NHRA News: Chase for Top Fuel title should be intense (2/17/2004)

Chase for Top Fuel title should be intense

2/17/2004

"I think it is going to be the most exciting year Top Fuel has seen in a long time."
– Tony Schumacher

Larry Dixon is the two-time defending NHRA POWERade Top Fuel champion. He has been in the No. 1 spot following all but one race during the last two championship seasons. Over that time, the driver of Don "the Snake" Prudhomme's Miller Lite dragster has earned an astonishing 17 wins in 27 final rounds.

If Dixon can defend his title in 2004 and earn a third successive Top Fuel title, he will join legend Joe Amato (1990-'92) as the only Top Fuel driver in NHRA history to win three consecutive season championships. But a full compliment of talented drivers and strong race teams, which many consider the strongest pool in years, has every intention of making sure Dixon won't join Amato in the record books.

Although everyone involved has their own ideas of how the race for the big gold Wally will evolve, the only thing the drivers themselves agree on is judging the level of competition they'll face throughout the 2004 season. It's high, and it could be very tricky to win multiple races this season.

Top Fuel will start its championship battle at the 44th annual K&N Filters Winternationals, Feb. 19-22, at Pomona Raceway. The $2 million race is the first of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Dixon will be going for his third title in a row
in Don Pruhomme's Miller Lite dragster.
Racers Edge Photography

"The championship always goes to the team that wins the most rounds and is the most prepared," Dixon said. "I think everybody on our team works hard toward keeping that goal. Time will tell if we're prepared or not. I don't think there is anything owed to us. You've got to go out and work hard for every round win.

"I want and hope to qualify for the Winternationals. At this point, everybody is tied for first place. It's a clean sheet of paper now. Unless NHRA is going to offer provisionals, we've got to go out and earn our keep."

There were five different winners in Top Fuel during the 2003 season. Dixon earned eight victories, while Doug Kalitta, Tony Schumacher, and Kenny Bernstein collected four wins each. Prior to his accident, Budweiser's Brandon Bernstein had three wins. The three wins helped the younger Bernstein earn the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future award even though he missed the final 15 races of the season. He suffered season-ending back injuries during a crash at Englishtown, N.J., after he picked up three victories to start the season.

Brandon said there are numerous cars that are capable of winning races in 2004.

"All of the teams such as Dixon, Tony Schumacher, and [Doug] Kalitta have excellent cars," Bernstein said. "But you also have to throw in Darrell Russell and David Baca. The Kalittas and the Schumacher teams came on real strong with their power and performance at the end of the season. It could be a dogfight this season. It's not going to be one of those beer wars between two cars. It is going to be very interesting to see how it all plays out. There are going to be a lot of cars out there that can run in the 4.40s all day long if the conditions are right.

Russell (right) congratulated Dixon on his 2003 championship. Could the reverse happen in 2004?
Racers Edge Photography

"There may be no other driver on the planet more revved up for the beginning of this season than me. We got off to a very competitive start in 2003, winning three of the first eight events, and Dad [Kenny] and the team had a strong finish, winning four out of the last five events. That's saying a whole lot for this team to be able to rally and make a comeback like that and they certainly have my respect and admiration.

"We feel we have some unfinished business. At the time of my Englishtown adventure last year, the score was three victories blue team, three victories red team. We're just hoping to start this season off as competitively, but there are lots of other sharks swimming out there along with the blue team. Nobody's going to have a cakewalk to the podium."

Schumacher not only won four races in his U.S. Army dragster, he also set the national record for elapsed time, racing through a 4.441-second pass at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa.

"I think it is going to be the most exciting year Top Fuel has seen in a long time," Schumacher said. "That's hard to say too because 1999, even though that we were the team that won (the championship), it was such a tough year. When we went to Indy there were 10 cars that could have left Indy with the points lead. That is tight and that is the kind of competition people look forward to.

"This year is going to be different. There are going to be a handful of teams that can win. In 1999 you would go out and win the race but there wasn't as many side-by-side wins as there will be this year. Last year Kalitta and I proved that you can run side-by-side in the 4.40s. This is going to be one of the most incredible seasons and inches will determine victories."

Mac Tools pilot Doug Kalitta, a runner-up to the title in 2003, has just one goal left to accomplish.

Everyone expects the Kalitta cousins to contend.
Racers Edge Photography

"We have all the pieces in place for a title run this year," Kalitta said. "Wins are great, and we want a lot of them, but anything short of winning the championship would be a let down. We have a one-track mindset for 2004."

Other drivers, like Amato's hand-picked successor, Darrell Russell, may not be getting the preseason hype of other teams. But the 2001 Rookie of the Year, who had the best numbers in preseason testing of anyone, hopes to surprise some people this year.

"We're kind of the dark horse, which is cool," Russell said. "Guys like me and Doug Herbert, Cory McClenathan, David Baca, and Dave Grubnic, we might play a bigger role in this title chase then people think.

"Without question, there were some teams running very well last year. You could put the two Kalitta cars, the two beer cars, and Schumacher in a hat and any name you pull out could be the champ. But they aren't the only cars out there. They run these races for a reason. The truth is it's too early to make any predictions. Let's wait four or five races.

"We had a great test, running a 4.52 in Phoenix, but that was one run. It'll take a season full of great runs to be a contender.

"I'd love to help Joe keep his record of three straight titles but we all know that records get broken at some point. I think it'll be difficult for Larry. It's so hard just to win one, let alone three in a row. Obviously, only one person has accomplished it so far, it's that tough to do. I will tell you this, if Larry does it, I'll be the first to shake his hand."

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