time with a 6.791-second, 202.91 mph pass to earn the hole-shot win.
"I knew Scotty would be tough," explained Johnson. "When he ran that 6.76 yesterday afternoon, it put a little fire under me, because I knew I would have to run well. He's good on the tree, but I knew I had to get out on him. Fortunately, I drove well all weekend, and the .012 was what we needed to get the win."
However, the win was a costly one, as Johnson suffered engine damage, forcing the team to swap motors before the second round. Despite only having seventy-five minutes to complete the task, the ACDelco crew responded, getting to the line with time to spare. Johnson rewarded them for their effort with two strong runs to defeat defending event winner Bruce Allen and Greg Stanfield in the next two rounds to advance to his sixth championship round of the season, and first ever at Route 66 Raceway.
"We came here with an engine that we had never used in competition, and it threw us a bit of a curve, as evidenced by our performance in qualifying," stated Johnson. "We then swapped motors for the first round, and put a set-up in the car that we used to win in Budd's Creek (a non-points paying event in Maryland).
"We ran that 6.79 in the first round but hurt the engine, so we had to revert to the bullet we used in qualifying. It had only run a 6.81 on Saturday, but our ACDelco Cavalier came back on Sunday to run that 6.77 in the semis, so we obviously got the combination right today."
Standing between Johnson and the winner's circle was 2002 POWERade champion Jeg Coughlin Jr.. Although Coughlin was able to gain a slight advantage at the start, Johnson secured the win with yet another strong run, a 6.791-second, 203.40 mph blast.
"We had an outstanding race in the final. Jeggie was as tough as always on the tree, throwing that .009 reaction time out there, but I was able to get around him. Ironically, I did the same to Greg (Anderson) last week in Topeka, and was the runner-up," said Johnson. "It's certainly nice to be in the points leads, but it's too early in the season to make a big deal of it. Our competition never sleeps, and we never lift. There are only 24 hours in a day, and we try to work 25.
"Today was fun, but it was also an important win for the ACDelco crew. We not only won the race, but also learned a lot about fine-tuning our Cavalier for the conditions. I believe we should be in good shape for the rest of the year."
POWERade Points Standings
(Following the 10th of 23 events)
1. Kurt Johnson 890
2. Greg Anderson 888
3. Warren Johnson 686
4. Jeg Coughlin 612
5. Bruce Allen 462
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Bazemore Wins as Dodge Dominates Funny Car Competition - Scelzi Sets National Speed Record; First to 328 mph
Posted Monday, June 2, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Matco Tools ‘2 Fast 2 Furious’ Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car driver Whit Bazemore won his second NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series national event of the season during today’s Lucas Oil Products NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway.
Bazemore defeated Tommy Johnson, Jr., in the final -- on the starting line. The Indianapolis resident logged a sizable starting-lane advantage (.069-.152) and held off Johnson with a 4.872-second elapsed time at 319.67 mph. T.J. ran a 4.839-second lap at 316.97 mph.
“This is Schumacher Racing’s home race,” said Bazemore, of team owner Don Schumacher -- who lives in nearby Chicago. “We have made three-straight final rounds and have had two wins out of those. It says everything about our team and this organization. My teammate (Gary Scelzi) set the national speed record today with his Dodge, so it was a tremendous effort by everyone.”
Bazemore won at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J., two weekends ago. He also made a final-round appearance during last weekend’s show at Hearland Park Topeka (Kan.).
“Aerodynamics have played an increasingly more important role in Funny Car racing since the 90-percent rule came into effect,” Bazemore noted. “It’s important -- when racing Funny Cars -- that you have a manufacturer behind you. A manufacturer that has the same goals as your team and puts forth the effort to give you a car that can go out and compete at the very top of the sport. That’s what Dodge and Mopar have done. They provide engineering support and wind tunnel support – and the basic Stratus car is very good aerodynamically. Between this team and the Mopar engineers, it’s turned into the fastest ever Funny Car by a considerable margin. My teammate ran the mile per hour -- we’re second -- but we want to be first too.”
Bazemore defeated Bob Gilbertson in the first round of eliminations, a tire-smoking Del Worsham in round two and John Lawson in the semifinal. Bazemore also moved closer in the POWERade Funny Car title chase as well, now only 36 points behind point leader Tony Pedregon.
Dodge Stratus R/T Sets New Standard of Speed…
Gary Scelzi etched his name in the NHRA record books today. The Fresno, Calif., resident officially broke the national speed record with his Oakley backed Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car entry after posting a 328.06 mph pass in his first-round victory over Tim Wilkerson. His 327.98 mph speed during yesterday’s third-round qualifying session made it official.
Dodge last held the Funny Car category speed record in 1991, when Jim White traveled the Pomona (Calif.) Raceway quarter mile at 291.82 mph. The run also signified the first ever 328-mph pass in Funny Car history, obliterating the old speed mark of 326.87 mph held by Gary Densham at the season-opening Winternationals in Pomona.
Unfortunately for Scelzi and Schumacher Racing, the weekend ended in the second round of competition. He smoked the tires, pedaled the car, but was unable to catch Densham at the stripe.
