SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NHRA SOUTHERN NATIONALS FACT SHEET
WHAT: 25th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals presented by Pontiac, the seventh of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Professional competitors in four categories earn points leading to 2005 NHRA POWERade championships. Sportsman competitors in seven categories earn points leading to 2005 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series championships.
WHERE: Atlanta Dragway, Commerce, Ga. I-85 to Exit 149 (Hwy 441). After exiting the freeway, go north on Highway 441 to Steven Tanger Blvd. Take left on Tanger and then go right on Ridgeway Road.
WHEN: Thursday through Sunday, May 12-15.
PURSE: Cash and contingency awards of more than $1.4 million.
SCHEDULE: THURSDAY, May 12 -- Sportsman time trials and qualifying begin at 9 a.m.
FRIDAY, May 13 -- Sportsman qualifying and eliminations begin at 9 a.m.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, May 14 -- Sportsman eliminations begin at 8 a.m.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, May 15 -- Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION: Saturday, May 14, ESPN2 will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 7 p.m. (ET).
Sunday May 15, ESPN2 will broadcast NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute weekly news magazine show, at 11:30 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, May 15, ESPN2 will televise three hours of final eliminations at 7 p.m. (ET).
SATELLITE: Friday, May 13, 10-10:30 p.m. (ET) – SBS 6/Transponder 05K (14123 MHz, vertical)
Saturday, May 14, 8-8:30 p.m. (ET) – SBS 6/Transponder 05K (14123 MHz, vertical)
Sunday, May 15, 8-8:30 p.m. (ET) – SBS 6/Transponder 05K (14123 MHz, vertical)
2004 EVENT WINNERS:
Cory McClenathan, Top Fuel; Whit Bazemore, Funny Car; Greg Anderson, Pro Stock; Angelle Sampey, Pro Stock Motorcycle.
TRACK RECORDS:
Top Fuel – 4.469 seconds by David Grubnic May ‘04; 329.02 mph by Tony Schumacher May ‘04
Funny Car – 4.765 seconds by Tony Pedregon May ‘04; 329.83 mph by Pedregon, May ‘04
Pro Stock – 6.796 seconds by Larry Morgan, May ‘04; 203.80 mph by Morgan, May ‘04
Pro Stock Motorcycle – 7.113 seconds by Angelle Sampey, May ’02; 192.91 mph by Shawn Gann, May ‘04
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 NHRA, (800) 884-6472 or Ticketmaster at (404) 249-6400. Tickets also available at nhra.com.
GENERAL ADMISSION (includes pit pass) – Thursday: Adult, $10; Junior (6-12 years), free. Friday: Adult, $29; Junior (6-12 years), $10. Saturday: Adult, $42; Junior (6-12 years), $10. Sunday: Adult, $42; Junior (6-12 years), $10. Child (5 years-under), admitted free with paying adult in general admission and pit access areas each day.
RESERVED SEATS (includes pit pass) – Friday: Adult, $37; Junior (6-12 years), $18; Child (5 years-under), $8. Saturday: Adult, $52; Junior (6-12 years), $22; Child (5 years and under), $12. Sunday: Adult, $54; Junior (6-12 years), $22; Child (5 years and under), $12. Call NHRA for four-day passes and campground information.
PROFESSOR MAKES FINAL SCHEDULED TOUR STOP IN HOME STATE
PRO STOCK LEGEND WARREN JOHNSON RETURNS HOME FOR WHAT MAY BE HIS LAST COMPETITION AS A DRIVER AT THE ATLANTA DRAGWAY
ATLANTA – Warren Johnson’s final season as a competitive driver, dubbed “The Professor’s School’s Out Tour,” has been going so well, there have been rumors of a sequel in 2006.
But for now, this remains the Pro Stock legend’s final season as a competitive driver and the 25th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals presented by Pontiac, May 12-15 at the Atlanta Dragway, the seventh of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, will represent his final scheduled race at his “home” track. Johnson lives in nearby Buford, Ga., owns a shop in Sugar Hill, Ga., and his five wins at the Atlanta Dragway are the most all-time by a Pro Stock driver there.
