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Drag Racing Story of the Day!
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Fields Set For Eliminations for Auto
Club Finals
By NHRA Communications
POMONA, Calif. - Rain canceled another day of racing at the 38th
annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals Saturday at
Pomona Raceway.
Weather permitting, the final eliminations of the season finale will
still run as scheduled on Sunday. The Budweiser Shootout, a special bonus
event for Top Fuel, has been rescheduled for Saturday, Feb. 8, during the
K&N Filters Winternationals, the 2003 season opener.
Sunday's 11 a.m. eliminations will feature a modified lineup in all
four pro categories. NHRA rules allow for provisional starting spots for
the top 10 drivers in the POWERade point standings who are not qualified
after only one round of qualifying has been completed.
Darrell Russell, John Force, Warren Johnson and Angelle Savoie are the
No. 1 qualifiers of the $2 million race, the final of 23 events in the $50
million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
"Due to the fact that we are at the end of the season and we need
a conclusion to this year's NHRA POWERade racing season as we have the
awards ceremony for the pro and sportsman drivers on Monday, our decision
is to cancel Saturday's activity but we are going to run Sunday,"
said Graham Light, senior vice president of racing operations. "With
regards to qualifying we established a couple of scenarios a couple of
years ago if we had one or no qualifying runs. Here we have one run in,
but our procedure clearly says the top 10 drivers in each category will be
assured a starting position in the field."
In Top Fuel, Russell remains the No. 1 qualifier from his run on
Thursday. Andrew Cowin was inserted into the field because of the rule,
knocking out Clay Millican. It is Russell's first career No. 1 qualifier
position.
Kenny Bernstein is making his final appearance as a driver. He will
face Yuichi Oyama in the first round and will retire after the race.
Bernstein was also the top seed in the Budweiser Shootout, and will not
drive in February's rescheduled event. His son, Brandon, is slated to
drive the Budweiser King dragster next year, and will take his father's
place in the special event.
The top qualifier in Funny Car is Force, the points leader by 31
points. The Funny Car category is the only pro class that has yet to
decide its champion. The No. 2 in points, Tony Pedregon, is qualified in
the No. 13 spot.
The rule changed the positions of five drivers. Johnny Gray, who was
qualified 16th, moved up to the No. 14 position as Tommy
Johnson Jr. and Scotty Cannon were inserted into the No. 15 and No. 16
seeds respectively. Stephen Neese and Bob Gilbertson were removed from the
field because of the rule.
Johnson is the No. 1 qualifier in Pro Stock. George Marnell, Mark
Whisnant, and Allen Johnson were inserted into the 16-car field, replacing
Greg Stanfield, V. Gaines, and JR Carr.
Savoie is the No. 1 qualifier in Pro Stock Bike. Steve Johnson was
moved into the No. 16 spot because of points, bumping Redell Harris out of
the field.
POMONA, Calif. -- First-round pairings for professional
eliminations Sunday for the 38th annual Automobile Club of Southern
California NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway, the final of 23 events in the
$50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in
qualifying, which ended Saturday.
Top Fuel -- 1. Darrell Russell, 4.571 seconds, 313.22 mph vs. 16.
Andrew Cowin; 2. Larry Dixon, 4.576, 324.98 vs. 15. Scott Weis, 8.793,
93.42; 3. Doug Kalitta, 4.599, 319.52 vs. 14. Tony Schumacher, 6.402,
159.40; 4. Cory McClenathan, 4.615, 320.28 vs. 13. John Smith, 5.560,
242.23; 5. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 4.617, 315.19 vs. 12. David Baca, 5.139,
223.39; 6. Kenny Bernstein, 4.621, 318.62 vs. 11. Yuichi Oyama, 4.864,
266.27; 7. Doug Herbert, 4.674, 274.55 vs. 10. David Grubnic, 4.727,
303.43; 8. Jim Head, 4.676, 311.49 vs. 9. Mike Strasburg, 4.705, 303.78.
Funny Car -- 1. John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.762, 324.05 vs. 16. Scotty
Cannon, Pontiac Firebird; 2. Dean Skuza, Dodge Stratus R/T, 4.833, 302.69
vs. 15. Tommy Johnson Jr., Chevy Camaro; 3. Gary Densham, Mustang, 4.849,
313.51 vs. 14. Johnny Gray, Firebird, 8.736, 115.28; 4. Bruce Sarver,
Toyota Celica, 4.859, 308.71 vs. 13. Tony Pedregon, Mustang, 7.328,
285.59; 5. Ron Capps, Camaro, 4.873, 313.80 vs. 12. Del Worsham, Firebird,
6.106, 181.13; 6. Tim Wilkerson, Firebird, 4.873, 310.55 vs. 11. Frank
Pedregon, Firebird, 5.878, 160.69; 7. Whit Bazemore, Firebird, 4.905,
309.20 vs. 10. Cruz Pedregon, Firebird, 5.212, 231.64; 8. Cory Lee,
Firebird, 4.920, 309.84 vs. 9. Terry Haddock, Firebird, 5.121, 263.62.
Pro Stock -- 1. Warren Johnson, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.797, 203.31 vs. 16.
Allen Johnson, Dodge Neon R/T; 2. Kurt Johnson, Chevy Cavalier, 6.806,
203.28 vs. 15. Mark Whisnant, Cavalier; 3. Greg Anderson, Cavalier, 6.810,
203.58 vs. 14. George Marnell, Grand Am; 4. Ron Krisher, Cavalier, 6.816,
202.61 vs. 13. Jeg Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.864, 201.19; 5. Gene Wilson, Neon
R/T, 6.829, 201.70 vs. 12. Jamie Yates, Grand Am, 6.862, 200.80; 6. Mike
Edwards, Cavalier, 6.843, 201.58 vs. 11. Darrell Alderman, Neon R/T,
6.857, 201.40; 7. Tom Lee, Neon R/T, 6.846, 201.64 vs. 10. Robert Patrick,
Ford Mustang, 6.856, 200.95; 8. Tom Martino, Grand Am, 6.854, 201.58 vs.
9. Jim Yates, Grand Am, 6.855, 200.92.
Pro Stock Bike -- 1. Shawn Gann, Suzuki, 7.183, 185.87 vs. 16. Steve
Johnson, Suzuki; 2. Angelle Savoie, Suzuki, 7.183, 185.87 vs. 15. Scott
Lewis, Suzuki, 7.351, 177.30; 3. Matt Hines, Suzuki, 7.193, 188.38 vs. 14.
Sean Conner, Suzuki, 7.319, 183.52; 4. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.194, 180.79
vs. 13. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.311, 181.62; 5. Geno Scali, Kawasaki, 7.208,
181.42 vs. 12. Fred Camarena, Suzuki, 7.310, 182.33; 6. Andrew Hines,
Suzuki, 7.233, 185.97 vs. 11. John Smith, Suzuki, 7.284, 183.22; 7.
Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.238, 180.31 vs. 10. Antron Brown, Suzuki,
7.284, 185.51; 8. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.267, 184.19 vs. 9. Reggie
Showers, Suzuki, 7.276, 184.75.
NHRA Communications |
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