|
Pawuk has ended up on the wrong end of a lot of close races this year.
Coming into this weekend's event, the 44-year-old Ohio native had competed
in four final rounds this season without a victory. After qualifying
his Pro Stock Pontiac in the No. 7 position, Pawuk defeated Rickie Smith
in round one, Mike Edwards in round two and George Marnell in round
three before facing red-hot Tom Hammonds in the all-GM final. Hammonds
was coming off a runner-up performance in Dallas and his Cavalier had
been one of the quickest cars over the last two weeks.
Pawuk's Grand Am launched first with a .444 reaction time and crossed
the finish line in 7.033 seconds. Hammonds' Chevy followed with a better
elapsed time at 6.994 seconds, but Pawuk's starting-line holeshot gave
him the win by a margin of .003 seconds, or less than 10 inches.
The win was the sixth career victory for Pawuk in 21 final rounds.
It was also the first win for the Summit Racing Pontiac driver since
last year's Pontiac Excitement Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, and his
first final round since last month's AutoZone Nationals in Memphis.
NEWS OF THE WEIRD
Bidding for his 99th career victory in a race ultimately won by Ron
Capps, John Force was victimized by a rare double foul. When first round
foe Bob Bode left the starting line before the starting system was properly
activated, Force, not knowing exactly what had happened in the other
lane, also accelerated. Unfortunately, he too left before the system
was operational and, by rule, also was disqualified.
The NHRA official rulebook, under the subheading "Disqualifications"
in the General Regulations, notes that "one of the rarities at an NHRA
event is the situation in which two cars are disqualified during the
same elimination race. In most cases, both offending contestants are
disqualified. Those situations include: both drivers crossing the boundary
lines; both drivers deep staging (Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street
classes only); or both drivers leaving the starting line before the
start system is activated."
While the situation doesn't often occur in the professional classes,
it apparently is not that uncommon in the sportsman classes, especially
those using the handicap start.
"The rule is there," Force said after an often heated discussion with
NHRA Executive Vice-President Graham Light, "and Graham is acting just
like an umpire in baseball. He made the call he had to make and that's
that. We might not agree with the rule, but that's another matter."
|
