Anderson Sets NHRA Single-Season Wins Record With 14th Victory

Kalitta, Scelzi, and Ellis also earn victories at ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals

LAS VEGAS – Pro Stock dominator Greg Anderson set the NHRA single-season wins record by racing to his 14th victory Sunday at the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals.

Doug Kalitta, Gary Scelzi, and Chip Ellis also were winners at the $1.8 million race at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the 22nd of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Anderson claimed his 30th career victory in 6.796 seconds at 202.52 mph in his Summit Racing Pontiac Grand Am, defeating Jason Line, who recorded a 6.822 at 201.85 also in his KB Framers Grand Am.

Anderson's victory, in an NHRA record 18th final round appearance, continues one of the most impressive performances by a pro driver in NHRA history. John Force previously held the NHRA season-wins record, when he earned 13 Funny Car victories in 1996.

"I feel very proud to break any record John Force owned,” Anderson said. “We all know what he's done for this sport and to have a year better than one of his is really something. This is one of the big ones, in my opinion.”

It was Anderson’s fourth consecutive victory at The Strip, home track for his Las Vegas-based team owner Ken Black.

"Once upon a time this place was a nightmare for me," Anderson said. "Now it's almost like I can't lose here. All the testing we've done over the years is paying off. I should just move to this town.”

It was the fourth Top Fuel win of the season for Kalitta, who clocked a 4.530 at 329.02 in his Mac Tools dragster, to defeat first-time finalist Morgan Lucas, who posted a 4.612 at 306.40 in his Lucas Oil/DeeZee dragster.

The victory capped a great weekend for Kalitta Motorsports, who on Saturday celebrated the No. 1 qualifying award (Scott Kalitta) and the $100,000 Budweiser Shootout bonus event (Dave Grubnic).

"What a great effort for this entire team," said Kalitta of his 19th career victory. "With Grubnic winning the Budweiser Shootout, and Scott getting the No. 1 qualifier, and now me winning the race, it's hard to ask for much more than that. I've always wanted to win here, especially now that the Bud Shootout is being held here every year. It's nice to get it done.”

Scelzi claimed his third Funny Car win of the season, defeating Tommy Johnson Jr., Cruz Pedregon and Del Worsham in early rounds before upsetting newly crowned world champion Force in the final.

In the final, Scelzi deep-staged his Hemi Oakley Dodge Stratus and took a holeshot start before speeding to a 4.790 at 326.32 to defeat Force, who ran a quicker but losing 4.754 at 322.81 in his Castrol GTX Start Up Ford Mustang.

"Every time you race John and (his crew chief Austin) Coil and those guys over there your back's against the wall," Scelzi said. "And you have to cheat them now and then. I didn't mean to take that big of a chunk on the starting line. I turned out that top light, and I said, 'Oh, man, here we go, baby.'"

All three of Scelzi’s victories this season have come against 13-time series champ Force.

"I love racing the man,” said Scelzi, a three-time NHRA Top Fuel world champion, of his newfound rival. “You can't help but get pumped up to race him. Those guys are probably the greatest team that's ever been in drag racing, and who knows, maybe even in all of motorsports.”

Ellis earned his first career victory in Pro Stock Bike in only his third professional start by outrunning veteran rider Angelle Savoie in the final round. Ellis posted a 7.191 at 179.92 on his G-Squared S&S Buell V-Twin to defeat Savoie, who rode her U.S. Army Suzuki to a 7.255 at 177.49.

“The team gave me a great bike, and I needed it because it seems like I was late all day, but the bike would carry me,” said Ellis, who defeated Chip Hunter, Antron Brown and Shawn Gann in earlier rounds to advance to the final. “The team deserves the credit for this win.”

Ellis, a former AMA Pro Star champion, is adjusting to life on the NHRA circuit.

“The big difference with racing in the NHRA is the huge amount of fans and the big-time media coverage,” he said. “I'm overwhelmed by it all. I got people pulling me this way and that. It's crazy. I guess I'll just need to keep winning and get used to it.”

