December 2003 - NHRA Pacific Division

Pacific Division
HOTLINE
December 2003
Charlie Neilson, Division Director
Lena Billington, Administrative Assistant
2035 Financial Way, Glendora, CA 91741
(626) 914-4761 • Fax, (626) 914-8963
Paul Jager, Division Tech Director
Tech Line: Tuesday & Thursday, 7-9 p.m.
(626) 963-2454 • Fax, (626) 963-2454
Bob Johnson, Photographer, (661) 943-0855
NEWS FROM THE PACIFIC DIVISION
Carter wins event, championship over Volpe;
Beckman’s victory earns him division crown
by John Jodauga
Bob Johnson
T
hrough the years, the Division 7
NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series
grand finales have stood out
because of their huge car counts, which
are boosted by out-of-division racers
who plan to attend the Automobile Club
of Southern California NHRA Finals in
Pomona the following week, and the
many pivotal races that have determined
national championships.
This year’s edition at The Strip at Las
Vegas Motor Speedway lived up to that
reputation through a number of memorable moments, all of which were
highlighted by Dean Carter winning the
Comp national championship with a
final-round victory over Santo Volpe, his
closest contender for the season title. In
a race that was reminiscent of Joe
Amato’s victory over the late Gary
Ormsby in the final round of the 1990
NHRA Finals to win that year’s Top Fuel
title, Carter’s A/ND was an instant
winner when Volpe, as did Ormsby, cut a
red-light with his A/SR ’32 Bantam.
Also among the many event highlights
was a Super Stock victory for alreadycrowned 2003 champion Peter Biondo, who
capped a perfect Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series season with his fifth divisional win in
as many races.
The Super Gas championship also
was determined in Las Vegas. Bryan
Robinson clinched the season title when
his closest challenger, Greg Carrillo, lost
in the third round.
In addition, Division 1’s Dan Fletcher
secured a top-five finish in Stock with his
The Division 7 season finale in Las Vegas produced many pivotal races. One of the
more significant matches was in the Comp final, where both drivers had a shot at this
season’s national championship. Division 7’s Dean Carter, near lane, took the big
prize with his A/ND when Santo Volpe red-lighted with his A/SR ’34 Ford.
victory, to go along with his top-five finish
in Super Stock.
Other winners of the event were
Duane Shields (Top Alcohol Dragster),
Cy Chesterman (Top Alcohol Funny
Car), Jack Beckman (Super Comp),
Robert Coleman (Super Gas), Brett Waldron (Super Street), and Greg Liskey
(Kerker Motorcycle).
“Because of the traditionally high car
count at this race, we made it a four-day
contest beginning Tuesday,” said Division
7 Director Charlie Neilson. “That’s the
only way we can run an event of this
size, and it helped us deal with unexpected adverse weather conditions,
such as losing more than four hours of
track time Thursday because of high
winds and dust. We were also prevented
from running late in the evening when
track temperatures dropped to 60
degrees.
“The car count for the weekend was
908, which compares very favorably to
last year’s total of 972,” added Neilson.
“Considering the chaos caused by the
Southern California fires, I was amazed
we had more than 900 cars this
weekend.
“We had 42 alcohol cars and only one
oildown, which took place on a burnout
during the first round of qualifying,” said
Neilson. “Kudos to the Division 7 staff,
the Las Vegas Motor Speedway personnel, and the racers. Everybody
combined to put together a spectacular
finale.”
Shields, the 2002 Top Alcohol Dragster champion, won his first Division 7
to page 2
from page 1
event of the season by defeating Marty
Thacker in the final, 5.403 at 266.32 mph
to 5.487 at 257.68. The victory moved
Shields past Mark Niver and into second
place, only 30 points behind this year’s
titlist, Morgan Lucas.
Shields dominated the event from the
beginning, setting the pace in qualifying
with low e.t. (5.374) and top speed
(270.00 mph) of the meet. He reached
the final with a 5.429 to 5.470 semifinal
victory over David Wells; Thacker earned
his berth with a 5.498 to 5.525 win over
Steve Federlin.
Chesterman was one of five out-ofdivision racers to reach the Las Vegas
Motor Speedway winner’s circle. He did
so by scoring a narrow victory over Division 7 regular Steve Gasparrelli in the
Top Alcohol Funny Car final, 5.720 at
251.25 to 5.741 at 242.15. With his
runner-up, Gasparrelli ended the season
only 41 points behind Doug Gordon, 333
to 292, in the race for the Division 7 title.