“It’s not just the speed record that’s big -- we went 328 miles per hour,” Scelzi beamed. “We ran two miles per hour better than anyone ever has out there. And that’s just huge. (Aero engineer) Terry DeKoninck and all of the Mopar engineers that have built this Stratus body have given us something we can excel with. We’ve run better than those Fords for a while now, and now it looks like we’re doing it every single race. Now, we just need to get our cars just a little bit quicker.
“We just got caught out with this lane thing,” said Scelzi, talking about the oil dropped on a previous run during the second round. “We tried to do everything right. We slowed the car down, and added some spoiler to help our positioning. The lanes were junk in that session and everyone smoked the tires. It was beyond our control. I knocked the tires off of it, pedaled it three times. I didn’t do the best job pedaling in my mind, but the crew is happy with me. We’re gaining some momentum, but we’ve got a long ways to go. If we keep running these speeds, and I’ve been around long enough to know that this thing could pop two or three wins out in a row. It’s not a fluke that we set the speed record. Our Hemi is serious with power, and that’s good. You take our power, add a slippery body, and you get results. Unfortunately we’re just not very patient here at Schumacher Racing, and we want it now. We’re going to work through it. We’re going to take a deep breath and go at it again in a couple of weeks.”
Stanfield Drives to the Semifinals
Alderman Falls in Round One
Greg Stanfield powered his DBP Enterprises Dodge Neon R/T to the semifinals of today’s event. Kurt Johnson ran a quicker 6.7750-second elapsed time at 203.80 mph, as Stanfield logged a 6.798-second lap at 203.31 mph.
Stanfield raced past Mark Pawuk in round one, posting the second best elapsed time of the round at 6.778 seconds at 203.31 mph. In his second round tilt, Stanfield again set the second-quickest time with a 6.806-second pass at 202.67 en route to victory over Steve Schmidt.
“We’re getting a handle on it,” Stanfield said. “We’re going home to see if we can make some more power. We made some chassis changes – and it helped this thing a lot. We have something to work with now.”
Mopar’s Darrell Alderman lost to Bruce Allen in the first round of eliminations. Alderman, a three-time POWERade Pro Stock World Champion, ran a solid 6.815-second elapsed time at 201.85 mph, but it wasn’t enough as Allen clicked off a 6.788-second lap at 202.91 mph.
“We were a little loose out there,” Alderman relayed. “I think we could have run a little bit better. Overall it was a pretty good run. I guess lane choice was critical today with the sun out. I don’t know what the other guys did in the right (lane), but we moved around a little bit.”
Carlson Talks About Weekend in Chicago…
Shaun Carlson and his Mopar-backed Dodge Neon SRT-4 NHRA Import Series car completed its first weekend running alongside the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Carlson talked about the gains his Darrell Cox-owned team made over this inaugural ‘Extreme Rush’ weekend.
“Mopar wants us to be the first to run in the sevens,” Carlson said. “And that’s our ultimate goal. It’s nice to win races, and it would be nice to win a championship, but to be the first to run a seven (second pass) would be a bigger milestone than winning a certain race.
“We fee the advantage we have right now is in our transmission,” Carlson added. “We’ve been working pretty hard to try and get these bugs worked out. We made two test runs yesterday. Even though we had problems, every time that we too it a part, we were able to narrow it down to what we felt was the last problem. I think we’re to the point where we just need a $.50 part to make it work. In fact, we just need longer ones right now.
“We’ve also had some tire shake,” Carlson continued. “The tire we have on the car now, is the one we’ve had for the last year. We opted to make the change, and some of the transmission trouble we’ve had was due to tire shake. We were searching to try and find the problem in the trans, when it was in the tire shake.”
Carlson lost in the first round of eliminations today.
David Harris, Cox Marketing Group
Public Relations Manager
Mopar Motorsports
BAZEMORE WINS AT ROUTE 66, JOINS TONY SCHUMACHER FOR A DOUBLE-SCHU WIN
Posted Monday, June 2, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
JOLIET, Ill. (June 1, 2003) - In front of 3000 of team owner Don
Schumacher's friends and business associates, Whit Bazemore collected his second Funny Car victory of the season, the 14th of his career, on a holeshot advantage against Tommy Johnson Jr. Bazemore's win made it doubly sweet for Schumacher Racing as Tony Schumacher also won the Top Fuel race at Schumacher Racing's home track, Route 66 Raceway. Schumacher Electric is located in Mt. Prospect, Ill.
Bazemore took of with a .069 reaction time to Johnson's .152, grabbing the win with a slower 4.872-second elapsed time at 319.67 mph to Johnson's4.839/316.97.
Adding to the luster of a stellar weekend, Bazemore's teammate Gary Scelzi set the NHRA Funny Car national speed record of 328.06 mph today.
This was the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus R/T driver's third
straight final-round appearance, his third victory at Route 66 Raceway ('98, '01, '03), and it moves him closer to No. 1 in the POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings. He's just 36 points behind Tony Pedregon, who was eliminated by Tommy Johnson Jr. in the second round.
