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FAST, FURIOUS AND FUNNY CARS
John Force picks the right lane in his much-heralded match
with a quieter, humbler Whit Bazemore. Baze said, "It's always important
to be able to control your own destiny and if there's a silver lining
in this black cloud that we have hanging over our heads, it's that we
get the opportunity to race Force in the first round."
Austin Coil trots from the starting line to make some
final adjustments on Tony Pedregon's waiting car leaving it to the Boss.
Bazemore loses on a holeshot 4.838 to Force's 4.843/318. Force's .503
to Whit's .520 was what it took off the line... the black cloud continues!
Not as many upsets here in Funny Car.
Skoal's Tommy Johnson takes the right lane in his match
with Al Hofmann from the K&N Short burnout school. They launch as TJ's
cylinder dropping 4.958/299.66 to a 5.555/178.85. It's a .504 to .560
for Hofmann as he smokes through the lights and Johnson's late chute
avoids the top end sand trap.
Ron Capps drops a cylinder and pops a blower off at mid
track but gets the win over Bob Gilbertson. Capps explodes the motor
with lotsa oil down, but picks up the Firebird Raceway altitude mark
for body burst panels as it lands over the right lane guardrail. 4.945/301.40
to 5.152/305.29.
PRO STOCK MEANS HOLE SHOT
Pomona winner George Marnell and Mark Osborne match up
and Marnell wins on another holeshot 4.917 to 6.889. That's his fourth
hole shot round win in the last five rounds. Darrell Alderman's Hemi
Neon meets Mike Edward's Young Life Cavalier next and Edwards upsets
Alderman on with yet another holeshot with 6.89 to a 6.88 for Alderman.
Tom Hammonds and Mark Pawuk are the next pair. Imagine my surprise when
Hammonds' 6.907 beats Pawuk's 6.88 to the finish line.
The final round in Pro Stock is WJ's second consecutive
Firebird final round. He won here last year over Brad Jeter who has
moved out of the drivers seat this year to be a tuner. Bruce Allen made
his first Firebird final and the 37th of his career. Allen took the
left lane against WJ. Allen's .410 reaction time leaves WJ in the hole
despite a respectable .475. The win gives the Reher-Morrison team the
POWERade points lead by 7 points and their second win in the last three
races.
TOP FUEL FINALE'
Dixon is out first, but must pedal it from mid track and
then smokes 'em through the lights to a 5.044 loss to Schumacher (photo),
who dropped a hole at the hit but still ran a 4.946. It's Schumacher's
first win since the 2000 U.S. Nats and moves him into second place,
just 63 POWERade points behind Dixon.
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