Automobile Club of Southern California
NHRA World Finals Fact Sheet
by NHRA Communications
WHAT: 38th annual Automobile Club of
Southern California NHRA Finals, the final of 23 events in the $50
million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Professional competitors in four
categories earn points leading to 2002 NHRA POWERade championships.
Sportsman competitors in seven categories earn points
leading to 2002 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series championships.
WHERE: Pomona Raceway, Pomona,
Calif. Track is located off I-10 at Fairplex Drive. Go north on Fairplex
drive to the Fairplex.
WHEN: Thursday through Sunday, Nov.
7-10.
PURSE: Cash and contingency awards of more than
$2 million.
SCHEDULE:
THURSDAY, Nov. 7 -- Gates open at 7
a.m. Qualifying and sportsman time trials, 8:15 a.m. to 7 p.m.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSION at 1:45 p.m.
FRIDAY, Nov. 8 -- Gates open at 7
a.m. Qualifying and sportsman eliminations, 8:15 a.m. to 7 p.m.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSION at 1:45 p.m.
SATURDAY, Nov. 9 -- Gates open at 7 a.m.
Sportsman eliminations and qualifying, 8:15 a.m. to 6 p.m.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11 a.m. and
2:45 p.m.
BUDWEISER SHOOTOUT rounds at 12:15, 2 and 4 p.m.
SUNDAY, Nov. 10 -- Gates open at 7 a.m.
Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.
FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION:
Saturday, Nov. 9, ESPN2 will televise two hours of
qualifying highlights at 10 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Nov. 10, ESPN will televise two hours of final eliminations at 5
p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Nov. 10, ESPN2 will televise one hour of final eliminations at 7
p.m. (ET).
SATELLITE:
Friday, Nov. 8, 8-8:30 p.m. (ET) - Galaxy 3K / 18
(12050 MHz vertical)
Saturday, Nov. 9, 7:30- 8 p.m. (ET) - Galaxy 11K / 14 (11980 MHz
vertical)
Sunday, Nov. 10, midnight- 12:30 a.m. (ET) - Galaxy 11K / 14 (11980
MHz vertical)
Sunday, Nov. 10, 8:30- 9 p.m. (ET) - Galaxy 3K / 18 (12050 MHz
vertical)
Feeds include action with natural sound of Top Fuel,
Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Bike plus interviews with qualifying
leaders and Budweiser Shootout winner on Saturday and event
winners on Sunday.
2001 WINNERS: Kenny Bernstein, Top Fuel; Del
Worsham, Funny Car; Bruce Allen, Pro Stock; Angelle Savoie,
Pro Stock Bike.
2001 REWIND: Kenny Bernstein defeated Mike
Dunn in the final to capture his eighth victory of the season to close out
his championship winning campaign in Top Fuel. Del Worsham recorded his
fourth Funny Car victory to finish a career-best third in the Funny Car
points standings after Whit Bazemore left early in the final. Bruce Allen
solidified an impressive Pro Stock campaign by driving past Brad Jeter for
the win.Angelle Savoie's second consecutive Pro Stock Bike championship
was completed with her seventh victory of 2001 as she knocked off Shawn
Gann in the final. Larry Dixon claimed the $100,000 Budweiser Shootout
victory.
WHAT TO EXPECT: The chase for the POWERade
series championship in Funny Car will be decided at this event. John Force
and Tony Pedregon are teammates, but the biggest rivals in the race for
the Funny Car championship. Force holds a 31-point lead over Pedregon
entering the event. Force has won the Funny Car title 11 of the last 12
seasons and is looking to make it 10 straight. Pedregon is seeking his
first career championship and is hoping he can join his brother Cruz
(winner of the 1992 Funny Car title) as the only two drivers to break
Force's dominance during the last decade. While championship crowns have
already been awarded in Top Fuel (Larry Dixon), Pro Stock (Jeg Coughlin)
and Pro Stock Bike (Angelle Savoie), other drivers will be battling hard
to gain critical positions in the POWERade Top 10 standings. The Budweiser
Shootout, a lucrative bonus event for the season's quickest Top Fuel cars,
will be contested with a $100,000 winner's share up for grabs. Pomona
Raceway's smooth quarter-mile surface lends itself to some of the quickest
side-by-side racing of the season. NHRA national records will be in
jeopardy in all four pro categories. Larry Morgan is the current season
leader of the Motel 6 Who Got the Light? Award, by virtue of his 0.0002
of-a-second margin of victory over Greg Anderson in the Pro Stock final
round of the FRAM-Autolite Nationals at Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, Calif.,
in early August. If no Top Fuel, Funny Car or Pro Stock round win at the
Auto Club NHRA Finals is closer, Morgan will pocket the $25,000 bonus from
Motel 6 for having the narrowest margin of victory during the 2002 season.