"This is our team's home race, and really a tremendous effort by everybody," said Bazemore, who has made it at least as far as the semifinals in nine of the 10 races so far.
"Three straight final rounds and two wins out of those, it says everything about our team and our organization, from Don all the way down," added the Indianapolis resident. "It's just an unbelievable effort by Lee Beard (crew chief) and the guys, Dan Olson (co-crew chief) and Mike Neff (Scelzi's crew chief). My teammate Gary Scelzi had a tough week, with a tragedy in his family. He was here. He's a three-time champion and he showed it this weekend. To be here and set the national speed record with his Dodge, (was a) tremendous effort by everybody involved."
Don Schumacher was understandably proud. "I brought in some great, great people," he said, "with Alan Johnson coming in (Tony Schumacher's new crew chief); he's the smartest man in this sport. The only guy close to him realistically is Lee Beard. Lee is doing a fantastic job with us. The Funny Cars performed all year long. We're going out here to win the World Championship with this Dodge. Here at my home race track, there's no better joy than [to win and] to be here with family, friends, employees, my crews and such. It's just been a great, great weekend."
Bazemore still concedes that his rival Tony Pedregon is going to be tough to beat for the crown, despite his early-round loss. "It seems that this season and even going back halfway through the last season, the only time they were really beatable was when they beat themselves; either Tony did it or they did it themselves. This year it's been tough. We've beat them not that often, but we have beat them when they made a mistake. No one else has really been able to get the job done.
"They are a very, very good team and they have performance that, quite honestly, we don't quite have right now. But we're very, very close. Whenever they stumble it's very important for us to take the ball and run with it. Today's the perfect example. For them to go out in the second round was a real surprise, but it was good. It's a beautiful thing."
Lane choice was critical today, and Bazemore didn't have that option in the final round after defeating Bob Gilbertson, Del Worsham and John Lawson. "We made some pretty drastic changes to the car," he explained. "In fact, we made one change that we were going to test tomorrow. We went ahead and made that change for the final. Lee and Dan did a great job and they went outside the box, so to speak, to try to solve some problems we were having. And it worked. The car stayed hooked up down track and that was key. Obviously, if we had run much slower than an .87, we would have gotten beat."
Schumacher was quick to credit his driver for today's victory: "Whit left on Tommy, did a hell of a job out there," he said. "He rose to the occasion. And really, we won that round because of Whit."
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
SCELZI DEMOLISHES NATIONAL FUNNY CAR SPEED RECORD WITH 328.06 MPH PASS
Posted Monday, June 2, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Gary Scelzi demolished the national Funny Car speed record today in his Oakley Time Bomb Dodge Stratus R/T, even surpassing the fastest speed he established yesterday of 327.95, with a 328.06-mph lap in today's first round of final eliminations against Tim Wilkerson in the Lucas Oil NHRA Route 66 Nationals.
Scelzi first set the fastest speed for the class in Englishtown with a 326.95 -mph run. He then eclipsed that speed here at Route 66 Raceway yesterday with a 327.95, and today he finally made it into the record books by backing up the 327.95 for a national record with an even faster 328.06 mph run.
"It's pretty incredible," he said. "It was a handful. I was so busy in that car that I thought I was all over the place and out of the groove. And, actually, looking at the videos, I did a pretty good job of keeping it in the middle of the race track. It was a lot busier in the car than it looked outside the car, so that made me feel good. That speed is pretty much going to be out of touch for a while, I think. Maybe at the end of the year when we get back to the cooler race tracks. The fastest speed ever by a Funny Car before that with (Gary) Densham was a 326. We knocked that in the dirt by
two miles an hour. That's pretty huge. You don't see that very often."
"Nobody's even been close to that," he added. "That's outstanding. Thank you Dodge and all of your people and engineers. Your hard work has paid big dividends for Team Oakley, Team Matco and Team Schumacher."
Of course, the one question that comes to mind is: How come it's your car that's the fastest? "Speed is horsepower," Scelzi replied, "and Mike (Neff, crew chief) runs these motors aggressively. 'Baze' (Whit Bazemore, Scelzi's teammate) ran 326, but our car's a little bit softer early, so the tires stuck harder and it still had all its eight cylinders at the finish line. And when it does, stand back, Jack, because it gets with the program."
After Ron Capps oiled down the more favorable left lane in the second round, teams began to switch to the bumpy right lane. It worked for Scelzi's teammate Whit Bazemore, who advanced to the semifinal round out of the right lane. But it didn't work for Scelzi, as he was eliminated by Gary Densham, with both cars smoking the tires and the drivers having a pedaling contest towards the finish line. Densham took the win light with a 5.495/235.68 to
Scelzi's 5.640/214.25.
