Kalitta, Medlen, Anderson and Brown Top Pro Qualifiers at the NHRA POWERade Lucas Oil Nationals

NHRA Recap

Georgia notes:

Bob Vandergriff qualified #10 in Top Fuel with a 4.640 @ 310.98.

Whit Bazemore's 4.871 @ 312.42 qualified him #12 in Funny Car.

Mark Whisnant is #14 ( 6.745 @ 204.20 ) in Pro Stock - Kurt Johnson qualified #16 ( 6.757 @ 204.32 ). Warren Johnson failed to qualify with a 18th best 6.770 @ 203.86.

Chip Ellis is #4 in Pro Stock Bike ( 7.123 @ 183.27 ).

Kalitta, Capps, Koretsky and Hines Lead Pro Qualifying at the NHRA POWERade Lucas Oil Nationals

NHRA Recap

Georgia Notes:

Bob Vandergriff qualified #9 in Top Fuel with a best of 4.653 @ 294.95.

Whit Bazemore is #12 in Funny Car with a 4.910 @ 312.42.

Mark Whisnant qualified #14 ( 6.759 @ 204.20) in Pro Stock, while Warren Johnson ( #17 6.774 @ 203.52 ) and Kurt Johnson ( #20 6.780 @ 204.32 ) come up short in Friday qualifying.

Chip Ellis is #4 in Pro Stock Bike on his G Squared/Star Racing Buell with a 7.123 @ 183.34.

YEAR ONE 2004 COMMERCE CHALLENGE COMING TO ATLANTA DRAGWAY

Courtesy Tim Glover

The Year One Commerce Challenge is coming to town Friday October 8 through Sunday, October 10. There is something for everyone, including the huge multi-make Car Show, three different classes of F.A.S.T. drag racing, an all day long Test and Tune session, and a Chassis Dyno for finding out how much power your car really puts down to the pavement. The racing classes include a Quick 16 bracket race for doorslammers only, a True Street Challenge race and the Year One F.A.S.T. Series Shootout featuring Stock Appearing cars running heads up on a pro-tree. Other on track action includes jet cars and a wheelstander.

There will be a Kids Play area set up, and for all those enthusiasts looking for a rare part, a Swap Meet area and a Manufacturer's Midway is available. The car show classes will mirror the Year One catalog, and a couple of open car and truck classes will be available for other vehicles. The coveted Year One cup will be given to the single vehicle deemed most worthy by a panel of judges.

On Saturday night, a huge aerial fireworks display is scheduled for everyone's entertainment.

Spectator admission is $20 for Friday Saturday and Sunday, and $30 for Saturday and Sunday. A Friday night only spectator ticket is $10. A participant ticket, good for two adults and one car, is available for Friday, Saturday and Sunday for $50. A Saturday and Sunday only participant sticker is $60. Kids 12 and under are free with purchase of an adult ticket. Gates open at 9:00 am daily.

For more information, visit Year One. For accommodation information, visit the Atlanta Dragway web site .

Warren Johnson Hopes to Go Straight to Repeat History in Reading

GM Performance Parts team researching tuning notes to repeat their 2003 win

SUGAR HILL, GA., October 6, 2004 – One year ago, heavy rain forced the NHRA to postpone the Lucas Oil Nationals in Reading, PA, pushing final eliminations into October. Upon the POWERade Drag Racing Series’ return to Maple Grove Raceway, Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Racing team took full advantage of the opportunity, charging from their 14th place starting position to defeat an all-star cast and score an impressive win, the 92nd of Johnson’s illustrious career.

Ironically, the stage has been set for Johnson and his talented crew to reprise their 2003 performance under similar conditions. One month ago, the original race date was plagued by the remnants of Hurricane Ivan, forcing officials to once again reschedule the event for this weekend.

However, before he can entertain thoughts of reaching the Reading winner’s circle for a fifth time, Johnson knows his race car will need to consistently reach a high level of performance. With cool temperatures forecast, the potential for horsepower will be plentiful, and success will depend on effectively transferring this increased power to the racing surface.