SEASON UPDATE: Only one NHRA POWERade Drag Racing
Series championship remains to be crowned. Ford Mustang drivers John Force
and Tony Pedregon will decide the 2002 Funny Car title at the Pomona
Raceway finale. Force is seeking his 12th championship, and 10th in a row,
while Pedregon is going for his first series title. While season
championships have been decided in the other three professional
categories, several drivers are positioning themselves for higher finishes
in the POWERade Top 10. The race also is the final chance for Automobile
Club of Southern California Road to the Future candidates to make an
impression. Leading candidates for the Road to the Future Rookie of the
Year award include Gene Wilson and JR Carr in Pro Stock and Andrew Hines
and Thomas Miceli in Pro Stock Bike. The prestigious award will be
presented during the annual NHRA Awards Ceremony on Monday, Nov. 11 at the
Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
2002 POINT STANDINGS:
Top Fuel -- 1. Larry Dixon 1914*; 2. Kenny
Bernstein 1724; 3. Tony Schumacher 1397; 3. Doug Kalitta 1369;6. Cory
McClenathan 1310; 6. Darrell Russell 1305; 7. Doug Herbert 1260; 8. Andrew
Cowin 1062; 9. Rhonda Hartman 943; 10. John Smith 815.
Funny Car-- 1. John Force 1658; 2. Tony Pedregon
1627; 3. Del Worsham 1407; 4. Gary Densham 1376; 5. Whit Bazemore 1175; 6.
Ron Capps 1094; 7. Scotty Cannon 1091; 8. Tommy Johnson 1038; 9. Dean
Skuza 964; 10. Johnny Gray 890.
Pro Stock-- 1. Jeg Coughlin 1592*; 2. Jim Yates
1380; 3. Greg Anderson 1292; 4. Warren Johnson 1218; 5. Ron Krisher 1134;
6. Kurt Johnson 1041; 7. Mike Edwards 953; 8. Allen Johnson 916; 9. Mark
Whisnant 830; 10. Darrell Alderman 825.
Pro Stock Bike-- 1. Angelle Savoie, 1308*; 2.
Craig Treble, 1094; 3. Antron Brown, 950; 4. Matt Hines, 941; 5. Shawn
Gann, 901; 6. Geno Scali, 644; 7. Reggie Showers, 605; 8. Mike Berry, 540;
9. John Smith, 505; 10. Steve Johnson, 472.
*Clinched NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series championship
FAST FACTS: Jeg Coughlin has a stellar record at
Pomona Raceway in the last nine events, where he reached the final round
six times, earning a victory three times...Defending Finals PSB winner
Angelle Savoie will join Matt Hines, Terry Vance, Dave Schultz and John
Myers as the only repeat winners of the Finals if she can earn a victory
to close out the season...Larry Dixon is the defending champion of the
Budweiser Shootout, which will award $100,000 to the winning driver on
Saturday during the Finals...The Finals had five other homes before coming
to Pomona Raceway in 1984, including: Tulsa, Okla.; Dallas; Amarillo,
Texas; Ontario, Calif., and Irvine, Calif....Kenny Bernstein and Cory
McClenathan are the only active Top Fuel drivers to win at the Finals...
John Force has advanced to the Funny Car final round at the NHRA finals
seven times during his career, winning four ... Kenny Bernstein is the
only driver to win both Top Fuel (3) and Funny Car (2)titles at the NHRA
Finals ... Rookie Top Fuel driver David Baca, son of 1977 NHRA Finals TF
winner Dennis Baca, will attempt to make his first eliminations start in
his second career race... John Force will attempt to qualify for his 300th
consecutive Funny Car eliminations start... The last time John Force
failed to qualify was at the 1987 NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway.