"God, I really thought today was the day," said the three-time Top Fuel champion still seeking his first Funny Car win. "Then we had the huge oildown by Capps. And the lanes were just junk, pure and simple. It got hot, it got oily, and we tried to slow the car down. I'm probably more upset at myself that I didn't have the patience to let the car settle enough to get it down the race track. In the dragster I was pretty much a master at doing that stuff. I tried to stay calm sitting in the car for almost an hour. That was ridiculous. And I got myself pumped up and I was just over-amping and I did a pretty crummy job of pedaling, in my mind. I haven't been in a pedaling contest very often in a Funny Car.
"Not a good day for me. Good day for the team, good day for Dodge. We went out second round in all three races (Midwest sweep). It's not bad; it could've been a lot worse. We'll take it and we'll go to Columbus and see how we do in the warmer weather."
Scelzi remains ninth in the POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings, with 428 points.
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
SCOTTY CANNON OUT IN FIRST ROUND IN JOLIET
Posted Monday, June 2, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
From his No. 14 qualifying position, Oakley Funny Car driver Scotty Cannon was ready for his first-round battle in the Lucas Oil NHRA Route 66 Nationals at Route 66 Raceway with No. 3 qualifier Gary Densham, from John Force's three-car team.
The Lyman, S.C., resident and 1999 NHRA Rookie of the Year was poised for a spirited contest. The pair launched with nearly identical reaction times; .103 for Cannon, .095 for Densham. But it was Densham all the way to the finish line, taking the victory with a 4.803/321.04 to Cannon's 4.975/303.71.
"We tried hard to get ahead of him," said Cannon, "but a piston and a ring came apart early during the burnout. We didn't have a chance; the car just ran slow. It had a hole (cylinder) out basically the whole way."
Cannon is 15th in the POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings, with 339 points.
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
Millican, Billes, Atchison, and Baker Win at the Hooters IHRA Mopar Performance Parts Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol
Posted Monday, June 2, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Pro Stock racer Brian Gahm is the first to break into the 6.40s with a record setting best of 6.476. The Quarter-Max 6.40's club picked up three members with Doug Kirk and Carl Baker also racking up 6.40 time slips. Georgia's Charlie Peppers was defeated in the first round by Gahm's historic 6.485.
IHRA Results
Team Schumacher Doubles in Chicago; Schumacher, Bazemore, Kurt Johnson, Savoie, and Hahn Win at the NHRA POWERade Lucas Oil Route 66 Nationals
Posted Monday, June 2, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
"Miracle worker" Alan Johnson puts Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army Top Fueler in the winner's circle with his best ever ET. The Sarge takes out points leader Larry Dixon in the final to give Don Schumacher's team its first double victory ( Top Fuel and Funny Car ).
John Force ( 4.721 ) and Gary Scelzi ( 328.06 ) set new NHRA records, but former Atlanta resident Whit Bazemore takes home the Funny Car trophy in his Dodge Stratus with a holeshot win over Tommy Johnson, Jr.
Georgia's Kurt Johnson wins Pro Stock in his AC Delco Cavalier after barely making the field. Kurt's win puts him back into the points lead. Greg Anderson suffers starter breakage and cannot make the semi-final showdown with Jeg Coughlin. Barry Grant and teammate Terry Adams go out in the first round.
Angelle Savoie wins Pro Stock Bike and takes back the points lead. After hitting the wall on a qualifying pass, Angelle bounces back to beat first time finalist Reggie Showers in the finale. Georgia's Fred Collis falls to Angelle in the second round.
Fred Hahn wins Pro Mod over Troy Critchley.
NHRA Recap
Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car Makes Fastest Run in History - Stanfield Vaults to the Top Half
Posted Sunday, June 1, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
JOLIET, Ill. (May 31, 2003) – Gary Scelzi is on the verge of an official national speed record in his Oakley backed Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car. The California resident logged a 327.98 mph pass during the third-qualifying session for tomorrow’s Lucas Oil Products NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway.
To make it an official NHRA national speed record, Scelzi has to run within one percent of that speed (324.70 mph) this weekend. His elapsed time of 4.782 seconds was also a career best – which was good enough for sixth place.
“I have to say thank you to Mopar, (aero engineer) Terry DeKoninck and everyone at the wind tunnel,” said an excited Scelzi. “As I’ve said all year long, our cars have run the speed. This morning I did a radio show, and I told them we were going to run 327 or 328 (mph) this weekend. Nobody looked like they saw a ghost when I said it either. It was amazing because I was too busy in there steering the car to pay attention to how good it was pulling. It didn’t surprise me because I knew what these cars were capable of. The good news is that it’s a Dodge and it has a Hemi under the hood.
“It’s always cool here,” said Scelzi. “Even with the sun out it’s still 62 degrees. When it’s like that, and this race track is good anyway, it’s really tight. So when we get to a track that’s smooth, and the air is good here, you’re going to get these type of numbers. When I ran the Top Fuel car here we ran good numbers as well. We like it because the Funny Cars are heavier – so you can hit them harder early. When they run better at half track, they run better all the way through. I’m really excited about tomorrow. On the back up run (session four), one of the clutch discs had triple the amount of wear as normal and it put a cylinder out. That means we lost at least 750 horsepower and it just ran a 4.90.”
Scelzi will face off against Tim Wilkerson in the first round of eliminations.
