---

NHRA: Toliver, Kalitta among winners at Mac Tools Gatornationals

20 March 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Jerry Toliver extended his Winston points lead in Funny Car by posting his second victory of the season Sunday at the 31st annual Mac Tools Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

Doug Kalitta, Warren Johnson, Dave Schultz and Randy Daniels were also winners in their respective pro categories at the $1.9 million race, the third of 23 events in the $45 million NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series.

Toliver, from Huntington Beach, Calif., outran Ron Capps for the victory in a battle of Chevy Camaros. Toliver, also a winner at the season-opening event in Pomona, Calif., drove his WWF Racing Camaro to a 5.071-second run at 296..50 mph to pull away from Capps' U.S. Tobacco Camaro, which lost traction and ran 6.185 at 155.76.

Toliver was impressive in early round wins over Dean Skuza, Tony Pedregon, and Todd Paton in his march to the final round.

"We've got a good looking hot rod right now," Toliver said. "We've got a great team. Dale (Armstrong, crew chief) gives me all the confidence in the world. It's a dream to work with him."

Toliver increased his Winston points lead to 74 over nine-time series champ and the event's No. 1 qualifier John Force, who lost in the second round to Scotty Cannon.

"We want to stay ahead in this points lead, and go wire to wire," Toliver said. "This win serves notice that this team is for real, that Pomona wasn't a fluke. I know that we're going to have to fight for this thing, it's not going to be easy. John's going to be tough, but I think we're ready for him."

Kalitta, from Ypsilanti, Mich., did a masterful driving job to claim his third career Top Fuel victory. His MGM Grand dragster neared the centerline at the end of the run, but he managed to keep it under control and post a winning 4.614 at 313.58. Runner-up Tony Schumacher drove his Exide Batteries dragster to a 4.679 at 314.97 in his third final in as many races.

Kalitta said his days as a USAC sprint car driver came in handy at about the 1,000-foot mark in the extremely close final round.

"It didn't look that close when I was in the car, but coming back down the return road I saw a couple of tire marks and I'd say I was a couple of feet from the center line," Kalitta said. "Tony and those guys are strong and I wasn't going to give up until I got to the end. I was really happy to get the win for sure."

Kalitta defeated Terry Mullins, Don Lampus and Kenny Bernstein to advance to his first final round of the season. Kalitta was fined $1,000 and 10 points by NHRA officials for dropping oil on the racing surface during his semifinal win over with Bernstein. It was the day's only delay during eliminations, which ended just before 4:30 p.m. (ET), an NHRA record.

"I can't say enough about the guys on the team and what they did to get the car to get it to run that 61 in the final," said Kalitta, who joins his uncle and crew chief Connie as a Gainesville winner (1994). "We've got out to a little bit of a rocky start this year, but this win is really going to help the team. Connie threw a lot at the track and it was able to take it.

Schumacher increased his Winston lead to 31 over second-place Gary Scelzi, who lost to the defending series champion in the semifinals.

Johnson, from Buford, Ga., scored his 80th career Pro Stock victory and in the process handed winless Troy Coughlin his ninth runner-up finish. Johnson's GM Goodwrench Pontiac Firebird covered the quarter-mile in 6.900 at 199.35, while Coughlin's Oldsmobile had mechanical problems and posted an 8.865 at 106.59.

It was the ninth victory for Johnson at the Florida quarter-mile, but only the first win of the season for the five-time and defending Winston champion.

"We're still not really 100-percent with our program," said Johnson, who topped George Marnell, archrival Jim Yates and Ron Krisher on his way to the final. "It's one of those things where we haven't had a lot of fresh parts. We feel really fortunate to be in the spot we are right now considering how we started the season. We should be up to full speed by Las Vegas."

Despite losing to Richie Stevens in the quarterfinals, Jeg Coughlin remained in the Winston points lead, 26 ahead of Johnson.

"It's not going to be a two-car race for the championship," Johnson said. "I'll guarantee that there'll be another two or three cars in the mix before it's all over."

Schultz, from Ft. Myers, Fla., captured his 44th career Pro Stock Motorcycle victory, and fourth at Gainesville Raceway by upsetting No. 1 qualifier Tony Mullen in the final. Schultz rode his Sunoco Suzuki to the victory with a 7.285 at 182.87, besting Mullen's slower Suzuki, which ran 7.340 at 177.88.

Schultz beat Brian DeLong, Fred Collis and defending series champ Matt Hines to advance to the final round, his first since the 1999 fall event at Houston Raceway Park.

"This is the best," said Schultz, who earned his most recent victory at Denver last year. "I was beginning to wonder if the track I love so much was beginning to get a little jinx on me. It's great to get back in the winner's circle and back in the points lead."

Grantsboro, N.C.'s Daniels earned his third career Pro Stock Truck win by out-running Greg Stanfield in a battle of Chevy S-10s. Daniels recorded a winning 7.517 at 178.21, while Stanfield lost traction and posted a 7.779 at 148.35.

"Our Chevy S-10 was awesome from the time we unloaded it this weekend," said Daniels, who defeated early challengers Tim Freeman, Brian Self and Jeff Gracia from his No. 1 qualifying position. "Old Blue seemed to know where the finish line was today. It's a great win for our team."

The estimated, four-day attendance was 146,702, an event record.

The next NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series event is the inaugural SummitRacing.Com NHRA Nationals, April 6-9, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Text provided by Anthony Vestal

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.