POWERADE SERIES
NATIONAL EVENTS
  2005 Schedule
  2004 Results
  2005 TV Schedule
  2004 Points Standings

LUCAS OIL SERIES
DIVISIONAL EVENTS
  2005 Schedule
  2004 Results
  2004 TV Schedule
  2004 Point Standings

TEAMS
  Driver Profiles
  Driver Fan Clubs

BECOME A MEMBER
  NHRA Membership
  Jr. DRAGSTER

INSIDE THE NHRA
  Official Sponsors
  Contingency Sponsors
  The Basics (Tutorial)
  NHRA Museum
  Hot Rod Reunions

RACING INFORMATION
  2004 Rule Revisions
  Class Indexes
  National Records
  Classification Guides
  Engine Blueprints

MULTIMEDIA
  Movies
  Photo Gallery
  Photo of the Week
  Sportsman Photos

MEMBER TRACKS
  Track Directory
  Member Track Programs

NHRA NEWSSTAND
  National DRAGSTER
  Jr. DRAGSTER

COMMERCIAL CLASSIFIEDS
  Performance Directory
  Dragmart (For Sale)

MEDIA SECTION

NHRA STORE

HELP
  Contact NHRA
  Division Directors

Brandon's testing diary  Budweiser Top Fuel pro Brandon Bernstein provides this testing diary from Tucson. Running our best pass, a 4.56 at 325 mph, this morning was a nice way to end testing. The car left hard so I knew it would be a good number if it went to the other end. It did make a move to the centerline at halftrack and again at around 1,100 feet, but it responded well both times. It might have been even quicker if it had gone perfectly straight. We're packing up and heading back to L.A. for a few days in the shop before we go to Pomona. We like the way the car is running so it'll just be a chance to reload. No big changes. I am definitely more anxious than I was last year heading into the first race. I had a little taste of Top Fuel racing in my short season and it's definitely left me wanting more. A good start would be to qualify well and win a few rounds. A great start would be to win the race. It's not a two-car race any more so we need to win early and often and get as many points stored up as possible. Our goal is the championship and I think we're capable of achieving that goal.

The annual PRO Warm-ups at Southwestern International Raceway have come to an end with Brandon Bernstein, Gary Densham, and Warren Johnson topping their respective categories. The attention of the drag racing world now shifts to the 44th annual K&N Filters Winternationals at Pomona Raceway, the traditional season opener of the POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Bernstein used a Sunday morning pass of 4.569 at 325.22 mph to lead a small contingent of Top Fuel dragsters over the weekend. Densham (pictured) powered to a 4.806 at 314.83 mph Saturday to earn low E.T. honors in Funny Car. Like Bernstein, Johnson used his last pass of the event, a 6.943 at 197.59 mph, to show the crowd his best Pro Stock run of the Warm-ups.

Sunday's blast was one of two 4.5-second passes for Bernstein and his Budweiser crew. The second-generation driver also had a 4.59 at 319 mph Saturday. Trailing close behind, 104+ Octane Boost driver Clay Millican posted a best of 4.630 at 304.05 mph during Day 2 action. The husband and wife duo of John Smith and Rhonda Hartman-Smith finally found a rhythm late Sunday with the pair posting mid-4.7 second runs in their Prestone and Fram dragster. Bill Miller Engineering pilot Brady Kalivoda also carded a sub-five second pass Sunday.

Team Force had a nice grouping in Funny Car with Densham, John Force, and rookie Eric Medlen all recording solid 4.8-second runs. Densham was the quickest with his 4.80 in the Auto Club Ford, but Force had the fastest Mustang when he reached 318 mph in the Castrol GTX hot rod.

Johnson's GM Performance Parts Pontiac Grand Am was rock-steady all weekend with a number of good passes. Fellow Pro Stock veteran Mark Pawuk also looked sharp in the Summit Pontiac.

Sunday Race Report No. 1 from the PRO Warm-ups Southwestern International Raceway in Tucson, Ariz. – Here go with day three of the PRO Warm-up. The report is that Force's three cars plan on making a couple passes before packing up and heading home to prepare for the 44th annual K&N Filters Winternationals. Brandon Bernstein is only planning one pass today while Clay Millican will make three attempts. It is 54 degrees, humidity is 22-percent, barometric pressure is 30.12 inches, and the track temperature is 76 degrees.

11:05 a.m. Gary Densham:0.875 2.316 3.308 255.73 4.129 4.829 318.84 Densham drifted toward the centerline around half track.