Whit Bazemore was also strong in his Matco Tools ‘2 Fast 2 Furious’ Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car, clicking off a 4.776-second elapsed time at 325.69 mph. The run placed the Indiana resident into the fourth slot and a round one match up with Bob Gilbertson. Bazemore talked about his day.
“Our team has run good speeds for a while now,” said Bazemore, who matched the second best speed of his career (Pomona (Calif.) Raceway Opener) today. “Having the new Dodge Stratus body has put us on the next level. It’s a sign of good horsepower and good aerodynamics. We’ve always had the horsepower, and now we have the aerodynamics. I think you’ll see both of these (Schumacher Racing) Dodges running consistently at the top of the mile per hour charts. It’s exciting because that’s one thing this sport is all about is speed.
“We rely so much on the weather conditions to have a good performance like that,” Bazemore added. “The body gives us more leeway in the tune up. When the conditions are good, we can actually reduce the drag and maintain enough downforce to get down the track in a high horsepower car – without smoking the tires. That’s the most important thing. This summer, when the track conditions get worse, my hope is that we’ll be able to significantly increase our downforce -- at the expense of some drag – and still able to run strongly at the other end. And probably still run good mile per hour as well.”
Stanfield Grabs the Sixth-Qualified Slot…
Alderman Moves to Tenth
Greg Stanfield wielded his DBP Enterprises Dodge Neon R/T to the sixth-qualified slot with a 6.794-second elapsed time at 203.09 mph. The Bossier City, La., driver will take on Mark Pawuk in the first round of eliminations.
“I’m pretty pleased with our run,” Stnafield said. “We made our good pass in the right lane too, which isn’t the good lane here. So we’re really tickled with the horsepower that we have. The right lane has a bump in it and I hit it a little sideways. It still made a good run.
“I think lane choice is going to be a big deal tomorrow,” Stanfield continued. “And I have it in round one which is outstanding.”
Three-time POWERade Pro Stock World Champion Darrell Alderman drove his Hemi-powered Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T to the tenth position. He posted a 6.805-second elapsed time at 201.55 mph. Alderman has a round one match with Bruce Allen in the wait.
“We’re really pleased with that run,” Alderman said. “We had a great 60-foot time (.989) and we’re looking forward to tomorrow. Bruce is always a tough one to go up against, but we’re ready for them.
“So far, lane choice I don’t think has been that big of a factor,” Alderman added. “It may be a different story on Sunday, especially if the sun gets out on the track.”
Gene Wilson made two more solid passes in his Mopar Parts Dodge Stratus R/T today, but it wasn’t enough to crack into the top 16. The Adairsville, Ga., resident ran a 6.816-second elapsed time at 202.18 mph during the third session -- placing him 18th.
Mopar Teammate Allen Johnson had a difficult day. Johnson, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T, barely missed qualifying for the show with a 6.824-second lap at 201.94 mph -- set during Friday’s first session.
“These motors are so finicky,” said Johnson, who dropped a valve during today’s third-qualifying session. “You need a couple of runs to tune on them and we didn’t have that today. We made two runs on that motor – and on that second run we tuned it up a little. It still has more left. The other motor we had, we hit it right in the first session, and we didn’t have to change it much. We didn’t get quite so lucky on this engine and it didn’t run as well.”
Mopar’s Larry Morgan failed to make the show in his Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T. He ran a 6.845-second elapsed time at 200.53 mph,.
Carlson Brings Sport Compact Dodge Neon SRT-4 to Chicago…
Mopar NHRA Sport Compact Series racer Shaun Carson brought his Mopar-backed SRT-4 for exhibition passes at this weekend’s Lucas Oil Products NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway.
“This is the first Extreme Rush weekend (at an NHRA national event) for the sport compact cars and drivers,” Carlson said. “For us, it’s a little intimidating having all of the professional racers and fans here. Unfortunately, we really haven’t had time since our Florida event (Gainesville Raceway) to run. We also had to go back to California for the Hot Import Nights event, so we had literally no time to get back out here and got here Saturday morning at 3 a.m.
“We had a new transmission in it, but we had hurt it testing,” Carlson added. “We knew we were going to run into some problems today. We figured we were going to try some new things and if they worked, we were going to run in the seven-second range. Which is something we haven’t done yet. It would be great to do it in front of everyone. Unfortunately we’ve had some problems with the transmission and the springs. It’s actually minor, but we just don’t have the larger springs to run here yet. We’ve been here one time before, and I feel this is one of the nicest tracks in the United States. It’s pretty amazing here. Now that we’ve gone back to our old set up – the one we had in Florida – and now, after our last pass, we should go out there an run pretty well. I think we can run middle to low eights tomorrow. Hopefully it will be GM and us in the final just like it was in Florida.”
David Harris, Cox Marketing Group
Public Relations Manager
Mopar Motorsports
KJ Survives Mad Dash to Start 15th in Joliet
Posted Sunday, June 1, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
The second day of qualifying for the Lucas Oil NHRA Route 66 Nationals was held under markedly cooler temperatures. As a result, Friday's numbers were virtually negated, with the low elapsed time from the first day not quick enough to secure a position in Sunday's final eliminations.
