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SCHULTZ STEALS THE SHOW
Most inspirational story out of the Matco Tools SuperNationals was Dave
Schultz's victory in Pro Stock Motorcycle. An obviously weakened Schultz
used the time between sessions of chemotherapy to climb back on his
Sunoco Suzuki for the first time since he was diagnosed with cancer
in August.
The results were spectacular. First, Schultz upset Matt Hines in the
semifinals to clinch the 2000 championship for Angelle Seeling. Then
he beat Geno Scali in the final round to earn his 45th - and hopefully
not last - title.
Schultz goes back into chemo in a week and, as a result, probably won't
be able to drive at the season-ending AAA of Southern California Finals
at Pomona. If not, John Smith will be back aboard.
ANGELLE HITS THE CEILING
That's ceiling as in as high as you can go. Despite a semifinal-round
loss, defending two-time defending champ Matt Hines got whipped that
same round and that erased any mathematical probability of Angelle getting
whipped for the season title. In winning a Winston Championship, the
New Orleans, La., racer becomes only the third woman of the Winston
era to a win world championship. Shirley Muldowney (1977, 1980, 1982
in Top Fuel), and Amy Faulk (1979 in Super Stock) were the others.
WEIRD NHRA SCENARIO
NHRA could experience a first this year, although it might not be to
their liking. As many know, the weather in the central part of the country
can change in the flick of a lighter. Witness, the soggy O'Reilly Fall
Nationals at the Texas Motorplex a week preceding the Matco Tools Nationals.
The weekend after Houston, NHRA will attempt to hold the O'Reilly race
again, and don't forget this will be an event where no pro cars had
yet qualified. What would happen if north central Texas got saturated
all weekend and most of the following week preceding the ... (gasp)
... NHRA Winston Finals and the Motorplex ... (double gasp) ... got
rained out again? Would they run the Motorplex show AFTER the Finals?
NHRA has run national events after an NHRA World Finals race - just
look at the old Supernationals event of the early 1970s after the Amarillo
Dragway World Finals - but things were scheduled that way then. But
this? Would they cancel the race altogether??!! To the Bat poles!
SCELZI CONSIDERING A CAREER CHANGE?
 The
recent accidents involving Top Fuel rivals Larry Dixon and Tony Schumacher,
coupled with his own close calls at the wheel of Alan Johnson's Team
Winston dragster, apparently have Gary Scelzi contemplating a career
change - not out of drag racing but certainly to another discipline
within the sport.
In fact, before and during the final Matco Tools SuperNationals, Scelzi
was prominently mentioning the f-word, suggesting that he might wind
up next year in a Funny Car rather than a Top Fuel dragster.
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