Gasparrelli did everything but win the
final, leading qualifying with times of
5.618 and 255.68, which respectively
stood as low e.t. and top speed of the
weekend. He earned lane choice for the
final with a 5.680 win over Bucky Austin’s
slowing 9.921. Chesterman wheeled his
’99 Trans Am to a 5.731 to 5.836 win over
Tate Branch’s ’03 Camaro.
The highly anticipated showdown for
the Comp title between Division 1 champion Volpe and Division 7’s Carter more
than lived up to its billing. Each driver
won four rounds in eliminations on his
respective side of the ladder to face one
another in a winner-take-all final, which
ended at the line when Volpe’s A/SR ’34
Ford broke the clutch and fouled with a .286
light.
Carter
eased
his
low-seven-second A/ND to a 9.009 to win
the event, national championship, and
Division 7 title.
Biondo, who won this season’s Division 2 Super Stock title, was superb in
his final-round victory over Kevin Nicks’
SS/FA ’70 Plymouth. Biondo pushed his
GT/FA ’00 Firebird to a perfect .000 light
and a .028-over 10.438 to stop Nicks’
.033 reaction and .033-over 10.093. In
the semi’s, Biondo advanced past Jeff
Hefler’s broken SS/BM ’98 Pontiac, and
Nicks prevented Fletcher from scoring a
double by defeating Fletcher’s SS/IA ’69
Camaro, .001-over 0.071 to .005-over
10.455.
Fletcher’s Stock triumph with his B/SA
’69 Nova came at the expense of Brad
Plourd’s B/FIA ’96 Corvette. Fletcher won
with a .005 light and a .017-over 10.827
when Plourd, who had a .011 reaction,
broke out with an 11.070. In the semi’s,
Fletcher overcome Ken Passerby’s .013 to
.040 holeshot for a .011-over 10.841 to
.045-over 12.165 win; Plourd beat a redlighting Scott Hilton.
Beckman’s Super Comp victory added
more credibility to his job as an instructor
at Frank Hawley’s NHRA Drag Racing
School. It also earned him the Division 7
championship, ending the season with
an 18-point margin over Michael Henderson, 393 to 375, and a chance at the
national title in Pomona. Beckman
earned the event title with a .020 light
and 9.072 (on the altitude-adjusted 9.05
index) to defeat Ed Olpin, who broke out
with a 9.041.
Milt Gedo’s -.001 foul in the semi’s
propelled Beckman into the final, and
Olpin defeated Franklin DiBartolomeo,
9.058 to 9.056, after scoring a .009 to
.027 starting-line advantage.
The Super Gas final was another outof-division affair. Coleman’s ’27 Ford
from Columbia, Mo., stopped George
Scott III’s ’92 Camaro, which succumbed
to a -.001 foul. Two close semifinal races
set up the final: Coleman nipped Jed
Bourquin’s ’93 Daytona, 10.078 to
10.081 on the 10.07 index, and Scott
used a .007 to .035 holeshot to beat Tom
Stalba Jr.’s ’63 Corvette, 10.085 to a
breakout 10.048.
Waldron hit an index-matching 11.090
in the Super Street final with his ’67
Camaro to best Bob Munoz’s .009-over
11.099 from his ’55 Chevy. In the semi’s,
Waldron stopped Tony Fuller’s ’01
Corvette, 11.109 to 11.143, and Munoz
ran an 11.118 on his bye.
The Kerker Motorcycle final attracted a
considerable amount of attention as
Liskey defeated Pro Stock Bike standout
Craig Treble in the contest. Liskey
recorded a .001 light and ran a .076-over
9.646 with his ’85 Suzuki to defeat Treble,
who cut a .067 reaction and posted a .058over 9.038 with his ’98 Kawasaki.
For complete stats and photo coverage, see National DRAGSTER (Nov. 21).
Korbel Super Eliminator Series
Hall wins second series title in three years with finale victory
THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR
SPEEDWAY, Las Vegas (Nov. 2) —
Dean Hall won the final event of the
2003 Korbel Super Eliminator Series at
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway,
and the win helped him take his second
series championship in three years. Hall
was in fourth place in the standings
entering the race, but early exits by Carolyn Hills, Del Cox Jr., and George
Prather gave Hall the opportunity to grab
the title.
