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Sometimes, David may have some additional photos he'd like to share that don't get linked into the main site. If you'd like to see them, check out his Photos on Imagestation.com or in our new Photo Album.
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
Charlie Peppers Currently Qualified #11 in Pro Stock at the Hooters IHRA Mopar Performance Parts Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol
Posted Saturday, May 31, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Charlie Peppers (Auburn, GA) posted an 11th best 6.627 @ 210.42 in his '02 Ford Mustang Pro Stocker.
IHRA Results
Allen Johnson Grabs Provisional Number One - Could Be a First for the Tennessee Resident
Posted Saturday, May 31, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
JOLIET, Ill. (May 30, 2003) – Mopar’s Allen Johnson has grabbed the provisional No. 1 position after the first day of qualifying for this weekend’s Lucas Oil Products NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway.
Johnson, 43, has never collected the top spot in qualifying, but his Hemi-powered Dodge Neon R/T drove through the traps with a 6.824-second elapsed time at 201.94 mph. His speed is also number one thus far.
“I feels real good about our runs today,” Johnson said. “It’s the first time I’ve ever led qualifying after the first day. Weather is supposed to change for tomorrow – so we’re going to see if we can hang on. But we’ll take it for now.
“Both runs were awesome and were at the top of the qualifying page,” Johnson added. “The engine is really accelerating well this weekend. It’s such a great race track and that’s why you’re seeing the great times. I think these Hemi engines will run well in any conditions – and it’s just been a matter of learning how to tune them. We ran on Monday out in Topeka (Kan.) and it was really fast then. Unfortunately that didn’t count.”
The Greeneville, Tenn., resident made a final-round appearance at the season-opening Winternationals at Pomona (Calif.) Raceway. Johnson joined Mopar’s factory program at the beginning of the 2003 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series season – and is going after a third career national event victory.
A factory Mopar car also picked up the No. 1 qualifier the last time the NHRA visited Route 66 Raceway, as 2002 Rookie of the Year Gene Wilson nabbed his first-career top qualifier last fall.
Teammate Darrell Alderman, a three-time POWERade Pro Stock World Champion, didn’t fare as well. The Morehead, Ky., resident is on the outside looking in after the first two sessions. He ran a 6.922-second elapsed 199.85 mph.
“We were just trying to get data on that second run,” said Alderman, who missed the first round of qualifying due to a broken wheelie bar. “We’re going to have to tune it up a little bit for tomorrow. The car didn’t feel bad out there, but I think we’ll lean it down a bit for the third session.”
Wilson was positive about his second qualifying effort, despite not placing his Mopar Parts Dodge Stratus R/T into the top 16. The Georgia resident logged a 6.898-second elapsed time at 200.08 mph.
“We made an awesome run on that last one,” Wilson said. “It felt really nice, unfortunately, it was done with the air pretty bad. It was three or four hundred feet worse than it was for the first run. It wasn’t conducive to making a run good enough to get into the field. Nonetheless, we have the car where it needs to be. We’re going to have some nice air tomorrow, so we think we can get into the show. We have a real good baseline for tomorrow and I feel real good.”
Larry Morgan and his Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T were unable to make the top 16. His best pass of the weekend is at 6.912 seconds and 199.55 mph.
David Harris, Cox Marketing Group
Public Relations Manager
Mopar Motorsports
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
davidh@coxmarketinggroup.com
(704) 799-2114 – office
(704) 756-9301 - mobile
KJ Places Fourth on Friday in Joliet
Posted Saturday, May 31, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Qualifying for the Lucas Oil NHRA Route 66 Nationals got underway today, and Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Racing team continued to be among the top performers in the extremely competitive division. Based on his 6.848-second, 201.82 mph run on Friday afternoon, Johnson's ACDelco Cavalier sits in the fourth position heading into Saturday's final two time trials.
"Even though we're fourth, we really didn't run as fast as we should have. I believe we should have been a couple hundredths quicker than we were, so we'll change a few things around for tomorrow, trying to fine-tune it.
"Of our two runs today, we're more pleased with our second attempt, because we made a change to the suspension for the first time since Houston, and the ACDelco Cavalier responded the way we wanted it to, picking up the performance in the first sixty feet.
"The forecast is calling for cooler temperatures tomorrow, so we'll look to adapt to the conditions, because the field could be turned upside down, with the morning session being the one shot to make it in the show."
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Phone: (704) 662-3121
jgknapp@tmgsports.net
Friday Qualifying Results
WJ Sits Tenth Midway Through Route 66 Qualifying
Posted Saturday, May 31, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
The Lucas Oil NHRA Route 66 Nationals represent only the second race that Warren Johnson has raced his current GM Performance Parts Grand Am. Therefore, each run down the track provides the team with valuable information, allowing them to get a better handle on what the car needs to perform.
After trying a new set-up on the car on their first attempt which produced a 6.880-second, 201.22 mph effort, the team made the necessary adjustments and responded with a 6.867-second, 200.53 mph run on their second attempt, placing them tenth heading into the final two time trials on Saturday. As Johnson, explained, it was simply part of the procedure when dealing with a new car.
"We made a change to the car for the first run, and it ended up being more drastic than we thought it would be. Therefore, we went back to a known set-up for the second session, and were the fifth quickest car in that round. So, theoretically, we could have been qualified fifth instead of tenth, but we'll take today's information and move forward. It's all part of the learning process with this GM Performance Parts Grand Am."
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Phone: (704) 662-3121
jgknapp@tmgsports.net
Kalitta, Force, A. Johnson, Savoie , and Ashley Lead Qualifying at the NHRA POWERade Lucas Oil Route 66 Nationals:
Posted Saturday, May 31, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
NHRA Friday Recap
Whit Bazemore is #3 in Funny Car with a 4.839 @ 321.96.
In Pro Stock, KJ is #4, Terry Adams is #6, and WJ is #10. Barry Grant (#17), Gene Wilson (#22), and Mark Whisnant (#27) aren't in the program after two qualifying sessions.
Fred Collis is currently #5 in Pro Stock Bike.
“Freight Train” Roars into Bowling Green for First Ever National Hot Rod Reunion
Posted Friday, May 30, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Historic twin-engined race car coming from California to
participate in huge hot rod gathering benefiting the
Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Event Director: Bob Daniels, 352/326-5377, bedaniels53@aol.com
Sam Jackson, Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, 909/622-3454, sjackson@nhra.com
Greg Sharp, Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, 909/622-2735, gregsh@nhra.com
Media: Bill Groak, PCG, 310/224-4940, bgroak@paccomgrp.com
POMONA, Calif. – (June 2, 2003) – One of the most famous and winning front-engined dragsters of all-time is coming to the inaugural Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green on June 20-22. The “Freight Train,” in all its configurations, won victories at four National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) national events and countless independent meets. The car is credited with turning the first 180-, 190- and 200 mph speeds on gasoline and raced over 1700 times in 24 states from 1960 until the car’s retirement in 1972.
Freight Train will join dozens of other classic and historic drag racing cars that will participate at the National Hot Rod Reunion, a celebration of racing and hot rods as they were in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. The twin-engined car was initially built, by John Peters and Nye Frank, in response to the NHRA’s controversial fuel ban (1957-1963). Top Eliminator racers turned to multiple power-plants to compensate for being unable to use nitro-methane fuel. The car’s best performance was a 6.95 second elapsed time at 211 miles per hour.
“We are very pleased and excited to be able to bring the Freight Train to the National Hot Rod Reunion,” said John Peters of California, owner and restorer of the vintage racer. “It’s been many years since the car has been seen in the East and its going to be a blast to fire it up for the folks out there. And, we’re bringing along one of the car’s original drivers, Roy ‘Goob’ Tuller from Tulsa. We can hardly wait.”
“The National Hot Rod Reunion is all about reliving the sights and sounds of drag racing as it used to be. It’s a chance for people to see the cars and people that made history,” said Sam Jackson, executive director of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. “The ‘Freight Train’ is a very important part of that history, and a fan favorite, so it’s going to be very exciting when the car is push started, roars to life and participates in the Saturday evening Cacklefest. It’s an experience people won’t forget.”
Produced by the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, presented by DuPont Automotive Finishes, will include Crane Cams nostalgic drag racing in such classes at Top Fuel, Supercharged Gassers, classic Funny Cars and Super Stocks, along with a giant street rod, customs, classics and muscle car SoffSeal “show ‘n’ shine,” swap meet for classic car and racing parts, special stage show and has a separate amusement park with rides and games for all ages adjacent to the park.
Bob Glidden, winner of 10 NHRA Pro-Stock Championships and 85 National events in his 30 years of racing, will serve as Grand Marshal of the event. The honorees are Jack Chisenhall, Angelo Giampetroni, Raymond Godman, Ken Hirata and the team of Robert Frakes & Dale Funk. Don “Big Daddy” Garlits is the Spotlight Award recipient.
Many of the popular features of the annual NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion event will also be present in Bowling Green, including the all-time favorite “Cacklefest.” This involves early-days-style front-engine dragsters being push-started, then all gathered together on the drag strip with engines running.
The Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, presented by DuPont Automotive Refinishes, will also cater to car clubs, with special contests and activities for clubs. Proceeds of the Reunion benefit the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. The museum houses the very roots of hot rodding. Scores of famous vehicles spanning American motorsports history are on display, including winning cars representing 50 years of drag racing, dry lakes and salt-flat racers, oval track challengers and exhibits describing their colorful backgrounds.
Reunion information is available online at www.nhra.com/museum or by mail. To receive updated information, prospective participants should send a post card or note to National Hot Rod Reunion, P.O. Box 2345, Pomona, Calif. 91769. Or you can call 909/622-8562 for further Reunion details.
The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., PST, with extended hours during NHRA national events. Current NHRA members are admitted free. Admission for non-members is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors 60 and older, $3 for juniors six through 15, and free for children under the age of five. The Museum is also available for private parties, meetings, corporate events, weddings and special group tours. The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is located at Fairplex Gate 1, 1101 W. McKinley Ave. in Pomona. For further information on special exhibits, museum events or directions, call 909/622-2133 or visit www.nhra.com/museum.
