Georgia Drag Racing News

Information about Georgia drag racing history, personalities, activities and events from GeorgiaDragRacing.com.

Saturday, May 21, 2005

Clanton, Ware Top Qualifiers at SGMP's Dragpalooza

Georgia drivers Bil Clanton (Rome, GA #1 - 3.975 @ 181.06) and Eddie Ware (Marietta, GA #2 - 3.979 @ 184.32) lead the 8 car Pro Extreme field at the 2005 FLOWMASTER ADRL Series DRAGPALOOZA.
Pro Extreme Qualifying Results

In Pro Nitrous, Shannon Jenkins is #1 with a 4.020 @ 182.75 pass. Ron Smith (Loganville, GA) qualified on the bump with his 8th best 4.175 @ 175.14.

Pro Nitrous Qualifying Results

WJ Powers to the No. 1 Position in Columbus

Contact: Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.

Warren Johnson combined performance with research and development to capture the No. 1 starting position for Sunday's final eliminations of the Pontiac Performance Nationals in Columbus, Ohio. This is the 134th No. 1 position of Johnson's stellar career, fourth of the 2005 season and ninth at National Trail Raceway.

After posting the quickest elapsed time during Friday's opening sessions, the GM Performance Parts Pontiac driver came back on his first attempt on Saturday to take advantage of the improved conditions, resetting both ends of the Columbus track record with his 6.723-second, 205.10 mph pass. This allowed "The Professor" to edge his son Kurt, who had stepped up with a 6.724-second run of his own, for the top spot by one thousandth of a second.

With the afternoon's warmer temperatures virtually guaranteeing him the top starting spot, W.J. took advantage of his final run to test a new combination under national event conditions. As a result, he bettered his own top speed mark with his 205.13 mph blast.

"We were rooting and digging out there this weekend," said Johnson. "We came to Columbus with the idea of running this fourth DRCE III, which we had just completed earlier in the week. Since we felt the conditions on Friday would not be the best, we opted to use the new motor. To be honest, we were somewhat surprised to run low e.t. in the evening session.

"We then came back this morning, put our normal race motor in and proceeded to reclaim the No. 1 spot. On our last attempt, we went back to the original motor with new carburetors, and ran top speed of the meet so far. It seems to have a lot of potential, but still needs to be ironed out, so we'll plug our proven combination back in for tomorrow and see what this GM Performance Parts Pontiac can do."

This also marked the 33rd time in their careers that Johnson and his son Kurt qualified in the top two positions, having last accomplished this feat at the 2003 Houston race.

"From a team aspect, it's very gratifying to be qualified in the top two spots," stated Johnson. "Basically, it shows that Kurt and I are getting the most out of our particular cars, which is a testament to the hard work by both our teams here at the track, as well as the guys back at our shop in Sugar Hill. Today's result is due to their diligence and dedication."

Notes on Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Pontiac Racing Team following their No. 1 qualifying performance at the Pontiac Performance Nationals:

- This is the 134th No. 1 qualifying position of WJ's career, the most among all NHRA professional drivers.

- This is Warren's ninth No. 1 qualifying performance at National Trail Raceway in 30 starts.

- WJ scored the first "pole position" of his career here in Columbus in 1978.

- This is WJ's fourth No. 1 qualifier of 2005, making 20 times in 23 years that he has at least two No. 1 qualifying performances.

- This is also the fourth No. 1 qualifying performance for the DRCE III engine, which only Warren and Kurt use in Pro Stock competition.

- Warren will now be looking to score his 47th win from the No. 1 position (out of 94 career victories. WJ most recently accomplished this feat earlier this year in Houston, TX.

BAZEMORE COLLECTS HIS FIRST NO. 1 OF THE YEAR IN OHIO

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus

HEBRON, Ohio (May 21, 2005) - Whit Bazemore went against all odds in last night's qualifying session by claiming No. 1 and setting a track record in qualifying with the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus, while the rest of the Funny Car and Top Fuel cars struggled to get down the track.

As conditions warmed for today's final two qualifying sessions, Bazemore was able to hold onto his No. 1 spot, collecting his 29th career No. 1 and first of the 2005 season, based on the 4.762-second pass at 322.34 mph from last night. He also holds on to the track speed record he set in 2004, of 325.92 mph.

"Qualifying No. 1 is special when you consider the type of season we've had, and the fact that we struggled somewhat with our Matco Tools Dodge this year," said Bazemore, who has won twice, from both the eighth and 12th positions.

"Lee Beard and the Matco Tools team worked really hard to get us back on track, especially when we tested at Bristol Dragway on Monday after the race and we made a number of strong runs. Hopefully we will be able to look back at Atlanta (last weekend's race) and say that that event was the turning point for us and that's what motivated us to come here and get our car going in the right direction.

"We're still finding our way. We've been so hot and cold this year. It's basically a fairly new tune-up in the car and Beard is still finding his way with it.

"Having said that, it was really a good run to learn where we can go and where we can't go."

As for the track conditions, "I don't know what the problems were yesterday. It was good for us, but we shook too. We were fortunate to get down the track."

Bazemore faces Dale Creasy Jr. in the first round of final eliminations on Sunday, which begin at 11 a.m.

KJ Steps Up, Will Start Second in Columbus

Contact: Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.

Kurt Johnson completed an impressive qualifying effort on Saturday at the Pontiac Performance Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, posting two of the three quickest passes of the day. In the morning session, Johnson's ACDelco Cobalt blasted through the quarter-mile in 6.724 seconds with a top speed of 205.01 mph, missing the top qualifying position (which, ironically, was held by his father, Warren Johnson) by one thousandth of a second.

Johnson then came back on his final run in the heat of the day to show he was ready for Sunday's final eliminations, recording a 6.737-second elapsed time, quickest of the session among the 26 cars making an attempt.

"The ACDelco Cobalt was better today than it has ever been," I believe we found the sweet spot in Atlanta, and we've continued in that direction this weekend. We made some changes this afternoon to test a few things in the heat, and it really panned out.

"I was really pleased to go .991 in sixty feet on a 109 degree race track, and the run was as smooth as silk. The graph looks good, the clutch looks good, everything looks good. We're trying not to get too excited because anything can happen tomorrow. From the first round against Kenny (Koretsky) on, we'll be racing some very good cars, so we all have to make sure we do our jobs. Fortunately, we know we have a great race car in our ACDelco Cobalt."

Dixon, Bazemore, Johnson and Tonglet Top Pro Qualifiers at the NHRA POWERade Pontiac Performance Nationals presented by Summit Racing

ADRL Flowmaster Pro-Mod Dragpalooza May 20-22, 2005 at SGMP

If you're a Pro Mod fan, South Georgia Motorsports Park is the place to be this weekend. The ADRL Flowmaster Pro-Mod Dragpalooza is being held there and GeorgiaDragRacing.com ace reporter/photographer Marvin T. Smith is covering the action.

Marvin reports at least 30 Pro Mods on hand as of Friday night and more expected Saturday.

A few notes from Marvin about the Friday action:
-Shannon Jenkins ran 4.042 @ 182.48.
- Bauknecht's Hemi powered ex-Ellsberry Corvette went 3.98 at over 180.
-Roy Hill's car and Chip King's Patriot ran in the 4.0s, and Josh Hernandez, Troy Critchley, and Mel Eaves (Nitro Coupe) all ran 4.10.
-Bennie McDonald crashed his car against the wall. He is fine, but it bent the lower main frame rail and crunched the body. He is out of action until he can return it to McAmis.

Stay tuned to GeorgiaDragRacing.com for more reports and photos from SGMP!
Photos

WJ Rolls to the No. 1 Position on Friday in Columbus

Contact: Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.

On paper, the first day of qualifying at the Pontiac Performance Nationals seemed to be a routine affair for Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Pontiac Racing Team. Their 6.749-second, 204.48 mph pass in the evening session placed them atop the 26-car Pro Stock field. However, making this accomplishment even more impressive were the trials and tribulations the veteran crew had to overcome in order to determine the set-up that allowed them to make that particular run.

"We had a few problems on our first run that could have had an adverse effect on the evening session. We had a malfunction with the throttle linkage which prevented the second carburetor from fully opening, which was compounded by our not getting any computer data from the run. Therefore, we pretty much had to wing it for our second attempt.

"We actually made a significant amount of changes based on something Kurt (Johnson's son and driver of the ACDelco Cobalt) had done with his car in testing. Considering our predicament, we felt it was a good time to try it, and fortunately, it seems to have worked well enough to place us in the No. 1 position at the moment. Overall, I was pleased. It was a good, straight run, and our sixty foot time was back in the hunt, so I think we're getting this GM Performance Parts Pontiac to where it needs to be."

KJ Starts Strong, Sits Third Midway Through Columbus Time Trials

Contact: Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.

ACDelco Cobalt pilot Kurt Johnson made the most of his two attempts during the first day of qualifying at the Pontiac Performance Nationals in Columbus, Ohio. After opening with a class-leading 6.761-second, 204.26 mph pass, KJ came back on his second run to record a consistent 6.775-second elapsed time. This placed the second-generation racer in the third position entering Saturday's final sessions. Although pleased with his effort, Johnson was already looking for ways to improve even further.

"We're certainly pleased with our ACDelco Cobalt's consistency, but seeing what Dad's car (Warren Johnson, who currently sits No.1) ran tells us we should have been up in the 6.75 range tonight. Looking at the data, it was just a little off to the 330-foot mark, and that was the difference. It was probably a couple minor items that we'll look to address tomorrow.

"However, it's encouraging that we're able to make good, consistent runs on a cold racetrack. If it's warmer tomorrow, we'll make a few changes and see if we can learn a little more about what this car wants, as well as trying to pick up the pace."

BAZEMORE LOW QUALIFER FRIDAY NIGHT IN OHIO

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus

HEBRON, Ohio (May 20, 2005) - Whit Bazemore was Funny Car low qualifier today on a cool evening at National Trail Raceway, outside of Columbus, Ohio, setting a track elapsed-time record of 4.762 seconds at 322.34 mph.

His first round of qualifying today produced a 4.948/308.78, which was good for No. 11.

Two more qualifying rounds are scheduled for Saturday before final eliminations begin for round 8 of the 23-event NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series at 11 a.m. on Sunday.

"It's a real good start for the weekend," said the driver of the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car, who hasn't qualified No. 1 all season (two No. 8s, two No. 12s, and one No. 14), but has won twice and led the Funny Car point standings. Following last weekend's race in Atlanta, he is second in the rankings, 24 points behind John Force.

