4th SummitRacing.com Nationals
Las Vegas, NV. (April 3-6, 2003)
Notes |
Results | Photos #1 | Photos #2
NATIONALS NOTEBOOK:
Detroit Rap/Rocker “Kid Rock” makes a cameo appearance at NHRA Las Vegas as part of a one race sponsorship deal with Doug Kalitta’s Mac Tools Top Fuel team. “Kid Rock” car is very popular with fans and quick and fast throughout the event. That includes a track record 4.499 secs qualifier, which is good for the pole and marks the 4th straight event that Kalitta has qualified low. Doug goes to the final round but the car then stumbles which allows Larry Dixon to win for the 27th time in his career and retain the overall NHRA POWERade points led. “Kid Rock” actually vomits in Kalitta pit area after getting a little too much nitro during Sunday morning‘s warm up. He later denies that he will be changing his moniker to “Kid Ralph”.
Scott Geoffrion has another strong run in Pro Stock with his unique Ford Escort ZX2. Nitro Fish sponsored car now features a wild paint scheme which conspicuously is overlooked by NHRA officials this time for the event’s “Best Appearing Pro Car”. Geoffrion is credited with the very first Pro Stock 200-mph at “The Strip” during Friday’s first session and ultimately qualifies third. Scott loses out in round two however when the tires shake versus Chevy racer Mark Whisnant.
Pro Stock title goes to a deserving Greg Anderson’s Pontiac. Anderson assumes overall NHRA POWERade points lead when he beats recent Mac Tools Gatornationals winner Kurt Johnson on a holeshot in the final round. Anderson and Johnson had qualified 1-2 in the class. Anderson had low ET at 6.875 secs while Johnson took the AC Delco Chevy Cavalier to top speed at 201.73 mph. Anderson’s win is timely -- his primary sponsor is local company Vegas General Construction.
Whit Bazemore appears primed for a big win in FC after dominating both qualifying and early elimination rounds driving a great looking new Matco Tools-sponsored Dodge Stratus. Bazemore goes a stinging .089 red however in the final round which hands what looked to be a probable victory to Tony Pedregon. Bazemore had sped to a 4.788 secs (low ET) to qualify on the pole.
Bazemore’s teamate Gary Scelzi provides the events (and likely the year’s!) most harrowing moment when his Oakley “Time Bomb” Stratus explodes in a huge fireball during Friday’s night session. The body desinigrates almost instantly and all four wheels get in the air. Somehow Scelzi manages to wrestle the car to a safe stop and he is not injured. The incident does however takes a toll. Despite making repairs and installing a new body for Saturday, Scelzi’s car remains temperamental and he is a surprising DNQ.
John Force’s troubles in FC continue at Las Vegas as the 12X World Champ qualifies only 14th and is then sent packing by his teamate Tony Pedregon in the first round. Force has only one round win so far in 2003 after the completion of four events. Force’s racing stable mate Gary Densham runs top speed of the meet at a stupendous 326.56 mph -- which is the 2nd fastest speed in class history.
Super Gas final round racing produces a wild scene when combatants Todd Stewart and Greg Carrillo collide just past the finish line. Stewart, the defending NHRA Lucas Oil World Champ gets the win light but soon there after is T-boned by Carillo’s roadster which appears to suffer a front end mechanical failure. Both drivers emerge unhurt however Stewart’s car, which takes a major hit, looks to be a write off.
Stock eliminator final round features an all-family affair with Pacific Northwest class hitters Toby Lang and his brother Jody facing off for the title. Toby wins the event in his G/SA ‘69 Chevelle running down Jody’s N/SA ‘81 Malibu.
Joe Amato and his driver Darrell Russell run an ultra trick “one piece” body on their Bilstein-sponsored Top Fuel car. Initial results are impressive as the car qualifies at 4.608 secs at 315.05 mph and then goes 4.579 secs at 319.82 mph in round one. But Russell then smokes his tires in round two racing NHRA Rookie sensation David Baca. Baca who ran a career best 4.528 secs in qualifying goes on to his second consecutive NHRA Top Fuel “final four”.
TAD racing features an all supercharged methanol final round at Las Vegas with David Wells outlasting Don Hudson for the title, 5.374 secs to 5.457 secs. The Lucas Oil sponsored injected nitro car of Morgan Lucas was credited with both low (5.367 secs) and top speed (269.29 mph).
The TAFC program is a fast field as it takes a 5.960 secs run to qualify. California’s Mark Woznichak paces the field for the first time in his career when he runs his Chevy Camaro to a 5.666 to earn the pole. In the end however it is a final round match up between class hitter Bucky Austin and Cy Chesterman for the title. Austin overcomes a quicker start by Chesterman to win at 5.651 secs 257.14 mph to 5.693 secs 253.47 mph.
Jack Wyatt is a pleasant surprise qualifier in Funny Car eliminator. Wyatt runs the first “four” of his career at 4.969 secs driving the Pirana-Z Pontiac to make the field 16th and then hangs on to the final slot over the likes of Scelzi and Tim Wilkerson. Wyatt is however no match for Whit Bazemore in round one as he gets buried alive at 4.812 secs 323.58 mph to at 12.13 at 89.31 mph.