— Dean Hall
Quarterfinal action began with Dan
Oliver advancing when Don Steed drew
a -.006 red-light. Bill Webber ran an 8.06
(8.03 index) to defeat Robert Costa, and
Hall defeated the red-lighting Tom Hall to
earn the semifinal bye. In the semi’s,
Webber used a .028 to .048 starting-line
advantage to beat Oliver, 8.05 to 8.04.
Webber had the advantage out of the
gate in the final, .002 to .024, but he
gave it up at the top end, losing to Hall,
8.036 to 8.060.
With the win, Hall secured the Korbel
Super Eliminator Series title with 315
points. Hills and Prather tied for second
with 279, followed by Cox (259) and
Steed (258).
— Bob Johnson
Division 7 National Open
Hoeffer wins Stock/Super Stock Combo
The winner’s circle at the NHRA Division 7 National Open included, back
row, from left, Division 7 Director
Charlie Neilson, Gary Campbell (Super
Eliminator), C.W. Hoeffer (Stock/Super
Stock Combo), Don Kruse (Super
Comp), Jeff Agalsoff (Super Gas), Pat
McHenry (Super Street), and Jack Dyer
(Sportsman Eliminator); front row, from
left, Larry Spitali (Pro Eliminator) and
Nick Marconi (Street Eliminator).
Bob Johnson
SPEEDWORLD MOTORPLEX, Northwest Phoenix, Ariz. (Sept. 20-21) —
According to NHRA Division 7 Director
Charlie Neilson, the division’s National
Open was a great success. “We had a
turnout of 196 entries, almost 80 more
than the 117 that showed up at last year’s
event,” Neilson said. “We were, of course,
very pleased to see such a big boost in
participation.” In addition to the large field
of competition, the quality of racing
remained high despite very warm
weather. “Thanks to great prep work on
the part of the track personnel and excellent racing-vehicle maintenance efforts by
the competitors, there was very little
downtime,” Neilson said. “We had the
event finished by 3 p.m., which gave
everybody enough time to get packed up
and return home.”
The event was a two-day affair,
conducted on Saturday and Sunday, and
Speedworld Motorplex conducted a separate test-n-tune event on Friday evening,
which was well attended.
Event winners were C.W. Hoeffer
(Stock/Super Stock Combo), Don Kruse
(Super Comp), Jeff Agalsoff (Super Gas),
Pat McHenry (Super Street), Gary Campbell (Super Eliminator), Larry Spitali (Pro
Eliminator), Jack Dyer (Sportsman E.T.),
Nick Marconi (Street Eliminator), and Ken
Van Buren (Motorcycle Eliminator).
— John Jodauga
Reprinted from National DRAGSTER
(Nov. 7).
Member Track Schedule
Baja Raceway
(619) 588-4001
N/A
Inyokern Dragstrip
(760) 375-8832
N/A
Maui Raceway Park
(808) 579-9493
N/A
Samoa Dragstrip
(707) 443-5203 or (707) 442-6753
N/A
Barona Dragstrip
(619) 579-3604
N/A
Irwindale Dragstrip
(626) 305-1562 or (626) 358-1100
Every Thursday — Street Legal (except
Christmas and New Year’s Day)
Mopar Drag City
(909) 874-5198
N/A
Southwestern Int’l Raceway
(520) 762-9700
N/A
Pomona Raceway
(909) 593-7010
N/A
Redding Dragstrip
(530) 221-1311
N/A
Speedworld Motorplex
(602) 388-2424
Dec. 3, 10, 17 — Wednesday Night
Street Legal Drags
Dec. 13, 27 — Saturday Challenge
Dec. 20-21 — Scott Wells Memorial
Classic
Rialto Raceway
(909) 688-0721
N/A
Team Possibilities Jr. Raceway
(619) 390-1332
N/A
Rocky Mountain Raceways
(801) 252-9557
N/A
Top Gun Raceway
(800) 325-7448
N/A
California Dragway at California
Speedway
(909) 429-5000
N/A
Famoso Raceway
(661) 399-2210
N/A
Firebird Int’l Raceway
(602) 268-0200
Dec. 6-7 — NASA
Hilo Dragstrip
(808) 969-7077
N/A
Infineon Raceway
(707) 938-8448
Dec. 8-9 — TracQuest
Dec. 10-11 — CA Superbike School
Dec. 27-28 — Speedtrial U.S.A.
