NHRA NEWS: O'REILLY SUMMER NATIONALS FINAL STORY/AGATE

CAPPS EXTENDS FINALS WINNING STREAK OVER NHRA ICON FORCE TO THREE
Doug Kalitta and Dave Connolly add wins in Top Fuel and Pro Stock

TOPEKA, Kan. -- POWERade Series points leader Ron Capps made it a
perfect three-for-three in 2006 final rounds against John Force when he
sped past the tire-spinning NHRA icon in the Funny Car finals at the
O'Reilly Summer Nationals. 

Capps, who extended his lead to 109 points, was joined by Top Fuel
driver Doug Kalitta and red-hot Pro Stock racer Dave Connolly in the
winner's circle at Heartland Park Topeka, site of the Memorial Day
Weekend $1.9 million O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol
GTX.

Although Force holds a hefty 37-15 lead in lifetime head-to-head races
against Capps, he's just 7-5 versus Capps when a trophy is on the line,
including the dismal 0-3 mark he's accrued this year. 

"It's fun running so tight against Force," said Capps, who became the
first driver to win in the new Dodge Charger body. "When we get to the
final it always seems like it's him in the other lane. It's hard to
build a cushion. You get to a final and you end up hoping you don't lose
the race and give him back 20 points. It's so brutal.

The Topeka final started off favoring Force, as he left the starting
line three hundreds of a second ahead of Capps' Brut hot rod. But Force
started hazing his tires at 400 feet and Capps was able to scoot past
for an easy 4.992-second, 293.54-mph victory over Force's resigned
6.162-second run at 150.53 mph in the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang.

Mac Tools racer Kalitta handed Budweiser's Brandon Bernstein his second
career final-round loss in 12 tries with a wire-to-wire job on the son
of six-time champion Kenny Bernstein. Both of Brandon's final-round
losses have come against Kalitta, who trimmed Melanie Troxel's
championship lead from 154 to 96 points at this event. Kalitta has won
three of the last four races.

"We've definitely got some good momentum going right now," Kalitta said.
"A lot of it has to do with the great support we get from our teammates.
It's a great team effort over here with Connie [Kalitta] leading the
whole thing. We're having some fun and we feel like we can give anyone a
run this year."

The first repeat winner in the Pro Stock class, Connolly has won two of
the last three races since crew chief Tommy Utt took over tuning duties
on his Skull Gear Chevrolet Cobalt. He's moved from 12th to fifth place
in the rankings during his recent streak.

"It's been a complete 180-degree turnaround since Tommy came on board,"
Connolly said. "The deal is that all engines are run differently with
the chassis you use. The fact Tommy has worked with Cagnazzi horsepower
before made it super easy for him to come in here and apply what he
knows to our car. He didn't need to adjust to anything new."

Greg Anderson's semifinal finish helped him increase his lead in the
POWERade standings from 30 to 73 points over teammate Jason Line.

For the ninth time in nine events to begin the 2006 season, neither of
the No. 1 qualifiers in the nitro categories (Melanie Troxel in Top Fuel
or Robert Hight in Funny Car) won the race. Troxel was ousted by
Bernstein in the quarterfinals while Hight was beaten by Capps in the
semifinals.
 
 
* * * * * * * * * *  
   A G A T E 
* * * * * * * * * * 
 
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Final finish order (1-16) for professional categories at
the 18th annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX
at Heartland Park Topeka. The $1.9 million race is the ninth of 23
events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL:

1. Doug Kalitta; 2. Brandon Bernstein; 3. Morgan Lucas; 4. Clay
Millican; 5. Melanie Troxel; 6. Doug Herbert; 7. Tony Schumacher; 8.
David Grubnic; 9. Rod Fuller; 10. J.R. Todd; 11. Hillary Will; 12. Larry
Dixon; 13. Bob Vandergriff; 14. Cory McClenathan; 15. David Baca; 16.
Alan Bradshaw. 

FUNNY CAR:

1. Ron Capps, Dodge Charger; 2. John Force, Ford Mustang; 3. Robert
Hight, Mustang; 4. Tony Pedregon, Chevy Monte Carlo; 5. Whit Bazemore,
Charger; 6. Gary Scelzi, Charger; 7. Eric Medlen, Mustang; 8. Scott
Kalitta, Monte Carlo; 9. Mike Ashley, Monte Carlo; 10. Tommy Johnson
Jr., Monte Carlo; 11. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo; 12. Cruz Pedregon,
Monte Carlo; 13. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo; 14. Tony Bartone, Monte
Carlo; 15. Gary Densham, Monte Carlo; 16. Frank Pedregon, Dodge Stratus.