Therefore, Johnson and his crew have spent the few days since the last event in Chicago reviewing their own history, searching for the key to extract every ounce from their GM Performance Parts Grand Am. Their first priority will be making sure each pass down the quarter-mile is a straight one.

“Lately, our car has developed a nasty habit of pulling to the left under optimum conditions, similar to what it did at the very beginning of the year when we first used the bead-lock wheels,” said Johnson. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t repeat this behavior on every run, making it harder to diagnose. Therefore, we’ve gone through every pass we’ve made this year, analyzing the data and trying to find a common thread that will help maximize our performance in this situation.

“The car is made of carbon-fiber and tubing, so I don’t think it has a mind of its own, although sometimes it seems to. Therefore, it’s something in the set-up. We’ve recorded everything that has been changed in the chassis, so we will go over it thoroughly and come with a combination to use this weekend in Reading.

“Obviously, the solution is there – it’s just up to us to find it. It’s a problem we’ve solved before, and I’m confident this GM Performance Parts Grand Am team will do it again in the very near future. After all, we overcame a rain delay, a tough Pro Stock field and even a power outage prior to the finals in order to win in Reading a year ago, so we’re definitely up to the task of defending our title.”


Facts on Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Racing Team entering
The Lucas Oil Nationals:

WJ Reigns in Reading: This will be Warren’s 20th NHRA Pro Stock national event appearance at Maple Grove Raceway, where he has four wins (the most by any Pro Stock driver) in nine final round appearances, and a 38-10 elimination round record for a .792 win percentage.

Warren Starts Strong at the ‘Grove: In his nineteen previous starts in Reading, WJ has six No. 1 qualifying positions, with an average starting position of 2.95, and only four starts outside the top three spots.

One year ago – Defending Champion: WJ qualified 14th with an elapsed time of 6.792 seconds with a top speed of 203.80 mph, and defeated Jeg Coughlin, Jim Yates, Larry Morgan and Troy Coughlin en route to the 92nd win of his career.

Winning Streak: Warren Johnson is looking to extend a streak where has won at least one race a year for 22 consecutive years, which is the longest in NHRA history.

No. 1 in National event wins: WJ’s 92 national event victories are the most ever in the history of the Pro Stock division and place him second on the all-time NHRA win list. His most recent win came at Maple Grove Raceway one year ago at the 2003 Lucas Oil Nationals.

Career best elapsed time: 6.715 seconds, Englishtown 2003

Career best top speed: 205.69 mph, Englishtown 2003

Courtesy Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing

Kurt Johnson Looks Back to Go Forward in Reading

ACDelco Racing team sets plans for strong showing in return to Maple Grove

Sugar Hill, Ga., October 6, 2004 – Throughout the course of the 23-race POWERade Drag Racing season, teams encounter a variety of atmospheric and track conditions. As part of their race routine, crews keep detailed notes on every run made, creating an invaluable source of reference material for future events. With a few short days between races, this documentation will be crucial for Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Racing team as they prepare their Pro Stock Cavalier for this weekend’s rescheduled Lucas Oil Nationals in Reading, PA.

“The conditions we should be facing this weekend in Reading will be similar to what we faced earlier in the year, and not quite as extreme as we saw in Chicago,” detailed Johnson. “Therefore, we will look at our notes from the beginning of the year, like Gainesville, where we had the top speed of the event, to see how we should set up our ACDelco Cavalier. That should give us a good baseline for the first qualifying session on Friday, and we’ll fine tune it from there.”

This event will bring to a close a hectic period that saw the quarter-mile set racing on four consecutive weekends after the initial race at Maple Grove Raceway was postponed due to heavy rain. Having traveled to Texas and Illinois before returning to the Keystone State, teams have had precious little time to prepare their race cars for competition. Despite the tight schedule, Johnson and crew are confident of being ready to contend when racing resumes on Friday.

“With four races in as many weeks, we’ve had a minimal amount of time to work on things,” said Johnson. “Naturally, our first priority is performing the normal between-race maintenance. After that, we squeeze in as much research and development as time allows. However, it’s the same situation for everyone, so it is our job to make sure we make the best of the time available.