Kauai Raceway Park
(808) 639-2745
Dec. 6 — Year-End Awards Party
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor
Speedway
(702) 632-8459
Dec. 5 — Titan Auto Insurance Midnight
Mayhem
Los Angeles County Raceway
(661) 533-2224
Dec. 17 — Last Wednesday Grudge of
2003
Dec. 19 — Last Friday Grudge of 2003
Dec. 31 — Hangover Nationals (Parking
Only)
Sacramento Raceway Park
(916) 366-7368
Dec. 6, 13, 20, 27 — Test ’n’ Tune
The Pacific Division will be closed
for the holidays beginning Dec. 22
and will re-open Jan. 5, 2004.
Three individual wins lift Speedworld to team title
SOUTHWESTERN INT’L RACEWAY,
NHRA Summit Racing Series Finals
(Div. 7) — Aided by three victories in the
individual
competition,
Speedworld
Motorplex in Northwest Phoenix took top
honors at the 2003 Pacific Division
Summit Racing Series Finals. Bryan
Downing (Pro), Bruce Meyer (Street), and
Nick Marconi (High School) each won his
respective category to help the Speedworld team tally 131 points and finish atop
the standings. Host track Southwestern
Int’l Raceway finished second with 125,
followed by Famoso Raceway, Firebird
Int’l Raceway, and Irwindale Dragstrip.
Meyer, Downing, and Marconi were
joined in the winner’s circle Sunday by
Samoa Dragstrip runner Harlan Tucker,
who took the Sportsman crown, and
Rocky Mountain Raceways’ Kirk Walton,
Final Points Standings
Speedworld Motorplex . . . . . . . . 131
Southwestern Int’l Raceway . . . . 125
Famoso Raceway . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Firebird Int’l Raceway . . . . . . . . . . 98
Irwindale Dragstrip . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Infineon Raceway . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Los Angeles County Raceway . . . 82
Sacramento Raceway Park . . . . . 71
Rocky Mountain Raceways . . . . . 41
The Strip at Las Vegas
Motor Speedway . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Inyokern Dragstrip . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Top Gun Raceway . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Samoa Dragstrip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Redding Dragstrip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Bob Johnson
by Candida Benson
Division 7 Director Charlie Neilson, left, and Southwestern Int’l Raceway manager Dave
Danish, right, congratulated the 2003 Division 7 Summit Racing Series champions: from
left, Bryan Downing, Harlan Tucker, Bruce Meyer, Nick Marconi, and Kirk Walton.
who won Motorcycle. Meyer, Downing,
Tucker, and Walton will participate in the
NHRA Summit Racing Series National
Championship in Pomona in November.
Downing won the Pro title by driving his
’93 Daytona past the ’70 Challenger of
Jerry Griffie in the final. Tucker beat Larry
Gilley in the Sportsman final. Meyer got
the nod when Randy Williams red-lighted.
And Walton topped former Summit Racing
Series Finals champ Joseph Smith in the
Bike final.
Though he came up short in Sunday’s
final, Smith won Saturday’s Race of
Champions Motorcycle title. Other Race of
Champions winners were Chuck E. Killian
Jr. (Sportsman), Chris Naffziger (Pro),
Dennis R. Ward (Street), and Seth
Polvadore (High School). Southwestern
Int’l Raceway won the Race of Champions
points battle, edging Speedworld
Motorplex by one marker.
Firebird Int’l Raceway won the hotly
contested National DRAGSTER Team
Spirit award.
For
complete
coverage,
National DRAGSTER (Oct. 31).
see
Team Speedworld
Pro
Nick Alejandre
Gary Cox
Bryan Downing
Dwight Downing
Keith Downing
Brian Griffey
Tony Henderson
Eddie Herman
Cliff Prewitt
Rick Proctor
Larry Spitali
Art Trautman
Danny Walker
Sportsman
Jaymes Berry
Eric Brown
Leno Cimarolli
Jack Dyer
Josh Edwards
Dale Fowler
Butch Gray
Tibor Kadar
Scott Kilbourn
John King
Tony Marconi
Jason Oteri
Scott Oxford
Bernie Polvadore
Joe Royston
John Schurr
Victor Sibilla
Lin Smith
Shaun Strickland
Chris Williams
Street
Bill Coniam
Ron Conrad
A.J. Crader
Bill Dunham
Eric Ferguson
Thomas Firesen
Steve Johns
Tim Johns
Mark Knight
Chuck Lewis
Ray Lewis Sr.
