48th Mac Tools U.S. Nationals
(Aug. 28th-Sep. 2nd, 2002) Indianapolis, IN
Notes |
Results | Photos #1 | Photos #2
NATIONALS NOTEBOOK:
U.S. Nationals Top Fuel program is won by Tony Schumacher who wheels the U.S. Army-sponsored machine to a final round upset win over overall series points leader Larry Dixon. Schumacher saves his best effort of the weekend for the final round when he delivers a winning 4.663 secs ET to defeat Dixon who surprisingly goes up in tire smoke. Schumacher’s event win is his second of 2002 and comes over the quickest assembly of Top Fuel racers this year -- the U.S. Nationals bump spot is a stout 4.760 secs.
Drag racing legend Don Garlits runs his career best ET and mph in a dramatic and desperate 5th and final qualifying effort. Garlits sends the crowd into frenzy when he runs 4.763 secs at 318.54 mph to get into the program 16th. The excitement is however very short lived as soon there after Japan’s Yuichi Oyama bumps Garlits from the field when he goes 4.760 secs. A surreal silence overcomes the stunned massive crowd.
Cory McClenathan drives to the pole in Top Fuel with a terrific 4.553 secs effort in the Henkelman & Baca dragster that holds up for low ET of the meet. McClenathan beats Oyama in round one however then smokes his tires while racing eventual winner Schumacher in the 2nd round. McClenathan is part of a special edition 4-car team presented by event sponsor Mac Tools. His car is adorned with a cool red-white-blue “Stars and Stripes” scheme along with FC racer Tim Wilkerson, Pro Stock driver Mike Edwards and Pro Stock Bike rider Antron Brown.
John Force notches his ongoing record setting 104th career win in Funny Car driving his special edition 11X Castrol GTX Championship car. Force wins the final round on a holeshot and narrow margin over Tommy Johnson Jr. Force’s car goes silent at about the 1100-ft mark but still wins at 5.028 secs and 280.02 mph. “TJ” comes up just short at 4.996 secs and 308.43 mph driving the purple “Skoal” car tuned by Canada’s Rob Flynn. Force’s win includes top speed of the meet at 321.81 mph.
Sunday’s Budweiser Shootout goes to Ron Capps who beats Dean Skuza in the final round to collect the $100,000 first place prize. Capps drives Don “Snake” Prudhomme’s green “Skoal” Camaro to a winning 4.973 secs at 293.47 mph to beat Skuza’s 5.063 secs at 282.19 mph. The win is Capps’s third career Budweiser Shootout title.
Ohio’s Jeg Coughlin Jr. moved into the overall POWERade Pro Stock points lead (by one point) when he won for the 4th time this season driving the Jeg’s Mail Order Chevy Cavalier. Jeg defeated Jim Yates on a final round holeshot - 6.953 secs to 6.934 secs. Coughlin’s win came over arguably the toughest field in Pro Stock racing history with 44 cars entered and only .052 of second separating the pole and the bump. The U.S. Nationals Pro Stock program also featured superb semi-final round finishes by defending event champion, Chevy pilot Greg Anderson, and independent Hemi-powered Dodge Neon racer Allen Johnson.
Saturday’s event action includes the prestigious K&N Filters “Pro Bike Klash” which is won by Craig Treble aboard his Matco Tools Suzuki. Treble beats surprise finalist Mike Berry (also on a Suzuki) in the final round at 7.301 secs 181.52 mph to 7.363 secs 180.86 mph. Treble’s weekend falls short of being perfect however after he is gunned down by Angelle Savoie in the semi-final round during Monday’s U.S. Nationals PSB eliminator. Angelle goes on to take the title when she deals out Shawn Gann in the final round 7.232 secs to 7.263 secs. Savoie’s win comes despite some disruptions for the Star Racing camp. Prior to the event it was announced that the George Bryce-owned team had parted ways with sponsor CVEC Power Systems. Savoie’s win, which included low ET of the meet at 7.152 secs, was her 4th of the season.
Friday’s action includes the 2nd Annual Mopar Performance Parts Super Stock Hemi Challenge. Michigan’s Richard Beshore won that over 18 other entries driving his SS/AA ’68 Barracuda. Beshore defeated 2001 Mopar Hemi Challenge winner Bucky Hess who red-lit in the final round. Beshore was the quickest of all the Hemi-powered Super Stock cars in attendance, running a stunning 8.797 secs.
The U.S. Nationals event includes a few spectacular incidents. Top Fuel driver David Bieneman came very close to doing a blow over during Saturday night’s third TF session and a short time later Frank Pedregon blew the body off Jim Dunn’s K&N Filters Pontiac Funny Car when the supercharger backfired. Independent FC racer Terry Haddock (from New Jersey) suffered some burns to his face during a spectacular and expensive top end fire during Sunday’s final session. Haddock lit up his Pontiac Firebird big time and escaped from the roof hatch in dramatic fashion. Recent Sonoma TAD champion Morgan Lucas experienced a nasty crash in Super Comp qualifying on Friday when he barrel rolled his Lucas Oil-sponsored 8.90 car. Thankfully Lucas suffered only minor bumps and bruises.
The AMS Pro Modified exhibition program was back on in NHRA at Indy with the win going to Shannon “Iceman” Jenkins driving the Awesome Motorsports Camaro. Jenkins who was coming off a huge event win at IHRA Norwalk the weekend before, outlasted Australia’s Troy Critchley in the final round 6.306 secs to 6.438 secs. The AMS Pro Mod program attracted 26 cars for the scheduled 8-car field. Quain Stott set both low ET and top speed during qualifying with a run of 6.239 secs and 227.69 mph driving the Lee Boy-sponsored supercharged ’63 Corvette. It was revealed during the event that AMS, due to company financial problems, would not be renewing its contract to sponsor NHRA’s Pro Mod events in 2003.
Top Alcohol Dragster racing produced a huge upset winner with unheralded John Haley, from Minnesota, winning the event. Haley, a rookie, and competing in only his 7th career race and 3rd national event start, beat heavy favourite Duane Shields in the final round, 5.474 secs to 5.550 secs. Haley was driving the dragster formally campaigned by Texan Jay Meyer.
The TAFC title went to defending event Champion Frank Manzo who in fact earned his 50th career win on his 50th birthday. Manzo left first on arch rival Bob Newberry in the final round to take a decisive 5.736 secs 253.56 to 5.752 secs 248.29 mph victory. The U.S. Nationals TAFC field was weak by comparison to other years with only 16 cars entered for the event. That compared to a massive 33 cars showing for competition in TAD.
Funny Car racing at Indy included a monster DNQ by defending U.S. Nationals event champion Whit Bazemore. Bazemore drove the Matco Tools/Schumacher Racing Pontiac Firebird to a best run of 4.951 secs but that was edged out by Cory Lee’s 4.948 secs for the 16th and final slot. Bazemore’s DNQ combined with Force’s overall event victory all but ended the POWERade title hopes for the 2002 FC class pre-season favourite.
Shirley Muldowney runs Indy driving her special edition The Muppets Show 25th Anniversary theme car. Muldowney takes “Pepe the Prawn” to a quick 4.697 secs at 314.68 mph in qualifying and then beats John Smith in round one. Muldowney goes head to head with another Muppets car in round two, Andrew Cowin’s “Fozzie Bear”. In an interesting and anticipated match-up given the drivers’ relationship history -- Cowin wins easily, 4.679 secs 315.27 mph to 4.967 secs 232.03 mph. Cowin had qualified 4th in Top Fuel at 4.598 secs.
