15th O’Reilly Summer Nationals
May 22-25th, 2003 Topeka, KS
Notes |
Results | Photos
NATIONALS NOTEBOOK:
NHRA’s O’Reilly Summer Nationals at Topeka event features nothing but marquee winners as all the leaders coming into the event score victories to extend their respective POWERade points leads.
North Carolina’s Greg Anderson, hot off his amazing record setting weekend at Englishtown the week before, carries forward that momentum winning again in Pro Stock. Atmospheric conditions do not allow Anderson to run anywhere near the math he did at E-Town but he is still dominate qualifying on the pole and racking up both low ET (6.808 secs) and top speed (202.94 mph) driving Ken Black’s Pontiac Grand Am. Anderson beats his former boss Warren Johnson in round three and then turns back his closest points rival Kurt Johnson in the final round.
Larry Dixon avenges the final round outcome from Englishtown seven days earlier as this time it is he who out guns Doug Kalitta for the Top Fuel title. Dixon wheels the Miller Lite car to a 4.534 secs at 327.82 mph to beat Kalitta’s close 4.575 secs at 324.20 mph. Dixon won the event from the pole after carding a thundering 4.509 secs in qualifying. He also set top speed of the meet at 329.67 mph.
Kenny Bernstein makes his unexpected return to the cockpit of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster replacing his son Brandon who was injured at NHRA Englishtown the week before. “King Kenny” looks pretty fit while running a 4.545 secs 327.03 mph to qualify second and then finishes in the semi final round when the car spins it’s tires racing Doug Kalitta.
Tony Pedregon wins in Funny Car eliminator to keep himself a perfect five for five in final round appearances this season. Pedregon uses a lane choice advantage to turn back Whit Bazemore in the final round running 4.848 secs at 320.66 mph compared to Bazemore’s tire-spinning 5.126 secs. Pedregon clocks a sensational 4.743 secs to take the pole and that time is the third quickest FC pass on record. Runner-up Bazemore is no slouch either -- he speeds to a 326.48 mph, a career best and the 4th fastest speed in class history.
Chicago-area racer Dale Creasy Jr provides the events scariest moment when he “sears” the Craftsman Tools sponsored Pontiac Firebird in round one of eliminations when the motor lets go. Thankfully however Creasy gets the car stopped and exits AOK.
John Force’s rather dismal 2003 season continues at Topeka. For the second event in a row the defending champion leaves early (in Round 2) to draw a red-light disqualification. It was reported that this is the first time in his 25-year career that Force has had more than one red light in a season.
Top Alcohol Class racing featured a couple of first time NHRA national event winners. Alan Bradshaw driving for Randy Meyer, scores in TAD when he upsets Bill Reichert in an all A/FD final round. Bradshaw runs a 5.285 secs to Reichert’s 5.292 secs. Reichert, driving his Bars Leaks-sponsored dragster, had in round two ran the third quickest and second fastest run in TAD class history at 5.193 secs and 277.03 mph. Both marks were the best of the event.
Marc White’s first win in TAFC came driving the Illinois-based Bars Leaks Firebird. White got an easy trip to victory lane when his final round opponent Cy Chesterman’s car broke when he hit the throttle. Vern Moats set low ET in TAFC at 5.611 secs while Jay Payne notched top speed at 257.83 mph.
David Rampy continued his rampage in Competition eliminator winning his fourth national event title of the season driving his Winnebago-sponsored A/EA. Rampy had a near perfect .002 light to run down the F/AA driven by Al Weiss in the final round.
