Saturday Results from NHRA POWERade Series Infineon Raceway

 

SONOMA, Calif. - Kurt Johnson continued to be the hottest Pro Stock
driver in the NHRA POWERade Series by taking the No. 1 qualifying
position Saturday at the FRAM Autolite Nationals at Infineon Raceway.

Tony Schumacher, Tony Pedregon and Andrew Hines also will lead their
respective categories into Sunday's 11 a.m. eliminations. The $1.5
million race, which will be televised on ESPN2, is the 15th of 23 events
in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. 

Johnson, who has won two of the last three events, raced to the No. 1
qualifying position with a track record time of 6.676 seconds at 206.80
mph in his ACDelco Chevy Cobalt. It was his third top qualifying award
of the season and 26th of his career.

"After yesterday's runs we had to make a chassis adjustment and change
the carburetor and hope that everything meshed," Johnson said. "We knew
the conditions would be good and the track would be there, but you never
know. Overall we're pretty happy."

Schumacher drove his U.S. Army dragster to his fifth top qualifying
performance of the season in Top Fuel, with his track record time of
4.529 seconds from Friday holding the position. It was the 16th No. 1
effort of his career and another positive move as he battles rival Doug
Kalitta for the POWERade Series world championship title.

"We still have a long season left but when it is this close every point
counts," said Schumacher who gained one point on second-place qualifier
Kalitta (4.549, 321.88) by virtue of his better qualifying position. "It
was good to get the No. 1 position, but the best thing for me was making
three runs in the 50s and two of those came in the heat. Qualifying No.
1 sounds like a great deal but it's not so easy anymore. There's a lot
of tough competition out there and no easy rounds. We have to be ready
for John Smith tomorrow."

Pedregon also claimed the top spot with his run from Friday, a track
record run of 4.759 at 321.12 in his Madagascar-themed Q-Racing Chevy
Monte Carlo. It is his third No. 1 of the season and 31st of his career.

"We're happy with the No. 1 spot," said Pedregon, who will race his
brother Cruz in the first round. "It's where you want to start and
there's some points and bonus money that comes with it, but on race day
it's all the same. I think the competition is tougher than ever because
there are 16 legitimate cars out there. Now there's pressure on every
round and that just shows that the level of competition has increased,
which is healthy for the sport."

Hines earned his sixth No. 1 qualifying position of the season and 14th
of his career in Pro Stock Motorcycle, powering his Screamin'
Eagle/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson to a track record time of 7.021 at
192.47.

"It's an awesome feeling to be No. 1 for the sixth time this season,"
said Hines, who hopes to join the season's seven other winners in the
two-wheel category with a victory tomorrow.. "For some reason the bike
and I haven't been able to team up yet on Sunday. We've had some
problems. Once we get it to come together I think we'll have the bike to
beat. It's been a while since I've won a race and I'd like to take home
another Wally. I think the bike is there to win the race."

 

 

SONOMA, Calif. -- First-round pairings for professional eliminations
Sunday for the 18th annual FRAM-Autolite NHRA Nationals at Infineon
Raceway, the 15th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series.  Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended
Saturday.

 

        Top Fuel -- 1. Tony Schumacher, 4.529 seconds, 325.77 mph  vs.
16. John Smith, 4.758, 303.78; 2. Doug Kalitta, 4.549, 321.88  vs. 15.
Bobby Lagana Jr., 4.738, 294.31; 3. Larry Dixon, 4.550, 326.71  vs. 14.
Scott Weis, 4.675, 316.15; 4. Morgan Lucas, 4.560, 317.42  vs. 13. Jack
Beckman, 4.671, 311.27; 5. Doug Herbert, 4.562, 320.66  vs. 12. Ben
Marshall, 4.666, 316.15; 6. Cory McClenathan, 4.566, 321.58  vs. 11. Rod
Fuller, 4.635, 325.69; 7. Scott Kalitta, 4.573, 323.19 vs. 10. Melanie
Troxel, 4.594, 318.09; 8. Brandon Bernstein, 4.574, 325.92  vs. 9. David
Grubnic, 4.584, 320.97. 

 

        Funny Car -- 1. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.759, 321.12
vs. 16. Cruz Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.973, 302.21; 2. Eric Medlen, Ford
Mustang, 4.783, 323.12  vs. 15. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.963,
307.51; 3. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 4.789, 325.69  vs. 14. Gary
Densham, Monte Carlo, 4.956, 312.57; 4. Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.789,
317.87  vs. 13. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 4.939, 308.64; 5. Gary
Scelzi, Dodge Stratus, 4.793, 325.14  vs. 12. Frank Pedregon, Stratus,
4.937, 311.49; 6. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 4.839, 320.13  vs. 11.
Whit Bazemore, Stratus, 4.898, 316.38; 7. John Force, Mustang, 4.844,
315.78  vs. 10. Ron Capps, Stratus, 4.880, 312.35; 8. Jeff Arend, Monte
Carlo, 4.854, 317.49  vs. 9. Tony Bartone, Monte Carlo, 4.859, 318.69. 

 

        Pro Stock -- 1. Kurt Johnson, Chevy Cobalt, 6.676, 206.80  vs.
16. V. Gaines, Dodge Stratus, 6.739, 205.26; 2. Mike Thomas, Stratus,
6.679, 205.91  vs. 15. Jim Yates, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.733, 204.42; 3.
Greg Stanfield, Chevy Cavalier, 6.686, 206.13  vs. 14. Bob Panella,
Cobalt, 6.732, 204.20; 4. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.687, 206.42  vs. 13.
Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.730, 204.63; 5. Warren Johnson, Grand Am,
6.689, 205.85  vs. 12. Dave Connolly, Cobalt, 6.727, 205.10; 6. Jason
Line, Grand Am, 6.690, 205.04  vs. 11. Ron Krisher, Cavalier, 6.718,
205.51; 7. Greg Anderson, Pontiac GTO, 6.693, 206.95  vs. 10. Jeg
Coughlin, Stratus, 6.714, 205.07; 8. Erica Enders, Cobalt, 6.696, 205.91
vs. 9. Richie Stevens, Stratus, 6.700, 204.98. 

 

        Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.021,
192.47  vs. 16. Matt Smith, Suzuki, 7.172, 189.98; 2. Ryan Schnitz,
Buell, 7.054, 195.11  vs. 15. Mike Berry, Suzuki, 7.167, 191.78; 3.
Chris Rivas, Buell, 7.068, 189.47  vs. 14. Matt Guidera, Buell, 7.165,
179.04; 4. GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.071, 190.32  vs. 13. Kurt
Matte, Suzuki, 7.163, 186.28; 5. Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.071, 188.52
vs. 12. Angelle Sampey, Suzuki, 7.157, 188.36; 6. Geno Scali, Suzuki,
7.104, 192.85  vs. 11. Shawn Gann, Suzuki, 7.148, 186.87; 7. Karen
Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.121, 194.30 vs. 10. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.132,
188.75; 8. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.123, 191.70  vs. 9. Chip Ellis,
Buell, 7.131, 187.68.