"Our team hasn't qualified that well all year, so hopefully it's not a jinx. We've done fairly well. We're second in the championship, and we've won two races, but all from qualifying eighth and 12th.

"Hopefully, if we can stay low tomorrow it won't be a jinx. It's what our team's needed. We've worked really hard trying to right our ship and eventually hard work pays off. Qualifying is a tribute to our Matco Tools team. It's (crew chief) Lee Beard making the right call, it's the guys doing a perfect job, and here we are.

"It was close. It almost didn't make it. It rattled pretty hard out there and that's what a lot of guys did - shook the tires first round and tonight. He had the tune-up right, I didn't crash it, and we went down the track and ran a .76.

"It felt good to run that quick, because we hadn't done that in quite a while."

ELLIS ABOARD G2/S&S BUELL NO. 8 AFTER DAY 1 OF QUALIFYING

Courtesy Jerry Battle

G SQUARED MOTORSPORTS
OWNERS: GEORGE BRYCE & GEORGE SMITH
NHRA POWERADE DRAG RACING SERIES
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: G SQUARED S&S BUELL
RIDER: CHIP ELLIS
MEDIA CONTACT: Mickey Schultz

Qualifying:
Session 1 Friday: 7.199 seconds at 176.79 mph (# 8)
Session 2 Friday: 7.145 seconds at 183.69 mph (# 8)

HEBRON, Ohio (May 20, 2005) - With two of four qualifying sessions completed, Chip Ellis, aboard the G Squared/S&S Cycle Buell, was No. 8 on the qualifying ladder for the 41st annual NHRA Pontiac Performance Nationals presented by Summit Racing.

Ellis recorded a pass of 7.199 seconds in the opening session this afternoon; then improved in the second session when he cruised the National Trail Raceway quarter-mile in 7.145 seconds at 183.69 mph.

"We improved a bunch in that second run," said George Bryce, who along with partner George Smith is the brain trust behind G Squared Motorsports. "We went the right way and plan to show some more of the same improvement tomorrow."

Ellis indicated that he feels his riding was back on track today. "We had a couple of good lights and I feel I handled the bike well. That gives me additional confidence going into tomorrow," he said.

The G Squared-built, S&S-powered Buell of Chris Rivas continued to make people take notice of their performance. The Mohegan Sun-backed Pro Stock Motorcycle of Rivas finished in the second slot with a run of 7.107 seconds at 181.54 mph.

Not far behind was Ryan Schnitz aboard the Muzzy--built, S&S-powered Buell. Schnitz recorded an elapsed time of 7.141 seconds, good for the No. 7 spot.

And for the second event in a row, Matt Guidera, aboard the Rocklin HD G Squared-built, S&S Cycle--powered Buell, recorded a career best E. T. when he stopped the finish line clocks at 7.279 seconds.

"G Squared Motorsports is in the business to produce and sell high performance street and competition motorcycles. Therefore, we want our bikes to do well in competition. It looks like Rivas, Schnitz and Guidera have what it takes to be successful on the NHRA POWERade series and both G Squared and S&S Cycle are proud to be part of that success," added Bryce.

QUALIFYING SCHEDULE: With Smith, Bryce and Ken Johnson calling the tuning set up, qualifying for Ellis and the G Squared/S&S Buell concludes with two additional sessions on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Ellis begins his quest for the Pro Stock Bike title on Sunday with eliminations for all classes beginning at 11 a.m. All times are EASTERN TIME (ET) and subject to change at anytime.

TELEVISION: Qualifying highlights for the 41st annual NHRA Pontiac Performance Nationals presented by Summit Racing can be seen on ESPN2 on Saturday evening (May 21) from 11 p.m. until 1 a.m. ESPN2 will also air same-day television coverage of eliminations from 8 until 11 p.m. on Sunday evening (May 22). The elimination show repeats on ESPN2 early Monday morning, May 23, from 2 until 4:30 a.m. Television times are Eastern Time (ET) and subject to change at anytime. Check local listings.

G SQUARED MOTORSPORTS: When Harley Davidson accelerated their effort in NHRA, S&S Cycle decided in 2002 to join the battle. Because of his vast R&D experience, coupled with his racing background, S&S asked George Smith to head their project to field a competitive S&S V-Twin bike on the NHRA circuit. Smith immediately asked George Bryce, who had been working with S&S Cycle on a similar project, to join the new endeavor and G Squared Motorsports was formed in 2003. Both Smith and Bryce knew if they collaborated on the project, joining the resources, knowledge and talents of S&S and Star Racing, they could produce a competitive bike to race in Pro Stock Motorcycle competition on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. The G Squared/S&S-powered V-Twin Buell debuted in 2004.

Dixon, Bazemore, WJ and Tonglet Lead Qualifying at the NHRA POWERade Pontiac Performance Nationals presented by Summit Racing

Top Fuel #1: Larry Dixon - 4.510 @ 331.94 (new track speed record)

Funny Car #1:Whit Bazemore - 4.762 @ 322.34 (new track ET record)

Pro Stock #1:Warren Johnson - 6.749 @ 204.48 (new track ET record)

Pro Stock Bike #1:GT Tonglet - 7.090 @ 187.03

Georgia Notes:

Kurt Johnson is currently #3 in Pro Stock with a 6.761 @ 204.26 in his Cobalt. PiranaZ sponsored Greg Stanfield is holding on to the #16 spot with a 6.816 @ 203.25 pass and Barry Grant is #18 with his 6.849 @ 201.82 run.

In Pro Stock Bike, Chip Ellis is #8 with a best of 7.145 @ 183.69.

At least two Sportsman racers from Georgia made the tow to Ohio. Don Eberly (Brunswick, GA) is #25 in Comp with a -0.409 F/AA pass of 8.301 and Wayne Shaw (Douglasville, GA) is #52 in Stock with his A/FIA Firebird (his 10.682 is -0.618 under the index).


NHRA Recap

Friday, May 20, 2005

More Photos from the NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway

Here are links to photos from last weekend's NHRA Southern Nationals at Commerce:
Wayne Holland Photos
Wanda Glover Photos
GeorgiaDragRacing.com Photos
GeorgiaDragRacing.com Photos II

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Upcoming Races at LaGrange/Troup County Drag Strip

May 21 - Kids Day. Jr. Drag bikes and Jr. Dragsters
(Visit www.ajdbrl.com for some insight on the Jr. Drag Bikes)

May 22 - Shootout of the South Belt Race #4
PLUS Nostalgia Grudge Match Racing with Nostalgia Funny Cars and
Front engine dragsters

May 28, 29, 30 - MAMMOTH Bracket Weekend
Includes 2 $2500 Electronics Bracket Races (29 & 30)
2 $1500 Footbrake Bracket Races (29 & 30)
2 $1500 6.0 Heads Up Races (29 & 30)
2 $1000 7.0 Heads Up Races (29 & 30)
Plus a NO ENTRY FEE 5.30 Heads Up Race on May 30.

June 12 - 3rd Annual Pro Mod Roundup Featuring the Dixie Pro Mod Racers

June 26 - Classic Gassers Nostalgia Door Slammers Drag Race event.

For more information, contact:
Nate Rochedieu (email: nate@troupcountydrag.com)
Track Promoter/Webmaster
LaGrange/Troup County Drag Strip
706-302-1317

Southern Dragway Now Named Douglas Motorsports Park and Under New Ownership

Courtesy James Jones
webmaster@dmpdragway.com

The track has been sold and is under new ownership and management. The name has also been changed to Douglas Motorsports Park and the new website is http://www.dmpdragway.com/ All of this took place 2 weeks ago and we held our first race last Saturday. It was like new life had been breathed into the track with over 120 cars competing. There are several plans for other motorsport venues to be built at the site and road paving efforts are underway from the main road to the main gate. Once completed paving the owner will pave from the gate to the pit area and pave another pit return road.

WJ's Wrap Sheet - National Trail Raceway Edition

Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.

1. WJ's First Columbus Race - 1975
Race Car: 1975 Chevrolet Camaro
Performance: WJ Qualified Thirteenth, 9.139 seconds
Defeated Scott Shafiroff and Wayne Gapp - Lost to Bill Jenkins

In Warren's Words:

"It was an interesting time for Pro Stock, simply because the fields were so varied. The regulations were based on pounds per cubic inch, and the NHRA had to tear their hair out trying to keep the playing field as level as possible. They would make adjustments to the weight factors almost on a weekly basis.

"We were running a big-block Camaro, which wasn't the favorite combination of the time, but it was all I had in my arsenal, so I had to make it work as best as I could. Most people were using small blocks, so I was one of the rare ones with the big block, but we had it running well that weekend."

Notes of the time:

- This was Warren's first NHRA national event of the 1975 season, and second race in his NHRA Pro Stock career.

- This marked the 11th edition of the annual NHRA race at National Trail Raceway, which was at the time was known as the Springnationals.

- Warren scored the first two elimination round wins of his career at this race, defeating Scott Shafiroff and Wayne Gapp in the opening two rounds.

- WJ's wins came in impressive fashion, as both came on holeshots. In the first round, WJ's 9.18-second pass bested No. 5 qualifier Shafiroff's 9.11, 147.29 mph run, while his 9.13-second, 149.50 mph run in the second round trailered No. 1 qualifier Wayne Gapp, despite Gapp's quicker 9.10-second effort.

- Gapp was the No. 1 qualifier with an 8.94-second time, while Roy Hill anchored the field with a 9.15-second run

- WJ's Camaro featured a big'block "rat" motor, which was a 427 cubic inch engine destroked to 390 c.i.

- Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins, who edged WJ in the semis, went on to win the race, defeating Roy Hill in the final. It was the 11th win of Jenkins' Pro Stock career, which at the time was the most ever by a single driver in the still nascent category.

- The varied Pro Stock field consisted of Chevrolet Vegas and Camaros, Ford Mustangs, Mavericks and Mustang IIs, Dodge Darts, a Plymouth Duster and an AMC Hornet.

- This was the first NHRA event with sponsorship from Winston, marking the beginning of a 27-year relationship between the sanctioning body and the title sponsor.

- Other winners that day included Marvin Graham over Shirley Muldowney in the Top Fuel final, marking the first appearance of a woman in an NHRA professional final round, and current team owner Don "The Snake" Prudhomme, who drove his U.S. Army Chevy Monza to the win over Raymond Beadle in the Blue Max Mustang II in the Funny Car final.

2. WJ's First Columbus Final - 1976
Race Car: 1975 Chevrolet Camaro
Performance: WJ Qualified Second, 8.84 seconds, 155.17 mph
Defeated Wayne Gapp, Larry Lombardo and Bob Glidden - Lost to Wally Booth

In Warren's Words:

"I was still racing my Camaro, which I had nicknamed 'The Incredible Hulk'. Funnily enough, I don't remember anything specific about our performance that weekend. However, any time you can reach the final round, it's a good weekend, so I guess we weren't doing too bad."

