POMONA, Calif. - Larry Dixon and Kenny Bernstein have started the
2002 NHRA Drag Racing season right where they left off - facing each
other in the final round.
This time, however, Dixon got the edge, beating Bernstein, the 2001
Top Fuel champion, at the K&N Filters Winternationals at Pomona
Raceway.
John Force and George Marnell also won their respective categories at
the $1.9 million race, the first of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing Series.
Dixon used a 4.535-second run at 324.75 mph in his Miller Lite
Dragster to beat Bernstein's 4.612 pass at 324.67 in his Budweiser King
Dragster.
"We stumbled a little bit at the beginning of the day, but we
had our act together for the final," Dixon said. "Our crew has
a couple of new guys and we broke 'em in in style today."
Last season Dixon was ousted by Bernstein six times on race day,
including two finals. Bernstein earned the Top Fuel championship by
advancing further than Dixon at the season-concluding race in November.
Bernstein was hoping to keep that streak alive in 2002.
"I'm never happy when we lose and I'm pretty unhappy right
now," Bernstein said. "We worked really hard this week and the
team did a great job. We still have some work to do to get on up there.
It's going to be a long season."
The victory was the 17th of Dixon's career and second at the
Winternationals. He said the win was a result of a busy off-season.
"Testing went really well, but testing doesn't mean anything if
you don't produce on race day," Dixon said. "Last year Kenny
was the champion and he deserved it. They had the better team. But we
have worked real hard over the winter to become the better team. Right
now we are, but that could change in two weeks when we go to
Phoenix."
Force earned his 99th career victory by beating Del Worsham in the
Funny Car final. Force went 6.260 at 219.76 in a Ford Mustang to get the
win over Worsham's 6.642 at 243.68 in a Pontiac Firebird. Both cars
smoked the tires before mid-track, but Force peddled through for the
win.
"That was a wild one," Force said. "Del stood up there
and we almost hit the wall but I got her straightened out and she
trucked on down there. It feels good to get another win. This is Austin
Coil and a group of 40 other guys that made this happen.
"That was a wild ride just like that Jurassic Park ride at
Universal. I can't believe I got another win at this place."
An 11-time champion, Force is the winningest driver in NHRA history
but is looking to earn his 100th victory.
"We are very excited to come out at the first race and
win," Force said. "We came out of the box good in qualifying.
We'll see what happens next. I'm just real excited."
Marnell beat Jim Yates in a photo finish to claim the second Pro
Stock victory of his career. Marnell went 6.880 at 200.89 in a Pontiac
Grand Am, beating Yates' 6.812 at 202.61 in a Pontiac Grand Am.
"I had a good day. What a battle," Marnell said. "It's
going to be a tough year because everyone is so tough out here. That was
a great ride. I got out there first and was able to hold him off."
There were 15 drivers that won Pro Stock races in 2001. Marnell said
he had a feeling his team could be competitive.
"There aren't just 16 good cars out there," Marnell said.
"There are about 20-25 good cars out there. I think anyone can win
out there. But I feel we have a great team, we have great equipment and
I felt very confident that we could go out and win."
The next NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event will be the 18th
annual Checker Schuck's Kragen Nationals, Feb. 21-24 at Firebird
International Raceway in Phoenix.
POMONA, Calif. -- Final finish order (1-16) for professional
categories at the 42nd annual K&N Filters NHRA Winternationals at
Pomona Raceway. The $1.9 million race is the first of 23 events in the
$50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
TOP FUEL:
1. L Dixon; 2. K Bernstein; 3. C McClenathan; 4. C Millican; 5. D
Kalitta; 6. W Radke; 7. J Smith; 8. D Lampus; 9. David Grubnic; 10.
Rhonda Hartman-Smith; 11. Scott Weis; 12. Andrew Cowin; 13. Tony
Schumacher; 14. Doug Herbert; 15. Darrell Russell; 16. Yuichi Oyama.
FUNNY CAR:
1. J Force, '01 Ford Mustang; 2. D Worsham, Pontiac Firebird; 3. R
Capps, Chevy Camaro; 4. J Gray, Firebird; 5. G Densham, Firebird; 6. S
Cannon, Firebird; 7. A Hofmann, Firebird; 8. G Scelzi, Toyota Celica; 9.
Jerry Toliver, Firebird; 10. John Lawson, Firebird; 11. Tony Pedregon,
Mustang; 12. Whit Bazemore, Firebird; 13. Cruz Pedregon, Firebird; 14.