Top qualifier and category points leader Andrew Hines was upset in the first round, extending his wait for locking up the championship until the season finale. Hines, 21, needs only to qualify at the 40th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, Nov. 11-14 at Pomona (Calif.) Raceway, to become the youngest POWERade Series world champion in NHRA history.

LAS VEGAS -- Final finish order (1-16) for professional categories at the fourth annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The $1.8 million race is the 22nd of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL:

1. Doug Kalitta; 2. Morgan Lucas; 3. Andrew Cowin; 4. Rhonda Hartman-Smith; 5. Scott Kalitta; 6. Doug Herbert; 7. Tony Schumacher; 8. Cory McClenathan; 9. Gary Ormsby Jr; 10. Scott Weis; 11. Larry Dixon; 12. Brandon Bernstein; 13. John Smith; 14. David Baca; 15. David Grubnic; 16. Brady Kalivoda.

FUNNY CAR:

1. Gary Scelzi, Dodge Stratus; 2. John Force, Ford Mustang; 3. Gary Densham, Mustang; 4. Del Worsham, Chevy Monte Carlo; 5. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo; 6. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo; 7. Eric Medlen, Mustang; 8. Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo; 9. Whit Bazemore, Stratus; 10. Ron Capps, Monte Carlo; 11. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo; 12. Bob Bode, Pontiac Firebird; 13. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo; 14. Johnny Gray, Stratus; 15. Bob Gilbertson, Firebird; 16. Frank Pedregon, Firebird.

PRO STOCK:

1. Greg Anderson, Pontiac Grand Am; 2. Jason Line, Grand Am; 3. Kenny Koretsky, Dodge Stratus; 4. Allen Johnson, Stratus; 5. Jeg Coughlin, Chevy Cavalier; 6. V. Gaines, Stratus; 7. Fernando Cuadra, Cavalier; 8. Dave Connolly, Cavalier; 9. Mike Edwards, Grand Am; 10. Ron Krisher, Cavalier; 11. Larry Morgan, Stratus; 12. Greg Stanfield, Cavalier; 13. Bruce Allen, Grand Am; 14. Kurt Johnson, Cavalier; 15. Ben Watson, Cavalier; 16. Steve Johns, Cavalier.

PRO STOCK BIKE:

1. Chip Ellis; 2. Angelle Savoie, Suzuki; 3. Shawn Gann, Suzuki; 4. GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson; 5. Antron Brown, Suzuki; 6. Matt Smith, Suzuki; 7. Geno Scali, Suzuki; 8. Mike Berry, Suzuki; 9. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki; 10. Steve Johnson, Suzuki; 11. Craig Treble, Suzuki; 12. Blaine Hale, Suzuki; 13. Michael Phillips, Suzuki; 14. Chip Hunter, Suzuki; 15. Kurt Matte, Suzuki; 16. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson.

LAS VEGAS -- Sunday's final results from the fourth annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The $1.8 million race is the 22nd of 23 in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel -- Doug Kalitta, 4.530 seconds, 329.02 mph def. Morgan Lucas, 4.612 seconds, 306.40 mph.

Funny Car -- Gary Scelzi, Dodge Stratus, 4.790, 326.32 def. John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.754, 322.81.

Pro Stock -- Greg Anderson, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.796, 202.52 def. Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.822, 201.85.

Pro Stock Bike -- Chip Ellis, 7.191, 179.92 def. Angelle Savoie, Suzuki, 7.255, 177.49.

Competition Eliminator -- Glen Treadwell, Dragster, 8.493, 153.37 def. Lou Ficco Jr., Chevy Corvette, 7.303, 186.10.

Super Stock -- Gary McGlasson, Chevy Camaro, 10.269, 127.19 def. Tony DeFrank, Pontiac Grand Am, 10.435, 123.25.