Notes of the time:

- This was the second career final round appearance for WJ in nine career starts, and came on the heels of his first championship round showing at the previous race the 1975 Gatornationals in Gainesville, FL.

- Although WJ ran his quickest elapsed time of the weekend in the final at 8.81 seconds, it was not enough to hold off Booth, who posted low elapsed time of the event in the final at 8.74 seconds.

- Warren did set Top Speed of the Event in the final with his 156.25 mph top speed.

- Booth was the No. 1 qualifier at 8.82 seconds, with Rich Simone rounding out the sixteen-car field with his 9.25-second clocking.

- Once again, the Pro Stock field consisted of a mixture of cars, with Chevrolet Camaros, Monzas and Vegas, Ford Mustangs, Pintos and Mustang IIs, a Plymouth Duster, a Dodge Colt and Booth's AMC Hornet.

- Other winners included Shirley Muldowney in Top Fuel, who defeated Bob Edwards in the final and Don Prudhomme over Tom McEwen in the Funny Car final, in one of the classic "Snake vs. Mongoose" confrontations.


3. WJ's First NHRA Columbus Win - 1985
Race Car: 1985 Olds Calais
Performance: WJ Qualified Third, 7.644 seconds, 181.52 mph
Defeated Sam Giannino, Gordie Rivera, Butch Leal and Bruce Allen

In Warren's Words:

"I raced some very good drivers that weekend, but compared to the all-star line-up I had faced in my first Columbus final, I had a somewhat easier road to hoe. The Calais I raced that year was my first small car, following the Cutlasses, the "Flying Boxcars", which were built with a miter saw and a square.

"The Calais was smaller, albeit not that aerodynamic because of the notchback rear window. However, it presented a smaller frontal area, which made it a competitive package. I came up with the mini shifter levers because the standard size wouldn't work with the new Funny Car roll cages we were using. We also used the pneumatic push button system because it allowed me to do something to the Lenco transmissions that the competition didn't pick up on for several years."

Notes of the time:

- This was the 12th NHRA national event win of WJ's career (in 17 final round appearances), third of 1985, and came in his 72nd career start.

- Ironically, Warren won in the first two rounds despite fighting a miss in his engine, which forced him to change batteries, fuel regulators and ignition as part of his between-rounds maintenance.

- WJ's Calais was equipped with a new set of Hurst "mini-lever" shifter levers, replacing the air-shifter buttons normally seen on cars of the time, as the introduction of the Funny Car-style roll cages to the Pro Stock category (another WJ innovation) prevented them from using the normal sized levers.

- WJ defeated then-rookie Bruce Allen in the final, who was in one of his early Pro Stock races with the Reher-Morrison team, replacing the legendary Lee Shepherd, who was unfortunately killed in a testing accident earlier in the season.

- Bob Glidden was the No. 1 qualifier with a 7.568-second elapsed time, with Jerry Eckman capturing the sixteenth and final qualifying position with a 7.790-second clocking.

- Two other current Pro Stock competitors who attempted to make the field were Rickie Smith and Mark Pawuk.

- The Pro Stock field was made up of Old Calais, Pontiac Trans Ams and Firebirds, Chevrolet Camaros and Ford Thunderbirds.

- Winners in other categories that weekend included Bill Mullins, who defeated Gary Beck in the Top Fuel final, and Kenny Bernstein, who edged current Texas Motorplex owner Billy Meyer in the Funny Car final.

4. WJ's Most Recent Columbus Win - 2001
Race Car: 2001 GM Goodwrench Service Plus Pontiac Grand Am
Performance: WJ Qualified Fourth, 6.959 seconds, 199.52 mph
Defeated Kurt Johnson, Brad Jeter, Jeg Coughlin and Mark Osborne

In Warren's Words:

"That '01 race was a pretty good one. It was the first year of the Grand Am, and I believe I was still racing the Don Ness-built car in Columbus. Later on in the year, I switched to the Haas car when we got to the really hot tracks, which proved to be an advantage. Overall, the selection of vehicles played a major role in our winning the championship that year."

Notes of the time:

- This was the 84th win of WJ's career, as he closed in on Bob Glidden's record of 85 career wins.

- This was the third of six national event wins for WJ in 2001 en route to his sixth NHRA Pro Stock championship.

- Warren set both the low elapsed time of the event in the first round with his 6.907-second pass.

- WJ also captured top speed of the meet with his 199.52 mph run in qualifying.

- George Marnell was the No. 1 qualifier with a 6.935-second elapsed time, while Mike Edwards anchored the field with a 6.983-second run.

- Ironically, WJ's first round opponent on this Father's Day race was his son, Kurt.

- The field consisted of Pontiac Grand Ams and Firebirds, Chevrolet Cavaliers and Camaros, Oldsmobile Cutlasses and Dodge R/T's.

- Other winners included John Force in Funny Car, who edged Del Worsham in the final, Larry Dixon over rookie Darrell Russell in the Top Fuel final, Angelle Savoie in Pro Stock Bike and Bob Panella in Pro Stock Truck.

3. WJ's National Trail Raceway in a Nutshell -

"The old race date prior to this year was not a good choice weather-wise, as it was always hot and usually rainy. Historically, it has also not been the most well-groomed facility on the circuit. However, they have improved the facility a bit recently to make it somewhat acceptable for a national event. For example, they have paved the pit area so that we no longer have to bring our lawn mowers to clear our spot.

"They also resurfaced the pit area a few years ago, so it is a lot smoother. However, you have to bear in mind that it has to endure the ravages of winter weather, so we never really know what we're going to have until we get there."

WJ's National Trail Raceway NHRA Box Score

Races----Starts----Wins----Finals----#1----Avg. Qual.----W----L----Pct.
-29--------29-------4--------9--------8--------2.9-------46---24----.657

Warren Johnson Looks to Marshal a Win in Columbus

GM Performance Parts team Aims for Fifth Ohio win at Pontiac Performance Nationals

Sugar Hill, Ga., May 16, 2005 - Throughout his illustrious career, GM Performance Parts Pontiac pilot Warren Johnson has accomplished just about everything one could as a competitor in the NHRA's POWERade Drag Racing Series. A six-time Pro Stock champion, his 94 wins are the most in the history of the category, and his 133 No. 1 qualifying performances lead all professional categories. In addition, "The Professor" has set numerous records and has been responsible for various innovations, with the most recent being the third generation General Motors Drag Racing Competition Engine (DRCE III), which only he and his son Kurt are currently using in competition.

However, at this weekend's Pontiac Performance Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, Johnson will experience something completely new, as he has been named the event's Grand Marshal.

"I guess they've found another hat for me to wear in this sport," joked Johnson. "I'm not quite sure what the position entails, but I guess we'll be able to live through it. One thing is for certain - it will be different than anything else I've experienced at a racetrack, and that's saying something. In all seriousness, I do appreciate Pontiac for recognizing me in this fashion, but I hope they understand that my attention will be focused elsewhere throughout the weekend."

Ever the opportunist, Johnson sees an extra benefit in this latest honor, as it offers him the potential of adding yet another distinction to his stellar racing resume. Considering the combination of his four prior wins in the Buckeye State and his GM Performance Parts Pontiac's strong performance in the season’s first seven races, the possibility of being the first Grand Marshal to pull his race car into the winner's circle certainly exists. However, as he readily admits, the assignment is not an easy one.

"I'm not sure if a Grand Marshal has ever won the race he was honored in," said Johnson. "I guess I can see it as yet another challenge, although the racing surface in Columbus in itself a stern test.

"National Trail Raceway has always been somewhat of an anomaly on the NHRA circuit. You never run as fast as the weather conditions, the track elevation and the racing surface indicate you should run. Part of that may have been due to our running there in the summer, when it was hot and muggy.

"Now that we have returned to racing in Columbus in the spring, we will have to see how it affects the performance in all categories. If the weather cooperates, I believe you will see everyone pick up. Of course, we are all dealing out of the same deck, so we’ll just go there and see what we can do."

This race will also mark the first time in 2005 that the straight-line set will be racing on consecutive weekends. Although the short week puts extra pressure on the teams, it poses an advantage for those competitors who have a handle on their race car. With two wins, three final rounds and six semi-final finishes in the first seven races, WJ is therefore looking forward to getting back on track this weekend.

"If you have a race car that is relatively predictable, it certainly eases the decision making process when you look to improve its performance," explained Johnson. "Therefore, when racing on back-to-back weekends, it is a plus to have a consistent race car. Fortunately, our GM Performance Parts Pontiac has been responding well to our adjustments, even as we continue to learn its performance parameters. Therefore, I believe we should be in pretty good shape in Columbus. After all, I plan on being the fastest Grand Marshal this race has ever seen!"

Notes on Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Pontiac Racing team entering
the Pontiac Performance Nationals:


WJ's Stats in Columbus: This will be Warren's 30th NHRA appearance at National Trail Raceway, where he has four wins in nine final round appearances, the most by any active Pro Stock driver. Overall WJ has an elimination round record of 46-24 in his previous twenty-nine Ohio races for a .657 win percentage.

The line starts with WJ at National Trail: In twenty-nine previous races in Columbus, Warren has eight No. 1 qualifiers, 23 starts in the Top Four and only four starts outside the top half of the field. WJ's average starting spot at the Ohio quarter-mile is 2.897.

One year ago: Warren qualified eighth with an elapsed time of 6.833 seconds and a top speed of 202.21 mph, but fell to his son Kurt in the first round.

No. 1 in National event wins: WJ's 94 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 three weeks ago at the O'Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, TN.

Career Best Elapsed Time: 6.679 seconds, Gainesville, FL, 3/20/05

Career best top speed: 206.70 mph, Gainesville, FL, 3/20/05

Event Schedule:
Friday, May 20- Two qualifying sessions at 4:00 & 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 21 - Two qualifying sessions at 11:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 22 - Pre-race ceremonies begin at 10:00 a.m. followed by
the first round of eliminations at 11:00 a.m.

Television Schedule:
Qualifying: Saturday, May 21 - 11:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.

Eliminations: Sunday, May 22- 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
(Repeat) Monday, May 23 - 2:00 - 3:30 a.m.

NHRA2Day: Sunday, May 22 - 11:30 a.m. - 12 noon
(Please consult your local listings for exact times, as the schedule is subject to change.)

