NHRA NEWS: K&N Supernationals Provisional
Qualifying
Contact: Michael Padian, 626-278-0312
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW YORKER BARTONE TOPS FUNNY CAR FIELD AT HOMETOWN K&N SUPERNATIONALS
Bernstein, Yates and Scali round out provisional No. 1 qualifiers
ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. -- Local hero Tony Bartone is the surprise leader in
Funny Car after the first two of four rounds of qualifying at the 37th
annual K&N Filters NHRA SuperNationals.
Brandon Bernstein (Top Fuel), Jim Yates (Pro Stock), and Geno Scali (Pro
Stock Motorcycle) also top their respective fields at the $1.8 million
race, the 11th of 23 in the $50 million POWERade Drag Racing Series. For
the second weekend in a row, the Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle
classes feature the quickest fields of all time.
The native of Long Island, N.Y. -- with the accent to match -- posted a
4.787 at 324.36 mph in his Lucas Oil Chevy Monte Carlo Friday night to
assume the provisional No. 1 position for the first time in his career.
A class dominator in the sportsman ranks, Bartone has never been top
qualifier in five years at the professional level. He'll need to hold
off a talented chase pack through Saturday's final two sessions,
scheduled for 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
"I'm praying for snow," Bartone said. "I'm absolutely tickled pink right
now. Certainly, we hope it holds through tomorrow. I think it has a
chance. I've got a suite full of friends and family and all our
customers from our other business and they're all thrilled. I couldn't
think of a better place for this to happen."
Bernstein traversed the quarter mile at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park
-- the track where he suffered a season-ending back injury in his rookie
season of 2003 -- with a very quick 4.539 at 330.72 mph in his Budweiser
dragster. A two-time winner this year, Bernstein is currently third in
the points chase.
"I really don't think about the wreck when I come here," Bernstein said.
"From Day 1 afterwards I put it out of my mind. This is just another
track with a Christmas Tree, a starting line, and a finish line. The
main thing I think about here is that I haven't made it out of the first
round yet. We're gonna change that this weekend."
A winner of four of the last five races on tour, Doug Kalitta is a
distant second to Bernstein after a best of 4.564 at 329.91 mph.
Three-time and back-to-back POWERade Series champion Tony Schumacher,
meanwhile, has yet to make the Top Fuel field.
Yates' steady upward climb in Pro Stock continues with his top
qualifying effort of 6.655 at 208.17 mph in his Sea Ray Boats Pontiac
GTO. The run was a personal best for Yates and set both ends of the Old
Bridge Township Raceway Park category record. His speed was just
six-hundredths shy of Greg Anderson's national record of 208.23 set at
Gainesville in 2005.
When bracketed with No. 16 qualifier Erica Enders' 6.692 at 207.56 mph,
Yates leads the quickest field of all time.
"Any time you can say you're No. 1 in any field says a lot about your
team," said Yates, who last led a field at the 2005 season opener in
Pomona, Calif. "To be No. 1 in the quickest field ever is really
something. We were No. 1 after both sessions today so I'd say that's a
heckuva way to start the weekend."
Former champion Scali is a bit of a surprise at the top of the Pro Stock
Motorcycle ladder, but the 7.023 at 191.54 mph he posted on his
Performance Machine Suzuki placed him atop the grid at the midway point
of qualifying. Scali last qualified No. 1 at the first Chicago race in
2003, the year he won his POWERade Series championship.
"A half hour later and we would have seen some sixes," Scali said,
referring to runs in the six-second range. "We just needed the sun to
get behind the bleachers. Tomorrow morning's session will be the best of
the weekend and I predict we'll see a 7.0-second bump and at least a
couple of sixes."
Back-to-back champ Andrew Hines set the Day 1 bump at 7.115 seconds,
making this the quickest 16 bikes ever assembled.
-----------------------------
A G A T E
-----------------------------
ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. -- Results Friday after qualifying for the 37th annual
K&N Filters SuperNationals presented by Strauss Auto at Old Bridge
Township Raceway Park, 11th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for
Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. Brandon Bernstein, 4.539 seconds, 330.72 mph; 2.