“We’re looking forward to getting back to Maple Grove and letting the clutch out. We have three races left in the season, and want to make the most of the opportunities available. We’ll have our ACDelco Cavalier ready to run right off the trailer, and do whatever we can to have nice, long day on Sunday.”

Facts on Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Racing Team entering the
Lucas Oil Nationals:

KJ Runs Well at Reading: This will be Kurt’s 12th appearance at Maple Grove Raceway, where he has three wins in nine starts, and an 17-9 elimination round record.

Winning percentage: Kurt’s .645 elimination round winning percentage (372-207) ranks 10th among all active NHRA professional drivers.

National event wins: Kurt’s 28 national event victories ties him for 14th on the all-time NHRA professional win list, and tie him for fourth on the all-time Pro Stock win list. Kurt’s most recent win came at this year’s Checker Schuck’s Kragen Nationals in Phoenix, AZ.

Career best elapsed time: 6.716 seconds, Englishtown, NJ. 2003

Career best top speed: 206.61 mph, Englishtown, NJ. 2003

Courtesy Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing

BAZEMORE SET FOR READING RETURN

READING, Pa. (Oct. 6, 2004) - A lot has happened since the postponement because of Hurricane Ivan to this weekend of the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals originally scheduled for Sept. 17-19. Two racing events have been held and three remain (including this weekend's), the Matco Tools Funny Car team debuted the Rat Fink theme on the Dodge Stratus in Chicago for that one race, and driver Whit Bazemore is in fourth place and knee-deep in a battle for second in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series among drivers DelWorsham, Gary Scelzi, Eric Medlen and Gary Densham.

And with no hurricane in sight, it looks like the weather will be good forthis weekend's event. Temperatures are expected to be in the high 60s, low 70s and the foliage will be transforming its colors from summer green to the reds, oranges and yellows that cause many leaf-watchers to flock to theNortheast in the fall.

"Reading should be pretty good this time of year," said Bazemore following the event at Route 66 Raceway last weekend in Joliet, Ill. "Maple Grove Raceway is a little bumpier than Rte. 66, so we may not be able to push it quite as hard. Still, this time of year, in early October, it should be really good.

"Hopefully, we will not be behind the 8-ball like we were at Rte. 66," he said of his first-round loss after qualifying 12th at the super-quick, ultra-fast track outside of Chicago.

"The situation in Chicago was we made a change going into that race which affected the car in a way we didn't anticipate and it actually cost us two qualifying runs," he added. "Hopefully now we'll be able to come to Reading with some new knowledge that we gleaned from Chicago and we should bestronger here."

SCHEDULE:
Pro qualifying for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals will be held at 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 8 and will continue at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Oct. 9.
Final professional eliminations begin at 11 a.m. on Oct. 10.

WHIT BAZEMORE QUICK FACTS:
* Two-time U.S. Nationals champion, 1997 and 2001
* Did not qualify at 2003 Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, his only DNQ of theseason
* Has qualified in the top two in nine events so far in 2004
* No. 4 in NHRA Funny Car points after 20 races, with two wins, five finalrounds
* First Funny Car driver to break 325-mph barrier (U.S. Nationals 2001)
* 2003 Funny Car points runner-up
* Won three times in 2003, runner-up five times
* Has 17 career Funny Car event wins
* Took the 2003 championship chase to penultimate race in Las Vegas in anexciting final round against eventual champion Tony Pedregon
* Was also second in the NHRA Funny Car championship in 2001, third in 1997and '99 and has finished in the top five six times and 11 times in the top10 since 1992
* Age 41, born in New York City, an avid cyclist, lives in Indianapolis withwife Michelle, a semi-pro cyclist* 2004 is his fourth season with Don Schumacher Racing

Contact: Judy Stropus
DON SCHUMACHER RACING

Monty Todd's Bobby Baucum driven '55 Chevy Alcohol Funny Car at SGMP 10/02/04. Marvin T. Smith Photo

Track Series Champions Crowned; Alcohol Funny Cars at South Georgia

by Marvin T. Smith
Photos

October 2, 2004

It was a wild night of racing as the series champions were crowned in the final points race of the opening season of drag racing at South Georgia Motorsports Park.