Stock Eliminator -- Jim Waldo, Pontiac Firebird, 10.562, 125.86 def. Gary Waldo, Chevy Nova, 11.442, 114.81.

Super Comp -- Greg Ventura, Chevy Nova, 9.054, 140.09 def. Jim Gottsch, Dragster, 9.050, 164.33.

LAS VEGAS -- Final round-by-round results from the fourth annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the 22nd of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series -

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE -- Morgan Lucas, 4.573, 320.58 def. Larry Dixon, 4.722, 306.26; Doug Herbert, 4.658, 319.07 def. Brandon Bernstein, 4.730, 310.34; Tony Schumacher, 4.581, 322.19 def. Brady Kalivoda, 12.465, 74.51; Cory McClenathan, 4.625, 320.43 def. John Smith, 4.731, 315.12; Andrew Cowin, 4.694, 296.24 def. David Baca, 4.850, 265.27; Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 4.669, 316.82 def. David Grubnic, 6.350, 174.98; Doug Kalitta, 4.563, 328.14 def. Gary Ormsby Jr, 4.683, 314.24; Scott Kalitta, 4.611, 324.59 def. Scott Weis, 4.685, 311.92

QUARTERFINALS -- Lucas, 4.538, 324.59 def. S. Kalitta, 4.544, 329.18; Cowin, 4.607, 309.56 def. McClenathan, 8.889, 81.34; Hartman-Smith, 4.678, 313.88 def. Schumacher, 5.582, 175.30; D. Kalitta, 4.559, 329.75 def. Herbert, 4.637, 298.34

SEMIFINALS -- D. Kalitta, 4.589, 327.43 def. Hartman-Smith, 4.631, 318.02; Lucas, 4.630, 311.13 def. Cowin, 4.603, 317.42

FINAL -- D. Kalitta, 4.530, 329.02 def. Lucas, 4.612, 306.40.

FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE -- Del Worsham, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.859, 321.50 def. Frank Pedregon, Pontiac Firebird, 11.295, 71.40; Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.825, 323.43 def. Johnny Gray, Dodge Stratus, 4.892, 321.12; Eric Medlen, Ford Mustang, 4.831, 323.04 def. Bob Bode, Firebird, 4.873, 311.70; Gary Densham, Mustang, 4.792, 323.12 def. Bob Gilbertson, Firebird, 4.945, 313.51; Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.839, 320.05 def. Whit Bazemore, Stratus, 4.820, 324.36; Gary Scelzi, Stratus, 4.809, 319.75 def. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.888, 317.42; John Force, Mustang, 4.787, 322.88 def. Ron Capps, Monte Carlo, 4.850, 316.15; Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 4.824, 321.50 def. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 4.854, 317.79;

QUARTERFINALS -- Worsham, 4.815, 319.60 def. Wilkerson, 4.818, 321.88; Scelzi, 4.770, 325.45 def. C. Pedregon, 4.824, 321.19; Force, 5.043, 284.56 def. Medlen, 9.606, 95.03; Densham, 4.775, 325.37 def. T. Pedregon, 12.223, 72.62;

SEMIFINALS -- Force, 4.804, 322.34 def. Densham, 4.776, 324.05; Scelzi, 4.794, 324.05 def. Worsham, 4.852, 320.05;

FINAL -- Scelzi, 4.790, 326.32 def. Force, 4.754, 322.81.

PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE -- Dave Connolly, Chevy Cavalier, 6.824, 200.89 def. Greg Stanfield, Cavalier, 6.855, 201.64; V. Gaines, Dodge Stratus, 6.834, 201.64 def. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.850, 201.55; Jeg Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.820, 201.79 def. Ron Krisher, Cavalier, 6.831, 201.94; Fernando Cuadra, Cavalier, 6.841, 201.43 def. Mike Edwards, Pontiac Grand Am, foul; Jason Line, Grand Am, 6.822, 201.64 def. Ben Watson, Cavalier, 6.875, 199.32; Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.849, 201.13 def. Steve Johns, Cavalier, 11.442, 91.98; Greg Anderson, Grand Am, 6.809, 201.46 def. Kurt Johnson, Cavalier, 6.873, 199.37; Kenny Koretsky, Stratus, 6.820, 201.79 def. Bruce Allen, Grand Am, foul;