Faced with the challenge of improving or going home, Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Racing team responded, lowering their best performance to 6.814 seconds with a top speed of 202.24 mph. This placed the ACDelco Cavalier fifteenth, with Johnson looking for ways to further increase their performance for race day.
"We're five hundredths and nearly two miles an hour off where we should be. We had changed eingines at the start of the weekend, thinking there was something wrong with it. We put in a motor that had run 6.806 seconds at 203.65 mph in 2100 feet of altitude in Altanta, so we knew it was a good piece, and we couldn't wait to get here and let the clutch out.
"It ran fair on our first two runs yesterday, but when we came out in the better air today, it was definitely off. There's something going on, because Dad's (Warren Johnson) car is off as well. There's something wrong that we have to fix.
"In a way, we feel lucky to be in right now, but we'll work on it tonight, and there's no reason our ACDelco Cavalier can't win the race tomorrow."
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Mechanical Gremlin cuts WJ's Weekend Short in Joliet
Posted Sunday, June 1, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Racers arriving at Route 66 Raceway on Saturday encountered temperatures that were approximately fifteen degrees cooler than they were during the first day of qualifying. For the normally aspirated Pro Stock division, this change virtually guaranteed that there would be a total reshuffling of the sixteen-car field from Friday's opening attempts at the Lucas Oil NHRA Route 66 Nationals.
After posting a best effort of 6.867 seconds on Friday, Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Racing team knew improvement would be necessary to secure their position for race day. Although they were able to better their performance by two hundredths of a second, their 6.847-second, 201.34 mph run from Saturday morning fell shy of making the top sixteen required to qualify.
This marks only the fifth time in 419 races that Johnson will not participate in final eliminations, snapping a qualifying string of 17 races, dating back to last year's event in Sonoma, CA. Johnson holds the longest consecutive Pro Stock qualifying streak at 303 races, which ran from 1987 to 2002.
Within moments after completing his final attempt, Johnson was hard at work, searching for the problem that had affected his car on Saturday.
"There is something in our tune-up which is off-center. Our GM Performance Parts Grand Am had a one flat sixty foot time on that last run, which is as good as anyone out there. Unfortunately, it didn't run well after that.
"Since our performance drop-off came in the middle of the race track, we know our problems are not car-related. Unfortunately, it has affected both my car and Kurt's and, as a result, we are both off about one to two miles per hour on our top speeds.
"Our next step will be to go home, put our engines on the dyno and make sure there is nothing wrong with them. Something generic might have been changed between the two engines, but I find that doubtful. It' certainly something that can be rectified, we just didn't do it here.
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
BAZEMORE GOES FOR GOLD, TAKES NO. 4 IN JOLIET
Posted Sunday, June 1, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
JOLIET, Ill. (May 31, 2003) - Whit Bazemore, paired with his teammate Gary Scelzi, was going for No. 1 position and there was even a chance that he might surpass Scelzi's fastest Funny Car speed of 327.98 mph, in the final round of qualifying for the 10th round of the 23-event POWERade Drag Racing Series at Route 66 Raceway. But the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Funny Car driver fell just short of that goal, yet still clocked in with a quality 4.776-second pass at 325.69 mph, grabbing the No. 4 qualifying position.
In today's first session (only the second qualifying round of the weekend, as one was cancelled yesterday because of rain), Bazemore pulled off a 4.792/323.27 lap.
"We're always trying to have the car perform at its maximum and we took small steps today," he said. "This morning we ran a .79 at 323 mph, but we had a couple of things wrong with the car on that final run. We were actually pretty happy it ran that good considering. We ran .77 and I know I'm disappointed. I think the team is a little disappointed, but it's still an awfully good performance. And the important thing is that I think we have a car and a team that's very competitive for the race tomorrow. "Are we No. 1? No. Are we happy when we're not No. 1? No. But are we very competitive? Yes. So, is that good? Yes. We're in a very good position and there's room for us to improve. The important thing tomorrow is that we continue to run strongly and have a good consistent performance out of the car, out of the team, and out of the driver. We have all the necessary
ingredients to do that. That's our only aim right now: to accomplish that tomorrow and have a good race."
Bazemore was proud of his teammate Scelzi's high-speed pass, yet it
bolstered him to accept it as another challenge. "It's a team effort and those guys deserve it," he said. "They worked hard all year. They've struggled and they realized their potential today and that's what's exciting. And that same potentisl is over here on the Matco Tools side and we're going to work hard to realize it ourselves and try to move them back a notch."
Bazemore has qualified in the top half of the field in each of the 10 races so far, including one No. 1 qualifying position. He is second in points to Tony Pedregon.
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
CANNON CONTINUES HIS QUALIFYING STREAK IN JOLIET
Posted Sunday, June 1, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
JOLIET, Ill. (May 31, 2003) - Driving the Oakley Funny Car, Scotty Cannon has qualified for each of the 10 events of the 2003 POWERade Drag Racing Series so far, collecting the No. 14 spot today with a 4.860-second pass at 298.60 mph in the final round of qualifying for the Lucas Oil NHRA Route 66 Nationals at Route 66 Raceway. In today's second round (only one was held on Friday because of rain), he was on a good run until he smoked the tires, posting a 6.348/137.75.