Inaugural Rte. 66 Funny Car Champion Bazemore Aims to Repeat
Posted Friday, May 30, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
JOLIET, Ill. -- When Route 66 Raceway opened its doors to NHRA Drag Racing in 1998, it was Whit Bazemore who made it into the record books by winning the inaugural Funny Car event against Del Worsham. Bazemore won again in 2001 and still holds the Funny Car elapsed time (4.750 seconds) and top-speed track records (325.45 mph) here, as the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series hosts the Lucas Oil NHRA Route 66 Nationals this weekend.
"Route 66 is a great track," says Bazemore, who has reached the semifinal round in all but one event so far this year, as well as four final rounds (one win) and is second in points. "It's a fantastic facility. It's one of the showcase facilities on the tour. I enjoy the kind of place where the track owners take great pride in their business and do things the right way. I actually feel good going to a place where our sport can be proud.
"We've done well here," the driver of the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car adds. "That has no bearing on the future, obviously. But having won the inaugural race is something that doesn't go away. When you walk in you can kind of feel like you own it a little bit, which is cool."
Recalling that race, Bazemore says, "It was good. It was a great day. We slayed them. That's how it went. I drove well, I remember that. They gave us special rings. It was a great win."
Route 66 is also home track for team owner Don Schumacher, who heads Schumacher Electric, located in Mt. Prospect. Ill. "The key is we like the track and it's Don Schumacher's home track," says Bazemore. "So it's an important race for him. It was exciting winning there in 2001 with Schumacher's team and it's a great place to show off for him because he has a lot of friends and family coming to the race. That makes it even more exciting than ever when we do well here."
Bazemore, winner in Englishtown, N.J., and his Lee Beard-led team have been consistent and strong all season, and would like to knock points leader Tony Pedregon off the podium not only in the standings but in the race as well. "We've had a good two races," says Bazemore. "Two final rounds in a row and one win is very positive. I think it says everything about our team and how good the team is and what we're trying to accomplish.
"Right now we're just a little tiny bit behind performance-wise of the other car in the lead. I know that Lee and our guys are working very, very hard to get on that level. We're very close. We're not even at the part of the year where we normally are very strong, so in that regard it's awfully exciting being where we are right now."
Doing well is not only rewarding, but it's also fun for the Indianapolis resident. "Our intention is to win," adds Bazemore, two-time U.S. Nationals champion. "We're in a position where we have high expectations and we know we're able to achieve our expectations. We need to, and we will. But at the same time our team is having a lot of fun. It's a very relaxed atmosphere within the team. I think that's really good, because it's easy to get wrapped up in fighting for a championship, and getting all stressed out, but we're not going to do that.
"I think that's one of the reasons we're being successful right now. Everybody is really relaxed. We're enjoying our racing. I know I am. I think that's really important."
Courtesy of Judy Stropus
Driver Safety Takes a Front Seat with Warren Johnson
Posted Thursday, May 29, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Seat in WJ's new GM Performance Parts Grand Am features revolutionary design
SUGAR HILL, GA., May 27, 2003 - When people think of Warren Johnson, the first thing that comes to mind is horsepower. Over the last twenty-seven years, Johnson-powered race cars have set countless records, won well over a hundred races and six NHRA Pro Stock championships. The 2003 POWERade season has been no different, as Warren and his son Kurt arrive at Route 66 Raceway for the Lucas Oil Nationals having set seven track records as well as winning five of the first nine races, with each in contention for this year's title.
It is somewhat ironic, therefore, that the one feature drawing the most attention on WJ's new GM Performance Parts Grand Am has no direct influence on the vehicle's performance. However, as "The Professor" explains, the revolutionary seat that made its debut last weekend in Topeka is the result of his work in another area of extreme personal interest.
"From day one I have looked at ways to make these cars safer," stated Johnson. "My first approach came as a result of my witnessing a fatality in Baton Rouge many years ago, after which I incorporated a funny car style roll cage designed to keep the driver contained inside the car.
"Since then, we've made other changes, leading up to the production of this seat. I've studied many NASCAR films, dating back to Bobby Allison's accident in Pocono, and realized there had to be a better way to protect the driver other than just surrounding him with a lot of pipe. We needed to prevent the body from decelerating instantly, which is where many of the injuries occur.
"Working with a gentleman who builds seats for the IRL and CART, we came up with the prototypical design found in our new GM Performance Parts Grand Am. It has the dual purpose of holding the driver in place while absorbing some of the energy of the impact. This is strictly a safety issue - something designed to protect the driver. Although the R&D nature of this initial offering accounts for its astronomical price, we're hoping to make it more affordable in the near future.
"As Brandon Bernstein's unfortunate incident in Englishtown showed us, it's an area that I believe needs to be addressed in all classes. Certainly his was an unusual impact, hitting on the bottom as it did, but nevertheless, he probably could have benefited from a seat that dissipated the energy more than simple tubing."
The unusual shape of Johnson's form-fitting, carbon-fiber seat has already earned it several nicknames, such as the "Jacuzzi" (courtesy of Warren's son Kurt) and the "Barcalounger". However, as any competitor will quickly agree, driver safety is always a prime concern.
"We're dealing with 2,350-pound cars traveling at well over 200 mph, and we don't have the luxury of having the extra thousand pounds of tubing of the Winston Cup cars around us," stated Johnson. "I have always made safety a top priority, and over the years I have made many subtle changes to my cars that are strictly in that area.
"Ironically, my competitors will see something different and immediately assume it's to enhance the performance. Naturally, we are always looking at that aspect, but first and foremost, you build a safe race car. That's what we've done with this new GM Performance Parts Grand Am."
Facts on Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Racing Team entering
the Lucas Oil Route 66 NHRA Nationals:
* WJ leads the pack at Route 66: This will be Warren's eighth NHRA Pro Stock national event appearance at Route 66 Raceway, where he has accumulated two wins (1999, 2001) in three final round appearances, while compiling a 13-5 elimination round record. Incidentally, WJ is the only driver with more than one win in Joliet. In addition, he was the No. 1 qualifier at the inaugural event in 1998.
* One year ago: WJ qualified sixth for the spring Chicago race with an elapsed time of 6.881 seconds and a top speed of 201.31 mph (which was the top speed of the weekend), 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 ninth of 23 events, WJ stands third in the 2003 POWERade points standings with 676 points, 134 behind current leader Anderson, and trails second place Kurt Johnson by 103 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
Phone: (704) 662-3121
jgknapp@tmgsports.net
Kurt Johnson is Ready to Wrap Up the "Spring Swing" with a Win
Posted Thursday, May 29, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Phone: (704) 662-3121
jgknapp@tmgsports.net
ACDelco Cavalier driver looks forward to celebrating at home with his family
SUGAR HILL, GA., May 27, 2003 - This weekend, the NHRA's POWERade Drag Racing Series makes its way to Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, IL for the Lucas Oil Route 66 Nationals. This event will complete a period in which the straight-line contingent will have run three races in as many weeks. It is the first true test of a team's championship mettle, as both positive and negative results can easily multiply during this compacted part of the schedule.
Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco racing team continue to stake their claim for the 2003 title, as their Cavalier remains among the top performers in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock category, with three wins and five final round appearances in the first nine races. Fresh off a runner-up performance in Topeka, Johnson arrives in the Land of Lincoln aware of the demands created by this hectic racing trifecta, and both he and his crew are fully prepared to handle them.
"Any way you look at it, racing on three consecutive weekends is tough," opined Johnson. "Fortunately, we're in a better position than most of our competitors. Our ACDelco Cavalier has been performing well, the crew is really clicking, and we're going rounds on a consistent basis, which certainly makes it easier.
"The hardest part of these back-to-back races is being away from your family. Between traveling and working on the car, you barely have time to go home, unpack and do the laundry before you're getting ready to leave again. It's the one part of racing that you never get used to, but you learn to live with it. For example, we have a weekend off after this race that we're all looking forward to, but our focus right now is on winning in Joliet."
One factor that may lessen the team's list of concerns is the site of this weekend's race. Route 66 Raceway has been hailed as one of the sport's top facilities since joining the NHRA tour in 1998. Located in Joliet, IL, the unique horseshoe design of the tower and grandstands offers fans a distinctive view of the on-track action, while the racing surface draws praise from the competitors, including K.J., who currently holds the track elapsed time and top speed records.
"I've always enjoyed racing at Route 66 Raceway," stated Johnson. "The racing surface is pretty good, and you can't say enough about the overall facility, which is one of the best on the circuit.
"Although we're still looking for our first win in Joliet, it's a track where we seem to run well. We had one of our better showings there last fall, advancing to the semi-finals. We actually felt like we could have won that race, as we lost by only a couple thousandths. The way our ACDelco Cavalier has been running this year, we're looking forward to going back. I'm ready for a win."
Facts on Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Racing Team entering the
Lucas Oil Route 66 NHRA Nationals:
* KJ in Joliet: This will be Kurt's eighth appearance at Route 66 Raceway, where he has two semi-final finishes. In addition, he was the No.1 qualifier twice, in 1999 and at the fall race of 2001.
* Route 66 Raceway Record Holder: Kurt holds both ends of the Route 66 Raceway track record at 6.801 seconds and 202.70 mph, which he set in September of 2001.
* Traveling in Elite Company: Kurt's 26 national event victories tie him with legendary Pro Stock driver Lee Shepherd for 15th on the all-time NHRA professional win list, and fifth in the Pro Stock Career Victories. Kurt's most recent win came at last month's Mac Tools NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, TN.
* POWERade Points standings: After the ninth of 23 events, Kurt is in second place with 779 points, 31 behind current leader Greg Anderson, and 103 ahead of his father, Warren Johnson, who is in third. Kurt finished sixth in 2002, his tenth consecutive Top 10 finish.
* One year ago: Kurt qualified 15th with an elapsed time of 6.896 seconds and a top speed of 200.23 mph, but fell in the first round.
* Winning percentage: Kurt's .639 elimination round winning percentage (321-181) 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
Event schedule:
Qualifying: Friday, May 30: Two sessions at 4:00 & 6:15 p.m.
Saturday, May 31: Two sessions at 11:00 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.
Eliminations: Sunday, June 1: Pre-race ceremonies - 10 a.m.
First round of eliminations - 11:00 a.m.