In the Haulmark Super Pro division, three racers had a chance to take home the season points title. Larry McDuffie led coming into the final event, but went out early. Next contender Victor Vickers lost, leaving the season title to Carey Locke. Locke had accumulated a lot of points, but had never won a race, so he had some unfinished business. In a great story, he not only cinched the championship, but finally won an event, running a 4.826 on his 4.82 dial in. Fly'n Brian in the Caps Coach and Trailer dragster broke out with a 4.99 on his 5.00 dial in.

The Dixie Mail Order.com division season title went to John Rollins, but tonight's finals were Dallas Burger vs. the Mustang of Kenny Stone. Stone broke out giving the win to Burger.

In Junior Dragster, points leader Bobby Mouat won again, taking both the season points championship and tonight's event title. In the final, he won over a fouling Allison McLean. Allison had a staging mishap, and it's a shame for her since Bobby would have broken out with a 9.05 on a 9.08 dial-in. Junior Dragster action is always great at South Georgia Motorsports Park!

The main event for the evening was a four car Alcohol Funny Car race. Mark Billington qualified low with a tire shaking 4.11 at 185 mph. Bobby Baucum, driving Monte Todd's 55 Chevy funny, made an impressive qualifying pass, but received no time due to a clock malfunction. John Sullivan in the Crazy Horse Firebird and Steven Harrison in his Mustang rounded out the field. In Round 1, Billington ran 4.08 184 to beat Sullivan's 4.17 169 in Crazy Horse. Sullivan broke on this run and was unable to return. Harrison beat Baucum with a 4.33 at 158 when Todd's 55 Chevy was forced to shut off early on a wild pass. In the final round, Baucum faced Billington and won with a 4.23 174 to Billington's out-of-shape 4.61 at only 119.
Harrison took a single at 4.64, 141. No winner was announced for the event. Was it the undefeated Harrison (but with one single), or the low et and round one winning car of Billington?

There is always lots of unanticipated action at South Georgia Motorsports Park. Tonight, two hitters were out to prepare for the upcoming World Street Car event in Orlando, and unlike everyone else tonight, they ran the full quarter. Dean Vallese brought out his outlaw pro street Camaro for some runs. He ran 7.11 197, 7.07 197, and a final crowd-pleasing 6.97 199.02. This was Vallese's first six second time, and his crew went wild on the starting line. Vallese stated that he had three goals when he built the car: to run in the sixes, to run over 200 mph, and to qualify for
Orlando. Tonight he made the six second dream come true, and almost got his 200 mph time slip. Congratulations!

Mark Voss brought out the Richard Earle Edelbrock Pro Series 57 Chevy for some tune-up runs. He ran 7.50 177 on his first attempt, then got badly out of shape in the second attempt, and ran a 7.64 157 on his final attempt. Both of these street cars put on a great show for the fans.

Next week it's heads up A/Gassers running on a 5.30 index.

FINAL THREE CHAMPIONSHIPS SETTLED AT FINAL SUMMIT POINTS RACE

by Tim Glover

Photos
2004 Track Champion Photos

(Commerce, GA - October 2) The air was cool and the track was fast for the final Summit points race of 2004 at Atlanta Dragway. Although the championships in both Jr. Dragster and Sport Compact were settled in previous weeks, the remaining three classes were still open to a few racers in each class. However, by the end of round two, the championships in Trophy Street and Sportsman were settled. Super Pro was settled in round three. The 2004 Atlanta Dragway Track champions are: Lloyd Kaylor (Super Pro), Chris Carlisle (Sportsman), Steve Marcum (Trophy Street), Eric "Buford
Heavy" Duncan (Sport Compact), Joshua Sisson (8-12 Jr. Dragster) and Lauren Turner (13-17 Jr. Dragster). Prior to round one, a Run for the Money round was contested, with Dwayne Bramlett and Rob Hogue winning the pot. Brett Bowman won a WalMart gift card for doing the best in the Jr. Dragster portion of the program. Tonight was also the night for "King of the Track", where the race winners in the "big car" classes raced for a coveted "Wally" trophy. By running the closest to his dial without breaking out, Wayne Brooks won the "Wally" and the King of the Track honors. The Mallory Cup event was also contested, with the Sportsman and Super Pro Track champions facing each other in a one round runoff. Lloyd Kaylor won the 2004 Atlanta Dragway Mallory Cup.