KJ Zeroes In on a Winning Combination for Columbus

Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing

ACDelco Cobalt crew looks for first Buckeye win at Pontiac Performance Nationals

Sugar Hill, Ga., May 16, 2005 - For the first time during the 2005 season, the POWERade Drag Racing Series will be competing on consecutive weekends, heading to Columbus, Ohio immediately after the race in Atlanta. Under normal circumstances, this presents a tremendous challenge for the race teams, as they must perform their between-race maintenance and complete the travel to the next event in the space of a few days.

However, this assignment takes on added significance for Kurt Johnson and his crew as they prepare for this weekend's Pontiac Performance Nationals. As only the third national event with their new ACDelco Cobalt, the team's database remains extremely limited, especially when considering the varying weather conditions encountered over the last two events. In addition, the compressed schedule prevents additional testing which could help answer any questions.

Therefore, the team will continue to walk a fine line during this weekend's race, combining their competitive efforts with their pursuit of additional knowledge of their still unfamiliar race car.

"Naturally, we can use all the information we can gather on this new ACDelco Cobalt, making every run that much more important," said Johnson. "Unfortunately, when you have back-to-back races, there's no time for testing, so we have been forced to try things in qualifying.

"It's certainly not the best way to do things, and you never want to jeopardize your chances for Sunday, but at this point, we really don't have an option. We are still working on determining its exact tuning window, for which we need time on the track.

"So far it seems to like an ugly, slippery race track, and should we encounter those conditions in Columbus, we can certainly tune for it. However, we still need to figure out exactly what it needs to run on a good racing surface. Right now, it wants to wheel stand, which means it has too much bite. Fortunately, as we go through the learning curve, we know we have the power to run up front once we get things straightened out, so we’re not too concerned."

One fact further fueling Johnson's motivation for this weekend's race is that National Trail Raceway is one of the few stops on the NHRA circuit where he has yet to reach the winner’s circle.

"They repaved Columbus last year, and the surface didn’t really come around until Sunday," said Johnson. "Hopefully, this year it will be good right off the bat. Of course, a lot will have to do with how it is prepared. The date change should also help, because when we raced here in June we could run into either very hot weather or rain.

"I was the runner-up there as a rookie in 1993, but have yet to win. However, I think it's time for this crew to change our ways and park this ACDelco Cobalt in the winner's circle. It'll take a combination of everyone on the team doing their job and a little luck, but I'm confident we can get it done."

Notes on Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Cobalt Racing team entering The Pontiac Performance Nationals:

KJ in Columbus: This will be Kurt's 13th appearance at National Trail Raceway, where he has one final round appearance in 1993, and one No. 1 qualifying performance in 1998.

One year ago: Kurt qualified ninth with an elapsed time of 6.833 seconds and a top speed of 201.16 mph and advanced to the quarterfinals.

Career Best Elapsed Time: 6.671 sec., Gainesville, FL, 3/20/05

Career best top speed: 207.13 mph, Gainesville, FL, 3/20/05

BAZEMORE AIMS FOR TURN-AROUND IN OHIO

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus

HEBRON, Ohio (May 18, 2005) - Whit Bazemore is very much in the Funny Car points championship chase, despite his first-round loss in Atlanta last Sunday and a fall to second in points after a strong early-season lead. The driver of the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus R/T is just 24 points out of first place in what is becoming the annual Bazemore vs. Force show in the POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car class.

The pair met in the first round of eliminations in Atlanta. It was an important race for both of them. While Bazemore had the edge after launching first at the light, he lost traction early, allowing Force to take the round win and eventually the event victory and the points lead.

Bazemore, who has not won at National Trail Raceway (just east of Columbus, Ohio), but was low qualifier in 2002 and runner-up in 1997, is seeking his first Funny Car championship of his 16-year pro career, and hopes to see a turn-around in this weekend's NHRA Nationals, the second of a three-race back-to-back swing.

"We're coming to Columbus and try to turn our season around," said the two-time U.S. Nationals champion who lives in Indianapolis. "Even though we were up there at the top of the points for quite a while, we're just not the team to beat right now and we're not the team that we can be.

"We have to go to Columbus and really have our luck change. We have to do whatever it takes to change our luck. We desperately need to have a good weekend here, if we want to continue to fight for this championship.

"Otherwise, we're going to be fighting for fifth place or worse."

SCHEDULE:
On Friday, May 20, pro qualifying sessions are at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. On Saturday, May 21, pro qualifying sessions are at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. On Sunday, May 22, final eliminations begin at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION:
On Saturday, May 21, ESPN will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 11 p.m. (ET). On Sunday May 22, ESPN2 will broadcast NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute weekly news magazine show, at 11:30 a.m. (ET). Also on Sunday, May 22, ESPN2 will televise three hours of eliminations at 7 p.m. (ET).

WHIT BAZEMORE QUICK FACTS:
* Two-time U.S. Nationals champion, 1997 and 2001
* Second in 2005 Funny Car point standings after seven events, 24 points out of lead
* Qualified No. 2 at 2004 National Trail Raceway Nationals, lost second round to Eric Medlen
* Was low qualifier here in 2002, runner-up in 1997
* Qualified in the top two in nine events in 2004, four times in No. 1
* No. 6 in 2004 Funny Car points, with two wins, five final rounds
* First Funny Car driver to break 325-mph barrier (U.S. Nationals 2001)
* Career quickest ET is 4.713 seconds, career fastest speed is 333.25 mph, both set at Route 66 Raceway in 2004 in what was at the time the quickest and fastest speed in Funny Car history
* Won three times in 2003, runner-up five times
* Has 19 career Funny Car event wins in 302 races
* Took the 2003 championship chase to penultimate race in Las Vegas in an exciting final round against eventual champion Tony Pedregon
* Was second twice in the Funny Car championship in 2001 and 2003, third in 1997 and '99 and has finished in the top five six times and 12 times in the top 10 since 1992
* Age 42, born in New York City, an avid cyclist, lives in Indianapolis with wife Michelle, a competitive amateur cyclist, and son Dashiell Aidan, born March 12, 2005
* 2005 is his fifth season with Don Schumacher Racing

Wednesday, May 18, 2005


Erica Enders with fan Kristen Ray last weekend at the NHRA Southern Nationals. Wanda Glover photo.

FROM JUNIORS TO PROS

by Amy Glover

The Junior Drag Racing League was founded in 1992, as a program for children ages 8-17 to gain the opportunity to experience drag racing through scaled down versions of dragsters. The generation that began it all has a few individuals who have claimed positions in the professional division of NHRA: Erica Enders, Richie Stevens, and (technically) Morgan Lucas.

Erica Enders began driving junior dragsters at the age of eight, influenced by her father, Gregg Enders, who had raced for many years. It came as no surprise that after her junior dragster career of 37 wins, she, with support from her father, became the fifth woman to race in the Pro Stock class. In between the two, she also won the 2004 O'Reilly Spring Nationals in the Super Gas category. She has become especially well-known among young girls through the Disney channel movie 'Right On Track,' a biography of her junior dragster career and a demonstration of feminine strength. Upon arrival at her racing rig for the scheduled interview, a crowd of girls came into sight, anxiously awaiting her presence and hoping for an autograph. One of the crowd, Kristen Ray of Louisville, Kentucky, proclaimed, "I never missed her movie once." Erica has always wanted to drive a Top Fuel dragster, but was quickly taken by her Chevrolet Cavalier, stating, "Pro Stock is more challenging to drive," a testimony of her dedication and passion for racing.

Richie Stevens began racing junior dragsters the year they became an official class. Winning his first junior dragster race was a prelude to his eventual success in Pro Stock. He quickly grew too tall for the half scale dragsters, and naturally moved on to the "big cars." His dad sent him to the Roy Hill's driving school, where his talent was instantly recognized by Roy Hill, who said he "liked the way he (Richie) did things." Stevens became hooked, saying, "I wanted to keep going faster, wanted to push the limit." He became the first junior dragster "graduate" to win an NHRA national event, the 1998 NHRA Winston Finals, in a professional category, later followed by three other NHRA national event wins. He plans on remaining in Pro Stock until he can win a championship, and hopes someday to drive a Top Fuel Funny Car. In reference to the difficulty of racing, he said, "Competition in junior drag racing is no less than right now in Pro Stock."

Morgan Lucas, the young rookie taking the place of the late Darrell Russell in Joe Amato's Top Fuel dragster, also has a background in the Junior Drag Racing League. Although he only raced twice in the junior dragster class, he supported his friends who were involved with it, and became hooked through the experience, saying, "It taught me about the better things in life, kept me out of trouble." Morgan has made it to two Top Fuel dragster final rounds, won four national events in a Top Alcohol dragster, and in the past weekend at the 25th annual Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway, became the number one qualifier for the Top Fuel dragster class.

As drag racing becomes increasingly prominent in the sports world, so do the "new kids" as they rise to the top from their junior drag racing roots.

Photos by Wanda Glover

David Tatum III (Palmetto, GA) scored big at the NHRA Southern Nationals this past weekend. S/G Win and S/C RU. Congratulations, David! Wanda Glover photo.

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

THREE TEAMS IN SOUTHERN NATIONALS FINALS, FORCE, ANDERSON AND SENSENEY PREVAIL

By Tim Glover

In spite of rains that delayed action several times on Saturday and Sunday, the 25th Annual NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals, presented by Pontiac, was completed late Sunday evening. The upside of the delays for racing fans packing the grandstands on both sides of the track was three straight evenings of Powerade Top Fuel racing under the lights, an incredible sensory experience.

Spectators also enjoyed viewing and buying an incredible array of go fast merchandise on the manufacturer's midway. They were given the opportunity to go through the huge interactive Powerade display, where fans got a chance to drive a Funny Car simulator during the Fan Nationals along with other entertainment. Summit Racing had a huge "Bigfoot" Summit truck on display, along with many of their catalog items. The Army had a display with a rock climbing wall, personalized "dogtags" and a simulator. Fans got to get up close and personal with all the drivers, and really enjoyed watching their favorite teams test fire their 8000 horsepower Top Fuel engines from a distance of a few yards.

Doug Kalitta increased his Top Fuel dragster points total to 587 by winning his 21st NHRA national event, against David Baca. Kalitta laid down a good 4.56 at 325.69mph to take the win, while Baca's car apparently threw the supercharger belt down track and slowed to a 4.85 at 232.39mph. Kalitta won round one with a 4.55 against his up in smoke team mate Scott Kalitta, then benefited from a -.137 red light in round two against his other team mate, David Grubnic. He took on points rival and former champion Tony Schumacher in round three, beating Schumacher at both ends of the track, using a .041 to .073 react, and then taking the finish line with a quicker 4.53, 327.43mph to Schumacher's 4.54 at 325.37mph. "It's tough out there, between the tree, the track, and all those other tuners," added Kalitta. Tony Schumacher and Brandon Bernstein were the semi-final finishers.