“We’ve always considered Atlanta Dragway as our home track,” Johnson said. “We’ve been pretty fortunate to win there five times. Over the years, it’s been a pretty decent facility, and we seem to have a pretty good record on the better racetracks that we run on so our success at Atlanta follows suit.”
It’s far from the only track where he’s had success; in fact, Johnson has imposed his will as an engine-builder and driver on virtually every track on the circuit.
As evidence of that, he dotted the final ‘I’ in a career that has left few stones unturned when he earned the No. 1 qualifying position at the NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals in April. The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway had up to that weekend been the only track on the NHRA circuit at which Johnson had failed to earn a No. 1 qualifying position. Now, the circle has been completed.
It’s as good an illustration as any that Johnson’s final tour of the NHRA circuit has been and will continue to be anything but ceremonial.
Touting his new DRCE-III engine, Johnson has added two No. 1 qualifying runs in 2005 (Houston and Las Vegas 1) to up his record total to 132, he ended a one-year-plus winless streak (dating back to the rescheduled Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals Oct. 5, 2003) with wins at the O’Reilly Spring Nationals and O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals, and he is leading in the Pro Stock standings after six events.
“Everything really started to jell during the offseason,” Johnson said. “We got a new GM Performance Parts Pontiac, the engine program came along nicely, and we refortified other areas with a considerable amount of work. Right now, we have a pretty complete package. There are still a few areas that we need to work on to maintain consistency, but that certainly can be addressed.”
Johnson’s win in Houston on April 10 made him the oldest driver in NHRA professional drag racing history to win and he extended the mark by a month with his win in Bristol, Tenn. At 61 years, 10 months, he surpassed the former mark held by Top Fuel driver Eddie Hill, who was 60 years and four months at the time of his last win in 1996.
“We look at different facets of our racing program every day to see where we’re a little weak and how we can shore that area up without jeopardizing our strong points,” Johnson said. “It’s a total team effort, and I’m fortunate to have two great guys with me at the track, and people back at the shop who are dedicated to what we do. Their hard work has given me a better race car and put us in a better position to win.
“My outlook for this season has not changed. We still enter every race to win, and our goal is to bring the championship back to our shop in Sugar Hill,” Johnson said.
In what was a difficult 2004 season, Johnson made it to just one final round and did not qualify at the final four events. At Atlanta last year, Johnson qualified ninth and was eliminated in the first round by Bruce Allen.
The 2004 Pro Stock winner in Georgia was none other than Greg Anderson, who was later rewarded for his total dominance in the category by being just the second NHRA driver to win the prestigious Speed Channel Driver of the Year award.
Anderson has gone winless through the first six events of 2005 and while he’s in fourth place, he’s got a lot of work to do as he’s 171 points behind Johnson and 121 behind Connolly. He and Johnson will be the Pro Stock drivers to watch, but not to be overlooked are Pro Stock neophytes Connolly and Jason Line.
The other winners at the 2004 Summit Racing NHRA Southern Nationals were Cory McClenathan in Top Fuel, Whit Bazemore in Funny Car, and Angelle Sampey in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
This year in Top Fuel, look for defending champion McClenathan or Larry Dixon to figure in the championship as they are both in the top six in the Top Fuel standings and will enter the week tied for most all-time wins in Atlanta with three; also, don’t count out Morgan Lucas, still looking for his first series win; or the top two in the point standings, Doug Kalitta and Tony Schumacher.
In Funny Car, Bazemore already has an impressive 2005 with wins at the Mac Tools Gatornationals and SummitRacing.com Nationals and he is first in the NHRA POWERade point standings. Defending Funny Car champion John Force will be looking for his seventh win in Atlanta, but first since 2000 and Robert Hight has won once in his rookie season and twice been a No. 1 qualifier.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, none of the current riders has enjoyed as much success at this track as Sampey, who has four wins (including 2004) in Atlanta. Sampey’s U.S Army teammate Antron Brown and defending series champion Andrew Hines should figure in the mix as well.