Dean Skuza, Firebird; 15. Tommy Johnson Jr., Camaro; 16. Bob Bode,
Camaro.
PRO STOCK:
1. G Marnell, Pontiac Grand Am; 2. J Yates, Grand Am; 3. T Hammonds,
Chevy Cavalier; 4. K Johnson, Grand Am; 5. W Johnson, Grand Am; 6. M
Edwards, Cavalier; 7. B Allen, Cavalier; 8. L Morgan, Cavalier; 9. Ron
Krisher, Cavalier; 10. Mark Pawuk, Grand Am; 11. Greg Anderson, Grand
Am; 12. V. Gaines, Grand Am; 13. Darrell Alderman, Cavalier; 14. Tom
Martino, Cavalier; 15. Mark Osborne, Dodge Neon R/T; 16. Allen Johnson,
Cavalier.
POMONA, Calif. -- Sunday's final results from the 42nd annual K&N
Filters NHRA Winternationals at Pomona Raceway. The $1.9 million race is
the first of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing
Series.
Top Fuel -- Larry Dixon, 4.535 seconds, 324.75 mph def. Kenny
Bernstein, 4.612 seconds, 324.67 mph.
Funny Car -- John Force, Ford Mustang, 6.260, 219.76 def. Del
Worsham, Pontiac Firebird, 6.642, 243.68.
Pro Stock -- George Marnell, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.880, 200.89 def. Jim
Yates, Grand Am, 6.812, 202.61.
Top Alcohol Dragster -- Steve Federlin, 5.444, 261.37 def. Mark
Hentges, 5.421, 262.33.
Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Pat Austin, Pontiac Firebird, 5.780, 253.66
def. Bucky Austin, Firebird, 5.920, 190.11.
Comp Eliminator -- Mike DePalma, Chevy Lumina, 7.490, 178.71 def.
Brett Brown, Austin Bantam, 8.660, 149.35.
Super Stock -- Dan Fletcher, Chevy Camaro, 10.246, 124.48 def. Jeff
Taylor, Pontiac Grand Am, 8.590, 154.76.
Stock -- Ken Passerby, Chevy Nova 11.911, 109.13 def. Eric Waldo,
Ford Mustang, 10.769, 124.06.
Super Comp -- Mike Ferderer, Dragster, 8.912, 52.12 def. Brent
Cannon, Dragster, 8.911, 165.70.
Super Gas -- David Coapstick, Ford-T, 9.937, 140.05 def. Todd
Stewart, Chevy Corvette, 9.888, 142.34.
TOP FUEL:
ROUND ONE -- Cory McClenathan, 4.731, 304.32 def. Rhonda
Hartman-Smith, 4.766, 270.10; Don Lampus, 4.665, 315.56 def. Doug
Herbert, 6.291, 142.19; Clay Millican, 4.638, 319.98 def. Yuichi Oyama,
10.767, 81.36; Kenny Bernstein, 4.598, 320.28 def. David Grubnic, 4.667,
310.13; John Smith, 4.901, 286.68 def. Andrew Cowin, 5.386, 259.46;
Wyatt Radke, 4.789, 301.33 def. Tony Schumacher, 6.024, 172.34; Doug
Kalitta, 4.566, 325.53 def. Scott Weis, 4.769, 286.07; Larry Dixon,
4.992, 274.27 def. Darrell Russell, 6.659, 215.68;
QUARTERFINALS -- McClenathan, 6.557, 130.53 def. Smith, 8.333,
134.22; Dixon, 4.708, 318.77 def. Lampus, 8.705, 84.40; Millican, 4.770,
312.71 def. Radke, 4.814, 302.96; Bernstein, 5.013, 204.94 def. Kalitta,
foul;
SEMIFINALS -- Bernstein, 4.598, 323.27 def. McClenathan, 4.643,
317.42; Dixon, 4.580, 324.98 def. Millican, 4.705, 317.79;
FINAL -- Dixon, 4.535, 324.75 def. Bernstein, 4.612, 324.67.
FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE -- Del Worsham, Pontiac Firebird, 4.838, 319.82 def. John
Lawson, Firebird, 5.058, 287.23; Gary Densham, Ford Mustang, 4.797,
318.24 def. Cruz Pedregon, Firebird, 5.388, 199.11; John Force, Mustang,
4.806, 324.20 def. Tommy Johnson Jr., Chevy Camaro, 8.087, 99.64; Johnny
Gray, Firebird, 4.871, 314.68 def. Whit Bazemore, Firebird, 5.178,
270.10; Gary Scelzi, Toyota Celica, 5.016, 275.11 def. Tony Pedregon,
Mustang, 5.097, 259.91; Ron Capps, Camaro, 4.825, 313.95 def. Bob Bode,
Dodge Avenger, 11.533, 71.84; Al Hofmann, Firebird, 4.892, 305.49 def.
Jerry Toliver, Firebird, 4.896, 313.73; Scotty Cannon, Firebird, 4.872,
311.41 def. Dean Skuza, Dodge Stratus R/T, 5.518, 202.97;
QUARTERFINALS -- Gray, 4.873, 308.35 def. Hofmann, 5.307, 206.92;
Worsham, 4.894, 273.44 def. Densham, 5.095, 242.23; John Force, 4.809,
322.88 def. Cannon, 5.154, 242.54; Capps, 4.832, 316.60 def. Scelzi,
8.418, 115.38;
SEMIFINALS -- Worsham, 4.847, 316.52 def. Gray, 9.403, 95.05; John.
Force, 4.972, 295.79 def. Capps, 5.202, 214.28;
FINAL -- John. Force, 6.260, 219.76 def. Worsham, 6.642, 243.68.
PRO STOCK:
ROUND ONE -- Mike Edwards, Chevy Cavalier, 6.833, 201.67 def. Darrell
Alderman, Dodge Neon R/T, 6.870, 200.95; Warren Johnson, Pontiac Grand
Am, 6.817, 202.82 def. Greg Anderson, Cavalier, 6.845, 202.39; Kurt
Johnson, Cavalier, 6.827, 202.94 def. Tom Martino, Grand Am, 6.874,
201.88; Bruce Allen, Grand Am, 6.842, 201.64 def. V. Gaines, Cavalier,
6.848, 202.67; Tom Hammonds, Cavalier, 6.834, 202.33 def. Allen Johnson,
Neon R/T, 6.930, 199.70; Larry Morgan, Neon R/T, 6.846, 202.85 def. Mark
Osborne, Neon R/T, 6.907, 177.35; Jim Yates, Grand Am, 6.803, 202.79
def. Mark Pawuk, Grand Am, 6.843, 202.18; George Marnell, Grand Am,
6.857, 201.52 def. Ron Krisher, Cavalier, 6.838, 202.88;
QUARTERFINALS -- Hammonds, 6.832, 201.16 def. Allen, 6.870, 201.76;
Marnell, 6.854, 201.55 def. Edwards, 6.860, 201.10; Johnson, 6.842,
202.70 def. Morgan, 6.873, 201.94; Yates, 6.834, 201.88 def. Johnson,
6.857, 203.12;
SEMIFINALS -- Yates, 6.832, 202.36 def. Johnson, 6.866, 202.42;
Marnell, 6.885, 201.01 def. Hammonds, 6.855, 201.73;
FINAL -- Marnell, 6.880, 200.89 def. Yates, 6.812, 202.61.
POMONA, Calif. -- Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional
categories following the 42nd annual K&N Filters NHRA
Winternationals at Pomona Raceway, the first of 23 events in the $50
million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:
Top Fuel
1. Larry Dixon, 117; 2. Kenny Bernstein, 95; 3. Clay Millican, 95; 4.
Cory McClenathan, 73; 5. Doug Kalitta, 54; 6. Don Lampus, 53; 7. (tie)
Wyatt Radke, 51; John Smith, 51; 9. Andrew Cowin, 38; 10. Tony
Schumacher, 36.
Funny Car
1. John Force, 118; 2. Del Worsham, 94; 3. Ron Capps, 74; 4. Johnny
Gray, 71; 5. Gary Densham, 56; 6. (tie) Scotty Cannon, 52; Al Hofmann,
52; 8. Gary Scelzi, 51; 9. Whit Bazemore, 37; 10. Tony Pedregon, 35.
Pro Stock
1. George Marnell, 111; 2. Jim Yates, 97; 3. Tom Hammonds, 75; 4.
Kurt Johnson, 74; 5. Bruce Allen, 54; 6. (tie) Mike Edwards, 53; Warren
Johnson, 53; 8. Larry Morgan, 51; 9. Ron Krisher, 38; 10. Mark Osborne,
36.
NHRA Communications