NHRA NEWS: SEARS CRAFTSMAN NHRA NATIONALS POST RACE NOTES
POST RACE NOTES: NINTH ANNUAL SEARS CRAFTSMAN NHRA NATIONALS JUNE 24-26, GATEWAY INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, MADISON, ILL. TOP FUEL * Brandon Bernstein, from Lake Forest, Calif., earned his seventh career victory and first in more than a year. Bernstein drove his Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster to a quarter-mile run of 4.553 seconds at 324.59 mph to defeat Morgan Lucas' Lucas Oil dragster, which posted a performance of 4.793 at 314.31. It was Bernstein's first win at the St. Louis track. * Doug Kalitta claimed his 26th No. 1 qualifying performance and third of the season, powering his Mac Tools dragster to a 4.564 at speed of 325.85. * With his victory, Bernstein moved to sixth in the points order. Kalitta remained on top in the series standings, 43 points in front of second place Tony Schumacher. * Kalitta's Mac Tools crew won the Full Throttle Pit Crew Challenge award. FUNNY CAR * Ron Capps, from Carlsbad, Calif., raced to his 15th career victory and first of the season in his Brut Dodge Stratus. Capps posted a final round performance of 4.862 at 321.04 to hold off local favorite Tim Wilkerson, whose Levi Ray and Shoup Chevy Monte Carlo lost traction at the start and crossed the finish line in 7.808 at 112.65. It was Capps' first victory since February 2003, and his second win at the St. Louis quarter-mile drag strip. * Gary Scelzi claimed his 39th No. 1 qualifying award and third of the season, as he posted a 4.797 at 325.14 in his Mopar/Oakley Dodge Stratus. * Ron Capps' Brut crew claimed the Full Throttle Pit Crew Challenge award. * With the victory, Capps moved into fourth in the series standings. Force maintained his series lead over second-place Scelzi by 55 points. Both Force and Scelzi were upset in the first round of eliminations. PRO STOCK * Kurt Johnson, from Lawrenceville, Ga., earned his first victory of the season and 29th of his career by racing to victory over Greg Anderson. Johnson powered his ACDelco Chevy Cobalt to an event-best time of 6.729 at 205.19 to hold off Anderson's Summit Racing Pontiac, which posted a 6.735 at 204.32. * Johnson raced to his second No. 1 qualifying performance of the season and the 25th of his career. Johnson drove his ACDelco Chevy Cobalt to a qualifying best effort of 6.750 at 204.14. It was Johnson's second consecutive No. 1 qualifying award. * Johnson's ACDelco team earned the Full Throttle Pit Crew Challenge award. * With the runner-up finish Anderson moved back into the series lead, 15 points in front of teammate Jason Line. Six-time series champ Warren Johnson is in third place, 28 behind the leader. With the victory, Kurt Johnson moved to fifth in the points order. * Dave Connolly won the Motel 6 Who Got the Light award for his .0043-second margin of victory in the second round of eliminations over Warren Johnson. * Notable DNQs included Bruce Allen and Mike Edwards. PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE * Angelle Sampey, from New Orleans, earned her 36th career victory, a record among women winners in NHRA history. It was her first win of the season and third at Gateway Raceway. Sampey clocked a 7.237 at 186.02 on her U.S. Army Suzuki to defeat teammate Antron Brown, who rode his U.S. Army Suzuki to a final round effort of 7.240 at 182.06. * Sampey became the seventh different Pro Stock Motorcycle winner of the season in as many races. * Andrew Hines claimed his fourth No. 1 qualifying effort of the season and the 12th of his career aboard his Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson. * Hines set a track speed record of 192.71 mph on his Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson. * With her victory, Sampey moved into third in the points order, 56 behind series leader GT Tonglet, who lost in the semifinals to eventual runner-up Brown. Brown is second in the standings, 39 points behind Tonglet. * Andrew Hines' Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines crew won the Full Throttle Pit Crew Challenge award.