Tom Marconi
Michael Metzler
Bruce Meyer
Jennifer Perry
David Pitera
Clay Van Deren
Rick Van Hassel
Motorcycle
John Johnson
Tom Patterson
Dan Pfaff
Richard Todd
Kenneth Van Buren
Bill Wilson
William Wilson
High School
Leroy Duran
Nick Marconi
Seth Polvadore
Andrew Williams
Fauset, Johnson, Sanders, Cooper score division titles
— 8-9 champion Cameron Fauset
Cameron Fauset (age 8-9), Brittany
Johnson (10-12), Ty Sanders (13-14), and
Todd Cooper (15-17) earned the right to
(Left) 10-12 titlist
celebrate alongside six-time champion
Brittany Johnson.
Kenny Bernstein, Del Worsham, 2003
(Above) 13-14 victor Ty Sanders.
POWERade champion Greg Anderson,
South Region 13-14 titlist Sanders took the division crown in
and Craig Treble after they won their respective categories at the
Pacific Division runoff. The race, which was held in conjunction with that age group by bettering North Region champion Ryan
the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at McClanahan in the trophy round. After taking a .03-second
Pomona Raceway, paired the champions of the division’s North and advantage out of the gate, Sanders wheeled his dragster to a
7.94 (7.90) for the win.
South Region series in a winner-take-all race for the division title.
Cooper got the nod in the 15-17 final when South Region
Fauset, the North Region 8-9 winner, got the automatic nod
after South Region victor Logan Daly was disqualified for running victor Leah Pruett fouled out by .004-second. Cooper cruised to
too quick on a time-trial run. Fauset posted a 13.13 (12.90 dial) a 7.99 (7.90) win.
en route to victory.
Johnson capped off an incredible season that
POMONA RACEWAY
included the 2003 NHRA O’Reilly Auto Parts Jr.
(Nov. 9)
Drag Racing League Western Conference Finals
12-year-old title with a win in the 10-12 group.
Driver, age, hometown
R.T.
E.T.
(Dial)
South Region champion Johnson used a .014 to
8-9
.081 lead at the Tree to beat North Region rep
W: Cameron Fauset, 9, Santa Margarita, Calif. .039
13.13
(12.90)
D.J. Stone in the final, 7.93 (7.90) to 8.99 (8.98).
R/U: Logan Daly, 10, Huntington Beach, Calif.
disq.
10-12
W: Brittany Johnson, 13, Palm Desert, Calif.
R/U: D.J. Stone, 10, Springville, Calif.
.014
.081
7.93
8.99
(7.90)
(8.98)
13-14
W: Ty Sanders, 14, Las Vegas
R/U: Ryan McClanahan, 14, Alta Loma, Calif.
.047
.077
7.94
8.02
(7.90)
(7.90)
.033
*-.004
7.99
7.88
(7.90)
(7.90)
15-17
W: Todd Cooper, 16, Yuba City, Calif.
R/U: Leah Pruett, 15, Redlands, Calif.
— 15-17 winner Todd Cooper
NHRA Pacific Division chassis inspectors
Kiwi Jager
(909) 398-8867, pager
Glendora, Calif.
Ken Gentry
(530) 245-8403, pager
Chico, Calif.
Ed Brady
(480) 981-5314
Mesa, Ariz.
Ben Wilson
(520) 744-1030
Tucson, Ariz.
Ralph Perea
(801) 304-9066
Salt Lake City
Launie Porteous (916) 361-8534
Sacramento, Calif.
Cliff Ricci
(702) 253-1252
Las Vegas
Jim Westbrook
(661) 978-8141
Bakersfield, Calif.
*red-light
For the latest
information, visit
www.nhradiv7.com
2004 NHRA
Pacific Division
events
NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series
• March 12-14, Firebird Int’l
Raceway, Chandler, Ariz.
• March 26-28, Southwestern Int’l
Raceway, Tucson, Ariz.
• April 30-May 2, Sacramento
Raceway Park, Sacramento, Calif.
• May 21-23, Famoso Raceway,
Bakersfield, Calif.
• July 2-4, Infineon Raceway,
Sonoma, Calif.
• Nov. 4-7, The Strip at Las Vegas
Motor Speedway, Las Vegas
NHRA Pacific Division National
Opens
TBA
NHRA Pacific Division Jr. Drag
Racing League Series
TBA
NHRA Pacific Division Summit
Racing Series Finals
Oct. 7-10, Famoso Raceway,
Bakersfield, Calif.