SCHEDULE: Pro qualifying sessions are scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 13. Qualifying continues at noon and 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 14 and final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 15.
TICKETS: Tickets are available for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals presented by Pontiac. Call the Atlanta Dragway at (800) 884-NHRA (6472) for ticket information, or check online at atlantadragway.com or tickets.com.
ON TV: ESPN2 will televise two hours of qualifying of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals presented by Pontiac at 7 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, May 14. ESPN2 will televise NHRA 2DAY, a 30-minute weekly news magazine show, at 11:30 a.m. (ET) on Sunday, May 15. ESPN2 will televise three hours of final eliminations coverage beginning at 7 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, May 15.
2005 NHRA POWERADE POINT STANDING
(Following 6 of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERADE Drag Racing Series)
UPDATED 5/1/2005 (Victories in parentheses)
TOP FUEL
Place Driver Points
1. Doug Kalitta, Ann Arbor, Mich., Mac Tools dragster (2) 474
2. Tony Schumacher, Long Grove, Ill., U.S. Army dragster (2) 451
3. Larry Dixon, Indianapolis, Miller Lite dragster (1) 405
4. Morgan Lucas, Riverside, Calif., Lucas Oil/Keystone dragster 370
5. Dave Grubnic, Ennis, Mont., Zantrex-3 dragster 366
6. Cory McClenathan, Anaheim, Calif., FRAM AirHog dragster 343
7. Scott Kalitta, Snead Island, Fla., Mac Tools/Jesse James dragster (1) 323
8. Doug Herbert, Cornelius, N.C., Snap-on Tools dragster 321
9. Brandon Bernstein, Indianapolis, Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster 304
10. Rod Fuller, Las Vegas, David Powers Homes/Valvoline dragster 244
FUNNY CAR
1. Whit Bazemore, Indianapolis, Matco Tools Dodge Stratus R/T (2) 433
2. John Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Castrol GTX Start Up Ford Mustang (1) 375
3. Cruz Pedregon, Camarillo, Calif., Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Monte Carlo 373
4. Gary Scelzi, Fresno, Calif., Hemi Oakley Dodge Stratus R/T (1) 370
5. Robert Hight, Anaheim Hills, Calif., Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang (1) 360
6. Tommy Johnson Jr., Avon, Ind., Skoal Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo (1) 319
7. Eric Medlen, Indianapolis, Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang 308
8. Ron Capps, Carlsbad, Calif., Brut Dodge Stratus R/T 294
9. Bob Gilbertson, Gastonia, N.C., Autolite XP Spark Plugs Chevrolet Monte Carlo 292
10. Del Worsham, Chino Hills, Calif., Checker Schuck’s Kragen Chevrolet Monte Carlo 280
PRO STOCK
1. Warren Johnson, Buford, Ga., GM Performance Parts Pontiac (2) 536
2. Dave Connolly, Elyria, Ohio, Bullet Motorsports Chevrolet (2) 486
3. Jason Line, Terrell, N.C., KB Framers Pontiac (1) 379
4. Greg Anderson, Charlotte, N.C., Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac 365
5. Ron Krisher, Warren, Ohio, Valvoline Chevrolet 316
6. Jim Yates, Occoquan, Va., Yates Racing Pontiac 315
7. Kurt Johnson, Sugar Hill, Ga., ACDelco Chevrolet Cobalt 306
8. Richie Stevens, New Orleans, Team Mopar Dodge Stratus R/T 297
9. Greg Stanfield, PiranaZ Chevrolet 294
10. Allen Johnson, Greeneville, Tenn., J&J Racing Team Mopar Dodge Stratus R/T (1) 289
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
(Following 2 of 15 events)
1. Steve Johnson, Birmingham, Ala., Steve Johnson Racing 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 Racing Suzuki 92
9. Geno Scali, Chicago, Trim-Tex Drywall Products Suzuki 88
Chip Ellis, Americus, Ga., G-Squared S&S Buell V-Twin 88
