NHRA NEWS: Las Vegas 2 Post Race Notes
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: NHRA Communications, (626) 914-4761
POST RACE NOTES:
FIFTH ANNUAL ACDELCO LAS VEGAS NHRA NATIONALS
OCT. 20-23, THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TOP FUEL
* Tony Schumacher, of Long Grove, Ill. clinched his second
consecutive and third overall NHRA POWERade Series world championship by
making a qualifying attempt during Friday's first session. He became the
fifth Top Fuel driver in NHRA history to win three or more championship
titles (also Shirley Muldowney, Don Garlits, Gary Scelzi and Joe Amato).
He earned $400,000 for winning the NHRA POWERade title.
* Schumacher had a dominating weekend in his U.S. Army dragster.
He swept the event, including winning the $100,000 Budweiser Shootout on
Saturday and the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals Top Fuel title during
Sunday's eliminations. He earned more than $200,000 including
contingency, for his efforts during the weekend.
* Schumacher became the third Top Fuel driver in NHRA history to
win the $50,000 "Double-Up" bonus from NHRA. Joe Amato swept both events
in 1990 and Larry Dixon did it in Feb. 2002 for the rain-delayed 2001
Budweiser Shootout.
* The victory was Schumacher's eighth of the season and the 29th
of his career, placing him alone in fifth on all-time Top Fuel wins
list. It was his second victory at The Strip at LVMS.
* With the victory, Schumacher tied two longstanding
single-season records in Top Fuel. He joined Scott Kalitta (1994) and
Cory McClenathan (1997) in a three-way tie for most consecutive wins in
a season (4) and Kalitta ('94), McClenathan ('97) and Larry Dixon (2002)
for most consecutive final rounds in a season (6).
* Morgan Lucas raced to his second No. 1 qualifying position of
the season in his Lucas Oil dragster. Lucas clocked a performance of
4.508 seconds at 324.36 mph for the top spot.
* Schumacher's U.S. Army crew earned the Full Throttle Pit Crew
Championship award. Doug Kalitta's Mac Tools crew maintained the season
lead in the Full Throttle Pit Crew Championship award.
FUNNY CAR
* Ron Capps, of Carlsbad, Calif., raced to the victory and in
the process moved to within two points of the POWERade Series points
lead with one race remaining. In the final, Capps drove his Brut Dodge
Stratus past teammate Gary Scelzi, who drove his Mopar/Oakley Stratus.
It was Capps' third victory of the season in seven final round
appearances and the 17th of his career. It was his second victory at The
Strip.
* With the runner-up finish Scelzi moved back into the POWERade
Series points lead, two in front of Capps and 28 in front of 13-time
Funny Car champ John Force, who sits in third. Scelzi is trying to join
Kenny Bernstein as the only drivers in NHRA history to win championships
in both nitro categories.
* Scelzi raced to the No. 1 qualifying position with a track
record time of 4.746 seconds at 327.90 mph in his Mopar/Oakley Stratus.
It was Scelzi's fifth No. 1 of the season and the 41st of his career
(8th in FC).
* Scelzi led the quickest Funny Car field in NHRA history,
anchored by No. 16 qualifier Gary Densham, who posted a 4.834 second
performance in a Chevy Monte Carlo to take the spot.
* Force, who drives the Castrol GTX Start Up Ford Mustang, lost
in the first round for the 10th time this season, a personal high.
* Scelzi's Mopar/Oakley Stratus crew earned the Full Throttle
Pit Crew Championship award. Force's Castrol GTX Start Up crew
maintained the season lead in the Full Throttle Pit Crew Championship
award.
PRO STOCK
* Kurt Johnson, from Lawrenceville, Ga., raced to the victory in
his ACDelco Chevy Cobalt. He defeated arch-rival Greg Anderson, who
drove the Summit Racing Pontiac GTO to the runner-up effort. It was
Johnson's fourth victory of the season and the 32nd of his career. It
was his first win at The Strip in four final round appearances. Each of
those three final round losses at The Strip came against Anderson.
* Greg Anderson, of Concord, N.C., claimed his third consecutive
NHRA POWERade Series world championship by qualifying No. 1 on Saturday.
Anderson posted a 6.818 at 201.97 to take his seventh No. 1 effort of
the season and the 40th of his career.
* Anderson joined only Bob Glidden and the late Lee Shepherd as
drivers who have won at least three consecutive Pro Stock world
championship titles.
* Among those who failed to qualify included Larry Morgan, Mike
Edwards and Dave Howard.
* Mark Pawuk defeated V. Gaines by a .0027-second margin of
victory in the first round of Pro Stock eliminations to claim the Motel
6 "Who Got the Light" award.
* Anderson's Summit Racing Equipment GTO crew earned the Full
Throttle Pit Crew Championship award and the team also leads the season
standings.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
* Chip Ellis, from Americus, Ga., raced to the victory aboard
his G-Squared/S&S Buell. He defeated Angelle Sampey for the win. It was
his second consecutive victory at The Strip and the third win of his
career.
* Ryan Schnitz rode his Muzzy.com Buell to the No. 1 qualifying
position. It was the first No. 1 effort of his career. He clocked a
7.205 at 183.67 mph to lead the 16-bike category.
* Andrew Hines increased his series lead to 47 points over
Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teammate GT Tonglet. Both
Hines and Tonglet lost in the first round, but Hines increased his lead
by virtue of earning more points during qualifying. Hines needs to
advance to the semifinals at the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway
to secure his second consecutive POWERade Series world championship.
* Ellis' G-Squared/S&S Buell crew earned the Full Throttle Pit
Crew Championship award. Hines' Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines crew
maintained the season lead in the Full Throttle Pit Crew Championship
award.
