37th AAA Auto Club NHRA Finals
Pomona, CA. (Nov. 8-11, 2001)
Notes |
Results | Photos
NATIONALS NOTEBOOK:
Kenny Bernstein claims the 2001 Winston TF World Championship while enroute to his 61st career NHRA win. Bernstein ends incredible season-long back and forth points tussle with Larry Dixon when he wins his semi final round match up. Bernstein qualifies on the pole with a low ET of the meet shot of 4.498 secs which is a track record and first sub 4.5 secs run at fabled Pomona Raceway. In the final round both Bernstein and opponent Mike Dunn overpower the race track but it is Bernstein who recovers first to take the event victory. Dunn had set top speed of the meet at 330.31 mph while winning in the first round. That is Pomona Raceway’s fastest run ever.
Whit Bazemore is “almost” perfect in FC as his Schumacher Racing/Matco Tools Pontiac Firebird runs an astounding string of nothing but 4.7 secs elapsed times throughout qualifying and then eliminations. In the final round however heavy underdog opponent Del Worsham who rolls in deep psyches out Bazemore. Bazemore reacts too soon with a blatant .363 red-light start. The miscue is a particularly stinging one for Bazemore as he runs a losing 4.757 secs at 322.96 mph in the final, which is far superior to Worsham’s tire-smoking winning effort of 7.199 secs at 175.89 mph.
Bazemore could however take some consolation with the fact he was able to out duel John Force for both the pole and low ET of the meet at Pomona (4.736 secs). Bazemore was the Funny Car class’s most winning driver in the second half of the 2001 season which placed him solidly in second behind Force in the final Winston standings.
FC class racing at Pomona produces NHRA’s all time quickest and first ever all 4.8 secs field with a bump spot of 4.889 secs. That betters the 4.900 secs mark set at Joliet earlier this season.
Legendary Don Garlits makes his second racing appearance of the 2001 season at Pomona but does not qualify driving Gary Clapshaw’s patriotic themed dragster. Garlits smokes his tires on each and every attempt and his 6.151 secs falls far short of the swift 4.708 secs bump (the quickest TF field of the 2001 season). Prior to eliminations in a much anticipated ceremony, Garlits is named, as NHRA’s all time top driver edging out John Force in the final voting.
Larry Dixon wins the $100,000 first place cheque in Saturday’s 17th Annual Budweiser Shootout. Dixon and his crew chief Dick LaHaie serve up nothing but low 4.5 secs elapsed times while winning the classic. Dixon wins the final round with a sensational 4.514 secs at 323.19 mph decision over Doug Kalitta who runs 4.557 secs at 321.73 mph. Dixon had taken an equally tight win light over Mike Dunn in the semi-final round : 4.527 secs to 4.535 secs.
Texan Bruce Allen wins his second race of the season at Pomona in Pro Stock with that strong showing climbs over Mike Edwards for a third place finish in final 2001 Winston Championship points. Allen wins the final in dominating fashion -- he combines a .406 RT with a winning 6.869 secs at 200.62 mph to defeat Brad Jeter’s 6.936 secs at 199.94 mph. Jim Yates qualifies on the pole in Pro Stock with a 6.850 secs and also has low ET of the meet at 6.838 secs. Yates has a chance to catch Warren Johnson for the Winston Pro Stock title when WJ is upset by Darrell Alderman in round one however that is short-lived when Yates loses on a holeshot to Jeter in round two.
Fans at Pomona witness NHRA’s last ever Pro Stock Truck event as that class is being deleted following the 2001 season. History will show the name Mike Coughlin as the last ever winner in the category. Coughlin wheels his Jegs Mail Order Chevy S-10 to a winning 7.472 secs at 181.72 mph to beat Greg Stanfield in the final round. PST qualifying is paced by John Lingenfelter who runs 7.399 secs and resets the NHRA speed mark to 182.75 mph driving his Summit Racing GMC Sonoma.
Angelle Savoie clinches her 2nd straight NHRA Pro Stock Bike championship when she wins for the 7th time this season. Winning effort comes during Angelle’s last ride for sponsor Team Winston which is exiting the drag racing scene after this season. Angelle handles late season star rider Shawn Gann in the final round running a 7.173 secs at 184.12 mph to Gann’s 7.218 secs at 185.21 mph. Savoie had the pole (7.186 secs) and low ET of the meet (7.158 secs) in earlier action.
Former IHRA star racer and multi-time champion Von Smith breaks through to win his first career NHRA event title in FMFC. Smith rides his Jensen Audio Pontiac Firebird past Australia’s Steve Harker in the final round winning at 5.706 secs and 254.90 mph as Harker shuts off due to tire shake. Smith’s win came despite running into the sand trap twice during eliminations. Jay Payne had low ET in the FMFC class at 5.641 secs driving the Valvoline Chevy Camaro.
FMD racing saw Rick Santos cap off his 5th straight World Championship winning season with yet another victory (his 36th) driving the Norm Grimes Oakwood Homes dragster. Santos defeats the super quick field (5.546 secs bump) when he out guns Duane Shields in the final round: 5.366 secs 263.26 mph to 5.489 secs at 259.81 mph. Shields had earlier set top speed of the meet at 264.65 mph. Brandon Henkelman, in an injected nitro car, had low ET in the class during qualifying at 5.349 secs.
The Pomona event settles Federal Mogul Sportsman titles in both Super Stock and Competition eliminator. Dan Fletcher is assured the Super Stock world championship despite a determined bid from Jimmy DeFrank who takes Fletcher out in a titanic 4th round head-to-head pairing. DeFrank needed to go on to win the event to steal the title away from Fletcher but could not when he lost in the semi final round. By making the final round Ohio’s Don Stratton Jr., won NHRA’s Competition eliminator crown driving his B/SR. Stratton won the event beating Bo Butner in the final.
IHRA Top Fuel World Champion Clay Millican has his best showing ever in NHRA competition. Millican qualifies 5th with a career best 4.555 secs ride in Peter Lehman’s Werner Enterprises car before rudely ousting Scott Weis and Doug Herbert during eliminations. Millican cannot handle eventual winner Kenny Bernstein in the semi final round.
Pomona AAA Auto Club Finals includes prestigious Annual Summit Racing Equipment National ET Finals which showcases the cream of North America’s ET Bracket Racers. National Champions are Mike Wiblishouser (Super Pro), Mike LaRosa (Pro ET), Tom Pazour (Super Pro Motorcycle) and Greg Dreher (Sportsman).