TV Schedule:
Qualifying Highlights: Saturday, May 31: 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. (ESPN)
Final Eliminations Coverage: Sunday, June 1: 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
NHRA2Day: Sunday, June 1: 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
Phone: (704) 662-3121
jgknapp@tmgsports.net
SCOTTY CANNON AND ROUTE 66 HAPPY TOGETHER
Posted Thursday, May 29, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
JOLIET, Ill. (May 28, 2003) - Oakley Funny Car driver Scotty Cannon and
Route 66 Raceway have a happy relationship, and Cannon is eager to get back
on the track that's been good to him in recent years for the Lucas Oil NHRA
route 66 Nationals this weekend and the 10th round of the 23-event POWERade
Drag Racing Series.
Route 66 Raceway is where Cannon posted his career-best elapsed time of
4.783 seconds in the first event here in 2001. It's also where he was
runner-up last year, against Del Worsham.
"It's been pretty good to me," says the popular Mohawk-wearing driver from
Lyman, S.C. "It's a real good track. If the weather is permitting I wouldn't
be surprised if you don't see some people break the world record this
weekend. It wouldn't surprise me one bit."
Cannon's new team is buoyed by its performance last week in Heartland Park
Topeka, where Cannon qualified No. 4 with a solid 4.81-second pass, although
he was ousted in the first round after losing a cylinder early on. Always
aiming to improve their performance, Cannon and his crew, led by crew chief
Phil Shuler, tested in Topeka the following Monday.
"What we had done starting in Englishtown," Cannon explains, "was we
actually changed the way we were running the motor in the car, because we
didn't feel that the way we were running it it was capable of running .70s
or real low .80s easy. We hadn't really had much success with the tune-up
that we had. So we changed it and in doing so we had to change the clutch
combination.
"The Topeka race showed some promised. We actually went an .81," he adds.
"So first round Sunday we dropped a hole (cylinder) because we had a little
bit too much fuel in it with the way we were running the clutch. So we
tested on Monday and the car made three good runs. We were just trying to go
300 or 400 foot to make sure we had the fuel system right, and the car made
three excellent runs.
"If we can take what we learned in the last couple of races and apply it
here at Joliet, it should run good. We did run an .81, so we know that the
car actually has enough horsepower to run up front with the big dogs. We
just have to make sure we can get the clutch right. That's the area where
we're really focusing on right now, is the bell housing."
Pro Nitro qualifying is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Friday, May
30. On Saturday, May 31, Pro Nitro qualifying continues at 12:30 p.m. and
3:30 p.m. Final eliminations on Sunday, June 1, begin at 11:00 a.m.
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus 203-438-0501; cell 203-243-2438
Whisnant Hopes To Turn His Season Around in Chicago
Posted Wednesday, May 28, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
JOLIET, Ill. – Mark Whisnant, driver of the RW Performance / Snap-On Tools Pro Stock Chevrolet Cavalier, feels good about this weekends 6th annual Lucas Oil Route 66 Nationals in Chicago, Ill. Whisnant, who has struggled as of late, feels he is on the brink of a performance turn around.
"I feel pretty good coming into this race," said Whisnant of Stockbridge, Ga. "We have not been running very well lately, but I feel like all that is about to change.
"We have been inching up in it. We get better with every run. Last weekend we qualified 13th, and then lost to Taylor Lastor in the first round. We lost not because we made a bad run, but because Taylor made a career run. That is encouraging and frustrating all at the same time.
"On Monday we tested in Topeka. We seemed to be moving in the right direction. We ran the same numbers as everyone else who tested there. That tells us that we are in the ballpark. All indicators say that we are headed in the right direction. Now we need to finesse and fine tune.
"I have a good car, and a great team. Now I just need the breaks to fall my way, and I think we can come out of Chicago looking good."
Qualifying at the 6th annual Lucas Oil Route 66 Nationals in Chicago, Ill., will start on Friday May 30 and finish on Saturday May 31, Eliminations will take begin at 11:00 AM CST on Sunday June 1.
RW PERFORMANCE PRO STOCK CHEVY CAVALIER
MARK WHISNANT – DRIVER
REID WHISNANT – OWNER
CONTACT: Patti Miles
336-751-3882
704-957-3940 (Mobile)
pattie.miles@worldnet.att.net
# # #
Whisnant Quick Facts
Currently 16th in 2003 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Points (260 points)
Finished 10th 2002 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Points
Career Best ET 6.772 (Houston 2003)
Career Best MPH 202.73 (Englishtown 2002)
Anderson Looking For A Three-peat In Chicago
Posted Wednesday, May 28, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
VEGAS GENERAL CONSTRUCTION PONTIAC GRAND AM
GREG ANDERSON – DRIVER KEN BLACK – OWNER
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 27, 2003
CONTACT: Patti Miles 336-751-3882
704-957-3940 (Mobile) pattie.miles@worldnet.att.net
Anderson Looking For A Three-peat In Chicago
JOLIET, Ill. – Greg Anderson, driver of the Vegas General Construction Pontiac Grand Am, arrives in Chicago for the running of the 6th annual Lucas Oil Route 66 Nationals trying to extend his winning streak. Anderson, who has won Pro Stock at the last two NHRA POWERade events, would like to complete the hat trick and record third race win in a row this weekend in the windy city.
At this event last year, Anderson lost control of his car in qualifying. At the finish line the Vegas General Construction ride turned over and slid down the top end of the racetrack. Anderson did qualify for the race, and went through two rounds of eliminations before loosing to Bruce Allen on race day.
"I think I will be all right as long as I can keep the car on four wheels," said Anderson of Charlotte, NC. "Last year I went for a wild ride, and I turned the car over on the top end. It turned out all right, but I would prefer not to do that again this year.
"This Route 66 Raceway can be very fast. If the weather cooperates and it is cool like they are saying it is supposed to be, we could see some records broken again at this race.
"I think we will do well again this weekend. We struggled a little bit last Sunday, but this car works so well at every track we go to, that I am sure we will be all right. Between this car, and the team I have backing me up in the pits; I do not have any worries.
Qualifying at the 6th annual Lucas Oil Route 66 Nationals in Chicago, Ill., will start on Friday May 30 and finish on Saturday May 31, Eliminations will take begin at 11:00 AM CST on Sunday June 1.
Anderson Quick Facts
Currently #1 in 2003 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Points (810 points)
Won 2003 Checks Shucks Kragen Nationals in Phoenix, Ariz.
Won 2003 Summitracing.com Nationals in Las Vegas, Nev.
Won 2003 K & N Filter SuperNationals in Englishtown, NJ
Won 2003 O’Reilly Summer Nationals in Topeka, Kan.
Runner-up at 2003 Summit Racing Equipment 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 6.670 (Englishtown 2003)*
Career Best Mile Per Hour 207.18 mph (Englishtown 2003)*
* National records
6th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Route 66 Nationals
TV Schedule
Qualifying Highlights
Saturday May 31 8:00 – 10:00 PM EST ESPN
Eliminations Coverage
Sunday June 1 7:00 – 10:00 PM EST ESPN2
Repeat Eliminations Coverage
Tuesday June 3 2:30 – 4:30 PM EST ESPN2
Sunday June 8 6:00 – 8:00 PM EST ESPN2
Stone Mountain Harley Davidson Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway Results by Tim Glover
Posted Tuesday, May 27, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
TURNER NEARLY DOUBLES UP IN PRO DRAG AND TOP FUEL AT STONE MOUNTAIN HARLEY DAVIDSON SOUTHERN NATIONALS
By Tim Glover
(Commerce, GA - May 23-25) Three hundred plus motorcycle racers brought their Harleys to Atlanta Dragway this weekend for the Stone Mountain Harley-Davidson Southern Nationals, and All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA) event. Wet conditions forced the canceling of Friday's test and tune session, but Saturday and Sunday's action was full throttle, with partly cloudy skies. Some new records were set, with David Feazell of Hudson, IN setting both ends of the Pro Stock record with a 7.385 second blast at 181.79mph, and Street Pro racer Travis Lummus setting a new low ET
of 9.163 seconds in his class.
Harley racing is not just a guy thing. Two lady racers took the top spot in their class today. York, PA racer Wanda Poff won Super Sport and Julia Holliday from North Springfield, PA took top honors in Super Eliminator. Kids also had their chance to enjoy the spotlight with Junior Drag bikes. They were divided into two classes by age, Indian of Blackfoot Junior
Juniors and Jims Junior Senior class.
Riders representing the Christian Motorcycle Association had their booth near the starting line gate on the manufacturer's midway, passing on their message about God. Their motto is "Riding for the Son". The manufacturer's midway was a Harley enthusiast's dream. In addition to numerous leather items, metal art and chrome accessories, dozens of customized Harleys were on sale by the weekend's sponsor, Stone Mountain Harley-Davidson, who is the
sole Georgia agent for Thunder Mountain Customs. Stone Mountain Harley owners Lorrie and Greg Becker brought new, used and custom Harleys to the track, all available to anyone willing to buy. Even the spectator's parking areas looked like a Motorcycle show, with hundreds of customized Harleys. One of the attention getters was "Hanna's Hoss", a Boss Hoss Harley conversion powered by a small block Chevy engine.
Fans were also treated to several Top Fuel Funny Car (TF/FC) passes. Richard Hartman (Top Fuel Dragster racer Rhonda Hartman's brother) was making license passes in the car owned by Pat Kelley. Hartman is helping them get involved in TF/FC, and after he earns his license, will help Pat's son, Alan Kelley, learn how to drive and compete in the Top Fuel Funny Car.
Goshen, OH racer Steve Stordeur took out his boss, Johhny Mancuso, in the Screamin' Eagle Nitro Harley Top Fuel class semi-finals, and then faced Jay Turner from Whitsett, NC in final round action. Stordeur's '01 Weekend bike laid down a stout 6.58, 209.23mph in the final, taking out Turner's game 6.69, 185.56mph. Turner had the lead for nearly 1000 feet, but a recurring problem caused his '99 Dixie to "lay over" on the top end, allowing Stordeur
to cross the finish line first. Turner's team stayed extremely busy because he was also entered in Pro Fuel with another bike.
Larry "Drums" Brancaccio ('02 Harley - Nutley, NJ) and Johnny Mancuso ('00 Weekend - Houston, TX) were the semifinalists. "This is a big financial boost for Johnny (Mancuso). The bike's been really consistent until this last pass," added Stordeur.