Funny Car racer John Force downplayed his first round defeat of arch rival Whit Bazemore, saying it was just another round. However, the first round win gave Force the opportunity to regain the points from Bazemore. Force defeated former employee Tony Pedregon in round two, and then took out Pedregon's brother, Cruz, in round three en route to his final against team mate and son in law Robert Hight, who enjoyed his second final round appearance in only seven races. Since Hight had 454 points and Force had 469 coming in to the final, the winner would also take over the points lead. At the conclusion of the event, Force left the Southern Nationals with the lead at 489 points, leaving Bazemore second (465points) and Hight third (454 points).

The only team agreement in the Funny Car final was that both would shallow stage to get the quickest possible elapsed times on the scoreboard. Force squeaked out the win with his best run of the weekend, a 4.772 at 325.61mph, which turned out to be the low ET of the weekend in Funny Car. Hight out reacted Force, .097 to .119 seconds, at the starting line, but his otherwise great 4.796 at 323.04mph put him .0021 seconds (about 12 inches at 320 plus mph) behind the boss at the finish line. Force also earned the Motel 6 "Who Got The Light" award for winning the closest race of the weekend on a holeshot. Hight steadily improved during the event, moving from the low 4.80s to a 4.798 in the semi-finals. Force, who qualified at 4.81 seconds, was also running in the 4.80 range all day. He said crew chief Austin Coil went for broke in the final, and Force needed every bit of the advantage to take the win. "I was not giving up until it exploded," added an excited Force. Ron Capps and Cruz Pedregon earned the semi-finalist portion of the purse.

The last two rounds in Pro Stock featured two different teams, the team of Greg Anderson and Jason Line, and the team of Warren and Kurt Johnson. The Anderson / Line team defeated the Johnson team during the semi-final round. Greg Anderson used a holeshot (.049 second react to Line's .060 react) in his Summit backed '05 Pontiac Grand Am to win his sponsor's race, edging out team mate Jason Line's similarly prepared '05 Pontiac Grand Am. The reaction time advantage won the race, as both ran identical 6.781 elapsed times in the final. Anderson recorded a 202.61mph, while Line actually was a little faster, at 203.83mph. This weekend's appearance was Anderson's fifth consecutive Southern Nationals final. Anderson said he had been struggling with his car for several weeks, so he was planning to park the race winning car, take over Jason Line's car, and put Line into his 2004 car. "We would be a liar if we didn't say there's something special about running each other," referring to his former boss and semi-finalist Warren Johnson. "He's had my number all year."

Two Harley's faced off in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class. G.T. Tonglet won his first race since 2002 (only his second NHRA win ever) by flat outrunning Chris Rivas from Fresno, CA. Rivas did his job, reacting quicker with a .024 (to Tonglet's .089). However, Tonglet's '04 V-Rod was too much, running 7.10 at 186.30mph. Rivas came in second with an otherwise good 7.24 at 184.67mph. Geno Scali ('01 Suzuki) and Craig Treble ('98 Suzuki) finished their day in the heartbreak round. During his post race interview, Tonglet was informed his brother, L.E. had also won a motorcycle race that evening, in Hattiesburg, MS. "I still don't really believe it. I guess it (the NHRA Southern Nationals victory) will sink in by the morning," added a happy
Tonglet. When asked about his late react, Tonglet said he had some very close lights in qualifying, and the last thing he wanted to do was go red.

Every Sportsman class, with the exception of Top Alcohol Funny Car, was won by a racer with at least an associate sponsorship from Valvoline. Many Valvoline winner's circle caps were given out during the picture taking session.

"Marvelous. Simply marvelous," was what Top Alcohol Dragster winner Rich McPhillips of Phoenixville, PA thought when he saw final round opponent Karen Benkovich's car shut off in the final. (The air gap had not been set in the clutch, so the car was unable to reverse after the burnout.) Knowing he had his first ever NHRA win in his pocket, McPhillips turned in an early shutoff 5.80 at only 186.23mph. McPhillips had a rough time just getting to the race, with his tow truck transmission giving up the ghost in North Carolina. After numerous phone calls, they located a transmission and made it to the track late Friday evening. They made it to the last qualifier session Saturday morning and then earned holeshot victories in rounds one and two. After the winner's circle pictures, McPhillips realized his tow rig was out of gas, but by that point he was so elated with the victory he didn't care. Benkovich, who came from Fanwood, NJ, was happy to make it to the final. Prior to this weekend, she had never won a round in NHRA competition. Her car suffered some breakage after its semi-final win, but McPhillips was aware of the problem, and waited for Benkovich's crew to repair the car before going to the final. Ashley Force (yes, she is John Force's daughter) of Yorba Linda, CA and Dick Garlets (Odessa, TX), were the semi-final pair. Garlets, who actually qualified 17th, got in to eliminations due to NHRA's breakage rule. Local racer Dan Lucas from Cumming, GA had qualified for the race, but his engine "dropped a valve", causing enough damage that Lucas could not make the call for round one.

Morganville, NJ racer Frank Manzo has won several Top Alcohol Funny Car championships with his '02 Firebird, and has always been a top player. His opponents made it easier for him today, with Jay Payne being the only one giving him a serious challenge. Manzo had a competition bye run in round one, enjoyed the round two win when Chuck Cheeseman didn't make the call, defeated Payne in round three, and then had a final round single after Bobby Martin's Beaver Falls, PA based '01 Avenger broke. Manzo still ran an all out 5.62 at 254.33mph pass in the final for the fans. Jay Payne (Claremont, CA - '02 Camaro) and Bob Newberry ('05 Monte Carlo - Schenectady, NY) were the semi-final pair.

Mike Tueffel of Greensboro, NC enjoyed the Super Stock win with his Greensboro, NC based '98 Grand Am. Tueffel got the automatic win when opponent Scott Stillings ('99 Grand Am - Indianapolis, IN) fouled out with a so-close, but still red, -.006 react. Tueffels 8.81 at 153.30 (8.80 dial) would have been tough to beat anyway. Knowing his chance was gone, Stillings
coasted to a 17.29 at 47.56mph (8.85 target). Michael Iacono ('89 Camaro - Wading River, NY) was the lone semi-finalist.

Mark Faul, a standout Stock racer from Tacoma, WA, earned the win with a .009 react in his '69 Chevelle. Faul tightened up the finish line, slowing his car to an 11.06 at 114.14mph (11.01 dial), but still crossing .018 seconds ahead of final round victim Tex Miller ('71 Mustang - Fayetteville, PA). Because of a late .071 react, Miller's dead on 11.008 at 117.50mph was still not good enough for the win and the trophy. Eric Waldo ('69 Mustang - Richland, WA) was the single semi-final finisher.

Super Comp winner Todd Senseney's new car was not ready, so he borrowed local racer David Tatum III's spare Valvoline backed '02 Mullis dragster to compete at the Southern Nationals. Little did Tatum know that he would end up facing Senseney, who comes from Clarksville, TN, in the final. "Coming in to the final, I knew my other car was going down the track. That Mullis car is mean," said Tatum, the runner up and owner of both Valvoline dragsters. Tatum, who was also in the Super Gas final, lost his chance to double up after his Valvoline '02 Undercover dragster lost traction, and slowed to an 11.43 at 82.16mph. Senseney went on to a great 8.93 at 146.61mph (8.90 index). Ken Moses ('03 Quay dragster - Colonia, NJ) earned the semi-final portion of the purse.

David Tatum III of Palmetto, GA did enjoy victory, with the '04 Cavalier Super Gas car he borrowed from David Watson. "Coming in, I wouldn't have given a plugged nickel for my chances at winning," added a happy Tatum. He then thanked Valvoline, Sherman Adcock, Steve Cohen, his girlfriend and David Watson for helping with the victory. Tatum ran a close 9.93 at
158.86mph (9.90 index) for the win against Ray Sawyer ('02 Camaro - Acton, MA). Sawyer slowed to a 10.15 at 141.83mph in the final. McNeal Freeman's '27 Roadster got loose in the semi-finals, where his day ended, along with Joe DeLuco from Seffner, FL, the other semi-final finisher.

Tony Fuller, brother of Top Fuel racer Rod Fuller, enjoyed his first Southern Nationals win, in Super Street. Due to budget constraints, Rod, who runner upped in Top Fuel at Bristol, had to skip the Atlanta race, leaving brother Tony to "take up the slack." Tony did not disappoint, winning Super Street with his Ouiedo, FL based '69 Firebird. The car has a good pedigree,
being formerly owned by top notch racer Scotty Richardson. Fuller reacted first with a .020, and then nailed the 10.90 index with a 10.904 at 136.76mph pass. Jeff Blardinelli from Vero Beach, FL broke out trying to win the race, running 10.889 at 140.14mph. Local racer Lamar Majors, who runnered up during the 2004 Southern Nationals, was the lone semi-finalist
with his '71 Vega.

Wanda Glover photos

2005 Southern Nationals photos

Southeastern Dragway 50th Anniversary Race July 9th

Don't forget to make plans to be in Dallas, GA July 9, 2005 for their 50th Anniversary celebration. Click here to see the flyer.

More info here

Sorry, the ticket price ended up at $25 (instead of the $20 I was told very early in the planning). We'll get that changed soon.

WJ Advances to Atlanta Semifinals, Extends Points Lead

Contact: Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.

GM Performance Parts Pontiac driver Warren Johnson continued his solid 2005 performance during a very trying day at Atlanta Dragway, advancing to the semifinals of the 25th annual Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals. Johnson's third-place showing, which was his sixth semifinal finish in the first seven races, allowed the six-time Pro Stock champion to extend his lead in the POWERade Championship battle to 118 points over David Connolly.

Starting from the No. 1 position, Johnson looked to score his third win of the year in front of his hometown fans. Regrettably, the start of final eliminations was delayed by rain for over four hours, producing a completely new tuning scenario. This mattered little to Johnson, as in the first round, he was the beneficiary of Kenny Koretsky's red-light start, punctuating the win with the quickest pass of the opening stanza at 6.764-seconds.

Although another lengthy rain delay pushed the on-track activities into the early evening, WJ extended his elimination round win streak to six, using a 6.786-second, 203.40 mph pass to trailer veteran Larry Morgan in the second round. This set the stage for a semi-final encounter against former employee Greg Anderson.

