3rd ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals
Oct. 23-26th, Las Vegas, NV
Notes |
Results | Photos #1 | Photos #2
NATIONALS NOTEBOOK:
Tony Pedregon mathematically clinched the 2003 POWERade Funny Car championship when he wins for the 8th time this season. Driving the Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang, Pedregon beats his nearest points rival Whit Bazemore in a truly dramatic tire-spinning final round. Pedregon peddles his car just enough to come from behind and narrowly edge out Bazemore 5.135 secs 273.39 mph to 5.183 secs 266.64 mph. Tony’s car blows it’s motor during the victory. Pedregon thus ends the amazing ten-year run of his teamate John Force winning NHRA’s Funny Car championship title. Pedregon’s event title comes from the pole after he records a swift 4.753 secs during qualifying.
Tony’s racing brother Cruz Pedregon is involved in the event’s most frightening incident when his Advance Auto Parts Pontiac Firebird explodes violently during a qualifying run on Saturday. The body of the car is blown to pieces and Pedregon crosses lanes barely missing Gary Densham before slamming the guardwall. He is shaken up in the incident and is taken to hospital for observation but is later released and returns to the track.
Kenny Bernstein remains red hot in Top Fuel winning for the third time in the last four NHRA races. Bernstein charges to a 4.545 secs at 326.87 mph to beat Tony Schumacher Army-backed dragster, which broke at about half track. The win in fact gave Bernstein’s Budweiser team it’s 6th event title of the year, Kenny’s son Brandon had won three times earlier in 2003 before being injured in that crash at Englishtown. Bernstein’s win is the 68th of his career and the 38th driving a Top Fuel car.
Tony Schumacher’s strong runner-up finish includes both low ET and top speed of the meet at 4.503 secs and 331.45 mph, which come during qualifying. Schumacher paced a very quick 16-car program which was only one car away from being an all “four sixty” or quicker show. 24 cars were entered Top Fuel at the event.
Shirley Muldowney makes her second to last event start. The legendary lady racer runs a 4.643 secs qualifier at 318.15 mph to get into the Vegas program much to the delight of the paying public. Shirley doesn’t last long on Sunday however as her car succumbs to tire smoke while racing Cory McClenathan in round one.
Greg Anderson wins again in Pro Stock notching his 11th victory of the season to tie Darrell Alderman’s single season record. In the final round Anderson sets both ends of the track record at 6.837 secs at 201.33 mph driving hometown owner Ken Black’s Vegas General Construction Pontiac to beat Kurt Johnson’s ACDelco Chevy. Anderson, who has already clinched the 2003 POWERade points title, can set a couple more records at the Pomona Finals in two weeks. If he wins he will set a single season record for the most event victories in a single season. He also has 63 round wins to his credit so far in 2003 so he can eclipse the 65 rounds won record held by John Force.
NHRA’s AMS Pro Mod series concluded it’s 10-race season at Las Vegas with Von Smith winning driving the supercharged Ford Mustang formally owned by Roy Hill but now by Tommy Lipar. Smith outruns Thomas Patterson’s Willys in the final round to win his second AMS title (his first had come at Dallas two weeks earlier). Smith’s victory also included low ET of the meet at 6.247 secs and top speed at 228.31 mph. Patterson’s final round loss was extra consequential for the Texas based racer. If he had prevailed he would have claimed the overall 2003 AMS Pro Mod points championship --instead that season honour goes to Fred Hahn and Jim Oddy’s Summit Racing equipment team.
AMS announced during the event that it would again sponsor a ten race NHRA series in 2004. That schedule will include the first ever 16-car Pro Mod field in NHRA, which will be run at Las Vegas one year from now. The remaining 9-events will remain 8-car qualified programs.
Craig Treble wins in Pro Stock Bike for the first time this year with the Matco Tools Suzuki. Treble shows well for his new major sponsor “Nitro Fish” which he debuts at the event. Treble qualifies low (7.246 secs) runs low ET (7.165 secs) and defeats defending NHRA POWERade champion Angelle Savoie in the final round.
Three special edition KISS cars are on hand at the event as Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons from the legendary Rock band put their support behind Kurt Johnson’s Pro Stock, Doug Kalitta’s Top Fuel car and Tony Pedregon’s Funny Car.
Top Fuel class car racing also includes the return of K.C. Spurlock to NHRA competition. Spurlock takes his first rides in the Colorado-based “Western Rock” dragster, which was formally driven by Melanie Troxel. K.C.‘s best run of 4.795 secs however missed the 4.714 secs TF cut.