QUOTABLE:
Joe Amato, team owner of the Bilstein
Engine Flush dragster driven by Darrell Russell, on Kenny Bernstein's
retirement - "We've talked about it (retirement). One nice thing
about it is that he has a son (Brandon) he can stick in the car. I think
he's comfortable and accomplished what he's wanted to do. He's beat up
pretty bad from being in the car and racing all these years. His mind is
ready to get out of the car, but it will probably be pretty emotional at
the end. But once he is there, he'll be happy."
Kenny Bernstein, driver of the Budweiser King
dragster, regarding the end of his championship quest for this season --
"Though we're disappointed not to be able to be in the championship
hunt going into the last race of the season, we feel like we're stepping
from the cockpit while we're still very competitive. We wanted to go out
while we were still on top of our game, and we accomplished that. We can
look in the mirror and say we have given a 100 percent effort."
Don Prudhomme, four-time NHRA Funny Car champion
as a driver and team owner of the Miller Lite dragster driven by Larry
Dixon, regarding his first Top Fuel championship -- "I think it's
sweeter than all the rest. At this point of my career, being a car owner,
it's great. Also being able to put together the Miller Lite team and watch
a young guy like that win the championship -- It's one of the better
moments that I've ever spent and maybe the best."
Larry Dixon, 2002 POWERade Top Fuel champion and
driver of the Miller Lite dragster, regarding his first championship --
"There are sure a lot of zeros on that giant check POWERade gave me.
Man, the money is nothing compared to the feeling I have about giving
Snake (Don Prudhomme, team owner) this trophy. It's really the only way in
the world I could ever thank him. He took a chance on me when I was
nobody. I didn't have any money to bring to the team. I didn't have any
experience. I was just a crew guy with a dream and he took a flyer on
me."
John Force, driver of the Castrol GTX Ford
Mustang who leads Tony Pedregon by 31 points entering the season's final
race, on pursuing his 12th NHRA Funny Car championship, and 10th in a row
-- "It's not over yet. We still have some fighting to do."
Jeg Coughlin, driver of the Jeg's Mail Order
Chevy Cavalier, on winning his second NHRA Pro Stock title -- The 2002
season has been a thrash from the start and the pressure never let up one
time, for any of us. We've seen guys like Warren Johnson DNQ for the first
time in 15 years, we've seen so many races decided by .001 of a second,
we've seen so many fields separated by less than
three-hundredths-of-a-second, it's been battle for every inch of ground.
It makes winning the POWERade championship so much more remarkable."
Greg Anderson, driver of
the Vegas Construction Chevy Cavalier, on what he needs to do to finish
out the season - "We need to go out there and win. I need to be as
aggressive as I can possibly be. I don't want to play conservative ball.
Forget that. I am going to be aggressive. The way Pro Stock is anymore,
you can't win unless you are aggressive. There are too many good drivers
and too many good cars out there. Last year it was brutal, and that is the
way it is going to be. There are so many quality teams and drivers, no one
is going to win every week. The competition right now is fantastic for the
fans. But it is absolutely gut-wrenching for the drivers."
STORY IDEAS:
A Run to Remember -- Kenny Bernstein will be
making his final appearance as a driver at the Auto Club NHRA Finals,
where he has been victorious five times in his career. Last fall Bernstein
captured his eighth victory of the season en route to clinching his sixth
career NHRA crown. Bernstein is retiring from the cockpit at the end of
this season and will turn the driving duties of the Budweiser King
dragster over to his son, Brandon. A six-time NHRA series champion with 65
victories, he is the only driver in the history of the sport to win NHRA
crowns in both Top Fuel and Funny Car.
Budweiser Shootout -- The eight quickest Top Fuel
drivers from the season will battle for the $100,000 winner's share of
this lucrative bonus event, which takes place on Saturday. Should a driver
win the Budweiser Shootout and Sunday's eliminations, he will claim an
additional $50,000 double-up bonus from the NHRA, bringing the potential
earnings for a lucky Top Fuel driver to more than $200,000 for the
weekend.
POWERade Championship Cash Up for Grabs -- While
John Force and Tony Pedregon will battle for the $400,000 POWERade bonus
available for the Funny Car championship, all other teams who are out of
the championship picture in every category are still battling for valuable
positions in the POWERade Top 10 which offer more cash the higher the
finish position.
