Kalitta, Pedregon, Yates, and Savoie
Win
at Lucas Oil Nationals
By NHRA Communications
MOHNTON, Pa. - Doug Kalitta captured his first victory
in more than a year Monday at the rain-delayed Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals
at Maple Grove Raceway.
Tony Pedregon, Jim Yates and Angelle Savoie also were
winners in their respective categories at the $1.9 million race, the 18th
of 23 events in the NHRA POWERADE Drag Racing Series.
Kalitta claimed his ninth career NHRA victory by
defeating Kenny Bernstein in the final round. Kalitta clocked a run of
4.560 seconds at 320.51 mph in his Mac Tools dragster to hold off
Bernstein's Budweiser King dragster that posted a run of 4.581 at
322.11.
"It's real big for the team to get this
win," said Kalitta. "It's been quite a while that's for sure.
(Crew chiefs) Connie (Kalitta) and Jim Oberhofer and the whole team had
that thing running good. You wish you could go to every race and have
the car running like that."
Kalitta, who used a consistent 4.5-second tune-up,
defeated Bruce Litton, Larry Dixon and Darrell Russell before knocking
off Bernstein in the final round.
With his runner-up finish, Bernstein cut Dixon's
points lead to 65 points in the Top Fuel points chase.
Pedregon used a starting line advantage to earn his
fourth win of the season when he powered his Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang
to a run of 4.829 at 318.62 to hold off Whit Bazemore's quicker but
losing pass of 4.814, 318.69 in his Matco Tools Pontiac Firebird.
"If you look at the ladder, we beat some pretty
stout cars today," said Pedregon of his 17th career
victory. "The end result, it was a good race. The people who showed
up here today got their money's worth, that's for sure. "
Pedregon defeated Dean Skuza, Bruce Sarver and Ron
Capps en route to the victory. His fourth win of 2002 is the most
victories in one season for Pedregon.
With the victory, Pedregon now trails his team owner,
John Force, by 122 points for the Funny Car championship.
Yates captured his first win since May 2001 by
defeating Mike Edwards in the final round. Yates clocked a run of 6.870
at 199.67 in his SplitFire/Peak Pontiac Grand Am, but was handed the
victory as Edwards fouled at the start behind the wheel of his Young
Life Chevy Cavalier.
"It seems like the longer you wait the better it
feels when you get it," said Yates. "After Indy, we went home
and worked really hard. I'm not even thinking about leading the Pro
Stock points by three rounds. I want to enjoy this win. We beat a bunch
of tough people today and I don't want to think about the points
chase."
Yates, who won from the No. 1 qualifying position,
knocked off Tom Martino, Ron Krisher and Warren Johnson to pick up his
24th career victory.
With the victory, Yates moved from third place in the
points standings to the top spot and now leads Greg Anderson by 59
points.
Savoie nearly clinched her third consecutive Pro Stock
Bike championship by winning her fifth race of the year when Karen
Stoffer fouled at the start giving the victory to Savoie. Savoie, on her
Mohegan Sun Suzuki, recorded a run of 7.210, 184.75 to capture her 27th
career victory. The Pro Stock Bike final featured the first all-female
final round in NHRA competition since 1982 when Shirley Muldowney
defeated Lucille Lee in the Top Fuel final.
"I got really emotional after the run," said
Savoie. "It was because if all goes well in Las Vegas we're going
to win the championship. After the year we've had, with sponsors and
things with the other competitors, things are going really great. Our
bike is running awesome and Star Racing deserves all the credit for
that."
Savoie defeated Keith Dennis, Steve Johnson and Antron
Brown to advance to the final.
The victory puts Savoie 173 points ahead of Craig
Treble and in position to clinch her third consecutive NHRA crown if she
qualifies at the next Pro Stock Bike event in Las Vegas.
The next NHRA POWERADE Drag Racing Series event is the
15th annual O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals presented by
Pennzoil, Sept. 19-22, at Memphis Motorsports Park in Millington, Tenn.
