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NHRA Lucas Oil Alcohol Funny Car champ Frank Manzo
by Todd Veney, National DRAGSTER
12/27/2002
 Frank Manzo
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Maybe the truest measure of Frank Manzo's unquestioned rule since 1997 is that his 42-4 win-loss record this season is his worst in years, and he still won the championship in a landslide. The only thing he didn't do was have another perfect season.
"What am I going to say?" Manzo asked. "That I didn't have a great year? I did. I cherish every one of these [championships] because I know how hard they are to get."
Manzo won the title for the eighth time in his illustrious career and for the sixth year in a row. Only immortals John Force (12) and Bob Glidden (10) have more, and only Force has more consecutively (10).
Though he won "just" nine races that counted for points in 2002, Manzo dominated as thoroughly as he ever has, winning his 48th, 49th, 50th, and 51st national events, tying the quickest e.t. in Top Alcohol Funny Car history (5.549), and just missing his first 260-mph time slip. He won by nearly 100 points, a wider margin than the spread between any of the other drivers in the top 10.
In Division 1, one of the toughest divisions in the country, if not the toughest, Manzo's Kendall/Superwinch Dodge swept everything from the Maple Grove opener to Englishtown. He not only won six times, he did it in six attempts, including at the Atco, N.J., race, which counted only for out-of-division points and was not included in his total.
"We ran well when we needed to, I drove well when I needed to, and guys slowed down against me when I needed them to," Manzo said.
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The highlight of his season and perhaps of his unparalleled career came Sept. 2 at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, and not just because it's the most important race or because he won it for the third year in a row. The victory was the 50th of his career, and it came the day he turned 50 years old. "Getting my 50th win on my 50th birthday is something I'll never forget," he said.
Manzo also won Gainesville and Reading, but it was his close semifinal losses to pal Jay Payne in Atlanta and Chicago and his narrow loss to Marc White in the Columbus final that will keep him going all winter. "I really would have liked to close the season with another win in Chicago," said Manzo, who scored last season in his only other appearance there. "Our goal was to put together another perfect 10-win season. It didn't happen, but it should have. I made the mistake of trying to run too hard and almost moved Chicago closer to New Jersey when I left the starting line."
Manzo will have to be content with another 10 victories (including the Division 1 race in Atco that didn't count for points) and 42 wins in 46 rounds, but he is who he is because he is never content and because he, like John Force, takes nothing for granted.
"Every year, more and more racers come at me," Manzo said. "NHRA is leaving the rules alone now, and everybody can fine-tune their combinations; that makes closer competition. Next year is going to be a wide-open deal.
"I'm not going to name names," he said. "I'm not going to say who I think is going to be tough because if I say Bucky Austin and don't say Bob Newberry, Bob might get mad at me. If I say Bucky or Bob but forget to say Steve Gasparrelli, then Gasparrelli could be mad. So I'm not going to say. Things can turn around so fast anyway. Let's say Gasparrelli won another race or two this year and I faltered somewhere along the line. Guess what? Then people are asking, 'Frank, how does it feel to be second?' "
What car Manzo will drive next year, what kind of body will be on it, and what sponsor will be showcased on television when he wins his next race has yet to be determined. He is contemplating retirement, but, of course, he does that every year.
"I don't know what I'm going to do," said Manzo, who recently sold his championship-winning Avenger to Boston Super Comp racer Jay Blake. "Usually, I get excited when I stand on the line between the cars, but I went out to Pomona for the Finals this year and stood up there between them, and I didn't get that tingle. I'm not mad at NHRA or anybody else. And I don't want to say I'm retiring and then show up in Gainesville. I really don't know what I'm going to do next year. For now, I'll just sit home and appreciate what we did this year."
Manzo's 2002 track record 829 points | |
| Mac Tools NHRA Gatornationals | Won event |
| Matco Tools SuperNationals | Won event |
| Maple Grove Raceway (Div. 1) | Won event |
| U.S. 13 Dragway (Div. 1) | Won event |
| Pontiac Excitement NHRA Nationals | Runner-up |
| Lebanon Valley Dragway (Div. 1) | Won event |
| Numidia Raceway (Div. 1) | Won event |
| Old Bridge Township Raceway Park (Div. 1) | Won event |
| Mac Tools U.S. Nationals | Won event |
| Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals | Won event |
Return to 2002 Sportsman News Archive