"We had two good runs going," he said. "We burned a piston one round, smoked the tires one run. We're not making excuses. We're not allowed to go out there and back this thing down and try to get into this field. We've had orders from headquarters to go out there and run it as hard as we can run it every run. And that's what we're doing. Is it the right way of doing it? We'll see at the end of the year. It's not the way everybody does it, but that's the way some of them do it. We'll see what happens.
"(Oakley's Mad Scientist) Jim Jannard wants us to run it hard as we're running it until we learn how to run it hard and fast. And if we don't then we won't."
Cannon has advanced to the second round once this year, and qualified his best of the season, No. 4, in Topeka last week. In final eliminations tomorrow, he will face Gary Densham in the first round.
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
SCELZI IS FASTEST FUNNY CAR DRIVER ON PLANET...AGAIN!
Posted Sunday, June 1, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
JOLIET, Ill. (May 31, 2003) - Gary Scelzi became the fastest Funny Car driver on the planet again, eclipsing his 326.95-mph run at Englishtown, N.J., two weeks ago, with an even faster 327.98-mph pass today. He accomplished this feat in today's second round of qualifying (only one round was held on Friday because of rain). He also claimed his career best elapsed time of 4.782 seconds on that lap, earning him No. 6 qualifying position.
Scelzi, driving the Oakley Time Bomb Dodge Stratus R/T, attempted to back up his speed for a national record in today's final round of qualifying, but was unable to do so, posting a cylinder-dropping 4.908/308.07 in a side-by-side pass against his teammate Whit Bazemore. He still has final eliminations on Sunday in which to back it up for the national record.
The three-time Top Fuel champion who is seeking his first Funny Car win will face Tim Wilkerson in tomorrow's first round of eliminations.
"It's great to be the fastest Funny Car driver again," he said, "but we want the national record. That's the reason Dodge has done what it's done and given us the wind tunnel time and the engineering support. We want to back it up. That's our whole goal.
"In the last run, the backup run, a disc wore at normally more than it should have and it dropped a cylinder. Hence our slow e.t. and slow speed. We just can't get that break to get us over the hump. But that's OK. It's just qualifying. We ran very well. We ran a .78, our personal best. The important thing now is to go out tomorrow and win the race. It should run over 324.70 mph, to back up the record. We're not going to worry about it; it should just do it. And if we can run 4.70 somethings and .80 flats then we've got a good horse to ride into the sunset with, I hope."
When asked if the speed was a surprise, he responded: "It really wasn't. I did a radio show this morning and I said there's a real good chance we could run a 327, even a 328, and so I have witnesses -everybody who was listening into the radio show this morning. So, it wasn't a surprise, because these bodies have been fast all year long. If Bazemore hasn't been fast, we've been fast. So it's been pretty common. A surprise? No. It's nice to have the fastest hot rod in the world."
Crew chief Mike Neff was calm, cool and pleasantly surprised. "It's been going pretty fast here lately," he said, "and we knew if we could get it to go a little faster speed at half track that it should carry that to the finish line. And that's exactly what it did.
"We ran a couple of miles an hour faster to half track than we have been and ran a couple faster on the top end. It's been showing signs of it. We've run fast here lately, so it's a pleasant surprise. We knew it could do it, but you're always still a little shocked to actually see it do it. We're very happy that things are turning around for us. We still have a couple of gremlins here and there that just seem to keep aborting runs for us, but hopefully we're back on the right track and we feel real positive about everything."
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
Anderson Number 1 In Chicago
Posted Sunday, June 1, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
JOLIET, Ill. – Greg Anderson, driver of the Vegas General Construction Pontiac Grand Am will enter eliminations at the 6th annual Lucas Oil Route 66 Nationals in the Number 1 position on the Pro Stock eliminations ladder.
It was in the final session of qualifying where Anderson drove his Grand Am to a 6.761 / 203.58 mph, breaking both the track ET and Speed records on his way to Number 1!
This is the fourth consecutive Number 1 qualifier, and fifth of the season for Anderson.
“After the four in a row you would think I would get used to this,” said Anderson, “but I’ll say it again. This is awesome.
“I keep saying it, but I owe this all to my team. They give me such a great racecar. As good as we are here today, I feel like we could have been better. We left a couple of hundredths on the table every run. Not that I am complaining, but we really could have been quicker.
Crew Chief Rob Downing attributes the success of the Vegas General Construction Pontiac to his team’s work ethic.
“We, as a team, all work very well together,” said Downing of Kearney, Neb. “We have 10 guys working for us, both here at the track and in the shop. We are fortunate to have 10 equally dedicated and hard working team members, who are all working toward a common goal. That is very hard to find in this sport, and I believe that key to our success so far this season.