Wayne Brooks from Between, GA enjoyed his first Atlanta Dragway win tonight against Buford, GA racer Steve Adams. Adam's '78 Malibu wagon was spot on its numbers, running 6.973, 97.95mph on a 6.97 dial, but unfortunately, left the starting line .002 seconds before the green light came on, resulting in an automatic red light. Brooks was close with his '98 Racetech dragster, running a slight breakout 5.573, 123.13mph pass (5.58 target). Bruce Mouat (dragster - TyTy, GA) and Thomas Bell ('01 Undercover dragster - Toccoa, GA) were the semi-final purse winners. "Thanks to Steve Adams (for the red light) and also thanks to Larry (for his "re-marks" on the race car)," added a very happy Brooks. 2004 Super Pro champion Lloyd Kaylor added, "I feel happy and relieved. I figured Mike Ramsey was going to win. It got kind of tense for a while."

Flowery Branch, GA racer Andy Thigpen is getting the hang of winning, taking his second win in three Summit races. Thigpen's '80 Monza was actually the second car across the finish line in the final, but Bert Chapman's Gainesville, GA based Nova broke out, running 11.28, 117.04mph on a 11.30 dial. Thigpen carded an 11.63, 114.08mph pass (11.60 dial). Greg Allen ('80 Camaro - Anderson, SC) and Bill Boomhower ('65 Belvedere - Anderson, SC) were the semi-final pair. Thigpen said he had to win at least five rounds tonight to qualify for the NHRA Division Two ET finals team, and ended up winning seven. He thanked his dad, Donny, for getting him started in racing. The newly crowned 2004 Sportsman champion, Chris Carlisle,
thanked racer Dickey Forrester for staying after him about coming to the races this year. Carlisle was the 1990 Atlanta Dragway Sportsman champion, and won the 1989 Division Two ET finals in Sportsman class.

"I've got million octane gas running through my veins. I love it. This is my first win," said Trophy Street winner Brian Wilen of Snellville, GA. Wilen has been modifying his '00 Lightning F150 truck to go faster, and was rewarded with a 13.24, 97.31mph final round win light (13.20 dial). His opponent, former champion Mardy Kennedy ('64 Econoline Pickup - Auburn, GA) was a little off the pace, running a 13.13, 102.25mph pass on a 13.06 target. Kim Booth ('02 Tahoe - Cleveland, GA) and the man who had a mathematical chance of winning the 2004 championship coming in to the last race, Clay Stancil ('72 Chevelle - Athens, GA), were the semi-final trophy
winners. Steve Marcum, the 2004 Trophy Street champion, said, "I've been trying for four years. By the grace of God, I finally got it! This is just incredible."

"Buford Heavy" Duncan thanked his evening sponsor, Hedman Hedders, for his win in Sport Compact. Duncan's '97 Cavalier actually went too quick in the final, running 19.04, 70.76mph (19.18 dial), but opponent (and second place man in the points) Terry Turpin's '03 Mitsubishi EVO broke out even more with a 12.63, 108.45mph pass (12.98 dial). "Thank God I'm still able to get out here and act a fool. Makes me think I'm still 16," said Duncan, the 2004 Sport Compact champion. "I just wish we had more competition."

