3rd Carquest Auto Parts Route 66 Nationals
Sep. 25-28th, 2003 Joliet, IL
Notes |
Results | Photos #1 | Photos #2
NATIONALS NOTEBOOK:
Doug Kalitta and his Mac Tools dragster send shockwaves throughout the drag racing world when they unload the quickest run in drag racing history during Top Fuel qualifying at an amazing 4.428 secs. The number is a huge incremental advance over the previous all time quickest mark set by Tony Schumacher at Reading PA at 4.465 secs. Kalitta needed to run a 4.472 secs to back up the mark officially but just missed doing that with a 4.478 secs effort. Despite exiting eliminations after round two, Doug’s team does however come away with a new national speed record at 333.00 mph.
Kenny Bernstein, who unexpectedly returned to the cockpit this season after his son Brandon was sidelined after a crash at Englishtown, wins his first race of the season. Bernstein defeated category points leader Larry Dixon Jr. in the final round running the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster to 4.503 seconds at 328.46 mph. Bernstein's win was the 66th of his career and his 36th in Top Fuel. That moved him past Don Garlits for second in all-time NHRA Top Fuel wins.
Great atmospheric conditions at Route 66 Raceway produced career best times and speeds at almost every turn. Legendary Shirley Muldowney, participating in her third to last career race was included on that list. Shirley ran a best of 4.573 secs at 327.66 mph driving her special edition Mac Tools Grease Movie - Pink Ladies dragster. Muldowney, using a Connie Kalitta tune-up for the event, had her best showing in quite some time going to the semi final round. After beating John Smith and Cory McClenathan, Shirley gives Bernstein a good go in the 3rd round but is ultimately at the tail end of a 4.511 secs 321.69 mph to 4.612 secs 320.05 mph decision.
In total, nine different Top Fuel drivers improved their personal bests in either time, speed, or both during the CARQUEST Auto Parts Nationals.
Top Fuel racing was an extremely fast affair. Despite the fact weather limited racers to only two qualifying attempts, the 16-car field bump spot (4.741 secs) was only one car away from being the sport’s all time quickest.
Tony Pedregon, who surrendered his overall points lead to Whit Bazemore less then a week before at Memphis reclaimed it by winning his first event since mid June. Pedregon beat Phil Burkhart Jr. in the Funny Car final round on a single when Burkhart’s CSK Pontiac was shut off on the starting line due to an oil leak. Pedregon’s win was his seventh of the season driving the Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang.
Whit Bazemore earned the pole for the 3rd time this season driving the Don Schumacher-owned Matco Tools-sponsored Dodge to a run of 4.725 at 324.20. But Bazemore lost in a major league round one upset to Cory Lee when his car lost traction. That, combined with Pedregon’s win puts him 69 points behind in second place with four events remaining.
Gary Scelzi, driving Don Schumacher’s Oakley “Time Bomb” Dodge Stratus rewrote the NHRA national Funny Car speed record to a sizzling 329.19 mph during the event. Scelzi used a first round speed of 328.70 mph for the required 1% backup to make it official. Scelzi’s runs were the fastest ever seen in FC racing history and eclipsed his previous own mark (328.06 mph) which he set a Joliet last June.
In total 12 Funny Car class drivers improved their personal career bests in either E.T., speed, or both during the event.
In Pro Stock Jeg Coughlin Jr won his second race of the season and 33rd of his career when he upset POWERade points leader Greg Anderson in the final round. Coughlin ran a winning 6.749 at 203.22 in the Jeg's Mail Order Chevy Cavalier to beat Anderson, who had a .001 foul start. Anderson had been the class performance leader qualifying the Vegas General Construction Pontiac on the pole (6.739 secs) and setting both low ET and top speed at 6.722 secs and 205.07 mph. Anderson #1 qualifier was his 10th of the 2003 season.
The Joliet event also included the highly prestigious 19th Annual Jegs All-Stars event for Sportsman racers. Elite racers from each of NHRA’s seven geographical divisions were on hand to compete for $100,000 in prize money. The class winners included Morgan Lucas (TAD), Bucky Austin (TAFC), Robert Freeman (Comp), Peter Biondo (Super Stock), Harvey Emmons III (Stock), Jim Perry Jr. (Super Comp), Thomas Stalba Jr. (Super Gas) and Charles Wier IV (Super Street). NHRA South Central Division 4 claimed the overall team points honours. They were the defending 2002 Jegs All-Stars champions.
TAD and TAFC class racing includes numerous spectacular runs. Marty Thacker, from Illinois, runs the first ever 270 mph by a supercharged alcohol burning car when he clocks a 270.70 mph during round two of the Jegs All-Stars race. David Wells also runs over 270 (270.59 mph) while placing runner-up to Morgan Lucas. In TAFC, a number of racers dipped into the 5.5 secs zone highlighted by Cy Chesterman who using a tune-up from Canada’s Les Davenport, clocked a spectacular 5.531 secs driving his Iowa-based Coca Cola Pontiac. Chesterman’s run was the quickest of all time in the class.
Morgan Lucas was the Sportsman racing star of the event overall. Not only did he win the Jegs All-Stars event title in TAD during Saturday’ action, he also doubled up winning the Carquest Nationals event on Sunday. Lucas had overall low ET of the meet a 5.255 secs driving his injected nitro car.
NHRA brought in Nitro Harleys as part of their 3-race Screamin' Eagle Nitro Harley Exhibition this season. Ten bikes showed a Joliet with the win going to Mark Conner who ran a winning 6.733 secs at 188.15 mph in the final round to upset Doug Vancil who broke his bike and coasted. Vancil had run a spectacular 6.282 secs at 227.80 mph in earlier action. The 6.282 secs was reported to be the second quickest Nitro Harley run on record.