MOHNTON, Pa. -- Final finish order (1-16) for
professional categories at the 18th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at
Maple Grove Raceway. The $1.9 million race is the 18th of 23 events in
the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
TOP FUEL:
1. Doug Kalitta; 2. Kenny Bernstein; 3. Darrell Russell; 4. Tony
Schumacher; 5. Larry Dixon; 6. Doug Herbert; 7. Andrew Cowin; 8. John
Smith; 9. Jim Head; 10. Scott Weis; 11. Mike Smith; 12. Don Sosenka; 13.
Bruce Litton; 14. Cory McClenathan; 15. Rhonda Hartman-Smith; 16. Clay
Millican.
FUNNY CAR:
1. Tony Pedregon, Ford Mustang; 2. Whit Bazemore, Pontiac Firebird; 3.
Del Worsham, Firebird; 4. Ron Capps, Chevy Camaro; 5. Bob Gilbertson,
Firebird; 6. Tommy Johnson Jr., Camaro; 7. Todd Paton, Camaro; 8. Tony
Pedregon, Mustang; 9. Scotty Cannon, Firebird; 10. Gary Densham,
Mustang; 11. Dean Skuza, Dodge Stratus R/T; 12. Johnny Gray, Firebird;
13. John Force, Mustang; 14. Dale Creasy Jr., Firebird; 15. Cruz
Pedregon, Firebird; 16. Frank Pedregon, Firebird.
PRO STOCK:
1. Jim Yates, Pontiac Grand Am; 2. Mike Edwards, Chevy Cavalier; 3. Kurt
Johnson, Cavalier; 4. Warren Johnson, Grand Am; 5. Greg Anderson,
Cavalier; 6. Ron Krisher, Cavalier; 7. Troy Coughlin, Cavalier; 8. Allen
Johnson, Dodge Neon R/T; 9. Jeg Coughlin, Cavalier; 10. Bruce Allen,
Grand Am; 11. Mark Pawuk, Grand Am; 12. Larry Nance, Cavalier; 13. Tom
Martino, Grand Am; 14. Robert Patrick, Ford Mustang; 15. V. Gaines,
Cavalier; 16. Mark Whisnant, Cavalier.
PRO STOCK BIKE:
1. Angelle Savoie, Suzuki; 2. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki; 3. Antron Brown,
Suzuki; 4. Andrew Hines, Suzuki; 5. Shawn Gann, Suzuki; 6. Matt Hines,
Suzuki; 7. Steve Johnson, Suzuki; 8. Craig Treble, Suzuki; 9. Michael
Phillips, Suzuki; 10. Thomas Miceli, Suzuki; 11. Geno Scali, Kawasaki;
12. Keith Dennis, Suzuki; 13. Mike Berry, Suzuki; 14. Fred Camarena,
Suzuki; 15. John Smith, Suzuki; 16. Reggie Showers, Suzuki.
MOHNTON, Pa. -- Monday's final results from the 18th
annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. The $1.9 million
race is the 18th of 23 in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing
Series:
Top Fuel -- Doug Kalitta, 4.560 seconds, 320.51 mph
def. Kenny Bernstein, 4.581 seconds, 322.11 mph.
Funny Car -- Tony Pedregon, Ford Mustang, 4.829,
318.62 def. Whit Bazemore, Pontiac Firebird, 4.814, 319.98.
Pro Stock -- Jim Yates, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.870,
199.67 def. Mike Edwards, Chevy Cavalier, foul.
Pro Stock Bike -- Angelle Savoie, Suzuki, 7.210,
184.75 def. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, foul.
Top Alcohol Dragster -- Arthur Gallant, 5.428, 228.85
def. Cliff Bozzelli, broke.
Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Frank Manzo, Dodge Avenger
R/T, 5.675, 252.24 def. Von Smith, Pontiac Firebird, 5.943, 188.25.
Competition Eliminator -- Don Stratton Jr, Chevy
Roadster, 8.130, 142.31 def. Kevin Houghtaling, Oldsmobile Calais, foul.
Super Stock -- Mark Faul, Pontiac Grand Am, 11.204,
119.07 def. Peter Biondo, Pontiac Firebird, 10.229, 124.11.
Stock Eliminator -- Kevin Fogerty, Impala, 13.195,
98.33 def. Peter Biondo, Camaro, 10.871, 120.18.
Super Comp -- Jim Morrison, Dragster, 8.915, 166.35
def. Mike Mitchell, Dragster, 8.897, 171.51.