Team PTI scored another win, this time in tonight's 8-12 year old Jr. Dragster final. Justin Fancher, who is ten years old and comes to the track from Conyers, GA to race, has been in six finals. Fancher earned the winner's trophy with a great 9.51, 67.40mph effort on a 9.49 target. His opponent, ten year old Bailey Denton from McDonough, GA was a bit closer on the dial in, running a .01 over 9.02, 70.47mph pass. However, Denton's slower starting line reaction time made the difference, and she had to settle for the runner up trophy. Fancher had a scare in round one when the engine let go, and entered round two with a new engine and no information on what it would run. He got lucky and won round two, and went on through the final. He thanked Randy Fain and also George Turner for all their help.
Ashton Shubert (11 - Commerce, GA) and John Gordon (9-Hiram, GA) were the semi-finalists. Joshua Sisson, the 2004 8-12 Jr. Dragster champion, dominated the season, winning seven races en route to his first championship with his Fresh Frozen Foods backed entry.

Loganville, GA racer Bradley Myers has been in three 13-17 Jr. Dragster finals in the last month, and won tonight's event against Cody Martin of Buford, GA. Myers ran either 7.90 or 7.91 in almost every round, and the final was no different with a 7.91 at 79.26mph (7.90 dial). Martin lost an engine in round three and installed an off the shelf Young Guns Motorsports engine for the next round. His team put an 8.63 dial on the side of the car, and much to their relief, won with an 8.63. Martin also ran 8.63, 74.34mph in the final (8.63 dial), but due to a .05 second holeshot by Myers, had to settle for second place. "Wild Kyle" Denton was the lone
semi-finalist. Team PTI racer Lauren Turner finished second in the 8-12 Jr. Dragster championship points to Matt Gillen in 2002 and 2003. She said, "Oh Yes! Finally!" after learning she had locked up the 2004 13-17 Jr. Dragster championship at Atlanta Dragway.

An annual final points race tradition at Atlanta Dragway is the Parent's Jr. Dragster race, where the kids become the crew chiefs and the parents take on the driving job. "Wild Bill" Gillen from Gainesville, GA has guided his son Matt to two track championships and a division championship, and won another track championship with driver Russ Glover in 1999. Tonight, he enjoyed his first win in their Valvoline backed Young Guns Motorsports entry after defeating "Mustang Oley" Lynn in the final round. Gillen's car ran three straight 8.98 second passes prior to the final. In the final, Gillen enjoyed a huge holeshot advantage over Lynn, and scrubbed off some speed to a winning 9.05, 71.71mph pass (8.97 dial). Lynn, who hails from Marietta, GA, ran 8.12, 77.04mph on an 8.09 dial. Lisa "Stretch" Sisson and "Tall Boy" Terry Shubert finished in the semi-final round. "It was fun. Real
fun. I want to thank God and my son for the win. I'm a blessed man," added Gillen. On the way home, his son Matt told him that was the best night they ever had.

PRO / SUPER PRO CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Wayne Brooks '98 Racetech dragster Between, GA 5.57 123.13 (5.58)
R/U: Steve Adams '78 Malibu wagon Buford, GA (foul) 6.97 97.95 (6.97)
Semi: Thomas Bell '01 Undercover dragster Toccoa, GA
Semi: Bruce Mouat '02 Undercover dragster Ty Ty, GA

SPORTSMAN CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Andy Thigpen '80 Monza Flowery Branch, GA 11.63 114.08 (11.60)
R/U: Bert Chapman '71 Nova Gainesville, GA 11.28 117.04 (11.30)
Semi: Greg Allen '80 Camaro Anderson, SC
Semi: Bill Boomhower '65 Belvedere Walhalla, SC

TROPHY STREET CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Brian Wilen '00 Lightning F150 Snellville, GA 13.24 97.31 (13.20)
R/U: Mardy Kennedy '64 Econoline pickup Auburn, GA 13.13 102.25 (13.06)
Semi: Clay Stancil '72 Chevelle Athens, GA
Semi: Kim Booth '02 Tahoe Cleveland, GA