World's Fastest Couple-- Rhonda Hartman-Smith and
her husband John Smith, who also serves as his wife's crew chief, compete
against each other in separate dragsters to create an unlikely rivalry in
the Top Fuel category. The couple travels with their daughter Megan to
each NHRA national event. Rhonda's father, Virgil, is the team owner and
also works on both cars, making each race weekend a family affair.
The Racing Chef-- Nicky Morse keeps the Jeg's
Racing Pro Stock team running at full speed during each NHRA national
event. Morse, a professionally trained chef, prepares meals at the track
for the team in his state-of-the-art kitchen built inside an 18-wheel
transporter.
NBA Fast Break-- Tom Hammonds and Larry Nance are
former NBA players who have turned to a second sport -- drag racing -- to
get their competitive fix. Hammonds recently retired from the Minnesota
Timberwolves and Nance was the first NBA Slam Dunk champion in 1984. Both
drivers had to have their race cars specially-constructed to fit their
larger frames.
Safety Safari-- These men and women are a team of
professionals dedicated to making the sport safe for the competitors.
Spend the day or a few hours with this crew and watch as they take care of preparing
the race track for competition, responding to crashes and cleaning up oil
and debris on the racing surface.
Regarding Weather -- In drag racing weather plays
a vital role as crew chiefs examine data and tune their race cars for
maximum performance. Most teams have sophisticated weather stations on
board their team transporters so they can access up to the minute weather
information as well as forecasts.
ABOUT THE TRACK: Originally opened as a way to
convince street racers to compete in a safe environment, Pomona Raceway
was built with the combined efforts of the Pomona Valley Timing
Association, Pomona Police Chief Ralph Parker and the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds. Through
fundraisers, these three entities opened the track that began as a dirt
parking lot with an asphalt drag strip down the middle. Bleachers that
held no more than 300 spectators were in place next to a timing tower that
was merely a scaffolding with a roof on top. Pomona Raceway built its
first permanent timing tower in 1968, a small three-story building that
housed race control, the track office and a small media room. The small
three-story tower that stood for more than 25 years gave way to a
14,600-square foot tower complete with corporate suites and a modern press
center. In 1992, Pomona Raceway entered the final phases of the $4.5
million modernization project, which included the installation of 40,000
permanent grandstand seats, with 20,000 of those having seat-backs. In
2001, Pomona Raceway's entire 1,320-foot racing surface was repaved to
extend the concrete launch-pad from 300 to 660 feet.
TRACK RECORDS:
Top Fuel-- 4.490 seconds by Andrew Cowin, Feb.
2002; 330.88 mph by Tony Schumacher, Feb. 2002
Funny Car-- 4.736 seconds by Whit Bazemore, Nov.
2001; 326.87 mph by Gary Densham, Feb. 2002
Pro Stock-- 6.803 seconds by Jim Yates, Feb.
2002; 203.12 mph by Warren Johnson, Feb. 2002
Pro Stock Bike - 7.158 seconds by Angelle Savoie,
Nov. 2001; 189.27 mph by Matt Hines, Nov. 1998
NATIONAL RECORDS:
Top Fuel-- 4.477 seconds (June 2001, Joliet,
Ill.), 332.18 mph (Oct. 2001, Reading, Pa.) by Kenny Bernstein
Funny Car-- 4.731 seconds (Oct. 2001, Reading,
Pa.) by John Force; 326.87 mph (Feb. 2001, Pomona, Calif.) by Gary Densham
Pro Stock-- 6.750 seconds (Oct. 2001, Reading,
Pa.) by Jeg Coughlin; 204.35 mph (Oct. 2001, Reading, Pa.) by Mark Osborne
Pro Stock Bike -- 7.049
seconds (May 2002, Englishtown, N.J.) by Angelle Savoie; 194.10 mph (May
2002, Englishtown, N.J.) by Matt Hines.
TICKETS:
For tickets call the NHRA, (800) 884-6472. Tickets also
available at Ticketmaster or at nhra.com.
GENERAL ADMISSION (includes pit pass) -
Thursday: Adult, $18; Junior (6-12 years), $10. Friday: Adult,
$25; Junior (6-12 years), $10. Saturday: Adult, $45; Junior (6-12
years), $10. Sunday: Adult, $50; Junior (6-12 years) $12.Child (5
years-under), free with paying adult in general admission and pit access
areas each day.