With Anderson gaining lane choice for their meeting by three thousandths of a second, Johnson found himself running in the left lane. Unfortunately, WJ's chances for his fourth final round of the 2005 season ended in the first sixty feet, as his mount spun the tires violently at the hit of the throttle, slowing him to a 6.846-second pass, and putting an early end to his day.

Despite the initial disappointment, Johnson realized it had been another good outing for the Sugar Hill, GA-based team. In addition, he was able to reach another milestone, as his 204.54 mph top speed in qualifying was the fastest of the event, marking the 200th time "The Professor" had accomplished this feat in his career, which is the most by any professional driver in NHRA history.

"We had a good day at the office, but it could have been a great one. After making good runs throughout the weekend, we simply didn't get a hold of the racetrack in the semifinals. It blew the tires off at the hit. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the GM Performance Parts Pontiac, we were just off in the set-up in the early part of the track.

"The surface was a little slick, but down track it was fine. In fact, we outran him (Anderson) by almost two hundredths from the 330 foot mark on - we just couldn't overcome our sixty-foot time. Who knows, maybe we needed a little wedge and an air pressure adjustment!

"But, still, in the big picture, we extended our lead over second place, so it was still a productive weekend. We'll head to Columbus and see if we can do even better."

KJ's Consistent ACDelco Cobalt Races to Atlanta Semifinals

Contact: Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.

For the second consecutive race Kurt Johnson had a good outing with his ACDelco Cobalt, advancing to the semifinals of the Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals in Commerce, GA. In a day where rain delayed eliminations twice for a total of six hours, Johnson and his crew made the best of the situation, combining a solid driving performance by Johnson with a consistent race car.

In the first round, KJ squared off against No. 3 qualifier Ron Krisher in the first-ever elimination round meeting of Chevrolet Cobalts in Pro Stock competition. Johnson gained the advantage at the starting line and never looked back, using a 6.791-second, 202.91 mph run to edge Krisher's 6.793--second, 203.03 mph effort.

Johnson continued his success in the second round, combining a .026 reaction time with his quickest pass of the weekend at 6.783-seconds to eliminate Mike Edwards. The final obstacle standing between KJ and his first final round of the season was rival Jason Line, who had the advantage of lane choice.

Just as he had all day, Johnson delivered a consistent pass, powering through the quarter-mile in 6.786-seconds with a top speed of 203.00 mph. Unfortunately, it was not enough to hold off Line's 6.756-second run. Johnson's solid outing did allow him to climb into the fifth position in the POWERade Championship standings.

"We had tested different things in qualifying trying to get a better handle on the car, and the information we gathered allowed us to race pretty effectively today. We made some changes going into eliminations based on that data, and it paid off. We had been worried about getting the car down a good racetrack, and as cool as it was on the starting line, our ACDelco Cobalt really performed well. That makes us a little less nervous going into places like Chicago, which can have killer track conditions.

"It's still not where it needs to be, because it's spinning the tires down track. We'll have to fix that and get it to hook up to the racetrack. Even so, we're pretty pleased. I drove well, and we moved up a couple spots in the points. We have now won as many round wins with this new car in two races as we had in the first five. We'll take what we did today and try to pick it up a little more in Columbus."

Monday, May 16, 2005

Cruz Pedregon Advances to Semifinals

Advance Auto Parts Nitro Funny Car To Fourth of 2005

Commerce, GA. (May 16, 2005) - Cruz Pedregon, driver of the Advance Auto Parts Nitro Funny Car, advanced to his fourth semifinal of the 2005 season during today's NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.

The rain delay did not slow down Pedregon, who posted a solid semifinal run of 4.856-second elapsed time at 318.17 mph. Pedregon barely missed the finals as he ran into a strong John Force who clicked-off a 4.842-second pass at 323.74 mph.

"I am very happy with the way this team recovers from qualifying sessions and puts on a strong show during final eliminations," said Pedregon. "We're running against very strong teams like Scelzi's, Worsham's and Force's and putting in a good fight. Today, we had a great side by side race with Force. I think we gave it a very good shot but came up a little short.

"Wes Cerny (Crew Chief) put in a new fuel system and the car has really responded well," Pedregon added.
"The elapsed times got progressively better: 4.92, 4.88 and 4.85. I know we're headed in the right direction."

Pedregon defeated Gary Scelzi in round two, after posting a 4.882-second elapsed time at 315.78 mph and Del Worsham in round one with a 4.926-second elapsed time at 298.14.

Today's semifinal placed Pedregon in fourth for the NHRA Nitro Funny Car championship with 435 points.

-PedregonRacing.com-

Public Relations Contact:
Alti Perea, Cox Marketing Group
David Harris, Cox Marketing Group

SCELZI'S DRAMATIC DAY ENDS IN SECOND ROUND IN ATLANTA

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus

COMMERCE, Ga. (May 15, 2005) - Gary Scelzi's dramatic day at the NHRA Southern Nationals ended in the quarterfinal today when he lost to Cruz Pedregon. The fact that the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Stratus Funny Car even made it down the track in 4.917 seconds at 304.05 mph to Pedregon's winning 4.882/315.78 was testament to crew chief Mike Neff and his band of warriors who put the car back together following an explosion in a winning first round against Richard Hartman.

Scelzi won the opener with a 7.425/112.64 pass to Hartman's 9.017/126.80, but a burst of fire in the car at half-track demolished a number of valuable components, which had to be replaced before the second round match-up. As the team scurried to replace the damaged parts, a welcome rain shower provided some breathing space. Following five warm-ups to set the rpm readings, the team was back on the starting line in the first Funny Car match-up after the rain stopped.

The Fresno, Calif., native launched first off the line with a .072 reaction time to Pedregon's .082. It was close, but a failing cylinder pulled Scelzi to the wall, and his day was over, as Pedregon edged him out at the finish line by .0256 of a second.

"It didn't do what it wanted to do, obviously," said a disappointed Scelzi. "We had to change superchargers, fuel pumps, we had problems with the computer. We had a lot of things that we had to change after that explosion. It shook, I pedaled it, and for whatever reason the bottom of the fuel pump suction broke off, it went lean, and all the fuel ignited when it banged the supercharger. We had a lot of havoc here.

"It was a pretty big effort to drag the Mopar/Oakley Dodge back up there and run as well as it did. It dropped a hole (cylinder) down there a little ways. It was driving over to the wall and I had to click it. I clicked it a little early, but Cruz was running pretty well.

"It was one of those unfortunate things, but we'll be OK. We'll get everything straightened out this week and pull into Columbus (Ohio) as good as we've ever been."

Scelzi is now fifth in the point standings, with 428 points.

Next up is the Pontiac Performance NHRA Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, May 20-22, 2005.

Ellis and G2/S&S Buell to quarterfinals

G SQUARED MOTORSPORTS
OWNERS: GEORGE BRYCE & GEORGE SMITH

NHRA POWERADE DRAG RACING SERIES
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: G SQUARED S&S BUELL
RIDER: CHIP ELLIS

MEDIA CONTACT: Mickey Schultz

Qualified: 7.159 seconds at 184.65 mph (# 5)
Eliminations:
Round 1: Ellis (7.149/183.00) def. Steve Johnson (7.248/185.05)
Round 2: Ellis (7.366/174.30) lost to Chris Rivas (7.184/180.67)

COMMERCE, Ga. (May 15, 2005) - After a rain delay of four hours and five minutes, eliminations for the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals presented by Pontiac got underway on Sunday at Atlanta Dragway.

In the opening round, Chip Ellis, aboard the G Squared/S&S Buell, turned back the POWERade point leader entering this event, Steve Johnson. Ellis covered the quarter-mile in 7.149 seconds.

After the opening round, the rains returned and racing was delayed for an additional 2 hours and 10 minutes. Racing resumed at about 7 o'clock under sunny skies.

The quarterfinals found the G Squared/S&S-powered Buell of Ellis matched against the G Squared-built, S&S-powered Buell of Chris Rivas.

>From start to finish it was all Rivas on the Mohegan Sun Buell. Rivas recorded a run of 7.184 seconds at 180.67 mph to 7.366 seconds at 174.30 mph for Ellis.

"I thought we were ready, but this weekend proved that the G Squared team isn't ready yet to perform with the consistency to win," said George Smith, who along with George Bryce own G Squared Motorsports. "We'll go back to Americus (Georgia) and review all the data from this weekend and have a plan ready for Columbus."

The Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals was the first of five races in seven weeks for the Pro Stock Motorcycles. Next up is the Pontiac Performance Nationals at National Trail Raceway near Columbus, Ohio, next weekend (May 19-22). After two weeks off, the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series then begins back-to-back-to-back races in Joliet, Ill. (June 9-12), Englishtown, N.J. (June 16-19) and St. Louis (June 24-26).

TELEVISION: A repeat of the same day coverage of eliminations can be seen on ESPN2 early Monday morning, May 16, from 2 until 3:30 a.m. Television time is EASTERN TIME (ET) and subject to change at anytime. Check local listings.

RICHIE STEVENS OUT IN OPENING ROUND IN ATLANTA

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus

COMMERCE, Ga. (May 15, 2005) - Following a four-hour rain delay today, which included track drying and preparation, eliminations began at 3:05 p.m. for the NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.

Lane choice for the Pro Stock class was a gamble, in particular for the first pair out after Top Fuel and Funny Cars completed their runs. Richie Stevens was in that pairing in the Team Mopar/Valspar HEMI-powered Dodge Stratus Pro Stock versus Larry Morgan.

Stevens had earned lane choice by qualifying No. 8 and selected the right lane. That choice may have bit him, as he had a tough time getting the car hooked up to the finish, losing to Morgan's 6.796/202.76 with a 6.853/201.49 pass. The margin of victory was .1101 of a second.

"Every time I pulled the gears, it broke loose and started shaking," said Stevens. "In second gear, third, fourth and even in high gear. As soon as I pulled fifth gear it broke loose.

"We made four good runs in qualifying and never had a problem. I'm not going to put the full blame on the lanes, but Rickie Smith was right behind us in that lane and he said his car did the same thing, pretty much. He just lifted. I stayed in it, like a fool, I guess, but I made it down the track, and Rickie didn't (7.892/128.76).

"Being the first pair down isn't always the best deal, and it definitely wasn't our day today."

Stevens remains in eighth place in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Pro Stock point standings, with 330 points.

BAZEMORE LOSES TO FORCE IN FIRST ROUND; DROPS TO SECOND IN POINTS

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus

COMMERCE, Ga. (May 15, 2005) - It was the match-up of the weekend. The top two in Funny Car points faced each other in the first round of eliminations at the Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway. Whit Bazemore was 58 points ahead of Force coming into this weekend. The winner of this round would either make a strong jump in the points lead or be on his way to taking over the lead.

