14th NHRA Autozone Nationals
Memphis, TN (Sep. 20-23rd, 2001)
Notes |
Results | Photos
NATIONALS NOTEBOOK:
FC racing produces an emotional first career win for 30-year class veteran racer Gary Densham. Densham, who began as driver for John Force’s third team car this season defeats Force himself in the final round as both drivers battle tire spin from half track on. Densham runs a Castrol GTX “white” Mustang body during qualifying but switches to the “red” NHRA 50th Anniversary Mustang body during Sunday’s final eliminations. For John Force, the title bout was the 150th NHRA final round of his incredible career. The soon to be 11X World Champion set low ET of the event at 4.824 secs. Indy winner Whit Bazemore had top speed in FC at 313.29.
Pro Stock racing sees pole qualifier Jim Yates pull out of competition after a Saturday qualifying run due to chest pains. He is taken to a Memphis hospital where he is stabilized. Yates, who is second behind Warren Johnson in Winston points, then undergoes angioplasty surgery on Monday and is now resting comfortably. It is unlikely that Yates will be able to race this weekend at NHRA Route 66 Raceway event. Yates had been the pole qualifier at Memphis at 6.883 secs. Ultimately, Pro Stock racing produces another first time NHRA winner as George Marnell, from Las Vegas finally breaks through. Marnell uses a final round holeshot (.447 to .473 RT) to edge out Mark Pawuk.
Jeff Taylor pulls off a remarkable “double-up” in Sportsman racing. Taylor wins both the Super Stock and Competition eliminator titles driving for team owner Arnie Martel. Both final rounds are as tough as they come. Taylor wheels his SS/BM Pontiac Grand-Am past defending NHRA World Champion Peter Biondo in the Super Stock final and then tops multi-time NHRA champ David Rampy in the Competition eliminator final, driving his C/A Grand-Am.
Top Fuel racing at Memphis is cumulated by yet another chapter in the fierce season rivalry between the Miller and Budweiser brewery cars as Larry Dixon and Kenny Bernstein once again face one another. Bernstein stops Dixon’s recent 2-race hot steak with a come-from-behind win light. Bernstein now trails Dixon by a scant 27 points with five events left on the 2001 Winston tour. Dixon had low ET of the event at 4.581 secs while Bernstein’s Budweiser King was the overall fastest car on the premises at 318.99 mph.
The opening round of Competition eliminator qualifying includes a nasty top end collision between dragster drivers Richard Bourke and Brian Olson. Bourke loses control of his A/ED in the lights crosses lanes and clobbers Olson’s A/ND causing both cars to tumble. Bourke is not injured however Olson is transported to local hospital for observation.
Bruce Sarver and car owner Alan Johnson run an “American Red Cross” theme car at Memphis in support of the recovery funds for victims of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11th. The team cannot however get a handle on the ground effects first time out with the trick new Pontiac body and DNQ. The Sarver/Johnson effort is one of a number of charitable efforts at the Autozone Nationals event. Numerous teams, including Pro winners Gary Densham and George Marnell, donate their prize money cheques to the national cause.
Tony Bartone, who lost his FC ride this summer following the downsizing of Jerry Toliver’s WWF team returns to the cockpit of his brother’s nitro-injected FMD. Bartone places runner-up in his first national event in the class losing out to 2001 FMD World Champion contender Jay Meyer. Meyer wins a final round 5.461 secs 257.19 mph to 5.636 secs 237.67 mph decision. Art Gallant drove his Pep Boys-sponsored car to low ET of the event a 5.403 secs.
FMFC sees Frank Manzo dominate again driving the Kendall Dodge Avenger. Manzo delivers low ET of the event at 5.680 secs in the final round to turn back Von Smith. Manzo had earlier set top speed for his class at 253.90 mph. Manzo’s win was his 4th national event title of the season and the 44th of his career.
Recent Mac Tools U.S. Nationals winner Mike Coughlin prevails in Pro Stock Truck driving the Jegs Mail Order Chevy S-10. Coughlin’s 5th career win includes low ET of the meet (7.422 secs) and a final round knockout of defending Winston Champion and current overall points leader Bob Panella. Coughlin’s win moves him up to sixth in the 2001 points chase with 3 events remaining for the PST class. Panella had top speed at 182.01 mph.