PRO STOCK:

1. Dave Connolly, Chevy Cobalt; 2. Kurt Johnson, Cobalt; 3. V. Gaines,
Dodge Stratus; 4. Greg Anderson, Pontiac GTO; 5. Rickie Smith, GTO; 6.
Warren Johnson, GTO; 7. Allen Johnson, Stratus; 8. Erica Enders, Cobalt;
9. Mike Edwards, GTO; 10. Larry Morgan, Stratus; 11. Jim Yates, GTO; 12.
Ron Krisher, Cobalt; 13. Jason Line, GTO; 14. Max Naylor, Stratus; 15.
Mark Pawuk, Cobalt; 16. Richie Stevens, Stratus. 

 

TOPEKA, Kan. -- Sunday's final results from the 18th annual O'Reilly
NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX at Heartland Park Topeka.
The $1.9 million race is the ninth of 23 in the $50 million NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing Series: 

Top Fuel -- Doug Kalitta, 4.675 seconds, 310.98 mph def. Brandon
Bernstein, 4.691 seconds, 307.09 mph. 

Funny Car -- Ron Capps, Dodge Charger, 4.992, 293.54 def. John Force,
Ford Mustang, 6.162, 150.53.

Pro Stock -- Dave Connolly, Chevy Cobalt, 6.844, 201.34 def. Kurt
Johnson, Cobalt, 6.836, 201.70. 

Top Alcohol Dragster -- Sean O'Bannon, 5.494, 261.17 def. Chris Demke,
5.543, 258.07. 

Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Steve Gasparrelli, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.763,
246.12 def. Jackie Stidham, Monte Carlo, 6.199, 239.19. 

Competition Eliminator -- Todd Patterson, Chevy Cobalt, 7.941, 170.84
def. Lou Ficco Jr., Chevy Cavalier, 7.262, 186.72. 

Super Stock -- Scott Stillings, Pontiac Grand Am, 14.447, 78.47 def. Ron
Parness, Chevy II, foul. 

Stock Eliminator -- Jim Hughes, Chevy Nova, 10.915, 118.37 def. David
Rampy, Chevy Camaro, 11.448, 109.34. 

Super Gas -- Bob Fuller, Chevy Corvette, 9.924, 152.68 def. Lanny
Maples, Pontiac Trans Am, 9.944, 151.85. 

Super Street -- Chuck Lowry Jr, Chevy Camaro, 10.928, 131.27 def. Frank
Nichols Jr., Camaro, 10.878, 149.56. 

 

TOPEKA, Kan. -- Final round-by-round results from the 18th annual
O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX at Heartland
Park Topeka, the ninth of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade
Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL: 

ROUND ONE -- Brandon Bernstein, 4.625, 301.27 def. Larry Dixon, 4.755,
295.08; Morgan Lucas, 4.727, 279.32 def. Hillary Will, 4.707, 305.08;
David Grubnic, 4.700, 302.82 def. J.R. Todd, 4.696, 301.74; Melanie
Troxel, 6.492, 177.30 def. Alan Bradshaw, 9.793, 86.32; Doug Herbert,
4.981, 282.13 def. Cory McClenathan, 5.010, 294.95; Doug Kalitta, 4.667,
310.20 def. Rod Fuller, 4.684, 303.23; Tony Schumacher, 4.678, 302.75
def. Bob Vandergriff, foul; Clay Millican, 4.833, 278.86 def. David
Baca, 6.891, 116.58; QUARTERFINALS -- Lucas, 4.785, 261.93 def. Herbert,
4.984, 251.63; Bernstein, 4.648, 311.27 def. Troxel, 4.786, 293.09;
Kalitta, 4.748, 293.73 def. Grubnic, 9.990, 88.81; Millican, 4.772,
289.38 def. Schumacher, 6.133, 155.08; SEMIFINALS -- Kalitta, 4.712,
304.39 def. Lucas, 5.016, 241.37; Bernstein, 4.707, 304.12 def.
Millican, 5.129, 249.35; FINAL -- Kalitta, 4.675, 310.98 def. Bernstein,
4.691, 307.09. 

