Pomona Day One: I'm Baaaaaack!
by Phil R. Elliott
The 2002 POWERade NHRA season is officially under way.
Day one of the K&N Filter Winternationals, in its 42nd running BTW,
is complete.
The last national event I visited was the 1999
Northwest Nationals. I've also been to several nostalgia events in
that time, too. Each and every one has taken on a distinct feeling, but
none so exciting to me as this one.
Why?
The build-up to the Winternats has been super for me.
I've tried to dig up and share with you as much pre-season stuff of
runs and rumors as I could. I once again feel intimate with the sport,
the cars, and some of the people that I have loved for over four
decades.
My plan was to come to Pomona Wednesday, get my
credentials, nose around somewhat, then have a nice relaxing evening at
my sister Shari's home in Diamond Bar, less than ten miles from the
track. You know what happens to plans.
Every spare moment this week has been spent writing
pre-season test results. Yesterday, I did indeed come to the track, but
it was to deliver display items for the Craftsman booth – the showcar
version of Dale Creasy Jr.'s Firebird sits in that booth. Then, I
headed back across the world of traffic jams in hopes of packing and
getting my cameras in a new case I recently purchased.
Instead, I was called back to work to complete three
displays for Crane Cams. I got back to the house at 4:30am.
OK, so I tried to grab a couple hour catnap that was
difficult to accomplish. Then, I literally pitched everything I thought
I'd need into the car, along with mom, and headed east. At my sister's,
I unloaded, exchanged niceties, left my mother, and headed for the
track. Fifteen minutes later, I was in press parking, next to the
prettiest current Corvette I've seen – bright yellow with nasty
wheels and tires. I got my cameras together, in their old case, got my
shiny new two-step ladder and headphone ear protectors (Lowe's, $19.95
and $18.95, respectively), and was just about ready to hoof it to the
starting line when I discovered that the special PHOTO vest NHRA issues
was not in the car. A quick call to Shari's house prompted a search of
the pile I'd just unloaded and the missing and necessary item was
discovered. Back in the car and to the house I sped.
I reparked in the very same spot next to the same
'Vette 35 minutes later and hustled toward the starting line where Stock
Eliminator was finishing.
Comp came next and it wasn't long until I was
heavily involved in just how tremendous the performances were that were
playing out in front of me.
One car, Mike Nahan's front-engine six-cylinder E/D
that I just saw naked and unfinished in Dave Tuttle's CCE ten days
ago, ran .45 under for a mid-pack spot. This thing has an inline Ford, a
clutchless 5-speed and if it doesn't win Best Engineered, I don't
know why.
Other impressive cars/runs included Wayne Ramay's
A/ND that ran 7.18 and 7.16, .704 under. That's second behind Mike De
Palma's C/A Lumina. Back in 11th is Lee Smith's AA/PM ‘58
Corvette from Oregon – it ran 6.386.
Then came the alcohol funny cars, of which 18 went
down the track. I know that Bucky and Pat Austin ran side-by-side, and
that Bucky hit 5.62/252 and his nephew Pat was right behind. On the
sheets, both show as disqualified. I did not find a reason before
leaving the track but will tomorrow. Dale Van Gundy's Camaro was on
the DQ list as well.
Steve Gasparrelli is number one at 5.741/247 that
shows he learned plenty in pre-season testing. Several other cars ran
decent times, but more than half blew or leaked. The session took an
inordinate amount of time.
During one clean up, I listened to a conversation
between two NHRA officials regarding the imminent possibility of an
alcohol oil down rule similar to their nitro elders. At each national
event, the first oil down would be considered a non-foul. The second oil
down, however, would be a lost run and a $250 fine. A third would send
the entry to its trailer for the remainder of the event.
Since AFC took so much time, the schedule was switched
over to allow the Pros to run close to their preset time.
Pro Stock came first.
I suggested to several photogs this morning that IF
the weather came Friday that local meteorologists have prognosticated
(high 60s and overcast), one of the Neons would run a high 6.70. They
laughed.
