Pep Boys 50th Anniversary Nationals
Pomona, CA (July 5-7th 2001)
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Results | Photos
NATIONALS NOTEBOOK:
NHRA celebrates it’s 50th Anniversary year with a special mid-summer event engagement at Pomona Raceway. The event, which is sponsored by Pep Boys and presented by American Racing Wheels features night time racing on all three scheduled days as well as fireworks and a laser show.
50th Anniversary Nationals features an ultra-cool Nostalgia Top Fuel eliminator. 16 regulars from the Southern California-based “Goodguys” circuit are invited to attempt to qualify for the elite 8-car Pomona field.
Utah’s Jack Harris emerges victorious defeating veteran NHRA Top Fuel racer Rance McDaniel in the final round. Harris’s win comes over the quickest Nostalgia Top Fuel program ever -- the bump is a swift 6.144 secs.
Low ET of the meet goes to McDaniel at 6.017 secs while top speed goes to Tim Gibson at 247.43 mph. Gibson also qualifies in the Top Fuel eliminator at the event but loses in round one.
Drag racing’s undisputed all-time best driver John Force appropriately wins the 50th Anniversary race in Funny Car. The victory is Force’s 96th of his career and thrilling for his home state fans. Force takes out a spunky Whit Bazemore in the final round as his Castrol team serves up a terrific 4.853 secs while Bazemore blows the tires off the Matco Tools/Schumacher Racing Firebird. Bazemore had looked good throughout the event pacing the FC field with a career quick 4.816 secs. Force’s racing stable mate Gary Densham had top speed in FC at 319.07 mph.
Chevrolets dominate Pro Stock racing at Pomona, as the final four cars (Jeg Coughlin Jr, Kurt Johnson, Mike Edwards and Ron Krisher) are all driving 2001 Chevy Cavaliers. Coughlin wins the event when he unloads low ET of the meet in the final round (6.911 secs) to edge out Mike Edwards. Semi-final round pairing between recently split team-mates Edwards and Krisher is interesting to watch. Edwards slaps his former boss with a big holeshot and wins a 6.955 to 6.922 secs decision. Edwards had qualified on the PS pole with a run of 6.928 secs.
Doug Herbert and his crew chief Larry Frazier are impressive winners in Top Fuel with their Snap-On Tools dragster. Herbert guns down a tire-smoking Gary Scelzi in the final round to win his 6th career NHRA national event. Scelzi had been the definite favourite going into the final round after unloading low ET of the meet -- 4.551 secs -- in the semi final round. Top Speed in Top Fuel goes to Australia’s Andrew Cowin who runs a career best 321.12 mph. The Pomona event is Cowin’s first after a spring layoff from the NHRA tour.
Federal Mogul racing is highlighted by a stunning first career win by Oregon’s Brian Hough in FMD driving for Mike Johnson. Hough slays the giant himself in the final round when he holeshots Rick Santos and takes him out with a .429 light and a 5.500 secs at 257.87 mph. Santos runs a thundering 5.414 secs at 261.02 mph but can’t catch Hough. Brandon Henkelman sets top speed at 263.56 mph and David Baca has low ET (5.401 secs) -- both in injected nitro cars.
Angelle Savoie pads her lead in Pro Stock Bike points when she wins for the 18th time in her career. That win allows Savoie to bypass Shirley Muldowney’s 17 wins mark for NHRA’s all-time winning Professional lady racer. Angelle and team owner George Bryce have a terrific event which includes #1 qualifier (7.260 secs) and low ET (7.246 secs). Angelle’s low ET shot comes in the final round as opponent Antron Brown goes .384 red.
Johnny Gray and Al Hofmann debut new paint schemes at Pomona event in Funny Car. Gray’s wildly painted “Nitro Fish”, which is tuned by Wayne Dupuy is a surprising DNQ while Hofmann and car owner Jim Dunn’s now all-white “Moon Equipped” Firebird gets in the show on the bump (5.037 secs). Scotty Cannon also shows with an industrial-looking Pontiac Firebird body. Cannon runs great in qualifying hitting a career quick 4.836 secs for the second spot but then he double steps the throttle in round two while fouling out to Bruce Sarver.
Nevada’s Tony Hewes scores his first career NHRA title in Super Stock driving his classic SS/GA ’69 Mustang. Hewes wins the event after qualifying on the pole. He easily holds off William Bennett’s Chevy Camaro in the final round.