California Hot Rod Reunion
Oct. 1-3, Famoso Raceway,
Bakersfield, Calif.
Pacific Division
Final
Pacific
Division
final
Points
Standings
points
standings
Top Alcohol Dragster
1. Morgan Lucas ........................ 314
2. Duane Shields ...................... 284
3. Mark Niver ............................ 234
4. Chris Demke .......................... 192
5. Darren Nicholson .................. 191
6. Don Hudson .......................... 159
7. Larry Miersch .......................... 96
8. Fred Notzka ............................ 95
9. Randy Eakins .......................... 84
10. Howard Haight ........................ 75
Stock
1. Jim Meador ............................
2. Kyle Seipel ............................
3. Steven Wann..........................
4. Al Corda ................................
5. Toby Lang ..............................
6. Curtis Coulter ........................
7. Gary Evans ............................
8. Bill Nelson..............................
9. Ken Etter ................................
10. Ken Passerby ........................
351
351
317
315
310
308
272
265
263
247
Top Alcohol Funny Car
1. Doug Gordon ........................
2. Steve Gasparrelli ..................
3. Robert Lee ............................
4. Bret Williamson ......................
5. Ed Marx ................................
6. Ron August Jr. ......................
7. Dennis Taylor ........................
8. Mert Littlefield ........................
9. John Weaver ..........................
10. Mark Woznichak ....................
333
292
238
224
222
189
179
160
144
139
Super Comp
1. Jack Beckman........................
2. Michael Henderson................
3. Thomas Bayer........................
4. Steve Williams........................
5. Robert Naber ........................
6. Shawn Langdon ....................
7. Kyle Rizzoli ............................
8. Jerry Denton Jr. ....................
9. Leslie Figueroa Jr. ................
10. Todd Stewart..........................
393
375
367
364
356
313
313
300
283
282
Comp
1. Dean Carter ..........................
2. Joe Mozeris ..........................
3. Steve Wilmoth ........................
4. Ed Sigmon ............................
5. Vincent Deceglie....................
6. Randy Jones..........................
7. Wayne Ramay........................
8. Rick Braun ............................
9. Alan Ellis ................................
10. Fred Gross ............................
349
343
307
303
275
242
219
218
200
197
Super Gas
1. Mike Ferderer ........................
2. Jed Bourquin..........................
3. Bob Harris Jr. ........................
4. Kevin Kleineweber ................
5. Joe Roubicek ........................
6. Larry Scarth ..........................
7. Joseph Ghyselinck ................
8. Greg Ventura..........................
9. Loreen Johnson ....................
10. Kenneth Yeoman ....................
387
317
306
296
284
282
274
273
272
255
Super Stock
1. Tibor Kadar ............................
2. Jimmy DeFrank......................
3. Tony DeFrank ........................
4. Bill Blakeney ..........................
5. Kyle Seipel ............................
6. Mark Faul ..............................
7. Don Bevers ............................
8. Larry Zavala ..........................
9. Jesse Freeman ......................
10. Wayne Taylor..........................
412
371
341
305
286
277
275
254
245
243
Super Street
1. Gary Thompson ....................
2. Dennis Paz ............................
3. Carl Hagen ............................
4. Stephanie Warn ....................
5. Scott Rollins ..........................
6. Billy Dillander ........................
7. Jeff Fear ................................
8. William Garoutte ....................
9. Tom Lindemann ....................
10. Dave Adams ..........................
395
362
348
304
286
254
238
230
223
212
Pacific Division Kerker
Motorcycle Series final
points standings
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Scott Pollacheck ..............................................380
Greg Liskey......................................................272
John Widmann ................................................259
Leo Shaver ......................................................242
Jerry Stinson....................................................214
Phillip Nasca ....................................................207
Jason Whitenack..............................................197
Aris Bernales ..................................................185
Santiago Rodriguez Jr ....................................157
Edwin Palmer ..................................................155
Pacific Division Korbel
Super Eliminator Series
final points standings
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Dean Hall........................................................
Carolyn Hills ..................................................
George Prather ..............................................
Del Cox Jr. ......................................................
Don Steed ......................................................
Hans Scheibe ................................................
Patrick Jones ..................................................
Jonathan Fiello ..............................................
Kenny Upton ..................................................
John Richardson ............................................
