5th Sears Craftsman Nationals
June 21-24, 2001 (Madison, IL)
Notes |
Results | Photos
NATIONALS NOTEBOOK:
Warren Johnson’s ties Bob Glidden’s all-time Pro Stock event winning mark at 85 wins with a dominating performance driving the GM Goodwrench Plus
Pontiac Grand-Am. Johnson, who won 7 days earlier at Columbus, has both low ET (6.865 secs) and top speed (200.74 mph). WJ clobbers Jim Yates in the final round leaving first and then outrunning him.
Tony Pedregon vaults all the way to 3rd place in NHRA Winston Championship Funny Car points after a successful Sears Craftsman title run driving his Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang. Pedregon wins for the third time this season when he beats Tommy Johnson Jr. on a hole shot in the final round: 5.006 secs to 4.989 secs.
Funny Car eliminator produces NHRA’s 8th all four-second qualifying field -- all of which have come this season. The bump spot at St. Louis is a stout 4.978 secs. Bruce Sarver paces the field driving Alan Johnson’s E-Moola.com Pontiac at 4.851 secs. WWF team driver Tony Bartone has his first career top speed in FC after a 315.86 mph ride.
Gary Scelzi qualifies on the Top Fuel pole at 4.563 secs driving the Team Winston dragster. With that Scelzi gives racing team owner Alan Johnson a first -- both his TF and FC racing teams pace their respective nitro fields. Scelzi also cards top speed of the event at 319.45 mph but that’s before he suffers a shocking round one upset loss to Scott Weis. Weis’s win is his first ever round in the TF class, since switching over from Funny Car. His 4.83 secs at 305.56 mph advances when Scelzi spins his tires. Top Fuel round one also features another monster upset when Bobby Lagana Jr., driving Ralph White’s dragster defeats the NY Yankees car driven by Mike Dunn. Lagana Jr runs 4.867 secs at 309.63 mph (career best speed) while Dunn, like Scelzi, succumbs to tire smoke.
Pro Stock Truck class racing produces the third first time winner in the last four NHRA races when Texan Taylor Lastor prevails. Lastor out guns Randy Daniels in a great final round pairing. With that he joins Don Smith (Topeka) and Scott Perin (Chicago) on the refreshing 2001 first time winners list. Points leader Bob Panella has top speed of the event at 181.23 mph however it is Todd Patterson’s surprising new Dodge Dakota that qualifies on the pole with a career best 7.452 secs. Both Panella and Patterson are however taken out by eventual winner Lastor.
Pro Stock Bike racing also produces an inaugural winner as Rookie rider GT Tonglet wins aboard his Suzuki GSXR. Tonglet beats another first time NHRA finalist -- Shawn Gann. Tonglet has come close once before this season -- he was runner-up to Matt Hines at Englishtown in May.
Pro Mod cars make their fourth of five scheduled NHRA eliminators this season. California’s Danny Rowe, driving a supercharged ’38 Chevy that was formally owned by Canada’s Al Billes scores an upset win -- hitting his career best numbers while enroute. Rowe wins from the pole after qualifying at 6.234 secs. Rowe takes the measure of Chip King, Rickie Smith and finally Ed Hoover to secure the title. He has low ET of the meet at 6.223 secs and top speed at 223.99 mph. Pro Mod cars will next be seen on the NHRA tour during the U.S. Nationals.
Defending IHRA Top Fuel world champion Paul Romine, qualifies in the middle of the pack at NHRA St. Louis (4.708 secs - 9th) but his event is marred by a couple of nasty engine explosions and fires during both qualifying and then in round one of eliminators. Sunday’s round one incident was the most serious with flames wrapping around into the cockpit blinding him and forcing a hasty exit while the car was still rolling. The popular driver suffered second degree burns to both of his hands.
Doug Kalitta ultimately wins in Top Fuel -- his third win of the season driving Connie Kalitta’s Mac Tools sponsored dragster. Kalitta beats Kenny Bernstein on a hole shot in the final round (.471 to .535 RT). The final round appearance is the 5th of the season for overall Winston points leader Bernstein.