Jay Turner's crew may have been tired, but their weekend efforts were not only rewarded with a Top Fuel runner up. Turner began his Jims Pro Fuel weekend by earning a slot in the Pro Fuel six second club on his '02 Dixie with a a 6.987 at 195.70 mph. He kept up the pace the rest of the weekend,topping it off with a 7.04, 195.70 final round win against Chris Streeter's Cleveland, OH based '99 Weekend, which was right there with a 7.09, 183.70.
Jim Doyle ('01 Profuel - Springfield, PA) was one of the
semifinalists. Sam White from Columbia, SC suffered breakage with his '02 Harley, and was unable to make the call for the semis. "It's a hard day," Turner commented about his eight competition passes down the track.
S&S Pro Stock racer Dirk Higgins from Kirby, OH wasn't worried about his opponent David Feazell's new record. "I had my own game plan. Cut a light and try to go as straight as I could go," Higgins said after his 7.52, 171.25mph on an '01 FXR beat Feazell's 7.54, 171.31mph on a '99 Sportster in the final. Dale Raudenbush ('01 Buell - Old Zionsville, PA) and Matt Guidera ('02 Buell - Roseville, CA) were the Pro Stock semifinal pair. Higgins then noted this was the first race he ever ran with fuel injection.
It's a safe bet he is happy with his crew chief.
St. Pete, FL racer Chuck Jones displayed a great amount of sportsmanship today in Kresto Pro Drag. During the semis, Billy Counts from College Station, TX and his boss, Russ Welch (also from College Station, TX) had to rerun (Counts beat the boss), which put Counts way off schedule. Twenty minutes after the other finals were complete, Counts was able to make his final round appearance. Jones said he wasn't worried in the least. "These racers are my friends, and I race with them all year. I'm in this for the big picture. I'll wait another hour if I need to." As things turned out, Counts anticipated the tree too much in the final on his '94 Furr, and lit
up the big red bulb on the starting line. He went on to a 8.54, 121.37, which fell short of Jones' strong 7.64, 165.07 on an '03 Harley. Booger Smith ('02 Prodrag - North Carolina) and Russ Welch ('00 Harley - College Station, TX) were the semifinal pair.
Atlanta Dragway's own Junior Pippin from Conyers, GA was the top player in Joker Machine Pro Modified. Pippin faced Colorado racer Greg Byrnes' '01 Harley in the final, but a quicker react and a faster pass on Pippin's '02 Harley put Byrnes' 8.71, 146.45mph into second place. Pippin's final round numbers were 8.57,
149.25mph. Shaun Reno ('01 Buell - Hayes, VA) and Paul Smith ('02 Buell - Uniontown, OH) finished in the semis. (Pippin also
enjoyed a semifinal finish in the Screamin' Eagle Performance class.)
Nonpareil Super Sport racer Wanda Poff from York, PA has been racing Harleys for three years now, and enjoyed her first ever win on her "Pofformance Headquarters" '96 Sportster. Poff faced Louisiana racer Craig Drago's '02 FXR in the final, and used a big holeshot (.430 to .516) to help her take the win. Poff carded a 10.35, 112.42mph on the 10.30 index for the win, while Drago broke out with a 10.25, 121.37mph trying to catch her. Susie Wevodau ('90 FXR - Harrisburg, PA) was the lone semifinalist. Poff gave her husband Alan credit for building and maintaining her race winning
Harley.
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TOP FUEL HARLEY BIKE HOMETOWN ET MPH
Win: Steve Stordeur '01 Weekend Goshen, OH 6.58 209.23
R/U: Jay Turner '99 Dixie Whitsett, NC 6.69 185.56
Semi: Johnny Mancuso '00 Weekend Houston, TX
Semi: Larry Brancaccio '02 Harley Nutley, NJ
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PRO STOCK BIKE HOMETOWN ET MPH
Win: Dirk Higgins '01 FXR Kirby, OH 7.52 171.25
R/U: David Feazell '99 Sportster Hudson, TN 7.54 171.31
Semi: Dale Raudenbush '01 Buell Old Zionsville, PA
Semi: Matt Guidera '02 Buell Roseville, CA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRO FUEL BIKE HOMETOWN ET MPH
Win: Jay Turner '02 Dixie Whitsett, NC 7.04 195.70
R/U: Chris Streeter '99 Weekend Cleveland, OH 7.09 183.70
Semi: Jim Doyle '01 Profuel Springfield, MA
Semi: Sam White '02 Harley Columbia, SC
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PRO GAS BIKE HOMETOWN ET MPH
Win: Tom Bradford '03 Buell Eagle, WI 7.63 169.96
R/U: Lee Hitz '01 Dragbike Annville, PA 9.32 139.75
Semi: Richard Meck '99 FXDP Monteverde, FL
Semi:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRO DRAG BIKE HOMETOWN ET MPH
Win: Chuck Jones '03 Harley St. Pete, FL 7.64 165.07
R/U: Billy Counts '94 Furr College Station, TX (foul) 8.54 121.37
Semi: Booger Smith '02 Prodrag North Carolina
Semi: Russ Welch '00 Harley College Station, TX
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PRO MODIFIED BIKE HOMETOWN ET MPH
Win: Junior Pippin '02 Harley Conyers, GA 8.57 149.25
R/U: Greg Byrnes '01 Harley Colorado 8.71 146.45
Semi: Shaun Reno '01 Buell Hayes, VA
Semi: Paul Smith '02 Buell Uniontown, OH
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STREET PRO BIKE HOMETOWN ET MPH
Win: Doug Morrow '03 Top Gun Daytona, FL 9.30 143.76
R/U: Donnie Huffman Harley Lakeland, FL 9.96 130.87
Semi: Nicholas Gonatas Harley Youngstown, OH
Semi:
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SUPER SPORT BIKE HOMETOWN ET MPH INDEX
Win: Wanda Poff '96 Sporster York, PA 10.35 121.37 (10.30)
R/U: Craig Drago '02 FXR Louisiana 10.25 121.37 (10.30)
Semi: Susie Wevodau '90 FXR Harrisburg, PA
Semi:
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SUPER GAS BIKE HOMETOWN ET MPH INDEX
Win: Billy Leonard '99 Harley Mcleansville, NC 10.49 105.00 (9.70)
R/U: Tony Calp '96 Big Twin Smithfield, VA 10.71 125.89 (9.70)
Semi: Charlie Walker Harley Brandon, MS
Semi:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUPER ELIMINATOR BIKE HOMETOWN ET MPH INDEX
Win: Julia Holliday '95 Sportster North Springfield,
PA 11.00 118.82 (10.90)
R/U: Larry Guy '97 Buell Bradenton, FL 10.97 119.58 (10.90)
Semi: Curtis Talbott '00 Sportster Forest, VA
Semi:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOT STREET BIKE HOMETOWN ET MPH
Win: David Atkins Harley Bradenton, FL 10.56 123.33
R/U: Nicholas Gonatas Harley Youngstown, OH 11.22 118.98
Semi: Joe Perry Harley Kingsport, TN
Semi:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SCREAMIN' EAGLE PERF. BIKE HOMETOWN ET MPH INDEX
Win: Charlie Walker '97 Sportster Brandon, MS 11.56 103.18 (11.50)
R/U: Dan Degood Harley Mountain Top, PA 11.64 94.49 (11.50)
Semi: Junior Pippin '01 V-Rod Conyers, GA
Semi: Wells Hargrove '01 FXD Lynchburg, VA
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ET BIKE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL
Win: Howard Pence '93 FXR Bradenton, FL 12.76 102.83 (12.75)
R/U: Rick Cathcart '00 FXDX Jefferson City, TN 11.37 119.95 (11.20)
Semi: Steve Mann '99 Buell Powhatan, VA
Semi: Brent Garcia Harley Cincinnatus, NY
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SCREAMIN' EAGLE V-ROD BIKE HOMETOWN ET MPH
Win: Tripp Nobles V-Rod Statesville, NC 10.38 127.88
R/U: Shawn Vantucci V-Rod Frederick, MD 12.82 94.63
Semi: Jamie Mcnaughton V-Rod USA
Semi: Richard Nallin V-Rod USA
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JUNIOR SENIOR AGE BIKE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL
Win: Michael Dean (15) '03 Buell Blast Forest, VA 10.41 62.37 (10.35)
R/U: Brendon Griffin (13) '02 Buell Blast Cibolo, TX 9.56 71.38 (9.65)
Semi: Joey Talbot (14) '02 Buell Blast Forest, VA
Semi: Zach Watts (12) '99 TPM Siler City, NC
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JUNIOR JUNIOR AGE BIKE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL
Win: Travis Danford (8) '03 Danford Akron, OH 13.18 40.35 (12.95)
R/U: Roy Faw (10) '02 Junior Harmony, NC 13.01 47.31 (13.10)
Semi: Vann Stallings (7) '80 Honda Central, AL
Semi:
BAZEMORE GOES TO FOURTH FINAL OF YEAR
Posted Sunday, May 25, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
TOPEKA, Kan. (May 25, 2003) - For most NHRA pro teams it really doesn't get much better than this: Your driver qualifies in the top half of the field in each of the nine races so far, is low qualifier once, reaches the semifinal round in each of the nine races except for one, advances to the final round four times, wins one of them, sets track top-speed records, and is knocking on the door for an NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series championship.
Most teams would kill for these results. But in the rarefied, competitive, pressure-filled air of a top NHRA professional team, such as the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus R/T operation of driver Whit Bazemore and crew chief Lee Beard, one quarter of the largest pro NHRA team on the circuit, only one event win in nine races and second place is often just not good enough.
After losing today in the final round against his nemesis and points leader Tony Pedregon from John Force's team for the second time this season, Bazemore is understandably disappointed to not have won his second straight race. However, based on the results mentioned above, crew chief Beard less discouraged. Nobody said it would be easy, but this Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car team is clearly a contender, which no one would argue.
They launched with nearly identical reaction times: .073 for Pedregon, .076 for Bazemore. But it was Pedregon at the finish line first with a 4.848/320.66 to Bazemore's tire-smoking 5.126/252.38.
Quarter-mile race tracks may all look the same, but at most circuits lane choice is critical. The left lane here in Heartland Park Topeka for the O'Reilly Summer Nationals was the one to have and the two-time U.S. Nationals champion did not have it in the final round. Bazemore earned lane choice for the second round after defeating Bob Gilbertson in the first with a 4.833/321.50, and also in the second round, when he defeated Tim Wilkerson with a 4.872/317.64. But he lost the chance to select the more favorable lane for the final, despite defeating Gary Densham with a 4.898/314.39 in the semis.