Super Gas -- John Michaels, Chevy Nova, 9.910, 148.90
def. Chuck Rothermel, Pontiac Grand Am, 9.919, 153.47.
MOHNTON, Pa. -- Final round-by-round results from the
18th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, the 18th of
23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series -
TOP FUEL:
ROUND ONE -- Doug Herbert, 4.731 seconds, 319.67 mph
def. Clay Millican, 4.772, 301.07; Darrell Russell, 4.622, 319.37 def.
Cory McClenathan, foul; Doug Kalitta, 4.587, 321.58 def. Bruce Litton,
6.662, 124.68; Kenny Bernstein, 4.591, 321.19 def. Jim Head, 4.681,
315.19; John Smith, 10.247, 96.78 def. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, foul;
Andrew Cowin, 4.656, 305.91 def. Mike Smith, 4.875, 244.29; Larry Dixon,
4.651, 317.79 def. Scott Weis, 4.702, 301.47; Tony Schumacher, 4.589,
319.67 def. Don Sosenka, 5.477, 200.56;
QUARTERFINALS -- Russell, 4.581, 319.90 def. Cowin,
7.154, 118.44; Bernstein, 7.367, 106.28 def. J. Smith, 7.539, 199.73;
Schumacher, 4.640, 315.42 def. Herbert, 4.703, 307.65; Kalitta, 4.590,
316.15 def. Dixon, 4.632, 314.90;
SEMIFINALS -- Bernstein, 4.620, 318.99 def.
Schumacher, 9.181, 96.14; Kalitta, 4.587, 319.67 def. Russell, 4.677,
302.96;
FINAL -- Kalitta, 4.560, 320.51 def. Bernstein, 4.581,
322.11.
FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE -- Tony Pedregon, Ford Mustang, 4.879,
311.92 def. Dean Skuza, Dodge Stratus R/T, 4.910, 305.08; Del Worsham,
Pontiac Firebird, 4.883, 311.20 def. Johnny Gray, Firebird, 4.940,
316.67; Whit Bazemore, Firebird, 4.818, 317.05 def. Dale Creasy Jr.,
Firebird, 7.967, 106.55; Todd Paton, Chevy Camaro, 5.306, 244.56 def.
John Force, Mustang, 5.404, 191.48; Bruce Sarver, Toyota Celica, 4.890,
303.57 def. Frank Pedregon, Firebird, broke; Bob Gilbertson, Firebird,
4.892, 309.98 def. Gary Densham, Mustang, 4.896, 294.24; Ron Capps,
Camaro, 4.880, 310.27 def. Cruz Pedregon, Firebird, 8.968, 91.53; Tommy
Johnson Jr., Camaro, 4.954, 309.77 def. Scotty Cannon, Firebird, 4.883,
307.23;
QUARTERFINALS -- Capps, 4.949, 297.42 def. Paton,
foul; T. Pedregon, 4.848, 318.77 def. Sarver, 4.922, 301.20; Bazemore,
4.869, 315.86 def. Gilbertson, 4.946, 311.13; Worsham, 4.862, 315.78
def. Johnson Jr., 4.969, 295.21;
SEMIFINALS -- Bazemore, 4.938, 287.78 def. Worsham,
4.978, 296.50; T. Pedregon, 4.840, 317.87 def. Capps, 7.412, 111.69;
FINAL -- T. Pedregon, 4.829, 318.62 def. Bazemore,
4.814, 319.98.