SPORT COMPACT CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Buford Heavy Duncan '97 Cavalier Commerce, GA 19.04 70.76 (19.18)
R/U: Terry Turpin '03 Mitsubishi EVO Maysville, GA 12.63 108.45 (12.98)

8-12 JR. DRAGSTER AGE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Justin Fancher 11 Conyers, GA 9.51 67.40 (9.49)
R/U: Bailey Denton 10 McDonough, GA 9.02 70.47 (9.01)
Semi: Ashton Shubert 11 Commerce, GA
Semi: John Gordon 9 Hiram, GA

13-17 JR. DRAGSTER AGE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Bradley Myers 14 Loganville, GA 7.91 79.26 (7.90)
R/U: Cody Martin 15 Buford, GA 8.63 74.34 (8.63)
Semi: "Wild Kyle" Denton 14 McDonough, GA
Semi:

PARENTS JR. DRAGSTER AGE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: "Wild Bill" Gillen indeterminate Gainesville, GA 9.05 71.71 (8.97)
R/U: "Mustang Oley" Lynn old Marietta, GA 8.12 77.04 (8.09)
Semi: "Tall Boy" Terry Shubert up there Commerce, GA
Semi: Lisa "Stretch" Sisson don't discuss Gainesville, GA

Herbert, Worsham and Connolly Win the NHRA POWERade CARQUEST Auto Parts Nationals

What a race! Killer times and upset winners in the final rounds. Doug Herbert won his first race in over two years by defeating Tony Schumacher in the Top Fuel final 4.516 @ 329.75 to a 4.527 @ 329.18.

Del Worsham continued his final round win streak with a win over John Force in Funny Car when Force smoked the tires.

Dave Connolly broke off the line, but still won Pro Stock over Greg Anderson when Greg fouled.

Georgia Notes:
Bob Vandergriff had a good outing in Top Fuel, making it to the semi final round and running a best of 4.587 @ 316.60.

Whit Bazemore lost a squeaker to Gary Densham in the first round of Funny Car. Whit ran two thousandths of a second quicker, but left four thousandths later than Densham and that resulted in a two thousandths of a second loss. The times were:
Bazemore 4.754 @ 317.94 and Densham 4.756 @ 327.59.

Mark Whisnant also lost a squeaker in the first round of Pro Stock. Whisnant left on Steve Johns ( 0.025 to 0.073 ), but Mark's 6.730 @ 204.32 couldn't quite hold off John's 6.682 @ 206.39. Do the math!

NHRA Recap

BAZEMORE MAKES IT TO NO. 12, PROBLEMS AND ALL, AT RTE. 66

JOLIET, Ill. (Oct. 2, 2004) - Debuting the Matco Tools Rat Fink Dodge
Stratus body this weekend, Whit Bazemore struggled through two of three
qualifying sessions (Friday's second round was cancelled because of rain),
ending up No. 12 in the field with the 4.847/314.31 pass he posted in
today's final qualifying round.

Following the rain, today's track conditions were nearly perfect, with
temperatures in the mid-50s under a brilliant sun. Bazemore and crew chief
Lee Beard were unable to take advantage of the great weather in the second
pass, however, as the engine broke its second connecting rod, resulting in
damage to the Rat Fink body, which had survived a small fire the night
before.

In the final qualifying session, Bazemore went up to the line not qualified,
as his teammate Johnny Gray had just bumped him out of the field, and
getting down the track and into the race was the team's No. 1 goal.

Sporting the pin-striped Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge body, Bazemore made a
conservative but successful pass down Route 66 Raceway's quarter mile of
4.847/314.31, placing him safely into No. 12.

In this final qualifying round, John Force wowed the crowd and surprised his
competitors by setting a track-record elapsed time of 4.697 seconds at
332.75 mph under NHRA's 85-percent nitromethane rule. If Force backs up this
time within one percent (4.744 seconds) in eliminations tomorrow, he will
take away Bazemore's national ET record of 4.713 seconds, set here in May,
under NHRA's 90-percent nitromethane rule.