No. 5 qualifier John Force won the contest with a 4.919-second elapsed time at 308.00 mph, while Bazemore, who had qualified 12th in the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus R/T, smoked the tires in the less desirable left lane after nailing a .054 reaction time to Force's .093, posting a losing 7.759-second ET at 118.69 mph.

Force went on to win the event, which dropped Bazemore into second in the standings, 24 points behind. Runner-up Robert Hight took over third, with 454 points.

"We just smoked the tires," said Bazemore. "We can't blame anybody but ourselves. It's a very tough defeat. We had four hundredths (of a second) on him at the starting line, so we only had to run a 4.96 or something close and we didn't. We smoked the tires, so we got beat.

"It was really frustrating, because we went down the track in the heat all weekend. We had a freak mechanical thing last night that held us back in qualifying for our final position.

"I wanted this, I really did. It's a championship, you've got to make or break your own deal.

"I wanted it, I was ready for it. This is what I've always wanted, to race that guy. I wish we could race him in the first round all the time, even though it looks like we have a bad record against him (9-39). It's how I am. It's a challenge and it's why I race. We just didn't get the job done as a team, but we have a great team and we will get it done."

CAPPS TAKES BACKUP BRUT CAR TO SEMIS IN ATLANTA

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus

COMMERCE, Ga. (May 15, 2005) - Ron Capps took the Brut Dodge Stratus backup Funny Car through two strong rounds today in the NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway before landing in the semifinal round.

He first dismissed Bob Gilbertson in the opening round, with a 4.856/319.37, then Eric Medlen in the second round with a 4.797/320.66, while also brushing the wall after the finish line.

In the semifinal round he faced Robert Hight, but smoked the tires early, losing with a 9.861/96.71 to Hight's 4.798/323.74.

Why the backup car? The answer is simple:

"We pulled out the backup car on Monday after Bristol (two weekends ago)," explained Capps, who qualified No. 2 here in this car. "And on the first lap it ran a 4.81. So the team loaded everything up and ran back to Murph McKinney's (chassis shop). We took our primary car back there and, sure enough, we discovered it was bent.

"It explains why Ace was really fighting the car and it wasn't reacting to the changes he was making, which was really frustrating for him.

"So, basically this weekend has been like starting the season over for us. Ace had to learn this car a little bit, and obviously it showed. It reacted to his changes this weekend, initially with the 4.785 in qualifying, and the .85 in the first round. He then stepped it up and we ran a 4.79 in the second round. We're really excited now for the next eight races.

"Everything worked out well," he added. "I've always done well here in Atlanta. I've been to three final rounds. I felt like we were going to have a good weekend when we ran a .78 Saturday night.

"Those two runs were under very hot and humid conditions. In these next eight races 90 percent of them will have conditions like that. And we're encouraged about having that baseline that Ace had today, especially in the humidity in the middle of the day. There were a lot of positive things to come out of this weekend."

As for the semifinal round: "I'm not sure what happened. Ace is trying to figure out why. It shouldn't have smoked the tires like that. Everything on the computer pretty much looks normal. I'm sure after a couple of hours of looking they'll figure out what happened."

When Capps brushed the wall in the second round against Medlen, it was a a combination of the sun setting in the eyes of the drivers and his parachute levers.

"The parachute levers on all these Schumacher Dodges are mounted by the brake handle on the tinwork instead of being mounted up high, as in other Funny Cars," said Capps. "When they're mounted up high you have to lengthen your arm restraints. They're mounted very nicely, but the brackets had twisted and broke. I hit the parachutes and the two levers split the brake handle.

"I tried to keep it off the wall, not hurt Eric in the other lane and I was looking down trying to get my parachutes unwrapped from my brake handle and at the same time trying to get the car stopped. It just took a little bit of my attention away from watching where I was going, and I just brushed up against the wall. The header took most of the brunt. It just touched the body, and we ran it again.

"The sun was just setting in that round against Medlen. I didn't see the tree. I ran the quickest run of the day (up to that point) and I didn't see a thing. I mean I could barely see the wall. There was such a glare coming right at you. I asked who won. I thought Eric had won. I really did. To be honest with you, neither of us could see down there. It was the perfect time of the day when the sun happened to be setting down at the end of the track.

"And with all the other stuff going on, it didn't help."

Capps moves into seventh in the Funny Car point standings, with 371 points, 118 out of first, and 57 out of fifth.

Next up is the Pontiac Performance Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, on May 20-22.

POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES FUNNY CAR POINTS:
1. John Force, 489 (winner today)
2. Whit Bazemore, 465
3. Robert Hight, 454
4. Cruz Pedregon, 445
5. Gary Scelzi, 428
6. Tommy Johnson Jr., 375
7. Ron Capps, 371
8. Eric Medlen, 360

Tatum Has Stellar Day at NHRA Southern Nationals

David Tatum III (Palmetto, GA) had a great day! He won Super Gas and was runner-up in Super Comp at the NHRA Southern Nationals. Congratulations, David!

Kalitta, Force, Anderson and Tonglet Pro Winners at the NHRA POWERade Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals presented by Pontiac

Doug Kalitta defeated David Baca (4.567 @ 325.69 to 4.851 @ 232.39) in the Top Fuel final for his 22nd career win. The final rounds were held just after 10 PM due to rain delays in the morning and then again after the first round. Tony Schumacher had Low ET at 4.524 and Brandon Bernstein set Top Speed at 329.34 MPH (new track record).

John Force returned to his winning ways in Atlanta, picking up his 116th career Funny Car title by defeating his son-in-law Robert Hight in the final (4.772 @ 325.61 to 4.796 @ 323.04). Force's 4.772 in the final was Low ET and Gary Scelzi set Top Speed at 326.87 mph. Force took over the Championship points lead by defeating Whit Bazemore in the first round and winning the event. Force now leads Bazemore by 24 points and Hight is in third place 11 points behind Bazemore.

Greg Anderson won Pro Stock for the first time in 2005 after dominating the last two years by defeating team mate Jason Line in the final. Both ran 6.781 seconds, but Anderson had a .011 better reation time. Anderson defeated Warren Johnson in the semi-finals while Line defeated Kurt Johnson. Line had Low ET at 6.745 (new track record) and WJ had Top Speed at 204.54 (new track record).

GT Tonglet won Pro Stock Bike on the Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson defeating Chris Rivas in the final(7.106 @ 186.30 to 7.249 @ 184.67). Tonglet now leads the points for the first time in his career. Tonglet had Low ET at 7.081 (new track record) and Antron Brown set Top Speed at 189.95 mph. Chip Ellis went down in round two to Rivas.

Top Alcohol Dragster was won by Rich McPhillips. McPhillips singled in the final (5.808 @ 186.23) after Karen Benkovich broke before staging. Guy Kelly set Low ET at 5.414 and Marty Thacker set Top Speed at 264.03 mph.

Frank Manzo dominated Top Alcohol Funny Car. Manzo qualified #1, set Low ET (5.578) and Top Speed (258.71 mph) and singled to a final round win. Bobby Martin broke before staging.

Michael Tueffel defeated Scott Stillings for the Super Stock title and Mark Faul beat Tex Miller for Stock title. Bill Gibson won the Top Sportsman Dart Dash over Todd Drummond.

David Tatum III (Palmetto, GA) had a great day! He won Super Gas and was runner-up in Super Comp. Super Comp was won by Todd Senseney. Tatum defeated Ray Sawyer in the Super Gas final. Tony Fuller won Super Street over Jeff Blardininelli.

NHRA Recap

NHRA Southern Nationals Photos

Sunday, May 15, 2005

SCELZI NAILS HIS SECOND POLE OF THE SEASON IN ATLANTA

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus

COMMERCE, Ga. (May 14, 2005) - Demonstrating once again that he drives arguably the best Funny Car on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series circuit, Gary Scelzi captured his second pole position of the season, his fifth in the Funny Car class, and his 38th overall, in the final qualifying session for the NHRA Southern Nationals today.

This also marked his second No. 1 qualifying position in the last three races, driving the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car for Don Schumacher Racing to a 4.782-second pass at 326.87 mph.

After three qualifying sessions, a thunderstorm blew through the area, delaying the running of a fourth and final session for two and a half hours. If that last run had been washed out, Scelzi would have faced his teammate Ron Capps in the first round of eliminations on Sunday, not a prospect either driver or Scelzi's crew chief Mike Neff were looking forward to.

Fortunately, the skies cleared, and Scelzi blasted to No. 1, while Capps grabbed the No. 2 spot.

"We were talking how we didn't really want to race Capps in the first round," said Scelzi. "They kept saying it was going to clear, but we didn't know for how long, there could be another storm brewing up. So Neff said, 'You know what, we're going to go for the pole. We're going to try to get after this thing.'

"When the weather changes this drastically sometimes you want to make a head-gasket change and things like that, but Mike said we'll be all right. We'll just make a blower change and a timing change and we'll be OK. At least three times we changed the timing and the clutch flows and everything on the way up [to the line]. It got down to the last minute, and then Tommy Johnson goes down and runs a .78. [Neff] went in there for one final trip to change the timers. I said, Oh, God, this thing is either going to make it or not and right about 1.2 or 1 second into the run it just did a quick rattle and it went right through it, and made it.

"I honestly did not think [that ET] was going to hold, because everybody saw what was going on behind us and I thought everybody knew the game. They were just going to open everything up and go on.

"What it's going to be like tomorrow, who knows, but you had to take a shot. We're going to be fine. Our tune-up is very similar to Capps' and (teammate Whit) Bazemore's. They're all pretty close.

"On Sunday the best car doesn't always win," he said. "Tomorrow is a whole different ballgame. It could be hot and slippery. I think we've got a very good car, as good as anybody else's, but are we going to be lucky tomorrow? I don't know. Or are we going to make our own luck?

"Stay tuned next week, folks, and see if our super-hero can do it again," said Scelzi, winner two weeks ago at Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway.

Scelzi has never spared praise for his crew chief. "I'm not surprised by anything that Mike Neff is doing. We're awful close. I don't want to say I was right, but when I first started with Mike Neff I said everyone was going to know this name. Before it's all said and done you're going to know who Mike 'Zippy' Neff is. And I think it didn't take long for everybody to catch on and find out who he is. He's become a household name here and I'm awful proud of him and the guys who work on the Mopar/Oakley Dodge."

Scelzi faces No. 16 qualifier Richard Hartman in first round of eliminations on Sunday.