QUARTERFINALS -- A. Johnson, 6.865, 200.56 def. Cuadra, 6.848, 200.23; Line, 6.802, 202.21 def. Connolly, foul; Koretsky, 6.937, 200.29 def. Coughlin, foul; Anderson, 6.826, 201.97 def. Gaines, 6.821, 201.64;

SEMIFINALS -- Anderson, 6.808, 202.00 def. Koretsky, 6.853, 201.34; Line, 6.821, 201.25 def. A. Johnson, 6.876, 200.32;

FINAL -- Anderson, 6.796, 202.52 def. Line, 6.822, 201.85.

PRO STOCK BIKE:

ROUND ONE -- Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.249, 177.09 def. Kurt Matte, Suzuki, 7.489, 175.73; Angelle Savoie, Suzuki, 7.251, 178.52 def. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.382, 174.96; Chip Ellis, 7.175, 178.26 def. Chip Hunter, Suzuki, 7.393, 174.28; Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.414, 177.60 def. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 8.052, 128.18; Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.253, 181.76 def. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.312, 180.98; GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.266, 177.67 def. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.290, 178.99; Shawn Gann, Suzuki, 7.267, 183.10 def. Blaine Hale, Suzuki, 7.373, 176.40; Matt Smith, Suzuki, 7.311, 179.06 def. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.342, 174.44;

QUARTERFINALS -- Gann, 7.341, 175.96 def. Scali, 7.327, 178.19; Tonglet, 7.253, 177.16 def. Smith, 7.275, 181.76; Savoie, 7.205, 179.44 def. Berry, 7.401, 179.61; Ellis, 7.175, 179.14 def. Brown, 7.227, 178.12;

SEMIFINALS -- Savoie, 7.241, 178.71 def. Tonglet, 7.442, 177.39; Ellis, 7.213, 182.40 def. Gann, 7.368, 176.12;

FINAL -- Ellis, 7.191, 179.92 def. Savoie, 7.255, 177.49.

LAS VEGAS -- Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following the Fourth annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the 22nd of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series -

Top Fuel

1. Tony Schumacher, 1,877; 2. Doug Kalitta, 1,610; 3. Brandon Bernstein, 1,477; 4. Scott Kalitta, 1,365; 5. David Grubnic, 1,315; 6. Larry Dixon, 1,209; 7. Cory McClenathan, 1,100; 8. Doug Herbert, 1,067; 9. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 809; 10. Scott Weis, 771.

Funny Car

1. John Force, 1,765; 2. (tie) Gary Scelzi, 1,490; Del Worsham, 1,490; 4. Gary Densham, 1,328; 5. Eric Medlen, 1,322; 6. Whit Bazemore, 1,306; 7. Tim Wilkerson, 1,186; 8. Cruz Pedregon, 1,156; 9. Tony Pedregon, 1,138; 10. Phil Burkart, 1,105.

Pro Stock

1. Greg Anderson, 2,284; 2. Jason Line, 1,563; 3. Dave Connolly, 1,494; 4. Kurt Johnson, 1,214; 5. Larry Morgan, 1,201; 6. Jeg Coughlin, 1,077; 7. Bruce Allen, 1,057; 8. Steve Johns, 986; 9. Kenny Koretsky, 928; 10. Rickie Smith, 859.

Pro Stock Bike

1. Andrew Hines, 1,152; 2. Antron Brown, 1,035; 3. Angelle Savoie, 1,031; 4. Shawn Gann, 945; 5. Craig Treble, 874; 6. GT Tonglet, 801; 7. Geno Scali, 779; 8. Steve Johnson, 678; 9. Karen Stoffer, 594; 10. Michael Phillips, 579.