 |
|
|
| Kenny Bernstein, runner-up at Seattle for
the second straight year, cut Larry Dixon's points lead from 119
to 97. |
Tony Pedregon, surrounded by a boss who could be in better
health and a crew chief who was home mending from an artery-clearing
procedure, was sound and so was his Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang Funny
Car. Pedregon set low elapsed time and rewrote the track speed record
in qualifying at 315.19mph.
He beat Bob Gilbertson, Dale Creasy Jr. and Skuza before
repaying Bruce Sarver for costing him the 2001 Winternationals title.
Pedregon earned $40,000 and rushed past teammate Gary
Densham to take second place in the standings, 34 behind John Force.
Their team is 1-2-3 in the class heading into Sonoma's Infineon Raceway
(formerly Sears Point).
Pedregon said if he should overtake Force in Force's quest
for a 12th series title and 10th in a row, "I'd say, 'John, it ain't
that bad.' He can fend for himself. He believes in himself."
ADVERTISEMENT
 |
Force, toughing out gallbladder trouble, joked that Pedregon
is lucky he didn't need a kidney transplant. "Tony's healthy -- if he
has to give me a kidney he'll be OK," Force said. Pedregon didn't donate
any organs, but he did give his winner's statue to co-crew chief Dickie
Venables for flying solo without team partner John Medlen. The 50-year-old
Medlen, the only person who had rolled Pedregon into the staging beams
in seven years, is expected back for the Aug. 2-4 Fram-Autolite NHRA
Nationals.
|
|