BAZEMORE NO. 12 IN ATLANTA QUALIFYING

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus

COMMERCE, Ga. (May 14, 2005) - Whit Bazemore wasn't able to hang onto the No. 1 qualifying spot he earned in the first qualifying session yesterday through three more sessions, and ended up in No. 12 following today's final session for the Southern Nationals, which was delayed for two and a half hours due to rain.

Driving the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus Funny Car, Bazemore first posted a 4.953/313.73 lap on Friday, followed by a 4.917/318.17 Friday evening. In today's first session he ran a 4.946/313.58, which was good for No. 7. But, under cooler conditions in the final pass, his 5.312/225.03 dropped him down to 12th.

"Tonight is just a showcase of letting it all hang out and we were certainly doing that," he said. "We had a cylinder that didn't fire on the starting line. We knew we were going to have a problem at that point. I thought it might improve on what we had run until I got down past half track and realized it wasn't.

"The positive is that the effort that the Matco Tools team made with all the testing we did in Bristol has certainly paid off with the results that we had in the heat of the day. That's what is the most important because we're not going to be racing this race at night. We're going to be racing it in the heat of the day tomorrow. That's where we've done fairly well so far this weekend.

"We had a couple of gremlins that kept us from our full potential last night. We just missed it. We feel like we left an awful lot on the table.

"The way the car ran in the heat during the day in the two sessions we had in the sun was very very positive. It's still very safe. Our goal was to go down the race track and up, and we did. And we're far from the edge. I think that bodes well for our race-day setup."

Funny Car points leader Bazemore faces his nemesis (and second in points) John Force in the first round of eliminations on Sunday. This race should not be missed!

CAPPS GRABS NO. 2 IN ATLANTA QUALIFYING

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus

COMMERCE, Ga. (May 14, 2005) - Ron Capps, driving the Brut Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car, claimed his best starting position of the year today at the NHRA Southern Nationals, posting a solid 4.785/321.04 pass in the final session, which was good for No. 1 until his teammate Gary Scelzi surpassed it by three thousandths of a second, relegating him to No. 2.

There was only a slight disappointment in the Brut camp, as Capps had been No. 12 going into that round, which was delayed for two and a half hours because of rain.

"We feel like Scelzi and Zippy (Scelzi's crew chief Mike Neff) rained a little bit on our parade," he smiled. "But, seriously, we're tickled. No, I'm a Brut guy, I can't be tickled. We're happy. Ace (crew chief Ed McCulloch) and (co-crew chief Dan) Olson predicted we would run a low. 80 and because I'm a driver I put a little extra into it and squeezed that .81 into a .78.

"It's a great effort. It was cool because it was nice that we got the track dried. The NHRA's Safety Safari did a great job. I figured the fans all were gone. I did the burnout, I looked out there and the stands were still packed. It was good to give those guys a show and put the Schumacher cars 1 and 2."

Capps faces Bob Gilbertson in first round of eliminations on Sunday.

Capps' crew chief Ed McCulloch has a successful history at Atlanta Dragway. He is second only to John Force in victories at this track as a Funny Car driver. Force has won six times here, Ace three times (1990, 1988, 1986).

Did his history at this track as a driver help him as a crew chief? "There really is nothing to relate to," he said. "Things have changed so much over the years since I was driving. But to be able to come to a race track where you've had success you always think, way down deep inside, that maybe you could do pretty well here.

"We've been working on this. We made some changes after we stayed in Bristol and tested and we made some changes, and the changes that we made deleted all the information that we've been gaining all year long. We came here after the couple of runs of testing and we sort of started from scratch, so we've been searching.

"Our combination is good and it's going to be good," he added.

Ellis aboard the G2/S&S Buell No. 5 at Atlanta

Session 1 Friday: 7.213 seconds at 187.03 mph (# 3)
Session 2 Friday: 7.159 seconds at 184.65 mph (# 4)
Session 1 Saturday: 7.267 seconds at 179.97 mph (# 5)
Session 2 Saturday: 7.186 seconds at 184.22 mph (# 5)

COMMERCE, Ga. (May 14, 2005) - Chip Ellis, aboard the G Squared/S&S Buell, finished No. 5 as qualifying ended for the Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals presented by Pontiac.

Ellis' best of four qualifying runs down the Atlanta Dragway quarter-mile was 7.159 seconds at 184.65 mph. In tomorrow's eliminations, the Americus, Ga., driver will face POWERade Pro Stock Motorcycle point leader Steve Johnson in the opening round as Ellis goes for his first win of 2005.

"Our times during qualifying were a good start for how conditions are going to be tomorrow. We feel ready for tomorrow. We tested before we got here and based on our testing and the conditions here Big George (Smith), Little George (Bryce) and Ken Johnson have given me a good bike to compete with during eliminations. I need to ride good and turn the win light on four times, one round at a time," said Ellis.

His G Squared team owners, George Bryce and George Smith, know something about winning.

As an owner and rider, George Bryce has accumulated 67 national event wins -- 33 with the late, great, three-time series champion John Myers, 28 with three-time series champion Angelle Sampey, one each with Fred Collis and Chip Ellis, two for himself as a rider and two as a crew chief for Reggie Showers.

"It takes preparation to be a winner," said Bryce. "You can just come to the race track and hope to do well. All our wins come from being more prepared than the other teams. You've got to have the right people. You've got to have the right equipment. You've got to have luck. Our definition of luck is when opportunity and preparation come together."

George and Jackie Bryce's seven year-old daughter, Julie, already know that Chip Ellis is a winner. She says, "I've been coming to the track with my mommy and my daddy since I was six-weeks-old. I think Chip (Ellis) is a great guy and a great racer. To me he is a winner every day."

George Smith served as S&S Cycle president and vice president of research and development and engineering until 1993. In 1995, Smith formed Hubba-Hubba Racing which has since evolved into a consulting firm in which Smith has coordinated the S&S Street Pro and Pro Stock projects.

Smith has accomplished much during his storied career. Notable among his drag racing accomplishments was putting together the Harley bike and team that broke the 200 mph barrier in 1995. During the same period, Smith also devoted time to running the Bonneville Salt Flats.

"To be a winner takes a total commitment to excel," said George Smith as he reflected on what it takes to be a winner. "You must practice and prepare and then execute. On this team, Chip Ellis is a winner. So are the guys like Ken Johnson and guys from S&S Cycle that ready the G Squared/S&S Buell. This team has a commitment to win and we have made significant inroads toward our goals to be the best in the sport."

This event is the first of five in seven weeks. Upon the conclusion of the Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals, the Pro Stock Motorcycles move to Columbus, Ohio, next weekend. After two weeks off, the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series then begins back-to-back-to-back races in Joliet, Ill. (June 9-12), Englishtown, N.J. (June 16-19) and St. Louis (June 24-26).

ELIMINATIONS: With Smith, Bryce and Ken Johnson calling the tuning set up, Ellis begins his quest for the Pro Stock Motorcycle title on Sunday with eliminations for all classes beginning at 11 a.m. All times are EASTERN TIME (ET) and subject to change at anytime.

TELEVISION: Qualifying highlights for the 25th annual Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals can be seen on ESPN2 this evening (May 14) from 7-9 p.m. ESPN2 will also air same-day television coverage of eliminations from 7 until 10 p.m. on Sunday evening (May 15). The elimination show repeats on ESPN2 early Monday morning, May 16, from 2 until 3:30 a.m. Television times are EASTERN TIME (ET) and subject to change at anytime. Check local listings.

G SQUARED MOTORSPORTS: When Harley Davidson accelerated their effort in NHRA, S&S Cycle decided in 2002 to join the battle. Because of his vast R&D experience, coupled with his racing background, S&S asked George Smith to head their project to field a competitive S&S V-Twin bike on the NHRA circuit. Smith immediately asked George Bryce, who had been working with S&S Cycle on a similar project, to join the new endeavor and G Squared Motorsports was formed in 2003. Both Smith and Bryce knew if they collaborated on the project, joining the resources, knowledge and talents of S&S and Star Racing, they could produce a competitive bike to race in Pro Stock Motorcycle competition on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. The G Squared/S&S-powered V-Twin Buell debuted in 2004.

FURNISHED BY:
G SQUARED MOTORSPORTS
OWNERS: GEORGE BRYCE & GEORGE SMITH
DISTRIBUTED HERE BY:
Jerry Battle

Tony Pedregon Qualifies Fourth in Atlanta

'Q' Racing Driver Will Face Wilkerson in Round One

COMMERCE, Ga. (May 14, 2005) - With heavy rain delaying today's fourth qualifying session of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals, Tony Pedregon and the 'Q' Racing Nitro Funny Car will go into Sunday's eliminations in the fourth slot.

Pedregon, the 2003 NHRA Funny Car Champion, poured it on during the third and final qualifying session, clocking a 4.796-second lap at 303.37 mph. This qualifying pass gave Pedregon and his 'Q' Racing team a chance to test a new clutch and fuel system combination.

"We're very pleased with the results," said Pedregon. "We knew they looked good on paper, but now we know they work on track as well. The conditions improved after rain cooled off the track, but we feel confident the car would have run well in any condition. Dickie (Venables) and the crew will adapt to any track or weather changes we may encounter tomorrow."

Final Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. (ET). Pedregon will line up against Tim Wilkerson for round one tomorrow.

PedregonRacing.com

Public Relations Contact:
Alti Perea, Cox Marketing Group
David Harris, Cox Marketing Group

Cruz Pedregon Ready for Sunday’s Finals

Driver of Advance Auto Parts Ready to Grab More Points

Commerce, Ga. (May 14, 2005) - Veteran Cruz Pedregon finished off qualifying by driving the Advance Auto Parts Nitro Funny Car to the No. 9 position Saturday at Atlanta Dragway.

Thunderstorms in the Atlanta area delayed the NHRA Southern Nationals. Pedregon staged a conservative run with a 4.881-second elapsed time at 318.77 mph.

"We were not going for the pole," said Pedregon. "We wanted to get the car down the track and make sure we qualified for tomorrow. "There have been some minor issues we've had to fix and Wes Cerny (crew chief) and I are confident we'll be ready for tomorrow. We have bettered with each race and we'd like to do the same Sunday."

The 1992 NHRA Funny Car champion is looking forward to acquiring more points during Sunday’s eliminations. Pedregon actually sits in third of NHRA Funny Car point standings.

Pedregon will face off against No. 8 qualifier Del Worsham. Final Eliminations will start Sunday, May 15 at 11:00 a.m. All times Eastern.

PedregonRacing.com

Public Relations Contact:
Alti Perea, Cox Marketing Group
David Harris, Cox Marketing Group