Post Race Notes: Fifth annual O’Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
TOP FUEL
Doug Kalitta, of Ann Arbor, Mich. earned his 21st career victory behind the wheel of his Mac Tools dragster on a holeshot over Rod Fuller. It was Kalitta’s second win of the season and his second at Bristol Dragway.
Kalitta’s victory put him at the top of the POWERade standings, 23 ahead of two-time and defending world champion Tony Schumacher, and 69 ahead of Larry Dixon, also a two-time world champion of the category.
Kalitta powered his dragster to a 4.593 second finish in 322.50 to Fuller’s quicker and faster run of 4.588 in 327.35 in his David Powers Homes dragster. It was Fuller’s first final-round appearance.
Schumacher made an uncharacteristic first-round exit at the hands of David Grubnic, who lost to the eventual winner in the second round.
Brandon Bernstein nabbed the $4,000 Budweiser Shootout award for qualifying No. 1 in his Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster, while Bernstein’s crew picked up the $3,000 Full Throttle Pit Crew Championship award.
FUNNY CAR
Gary Scelzi, of Fresno, Calif., notched his 30th career victory (fifth in Funny Car) with a win over Jeff Arend. Scelzi turned in a 4.815-second run in 329.26 in his Mopar/Oakley Dodge Stratus for his first win at Thunder Valley. His final round speed was a track record.
Arend made his first final-round appearance in nearly a decade in his CMKXtreme Chevy Monte Carlo.
Scelzi is now fourth in the POWERade standings, 63 points behind leader Whit Bazemore, the only Funny Car driver to earn two victories so far this season.
Bazemore and 13-time Funny Car world champion John Force, who is second in the point standings, were both defeated in the first round.
Medlen earned a $4,000 Skoal Showdown award for his No. 1 qualifying effort of 4.806 seconds at 326.63 mph in his Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang. Medlen’s crew claimed the $3,000 Full Throttle Pit Crew Championship award.
Frank Pedregon was bumped from Sunday’s eliminations in favor of Ron Capps after rain cancellations caused the final 16-car field to be determined by Saturday’s lone qualifying effort and the point standings.
PRO STOCK
Warren Johnson, of Buford, Ga. set a track E.T. record of 6.715 seconds in the second round en route to his 94th Pro Stock victory and second of the 2005 season in his GM Performance Parts Pontiac.
Johnson regained the top spot in the point standings after Dave Connolly, the former series leader, exited in round two with a loss to Richie Stevens. Connolly is second in the point standings.
Johnson, a six-time Pro Stock world champion, earned his 800th round win in the final.
Stevens, driver of the Team Mopar HEMI-powered Dodge Stratus, made his first final-round appearance since rejoining the sport this year. Stevens sat out 2004 to focus on running the family business.
Larry Morgan was replaced in the eliminations lineup by top 10 points driver Ron Krisher, because the field was set with only one qualifying session.
Connolly won the $3,000 NHRA King Demon Crown award for qualifying No. 1 in his Bullet Motorsports Chevrolet.
Stevens grabbed the $1,000 Motel 6 “Who Got the Light” award for defeating Connolly by .0011-second margin of victory in the quarterfinal round of eliminations.
Connolly’s crew won the $1,500 Full Throttle Pit Crew Championship award.
The $1,000 Hedman Hedders Best Engineered Vehicle award went to the ACDelco Chevrolet Cobalt entry driven by Kurt Johnson.
Dave Howard’s Indicom Electric Company Chevrolet Cobalt Pro Stock ride was named the Best Appearing Car.
