39th AAA Auto Club Finals
Nov. 6-9th, 2003, Pomona, CA
Notes |
Results | Photos #1 | Photos #2
NATIONALS NOTEBOOK:
Kenny Bernstein caps his masterful career as a driver by winning his last scheduled start. Bernstein ends the 2003 racing season as the hottest driver in Top Fuel racing overall winning the last three events consecutively driving the Budweiser Racing dragster to finish sixth in final POWERade points. That placing comes despite him missing the first eight races of the season. Bernstein wins a tire-smoking final round over Scott Kalitta. “King Kenny” will now retire (again) to hand over the reigns to his son Brandon for 2004, now fully recovered from his back injuries.
Legendary Shirley Muldowney makes her last ever runs down the quarter-mile ending her illustrious 30-year career. Muldowney qualifies 14th with a strong 4.628 secs at 326.32 mph and then beats Paul Romine on a holeshot in round one. History will show that Shirley’s “last pass” produced a 4.707 secs at 317.12 mph however that fell short of Cory McClenathan’s 4.552 secs at 322.88 mph. Muldowney receives deserved accolades from both NHRA officials and the paying public during an emotional pre-race ceremony on Sunday. Chevrolet commemorates her retirement by giving her a brand spanking new 2004 Trailblazer.
The Annual Budweiser Shootout for Top Fuel cars is run off during Saturday’s event action. That final round produces a history maker in that it is the quickest side-by-side paring ever seen in drag racing history. Doug Kalitta, driving the special edition Kiss/Mac Tools dragster, wins a absolutely spin-tingling 4.479 secs 330.88 to 4.471 secs 329.58 mph decision over Tony Schumacher in the U.S. Army car. Kalitta had beaten Doug Herbert and Larry Dixon Jr in earlier action enroute to the first place payout of $100,000.
Tony Schumacher cards an impressive and long string of 4.4 secs runs throughout the event including a 4.455 secs (track record) which is low ET of the meet. Top speed goes to Doug Kalitta whose 333.25-mph effort is the third fastest speed recorded in drag racing history.
Top Fuel racing at Pomona produces the quickest qualified field in drag racing history with the bump spot dipping to a spectacular 4.639 secs which eclipsed the 4.683 secs set at this year’s Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.
Cory Lee just misses winning his first career NHRA Funny Car event title when he crosses the centreline in the final round racing the Artisan Entertainment Pontiac Firebird. Lee appeared to have the event won when his final round opponent/team mate Del Worsham went .046 red in the final round. However Worsham was re-instated the winner after NHRA’s rarely enforced “first or worst” rule. Worsham’s victory was the 3rd of the season driving the C.S.K. Pontiac Firebird.
Tony Pedregon, who had wrapped up the 2003 POWERade Funny Car title cards low ET of the meet a 4.721 secs during qualifying. That run tied NHRA’s all time quickest FC run set by his teamate John Force last May. 48 hours after winning the event, Pedregon confirms drag racing’s worst kept secret -- he would be leaving the John Force camp to field a new team with his brother Cruz beginning in 2004.
Tony Bartone returns to the fuel FC wars at Pomona driving for Jim Dunn in the K&N Filters Pontiac Firebird. Bartone qualifies 12th with a 4.897 secs but is sent packing by John Force in round one when Force runs a spectacular 4.722 secs. Force competes at the NHRA Finals despite suffering injuries to his hands in a fluke non-racing related incident at his home 10 days earlier. Force, who had qualified 5th, red lights to Gary Scelzi in round two. Scelzi has top speed of the meet at 328.38 mph driving the stealth-looking Oakley Dodge Status.
Scotty Cannon runs his apparent last race as a nitro Funny Car driver. The former multi-time IHRA World Champion will return to his Pro Mod racing roots next season. Cannon’s last race in a fuel car produces a 11th place qualifier and an early exit to eventual winner Del Worsham in round one.
Greg Anderson makes drag racing history at Pomona by winning for the 12th time this season -- the most national event wins ever for a NHRA driver in a single season. Anderson also runs his year round win total up to 67, which eclipsed the record 65 round wins set by John Force. Anderson’s victory at Pomona is yet another dominate display as he qualifies the Vegas General Construction Pontiac on the pole, setting both low ET (6.733 secs) and top speed (205.51 mph). Anderson takes out Kurt Johnson’s Kiss/ACDelco car in the final round.
Craig Treble wins in Pro Stock Bike aboard the Suzuki GSXR formally driven by Matt Hines. Treble sets both low ET (7.075 secs) and top speed (192.47 mph) during qualifying and then never looks back. He beats Angelle Savoie in an exciting final round pairing 7.129 secs to 7.136 secs. NHRA’s only remaining Professional title is decided at Pomona in Pro Stock Bike. Geno Scali wraps up the 2003 POWERade title by just qualifying for the event. That ends the two-year championship reign of Angelle Savoie.
TAFC racing produces the quickest qualified field in drag racing history featuring a bump spot of 5.742 secs. The field is paced by Jay Payne who runs his Valvoline Camaro to a 5.599 secs during qualifying however the class win ultimately goes to the “Northwest Hitter” Bucky Austin. Austin gets an easy single in the final when his opponent Dennis Taylor is forced to shut off on the starting line.
TAD class racing is also a very swift affair with the bump spot of 5.479 secs coming up just short of NHRA’s all time record quick 5.464 secs set at Joliet in 2002. Morgan Lucas wins driving the Lucas Oil injected nitro car hitting a 5.292 secs at 268.06 mph during a final round single when his scheduled opponent Mike Cofini was forced to shut down after developing an oil leak.
Alan Bradshaw, NHRA’s 2003 Lucas Oil TAD World Champion, runs low ET driving Randy Meyer’s injected nitro car at 5.240 secs. Bill Reichert, also in an injected nitro machine had top speed at 273.33 mph.
Sportsman class car racing was highlighted by a popular victory in Competition eliminator by Vincent Deceglie’s A/A Corvette. Deceglie’s first ever NHRA national title came from the middle of the pack and included frequent and exciting come-from-behind win lights. Deceglie, driving his “Chevy-Hemi” powered ’63 Corvette, ran down the A/ND of newly crowned NHRA World Champion Dean Carter in the final round.
Canada’s Al Kenny makes the long tow from Ontario to Pomona pay off as he wins in Super Comp. Kenny’s win comes over 70 competitors and is his second career NHRA national event title.