In the third pairing, John Geyer rode the Mopar
Missile to a 6.886/201, and by the time Allen Johnson ran a 6.879/201
with his independent Neon five pairs later, there were four cars in the
80s. After that, seemingly everyone recorded 80s with abandon.
To close the round, Jim Yates faced Warren Johnson and
sang to the #1 spot with a 6.825/201.85. WJ, whose new Cavalier is
really quite attractive in yellow and red, white and blue, broke a
transmission. The bump is already a 6.893. Whew.
In case anybody has forgotten my prediction, Yates'
.82 is but .03 away from a high .70…
The Top Fuel drivers were next to try the surface
conditions.
The return of Cory McClenathan came in the third
pairing but the MBNA car failed to get too far. In the other lane, Wyatt
Radke hit a 4.83/303 that ended in a major fire that burned off 1-1/2
parachutes. He still made the turn and a cleanup ensued.
As soon as the Safety Safari cleared, Don Lampus
roared down the same lane only to perform an instant replay. His engine
went sour at half-track and his blaze lasted longer than Radke's.
In the next pair but the other lane, Clay Millican
rode to a Mike Kloeber-tuned 4.688/310 – following a 0.831 sixty –
for temporary Low Q.
A few pairs later, Tony Schumacher and Doug Herbert
both ran better, side-by-side. The Army car fought off a dropped
cylinder for a 4.663/314, while the Snap-On man was better at 4.653/315.
Both cars were somewhat softer on the bottom than Millican's had been.
Doug Kalitta experienced a couple of flashes near the finish line
that looked to me like head gaskets, but whatever it might have been,
the Matco Tools machine zipped to a powerful 4.593/319.90. The team's
Florida testing obviously did them well. Doug's sixty was a 0.858.
The hoped for performance from Darrell Russell, Larry
Dixon, and Kenny Bernstein did not materialize today but certainly will
soon.
The first Funny Car down Parker Avenue was the first
foreign-bodied machine in a couple of decades. Gary Scelzi launched well
in the Toyota Celica, though there was an intermittent cylinder outage
that steered the car all over the lane just like it had in testing. But,
the car marched to a fine 4.934/301 to bring a smile and an
"OK!" nod from Alan Johnson.
After several tire smoking pairs, Bob Bode recorded a
similar 4.931/300 in his Avenger.
Next up, Al Hofmann sailed to a pictured-perfect run,
until death smoke billowed at about 1100 feet. The veteran pulled his
boot instantly but a certain 80 was recorded as "just" a
4.9097/291.
Several more tire smoke exhibitions came next, wrapped
around Johnny Gray's 5.023/302 and Dean Skuza's 4.996/276.
An incredible run came just two pairs from the end,
when Gary Densham blasted to what seemed like perfection until 1000
feet. He drove around a big holeshot by teammate Tony Pedregon on a run
that had the Triple A Mustang silent for the last 300 feet of the course
and still record a 4.891 at just 263mph!
Ron Capps faced Del Worsham in the next-to-the-last
pairing, and the two placed nearly identical performances onto the
sheets. A 4.937/304 for the C-S-K entry was just slightly better than
the Skoal car's 4.939/295.
Of course, NHRA planning saved John Force vs. Whit
Bazemore for last. And from my vantage point barely 30 feet from the
left flank of the Matco Tools Firebird, I can tell you that it is loud
and fast. I also must suggest that these two teams have made a very
serious game of these face-offs. Whether it is the final round at Indy,
the final round of the last race of the season with the rights for the
first POWERade NHRA championships still in the balance, or in
rent-a-cars headed for the final parking spot at Denny's, these two
drivers/teams will throw everything they have into one thing –
winning.
I smiled and thanked them silently when after an
absolutely fabulous race, the boards lit up with a 4.764/322.27 for the
Castrol Mustang and a 4.815 /321.50 for the Matco Firebird.
I also headed for the parking lot, my sister's
house, and this iBook to share my first day back. Can you tell I loved
nearly every minute of it?
An apology to the classes I missed today. I promise
you'll get your turn.
Phil Elliott
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