For the second straight year, the Funny Car title at the Pontiac Excitement Nationals presented by Summit Racing went home with a darkhorse as Phil Burkart Jr., a former Federal-Mogul Funny Car driver competing this season on a limited basis with Paul Gratton's Firebird, upset some of the biggest names in the sport to win his first career title.
Phil Burkart Jr. |
Ironically, Burkart, competing at this event with new backing from NitroFish apparel, had to defeat last year's upset king, Frank Pedregon, in round two en route to the winner's circle, where he was joined by fellow Pro winners Doug Herbert (Top Fuel), Warren Johnson (Pro Stock), Antron Brown (Pro Stock Bike), and John Coughlin (Pro Stock Truck).
Burkart opened his amazing run to the money by not only beating Tommy Johnson Jr., the noted starting-line ace in his first race behind the wheel of Joe Gibbs' Interstate Batteries Firebird, but did it on a holeshot, too, turning a .459 to .539 holeshot into a 5.087 to 5.083 victory. He then beat Pedregon's loose 5.50 with a 5.14 before squaring off with John Force in the semi's. Force, who had set low e.t. of the meet in his 4.923 victory over Bob Gilbertson in round one, lost the blower belt and the round to Burkart, 5.09 to 5.15.
Waiting in the final for Burkart was red-hot Tim Wilkerson, winner last week of the Fram Route 66 Nationals. Wilkerson had barely survived the loss of traction in every round leading up to the final, outpedaling Al Hofmann in round one despite such violent tire shake that it set off his onboard fire extinguishers, then beating Dean Skuza with a tip-toeing 5.10. He also outpedaled Whit Bazemore in the semifinals, 5.87 to 6.89, winning the round just like he did the final round a week ago in the final round.
Wilkerson could not survive a fourth such occurrence in the final though, as he blazed the tires right away to give the stunning win to Burkart, whose victory gave him a berth in the lucrative Winston Showdown next month, bumping Bazemore from the list of pre-qualified entrants, all of whom are former event winners.
Funny Car results
Doug Herbert |
Herbert won his second event of the season with his Dick LaHaie-tuned Snap-On Tools dragster and moved into second place in the Winston points. Herbert and LaHaie had the winning combination on a tricky racetrack, running just hard enough each round to win without fear of striking the tires, beating Jim Head with a 4.85, Kenny Bernstein with a 4.671, and Gary Scelzi in a close 4.787 to 4.782 battle decided by Herbert's .470 to .496 holeshot.
Bob Vandergriff Jr., like Burkart, looking for his first career win and a spot in the Winston Showdown, was lucky to be in the final after blowing a tire following an engine explosion in beating Scott Kalitta in round one. After initially thinking his chassis was too damaged to continue, the Jerzees team repaired the chassis in the pits between rounds, then beat David Grubnic with a 5.76 and Paul Romine with a 4.84.
Herbert would not be denied in the final as he tattooed the track with a fine 4.69 to defeat Vandergriff's game 4.76.
Top Fuel results
Johnson's Pro Stock victory denied local favorite Jeg Coughlin Jr. his second straight hometown victory in a final-round race that was symbolic of their earlier performances. Coughlin had beaten Ron Krisher, Richie Stevens, and Mike Edwards with times of 7.058, 7.063,and 7.047 while W.J. had run 7.005, and 7.033, and 6.995 to beat George Marnell, Robert Patrick and Mike Trumble Jr.
Coughlin got W.J. off the line in the final, .437 to .483, but Johnson's horsepower reeled him in at the light to win by just .007-second, 7.008 to 7.061.
Pro Stock results
Antron Brown |
Antron Brown showed machine-like precision aboard Troy Vincent's Team 23 Suzuki en route to the Pro Stock Bike final, running steady passes of 7.383, 7.382, and 7.382 to beat John Smith, Gary Tonglet, and Winston points leader Angelle Seeling , who fell with a 7.377 by just .002-second after being gated by Brown, .422 to .429.
David Schultz, the 43-time NHRA national event champ who has not won in more than two years, since the 1997 Gatornationals, and whose last final round came at this event a year ago, opened his run to the final with a 7.37 victory over Brian Ayers. Schultz then ran 7.38 to beat Fred Camarena before bouncing Winston champ and low qualifier Matt Hines in the semi's with a 7.37; Hines lost with a tire-spinning 7.43.
Brown got the better light in the final, and roared away to his second career win, 735 to 7.37.
Pro Stock Bike results
After surviving two rounds of Pro Stock Truck eliminations Saturday, John Coughlin opened Sunday by defeating Todd Patterson. He was joined in the final by low qualifier Brad Jeter, who helped break up the hopes of an all-Coughlin final when Mike Coughlin fouled with .232 light.
In the final, Jeter got the holeshot but got loose at midtrack, allowing Coughlin to roar by for the 7.70 to 7.75 victory.
Pro Stock Truck results
Rick Henkelman led a strong effort by Division 7 racers, who won three Sportsman categories in Columbus. Henkelman scored his second career win with a 5.72 to defeat Bill Reichert, who won the Federal-Mogul Allstars Federal-Mogul Dragster competition Saturday. Reichert had a good run going until his mount faltered, slowing him to a 6.81.
Federal-Mogul Dragster results
Reigning Federal-Mogul Funny Car season champ Frank Manzo prevented Saturyda's Federal-Mogul Allstars Federal-Mogul Funny Car winner Pat Austin from doubling up, beating him in the final round, 5.68 to 5.71.
Federal-Mogul Funny Car results
Former Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series Comp champion Andy Manna doubled up in comp, scoring a big win Sunday following his victory Saturday in the Allstars event. Manna's final-round 8.50 defeated the 6.84 registered by Division 3 A/ED driver Robert Bailey.
Comp results
Californian Frank Grossi, the Division 7 Allstars representative, won an all-GT Super Stock final round with his GT/BA entry, running 9.97 on a 9.95 dial after a .513 reaction time to defeat Ricky Decker's GT/CA entry.
Super Stock results
Like Reichert and Austin, Allstars winner Tommy Phillips also lost his chance to double up in Stock when he trimmed the Tree too closely in the final and red-lighted with a .499 reaction against Bruce Walton.
Stock results
Shannon Mingee took an easy final-round victory in Super Comp when Team Jeg's driver Dave Fields red-lighted after an apparent delay-box malfunction.
Super Comp results
Frank Miller, who won a dead-heat semifinal round from Tom Small, couldn't pull off the magic in the finals as the Mopar Parts Nationals champ was felled by the outstanding .406 light and perfect 9.900 of Mike Farquhar's Ohio-based roadster. Miller's e.t. was 9.94 after a .420 light.
Super Gas results
In Super Street, Scott Dahlem, who nailed a .501 light in the semi's to win a double-breakout contest, but a .512 to .528 holeshot on Steve Mesik, then powered his Vega to an easy 11.06 final-round victory.
Super Street results
For information about the event sponsor, visit the
Pontiac home page.
For information about the presenting sponsor, visit the
Summit Racing home page.
