6th Sears Craftsman Nationals
Madison, IL (June 27-30th, 2002)
Notes |
Results | Photos
NATIONALS NOTEBOOK:
Biggest story of St. Louis area event is shocking DNQ in Top Fuel by overall POWERade points leader Larry Dixon. Dixon spins his tires during all four of his qualifying runs in Don Prudhomme’s Miller Lite dragster and his 5.104 secs best misses the 5.018 secs cut. #2 POWERade points man Kenny Bernstein takes full advantage of Dixon stumble as he drives the Budweiser King to victory to move to within 157 points of Dixon as NHRA 2002 season kicks off it’s season second half. Bernstein is able to out duel Andrew Cowin in a tire-spinning final. Surprisingly, Bernstein’s win at Gateway International Raceway (home turf for his sponsor Budweiser) is his first.
Top Fuel racing produces a couple of international newsmakers. Andrew Cowin, from Australia, earns the pole and sets both top speed (319.75 mph) and low ET (4.635 secs) driving for Darrell Gwynn. Japan’s Yuichi Oyama has a great semi-final round showing but loses to Cowin.
John Force notches his record 101st career national event win when he gets a final round gift from Scotty Cannon. Cannon is denied again his first career NHRA event win when he goes .350 red in the final. Foul start is particularly stinging for Cannon because he runs a losing 5.05 secs at 295.85 mph while Force goes up in tire smoke. Cannon, who had qualified on the pole in FC (4.964 secs - low ET) is now 0 for 3 in NHRA FC final round appearances.
AMS Pro Mod cars invade NHRA tour for the eighth of ten scheduled events this season. Very hot racing conditions shift performance pendulum to nitrous-oxide cars and the final round is all Chevy and all nitrous with Shannon Jenkins facing Ed Hoover. Jenkins wins his third career NHRA national event title running a 6.292 secs at 221.85 mph. Mitch Stott sets both low ET and top speed in Pro Mod during qualifying at 6.285 secs and 226.32 mph in his supercharged ‘63 Split.
2000 NHRA Pro Stock World Champion Jeg Coughlin Jr wins for the first time this season when he takes the Jegs Mail Order Chevy Cavalier past recent Columbus winner Greg Anderson in the final round. The final is a tight race with both drivers having pretty well identical reaction times (.457 to .458). Coughlin is slightly quicker at the stripe running 6.928 secs to Anderson’s 6.930 secs. The runner-up finish moves Anderson into second place overall in NHRA POWERade Pro Stock points -- his best standing ever.
Colorado’s Vieri Gaines debuts his new sponsor Miller Lite on his Pro Stock Chevy Cavalier at St. Louis. Gaines runs a best of 6.959 secs but that falls well short of 6.925 secs bump.
Pro Stock field at St. Louis is once again a massive one with no less then 40 cars (!) attempting to qualify. That development once again fuels the class rumour mill for NHRA going to 24-car field beginning in 2003. Within that speculated format the quickest 8 cars would receive a first round bye and Pro Stock eliminations would begin on Saturday nights.
Angelle Savoie stretches out her lead in Pro Stock Bike with her 3rd win of the 2002 campaign. Angelle rides George Bryce’s CVEC-Suzuki to victory over Shawn Gann in the final round. Angelle had qualified on the pole at 7.171 secs (low ET) while Gann set top speed at 190.14 mph. Savoie’s nearest points rival, Craig Treble, falls in the second round of competition to Antron Brown.
Top Fuel round one features an oddity when Texan Mitch King upsets Tony Schumacher but then fails the fuel check after the run. King’s nitro mixture is over the NHRA 90% limit, which re-instates Schumacher. Schumacher responds by going to the semi-final round before losing out to Bernstein.
Top Fuel racing also sees former TAFC pilot Scott Palmer make his class debut. Palmer, who is from Missouri, just misses the cut running a 5.026 secs at 293.35 mph -- which is 17th.