 

FUNNY CAR: 

ROUND ONE -- Scott Kalitta, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.939, 293.98 def. Phil
Burkart, Monte Carlo, 5.108, 292.20; Eric Medlen, Ford Mustang, 4.977,
301.54 def. Mike Ashley, Monte Carlo, 4.972, 300.53; John Force,
Mustang, 4.846, 304.39 def. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo, 5.087, 289.20;
Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.964, 298.07 def. Gary Densham, Monte Carlo,
5.362, 201.73; Ron Capps, Dodge Charger, 4.993, 296.57 def. Cruz
Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 5.104, 291.32; Whit Bazemore, Charger, 4.997,
301.33 def. Tommy Johnson Jr., Monte Carlo, 5.019, 299.53; Tony
Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.985, 295.14 def. Tony Bartone, Monte Carlo,
5.253, 253.14; Gary Scelzi, Charger, 4.946, 303.03 def. Frank Pedregon,
Dodge Stratus, 6.118, 164.79; QUARTERFINALS -- Capps, 4.985, 295.92 def.
Bazemore, 4.994, 298.40; T. Pedregon, 5.044, 294.43 def. Medlen, 5.097,
251.25; Force, 5.381, 256.94 def. Kalitta, 8.876, 89.43; Hight, 4.977,
293.09 def. Scelzi, 5.008, 297.61; SEMIFINALS -- Force, 4.968, 295.85
def. T. Pedregon, 5.092, 261.67; Capps, 4.974, 299.46 def. Hight, 4.989,
295.14; FINAL -- Capps, 4.992, 293.54 def. Force, 6.162, 150.53. 

 

PRO STOCK: 

ROUND ONE -- Kurt Johnson, Chevy Cobalt, 6.849, 201.04 def. Larry
Morgan, Dodge Stratus, 6.845, 201.49; Allen Johnson, Stratus, 6.852,
201.01 def. Jason Line, Pontiac GTO, 6.852, 201.16; Rickie Smith, GTO,
6.844, 201.79 def. Richie Stevens, Stratus, 6.884, 200.11; Warren
Johnson, GTO, 6.842, 201.55 def. Jim Yates, GTO, 6.846, 201.49; Dave
Connolly, Cobalt, 6.827, 201.70 def. Ron Krisher, Cobalt, 6.847, 200.77;
V. Gaines, Stratus, 6.828, 201.55 def. Mark Pawuk, Cobalt, 6.883,
200.59; Greg Anderson, GTO, 6.832, 201.52 def. Mike Edwards, GTO, 6.814,
201.58; Erica Enders, Cobalt, 13.039, 65.21 def. Max Naylor, Stratus,
foul; QUARTERFINALS -- K. Johnson, 6.848, 201.94 def. Enders, 14.745,
56.00; Anderson, 6.826, 201.79 def. W. Johnson, 6.860, 201.25; Gaines,
6.845, 201.61 def. A. Johnson, 6.868, 200.71; Connolly, 6.839, 201.22
def. Smith, 6.848, 201.46; SEMIFINALS -- Connolly, 6.845, 201.22 def.
Gaines, 6.833, 201.31; K. Johnson, 6.862, 200.95 def. Anderson, 6.843,
201.37; FINAL -- Connolly, 6.844, 201.34 def. K. Johnson, 6.836, 201.70.


 

POINT STANDINGS

TOPEKA, Kan. -- Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional
categories following the 18th annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals
presented by Castrol GTX at Heartland Park Topeka, the ninth of 23
events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series - 

Top Fuel

1. Melanie Troxel, 748; 2. Doug Kalitta, 652; 3. Brandon Bernstein, 608;
4. David Grubnic, 558; 5. Larry Dixon, 509; 6. Rod Fuller, 503; 7.
Morgan Lucas, 498; 8. Tony Schumacher, 466; 9. Cory McClenathan, 423;
10. Doug Herbert, 399.

Funny Car

1. Ron Capps, 781; 2. John Force, 672; 3. Robert Hight, 552; 4. Eric
Medlen, 528; 5. Tony Pedregon, 508; 6. Tommy Johnson Jr., 478; 7. Whit
Bazemore, 466; 8. Del Worsham, 438; 9. Cruz Pedregon, 433; 10. Gary
Scelzi, 400.

Pro Stock

1. Greg Anderson, 632; 2. Jason Line, 559; 3. Jim Yates, 543; 4. Erica
Enders, 518; 5. Dave Connolly, 508; 6. Mike Edwards, 477; 7. Larry
Morgan, 456; 8. Kurt Johnson, 451; 9. Greg Stanfield, 429; 10. Warren
Johnson, 420.