JOHNSON AND JOHNSON WIN FOURTH STRAIGHT
Last year Jeg Coughlin Jr had a winning streak at the start of the season in Pro Stock. This year it is the Johnson family that is starting the season with a streak. Kurt won the last two races of 2000 with wins at Dallas and Pomona and kept the streak alive with a win at the season opener at Pomona. Then the patriarch of the family, Warren Johnson (above), won the first ever title for Pontiac's Grand-Am body style.

It was a tour de force performance by Warren when he ran 6.924/199.20 to run down former IHRA Pro Stock racer Brad Jeter's dead game 6.967/198.23

SLAVINSKI DRIVES TWO WINS ONE GOING '90'S
Rob Slavinski is best known for driving a string of Castrol-sponsored doorslammers, including a Pro Stock truck last year and a Comp eliminator Grand Prix this year. But Slavinski got his first win since 1998 driving an 8.90 index Super Comp dragster. He won using a holeshot to defeat Keith Downing. Slavinski had an 8.991 in the final to Downing's quicker but later 8.942!

RICKIE DRIVES A DODGE, COUGHLIN WILL DEBUT CAVALIER IN GAINESVILLE
Rickie Smith showed up at Phoenix with a Dodge R/T instead of the Camaro he had been driving for Kenny Koretsky. Smith drove a Jerry Bickel-built R/T at Phoenix but will soon be driving one of the new Hemi-powered Neons. Jeg Coughlin Jr made his last laps in his venerable Olds and will be driving a brand new Chevy Cavalier at Gainesville.

BACA'S AFD BLASTS, BUT SANTOS WINS
David Baca's injected fuel dragster continued to impress with serious numbers. He ran a string of 273-274 laps at Phoenix, but when the day was over Rick Santos' alky burning blown car continued to be the most dominant car in drag racing. Santos won, beating Mark Hentges in the final.

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