POMONA, Calif. - Pro Stock driver Jim Yates opened the 2002 NHRA
season on Thursday with a track record time during the first round of
qualifying for the K&N Filters Winternationals at Pomona Raceway.
Doug Kalitta and John Force led their respective categories at the
$1.9 million race, the first of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing Series.
Yates drove his Pontiac Grand Am down the quarter-mile track in 6.825
seconds at 201.85 mph to take the early lead in Pro Stock qualifying.
Pro qualifying continues Friday with a session at 1:30 p.m. and 11 a.m.
and 2 p.m. on Saturday.
"It feels good to be back in the car," Yates said.
"Everyone has worked very hard during the off season but you never
know how good you are going to be until you get here."
Yates has experience starting a race at Pomona with the No. 1
qualifying spot. He took the No. 1 spot last November, during the final
race of the 2001 season.
"I think we just have a good combination for this track,"
Yates said. "But I think the parity is going to be even better this
season. That is bad for us because we would really like to get out there
and run away from everybody."
Kalitta paced the Top Fuel category with a 4.593-second run at 319.90
mph in his Mac Tools Dragster. Kalitta earned one top qualifying spot in
2001.
"We managed to get the best qualifying spot, and we are happy
about that," Kalitta said. "But it's early and we have three
more sessions to go."
The 2001 Top Fuel champion, Kenny Bernstein, went 8.474 at 90.06 -
good enough for the No. 12 spot. Cory McClenathan, back from a year off
from racing, was the lone non-qualifier. He smoked the tires before the
60-foot mark, landing in the 17th spot of the 16-car field.
The battle for the 2002 Funny Car crown is under way as Force faced
his toughest rival from the 2001 season, Whit Bazemore, during the first
round of qualifying. Force was the quickest in the category with a 4.764
run at 322.27 in his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang. Bazemore has the No. 2
spot after he drove his Matco Tools Pontiac Firebird to a 4.815 at
321.50.
"When I finished my burnout I got on the radio and asked who was
in the other lane," Force said. "(Crew chief) Bernie Fedderly
said it was my not-so-buddy Bazemore next door.
"Bazemore ran a good time also. He is going to be right there
with us. He's already said that (my time) was not bad for an old man and
not bad for an old truck driver."
Force said he was pleased with the run since the car was set up just
to qualify.
"I don't think it is just us," Force said. "I think a
lot of people had a softer set up. But our car has a lot of potential.
It feels good just to be qualified right now. That way you are not
sweating on Saturday just to get in. The biggest thing is that the crew
is ready to fight and I am ready to fight."
POMONA, Calif. -- Results Thursday after qualifying for the 42nd
annual K&N Filters NHRA Winternationals at Pomona Raceway, first of
23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
Qualifying will continue Friday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. Doug Kalitta, 4.593 seconds, 319.90 mph; 2. Doug
Herbert, 4.653, 315.93; 3. Tony Schumacher, 4.663, 314.31; 4. Clay
Millican, 4.688, 310.05; 5. David Grubnic, 4.768, 303.57; 6. Wyatt
Radke, 4.830, 303.50; 7. Don Lampus, 4.912, 268.22; 8. Robert Hallock,
4.962, 282.30; 9. Darrell Russell, 6.017, 142.75; 10. Andrew Cowin,
6.774, 114.10; 11. Yuichi Oyama, 7.994, 95.78; 12. Kenny Bernstein,
8.474, 90.06; 13. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 9.077, 92.53; 14. Scott Weis,
9.213, 86.98; 15. Larry Dixon, 9.474, 82.80; 16. Joe Hartley, 12.501,
87.16.
Funny Car -- 1. John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.764, 322.27; 2. Whit
Bazemore, Pontiac Firebird, 4.815, 321.50; 3. Gary Densham, Mustang,
4.891, 263.72; 4. Al Hofmann, Firebird, 4.907, 291.76; 5. Bob Bode,
Dodge Avenger, 4.931, 300.73; 6. Gary Scelzi, Toyota Celica, 4.934,
301.74; 7. Del Worsham, Firebird, 4.937, 304.80; 8. Ron Capps, Chevy
Camaro, 4.939, 295.98; 9. Dean Skuza, Dodge Stratus R/T, 4.996, 276.01;
10. Johnny Gray, Firebird, 5.023, 302.28; 11. Tony Pedregon, Mustang,
5.269, 210.64; 12. Dale Creasy Jr., Firebird, 5.761, 171.47; 13. Bob
Gilbertson, Firebird, 6.547, 150.75; 14. Cruz Pedregon, Firebird, 7.392,
112.39; 15. John Lawson, Firebird, 8.918, 99.00; 16. Louis Sweet,
Camaro, 9.096, 90.48.
Pro Stock -- 1. Jim Yates, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.825, 201.85; 2. Kurt
Johnson, Chevy Cavalier, 6.833, 202.88; 3. Ron Krisher, Cavalier, 6.847,
202.18; 4. Greg Anderson, Cavalier, 6.847, 202.06; 5. Tom Martino, Grand
Am, 6.849, 201.40; 6. George Marnell, Grand Am, 6.859, 201.01; 7. Mike
Edwards, Cavalier, 6.867, 200.86; 8. Jeg Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.868,
200.65; 9. Mark Osborne, Dodge Neon R/T, 6.870, 201.04; 10. Tom
Hammonds, Cavalier, 6.876, 201.16; 11. Allen Johnson, Neon R/T, 6.879,
201.16; 12. John Geyer, Dodge Avenger, 6.886, 201.52; 13. V. Gaines,
Cavalier, 6.888, 201.43; 14. Kenny Koretsky, Grand Am, 6.890, 200.71;
15. Larry Morgan, Neon R/T, 6.891, 200.65; 16. Robert Patrick, Ford
Mustang, 6.893, 199.85.
NHRA Communications