33rd Mac Tools Gatornationals
(Mar. 14-17th, 2002) Gainesville, FL
Notes |
Results | Photos
NATIONALS NOTEBOOK:
First major East Coast race of the season is played out in front of a packed house and very hot track and atmospheric conditions. Capacity crowd is treated to special appearances by legends “Big Daddy” Don Garlits and Shirley Muldowney. Garlits fails to qualify his Swamp Rat XXXIV despite receiving tuning help from Dale Armstrong during the event. Garlits manages a best of 5.095 secs at 289.32 mph which falls short of the 4.995 secs bump. Muldowney drives a special edition Mac Tools-sponsored 20th Anniversary “Heart Like A Wheel” dragster and gets into the program solidly with a 4.790 secs (at only 249.81 mph). Shirley has a monster engine explosion while winning round one over Rhonda Hartman-Smith but then boils the tires while attempting to stay with Larry Dixon in round two.
Dixon, who finished second to Bernstein in final TF points last year outguns Bernstein in another classic “Battle of the Breweries” final round to pad his overall points lead after three events. Dixon’s event includes both low ET (4.604 secs) and top speed (321.96 mph) driving the Dick LaHaie-tuned, Don Prudhomme-owned Miller Lite Dragster.
John Force, who is primed to win his milestone 100th career event, falls short at Gainesville as he is ousted in round one by Dean Skuza. Force’s stable mate Tony Pedregon does however step up to the plate for the team as he wins driving the special edition KISS/Castrol Syntec Mustang. It is his first win since St. Louis last summer. Pedregon tops Gary Scelzi who makes the final round driving Alan Johnson’s revolutionary Toyota Celica in what was only his third race out in the car and the class. Force’s third team car -- driven by Gary Densham notches Low ET and top speed at 4.885 secs 320.26 mph.
FC class racing sees Al Hofmann pull out of competition after a heated exchange with team owner Jim Dunn on Saturday. Hofmann had qualified 10th with a 5.046 secs. Following the incident Dunn was accepting a number of resumes. The names Frankie Pedregon, Bruce Sarver and Jerry Toliver were rumoured as potential candidates -- an official announcement on Hofmann’s replacement will be forthcoming.
Darrell Alderman drives David Nickens’s Hemi-powered Dodge Neon R/T to an exciting win in Pro Stock -- his first NHRA circuit victory since 1997 at Englishtown. Alderman takes the measure of Jeg Coughlin’s Chevy Cavalier in the final round in a great side-by-side battle which sees both drivers cut identical .469 RTs. Ron Krisher had paced the field with a track record setting 6.821 secs and 203.37 mph but once again had his problems driving - a stinging red-light in round one to #16 qualifier Mark Whisnant. Whisnant goes on to a strong semi-final round finish in his first event out driving a new 2002 Chevy Cavalier.
Gainesville event marks the beginning of NHRA’s Pro Stock Bike championship chase. Arizona’s Craig Treble draws first blood when he upsets defending World Champion Angelle Savoie in the final round. Matt Hines has both low ET and top speed at 7.152 secs and 193.85 mph. Most of the media attention within the class is however directed G.T. Tonglet, rider of the all new Vance & Hines Harley Davidson V-Rod. Tonglet runs the fastest times in NHRA Bike history for a Harley Davidson, but his 7.572 secs at 171.51 mph falls well short of the 7.396 secs cut.
Pro Mod cars also kick off their season at Gainesville, the first event of the 10-race AMS Staff Leasing series. The car count is however unexpectedly low with only 13 cars showing for battle. Shannon Jenkins drives to victory in a classic nitrous versus supercharged final round. The “Iceman” delivers a great RT in that final round to beat a quicker and faster Mitch Stott. Stott had in earlier action set both low ET (6.267 secs) and top speed (227.00 mph). Pro Mod at Gainesville also included the class debut of 3X NMCA Pro Street World Champion Rob Reiger driving a supercharged ’57 Chevy. Reiger qualified 6th with a 6.330 secs.
Lucas Sportsman class racing produces a geckle of first time national event winners. That list includes JG Wilson in Super Stock, Jimmy Hidalgo in Stock, Todd Ewing in Super Comp (8.90) and Mike Minigh in Super Gas (9.90).
Top Fuel racing includes a not so pleasant exchange between Shirley Muldowney and Andrew Cowin after a side by side qualifying run. Cowin jumps out of his car and utters some unpleasant words to Shirley critical of her driving style. The feisty Muldowney takes immediate offence and bolts from her car in hot pursuit of the Australian driver. There is a physical exchange before NHRA officials step in.
The Top Alcohol Dragster racing program is as strong as it gets with no less then 23 cars entered in the eliminator. Despite the hot conditions the bump spot is a quick 5.653 secs. Final round features a battle of Division One racers with Arthur Gallant’s injected-nitro car topping Cliff Bozzelli’s supercharged car. Class includes a noble effort by top Dragracecanada photographer “Diamond Dave” DeAngelis who got the call late to race at the event behind the wheel of Len Cottrell’s “Chicken Choker” dragster. DeAngelis lost in round one but not before clicking off a career best 5.612 secs at 252.80 mph during qualifying.
The Top Alcohol Funny Car program saw Frank Manzo win for the 48th time in his career. Manzo defeated another determined drag racing journalist, Todd Veney in the final round. Jay Payne had low ET in the class at 5.672 secs while ex-IHRA star Von Smith set top speed at an amazing 255.68 mph.
Canada’s Todd Paton returned to action on the NHRA tour for the first time since the 2000 season. Armed with new clutch and fuel system technology the independent team had some problems and did not qualify their first time out running a best of 5.813 secs and 243.63 mph. Their presence at Gainesville did help land some associate sponsorship for the team however and that may allow for a more expanded 2002 NHRA schedule than first planned.
Del Worsham, who was in the final round at both Pomona and Phoenix this season so far was a shocking DNQ at Gainesville. The talented CSK Racing team just could not get a handle on the hot track conditions using the new Goodyear tire technology.