"We tried everything we could try to have lane choice going into the final and we came up a little short," said Bazemore, who is now 94 points behind Pedregon in the championship. "Even shallow staging and running the car as hard as we thought we could get away with in the semifinals. The bottom line is we lost lane choice. Down track the right lane just wasn't good all weekend. We were one of the many, many cars that got caught out. We spun the tires in the final pretty hard just before half-track and that was it. We got beat.
"We're just extremely disappointed that it's a one-lane race track and that we got beat. But, it's a long year, we've got a great team over here. I honestly believe that we did everything we could do to win this race. I don't think it was possible to win this race in the right lane unless the other team made a mistake and they didn't. Those are the facts, for what they're worth."
Bazemore and Beard did walk away with the track record, however. "Yes, we did a 326.48 mph in qualifying," said Beard. "We ran good in the earlier rounds, so we had lane choice until we missed it in the semifinals. This was one of those events where lane choice was pretty much a determining factor. Sometimes you have to not only run good, you have to run good enough to maintain lane choice and we didn't do that today.
"The team did an outstanding job," he added. "We went into our fourth final of the year. Obviously, we've got a great combination, setting track records for speed in quite a few different places. I'm not disappointed. Yes, I wish we could have won, but we finished second. We're working awfully hard. We'll just keep our nose to the grinding wheel to try to beat the John Force team."
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus 203-438-0501, cell 203-243-2438
CANNON OUT IN FIRST ROUND
Posted Sunday, May 25, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
TOPEKA, Kan. (May 25, 2003) - Scotty Cannon and his Oakley Funny Car team were stoked after qualifying in No. 4 position with a stout 4.814-second elapsed time at 312.21 mph for the O'Reilly Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka.
Cannon and crew chief Phil Shuler were ready to put their struggles behind them as they came up to the line to face Frank Pedregon in the first round of final eliminations.
Cannon took off with a .106 reaction time to Pedregon's .086, which looked like it could have been a close match. But when a supercharger belt blew off Cannon's car he lost traction, allowing Pedregon to cruise to the win with a less-than-stellar 5.242-second run at 276.80 mph.
"We just dropped a hole right at the step and never could recover. The belt came off of it," said a disappointed Cannon.
Trying to find the bright side, the 1999 NHRA Rookie of the year quipped: "The weather's nice, it's a good day for a drag race."
The team will test here at Heartland Park Topeka on Monday before heading to Joliet, Ill., for the 10th round of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus 203-438-0501, cell 203-243-2438
Dixon, Pedregon, and Anderson Win the NHRA POWERade O'Reilly Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX
Posted Sunday, May 25, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
NHRA Recap
BAZEMORE DOESN'T MAKE HISTORY, BUT SETS TRACK RECORD, COLLECTS THE NO 3 QUALIFYING POSITION IN TOPEKA
Posted Sunday, May 25, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
TOPEKA, Kan. (May 24, 2003) - There's no question the Schumacher Racing team has the inside line on horsepower. After all, it is team driver Gary Scelzi who remains the fastest Funny Car driver in the world after posting his 326.95-mph run at Englishtown, N.J., last week. And Whit Bazemore is no slouch, as he's performed consistently fast runs this season, including his track-record breaking 326.48 mph pass tonight, fourth fastest ever, coupled with an elapsed time of 4.802 seconds to place him No. 3 for tomorrow's O'Reilly Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka. It's just another stellar qualifying performance for Bazemore and crew chief Lee Beard, who have qualified in the top half all year.
It "shoulda" been faster, Bazemore said. "We had a problem. We went up there to run a lot better than .80 flat. But we had a small problem that affected the performance of our car, so we ran .80 flat at 326, with the fourth fastest speed ever. Our intention was to be a lot stronger than that, but we had a very small, small, small mechanical issue that robbed our car of some performance.
"The important thing was," he added, "is that we moved up into the field (from No. 8). We're just not in a position to make history yet. We've tried to make history a few times this year, and the sun came out once and kind of got us, and tonight we had a small little problem that got us. It's just not meant to be yet, but we're knocking on the door."
Schumacher Racing's results tonight, with each Funny Car qualifying in the top half of the field, can only help Bazemore's goal to move into No. 1 in points from No. 2, he believes. "It's good for the entire team to have our teammates running strongly. Ultimately, it benefits us. We're very happy, especially with Scotty, who has been struggling a lot this year. For them to go out and rip out an .81 was pretty cool. And Scelzi's car seems to be repeating easily enough. They went down the track a lot this weekend. They look pretty strong. We don't want them to be too strong because we're still going to have to beat them, but the fact that they're running a lot better is very encouraging."
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus 203-438-0501, cell 203-243-2438
SCOTTY CANNON SCORES HIS LOWEST QUALIFYING POSITION OF SEASON TO SNAG THE NO. 4 SPOT
Posted Sunday, May 25, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
TOPEKA, Kan. (May 24, 2003) -- Scotty Cannon and his team have been working their you-know-whats off to get their Oakley Funny Car and the new crew jelling this season, and it looks like it's coming together, as Cannon came up with his best qualifying run of the season at the O'Reilly Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka today. It was a perfect way to celebrate Memorial Day weekend, as Cannon posted a 4.814-second elapsed time at 312.21 mph in the final qualifying session, to take the No. 4 spot.
"It was kind of funny," said Cannon. "After the run I got on the radio, and my guys were so excited, they hollered and said I'd run a .91. So, I got out of the car, Heidi (Garner, Schumacher Racing V.P.) and everybody was jumping up and down and celebrating like I'd gone an .81, and I thought I'd gone a .91. So, I went and got into the van and I told my wife, I said, what is everybody so happy about? I went a .91. And she said, no, it was an .81.
"I had to get back out of the van and go back and tell all of my guys, 'Good job' and everything."
After many weeks of struggling to find the right combination, crew chief Phil Shuler and Cannon were pretty close to ecstatic yet not entirely surprised as they new the potential was there once they were able to shorten the learning curve by running hard and notching more laps. "We've been trying to do that," Cannon said. "We've been trying to run that hard. When you choose to do that you're going to have a lot of runs where things are going to break. Unfortunately, here we've had more runs with little stupid stuff happening and breaking rather than just going out there and not getting down the track.
"We just changed a lot of stuff on the car. We've got all this new stuff; we're just trying to get it to work out, and we don't have any good runs to look at. So, it's like a good shot of Penicillin, if you're real sick. It should heal us up for a little bit. But the main thing is we need to just look at this run and see what the weather is going to be like tomorrow and go out there and race our car. The run looks like we're there, but we still just need more runs. I think we'll be OK. We know what to do, that's the main thing."
Cannon knows how hard it is on the crew to put it all together - he's been traveling with them for this three-race sweep. "I'm more happy for the guys," he smiled. "I'm happy for sure, but I'm really happy for the guys. We beat them up pretty bad. They needed that. And that just lets them know that me and Phil are going in the right direction trying to make this thing go. Phil knows what he's doing. We just need some more time. The whole team is new. We just need some laps, that's all we need. We can make it happen."
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus 203-438-0501, cell 203-243-2438
SCELZI GRABS NO. 8 QUALIFYING POSITION IN TOPEKA
Posted Sunday, May 25, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
TOPEKA, Kan. (May 24, 2003) -- Gary Scelzi ended up No. 8 qualifier for the O'Reilly Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka tonight, with the 4.833-second lap he established yesterday in the second round of qualifying. In today's third round, he and his Oakley Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car were good for No. 5 with his 4.854/321.73 lap, but he was unable to better that time under cool conditions tonight in the final round after a spark plug disposed of itself and he fell to No. 8.
"We ran very consistently," said the three-time Top Fuel champion still seeking his first Funny Car win. "We made it down the track three out of four times. It looks like the old Oakley Dodge is back. We ran good speed, everything is really looking good. I'm really excited about tomorrow.
"This last run we really tried to go for the pole and see what it would do, but we blew a spark plug out one second into the run, which killed it. I ended up shutting it down early because I saw orange coming out of the firewall, so I didn't want to take a chance if that was a fire or that was a broken header, or what that really was. But we're excited. It's the best car that we've had."
With Oakley teammate Scotty Cannon's strong run to qualify No. 4, as well as Whit Bazemore's No. 3 effort tonight, Scelzi was pleased for the entire Schumacher Racing team. "Scotty ran well, Whit ran well," he said. "It's the best the three Funny Cars have run, I think, all year long. Everybody is wound up around here at Team Schumacher."
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus 203-438-0501, cell 203-243-2438
Whisnant Qualifies 13th In Topeka
Posted Sunday, May 25, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
TOPEKA, Kan. – Mark Whisnant, driver of the RW Performance / Snap-On Tools Chevrolet Cavalier, will enter eliminations at the 15th annual O’Reilly Summer Nationals in the 13th position on the Pro Stock eliminations ladder.
It was in the Friday night session of qualifying where Whisnant piloted his Cavalier to a 6.862 / 200.17 mph to secure his position in Sunday’s race.
“It feels good to be racing tomorrow,” said Whisnant of Stockbridge, Ga. “We have been struggling lately, so qualifying for this race, whether it is 13th or first, feels pretty good.
“I knew coming into this race that my guys had the ability to work with this racetrack. It is a lot warmer here this weekend than it was in Englishtown, and the altitude is a lot higher. So, this race is more about finesse than big horsepower. That is what my crew does the best.
“My crew chiefs Gary (Pearman) and Markus (Svensson) are getting everything they can out of this racecar. They are tuning this Cavalier to the track; not trying to kill them with big horsepower.
“We saw last year that this race track can change dramatically between the first round and the final round. We got to the final last year by changing the car to match what we had for that round. Gary and Markus are great in those situations, so I feel like we should have a pretty good race tomorrow.”
RW PERFORMANCE PRO STOCK CHEVY CAVALIER
MARK WHISNANT – DRIVER
REID WHISNANT – OWNER
CONTACT: Patti Miles
336-751-3882
704-957-3940 (Mobile)
pattie.miles@worldnet.att.net
Kurt Johnson's Pursuit of a Topeka Win Will Start from Second
Posted Sunday, May 25, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Weather played a significant role during the second day of qualifying for the NHRA O'Reilly Summer Nationals. After rain delayed the morning session by several hours, the changes in atmospheric conditions prevented any changes in the Pro Stock field for Sunday's final eliminations.
