7th Amalie Oil North American Nationals
(Sep. 6-8th, 2002) Epping, NH
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Results | Photos
NATIONALS NOTEBOOK:
Peter Lehman’s Werner Enterprises team and driver Clay Millican kept the unthinkable alive! They win in Top Fuel for the 10th straight time in 10 races this season! If they can prevail at Budds Creek next (Sep. 29th) and then at Rockingham (Oct. 13th) -- they will accomplish something that has never been recorded in drag racing history -- a perfect season. Millican saves his best shot of the event for the final round when he unloads both low ET (4.736 secs) and top speed (316.08-mph) to clobber Bruce Litton. Equally amazing, that is Litton’s 8th final round loss to Millican this season. Millican’s win mathematically clinches his second straight IHRA Top Fuel World Championship.
Pro Stock racing at Epping is a record smashing affair. Four rounds of qualifying produce the quickest 16-car field in drag racing history with a bump spot of 6.626 secs held down by Rick Jones. The previous all quickest field had set at Rockingham NC last spring at 6.640 secs. Mercury Cougar driver Jason Collins runs the fastest speed ever in the class at 214.42 mph during qualifying. He backs that mark up for an official new national speed mark with a 213.87-mph lap.
Brian Gahm pads his overall points margin in Pro Stock with his mountain-motored Mustang when he wins for the third time in 2002. Gahm left first on opponent Elijah Morton’s Ford Probe in the final round and is never headed.
Pro Mod racing produced a 2nd career win for Mitch Stott who took the Radiac-sponsored supercharged Corvette to victory. Stott won the final round on a holeshot over Shannon “Iceman” Jenkins. Stott had a .495 RT while Jenkins’s slipped to a uncharacteristic .582 RT. Jenkins’s runner-up finish did however pay dividends as he moved into the overall IHRA Pro Mod points lead over Canadian Al Billes. Jenkins and Billes met head on in a monumental round one pairing which Jenkins won handily - 6.291 secs 223.14 mph to 6.618 secs 214.66 mph. Jenkins leads Billes by 33 points with two events left on the ’02 IHRA calendar.
Pro Mod low ET and top speed went to Quain Stott in the supercharged LeeBoy-sponsored ’63 Corvette. Quain skipped to a terrific 6.161 secs at 230.61 mph during qualifying action. Stott was however upset by his racing teamate Paul Athey in round one on a holeshot -- 6.407 secs to 6.372 secs.
Ohio’s Steve Stordeur climbed to within 9 points of overall Nitro Harley leader Doug Vancil when he won for the 3rd time this season. Stordeur scored a come from behind win over Mark Conner who appeared to be headed to his first career win before his machine slowed at the 1000 ft mark. Stordeur’s win included low ET of the meet at 6.389 secs.
The Alcohol Funny Car title went to Jimmy Rector who all but clinched the 2002 title following his 7th win of the season. Rector handled his closest points rival, Dale Brand, in the final round in a great match-up 5.841 secs 241.71 mph to 5.866 secs 241.37 mph. Brand can still mathematically catch Rector however that scenario is an unlikely one.
The AFC class racing also included strong semi-final round placings by popular lady racer Laurie Cannister and Canadian star Robbie Atchison. Atchsion's final four finish was a little too spectacular however. During his run against Dale Brand, the Pride Fighting Championships car lit up in a ball of flames during a 5.985 secs run. Robbie wrestled the burning car to a stop and was able to extricate himself. IHRA's safety crew did arrive shortly thereafter however the intense fire destroyed the car. Atchison was attended to at the track hospital and released.
Sportsman racing was highlighted by Canadian Chuck Nagy who won his first career IHRA national event title after coming close at a number of events over the past couple of seasons. Nagy, from Niagara Falls, ON., wheeled his C/EA past the toughest class opponent of all, Anthony Bertozzi, in a double break out final round.
The 2002 Amalie Oil North American Nationals is alleged to be the last IHRA national event race at New England Dragway. Expectations are that the facility will switch over to NHRA sanctioning beginning in 2003.