Doug Kalitta, 4.564, 329.91; 3. Doug Herbert, 4.575, 324.51; 4. Rod
Fuller, 4.586, 326.00; 5. David Baca, 4.599, 329.10; 6. Cory
McClenathan, 4.599, 321.50; 7. Larry Dixon, 4.612, 325.45; 8. Melanie
Troxel, 4.621, 320.58; 9. Clay Millican, 4.626, 328.30; 10. Morgan
Lucas, 4.636, 313.66; 11. Hillary Will, 4.641, 319.45; 12. J.R. Todd,
4.669, 314.02; 13. David Grubnic, 4.689, 310.77; 14. Rit Pustari, 4.713,
313.44; 15. Scott Palmer, 4.719, 272.61; 16. Scott Weis, 4.795, 303.43.
Funny Car -- 1. Tony Bartone, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.787, 324.36;
2. Robert Hight, Ford Mustang, 4.801, 322.34; 3. Jim Head, Dodge
Stratus, 4.804, 325.22; 4. Gary Scelzi, Dodge Charger, 4.811, 321.50; 5.
Tony Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.812, 320.58; 6. Eric Medlen, Mustang,
4.816, 318.17; 7. Del Worsham, Monte Carlo, 4.827, 324.05; 8. John
Force, Mustang, 4.833, 319.07; 9. Phil Burkart, Monte Carlo, 4.839,
320.43; 10. Scott Kalitta, Monte Carlo, 4.853, 322.04; 11. Cruz
Pedregon, Monte Carlo, 4.854, 314.46; 12. Tim Wilkerson, Monte Carlo,
4.867, 320.20; 13. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.878, 319.14; 14. Whit Bazemore,
Charger, 4.878, 315.78; 15. Mike Ashley, Monte Carlo, 4.888, 313.95; 16.
Jeff Arend, Monte Carlo, 4.906, 321.50.
Pro Stock -- 1. Jim Yates, Pontiac GTO, 6.655, 208.17; 2. Greg
Anderson, GTO, 6.656, 208.01; 3. Allen Johnson, Dodge Stratus, 6.666,
207.53; 4. Dave Howard, Chevy Cobalt, 6.667, 207.91; 5. Jason Line, GTO,
6.668, 207.72; 6. Richie Stevens, Stratus, 6.668, 207.59; 7. Mike
Edwards, GTO, 6.669, 207.50; 8. Dave Connolly, Cobalt, 6.670, 207.94; 9.
Rickie Smith, GTO, 6.679, 207.40; 10. Ron Krisher, Cobalt, 6.679,
206.89; 11. Greg Stanfield, GTO, 6.680, 206.80; 12. Kurt Johnson,
Cobalt, 6.683, 207.18; 13. V. Gaines, Stratus, 6.684, 207.02; 14. Mark
Pawuk, Cobalt, 6.686, 206.99; 15. Larry Morgan, Stratus, 6.691, 207.27;
16. Erica Enders, Cobalt, 6.692, 207.56.
Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.023, 191.54; 2.
Craig Treble, Suzuki, 7.027, 192.11; 3. Matt Smith, Buell, 7.030,
190.08; 4. Paul Gast, Suzuki, 7.060, 194.83; 5. Tom Bradford, Buell,
7.061, 189.39; 6. Antron Brown, Suzuki, 7.062, 191.35; 7. Ryan Schnitz,
Buell, 7.076, 187.55; 8. Matt Guidera, Buell, 7.078, 187.70; 9. Chip
Ellis, Buell, 7.082, 189.73; 10. Joe DeSantis, Suzuki, 7.091, 192.71;
11. GT Tonglet, Harley-Davidson, 7.097, 189.95; 12. Michael Phillips,
Suzuki, 7.101, 189.79; 13. Angelle Sampey, Suzuki, 7.102, 188.31; 14.
Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 7.107, 188.33; 15. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.107,
186.64; 16. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 7.115, 190.06.
