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NHRA: Scelzi, Force, Stevens win Prolong Super Lubricant Northwest Nationals

31 July 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

KENT, Wash. - Gary Scelzi tied the NHRA single-season win record in Top Fuel, outrunning Doug Kalitta in Sunday's final of the 6,000 horsepower category at the Prolong Super Lubricants Northwest Nationals presented by NAPA Auto Parts.

John Force and Richie Stevens also were winners of the $1.6 million race, the 14th of 23 events in the $45 million NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series.

Scelzi, from Fresno, Calif., covered the Seattle International Raceway quarter-mile in 4.711 seconds at 303.98 mph in his Team Winston dragster to record his sixth victory of the season, edging Kalitta's MGM Grand dragster at the finish, which recorded a slower 4.789 at 291.19. Scelzi, who claimed his first SIR victory and 20th career win with the performance, tied the win record that he already co-owned with eight other drivers. Scelzi was also a six-time winner in 1998.

"The key to the race today was having lane choice," said Scelzi. "I didn't have to run in the left lane all day and that helped us. There's a real narrow groove here and I think the best lane for this weekend was the right lane. We had our work cut out. We had to beat Rhonda Hartman-Smith, Kenny Bernstein and Larry Dixon and Kalitta. There were no easy rounds out there."

Scelzi increased his Winston points lead to 123 over defending series champ Tony Schumacher, who lost in the first round after an uncharacteristic red-light.

"When Schumacher went out early it gave us an opportunity," Scelzi said. "In the past we haven't been able to capitalize on those situations, but today we scored big."

Force, from Yorba Linda, Calif., claimed his sixth Funny Car victory of the season and in the process cut into Jerry Toliver's Winston points lead with a win over Frank Pedregon. It was Force's fifth victory at SIR and 87th overall. Force drove his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang to the win with a run of 4.973 at 299.60, while Pedregon's machine lost traction and covered the distance in 6.530 at 140.69.

"We had a good old hot rod today," said Force, who also defeated Frank's brothers - Cruz and Tony - in earlier elimination rounds. "We started out hot at the beginning of the year but got lost at Columbus when we brought out the new body. We've been working on it and I think we've got it back."

Force cut Toliver's Winston points lead to 32, after defeating his new rival in a head-to-head meeting in the semifinals.

"They've got a smart team over there at WWF," Force said. "They proved that today by beating Ron Capps when they didn't have lane choice. They're consistent. Fortunately we were able to beat 'em today. It's going to be a real dog fight for the championship."

Stevens, from New Orleans, posted his third career victory and first win at SIR, defeating Jeg Coughlin in Pro Stock. Stevens drove his Valspar Refinish Pontiac Firebird to a 7.018 at 195.70, crossing the finish line in front of Coughlin, who posted a slower 7.498 at 146.00 in his Jeg's Mail Order Oldsmobile Cutlass.

Stevens defeated Bruce Allen, Warren Johnson and Troy Coughlin before eliminating six-time season winner Jeg in the final.

"We brought the old car out and went straight to the winner's circle," said an excited Stevens, who last won at Englishtown, N.J. in 1999. "We went from a zero to a hero after our DNQ (did not qualify) at Denver." With the runner-up finish, Coughlin increased his Winston points lead to 227 over Ron Krisher. Stevens moved to seventh in the order with the victory.

The next NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series event is the 13th annual FRAM Autolite Nationals, Aug. 4-6, at Sears Point Raceway, Sonoma, Calif.

Text Provided By Anthony Vestal

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