John Force: 0.881 2.304 3.279 255.19 4.113 4.934 251.02 Force was on a good pass and then clicked it early.

Brandon Bernstein: 0.857 2.177 3.103 271.19 3.888 4.569 325.22 Great looking pass for the young Bernstein to wrap up pre-season testing.

Mark Pawuk: 1.029 2.933 4.513 155.67 5.877 7.029 193.77 Pawuk had his chute out before the finish line.

Rhonda Hartman-Smith: 0.904 2.437 4.369 107.93 6.755 9.158 91.98 Hartman-Smith was up in smoke before she got to the 330-foot mark.

Eric Medlen: 0.889 2.429 4.220 117.93 6.374 8.561 95.39 Medlen didn't get the rear tires to turn during the burnout. He is then up in smoke before the 330-foot mark.

Brady Kalivoda: 0.870 2.232 3.206 252.52 4.059 4.902 240.81 Kalivoda was on good looking pass until the engine went away around 1,000 feet.

Warren Johnson: 1.015 2.907 4.465 157.04 5.818 6.955 197.86 Johnson was skating around right off the starting line and then got it hook up before 330 feet and blasted on through for the quickest Pro Stock pass of the weekend.

John Smith: 0.832 2.500 4.797 90.36 7.491 10.108 82.28 Smith was up in smoke right off the starting line.

Troy Critchley: 0.989 3.160 5.894 80.03 Critchley launched with the front end in the air and made a quick move toward the wall and clicked it off.

Clay Millican: 0.873 2.219 3.332 195.62 4.624 6.016 148.61 Millican launched hard and then around half track he had a big fireball. The fireball was still burning as he crossed the finish line. He is out of the car and okay.

Sunday Race Report No. 2 from the PRO Warm-ups Southwestern International Raceway in Tucson, Ariz. – Mark Pawuk's transporter just pulled out of the track. He is headed to Las Vegas to test Monday and Tuesday. It is now 61 degrees and the track temperature is 80 degrees.

1 p.m. John Force: 0.878 2.446 4.104 126.42 6.140 8.251 100.86 This is Force's last test pass before the season opener, and he said before the run he was going for low E.T. of the weekend. He starts to smoke the tires around 250 feet and pedals it one time and starts to lose traction again before he clicks it off.

Gary Densham: 0.897 0.892 2.936 5.633 79.83 8.747 12.051 62.83
Eric Medlen: 0.109 0.892 2.425 4.176 120.78 6.216 8.285 100.96 Here we go with the last of the Force Team Match Races. Densham is out of the gate first and up in smoke, and Eric makes a little farther down the track before he blisters the hides. He will coast across the finish line first and will remain undefeated against his teammates.

Rhonda Hartman-Smith: 0.855 2.195 3.221 221.20 4.364 5.599 166.93 Rhonda makes it farther down the track this time before she starts to haze the tires.

Warren Johnson: 1.016 2.901 4.454 157.28 5.805 6.943 197.59 Warren with a great looking pass and his quickest of the weekend. Warren plans on testing in Las Vegas, also.

Sunday Race Report No. 3 from the PRO Warm-ups Southwestern International Raceway in Tucson, Ariz. – This is the last report of the weekend. It is 66 degrees and the track temperature is 93 degrees.

2:35 p.m. Troy Critchley: 1.003 2.738 4.156 171.38 5.423 6.674 168.32 Critchley with a good pass and clicks it early.

Brady Kalivoda: 0.870 2.212 3.162 255.77 4.106 5.151 196.47 Kalivoda hazed the tires at half track and clicked it off.

John Smith: 0.851 2.203 3.204 233.12 4.291 5.465 175.82 Smith is up in smoke right at the transition of the track again.

Troy Critchley: 0.998 2.962 5.342 91.89 7.974 10.642 78.88 Critchley had problems early in the pass.

Rhonda Hartman-Smith: 0.867 2.232 3.203 260.41 4.021 4.740 306.46 Hartman-Smith with a nice looking pass here getting past the 330-foot mark that had been giving her trouble all weekend. She gets close to the centerline around 900 feet, but stays with it.

5:05 p.m. John Smith: 0.827 2.134 3.103 249.86 3.968 4.752 267.80 Smith launched really hard and then just past half track he started to haze the tires. He was haze the tires through the 1320, but still has his best pass of the weekend.

PRO Warm-ups Saturday report
PRO Warm-ups Friday report