NHRA News: Six drag racers make AARWBA All-America Racing Team (1/9/2004)

Six drag racers make AARWBA All-America Racing Team

By Rob Geiger, NHRA.com
1/9/2004

Tony Pedregon

Larry Dixon

POWERade champions Larry Dixon, Tony Pedregon, and Greg Anderson lead a group of six NHRA stars selected to the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association's 2003 All-America Team. The title-winning trio, along with Kenny Bernstein, Doug Kalitta, and sportsman standout Frank Manzo will be honored Saturday during the AARWBA's annual banquet in Pomona, Calif.

Drivers from seven different categories – Drag Racing, Stock Car, Open Wheel, Road Racing, Short Track, Touring Series, and At Large – are selected as either First Team, Second Team, or Honorable Mention team members. The driver receiving the most votes overall is then presented the prestigious Jerry Titus Award, recognizing the AARWBA's Driver of the Year.

This year, Dixon and Pedregon made the First Team, which includes NASCAR pros Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth; Open Wheel aces Gil de Ferran, Scott Dixon, and Paul Tracy; Road Racers Scott Pruett and Ron Fellows; Short Track stars J.J. Yeley and Steve Kinser; Touring professionals Brian Vickers and Frank Kimmel; and Mark Taylor and A.J. Allmendinger, who got in as At Large candidates.

Dixon drove his Don Prudhomme-owned Miller Lite dragster to a category-best eight victories in 13 final-round appearances en route to earning his second straight NHRA championship. His 33 career Top Fuel victories ranks fourth all-time in NHRA competition and Dixon sits ninth on NHRA's all-time professional victories list.

Bernstein finished with a flourish, winning four of the last five races in his powerful Budweiser dragster.
Racers Edge Photography

A First Team selection for the second straight year, Dixon began the 2003 season with a victory at the K&N Filters Winternationals, becoming the first Top Fuel driver to win the historic season-opening event in consecutive seasons. Dixon also earned a $100,000 bonus during the Winternationals after winning the Budweiser Shootout bonus event for the third time in his career. He went on to win seven more races, including a sweep of the Western Swing, consecutive races in Denver, Seattle, and Sonoma, Calif., becoming just the fourth driver in NHRA history to conquer the swing.

"It's an honor to be recognized by the motorsports media for what we have accomplished as a team over the past two seasons," Dixon said. "This is one of those awards that you're excited to receive because it reaffirms the fact that we had a great season."

In 2004, Dixon's 10th season as a driver, he will attempt to become just the second Top Fuel driver in NHRA history to win three consecutive series championships. The only driver to accomplish that feat was Joe Amato (1990-92).

Pedregon's title run in John Force's Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang will forever place him in drag racing's annuls as the man who unseated 12-time champion Force and ended his incredible streak of 10 straight championships. A perfect 8-0 record in final round appearances helped Pedregon clinch his first title while pushing his career win total to 27.

As soon as the season ended, Pedregon announced his departure from John Force Racing so he could fulfill his lifelong goal of racing with his brother Cruz Pedregon.

Anderson raised the bar to new heights in Pro Stock.
Racers Edge Photography

Highlighting the Second Team, Pro Stock champion Anderson virtually rewrote his categories' record book in 2003, racing to more wins, 12, and final-round appearances, 15, than ever before. The Vegas General Construction Pontiac Grand Am driver also set numerous track records along the way as well as both ends of the national record with a stunning 6.670-second pass at 207.18 mph.

A regular on the AARWBA All-America Team, this time as a member of the Second Team, Budweiser's Bernstein came out of retirement to sub for his injured son Brandon and raced all the way up to sixth place in the final standings despite competing in only 15 events. Ending his illustrious career on a high note, the sport's only driver to win championships in both Funny Car and Top Fuel won the last three races of the season.

Earning Honorable Mention status, Kalitta's career-best season included a personal-best four wins in eight final rounds and a stunning national record for top speed of 333.25 mph. The Mac Tools driver, who has never finished below sixth in the points, scored a runner-up ending this year.

A Second Team selection in the At Large category, Top Alcohol Funny Car champion Frank Manzo won his seventh straight NHRA Lucas Oil title and ninth overall with a commanding nine wins in 10 final-round appearances. Manzo also raised the national speed mark for his class to 262.33 mph in his Kendall Oil machine.

For 32 years, the AARWBA has elected the annual All-America Racing Team. The team is recognized by the Associated Press, Reuters, and major publications as the only team of its kind in motorsports.

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