NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals Fact Sheet
WHAT: Sixth annual NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals, the fifth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Professional competitors in three categories earn points leading to 2005 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series world championships.
Sportsman competitors in six categories earn points leading to 2005 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series championships.
WHERE: The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas. Track is located approximately 15 miles north of downtown Las Vegas off Interstate 15.
WHEN: Thursday through Sunday, April 14-17.
PURSE: Cash and contingency awards of more than $1.8 million.
SCHEDULE: THURSDAY, April 14 -- Sportsman qualifying and time trials, 9 a.m.
FRIDAY, April 15 -- Sportsman qualifying and eliminations begin at 8 a.m.
Sport Compact Qualifying Sessions begin at 9 a.m. and 12 p.m.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 3 and 6 p.m.
SATURDAY, April 16 -- Sportsman eliminations begin at 8 a.m.
Sport Compact Qualifying Session begins at 11:00 a.m.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.
SUNDAY, April 17 -- Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.
FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION: Saturday, April 16, ESPN2 will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 10 p.m. (ET).
Sunday April 17, ESPN2 will broadcast NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute weekly news magazine show, at 11:30 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, April 17, ESPN2 will televise two hours of final eliminations at 7 p.m. (ET).
SATELLITE: Friday, April 15, 10:30-11 p.m. (ET) - Galaxy 10 R / Transponder 24 K
Saturday, April 16, 10:30-11 p.m. (ET) - Galaxy 10 R / 24 K
Sunday, April 17, 10:30-11 p.m. (ET) - Galaxy 10 R / 24 K
2004 EVENT
WINNERS: Tony Schumacher, Top Fuel; Phil Burkart Jr., Funny Car; Greg Anderson, Pro Stock.
TRACK RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 4.472 seconds by Scott Kalitta, April '04; 335.57 mph by Doug Kalitta, April '04
Funny Car - 4.747 seconds by Tony Pedregon, April. '04; 328.22 mph by Del Worsham, April '04
Pro Stock - 6.775 seconds by Jason Line, Oct. '04; 203.09 mph by Greg Anderson, Oct. '04
Pro Stock Motorcycle - 7.130 seconds by Andrew Hines, Oct. '04; 191.08 mph by Matt Hines Oct. '02
NATIONAL RECORDS:
Top Fuel -- 4.441 sec., Oct. '03, Reading, Pa. by Tony Schumacher; 335.32 mph April '05, Baytown, Texas by Schumacher
Funny Car -- 4.665 sec., 333.58 mph Oct. '04, Joliet, Ill., by John Force
Pro Stock -- 6.633 sec., 208.23 mph March '05, Gainesville, Fla., by Greg Anderson
Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.991 sec., 197.45 mph March '05 Gainesville, Fla., by Andrew Hines
TICKETS: For tickets call Las Vegas Motor Speedway at (702) 644-4444, or visit LVMS.com, or tickets.com.
GENERAL ADMISSION (includes pit pass) - Thursday: Adult, $16; Junior (6-12 years), free. Friday: Adult, $30; Junior (6-12 years), $11. Saturday: Adult, $45 Junior (6-12 years), $11. Sunday: Adult, $53; Junior (6-12 years) $16. Children five years and under admitted free to general admission and pit areas each day.
RESERVED SEATS (includes pit pass) - Friday: Adult, $40; Junior (6-12 years), $21; Child (Five and under), $11. Saturday: Adult, $56; Junior (6-12 years), $21; Child (Five and under), $11. Sunday: Adult, $63; Junior (6-12 years) $27; Child (Five and under), $11.
PRO STOCK'S GREG ANDERSON IS THE ODDS-ON FAVORITE TO GET BACK TO HIS WINNING WAYS IN LAS VEGAS
LAS VEGAS - There's been no surer bet in NHRA POWERade Pro Stock racing the past two years than Greg Anderson.
Anderson has claimed back-to-back NHRA POWERade Pro Stock world championships and he is coming off a remarkable 2004 campaign in which he led the POWERade point standings from Day 1. In what was the best single-season performance in Pro Stock history, he established the NHRA single-season record for victories (15), No. 1 qualifying awards (16), elimination rounds won (76), POWERade championship points earned (2,402), and final round appearances (19).
