Thursday at Pomona

by Darr Hawthorne
Photos by Zak Hawthorne
2/7/03

The 2003 NHRA POWERade season has begun and it's about time! DRO will bring you the latest from this year's Winternationals -- the new cars, the new teams, and the players. This installment is the Thursday qualifying report, the temperatures were mild, the fields were full, but there is a chance of rain greeting the competition on Saturday. Saturday will bring the postponed Budweiser Top Fuel Shootout.

The first Pro cars to make passes down the Pomona quarter mile were the Pro Stocks.

Mark Pawuk and Pro Stock Veteran Bob Glidden have teamed up for 2003 on the Summit Racing Pontiac Grand Am. Pawuk characterized Glidden addition, "It's a real honor. He's been a real asset and brings a wealth of knowledge with him." Since both men are from the same part of the country, I asked if the Midwest was a bond that works in their relationship, Pawuk said, "So far we haven't thrown any wrenches at each other. I'm hoping that it's (the Midwest) going to keep us together, but Bob's not sure if he wants to be on the road as much as the schedule warrants."

Pawuk made a stout, straight run to pick-up the Pro Stock number 2 spot running 6.818/201.82. After the run, Glidden was asked if it was good to get this run with Pawuk under his belt. "Oh my YES," he admitted, "just to get down the track, yes, an .81 is a good place to start."

Finishing up #1 on Thursday's Pro Stock program was Troy Coughlin's 6.809/202.42. Troy finished 16th last year, then made wholesale crew changes over the winter adding Tommy Utt from the Nickens team as his crew chief. "We've been thrashing hard all Winter". When comparing his 2002 season to brother Jeg's POWERade championship team, he quipped, "it seemed like both cars should have been running similar. Having the world championship car 30 feet away was pretty hard on the heart and pretty hard on the team and there needed to be a change.

Another Midwesterner kicked butt on the Funny Car ranks in Thursday's qualifying. Tim Wilkerson stunned the FC contingent with a superb, career-best 4.759 /318.32. After running a part-time schedule in 2002, Wilkerson has figured something out with crew chief Fred Mandolini and led #2 qualifier Gary Densham's 4.826/313.88. Wilkerson will run the entire NHRA POWERade show this season.

as car owner. The track was green with this first pair of fuelers and Brandon hazed the tires before the 660 mark.

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