15th Fram-Autolite Nationals
Sonoma, CA (Aug. 2-4th, 2002)
Notes |
Results | Photos
NATIONALS NOTEBOOK:
NHRA POWERade tour sets down for the third time in three weeks this time at the fabulous new Infineon Raceway (formally Sears Point International Raceway) which has undergone a $40.0M upgrade since 2001. After battling the elements both of the past two weekends, racers are met with some premium atmospheric conditions.
Pro Stock racing includes a shocking DNQ by Warren Johnson. It is the first time since March 1987 that the “Professor of Pro Stock” was a spectator on Sunday at an NHRA race. Johnson’s best effort of 6.848 secs was 21st and ended a record 303 straight races that Johnson had qualified for.
The Pro Stock program is super fast. Not only is the 6.836 secs bump the quickest of the season it is second only to Reading PA last October (6.831 secs) as NHRA’s all time quickest Pro Stock program.
Pro Stock features an upset winner as popular Larry Morgan ends a frustrating winless streak that dated back to 1993. Morgan’s win is also his first in a Mopar since switching to that brand from G.M. last year. In the final round Morgan slays red-hot class racer Greg Anderson by a very narrow margin. Morgan has a superior .437 RT to make his 6.845 secs a winner over Anderson’s much quicker 6.799 secs. Anderson had been the favourite going into the final round after taking his Chevy Cavalier to both low ET (6.780 secs) and top speed (203.52 mph) in earlier competition. Anderson’s runner-up finish moved him to within 14 points of the overall NHRA POWERade Pro Stock season points lead.
Pro Stock class racing see no less then 6 Dodges crack the usually G.M. dominated category. That is a record for the Mopar brand. In addition to Larry Morgan -- Gene Wilson, Darrell Alderman, Allen Johnson, Tommy Lee and Greg Stanfield make Sunday’s show. Only eventual winner Morgan is however left standing after the second round of eliminations.
John Force flexes his muscles again winning in Funny Car for the 4th time this season. This victory is however a far more typical John Force outing, much to the chagrin of his class competition. Force records his record 102nd national event title when he nips Ron Capps in a close final round duel, 4.953 secs to 4.956 secs. Both Force and Capps were welded the entire quarter-mile after leaving the starting line with identical .490 reaction times. Force’s win came from the pole -- which was the 110th time he has qualified low in his illustrious career.
Canada’s Todd Paton qualifies again in Funny Car. Once again the driver of the “Nitro Fish” does it in dramatic fashion when he uses his 4th and final time trail to bump into the field -- 16th -- at 5.103 secs. In round one Paton faces off against John Force in eliminations for the first time in his career. Todd gives the Champ a good go -- he runs another competitive 5.108 secs but that is ultimately not enough to handle Force’s Castrol GTX Mustang which wins at 4.912 secs at 301.94 mph.
TAFC final round sees Larry Miner win for the 3rd time this season driving the Miner Brothers Chevy Camaro. Electronic gremlins, which are present at various times at the Fram Autolite Nationals event, affect the final, as Miner does not get an ET or MPH recording. The television replay however reveals that he is the clearly to the stripe first over opponent Steve Gasparrelli.
Top Fuel racer Darrell Russell’s bid to become only the 4th driver in NHRA history to score a clean sweep of the “Western Tour” falls short. Russell who had won both at Denver and Seattle in the Bilstein Engine Flush System car is narrowly edged out by Doug Herbert in the semi final round, 4.744 secs to 4.743 secs. Herbert, driving his Snap-On Tools dragster goes on to take the title when he beats Doug Kalitta’s Mac Tools dragster for the championship. Herbert’s win was his first in three trips to final rounds this season.
TAD racing produces a first time winner with Morgan Lucas scoring driving the injected nitro car of Darien & Meadows. Lucas runs down the supercharged car of Steve Federlin in the final round. Morgan started eliminations from the pole (5.319 secs) and also set both low ET (5.295 secs) and top speed (270.32 mph) during eliminations.
Craig Treble won his fourth event of the year in Pro Stock Bike when he rode his Matco Tools Suzuki to a final round decision over Matt Hines. Treble’s victory moved him to within 82 points of Angelle Savoie and the overall POWERade lead. Angelle exited in the semi final round but not before establishing a track record for Pro Stock motorcycles at 7.073 secs. The 2002 event marked the first time that the Pro Stock Bike class was presented at the Fram Autolite Nationals.