Perhaps nothing puts his run in better perspective than this: Anderson led the point standings for an astounding 36 consecutive events, beginning with the Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals outside Columbus, Ohio, in June of 2003 through the end of the 2004 season.
So for most of 2003-04, Anderson was simply in a class by himself.
So far in 2005, he is in fifth place all by himself. He has been as low as 10th in the points order.
Entering this weekend's event, Anderson has earned 239 points, a distant 102 points behind points leader Warren Johnson. He has also failed to make a final round appearance in the first four races.
"We got off to a slow start this year and it ruffled our feathers," Anderson said. "We've been testing quite a bit. It has been an extra motivational factor. The fact that we have sucked, maybe that will help the team. You never want to get lax, but maybe we did with all the winning we did (in 2003 and 2004)."
The other drivers had better enjoy it while it lasts.
Although Warren Johnson eliminated him in the second round at the Gatornationals, Anderson set the Pro Stock national records for both time (6.633 seconds) and speed (208.23 mph) during qualifying. And if it's true that there's no place like home, then no driver and no team will be looking forward to the upcoming NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals more than Anderson.
Anderson won just about everywhere the past two years and Las Vegas was no exception; in fact, he will enter the $1.8 million NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals April 14-17 - the fifth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series - with a four-race win streak at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Anderson calls Charlotte, N.C. home, but Las Vegas is the home of team owner Ken Black, who owns Vegas General Construction, and it's a strip that's been awfully kind to his drivers, Anderson and teammate Jason Line.
"It wasn't always comfortable racing there; there used to be extra pressure," Anderson said. "When we first started (driving for Black three years ago), he said, 'I don't care what you do around the country as long as you do well in Vegas.'"
The partnership started rather inauspiciously when Anderson failed to qualify in his first start for Black in Las Vegas, but he was able to overcome those initial jitters and he has delivered four straight wins for Black on what he now calls his "home track."
"We've had such great success there lately that it's become my favorite track," Anderson said. "I've become really comfortable driving there. It's just a great facility and everything about the city is so doggone fun."
Just as long as he wins.
"I'm sure Ken still feels the same way (about the importance of winning here)," Anderson said. "It's a big weekend for him, it means a lot to him."
While Anderson has garnered most of the attention for driving his Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac Grand Am to the four straight wins in Vegas, Black's other driver, Line, has been no slouch.
En route to winning the 2004 Rookie of the Year award, Line drove his KB Racing Pontiac Grand Am to semifinal and runner-up finishes in Las Vegas. And in 2003, in just his fourth Pro Stock start, Line had his best-ever finish up to that point by advancing to the semifinals at the AC Delco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals before being eliminated by Kurt Johnson. Line enters the event riding a two-race final round streak. He won at Gainesville, Fla., and was runner-up last weekend in Houston.
So, if you're looking for a favorite for Pro Stock in the 2004 NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals, Ken Black's garage would be a pretty good place to start.
Some other names to watch in Pro Stock would certainly include point leader Warren Johnson, 61, who is in his final year of competition as a driver and won last weekend at Houston; Dave Connolly, who won the season-opener; and Jeg Coughlin, who has three wins in Vegas since 2000.
The other winners at the 2004 NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals were Tony Schumacher in Top Fuel and Phil Burkart, Jr. in Funny Car.
Burkart will be among the Funny Car drivers to watch again this year as he led in the points standings after the first two races of 2005 before failing to qualify at the Gatornationals and slipping to eighth in the standings; defending Funny Car champion and current points leader John Force will be looking to end a four-race winless streak in Vegas; and second-place driver Whit Bazemore hopes to build on his win at the Gatornationals.
Top Fuel competition should be wide open with defending champion Schumacher, a two-time winner this season, among the favorites along with Morgan Lucas, who is still looking for his first series victory. Doug Kalitta won the AC Delco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals last fall, and Larry Dixon is the top active driver in wins at the Vegas Strip with three.
SCHEDULE: Pro qualifying sessions are scheduled for 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on April 15. Qualifying continues at noon and 3 p.m. on April 16. Final eliminations start at 11 a.m. on April 17.