315
279
279
259
258
224
214
208
205
193
2004 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series schedule
44th annual
25th annual
K&N Filters Winternationals
Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals
Pomona Raceway, Pomona • Feb. 19-22
Bandimere Speedway, Denver • July 16-18
20th annual
17t h annual
Checker Schuck’s Kragen NHRA Nationals
CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals
Firebird Int’l Raceway, Phoenix • March 5-7
Pacific Raceways, Seattle • July 23-25
35th annual
17t h annual
Mac Tools NHRA Gatornationals
Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals
Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville • March 18-21
Infineon Raceway, Sonoma • July 30-Aug. 1
5th annual
23rd annual
NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals
Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas • April 1-4
Brainerd Int’l Raceway, Brainerd • Aug. 12-15
17t h annual
17t h annual
O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals
O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals
Houston Raceway Park, Houston • April 15-18
Memphis Motorsports Park, Memphis • Aug. 20-22
4th annual
50th annual
O’Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Mac Tools U.S. Nationals
Bristol Dragway, Bristol • April 30-May 2
Indianapolis Raceway Park, Indianapolis • Sept. 1-6
24th annual
20th annual
Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals
Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals
Atlanta Dragway, Atlanta • May 13-16
Maple Grove Raceway, Reading • Sept. 16-19
7th annual
19t h annual
NHRA Route 66 Nationals
O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals
Route 66 Raceway, Chicago • May 20-23
Texas Motorplex, Dallas • Sept. 23-26
16th annual
4th annual
O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals
CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals
Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka • May 27-30
Route 66 Raceway, Chicago • Sept. 30-Oct. 3
40th annual
4th annual
Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals
ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals
National Trail Raceway, Columbus • June 10-13
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas • Oct. 28-31
35th annual
40th annual
K&N Filters SuperNationals
Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals
Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown • June 17-20
Pomona Raceway, Pomona • Nov. 11-14
8th annual
Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals
Gateway Int’l Raceway, Madison • June 25-27
2004 GRADE POINT REQUIREMENTS
NOTE: Meeting these requirements does not guarantee event entry acceptance.
Provisional entries
1) A contestant with a valid NHRA Gold, Silver, or Bronze card will be guaranteed entry to any national event.
2) The defending event champion will be guaranteed entry to the event he or she won. For example, last year’s Super Gas winner at the Finals
would be guaranteed entry into this year’s Finals (entry would not be guaranteed to any other event, however).
3) A former national champion (Pro or Sportsman) will be guaranteed entry to any national event.
4) A Professional driver earning top 20 status in the current or previous season will be guaranteed a Sportsman entry to any national event.
5) Owner credits may be awarded in cases involving a driver change from one season to the next (contestant must receive approval from his or her
division director).
6) A contestant within the top 20 and still in contention for a possible top 10 year-end position will be guaranteed entry to any of the final four
national events of the racing season (Chicago 2, Dallas, Las Vegas 2, and Pomona 2). These policies do not excuse the contestant from any late
fees, gate entry fees, or insurance surcharges. For example, if a Gold Card holder shows up at the gate for an event, the $75 late fee, the $75 gate
fee, and the $40 insurance fee will still be applicable.
To accommodate certain hardship cases or a past racer’s return to active competition, an averaging system has been developed. The average
grade is calculated as follows: The racer’s three previous years’ grading points are added and divided by three. For example, if a racer ran one division event in 2002, no events in 2001, and five division events in 2000, 1 + 0 + 5 = 6, which divided by three equals a grade of 2A (the “A” indicates
the averaging calculation).
To accommodate foreign contestants, grading points will be issued for participation in selected foreign events. Those events are the FIA European
Championship, Australian Drag Racing Championship, Nordic Drag Racing Series, and Japan Drag Racing Association Championship. Each entry
application must include written confirmation from the host country sanctioning organization that verifies participation in the series.
