15th O’Reilly Fall Nationals
Ennis, TX (Oct. 10-13th, 2002)
Notes |
Results | Photos
NATIONALS NOTEBOOK:
Jeg Coughlin Jr. takes a firm grip on his potential 2nd NHRA Pro Stock World championship when he wins again driving the Jegs Mail Order Chevy Cavalier. Coughlin’s win is his 3rd event win in a row and his 5th in the last six races. Coughlin delivers a driver’s clinic during the event with razor sharp reaction times throughout including a .414 RT in the final round while winning at 6.826 secs 202.33 mph over a red-lighting Gene Wilson. Wilson’s final round appearance driving David Nickens’s Team Mopar Neon was the second of his rookie NHRA career.
Kurt Johnson runs the fastest speeds of the 2002 season so far in Pro Stock including a 204.03-mph blast in the AC Delco Chevy Cavalier. Johnson also sets low ET of the meet at 6.785 secs while winning in round two. Johnson falls victim however to a quicker leaving Gene Wilson in the semi final round and loses to a 6.840 secs with a quicker 6.822 secs.
Funny Car round one features a spectacular and frightening incident while Skoal Racing teamates Ron Capps and Tommy Johnson Jr. face one another. Capps’s “Team Green” Camaro experiences a huge engine explosion which disintegrates the carbon fibre body and flips the top of the motor and most of the firewall into Capps’s lap. Capps who is pinned in the car and basically helpless rides the left side guardwall to a grinding stop. He suffers minor injuries to his knees.
FC racing sees Del Worsham move into 3rd place in POWERade points when he wins for 4th time this year in the C.S.K. Pontiac Firebird. Worsham runs an impressive 4.862 secs at 319.48 mph in the final round to easily defeat Bruce Sarver who pops his supercharger shortly after leaving the starting line.
2002 POWERade Championship contenders John Force and Tony Pedregon both exit the event in round two of eliminations. Force at the hands of Sarver and Pedregon to Tommy Johnson Jr. Pedregon qualified on the pole at the event at 4.789 secs and 323.50 mph (low ET and top speed) while Force qualified 7th. With that Pedregon was able to further eat into Force’s overall points lead -- which is now only 13 with two events remaining this season.
Doug Kalitta remains red hot in Top Fuel when he wins for the third time in the last four races driving for his Uncle Connie Kalitta and sponsor Mac Tools. Kalitta bombs a tire-smoking Cory McClenathan in the final round running a 4.582 secs at 322.58 mph. McClenathan’s 2nd place finish comes in his debut race for new sponsor Berryman B-12 Chemtooler. Kalitta’s win vaults him into 3rd in the NHRA POWERade points standings. Kalitta’s victory is also a milestone one for the sport of drag racing. History will show Kalitta as NHRA’s 500th Top Fuel class winner.
Low ET of the meet goes to Australia’s Andrew Cowin who runs a career quick 4.550 secs driving for Darrell Gwynn and sponsor New York Yankees. Cowin loses out however in round two to Kalitta -- 4.567 secs to 4.617 secs.
Kenny Bernstein kept his still slim NHRA Top Fuel championship title defence hopes alive when he edged out points leader Larry Dixon in round two (4.601 secs to 4.662 secs). Bernstein could not however take full advantage of that as he subsequently lost a tire-smoking battle to Kalitta in the semi-final round. Dixon’s points lead is almost insurmountable at 103 - with two events left.
Top Alcohol Dragster class racing sees defending NHRA World Champion Rick Santos make his first racing appearance of the year since the season-opening Winternationals. Santos and car owner Jack O’Bannon go to the final round but lose out to Louisiana's David Wells on a holeshot. Santos runs a superior 5.344 secs at 264.55 mph but has a .707 RT to go with it and that cannot reel in Wells who runs a winning 5.492 secs 258.69 mph.
Sportsman class car racing is highlighted by the first career NHRA win for Virginia’s Anthony Bertozzi. Bertozzi who has an incredible winning record in IHRA racing, collects his first NHRA “Wally” in Super Comp (8.90) eliminator.
Legendary Don Garlits races for the 3rd time this season but does not qualify in Top Fuel. Garlits is plagued by tire spin and blower belt problems and can muster only a best of 5.332 secs which falls well short of the quick 4.798 secs bump. The outing is reportedly the last time that Garlits will run this particular car in NHRA competition.
The AMS Pro Mod series hosts it’s ninth of ten scheduled 2002 races. The championship round features two first time NHRA finalists with Mike Ashley facing Bill Kuhlmann. Ashley, driving what is arguably the best-looking Pro Mod on the circuit, wins easily at 6.270 secs 223.60 mph behind the wheel of his supercharged ‘41 Willys. Kuhlmann gets no time or speed when his supercharged Corvette breaks. 18 Pro Mod cars are entered at the Dallas event.
Von Smith wins in impressive style in Top Alcohol Funny Car. The former IHRA World Champion wins the event from the pole and sets both low ET (5.594 secs) and top speed (257.28 mph) during eliminations. Smith wins an all Pontiac Firebird final round over Marc White.