With his ACDelco Cavalier solidly in the second position based on his 6.838-second, 201.76 mph pass from Friday evening, Kurt Johnson used his two runs on Saturday to fine-tune his set up for race day.
"I originally thought we'd have a shot at the top spot in the early session, but by the time we ran, there was just too much water in air. In the first session, the tires bit us, so we changed the carburetors and the timing, and came back to run 6.89 on that last pass. We're not totally displeased with that performance, but since the quicker cars went 6.87, that's where we need to be, so we're working on it for tomorrow.
"Our ACDelco Cavalier is still running the big speeds, and it's great on the rest of the run, but from the sixty foot to the three thirty foot mark, our competition is putting a hundredth on us, which we can't afford. We're really working on improving our performance in the first part of the race track right now. When we get that straightened out, we'll be in a great position for race day."
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Phone: (704) 662-3121
jgknapp@tmgsports.net
Warren Johnson Will Roll Off 12th in Topeka
Posted Sunday, May 25, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Saturday May 24, 2003
On the strength of a 6.860-second, 201.55 mph run made on Friday evening, Warren Johnson qualified his GM Performance Parts Grand Am 12th for Sunday's final eliminations of the NHRA O'Reilly Summer Nationals in Topeka, KS.
Persistent rain showers delayed the morning qualifying session by several hours, which allowed the temperature and humidity to rise, robbing the naturally aspirated Pro Stock class of valuable power and preventing any changes in the starting line-up. Therefore, Saturday's twin time trials became extended test sessions for Johnson, who continues to gather information on his new race car. Even so, Johnson made sure to finish his qualifying effort by posting the quickest elapsed time of the final session at 6.877 seconds.
"If nothing else, that last run was a step in the right direction. We're still determining the size of the tuning window on this particular GM Performance Parts Grand Am. As a result, throughout the weekend we've been analyzing the information from each run and making the changes that we thought the car needed.
"We've decided to make smaller adjustments and see how the car responds rather than making big changes and possibly shooting ourselves in the foot. It's been picking up a little on each run, so at least under these conditions, this car has a pretty big sweet spot. As long as that happens, we'll be happy taking some baby steps."
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Phone: (704) 662-3121
jgknapp@tmgsports.net
Anderson Takes the Pole in Topeka
Posted Sunday, May 25, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
TOPEKA, Kan. – Greg Anderson, driver of the Vegas General Construction Pontiac Grand Am, has done it again. For the third consecutive race, Anderson has placed his Grand Am on the top of the Pro Stock Eliminations ladder. Sunday morning Anderson will assume the Number 1 position at the 15th annual O’Reilly Summer National in Topeka, Kan.
In the Friday evening session of qualifying Anderson recorded a 6.825 / 202.15 mph to take the number 1 position, and set both new track ET and Speed records. Sunday morning Anderson will meet V. Gaines in Round 1.
“Number 1 again,” said Anderson of Charlotte, NC,” That is a real testament of what a great team I have.
“This Vegas General Construction team is awesome. I cannot say enough about them. Once again, they gave me a great racecar to drive. They are making me look good that’s for sure.
“I have a great racecar, but tomorrow I will have to do my job. Gaines is a tough competitor. Every driver qualified here this weekend is tough or they would not be here. I have to remember that, and be prepared.”
CONTACT: Patti Miles
336-751-3882
704-957-3940 (Mobile)
pattie.miles@worldnet.att.net
Dixon, Pedregon, and Anderson are Top Qualifiers at the NHRA POWERade O'Reilly Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX
Posted Sunday, May 25, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Larry Dixon ( 4.509 327.11 ), Tony Pedregon ( 4.743 320.51 ), and Greg Anderson ( 6.825 202.15 ) are the #1 Pro qualifiers at Topeka. Subbing for his injured son Brandon, Kenny Bernstein records a 4.545 @ 327.03 for the #2 spot in Top Fuel. Veteran Chris Karamesines makes the show with a 16th best 5.212 213.74.
In Funny Car action, Tony Pedregon breaks the track record ( 4.743 ) on his #1 qualifier pass and John Force comes in 2nd with a 4.800 run. Whit Bazemore moves up to #3 with a 4.802 @ 326.48. His 326 is a track record and personal best. Scotty Cannon lays down a nice 4.814 to qualify #4.
Weather conditions on Saturday kept the Pros Stockers from bettering Friday's times. The Georgia Pro Stock cars in the show are: Kurt Johnson ( #2 - 6.838 201.76 ), Terry Adams ( #5 - 6.851 201.31 ), Warren Johnson ( #12 - 6.860 201.55 ), and Mark Whisnant ( #13 - 6.862 200.17 ). Gene Wilson ( #21 - 6.902 200.86 ) and Barry Grant ( #25 - 6.916 199.05 ) fail to make the cut. NHRA Saturday Recap
KJ sits Second Halfway through Topeka Qualifying
Posted Saturday, May 24, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Event: 15th annual NHRA O'Reilly Summer Nationals
Location: Heartland Park Topeka
Topeka, KS
Day/Date: Friday May 23, 2003
During the last two seasons, Kurt Johnson struggled to tame the track at Heartland Park Topeka. However during the first day of qualifying for this year's NHRA O'Reilly Summer Nationals, the ACDelco Racing team quickly showed that they had solved their issues with the racing surface. On his second attempt on Friday evening, Johnson's ACDelco Cavalier powered through the quarter-mile in 6.838 seconds with a top speed of 201.76 mph, good enough for second entering Saturday's final two sessions.
"The ACDelco Cavalier went right down the track tonight, putting up a 6.83, with the low qualifier running a 6.82. Our job now is to figure out how to make our car pick up that hundredth of a second. It was a good run, and we're glad to be in the top half of the field, but, make no mistake about it, we want to be number one.
"We'll keep working on it tomorrow, fine-tuning the set-up, and see if we can move up that last spot. Either way, we know we have a race horse for Sunday."
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Phone: (704) 662-3121
jgknapp@tmgsports.net
Friday Qualifying in Topeka finds WJ's New Car in 12th
Posted Saturday, May 24, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Event: 15th annual NHRA O'Reilly Summer Nationals
Location: Heartland Park Topeka
Topeka, KS
Day/Date: Friday May 23, 2003
Warren Johnson brought a new GM Performance Parts Grand Am to Heartland Park Topeka for the NHRA O'Reilly Summer Nationals. Despite having limited on-track experience with this particular race car, Johnson felt the potential it had to offer outweighed the lack of tuning data.
Although his dual qualifying attempts on Friday produced a best effort of 6.860 seconds and a top speed of 201.55 mph, which placed him 12th at the qualifying midpoint, Johnson was nevertheless encouraged by the progress his team made.
"We were a little conservative on our set-up today, because even though we have a good idea where this car wants to be, we'd rather be conservative than go over the edge. As a result, we weren't aggressive enough on either run today, and gave up a little bit. However, I don't think we'll get bumped out, and that's all that matters.
"This new GM Performance Parts Grand Am is definitely smoother in the middle of the track than its predecessor, and we're just as good as anybody in the back half now, where we were giving up three hundredths before. All we have to do is get it calmed down on the starting line, and we'll be in excellent shape."
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Phone: (704) 662-3121
jgknapp@tmgsports.net
AFTER TWO ROUNDS OF QUALIFYING: SCELZI PULLS OFF TOP SPEED OF FRIDAY QUALIFYING FOR NO. 5 SPOT
Posted Saturday, May 24, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
TOPEKA, Kan. (May 23, 2003) -- Gary Scelzi surprised even himself with a stout run down the quarter-mile in the second round of qualifying for the O'Reilly SummerNationals at Heartland Park Topeka, posting a 4.833-second elapsed time at a top speed for the day of 323.35 mph, good for No. 5 spot. He was on a good run in his Oakley Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car in the first session but hazed the tires at 400 feet for a 6.156/149.08 pass
"It acted like our old hot rod," he said. "It almost made it on the first run, but only one car made it down the right lane in the first session and that was Bob Gilbertson. And even though we smoked the tires at about 400 feet we were like the second quickest in the right lane, because Gilbertson ran quicker. We didn't make a whole lot of changes. We went back up to run the left lane and really didn't get after it as hard as we thought maybe we wanted to because we had to get it down the race track. And up popped a 4.83 at 323. Everything looks good in the motor; everything looks good in the clutch. We're all pretty happy. We've got something to play with tomorrow. We're in the show nice and solid and we'll just try to repeat, run an .85 to an .80 flat tomorrow, both runs, if the weather holds out, and we'll see what we've got. It's great to have a Dodge top-speeding again."
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus 203-438-0501, cell 203-243-2438
AFTER TWO ROUNDS OF QUALIFYING BAZEMORE QUICK IN FIRST ROUND, QUALIFIES NO. 8 IN SECOND
Posted Saturday, May 24, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus 203-438-0501, cell 203-243-2438
TOPEKA, Kan. (May 23, 2003) -- After taking the No. 1 spot in the first round with a 4.908-second elapsed time at 316.60 mph, Whit Bazemore ended up qualifying his Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus R/T in No. 8 after the second of four qualifying sessions, clocking in with a 4.867-second elapsed time at 321.57 mph.
"There's still tomorrow," he said. "We're a little disappointed because we felt we were in a very good position to end up low qualifier tonight, being that we ran last and we had the Matco Tools Dodge sitting up there on the starting line with a pretty heavy tune-up in it. We just missed on the tune-up a little bit and we slowed down. We didn't run what we intended to run, so we ended up with an .86, which is disappointing. Still, to put it into perspective, compared to the drama of qualifying last week, we're way ahead of where we were then. So we're in a position where we can improve tomorrow, and that's what we intend to do."