MINIMUM GRADE REQUIREMENT FOR 2004 NATIONAL
EVENT APPLICATION
EVENT
TAD
TAFC
SS
STK
SC
K&N Filters Winternationals – Pomona
3
3
COMP
2**
3
3
-
SG
3**
SST
-
Checker Schuck’s Kragen NHRA Nationals – Phoenix
-
-
1
-
1
2
2
1*
Mac Tools NHRA Gatornationals – Gainesville
2
2
2
3
3
3**
-
-
NHRA Summit Racing.com Nationals – Las Vegas
2
2
2
3
-
3
3
-
O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals – Houston
2
2
2
2
2
-
2
-
O’Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals – Bristol
-
-
1
-
1
2
2
-
Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals – Atlanta
1
1
1
2
-
3
3
1*
NHRA Route 66 Nationals – Chicago
-
-
2
-
3
3
3
-
O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals – Topeka
1
1
-
1
1
2
2
1*
Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals – Columbus
2
2
2
3
3
-
3
2*
K&N Filters SuperNationals – Englishtown
2
2
2
3
3
3**
-
2*
Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals – Madison
-
-
-
3
3
3
3
-
Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals – Denver
-
-
1
2
-
3
3
-
CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals – Seattle
1
1
1
2
2
3
3
2*
Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals – Sonoma
2
2
-
3
3
3**
3**
-
Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals – Brainerd
1
1
1
1
1
2
-
-
O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals – Memphis
-
-
2
2
-
2
2
-
Mac Tools U.S. Nationals – Indianapolis
3
3
3
4
4
4**
4**
-
Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals – Reading
2
2
3
3**
3**
-
3**
-
O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals – Dallas
2
2
-
2
2
3
3
1*
CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals – Chicago
2
2
3
4
4
4**
4**
2*
ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals – Las Vegas
-
-
2**
3**
3**
3**
-
-
Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals – Pomona
3**
3**
3**
4**
4**
4**
4**
-
Dashes represent information that is not available
* Grading points must be earned in Super Street
** Numbers represent a reduction of 1 grading point over 2003 levels
Relive
Racing
History
Make your visit to Southern California and the L. A. County
Fairplex complete with a trip to the fabulous Wally Parks
NHRA Motorsports Museum, conveniently located adjacent
to the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel on McKinley Avenue in Pomona,
just north of Interstate 10 off White Avenue. Inside, you’ll
see more than 80 spectacular historic and milestone
vehicles. These great cars, together with one of the
country’s finest collections of racing memorabilia,
original art, and photography, make a visit to the
museum the ultimate experience for the motorsports
fan and history buff.
The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum
Fairplex Pomona, 1101 W. McKinley Ave.
Pomona, CA 91768 • (909) 621-2133
Open Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
An L.A. County Fair Attraction
Southwestern Int’l Raceway
11300 S. Houghton Road, Tucson, AZ 85747
Phone: (520) 762-9700 Fax: (520) 762-9777
E-mail: office@ SIRace.com Website: www.SIRace.com
SOUTHWESTERN
FIRST 250 PRE-REGISTERED
INTERNATIONAL
CARS RECEIVE
RACEWAYA
PAVED PIT SPOT
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES – MARCH 26-28, 2004
PRE-REGISTRATION FORM FOR:
COMP, SUPER STOCK, STOCK, MOTORCYCLE & ALL SUPER CATEGORIES
PLEASE FILL OUT COMPLETELY!
CLASS:
______________________(Be Specific - Example: SS/A)
CAR # ________________
NAME:
_______________________________________________________AGE__________________
ADDRESS:
_____________________________________________________________________________
CITY _________________________
STATE: ___________________ ZIP ___________________
E-MAIL ADDRESS:_____________________________________________
DAYTIME PHONE # ____________________________
FAX #: ____________________________
NHRA MEMBERSHIP #: _________________________________________ EXP. DATE: __________
NHRA COMPETITION LICENSE #: __________________________ EXP. DATE: ________________
OVERALL LENGTH OF TOW RIG (Truck/Car & Trailer): _____________________________________
ENTRY FEE ($140 PER CAR & DRIVER)
$ ________
3-DAY CREW PASSES ($50 PER PERSON) (# OF PEOPLE ____x $50)
$ ________
THURSDAY (3/25) TEST ’N’ TUNE ($45 PER CAR & DRIVER-CREW FREE)
(Pre-entry not required)
$ ________
TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED:
$ ________
METHOD OF PAYMENT:
MASTERCARD
CREDIT CARD #:
VISA
AM. EXPRESS
___________________________
CARDHOLDER SIGNATURE:
DISCOVER
CHECK # ________
EXPIRATION DATE: _______________
_______________________________________________________
• Insider information
• Award-winning coverage
• Spectacular photography
1 year (48 issues)
$59.95
*
TRY IT!
trial membership:
6 months (24 issues)
$35
*
or go to
FREE
to subscribers: Fan Guide
& NHRA Membership Kit (contents of kit may vary)
[outside the USA call 626.250.2490]
*Fees slightly higher outside USA. U.S. funds only.
800.678.4630
NHRA.com
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