18th Lucas Oil Keystone Nationals
(Sep. 12-15th, 2002) Mohnton, PA
Notes |
Results | Photos
NATIONALS NOTEBOOK:
Persistent rain showers dog last day of Lucas Oil Nationals which forces officials to reschedule the conclusion of final eliminations until Monday. Sunday sees the first round of Top Fuel completed and most of FC before rain causes the 24-hour postponement.
Crowd is left buzzing by wild opening and first round pairing in Top Fuel between Doug Herbert and invading IHRA star Clay Millican. Both drivers light up the pre-stage bulb but then sit idling with neither driver willing to fully stage. Close to 90 seconds tick by before NHRA chief starter Rick Stewart steps in and stops the race due to a potential safety hazard. Herbert exits his car and makes a beeline for Millican but is shoved back by team owner Peter Lehman. A heated verbal exchange follows. NHRA officials allow both teams to cool off and refuel before trying again. Millican jumps out to and early lead and appears headed for a win before his car drops cylinders in the lights. That allows Herbert to clip him -- 4.731 secs 309.42 mph to 4.772 secs 301.07 mph. Herbert then makes some derogatory remarks on live ESPN T.V. about Millican and the rival IHRA being a “Hillbilly Organization”. That is surprising coming from Herbert, who has won four IHRA World
Championships during his career and who’s many customers are within the heart of Hillbilly country -- North Carolina. His comments are widely condemned including by IHRA President Bill Bader who issues his own retracting press release about Herbert’s verbiage some 24 hours later.
Doug Kalitta wins his first Top Fuel title of the season driving Uncle Connie’s Mac Tools-sponsored machine. Kalitta wins a great final round dash against Kenny Bernstein at a 4.560 secs to 4.581 secs clip. Kalitta helps out Bernstein’s 2002 POWERade World Championship aspirations when he takes out Larry Dixon in round two. Bernstein’s second place finish moved him to within 65 points of Dixon.
Funny Car racing at Reading is another all 4-secs affair. Tony Pedregon wins his fourth title of the season when he drives the Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang past Whit Bazemore in the final round. Bazemore suffers another stinging final round defeat via a holeshot when Pedregon labels him out of the gate and beats his 4.814 secs with a slower 4.829 secs. Bazemore appeared primed for victory driving the Matco Tools Firebird after setting both low ET (4.806 secs) and top speed (319.98 mph) in earlier action.
FC racing includes a significant upset with Canada’s Todd Paton taking out John Force in round one. Paton’s “Nitro Fish” team which had struggled throughout time trials before rebounding with a dramatic 11th hour qualifier, beat Force to the stripe when Force’s machine pops it’s supercharger burst panel and spits the blower belt. Todd pedals through tire spin to take an exciting 5.306 secs to 5.404 secs victory. Force is driving a special edition Tasca Ford themed car at Reading.
Jim Yates moves back on top in the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock points chase when he records his first victory of the season. Yates takes his Splitfire Pontiac past Mike Edwards’s Chevy Cavalier in the final round. Yates wins the event from the pole after running 6.825 secs in qualifying.
TAD racing at Reading is a fierce affair attracting 27 cars and the top four championship points contenders in the country: Duane Shields, Art Gallant, Cliff Bozzelli and Darren Nicholson. Shields, who towed in from Nevada for the event is handed a staggering first round loss by #16 qualifier Bill Reichert. That helps to springboard Art Gallant into the point’s lead when he wins driving the Pep Boys injected-nitro car. Gallant wins the final on a single when scheduled opponent Bozzelli breaks and cannot run. Gallant runs 5.342 secs during qualifying for the pole and low ET of the meet.
Pro Stock Bike final round features for the first time in it’s history an all female final round. Angelle Savoie wins it when first time finalist Karen Stoffer goes .391 red in the money dash. Stoffer is competing in only her third career event aboard Greg Cope’s fast-improving Suzuki. Angelle’s win includes low ET of the meet at 7.167 secs and comes riding for her new sponsor giant New England casino Mohegan Sun.
Sportsman racing includes a couple of significant firsts. Canada’s John Armstrong runs his SS/BA ’69 Chevy Camaro to a stunning 8.944 secs which is first sub 9-secs run by a conventional “B” classed Super Stock car in drag racing history. Competition eliminator qualifying includes a 6.986 secs run by Chris Bozic in his C/Dragster. That is first sub 7-secs run ever by a “C” classed dragster.
Hometown favourite Frank “Ace” Manzo scores again in TAFC. Manzo, who won at Indy two weeks before, beats Von Smith in that final round 5.675 secs to 5.943 secs. Manzo’s win all but clinches the 2003 Lucas Oil TAFC World Championship, which will be his 6th straight! Manzo runs top speed of the meet at 254.38 mph. His closest points rival Jay Payne sets low ET at 5.653 secs while taking the pole.