RESERVED SEATS (includes pit pass) - Friday:
Adult, $35; Junior (6-12 years), $20; Child (5 years-under), $10.
Saturday: Adult, $55; Junior (6-12 years), $22; Child (5 years and
under), $12. Sunday: Adult, $62; Junior (6-12 years), $24;
Child (5 years and under), $14.
INTERNET:
The latest NHRA press releases, interview transcripts
and quality images of race cars and driver headshots can be obtained at www.nhra.com/media/welcome.html
NHRA FUNNY CAR CHAMPIONSHIP TO BE
DECIDED AT POMONA RACEWAY
POMONA, Calif. - Entering the 2002 NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing season, tight battles were expected between Larry Dixon and Kenny
Bernstein for Top Fuel supremacy. It was a given that the Pro stock title
would be up for grabs and that Angelle Savoie, Matt Hines, Craig Treble
and Antron Brown would duel for the crown in the two-wheel category. The
only category where the favorite remained the same was in Funny Car.
Perennial champion John Force would definitely be challenged by the likes
of Del Worsham and Whit Bazemore, but in the end, the seasoned racing
veteran should emerge victorious due to his experience.
Ironically, the Funny Car championship will be the only
series title unclaimed when the NHRA returns to the Golden State for the
38th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals,
Nov. 7-10, at historic Pomona Raceway. The $2 million race is the final of
23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
Force is an 11-time NHRA Funny Car champion with the
last nine coming consecutively. The only year Force hasn't been atop the
final standings in his category was in 1992, when he lost the title to
Cruz Pedregon. Not only is Force in jeopardy of being knocked off his
throne, it might be another Pedregon that does it. Force's own teammate,
Tony Pedregon, enters the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA
Finals 31 points behind his boss in the Funny Car standings and is a
serious threat to be the driver that ends Force's dominance.
"I'm trying to win 10 straight and (Tony) says he's
just trying to win one straight," said the 53-year-old Force, whose
105 career victories is the most by an NHRA competitor. "It's not
over yet. We still have some fighting to do."
The maximum amount of POWERade points available at an
NHRA national event is 138, which includes points for being the No. 1
qualifier, winning the event, and establishing a national record for
elapsed time. While both Ford Mustangs have the potential to score 138, T.
Pedregon has had the most dominant car the last five events, winning three
races and posting four No. 1 qualifying efforts. An early exit by Force
and another strong performance by his teammate of six years, and a new
Funny Car king could be crowned.
A DNQ (did not qualify) also is a possibility for Force,
but highly unlikely as he has not recorded a DNQ since the 1987 NHRA
Finals. If he qualifies for this year's annual Automobile Club of Southern
California NHRA Finals, it will be his 300th consecutive start
in eliminations. The NHRA record for consecutive starts is 303 by Pro
Stock driver Warren Johnson, which was snapped earlier this season at
Sonoma, Calif.
"Pomona is where this thing is going to be decided
and become final," said Force, who kept Pedregon out of the points
lead by defeating him in the final round of the event prior to the Pomona
race. "That's good for the fans, hard on my heart, but that's what
we're going to do. I understand the media hype, but the story is we're
racing, and after Pomona, we'll know."
AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NHRA FINALS
GENERAL INFORMATION:
SCHEDULE: Pro qualifying sessions are scheduled
for 1:45 p.m. on Nov. 7 and 8.Qualifying continues at 11 a.m. and 2:45
p.m. on Nov. 9. The Budweiser Shootout for Top Fuel will start at 12:45
p.m. on Nov. 9. Final professional eliminations start at 11 a.m. Nov. 10.
TICKETS: Tickets are available for the 38th
annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals. Call (800)
884-6472, or call Ticketmaster for ticket information.
ON TV: ESPN2 will televise two hours of
qualifying coverage of Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals
at 10 p.m. (ET) on Nov. 9. ESPN will televise two hours of final
eliminations coverage at 5 p.m. (ET) on Nov. 10. ESPN2 will televise one
hour of final eliminations coverage at 7 p.m. (ET).
ON THE WEB: NHRA media department press releases
are available on the Internet at www.nhra.com