TICKETS: Tickets are available for the NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals. Call Las Vegas Motor Speedway at (702) 644-4444 for ticket information, or check online at LVMS.com or tickets.com.
ON TV: ESPN2 will televise two hours of qualifying coverage of the NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals at 10 p.m. (ET) on April 16. ESPN2 will televise three hours of final eliminations coverage at 7 p.m. (ET) on April 17.
2005 NHRA POWERADE POINT STANDINGS
(Following 4 of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERADE Drag Racing Series)
UPDATED 4/10/2005 (Victories in parentheses)
TOP FUEL
Place Driver Points
1. Tony Schumacher, Long Grove, Ill., U.S. Army dragster (2) 349
2. Morgan Lucas, Riverside, Calif., Lucas Oil/Keystone dragster 297
3. Doug Kalitta, Ann Arbor, Mich., Mac Tools dragster (1) 262
4. Cory McClenathan, Anaheim, Calif., FRAM AirHog dragster 257
5. Scott Kalitta, Snead Island, Fla., Mac Tools/Jesse James dragster (1) 256
6. Dave Grubnic, Ennis, Mont., Zantrex-3 dragster 239
7. Doug Herbert, Cornelius, N.C., Snap-on Tools dragster 235; Larry Dixon, Indianapolis, Miller Lite dragster 235
9. Brandon Bernstein, Indianapolis, Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster 193
10. Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., 104+ Octane Boost dragster 157
FUNNY CAR
1. John Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Castrol GTX Start Up Ford Mustang (1) 303
2. Whit Bazemore, Indianapolis, Matco Tools Dodge Stratus R/T (1) 289
3. Robert Hight, Anaheim Hills, Calif., Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang (1) 268
4. Tommy Johnson Jr., Avon, Ind., Skoal Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo (1) 231
5. Cruz Pedregon, Camarillo, Calif., Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Monte Carlo 230
6. Eric Medlen, Indianapolis, Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang 219
7. Del Worsham, Chino Hills, Calif., Checker Schuck's Kragen Chevrolet Monte Carlo 215
8. Phil Burkart Jr., Yorkville, N.Y., Checker Schuck's Kragen Toyota Celica 211
9. Bob Gilbertson, Gastonia, N.C., Autolite XP Spark Plugs Chevrolet Monte Carlo 207
10. Gary Scelzi, Fresno, Calif., Hemi Oakley Dodge Stratus R/T 196
PRO STOCK
1. Warren Johnson, Sugar Hill, Ga., GM Performance Parts Pontiac (1) 341
2. Dave Connolly, Elyria, Ohio, Bullet Motorsports Chevrolet (1) 315
3. Jason Line, Terrell, N.C., KB Framers Pontiac (1) 294
4. Allen Johnson, Greeneville, Tenn., J&J Racing Team Mopar Dodge Stratus R/T (1) 248
5. Greg Anderson, Charlotte, N.C., Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac 239
6. Jim Yates, Occoquan, Va., Yates Racing Pontiac 233
7. Ron Krisher, Warren, Ohio, Valvoline Chevrolet 230
8. Jeg Coughlin, Delaware, Ohio, Jeg's Mail Order Dodge Stratus R/T 188; Greg Stanfield, PiranaZ Chevrolet 188
10. Kurt Johnson, Lawrenceville, Ga., ACDelco Chevrolet 179
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
(Following 2 of 15 events)
1. Steve Johnson, Birmingham, Ala., Snap-on Tools Suzuki (1) 185
2. Karen Stoffer, Minden, Nev., Geico Motorcycle Suzuki (1) 183
3. Craig Treble, Hensley, Ark., Matco Tools Suzuki 144
4. GT Tonglet, New Orleans, Vance & Hines Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson 131
5. Andrew Hines, Indianapolis, Vance & Hines Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson 115
6. Antron Brown, Indianapolis, U.S. Army Suzuki 111
7. Angelle Sampey, New Orleans, U.S. Army Suzuki 92; Kurt Matte, Lafayette, La., Matte Suzuki 92
9. Geno Scali, Chicago, Trim-Tex Drywall Products Suzuki 88; Chip Ellis, Americus, Ga., G-Squared S&S Buell V-Twin 88