Dixon, Pedregon, and Anderson Lead Pro Qualifying at the NHRA POWERade O'Reilly Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX
Posted Saturday, May 24, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Larry Dixon ( 4.509 327.11 ), Tony Pedregon ( 4.806 320.51 ), and Greg Anderson ( 6.825 202.15 ) lead Pro qualifying after the first two sessions. Kenny Bernstein picks up where he left off, running a 4.563 at 326.56 for the #2 spot in Top Fuel. In Funny Car action, Whit Bazemore is #8 with a 4.867 @ 321.27. Four of the six Georgia Pro Stock cars are in the show after two sessions. Kurt Johnson ( #2 - 6.838 201.76 ), Terry Adams ( #5 - 6.851 201.31 ), Warren Johnson ( #12 - 6.860 201.55 ), and Mark Whisnant ( #13 - 6.862 200.17 ) are in the top sixteen. Gene Wilson ( #21 - 6.902 200.86 ) and Barry Grant ( #25 - 6.916 199.05 ) fail to make the cut after Friday's qualifying sessions.
NHRA Friday Recap
Warren Johnson Press Release
Posted Friday, May 23, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
The Professor is Set to Employ a New Teaching Aid in Topeka
Warren Johnson to roll out new GM Performance Parts Grand Am for O'Reilly Summer Nationals
Sugar Hill, Ga., May 21, 2003 - By all accounts, GM Performance Parts driver Warren Johnson has had a strong start to the 2003 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season. In the first eight races, he has scored two wins (in Pomona and Atlanta), earned two No. 1 qualifying positions, and reset the national elapsed time and top speed records. Currently sitting third in the championship points standings, Johnson's seventh Pro Stock title remains a distinct possibility.
Therefore, one might question why Johnson would consider bringing out a completely new Jerry Haas-built Grand Am for this weekend's O'Reilly Summer Nationals in Topeka, KS, especially as the "old" car had visited the winner's circle a few short weeks ago in Atlanta. However, as can be expected from "The Professor", this is a planned move, and recent events had only reinforced the decision.
"You never want to get off a winning race horse, but we didn't win last week, so it's time for a change," joked Johnson. "But, seriously, this race car is worn out. We were going to the scales last Sunday in Englishtown when we heard something scraping, which turned out to be the rocker panel and part of the sheet metal under the car. We were able to repair it in time for eliminations, but that pretty much told us it was time to switch.
"We've taken lessons learned from this race car, as well as with Kurt's, and incorporated those improvements into this new car. We'll be shaking it down on Wednesday and possibly Thursday in St. Louis before heading over to Topeka. We're 100% confident that this new GM Performance Parts Grand Am will be a step in the right direction."
Although Johnson will most likely be the only member of the Pro Stock category with a new race car this weekend, the challenge of qualifying for Sunday's eliminations will be just as tough for the other competitors. One week after enjoying nearly ideal atmospheric conditions in New Jersey, the "factory hot rods" will face markedly warmer temperatures and higher elevation at Heartland Park Topeka, requiring a completely different tune-up. Backed by years of data and experience, Johnson is more than ready.
"We can deal with any conditions, as long as it's not raining, snowing, sleeting or hailing," said Johnson. "With temperatures forecasted to be in the middle 70's, it will be incrementally slower. However, in the past the Topeka track has been remarkably consistent, so we should have a good shot at hitting the set-up right off the bat.
"After last week, we're changing the tune-up back to where we were in Las Vegas, which is somewhat close to what we'll encounter in Topeka. We're anticipating performance in the mid 6.80 level. If you're not thorough in the clerical end of your racing operation, you could miss some vital points and not make the correct changes. However, we pride ourselves on having as good a notebook on every racetrack and situation as possible.
"We'll adjust our GM Performance Parts Grand Am to the atmospheric conditions, which determine the amount of power we'll have at our disposal, take a look at the track surface to see how it's changed from last year and adjust as necessary, say one Hail Mary and let her go."
Facts on Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Racing Team entering
the O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals:
* WJ at Heartland Park: This will be Warren's 20th NHRA Pro Stock national event appearance in Topeka, where he has accumulated four wins (1992-93, 96, 98) in six final round appearances, while compiling a 33-15 elimination round record. He has been equally effective in qualifying, with seven No. 1 qualifying efforts (most recently in 2001), and an average starting spot of 2.64.
* One year ago: WJ qualified eighth for the Topeka race with an elapsed time of 6.862 seconds and a top speed of 201.25 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 eighth of 23 events, WJ stands third in the 2003 POWERade points standings with 604 points, 88 behind current leader Anderson, and trails second place Kurt Johnson by 78 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
Kurt Johnson Press Release
Posted Friday, May 23, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Phone: (704) 662-3121
jgknapp@tmgsports.net
Kurt Johnson Aims to have a Memorable Memorial Day Weekend
ACDelco crew looks to park their Cavalier in the Topeka winner's circle
Sugar Hill, Ga., May 21, 2003 - Throughout his ten-year Pro Stock career, Kurt Johnson has been a threat to win every time he takes to the track. With 26 national event wins in 44 final round appearances, the ACDelco driver has made it to the championship round at 18 of the 20 tracks on which the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series will compete in 2003, visiting the winner's circle at fourteen.
One name currently missing from KJ's list of accomplishments is that of Heartland Park Topeka, site of this weekend's O'Reilly Summer Nationals. In fact, the multipurpose motorsports facility has historically offered the younger Johnson a stiff challenge, particularly in the last two years, where he has been a reluctant spectator on Sunday.
However, armed with his lightning-fast 2003 ACDelco Cavalier, Johnson returns to Kansas for this year's event determined to reverse this trend and score his first win in Topeka, much like he did earlier this season in Gainesville, FL and Bristol, TN.
"Before we even get to the track in Topeka, we'll be looking at our notes to see why we've struggled there recently," detailed Johnson. "We may even look as far back as when we were the No.1 qualifier there in 1995 to see what information we can gather.
"Obviously, as well as our ACDelco Cavalier has been performing, we'll be taking a different approach this year. We'll look at the track and the air, pick a gear and set the clutch where we think it needs to be. After that, we'll take it to the line, let the clutch out and let the motor do its job. We're pretty confident of qualifying near the top and being in contention on Sunday"
One of the biggest tests facing all competitors this weekend will be adapting to the conditions at the Kansas quarter-mile. At the last event in Englishtown, the combination of unseasonably cool temperatures, below sea level elevation and a fast racing surface produced the quickest field in the history of the Pro Stock division, with a 6.741-second elapsed time required just to qualify.
Although the track at Heartland Park Topeka is certainly capable of handling such performances, it is located at a much higher elevation, which, combined with the forecast higher temperatures, will slow the normally aspirated "factory hot rods" by almost a tenth of a second. Therefore, the challenge will be in changing the set-up to minimize the reduction in performance.
"We're going to put Englishtown behind us, and approach this as a completely different race," detailed Johnson. "When we get to Topeka, we'll go over the track to see what changes Mother Nature has created in the last year, such as what cracks may have developed, or how porous the asphalt may have gotten. We anticipate running in the low to mid 6.80's, but as long as our ACDelco Cavalier is faster than everyone else, that's all that matters."
Facts on Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Racing Team entering the
O'Reilly Summer Nationals:
* KJ at Topeka: This will be Kurt's sixteenth appearance at Heartland Park Topeka, where he has four semi-final finishes. In addition, he was the No.1 qualifier in 1995.
* Traveling in Elite Company: Kurt's 26 national event victories tie him with legendary Pro Stock driver Lee Shepherd for 15th on the all-time NHRA professional win list, and fifth in the Pro Stock Career Victories. Kurt's most recent win came at last month's Mac Tools NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, TN.
* POWERade Points standings: After the eighth of 23 events, Kurt is in second place with 682 points, ten behind current leader Greg Anderson, and 78 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 .639 elimination round winning percentage (318-180) 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
Event schedule:
Qualifying: Friday, May 23: Two sessions at 4:30 & 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 24: Two sessions at 12:00 noon & 3:00 p.m.
Eliminations: Sunday, May 25: Pre-race ceremonies - 10 a.m.
First round of eliminations - 11:00 a.m.
TV Schedule:
Qualifying Highlights: Saturday, May 24: 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. (ESPN)
Final Eliminations Coverage: Sunday, May 25: 3:30 - 6:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
NHRA2Day: Sunday, May 25: 11:00 - 11:30 a.m. (ESPN2)
(Note: All TV times are Eastern. Please check your local listings for updated air times.)
Scotty Cannon Press Release
Posted Friday, May 23, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
CANNON ON THE ROAD WITH CREW TO TOPEKA
TOPEKA, Kan. (May 22, 2003) - Scotty Cannon figured if he hung out with his
crew on the road during this three-race sweep of NHRA POWERade Drag Racing
Series they'd be able to confer, discuss, perhaps even argue over how to
improve the performance of the Oakley Funny Car for the upcoming races,
including the O'Reilly Summernationals this weekend at Heartland Park
Topeka.
Although Cannon has qualified for each of the eight events so far and has
advanced to the second round once, the new team is still searching for
consistent performance.
Cannon went out in the first round at Englishtown, N.J., last weekend
against his Oakley teammate Gary Scelzi. "We tried to make an educated guess
on the clutch and we just didn't take enough off of it to compensate for the
motor we had," said the Mohawk-wearing 1999 NHRA Rookie of the Year. "We're
hoping we're on the right track and we're learning from the car. That's what
we've analyzed and what we think happened on that run. Were going to keep
the same train of thought at Topeka.
"We're just going to pick up where we left off, run it at the same pace and
see what happens."
With no testing following Englishtown and immediately embarking on a 24-hour
trip with his crew to Topeka, Cannon and "the guys" prepared the car in
Englishtown and headed to Topeka. "I'm used to traveling with my guys," said
Cannon, smiling. "But, I tell you, I'll have enough of that when this deal
is over, that's for sure, for a while at least.
"It's like going on vacation with your wife. It's fun to plan it, it's fun
to go, but you don't want to go all the time," he quipped.
With no pro nitro activity on the track until Friday, strategies were
planned and played out on the golf course once they arrived in Topeka, said
Cannon. "Me and Phil (Shuler, crew chief) and two of the crew guys went
golfing. I can't beat anybody else, but I can beat my guys. They'd better
let me beat them, if they want to keep their jobs," he laughed.
When asked what his handicap was, he responded, "I don't have a handicap, I
don't go that route. I'd rather just lose than get a handicap."