“This team works hard every day to be better. Our motor shop is building great horsepower. Earlier this season we felt the car was not as good as our motors. We set to work on making the car move and react better. We turned a corner with the car in Atlanta, and it has all come together since that time.”
Anderson Quick Facts
Currently #1 in 2003 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Points
Won 2003 Checks Shucks Kragen Nationals in Phoenix, Ariz.
Won 2003 Summitracing.com Nationals in Las Vegas, Nev.
Won 2003 K&N Filters SuperNationals in Englishtown, NJ
Runner-Up at 2003 Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Ga.
Two Semis final round appearances in 2003 (Pomona 1 & Gainesville)
Finished 3rd 2002 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Points
Career Best ET 6.67 (Englishtown 2003) **
Career Best Speed 207.17 (Englishtown 2003) **
**National Records
VEGAS GENERAL CONSTRUCTION PONTIAC GRAND AM
GREG ANDERSON – DRIVER
KEN BLACK – OWNER
CONTACT: Patti Miles
Whisnant Misses The Field In Chicago
Posted Sunday, June 1, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
JOLIET, Ill. – Mark Whisnant, driver of the RW Performance / Snap-On Tools Chevrolet Cavalier, will miss the 6th annual Lucas Oil Route 66 Nationals in Chicago, Ill.
Whisnant, who struggled all weekend with a number of mechanical failures, needed to run a 6.831 in the last session of qualifying to make the race. In the fourth session, Whisnant made his best lap of the weekend. Whisnant ran a 6.833 / 200.20 mph and miss the show my .002 of a second.
“We just cannot get a break this weekend,” said Whisnant of Stockbridge, Ga. “If it could go wrong this weekend it did. We broke a driveline, and a transmission. Coming into the last session, we thought we had enough to qualify. It has been cold and over cast all day, but wouldn’t you know it, when it was our turn to run the sun came out. We can’t get a break.”
Whisnant Quick Facts
Currently 16th in 2003 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Points
Finished 10th 2002 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Points
RW PERFORMANCE PRO STOCK CHEVY CAVALIER
MARK WHISNANT – DRIVER
REID WHISNANT – OWNER
CONTACT: Patti Miles
Schumacher, Force, Anderson, and Hahn Lead Qualifying at the NHRA POWERade Lucas Oil Route 66 Nationals
Posted Sunday, June 1, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Tony Schumacher lays down a career best ( ET ) 4.512 @ 326.16 in the U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster to qualify #1 at his home track. Team owner Don Schumacher's recent hiring of crew chief Alan Johnson proved to be a very wise decision. Doug Kalitta (#2) and Larry Dixon (#3) were close behind with respective runs of 4.520 @ 329.26 and 4.550 @ 328.86. South Carolina's Rhonda Hartman-Smith ran a 4.562 @ 316.23 to qualify #6 and become the quickest ever female Top Fuel Driver. John Smith ( Rhonda's husband ) qualified #4 with a 4.556 @ 325.77. Quite a weekend ( so far ) for the Virgil Hartman owned Fram and Prestone teams!
John Force set an all-time low ET and National Record for funny cars with his #1 qualifying 4.721 @ 325.30. Gary Scelzi sets another all-time fastest speed while qualifying #6 in his Dodge Stratus with a
4.782 @ 327.98. Whit Bazemore qualifies his Dodge in the #4 spot with a 4.776 @ 325.69. Team Force locked up the first three positions with Tony Pedregon (#2 - 4.756 @ 309.34 ) and Gary Densham (#3 - 4.773 @ 322.88 ) close behind their boss. Team Schumacher's Scotty Cannon also makes the field with a 14th best 4.860 @ 298.60.
Greg Anderson continues his Pro Stock domination, qualifying #1 with a 6.761 @ 203.58 in his Pontiac Grand Am. Scott Geoffrion just missed the top spot with a second best 6.768 @ 203.71 in his Ford Escort. Georgia Pro Stock racers Barry Grant ( #9 - 6.798 @ 202.15 ), Terry Adams ( #14- 6.809 @ 202.58 ), and Kurt Johnson ( #15 - 6.814 @ 202.24 ) make the program while Gene Wilson ( #18 - 6.816 @ 202.18 ), Mark Whisnant( #21 -6.833 @ 200.02 ), and Warren Johnson (#27 - 6.847 @ 201.34 ) are not quick enough to qualify.
Geno Scali qualifies #1 in Pro Stock Bike with a 7.139 @ 186.36. Georgia's Fred Collis is 4th quickest at 7.144 @ 185.77 and Angelle Savoie turns in a 5th best 7.175 @ 182.28. Three Harley Davidsons make the field for the first time in history.
Fred Hahn is #1 in Pro Mod with his Corvette at 6.128 @ 230.76.
NHRA Saturday Recap
Georgia Pro Stock Racer Charlie Peppers Qualifies 15th at the Hooters IHRA Mopar Performance Parts Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol
Posted Sunday, June 1, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Charlie Peppers ( Auburn, GA ) qualified his Pro Stock Ford Mustang in the 15th position with a 6.627 @ 210.42.
IHRA Results
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