PRO STOCK:
ROUND ONE -- Ron Krisher, Chevy Cavalier, 6.910,
199.73 def. V. Gaines, Cavalier, 6.989, 179.11; Greg Anderson, Cavalier,
6.899, 200.41 def. Mark Whisnant, Cavalier, 7.149, 162.10; Mike Edwards,
Cavalier, 6.881, 199.70 def. Bruce Allen, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.889,
199.37; Warren Johnson, Grand Am, 6.880, 199.43 def. Robert Patrick,
Ford Mustang, foul; Troy Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.899, 199.55 def. Larry
Nance, Cavalier, 6.902, 198.85; Allen Johnson, Dodge Neon R/T, 6.893,
200.65 def. Jeg Coughlin, Cavalier, 6.878, 199.64; Kurt Johnson,
Cavalier, 6.877, 200.26 def. Mark Pawuk, Grand Am, 6.896, 198.58; Jim
Yates, Grand Am, 6.856, 199.61 def. Tom Martino, Grand Am, 6.911,
200.41;
QUARTERFINALS -- Edwards, 6.875, 199.26 def. Anderson,
6.874, 200.68; W. Johnson, 6.882, 200.23 def. A. Johnson, 6.897, 200.05;
K. Johnson, 6.860, 200.74 def. T. Coughlin, 6.887, 199.02; Yates, 6.872,
199.37 def. Krisher, 6.884, 201.01;
SEMIFINALS -- Yates, 6.871, 199.46 def. W. Johnson,
6.877, 201.16; Edwards, 6.874, 199.14 def. K. Johnson, 6.873, 200.62;
FINAL -- Yates, 6.870, 199.67 def. Edwards, foul.
PRO STOCK BIKE:
ROUND ONE -- Andrew Hines, Suzuki, 7.273, 184.75 def.
Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.307, 181.40; Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.313,
181.94 def. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.399, 179.56; Antron Brown, Suzuki,
7.309, 175.96 def. Reggie Showers, Suzuki, 7.458, 179.40; Matt Hines,
Suzuki, 7.297, 184.12 def. Fred Camarena, Suzuki, 7.406, 183.62; Angelle
Savoie, Suzuki, 7.168, 185.00 def. Keith Dennis, Suzuki, 7.398, 180.33;
Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.259, 184.19 def. Geno Scali, Kawasaki, 7.385,
177.95; Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.351, 179.33 def. Thomas Miceli, Suzuki,
7.318, 181.64; Shawn Gann, Suzuki, 7.215, 186.07 def. John Smith,
Suzuki, 7.414, 179.02;
QUARTERFINALS -- A. Hines, 7.280, 184.27 def. M.
Hines, 7.292, 183.22; Stoffer, 7.355, 179.83 def. Treble, 7.394, 178.95;
Brown, 7.288, 180.43 def. Gann, 7.215, 185.95; Savoie, 7.180, 186.38
def. Johnson, foul;
SEMIFINALS -- Stoffer, 7.334, 180.69 def. A. Hines,
foul; Savoie, 7.167, 185.66 def. Brown, 7.324, 181.03;
FINAL -- Savoie, 7.210, 184.75 def. Stoffer, foul.
MOHNTON, Pa. -- Point standings (top 10) for NHRA
professional categories following the 18th annual Lucas Oil NHRA
Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, the 18th of 23 events in the $50
million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series -
Top Fuel
1. Larry Dixon, 1,569; 2. Kenny Bernstein, 1,504; 3.
Tony Schumacher, 1,144; 4. Cory McClenathan, 1,077; 5. Darrell Russell,
1,072; 6. Doug Kalitta, 1,053; 7. Doug Herbert, 974; 8. Andrew Cowin,
836; 9. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 729; 10. John Smith, 666.
Funny Car
1. John Force, 1,358; 2. Tony Pedregon, 1,236; 3. Gary
Densham, 1,140; 4. Del Worsham, 1,089; 5. Whit Bazemore, 1,026; 6.
Scotty Cannon, 919; 7. Ron Capps, 881; 8. Dean Skuza, 824; 9. Tommy
Johnson Jr., 809; 10. Johnny Gray, 783.
Pro Stock
1. Jim Yates, 1,206; 2. Greg Anderson, 1,147; 3. Jeg
Coughlin, 1,132; 4. Warren Johnson, 993; 5. Ron Krisher, 918; 6. Mike
Edwards, 788; 7. Kurt Johnson, 783; 8. Allen Johnson, 765; 9. Darrell
Alderman, 764; 10. Mark Whisnant, 746.
Pro Stock Bike
1. Angelle Savoie, 1,191; 2. Craig Treble, 1,018; 3.
Antron Brown, 895; 4. Matt Hines, 843; 5. Shawn Gann, 827; 6. Geno
Scali, 592; 7. Reggie Showers, 553; 8. Mike Berry, 530; 9. John Smith,
472; 10. Steve Johnson, 462.
NHRA Communications