Gary Scelzi Press Release
Posted Friday, May 23, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
OAKLEY FUNNY CAR DRIVER SCELZI HAS WINNING YET BITTERSWEET TOPEKA MEMORIES
TOPEKA, Kan. (May 22, 2003) -- Gary Scelzi will visit Heartland Park Topeka
and the O'Reilly Summernationals this weekend for the first time as a Funny
Car driver, now that he's driving the Oakley Dodge Stratus R/T full-time for
Don Schumacher Racing.
After qualifying No. 8 and advancing to the second round last weekend in
Englishtown, N.J., he's moved back into the top 10 of the NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series Funny Car standings and now stands No. 9 in points.
The three-time Top Fuel champion has bittersweet memories of the track
located in the capital city of Kansas. "It's got several memories for me,"
he says. "It's where I had my first serious crashes in Top Fuel. It was in
1999. First, I had one on Friday night, which I don't consider a crash but
it ruined the chassis, cause I didn't hit anything. And then we came right
back the next day and disintegrated a car in the lights. And all that was
left was the driver's compartment. We put two dragsters back together to
race eliminations and made it to the semifinals."
It was also the site of another more memorable moment. "At that time in Top
Fuel, in 2000, the record by Don Garlits and several other drivers such as
Cory McClenethan, including myself, of Top Fuel wins in a single season was
six. Several people had done it and we finally broke through and won No. 7
in Topeka.
"So there's a lot of history there. A lot of good memories and some bad. But
it's a fast race track," added the man who has the distinction of being the
fastest Funny Car driver in the world, after blasting his Oakley Dodge to
326.95 miles an hour at Englishtown in the first round of eliminations. "And
if we have the kind of weather we had in Englishtown - cool and overcast - I
don't believe lane choice will be a factor. But I didn't think it would make
a difference in Englishtown and it did. I don't know. I know they've redone
some of it or did some grinding there. It should be a fast track.
Historically, it is. So I'm looking forward to going back and letting this
big Oakley Dodge eat. I watched 'Tin Cup' the other night; I had to steal a
line."
Whit Bazemore Press Release
Posted Friday, May 23, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
Round 9 of 23
O'REILLY SUMMER NATIONALS
HEARTLAND PARK TOPEKA (Kans.)
Race Date: May 23-25
Contact: Judy Stropus 203-438-0501, cell 203-243-2438
ENGLISHTOWN WINNER BAZEMORE LOOKS TO KEEP UP MOMENTUM AT TOPEKA
TOPEKA, Kan. (May 22, 2003) - Whit Bazemore drove his Matco Tools Iron Eagle
Dodge Stratus R/T straight into the winner's circle at Englishtown, N.J.,
last weekend to score his first Funny Car victory this season and the first
for Dodge since 1998. He and his Don Schumacher Racing team led by Lee Beard
intend to keep up the momentum at Heartland Park Topeka this weekend, the
site of Bazemore's first career Funny Car event win in 1997.
"Topeka is where I won my first race in June of 1997, so naturally it's a
place we enjoy coming back to," says Bazemore, second in the POWERade Drag
Racing Series Funny Car points and closing in on leader Tony Pedregon, who
is only 72 points ahead. "It was just a great experience. Your first win is
the hardest one. It took nine years and it was great. We beat Randy Anderson
in the final, who at the time was going to be the next big hot shoe. We had
Winston sponsorship, my Top Fuel teammate (at the time and again this
season) Gary Scelzi was already on a tear that year, doing very well. It was
the second win for my team. My team had won its first race in 1996 at Dallas
with Dale Puldy driving for me while I was recovering in the hospital (from
a motorcycle crash). For my first win as a driver and the second for my
team, it was just a huge, huge experience. I remember like it was yesterday.
It was great."
Bazemore has since earned 12 more career Funny Car event titles.
"Topeka is a fun little town, kind of quiet. Historically it's been a pretty
good track. Although, if it's hot here it tends to not be as good. For some
reason It deteriorates rapidly. But if it's overcast it can be pretty good.
So, that would suit our car well and, obviously, coming off a win at
Englishtown, we look forward continuing to improve our performance and
getting a good result."
Bazemore's Matco Tools team is on a roll this season, having qualified in
the top half of the field at each event. The team has also made it into the
semifinal round in seven of the eight races so far, as well as three finals,
and Baze and crew chief Lee Beard are knocking on the door for the No. 1
spot in points.
"We're not getting too excited, because it's a long year and we have to do
it again this weekend," added the two-time U.S. Nationals champion. "We
expect to win races and we've been in a good position all year to win races,
but we haven't until now. So now we did it and the important thing is that
we continue to have a good running car and go rounds. Like I said before,
when you're going to the semifinals every weekend you're putting yourself
into a position to win races. And that's what we're doing. As long as we can
do that we'll have some good results.
"The most important thing for us going into Topeka is to first qualify. We
saw at Englishtown how easy it is to not qualify. If there's a weather issue
coupled with a mechanical issue on the car (which happened to "Baze" in
E-town where only two rounds of qualifying were held because of rain) then,
boom, you're not going to qualify. Believe it or not, we could have easily
DNQ'd after we had a problem smoking the tires in the first run. And then we
almost smoked them the second run. In that regard we were very lucky to even
qualify there.
"The sport can put you in a precarious position; you can't ever take
anything for granted it. Every run is very important; in the first
qualifying run we have to go down the race track. That's how we approach
it."
Pro Nitro qualifying for the Summernationals begins on Friday, May 23, at 5
p.m. and 8 p.m. On Saturday, May 24, Pro Nitro qualifying is at 12:30 p.m.
and 3:30 p.m. Final eliminations on Sunday, May 25, begin at 11 a.m.
Mark Whisnant Press Release
Posted Thursday, May 22, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
RW PERFORMANCE PRO STOCK CHEVY CAVALIER
MARK WHISNANT – DRIVER REID WHISNANT – OWNER
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2003
CONTACT: Patti Miles 336-751-3882
704-957-3940 (Mobile) pattie.miles@worldnet.att.net
Whisnant Ready To Race In Topeka
TOPEKA, Kan. – Mark Whisnant, driver of the RW Performance / Snap-On Tools Pro Stock Chevrolet Cavalier, likes Topeka. Topeka has been good to Mark Whisnant. There is a certain mojo that Whisnant taps into when he is in that city, which he hopes to capitalize on when he arrives in Topeka, Kan. for this weekends 15th annual O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals.
Last year at this event Whisnant recorded his first final round appearance in a Pro Stock car. This year, Whisnant’s goal is to go beyond the final round and all the way to the winner’s circle.
"Last year we had a pretty good run here in Topeka," said Whisnant of Stockbridge, Ga. "I would sure like a chance to be in the final again, but it is going to take some work. This weekend in Topeka we will be getting back to the kind of racing that this RW Performance team likes.
"This weekend it is going to be a lot warmer, and we will have some altitude. The Heartland Park racetrack itself can be tricky. In the past we have seen 90-degree temperatures on Friday, and have it be in the 50’s on Saturday. In those kinds of conditions you have to be able to adjust quickly, and that is what this RW Performance team does best.
"Between my two crew chiefs, Markus Svensson and Gray Pearman, I think they have seen just about everything. They work very well together. When conditions start to change quickly they put their head together and come up with a solution. They have got this car down some marginal racetrack this year, and I do think this weekend will be any exception.
"Last weekend was all about horsepower; the guy with the most horsepower wins. This weekend will be all about adapting; the team that adapts best to the changing condition will win. That changes it from a horsepower contest to a racers race, and that is the kind of racing we like to do. As long as we don’t get hit by a tornado I think we will be okay."
Qualifying at the 15th annual O’Reilly Summer Nationals in Topeka, Kan. will begin on Friday May 23, and continue on Saturday May 24. Eliminations will take place on Sunday May 24 at 11:00 AM CST.
Whisnant Quick Facts
Currently 15th in 2003 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Points (188 points)
Finished 10th 2002 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Points
Career Best ET 6.772 (Houston 2003)
Career Best MPH 202.73 (Englishtown 2002)
15th annual O’Reilly Summer Nationals
TV Schedule
Qualifying Highlights
Saturday May 24 5:00 – 7:00 PM EST ESPN
Eliminations Coverage
Sunday May 25 3:30 – 6:00 PM EST ESPN2
Georgia Racers Score at Douglas
Posted Wednesday, May 21, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
Tue, 20 May 2003, 09:55 AM
Chris, Bertozzi, Lambert, Mayhew, Cummings, Head, and McCarty Win
Courtesy of IHRA Communications
DOUGLAS, Ga. -- David Chris Fitton, Malinda Bertozzi, Frank Lambert, Mike Mayhew, Slate Cummings, Joel Head, and Bug McCarty take home Iron Men from the rain delayed event from Southern Dragway (1/8 mile) May 17-18, 2003.
Top Sportsman
Win David Chris Fitton Kincon, GA 99 Firebird .532 5.397 131.82
R/U Roger McCombs Pensacola, FL .574 5.329 138.10
Top Dragster
Win Malinda Bertozzi Richmond, VA .516 5.034 136.34
R/U Allan Ackles Jr. Tampa, FL 90 Mullis .545 4.995 137.21
Super Stock
Win Frank Lambert Monks Corner, SC 68 Camaro .515 6.734 100.23
R/U Anthony Bertozzi Richmond, VA .559 5.913 117.32
#1 Qualifier Glen Mace Jacksonville, FL 87 Camaro -0.813 6.537 101.45
Stock
Win Mike Mayhew Savannah, GA 77 Cutlass .544 7.994 82.67
R/U Myron Piatek Holly Hill, FL 76 Dart .540 7.647 86.75
#1 Qualifier Robbie Shaw Douglasville, GA 87 Firebird -0.942 7.508 87.83
Quick Rod
Win Slate Cummings Hammond, LA .403 5.720 131.50
R/U Jim Walter Sarasota, FL 01 Ray Miller .415 5.731 122.31
Super Rod
Win Joel Head Douglasville, GA 27 Ford T .402 6.395 115.65
R/U Terry Cross Brunswick, GA 98 Monte Carlo .411 6.394 117.55
Hot Rod
Win Bug McCarty Hazelhurst, GA 68 Camaro .514 6.999 100.91
R/U Kenny Underwood Tampa, FL .514 6.994 96.57
Best Appearing: Rolland Haddock S/R #2405
More Southern Nationals Photos Uploaded
Posted Tuesday, May 20, 2003 by DavidDilbeck
I've posted a few more pics from the 2003 Southern Nationals
here.
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