Inaugural Mac Tools Thunder Valley
Nationals
(Apr. 27-29th, 2001) Bristol, TN
Notes| Results
| Photos
NATIONALS NOTEBOOK:
Ron Capps gives team owner Don Prudhomme an event win for the
third time in a row when he scores in Funny Car. Prudhomme drivers Larry
Dixon (Top Fuel at Gainesville) and Tommy Johnson (FC at Las Vegas)
had won in previous weeks. Capps beats sentimental favorite Al Hofmann
who is driving Jim Dunn's special edition Mac Tools Firebird at Mac
Tools sponsored event. Both drivers battle tire spin in the final round.
FC qualifying is paced by Gary Densham -- his first pole in the class
that he has raced in for nearly 30 years. Densham hits a track record
4.870 secs driving John Force's "Techno" car, but then smokes
his tires in round one and loses to Al Hofmann. FC field is just one
car short of giving NHRA it's fourth all four-second show this season.
Greg Anderson, who was crew chief to Warren Johnson for some 12 seasons,
earns his first career win as a driver in Pro Stock. Anderson takes
the former George Marnell Pontiac Firebird, which is owned by Troy Humphrey
Motorsport to victory lane after a narrow holeshot final round win over
Jim Yates.
Ron Krisher runs both low ET and top speed in Pro Stock but it is wasted
on a .392 foul start in round one. Krisher runs 6.930 secs at 199.23
but it is Mark Osborne who advances driving the David Nickens Dodge.
Other round one upsets in Pro Stock includes Warren Johnson and Jeg
Coughlin Jr., who both also lose on holeshots. Bruce Allen, who qualified
on the PS pole with a 6.934 secs, also makes a first round exit after
the Reher-Morrison Pontiac shakes hard off the starting line.
Doug Kalitta's Mac Tools-sponsored dragster thrills event sponsors
Mac Tools with big win. Doug has monster fireball explosion in Uncle
Connie's car during qualifying but rebounds nicely from that setback
to take the title. Kalitta drives around quicker leaving Tony "Sarge"
Schumacher in the final. Kenny Bernstein has another impressive event
-- running both low ET (4.574 secs) and top speed (319.07 mph) while
taking the Bud King to the semis.
Pro Mod cars are back at Bristol much to the delight of area fans who
consider Bristol as the birthplace of the category. 17 cars are entered
for the 8-car show which is ultimately won by Quain Stott in the Lee
Boy nitrous-injected Corvette. Stott beats the supercharged Corvette
of Kirk Kuhns in the final round: 6.331 secs 227.65 mph to 6.342 secs
219.44 mph. Alan Pittman paces the PM field with a 6.300 (low ET). It
takes a run better then 6.379 secs to make Sunday's Quick 8.
FMFC racing produces an international winner as Australia's Steve Harker
earns his first career NHRA title. Harker defeats National Dragster
Senior Editor turned racer Todd Veney in the final round. FMFC class
racing draws only 8 cars. Defending World Champ Frank Manzo has low
ET and top speed in the class at 5.731 secs and 251.91 mph.
Two new Pro Stock cars make their NHRA debut during the Bristol event.
Mike Thomas has a new 2001 Grand-Am and V. Gaines unveils his 2001 Chevy
Cavalier. Thomas is a DNQ despite a 6.996 secs best while Gaines qualifies
first time out but then loses to eventual winner Greg Anderson in round
two.
Texan Jay Meyer wins in FMD running a flurry of consecutive 5.4 and
5.5 secs elapsed times. Meyer also notches top speed of the meet at
256.41 mph enroute to the victory. Kentucky's Bill McCornack places
runner-up. FMD qualifying is paced by Art Gallant who runs his injected-nitro
car to a track record 5.418 secs. FMD is a full field as 18 cars show
for battle.
Legendary Chris Karamesines qualifies at Bristol with a career best
run -- 4.890 secs at 297.16 mph. The "Greek" is 70 something!
Karamesines slows to a tire-spinning 5.44 in round one however and that
is no match for Mike Dunn's 4.64 secs at 310.34 mph.
Top Dragracecanada.com contributing photographer "Diamond Dave"
DeAngelis makes his first racing appearance of the season in FMD. DeAngelis
(from New Jersey) goes for a wild ride during his second qualifier when
oil gets on his tires in the lights during 5.979 secs run. DeAngelis
is able however to expertly collect the car, deploy the chutes and get
stopped safely.
The husband and wife team of John and Rhonda Hartman-Smith both qualify
for Top Fuel which might be a drag racing first (?) Rhonda runs 4.765
secs (10th) while John goes 4.928 secs (14th). Both Fram-sponsored cars
are however eliminated in round one.