His speed came awfully close to also surpassing Bazemore's 333.25-mph
track-record run he established in May. For Force to break Bazemore's
teammate Gary Scelzi's national speed record of 330.55 mph, he will have to
back it up within one percent tomorrow (329.42).

"First off, congratulations to Force and his team for being the first to run
in the 4.60s," said Bazemore. "It was something that we all wanted to do,
quite honestly, and conditions were certainly there for it. For us it's kind
of a frustrating that we weren't in a position to contend for that today.

"We had bigger problems and bigger challenges to get our car to go down the
race track without hurting itself and go quick enough to qualify.

"The guys on the Matco Tools team did a tremendous job re-building the car
after an explosion in today's first round. We were up there and went right
down the race track. It was a handful, but we made it and we qualified, and
that's the first order of business every weekend."

Bazemore faces Gary Densham in first round of eliminations on Sunday, which
begin at 11 a.m.

Courtesy Judy Stropus
DON SCHUMACHER RACING

FORCE 4.697 @ 332.75 - CORY MAC 4.490 @ 328.62 - ANDERSON 6.661 @ 207.75!

Records fell ( track and National ) at the WOW Nationals ( otherwise known as the NHRA POWERade CARQUEST Auto Parts Nationals ) today as many of the racers ran career bests during qualifying.

Cory Mac made the first Top Fuel run in the 4.40s ( on 85% nitro ) with his #1 4.490. Doug Kalitta also ran in the 40s with a 4.496 @ 330.63. Scott Kalitta was #3 at 4.517 @ 332.34 and Brandon Bernstein ran the best speed with a #6 effort of 4.541 @ 333.41. Bob Vandergriff qualified #9 with a 4.615 @ 309.63.

From John Force's first in the 4.60s pass to Tony Bartone's sixteenth best 4.862, the Funny Car field was the quickest in history. Whit Bazemore qualifed #12 with a 4.847 @ 314.31

The Pro Stock field led by Greg Anderson's 6.661 @ 207.75 ( to J.R. Carr's sixteenth best 6.718 @ 206.13 ) was the quickest in history. Mark Whisnant looked impressive with a fourteenth best 6.707 @ 206.20. Kurt Johnson ( # 17 - 6.720 @ 205.69 ), Barry Grant ( # 18 - 6.721 @ 205.04 ) and Warren Johnson ( # 25 - 6.749 @ 205.32 ). failed to qualify.

NHRA Recap

AMERICAN MUSCLE CARS AGAIN TOP 'YEAR ONE POWER HOUR'

Courtesy Tim Glover

BANKS CROSSING, GA Atlanta Dragway's 'Year One Fast Friday' test & tune
and grudge match program continued on the first day of October, and
American-made muscle cars were again on top of the 'Power Hour'.

Aboard his 1972 Chevy Camaro, Joseph Kabage of Jefferson, GA scorched the
quarter-mile in 11.318 seconds, 120.54 MPH, to pick up the Fastest Lap and
Quickest Elapsed Time awards, along with two $50 Year One Gift Certificate
vouchers to reward his quick run through the track's timing system.

Brian Wood of Lawrenceville, GA grabbed the third $50 Year One Gift
Certificate voucher for recording a perfect Reaction Time (.000) during the
Power Hour competition. Wood's award makes it two weeks in a row that
"American muscle" has swept the 9-10 PM contest for strictly street-legal
cars and pickup trucks.

The next Fast Friday program will actually be a part of the Year One
Commerce Challenge on October 8th, and will feature another round of the
popular Year One Power Hour. Gates will open at 6:00 PM for both racers and
spectators, with racing action beginning at 6:30 and continuing through
10:00 PM.

Sponsored by Year One Automotive Restoration in Braselton, along with the
Hayes Family Dealerships in Lawrenceville, Gainesville and Cornelia, Atlanta
Dragway's Fast Friday show is primarily an opportunity for drivers of
street-legal vehicles to "race the strip, not the street." Racecars and
motorcycles are also welcome for test & tune and grudge match racing on most
Friday nights at "Georgia's House of Speed" through November 19th.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Craig Armstrong (706) 423-9265